Short Story Contest: Finalist #4

Read about the contest.

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Humming through the Hoop by Meredith Chen
Richard Montgomery High School - Montgomery County, Maryland

“When I left my parents’ house for good, I took five things with me...”

The girl behind the podium adjusted her glasses and squinted down at the second sentence of her story. She was the ninth contestant to read. Penultimate, I scribbled in my notebook. I liked the word. It oozed from my red gel pen with inky sophistication.

Read the full story.

Louis Bayard Grabs Another Positive Review

Louis Bayard's new thriller, "The School of Night," was called "fascinating" by the New York Times in a recent review of four crime novels. Read the full review.

GBF Featured Author Meg Waite Clayton Gets Another Spectacular Review

"The Four Ms. Bradwells" by GBF featured author Meg Waite Clayton got a "really good" and "highly recommend" from ShelfAwareness.com editor Bethanne Patrick on a NY1 show. Hear what else Bethanne had to say.

GBF Author Q&A with... Gerald Blaine

Name: Gerald Blaine
Also Known As: one of President Kennedy's Secret Service agents

Book: The Kennedy Detail: JFK's Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence

Book's Website

Where do you find inspiration?
The inspiration for "The Kennedy Detail" was to provide an accurate account of President Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas as witnessed and lived by the agents of the United States Secret Service who were present or whose role impacted the events of that day in Dallas. Unfortunately unfounded conspiracy theories were the basis for which history would be recorded unless the Kennedy Detail agents broke their silence. The inspiration was to provide a more accurate historical perspective.

What are you reading right now?
'The Autobiography of Mark Twain"

What book has inspired or affected you in some way?
"The Holy Bible" and "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy

Short Story Contest: Finalist #3

Read about the contest.

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Pathway to Redemption by Alice Chang
Thomas S. Wootton High School - Montgomery County, Maryland

In my entire life, I've fibbed dozens of times – usually to be polite or to get out of attending some mind-numbing social event – but I've only told one really big lie.

I am Prince Magnus V of Belgium. I am the reason my brother is dead.

Read the full story.

Meg Waite Clayton Writes about Keeping Her Literary Boat Afloat and the Fight for Women's Rights

Meg Waite Clayton ("The Four Ms Bradwells" and "The Wednesday Sisters") was featured yesterday on The Red Room about how she keeps her "literary boat afloat" by writing shorter essays. Read the piece.

She also recently penned a piece for AOL about Elizabeth Cady Stanton and how Stanton's cause and hard work affects Clayton's life and her novels.

Go Eat a Burger for the GBF

Want to help us out? Go eat a burger!

On Tuesday, April 5, from 5-9 p.m., Cheeburger Cheeburger in Rockville's Fallsgrove Village Center will be holding a fundraiser for the Gaithersburg Book Festival. Bring our flyer and 20% of all sales -- eat in or take out -- will go toward festival expenses. You must have the flyer with you for the festival to benefit!

Sarah Pekkanen in EW

Sarah Pekkanen's new book, "Skipping a Beat," made it into this week's Entertainment Weekly. Check it out.

Brad Parks Talks Journalism, Novels, and Other Novelists

Recently, seattlepi.com ran a Q&A with Brad Parks ("Eyes of the Innocent" and "Faces of the Gone") in which Parks talks about how his journalism background comes into play when writing -- "I was constantly meeting new and fascinating people – sometimes on the very best or very worst days of their lives – and was given license to ask them whatever impertinent question popped into my head. If that’s not good training to be a novelist, I don’t know what is." -- the differences between journalism and novel writing, and why he likes writing intern characters so much.

Read the interview.

Did You Know that Featured Author Sarah Pekkanen Has a NOOKBook Short Story?

So in the process of searching for a link to one of GBF featured author Sarah Pekkanen's books ("Skipping a Beat" and "Opposite of Me"), we discovered a NOOKbook short story, "All Is Bright," that she wrote.

Published in December 2010, B&N describes it as "a charming story about coming home for the holidays—and finding gifts in the most unexpected of places.." Pretty cool. If you read it, weigh in with what you think.

Featured Author Douglas Waller on CSPAN's Book TV THIS SATURDAY

This Saturday, March 26, at 11 a.m., GBF featured author Douglas Waller ("Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage") will be on C-SPAN's Book TV talking about his new book.

The program will re-air Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 6 a.m.

Short Story Contest: Finalist #2

Read about the contest.

