February and March were busy months for me. In February, I attended the Collard Green Festival/Inkclusive Book Fair in St. Petersburg, FL, and was one of several local authors selling their books. It was my first time at this festival, and what a great surprise. About 5,000 folks attended. Sold many books and met even more great people. If you’re local or plan to be in the St.Pete/Tampa area next February, consider checking this out.

In March, I attended the Venice, FL Book Fair. Also my first time attending this fair. Located about a 75-minute drive from the Tampa area, it was nice to meet folks I’d probably not ever meet, and to see a part of the Florida gulf coast I’d yet to see. That month also saw me attending the Safety Harbor, FL Third Friday street festival. This is the best street festival in the entire Tampa Bay region, in my opinion. Held every third friday of each month, about 1/2 mile of the city’s Main Street is blocked off to traffic, and close to 200 vendors, restaurants, bars, and street musicians combine for an entertaining adult & family festival experience. If you live local to the Tampa area or plan to visit (especially during non-summer months), definitely give this festival a try.

At the end of March, I traveled to New Orleans for the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival, held at the iconic Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter. This is a fantastic annual literary festival, which this year offered some awesome special events, including local chef discussions, a “Books & Beignets” discussion about Anne Rice’s novel ‘Interview With the Vampire’ at a local eatery, and my favorite, an interactive 1920’s-style murder mystery. I came dressed in my best Roaring ’20’s outfit. Much fun. The festival also featured its usual writing marathon, where writers take to the streets in small groups and write their way through the French Quarter. I’ve done a writing marathon there before, and it was just as fun as the others. If you’re creative in any way, or are just looking for a new way to spark your imagination, consider doing a bar/restaurant/art gallery hop through whatever city you choose. These organized writing marathons are found nationwide; check online for more information.

April will be a busy month as well. I’m scheduled to appear on at least five podcasts during the month and plan to speak about my writing journey as a self-published author, my three published novels, and my prior career as a supervisor at a large county jail. For those who may not know, I spent a majority of my career supervising maximum security and psychiatric inmates. Stay tuned for a future blog update on where/when you can find recordings of those podcast episodes.

Wrapping up April will be my attendance at the Tarpon Springs, FL Book Festival on April 26, 2025 from 10am-4pm, at the Gilded Page bookstore.

And although technically not in April, I will appear at the Oxford Exchange Book Fair in Tampa, on May 1, 2025 from 6pm-9pm. OE is a combination bookstore/trendy restaurant located at 420 W. Kennedy Blvd. near downtown. Over 60 local authors plan to attend. Come browse books and grab a drink at the bar, then perhaps check out the vibrant bar and restaurant scene in nearby SOHO. It should be fun.