County’s largest book festival set for Nov. 17

The largest book festival in Charlotte County will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at 16500 Burnt Store Road in Punta Gorda. Children’s activities, music, dance, storytelling, literary lectures and classic cars are some of the attractions featured at the book festival. The big red bus from Florida’s Blood Centers will also make an appearance.

Other attractions include:

¦ Musician and song stylist Les DaCosta will perform.

¦ American Contra Dance performs jigs and reels from Ireland, Scotland, Canada and America with live music by “Impromptu Assembly” and calling by Gillian Carney.

¦ A menu of literary dishes such as “Pizza à la Hemingway” will be featured by Burnt Store Market & Restaurant.

¦ Local children’s author and musician Jay Farnham will be on hand.

¦ A storybook costume contest will be held. Kids are encouraged to dress up as their favorite literary heroes and participate — a great opportunity to wear those storybook costumes from school and Halloween.

Topics and lecturers include:

¦ “The Birth of a Book” by James Abraham, book editor and publisher

¦ “Writing Suspense Novels” by Chuck Emma, author of “Lawyers, Lies and Lipstick”

¦ “Writing for Children” by Joyce Crawford, author of “I Dare You Disaster”

¦ “Writing History: Punta Gorda 125 Years Ago” by Vernon Peeples Sr., author of “Punta Gorda: In the Beginning, 1865-1900”

¦ “Writing Contemporary History” by Sally Simon, author of Punta Gorda Dreams”

¦ “Selling Your Work” by Naomi Pringle, author of “Ginga Root Tea”

Space is still available for authors.
Committed authors include:
¦ Sharon Buchbinder, “Killer Kisses”
¦ Joyce Crawford, “I Dare You Disaster”
¦ Gene Domienik, “I Remember the
Yorktown”
¦ Chuck Emma, “Lawyers, Lies, and
Lipstick”
¦ Jay Farnham, “The Porcupine”
¦ Christina Harrington, “Held Close
by An Angel”
¦ Mark James, “Fishing with Dynamite”
¦ Don Landy, “Unconditional Love”
¦ Elaine Myers, “The Adventures of
Lizzy Beth”
¦ Vernon Peeples, “Punta Gorda: In
the Beginning, 1865-1900”
¦ Dieter R. Philippi, “My Path
Through Life from Europe to the USA”
¦ Naomi Pringle, “Ginga Root Tea”
¦ Linda Roman, “Mystic Mustangs”
¦ Sharon J. Sapp, “The Oquar Series”
¦ Felicetta (Chet) Sciré, “The Other
Side of the Menu”
¦ Jac Simensen, “Black Mamba”
¦ Sally Simon, “Punta Gorda Storms”
¦ Clarissa Thomasson, “Florida Sunset”
¦ Debra Tolar, “Paint Me Black All
Over”

Sponsors include Sandman Book Company, Book Broker Publishers of Florida and the Arts & Humanities Council of Charlotte County.

For more information, call Sandman at 505-1624, Book-broker at 258-4920 or visit www.turtle-crossing.com. ¦