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Pieces of Darkness by Lundy Bowren
Northwest High School - Montgomery County, Maryland

“Don’t open the box,” my father always told me...

So I suppose when I say that I opened the box, none of you will be surprised. Only, guess what?

I never opened that box. And do you know why? Because unlike other parents and authority figures who say, “Don’t do this” or “Don’t do that” but never seem to have a better reason than “Because I said so,” my father actually showed me what was in the box.

Read the full story.

Meg Waite Clayton on "The Lowly Pencil"

Featured author Meg Waite Clayton ("The Four Ms. Bradwells" and "The Wednesday Sisters") wrote a guest column for the Huffington Post about her love affair with "the lowly pencil." One of our favorite lines from the piece: "I sharpen far more often than I floss."

Read Meg's musings.

GBF Author Q&A with... Michael White

Name: Michael White
Books: Beautiful Assassin, Soul Catcher, The Garden of Martyrs, A Brother's Blood, The Blind Side of the Heart, A Dream of Wolves, and Marked Men

White's Website

Where do you find inspiration?
By reading other novels and by long hikes in the woods.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Read voraciously but closely, and write.

What are you reading right now?
Tinkers, Olive Kittredge

What's your favorite opening line from a book?
Call me Ismael.

What book has inspired or affected you in some way?
"The Sound and the Fury"

If you could sit down at dinner with three other authors, living or dead, which three authors would you choose?
Shakespeare, Keats, and Lincoln

Featured Author Sarah Pekkanen Gets Another Great Review

She's on a roll...

GBF featured author Sarah Pekkanen just received another great review for her new novel, "Skipping a Beat." The review in the Ventura County Star calls the book a "dramatic roller coaster ride of a story" and the reviewer applauds Pekkanen for delivering "a heart-wrenching and heartfelt tale that will leave an impact on the reader long after the last page is read." Read the entire review.

Short Story Contest: Finalist #1

They're up, folks! That's right, the finalist and honorable mention stories from our high school student short story contest are now up on the Gaithersburg Book Festival website. We'll be featuring two stories on the blog each week leading up to the festival. And at the festival, the students will be reading their work and we'll announce the winners. So without further ado...

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Last Exit by John H. Baker
Seneca Valley High School - Montgomery County, Maryland

“When I left my parents' house for good, I took five things with me,” Donnie began to say. He was sitting in the back seat with Jason, “First…”

“Donnie?” Frank said from the passenger’s seat. Frank had his eyes closed and was trying to sleep.

“Yeah?”

“Nobody gives a damn.”

“What?”

“About your story, Donnie. Please, just…stop talking. We have a long drive ahead of us and I’d really like to get some sleep right now..."

Read the full story.

Ever Wonder What a Book Tour Is Really Like?

If you want the real skinny on book tours, read this great National Post guest column from Paula McLain, author of "The Paris Wife," a new novel that's drawing rave reviews and LOTS of attention.

McLain talks about how great her current tour has been... and how that's often not the norm!

GBF featured author James Zogby ("Arab Voices: What They Are Saying to Us, and Why it Matters") wrote a guest column for the Huffington Post about the causes of the crisis in Bahrain and the role the Gulf Cooperation Council can play in the resolution.

Read the full column.

Featured Author Sarah Pekkanen on Children's Books and the Gender Divide

Ever wonder why it seems like more women than men -- and more girls than boys -- read? GBF featured author Sarah Pekkanen ("Skipping a Beat" and "Opposite of Me") penned an interesting piece for the Washington Post on Sunday about the gender divide and children's books. One potential key to getting more boys reading? Humor, says Pekkanen. Read more.

Book Review: "Pictures of You" by GBF Featured Author Caroline Leavitt

The Providence Journal reviewed "Pictures of You" by GBF featured author Caroline Leavitt, writing that the "the characters delight because they are so precisely complicated." The review also cites Leavitt's "compassion, lucid prose, and frank embrace of life’s thorniest moments" and calls the novel "a memorable read."

Read the full review.

GBF Featured Author Eleanor Brown Gets Another Great Review

The Sacramento Bee included "The Weird Sisters" by featured author Eleanor Brown in a recent "Pop Picks" column, calling the novel "delightful and fascinating" and a "magnificent tapestry of a tale."

Read the full review.

GBF Featured Author Dominique Paul In the News...

Kentlands resident and featured author Dominique Paul ("The Possibility of Fireflies") has been making some news lately!

