Participating in the 2026 Tustin OC Book Fair
November 12, 2026 by Denise M. Colby in category The Writing Journey by Denise Colby tagged as Book event, book fair, book signing, Denise M. ColbyI’m so excited for this Saturday because I’m participating in my first Tustin OC Book Fair located in Tustin, CA. Our OCRW group has secured two booths and there are six of us who will be there standing next to our display to share our books with whomever walks by.
Since this is where my mind is this week, I thought I’d share my planning ideas with you all.
How to Prepare for a Book Fair
There’s several things that have to be in place before the week of the OC Book fair.
1. Does the city require a license (must do in advance)?
2. Do you have enough books on hand?
3. Do you need to order any type of merchandise such as bookmarks or a table runner.
I had to look into all of these.
This was my first time setting up a license with any city, so there was a learning curve with filling out the paperwork and a cost to complete it. Plan ahead. We have to keep the mailed license on us during the book fair.
Bookmarks and stickers I plan to sell or give with purchase had to be ordered. I waited to capture a promotion to get best pricing, but also planned ahead knowing what I needed for this event.
The table layout had to be figured out. Since I’m only using half a table, I decided to buy a crate to store my books in and give me height on the table. The test run I did on my dining room table came out great. I took a picture, so I could remember what I did.
This also allowed me to count books and figure out what pieces I plan to bring for decorations that day. When I took it down, I packed it in a box ready to go.
One thing I realized I needed was a table runner to drape in front with my name on it. I’ve been wanting to make a table runner, so I decided to order one. First the design had to be figured out. I went with a plain white with a version of my schoolhouse logo. This way it could work on any colored tablecloth in the future.
I haven’t received it yet, but I’m excited to finally have one of these.
My novelette is free digitally, but I wanted to print several copies to offer a gift with bundle purchase. Some istorical romance readers don’t like reading digitally, so I’m hoping this would be a great enticement.
When setting up my table test run, I counted all the books I have on hand and determined how many I was going to bring, creating a beginning inventory count. I’ll count everything at the end of the day to confirm what I have sold.
Because I’m selling stickers, I ordered a holder to display them in from Amazon. I’m hoping that having smaller priced items would encourage overall sales, making participating worthwhile.
The day of the Tustin OC book fair
Figuring out what to wear for the Tustin OC Book Fair is a challenge. All of my book signings so far, I’ve dressed up. For this event I’ve picked out jeans and one of these shirts. This way I can be recognizable to what’s on my table, comfortable for loading and unloading and if it rains (which it might).
One is my logo, and one is my rooster Bert, whom everyone loves. Anyone have an opinion on which one?
I hope to be loaded the night before with tables and all the other things I’m bringing. We set up starting at 8am. The event starts at 10. I’m looking forward to sharing how it goes next month!
I’ll be posting on my social media that day, so take a peek at how it’s going.
Denise loves to share about her writing journey (see all her posts here), including her word of the year (this year it is BALANCE), her debut novel When Plans Go Awry, and all the things in between. You can visit her at her website and blog at www.denisemcolby.com or on her facebook or instagram. Please note: some links include Amazon Associate links where Denise can earn from qualifying purchases.
‘Her Lost Love’ in Dutch… meet the Arden Family in 1943 by Jina Bacarr
November 11, 2026 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as Christmas, Dutch, romance, time travel, veteran, veterans, Veterans Day, WW2
Thrilled to bring the Christmas Spirit of the Arden Family on the US homefront in 1943 to my Dutch readers! My time travel romance — pubs 7 December 2026.
Haar verloren liefde. Her Lost Love.
Here is the blurb in Dutch: Op een koude winterdag in 1955 stapt Kate Arden de trein in om thuis Kerstmis te vieren. Maar wanneer ze uitstapt, bevindt ze zich niet langer in 1955.Ze is terug in 1943 – het jaar dat Kate ten huwel…
‘On a cold December day in 1955 I got on a train to go back home for Christmas
This is the story of what happened when I got off that train.
In 1943.’
Kate travels back in time to save the man she loves…
On this Veterans Day, we celebrate the men and women who have served our country. Her Lost Love remembers those left behind. Haar verloren liefde: Amazon NL page and Boldwood NL page available now for pre-order
Here ‘The Arden Family’, an old family photo with ‘Kate’ on the left with the white bow in her hair with the gang. The inspiration to create the Ardens from Posey Creek PA during the war here in the US.
I made a video — English with Dutch subtitles!
Happy Veterans Day! Bless you all… and to the families of WW2 vets, their sacrifice will be forever in our hearts and our children’s and their children’s.
Best,
Jina
‘Flight of the Stolen Children’ pubs 13 December
Kitty Bucholtz, Featured Author
November 1, 2026 by Kitty Bucholtz in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as Featured author, Kitty Bucholtz, romantic comedy, Superheros, Write Now Workshop Podcast
November featured author Kitty Bucholtz is a writer, podcaster, and a book coach. She has combined her undergraduate degree in business, her years of experience in accounting and finance, and her graduate degree in creative writing to become a writer-turned-independent-publisher turned coach.
She writes romantic comedy and superhero urban fantasy, often with an inspirational element woven in. She loves to teach and offer advice to writers through her WRITE NOW! Workshop Podcast.
Kitty has also created the Finish Your Books Coaching Program. Find out more about either 1:1 Coaching or Group Coaching on Kitty’s website. https://kittybucholtz.com/
Besides Kitty’s Coaching Program and WRITE NOW! Workshop Podcast, you will find her here at A Slice of Orange on the 9th of each month writing It’s Worth It.
