The South Carolina Book Festival

The South Carolina Book Festival was held in Columbia, SC this past weekend and what a ride! We left Nashville at 9PM and drove until 2:30AM. Yeah, that was brutal. But we made it into town about 1:00 on Friday and set up the table.

Saturday the madness began. We had a constant flow of people through the fair and I have to say everyone was really great. I know I say that a lot but going on these trips really restores my faith in humanity.

The six table Echelon Press booth was awesome. Some great authors attended. Myself, Teresa Burrell, Sam Morton, Alexis Hart, Marc Vun Kannon, and Barbara DeShong represented. (By the way, I have to give another HUGE thanks to all the authors that attended. You all were inspiring in every way!) I think I speak for everyone when I say that we met some really great people. Not just because they were buying books but because everyone was so genuine and kind. Really, we had a constant flow of people through the booth and it's so nice to connect with people that are true book lovers.

I had Rebecca Wood, an opera student also helping me with the Thomas Riley table. Here's a young lady that has a bright future ahead of her. Many thanks Rebecca, I couldn't have done this without you!



I regret that I didn't get to see much of the other vendors or any of the panels at the festival but I was literally busy beyond belief at the table for two days straight. For recreation, the Echelon Press authors went to Longhorn where we had the traditional Saturday night meal. (Great times!) Stacey and I were also able to run over to the Liberty Tap Room for pints and Olympic hockey on Friday afternoon. Nice place and I recommend it to anyone visiting Columbia.

The entire experience while exhausting was absolutely amazing. Thank you to everyone in Columbia SC I can't wait to see you all again next year in May!

Ok so you don't live in South Carolina and you missed the event. No big deal. I'll be in Memphis TN at MidSouthCon March 12-14. I'll be speaking at three panels there as well.

- Saturday 5:00 PM Steampunk 101 Steampunk fiction is on the rise. But what puts the punk' in Steampunk?

- Saturday 7:00 PM To Market, To Market Finding the one that fits your work.

- Sunday 2:00 PM Coloring Inside the Lines Intellectual Property: What does it take to write creatively in someone else's world?

Don't forget to Enlist as a Sky Pirate HERE.

And if you can't make it to the events, get your signed copy of Thomas Riley HERE.

Zamora's Ultimate Challenge

If you have kids, you simply must pick up a copy of Zamora's Ultimate Challenge by M.K. Scott.(Quake)

Two boys, Carter and Mason Clover are put in charge of their baby sister Isabella while their parents are away. The boy's find themselves transported into their favorite video game and into a fantasy land that's no longer just a fantasy. Their sister has been kidnapped by the evil queen in the game and the boys have to navigate through the different levels to save her.

Mason and Carter know this land well... at least they think they do. It's much easier to play a game when your life isn't on the line right? The sometimes bickering brothers quickly realize that they have to rely on each other to get through the real life game. They also have to accept some valuable life lessons on the way.

I'm not sure what your picturing, but this isn't Pong or Missile Command that the brothers are trapped in, this is a huge other world filled with acid pooping Pterodactyl's, murderous pirates, a fire breathing dragon and even a lava monster! I didn't even mention the mechanical shark and my favorite part, appearances by the world's masters of literature and art.

Besides the ultra fun adventure, I really liked that I could read a mother's love in Zamora's Ultimate Challenge. I could actually see the life lessons M.K. Scott put on paper. She wants her readers to see the value in trust, love, and perseverance. From this view, it's a heartwarming read even if you're not a young adult. The story places the boys in situations where they have to apply trust, the golden rule, bravery, family love and logical thinking to continue on their quest to save their sister. This is truly a story with a moral. Actually a lot of morals. The way the boys interact with each other makes me think all young adult readers would get a lot out of this... and that's just a side effect of the nonstop action and adventure.



Zamora's Ultimate Challenge is a must for all young adult readers. It's fun, it's exciting and it's filled with themes that every young adult should read. Pick up your copy here.