The Festival of Books & Creativity

June 2025

Creative Slingers of Ink, an organization dedicated to supporting Indie Authors and their books, hosted a wonderful Festival of Books & Creativity on Sunday. It was a long day, super hot (which I love), and well worth every second I spent under the tent.

Fifty-five authors and book-centric vendors came out to share their stories with readers in Novi. Situated in the "diag" at Fountain Walk, surrounded by a movie theatre, escape room, restaruants, a sports arena, a gym, and more... the diversity of visitors was tremendous. We encountered families, individuals, and couples of every slice of life, and we had tremendous conversations with them all.

This event was special for me for a few reasons... but if you asked me to rate them, it would be impossible. How can you choose between the things you love best in the world?

I shared a tent with the astoundingly talented Mark Love. The two of us try to share space at a few events every season. We always have a great time together because not only do we genuinely enjoy each other's company, we also enjoy each other's books. We write different things; Mark writes mystery, and me, well, I write a lot of stuff - but not mystery, yet. Our work compliments rather than competes. It makes for a nice day. We laugh, we talk with readers, and I get to gush in full "fan-girl" mode for an afternoon. It's fun. 😊

Some of my most favorite author people on the planet shared tents nearby, so I was able to laugh and chat with them throughout the day, too. For those of you out there who already know this rabble... imagine me, Mark Love, Donna Neumann, Heather Ashle, Kristoffer Gair, and Marianne Weiland all next to each other. It's always extra fun when you get to spend the day doing what you love with the people you love. [For those of you who couldn't make it, or haven't yet met these amazing authors, check out their websites, you'll be glad you did - some of them have new books this year!]

Not only that, my son, Zachary B. Wolfe, who has recently flug himeslf headlong, full-time into his once part-time voice over business, Laughing Wolfe Media, hung out under the tent, too. For anyone who has adult children, you know how lovely it is to spend an entire day with them, doing what you both love. This was particularly wonderful for me, because I got to enjoy his humor and talent as he read a bit for some of the authors nearby. Offer me a chance to watch someone I love, do something they love, and that they are now orchestrating their life around... yes please! 🩵❤️

And if all that wasn't enough to make for a spectacular day... my new folk tale, Her Heartstone, made it's public debut, and was extremely well-received. I'm thrilled that so many people appreciated the story I wanted to tell, and that they loved Michael Kurcharski's illustrations. I always feel a little uneasy releasing a new book into the wilds. I'm never sure how people will like it... but with this one, the "official launch" was fantastic!

And finally, CSI's extraordinary organizer, Mandy Jo, pulled off a wonderful event with skill and talent. The location was fantastic for foot traffic with plenty of parking; the vendor spaces were well-planned; the Author Bingo Game made sure more visitors found all of us, rather than just a favorite few; she did an amazing job marketing each of the authors well, hosting interviews and a plethora of social media posts (seriously, she pulled out all the social media stops on this one!); and she kept the day running smoothly with no hiccups. I'll support all the fun things Mandy Jo does for the writing community because she does it extremely well! In fact, I'll be traveling to South Carolina in October for another of her events because she's just that well organized. [More details coming on that shortly.]

So, to recap... I got to spend a lovely, warm day with some of my favorite people, sharing my books with visitors of every age. I felt privilaged to support my Author Tribe as they connected with new readers, and I was honored to be supported by them with tons of hugs, laughter, and chocolate. Yes, it was a warm day... but I love heat and humidity. Yes, it was a full day, but when you're doing what you love, with people you admire and respect, the day is always too short. For me, the day couldn't have been much better.