Paul is on the cover of the March-April issue of Bethesda magazine (where she talks about her experience having her book optioned for a movie deal) and also was recently featured in the Town Courier.

We can't wait to hear her talk more about her experience on May 21!

Book by GBF Featured Author Robert Whitaker Sparks New Foundation

GBF featured author Robert Whitaker ("Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America") recently partnered with Gina Nikkel, executive director of the Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs, to create the Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health.

The Foundation plans to raise several million dollars toward non-biased research into the use of psychiatric medication. Nikkel credits reading Whitaker's book as leading her to join with Whitaker to create the Foundation.

Read the full article.

GBF Featured Author Alex Berenson Releases New Kindle Book

Alex Berenson ("The Secret Soldier" and "The Midnight House") has released a new Kindle Single, "Lost in Kandahar," which tells the story of Berenson's time embedded with the the 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan.

Purchase the Kindle Single.

GBF Author Q&A with... Alex Berenson

Name: Alex Berenson
Books: The Secret Soldier, The Midnight House, The Silent Man, The Ghost War, and The Faithful Spy,

Website

Where do you find inspiration?
In great books. Reading classics – or great modern literature – makes me want to improve my own story-telling and language.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Sit down, turn off the television, disconnect from the Internet, and write. There's really no other way to learn.

What are you reading right now?
"Jawbreaker," a memoir by Gary Berntsen, the CIA officer who commanded the teams hunting for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in 2001. Research for my new novel.

What's your favorite opening line from a book?
No single line comes to mind, though the first verse of Genesis is a heck of a way to start. Simple and clean.

What book has inspired or affected you in some way?
"The Quiet American," by Graham Greene

If you could sit down at dinner with three other authors, living or dead, which three authors would you choose?
Graham Greene, John le Carre, and Robert Penn Warren. (I'd say Tolstoy but he's a notorious depressive so the dinner would probably be less fun.)

GBF Featured Author Brad Parks Writes a Love Story?

GBF featured author and Shamus Award winner Brad Parks ("Eyes of the Innocent" and "Faces of the Gone") recently penned a (charming and funny!) piece for Shelf Awareness about his email correspondence with Gayle Harris, owner of the Books and Crannies bookstore in Texas, and subsequent visit to her store.

One reveal in the piece: When he reads he does voices! Could make for an interesting show when this Shamus Award winner is at our book festival on May 21!

Read the full story, including his run-in with Gayle's husband who greeted Brad by saying: "So, this is my competition, huh? My wife has been taking you to bed with her every night this week." (Oh, and did we mention he has a Shamus Award? Why are we mentioning that so much? Read his Shelf Awareness piece and you'll get the joke!)

Miami Herald Reviews Fire on the Horizon by GBF Featured Author Tom Shroder

This past weekend, the Miami Herald reviewed "Fire on the Horizon: The Untold Story of the Gulf Oil Disaster" by John Konrad and GBF featured author Tom Shroder.

From the review: "At its best, the book is a fascinating look at a little-understood industry and a fast-paced and emotional story of the efforts to save the Deepwater Horizon. The authors’ account of the workers’ race to save themselves is thrilling and suspenseful, and yet the book is also a sensitive account of the lives forever changed."

Read the full review.

Book Trailer: Two Kisses for Maddy by Matt Logelin

"So this is a universal story. The two things that are guaranteed to every single one of us are birth and death... I experienced both of those things in 27 hours."

And so starts blogger Matt Logelin in his trailer for his forthcoming book, "Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love," which is due out April 14.

(Some of our committee members cried watching the trailer. Sweet, poignant... what an incredible story and book this is going to be!)

What Literary Spot Do You Want to Visit?

A website called Online Courses recently published a list of 50 Famous Travel Spots Every Literary Geek Should See. From Walden Pond and Shakespeare & Co. Booksellers to Baker Street and the Tolkien Trail, the list includes spots from fiction, non-fiction, plays and poems.

Other than our literary festival, which obviously belongs on the list, what literary-related famous travel spots make your "must see" list?

O Magazine Calls "The Paris Wife" a Book to Watch

"The Paris Wife" by GBF featured author Paula McLain made it onto the list of "17 Books to Watch for in March 2011" by O magazine.

Washington Post, O Magazine Praise Sarah Pekkanen's "Skipping a Beat"

Sarah Pekkanen drew positive reviews from the Washington Post for her second novel, "Skipping a Beat." The Post called it an "intelligent and entertaining novel" that "offers a delightful slice of life inside the Beltway." Read the full review.

