Are You Ready for the LA Times Festival of Books?

A sneak peek of books and authors available at the Black Château booth at the LA Times Festival of Books 2018.

The LA Times Festival of Books brings together the people who create books with the people who love to read them. It is hosted at the University of Southern California Campus, April 21st to the 22nd. Each year over 150,000 attendees visit the festival to experience the gathering of writers, poets artists and more. The LA Times Festival of Books is the largest of its kind in the United States. With an endless amount of discoveries to be made and stories to discover, the festival is an exciting way to enjoy literary culture.

Start your festival journey at the Black Château booth, #912 and meet an exciting assortment of authors. The authors will be participating in on site interviews and book signings.

Can’t make the LA Times Festival of Books in person? Join Black Château on Facebook for live updates. Follow the hashtag #BCE and participate in the bookish action from anywhere in the world.

Take a look at our author preview and get ready to join the fun:

 

Baker’s Dozen: A Lexi Fagan Mystery by Autumn Doerr

Saturday, April 21 11am – 1pm

Kick off the festival with this urban-cozy mystery novel.  Baker’s Dozen is about Lexi, a young woman who is orphaned as a baby when both parents die in a plane crash.  She lives in a small fishing village in Alaska where she is raised by her grandmother. The close-knit community defines her as the tragic child who lost her parents – not satisfied with being viewed as a victim her entire life, Lexi decides to move to San Francisco. There she works in a bakery and falls head over heels for a fireman named Jerry. Her life is exactly as she dreamed until Jerry’s body is found dead due to a hotel fire. Lexi is determined to find out what happened, and in her journey uncovers secrets that threaten everything.

Set at the beginning of the aids crisis, San Francisco in the 1980’s, Lexi is a young woman navigating the complex world around her. This new genre of mystery, the urban cozy, combines the comfort of baked goods with gritty elements to keep the pages turning.  Meet Autumn Doerr at booth #912 and discuss the exciting first book in the Lexi Fagan Mystery Series.

 

Path of Lucas: The Journey He Endured by Susanne Bellefeuille

Saturday, April 21 11am – 1pm

All the way from Canada, Susanne Bellefeuille is available for questions and book signings for her biography, The Path of Lucas: The Journey He Endured. A fascinating look at mid-century life in rural Canada, The Path of Lucas shows the power of determination and love. Bellefeuille writes about her father and the quest he took holding the family together when his wife was diagnosed with a mental illness. A poignant story, it has a message of hope and faith. How Lucas brings his wife back from a hopeless diagnosis, is an inspiration for all.

Take a look at mental illness through the eyes of a sympathetic partner, trying his best to understand and help his struggling wife. The Path of Lucas is a testament of the true power of love. Have a heart-to-heart with Susanne and chat about the struggles she, and others, often face at the Black Château booth.

 

 

XX v XY: The Final World War by author Christina Cigala, Story by Bobby Goldstein, Creator of the TV Show Cheaters

Saturday, April 21 1pm – 3pm

Meet the dynamic duo that may be able to predict America’s future. Bobby Goldstein and Christina Cigala have paired up to create the dystopian novel that is shaking the country. In XX v XY: The Final World War, the battle is not fought between nations, but between women and men.

America his split in half, East America is controlled by an unstable president, determined to create a country where women are there only to serve men. West America is ruled by a governing body of powerful women, who advocate the power and inner strength women carry in their blood. These two different ideologies cannot live in harmony for long, and soon the tension boils over.

Recent sexual harassment and assault allegations in the news, and the emboldened #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, make this book poignant and timely. Some say it eerily mirrors the current political and social climate, though it was written long before the election and the recent social movements. Meet Bobby Goldstein and Christina Cigala at the Black Château booth to discuss their revolutionary novel.

 

Journeyman by Mark J. Rose

Saturday, April 21 3pm – 5pm

Journeyman is a sci-fi, adventure and time travel novel, and the first of the Matt Miller in the Colonies Series. In the gripping tale, Matt Miller is abandoned in Colonial America, with just the shirt on his back and a few personal items. Matt must learn to survive in America’s new world, all alone with no relevant skills. He thinks that with his 21st century knowledge of technology and science, he can lead the young nation, but he soon discovers that merely surviving in the brutal environment is harder than it looks.

This captivating concept has readers thinking, “What would I do”. Dropped in the eighteenth century, would you remember enough from history class to make it? Could you use your current knowledge to change the world, or would the harsh realities of living beat you down? Discuss the intriguing topic with Mark J. Rose at booth #912.