Books by Kitty Bucholtz
Steeped
October 30, 2026 by Dianna Sinovic in category Quill and Moss by Dianna Sinovic, Writing tagged as Dianna Sinovic, ghosts, short fiction, writing
The wind gusting outside woke Tabitha. She sat up on the couch, blinking in the dim light of late afternoon. She’d only meant to close her eyes for a few minutes, resting after sweeping the porch of dried leaves the breeze kept depositing there. And now it was … maybe five-thirty?
Angie would be home soon, if she didn’t have an evening meeting or dinner out with friends. Tabitha tried to remember her daughter’s schedule. At eighty-two, it was enough to recall her own to-do list each day, let alone someone else’s.
Tabitha felt around on the couch for her phone, but it was probably on the kitchen counter, next to the teapot. And her eyeglasses? Reaching for them, her arm brushed her teacup on the end table, sending the cup and the glasses flying into the darkness.
A shutter banged against the house, and a stair on the flight to the second floor creaked.
“Hello?” Tabitha said. “Angie?”
She strained to hear anything in the silence that responded. From the far corner of the living room, a shape moved.
“Who’s there?” Her voice wavered with uncertainty. She didn’t believe in ghosts. An intruder then? Tabitha gripped a couch pillow. If nothing else, she could use it knock the thief off balance when they attacked.
Unprompted, her mind flooded with memories of Caroline. As a young friend, when they were both mothers of small children, sharing a pot of lapsang tea while they gossiped. As a middle-aged companion taking that Caribbean cruise when Tabitha misplaced her favorite scarf. As an older woman hiking with her along the river towpath, trekking poles in hand.
Caroline, who passed on last month, before Tabitha could say farewell.
Yes, it’s me. The shape from the corner advanced.
Tabitha sucked in a breath. Was she dreaming? “But you’re dead.”
The form morphed into a faint, flickering image of her friend. You never kept in touch. Though not spoken aloud, Caroline’s words held a sharp bite of accusation.
“I did,” Tabitha protested. She let the pillow slide out of her hands, back onto the couch. “I called. I visited. Just not … later.”
Not when I was at my sickest. Caroline drifted across the room and back. A slight weight pressed on Tabitha’s hand—her eyeglasses. And from the end table came a soft clink of cup to saucer. Her friend couldn’t stop tidying even beyond the grave.
She slipped the glasses on, but Caroline’s image remained blurry. “I was scared,” Tabitha said. “I couldn’t offer you anything that would heal you, so I stayed away.” A coward, she acknowledged to herself. “I’m sorry.”
A light flipped on in the foyer.
“Mom?” Angie stood just inside the front door. “Why are you sitting in the dark?” She turned on a floor lamp, banishing the shadows from the room. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Tabitha said. She searched for Caroline and caught a slight shimmer near the windows. “Just dozing.”
A warmth enveloped her, a sense of serenity. You’re forgiven. The flicker died away. Have a cup of lapsang for me. Only the scent of the smoky brew lingered.
Books with more of Dianna’s stories
Featuring Marianne H. Donley
October 28, 2026 by marianne h donley in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Featured Author of the Month tagged as A Readable Feast, Featured Author of the Month, Marianne H. Donley, The Widow Next Door
Featuring Marianne H. Donley
Marianne H. Donley makes her home in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, and a very very active dog. She is a member of Bethlehem Writers Group, The Charmed Connection, Sisters in Crime, The Guppies and Capital Crimes. When Marianne isn’t working on A Slice of Orange, she might be writing short stories, funny romances, or quirky murder mysteries, but this could be a rumor. She also could be knitting.
Marianne’s story “The Widow Next Door” features a tired chef in search of sleep, the noisy kids of the food critic who could kill his new cookbook, and an evil twin brother.
About A READABLE FEAST
Whatever your taste, this collection of food-related stories from the multiple award-winning Bethlehem Writers Group has all the ingredients to satisfy your reading palate. Our menu includes twenty-seven appetizing stories, from light-fare and sides of fantasy to sweet romance and savory bites of mystery. Jeff Baird’s “The Pickle Promenade” provides an amuse bouche. Try a spicy entree prepared by Diane Sismour in “Bump and Run.” Prefer a yarn with zing? Enjoy “Rightful Prey” by A. E. Decker. Jerry McFadden’s tart “Hard Times,” should tickle your taste buds. On the sweeter side, there’s Sally Paradysz’s “Our Town is Different” or the bittersweet “Breakfast for One” by Geoffrey Mehl.
Enjoy these and other delectable tales from our talented authors including: Courtney Annicchiarico, Terrie Daugherty, Bernadette De Courcey, Marianne H. Donley, Headley Hauser, Ralph Hieb, Judith Mehl, Emily P. W. Murphy, E. L. Ryan, Paul Weidknecht, and Carol L. Wright. To complete today’s specials, we offer tasty tales from Tracy Falenwolfe and C. A. Rowland, winners of Bethlehem Writers Roundtable’s Short Story Awards in 2014 and 2015 respectively. All honed their recipes to write sweet, funny, and strange stories to remember.
Bon Appetit
Anthologies with more of Marianne’s Stories
Featured Books
NISHA’S JUST RIGHT CHRISTMAS TREE
Wide like an elephant and tall like a camel. That would be the perfect Christmas tree.
More info →
SECRETS OF MOONLIGHT COVE: A Romance Anthology
Moonlight Cove, where everyone has a secret…
More info →