"Skipping a Beat" also was listed in the "10 Titles to Pick Up Now" column in O Magazine. Here's a link to the piece, which calls the novel "engaging."

GBF Featured Author James Swanson Signs New Book Deal

According to the Reliable Source column in the Washington Post, featured author James Swanson ("Bloody Crimes" and "Manhunt") signed a deal with the William Morrow imprint of HarperCollins for a book on JFK's killing. The book is due out fall 2013.

That leaves us wondering two things. One, will he be looking to connect with our other GBF featured authors -- Gerald Blaine and Clint Hill -- who chronicled their first-hand accounts of the assassination in "The Kennedy Detail"? And second, should we sign him up now for GBF 2014?

GBF Author Q&A with... Douglas Waller

Name: Douglas Waller
Books: "Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage," "A Question of Loyalty," "Big Red: Three Months on Board a Trident Nuclear Submarine," "Air Warriors: The Inside Story of the Making of a Navy Pilot," and "The Commandos: The Inside Story of America's Secret Soldiers"

Doug's Website

Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration from reading, as many authors do. For my biographies, one idea often follows the other. I’m intrigued by controversial historical figures, leaders who provoke strong opinions about them—pro and con.

My previous biography was on General Billy Mitchell, the father of the Air Force, who was a military maverick during the “Roaring Twenties,” a guy people loved or hated, and who was eventually court-martialed for being insubordinate in advocating airpower as a new weapon of war. Gen. William “Wild Bill” Donovan, the World War II director of the Office of Strategic Services, was much in that same mold. Interestingly, Donovan attended Mitchell’s court-martial, which became a media spectacle in Washington. Like Mitchell, no one was neutral about Wild Bill Donovan. His loyalists thought he was a god. His enemies thought he was a rogue spymaster and a devious empire builder. And the new ideas Donovan advocated—such as setting up a national spy service and launching unconventional covert operations—were highly controversial in the 1940’s. In fact, Donovan’s legacy is still intensely debated by historians today.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Again, read authors who are your favorites. Study and learn from their writing styles. Then write, write, write. I have a lot of people who when they find out I’m an author, will say, “Oh yeah, I thought about writing a book.” But they never do. I find writing to be 15% creative inspiration and 85% discipline.

One famous author once told me, writing is like mowing the lawn. You have to do a strip every day, whether you feel like it or not. Writing a book is a job, a difficult job. And you have to approach it as going to work every day, just as in any job.

What are you reading right now?
"All Governments Lie!: The Life and Times of Rebel Journalist I. F. Stone" by Myra MacPherson

What's your favorite opening line from a book?
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” the opening line of "A Tale of Two Cities"

What book has inspired or affected you in some way?
"The Making of the President 1960" by Theodore H. White. When I read it in high school I wanted to run for President of the United States. Later in college when I came down from the clouds, Teddy White’s books, along with one very good journalism instructor, inspired me to become a reporter.

If you could sit down at dinner with three other authors, living or dead, which three authors would you choose?
Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. That should make for an interesting dinner.

theRoot Reviews Featured Author Daniel Rasmussen's Book, "American Uprising"

"Some history books try to tell a story. Others try to turn those stories on their heads, breaking apart what has been accepted as truth in the process. Daniel Rasmussen's 'American Uprising: The Untold Story of America's Largest Slave Revolt' tries to do the latter."

And so begins a glowing review of Rasmussen's book by theRoot, an online magazine that provides thought-provoking commentary on today's news from a variety of black perspectives.

The review praises Rasmussen's smooth writing style and his ability to sustain interest throughout the book. Read the full review.

GBF Authors Show Each Other Some Love

GBF Featured Author Meg Waite Clayton ("The Wednesday Sisters" and the soon-to-be-released "The Four Ms. Bradwells") has been hosting a number of GBF featured authors on her blog, 1st Books: Stories of How Writers Get Started.

Her latest GBF featured author guest is Sarah Pekkanen who just released her second novel, "Skipping a Beat." Pekkanen writes about her days as a reporter, balancing writing and raising kids, losing a manuscript to a house fire, and how her writing has changed over the years. Read Sarah's entry.

Meg has also featured Eleanor Brown ("The Weird Sisters") and Caroline Leavitt ("Pictures of You") on her blog.