 

 

Mostly Human: A 4Pollack Novel by Lon Varnadore

Saturday, April 21 3pm – 5pm

Some believe that mankind will eventually colonize our planetary neighbor, Mars. In Mostly Human, life has developed on the red rock, its inhabitants include clones, chimeras, and other creatures. 4Pallock, is a clone of a once-famous detective. He is tasked with solving a mystery from a femme fatale who soon drags him into a game of deceit, mayhem and danger.

If you’re a fan of gritty noir mystery novels and sci-fi adventures, Mostly Human combines the two genres in a thrilling way. Fans of the book say, “Please do yourself a favor, if you like Bladerunner, Shadowrun or any gritty future tales, pick up a copy. You won’t be disappointed.”

Lon Varnadore will be available to discuss his fascinating novel at the Black Château booth #912.

 

How Women Negotiate from a Position of Strength by Raye Mitchell, Esq.

Sunday, April 22 11am – 1pm

The first book in the Rise-Up Leadership Series, How Women Negotiate From a Position of Strength is a quick and easy read with step-by-step action items. It is complete with an interactive work journal so that you can instantly begin to blend your thoughts, observations and accountability plan with the insights captured in the book. When finished, you will have your own 90-day plan customized to your needs. 

Raye Mitchell is committed to helping young black women and girls assert their power and presence. She believes that for too long the voices of black women have been muted, their stories ignored, and their experiences invisible. Mitchell strives to build bridges and find peace and common ground to share justice and inclusion.

Learn more about the Rise-Up Series with Raye Mitchell, and discuss ways you can join the movement, when you visit her at the Black Château booth.

 

The Fifth Battalion by Micheal Priv

Sunday, April 22 1pm – 3pm

The Fifth Battalion is a sci-fi alien adventure story that you don’t want to miss. Earth isn’t what it seems, the planet is actually an intergalactic prison. As a part of the prisoner’s sentence, people are forcibly stripped of any awareness of their immortal spiritual nature. However, one group of POWs have been able to avoid the brainwashing treatment everyone else receives.  The group has been trying, and failing, to leave Earth for years; The Fifth Battalion is the story of their final attempt at escaping.

The Fifth Battalion is a study of valor and duty, friendship and loyalty, love and sex, justice and punishment, thirst for power and insatiable greed, but first and foremost, it is an intense action thriller with strong sci-fi undertones.

 

Next Therapist Please by Laurie Finkelstein

Sunday, April 22 1pm – 3pm

Meet Janie in Next Therapist Please as she raises a special needs child, consumes multiple glasses of margaritas, and consults six therapists in an attempt to live a rewarding life. Janie’s journey is complicated, as she is blessed with anxiety, depression, and the annoying but amusing OCD. The book, by Laurie Finkelstein, is inspired by her own experiences.

Grab a cocktail, make a toast, and enter Janie’s world in this humorous, heartwarming novel. Will therapist #6 be the one, or will Janie move on to therapist #7? Share a laugh with Laurie Finkelstein and chat about your experiences, at booth #912.

 

 

 

Blue Bird by Magda Ayuk

Book available for purchase.

Stop by the Black Chateau booth for your copy of Blue Bird by Magda Ayuk. The collections of poignant poems exposes the beauty and the ugly of the human experience by exploring the topics of race, gender and love under the umbrella of freedom. Blue Bird officially launches April 17, 2018, which is appropriate with April being National Poetry Month. Blue Bird is an open invitation to be unapologetic about who you are and to bloom as you find peace in rebellion. The pieces encourage readers to challenge what it means to be a man, or a woman, or other, through true self-discovery, and to define themselves as they see fit.

Grab a copy of Blue Bird and start your journey of self-discovery at the Black Château booth #912.

 

 

Fenrir Chronicles: The Prince by Nanishka Torres

Book available for purchase.

A new age story of royalty; The Prince by Nanishka Torres, is part of the Fenrir Chronicles. Prince Callum is a strong and fair member of the royal family. The royal family reigns with peace and dignity, but like all great leaders, they have a radical group that opposes their regime. A group known as the Saxeons are intent on disrupting the balance of power and push their own political agenda. The Staxeons take it too far when they kidnap the man Prince Callum loves. The young prince will stop at nothing to bring his true love home. The Prince must rescue his partner and protect his people while trying to control his rage. The Staxeons are about to learn first-hand what makes Prince Callum a powerful leader and a foe to avoid.

Find a one-of-a-kind LGBTQ love story in The Prince and pick up your copy at the Black Château booth.

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