Bush, Khan, Luna present books to students as part of Texas Book Festival’s 2017 Reading Rock Stars

Photo by Grant Miller Photography

DALLAS — In May 2017, the Texas Book Festival presented its Reading Rock Stars program at Thomas Tolbert Elementary School in Dallas.

Students enjoyed presentations and received books by Texas Book Festival cofounder, former first lady and bestselling children’s book author Laura Bush (Our Great Big Backyard), above right; James Luna, author of two bilingual picture books, including The Place Where You Live; and Hena Khan, Pakistani-American author of Amina’s Voice.

(Information and photo from Festival’s press release)

Dallas Author Expo announced for June 24; registration is now open for free event


Dallas — The Dallas Author Expo has been announced for Sat., June 24, 2017, at the Holiday Inn Plano–The Colony, 4301 Paige Road in The Colony, Texas, from 1 pm to 6 pm. Registration is now open, and admission is free with advance registration. The expo will feature several interactive speaker panels, free food, networking, free prize drawings, and much more.

“Many busy would-be authors assume that there is not enough time to sit down and write a book. That's untrue. If you cannot find fifteen minutes in your day to dedicate to your project, you need to fire something from your schedule,” said Rekesha Pittman, publishing strategist and founder of Get Write Publishing. "Publishing comes by discipline, not by inspiration. You may not always feel like writing, but you will love the way finishing feels,” she added.

The expo will offer engaging and enlightening sessions for authors such as “Money on the Books,” “Amazing Apps for Authors,” and the “Contains Graphic Content” panel, moderated by sponsor Colab Creative Group’s founder, Kevin Vain.

Vendor booths are available along with speaking, advertising and sponsorship opportunities. For more information or to register as an attendee or vendor, visit

www.dallasauthorexpo.com or contact info@getwritepublishing.com.

(Information from event press release)

2017 Top ELEVEN Readers’ Favorite Texas Bookstores

Texas readers have spoken. Nearly 2,500 of Lone Star Literary Life’s readers have cast ballots in 3 rounds of our statewide contest during May 2017 to recognize Texas’s favorite bookstores. Their final selections are as diverse as the state itself, and honorees include big indies, small indies, chain stores, used bookstores, and new bookstores in every corner of the state. And in the process, we were pleased to learn about places to buy books that we hadn’t even known before.

From the major cities of Dallas and Houston, to our state’s capitol city, from the historic Hill Country to the Piney Woods of East Texas, from the burbs to the beach, Texas bookshops are connecting with their communities. (Note that there was a tie for #6!) We are thrilled to showcase them in our second annual Lone Star Literary Life Readers’ Favorite Texas Bookstores — all 11 of them. >>READ MORE

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National Federation of State Poetry Societies 2017 to convene in Fort Worth June 29–July 2, celebrate “The Art and Soul of Poetry”

Hosted by the Poetry Society of Texas, with entertainment, meals, open readings, contests, workshops, music, fun

FORT WORTH — At the 2017 convention of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, there will be music, poems, art, words, and more, as the organization celebrates “The Art and Soul of Poetry.” Convention headquarters will be the historic Hilton hotel, located in downtown Fort Worth, Texas.

The convention will feature an impressive lineup of speakers, including Urania Fung, instructor at Tarrant County College; Anne McCrady, poet and storyteller; Pat Stodghill, poet laureate of Texas, past president of PST, and NFSPS; Dr. Nathan Brown, poet laureate of Oklahoma—who now lives in Texas; Karla K. Morton, poet laureate of Texas; Beth and Mark Ayers, Magic Lantern enthusiasts; Scott Wiggerman of Dos Gatos Press; and keynote speaker Carmen Tafolla, poet laureate of Texas.

Convention activities include a trip to the Fort Worth Stockyards on Thursday morning for an opportunity to see the longhorn cattle drive, peruse the shops, and enjoy lunch. Thursday afternoon, art lovers may visit one or more of the museums in the Arts District. After dinner Thursday night, winners in the convention contest will read their prize poems followed by musical entertainment. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be packed with programs, meetings, workshops, meals, readings, contest announcements, and other activities. A poetry/art project will be ongoing, culminating on Sunday morning with a reading at the Fort Worth Water Gardens and the creation of a PoetTree.

For room reservations, call the Fort Worth Hilton at 1-817-870-2100 and mention the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. For more information, visit www.poetrysocietyoftexas.org/2017/01/10/2017-national-federation-of-state-poetry-societies-convention

(Information from organization’s website)

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