Positive Review for GBF Featured Author Wendy Wan-Long Shang

GBF featured author Wendy Wan-Long Shang recently received a positive review for book, "The Great Wall of Lucy Wu."

Washington Parent called her book "fresh and funny" with a "memorable character" in Lucy. Read the full review.

CNN Interviews Featured Author Alex Berenson

CNN recently interviewed GBF featured author Alex Berenson about his newest novel, "The Secret Soldier," and the current uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa.

Watch the interview.

In the News: GBF Featured Autor Clare Vanderpool

GBF featured author Clare Vanderpool is the subject of a great feature in the Washington Examiner.

Vanderpool's debut novel, "Moon Over Manifest," received the John Newbery Medal, the most prestigious award in children's literature.

In the News: GBF Featured Author Paula McLain

GBF featured author Paula McLain continues to draw a great amount of praise and attention for her debut novel, "The Paris Wife."

• NPR: 'The Paris Wife' Dives Into Hemingway's First Love
• FloridaToday.com: Brevard County man has fond memories of Hemingway's first wife
• Kansas City Star: Hemingway marriage comes alive in novel
• Omnivoracious, an Amazon blog: "The Paris Wife" Exemplifies Why We Love Women's Fiction
  

I don't know about you, but we can't wait to hear her speak on May 21 at the festival.

More Good News for GBF Featured Author Sarah Pekkanen

Two-time GBF featured author Sarah Pekkanen is making news this week with the recent release of her latest book, "Skipping a Beat." (She spoke about her debut novel, "The Opposite of Me," at last year's festival.)

Her most recent press for "Skipping a Beat" includes:

• An on-air interview for KCRA in California that includes a discussion of interacting with her readers via social media.
• A review in People magazine that calls it "heartbreaking and familiar" and gives it 3 out of 4 starts

Come hear Sarah talk about her book on May 21 at the Gaithersburg Book Festival. And between now and then, you can follow her on Twitter at @sarahpekkanen.

GBF Author Q&A with... Scott Simon

Name: Scott Simon
Books: "Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other: In Praise of Adoption"; "Windy City"; "Pretty Birds"; "Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball"; and "Home and Away"
Also Known As: the host of NPR’s Weekend Edition
Website

1. Where do you find inspiration?
Our daughters. I write books that share those things that are most important, precious, and moving to me (and to pay for their horseback riding).

2. What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Write. Nothing sharpens your writing like writing.

3. What are you reading right now?

• "Triumph of the City" by Edward Glaeser
• "The Fates Will Find Their Way", a first novel by Hannah Pittard
• "True Grit" by Charles Portis

4. What's your favorite opening line from a book?
The first line from my novel, "Pretty Birds": Irena Zaric put her last stick of gum in her mouth, winked at a bird, and wondered where to put her last bullet before going home.

Favorite opening line from a book not written by me? Saul Bellow’s "The Adventures of Augie March": I am an American, Chicago born—Chicago, that somber city—and go at things as I have taught myself, free-style, and will make the record in my own way: first to knock, first admitted; sometimes an innocent knock, sometimes a not so innocent.

5. What book has inspired or affected you in some way?
Forster’s "A Passage to India" made me want to see India and write novels. It made me appreciate how an artist insinuates himself into different people.

6. If you could sit down at dinner with three other authors, living or dead, which three authors would you choose and why?
Mark Helprin, E.M. Forster, and Susan Sontag. They were and/or are all brilliant, funny, interesting, and great storytellers.

So there you have it. A sneak peak into what inspires and moves one of America’s most admired writers and broadcasters.

Stay tuned for more Q&As from other featured authors.

The Denver Post Features Eleanor Brown and her Novel, "The Weird Sisters"

GBF featured author Eleanor Brown ("The Weird Sisters") is the subject of an article in this past Sunday's Denver Post.

In the article, Brown talks about her fascination with family dynamics, her interest in how birth order affects siblings' personalities, and her research into Shakespeare's plays, which play a major role in her book. Read the full article.

Then make sure you come to the Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 21 so you can ask Brown your own questions about her book, her writing process, and her publishing experience.

Featured Author Tom Shroder to Speak at Politics & Prose

While we certainly encourage you to come see Tom at the festival on May 21, for those of you who can't make it that day -- and if you can't, shame on you! -- here's another opportunity to see Tom speak about his new book, "Fire on the Horizon: The Untold Story of the Gulf Oil Disaster."

WHERE: Politics & Prose
WHEN: Sunday, March 6, at 5 p.m.

Details.