Special to the Progress
Jacksonville resident Patti Foster is one of more than 50 Texas authors to be featured at the first East Texas Book Fest set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at the Ornelas Activity Center, 3402 Old Omen Road, in Tyler. She will join other authors signing and selling their books at the event.
Since 1990, Patti’s focus has been radio. She was the morning show host at WFRN, an inspirational Christian station in South Bend/Elkhart, Ind. Before that, she served as the afternoon-drive host for KVNE/KGLY, two non-commercial Christian music stations in Tyler, Texas.
On June 18, 2002, Patti was severely injured in a horrific traffic crash and suffered traumatic brain injury. For six weeks, she was in a coma. She has had to learn to live again. Her titles include Amazing Faith and Getting Things Done: Successful Women Speak.
Among the 50 featured writers will be eight inspirational writers, a dozen childrens book authors, eight historical writers, two poets, 10 fiction writers in a variety of genres, and several cooking and how-to specialties.
At the Book Fest, the author talks and two break-out sessions are scheduled throughout the day-long event:
10-10:30 a.m.: Registration and exhibit browsing. Lunches are available for $3 on first-come, first-served basis.
10:30-11:15 a.m.: Breakout Discussion One, including "So You Want to be an Author?" by Nancy Bell; "Writing History" by Bob Bowman; and "Putting Yourself on the Market" by Patti Ramey.
11:20-noon: Authors Talk One: Welcome and introduction of honorary chairs Smith County Sheriff J.B Smith and Nancy Crawford; and talks by Don Graham and Jim Ainsworth.
1:15-2 p.m.: Authors Talk Two, including Joe Lansdale, John Foxjohn and J.B. Smith.
2:15-3 p.m.: Breakout Discussion Two, including "Creating Writing" by Robert Stevens; "Keeping Score-Sports Writing and Research" by C. Paul Rogers; and "How to Sell Yourself and Books" by Laura Krantz.
3:15-3:45: Authors Talk Three, including Sylvia Dickey Smith, Jory Sherman and R. Clay Reynolds.
4 p.m.: Door Prize Drawings.
To learn more about the East Texas Book Fest and other authors and speakers, go to etxbookfest.weebly.com
