Scottsdale authors featured at new book festival | Neighbors

Scottsdale authors are participating in a new book festival with a mission to raise funds for programs that help individuals with autism. 

The free Arizona Author Book Festival will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, at 30 N. 56th St., Phoenix, to support SEEDs for Autism, a nonprofit that provides education and vocational training for young adults on the spectrum. 

Thirty authors chosen through a juried application process – about 10 of whom are from the East Valley and Scottsdale – will be featured. 

“The support for the event has been immensely gratifying. We’ve exceeded the fundraising goal, which is mind-blowing,” said Jessica McCann, volunteer organizer.

“The next measure will be how many people come through the door and how many smiles I see the day of the festival. We’re hoping for big numbers on both.”

From a heart-rending and historic true story to modern artificial intelligence, the book festival has it all.

Authors also love book festivals as they allow them to emerge from their writing dens. For readers, the festival spotlights the wide range and scope of writing talent in Arizona. 

The Valley does not lack for authors, either, said Betty Webb, a former journalist-turned-author of a series of detective stories set in Arizona. 

Webb, who had planned to attend the gathering  but pulled out due to an injury, said she was surprised by the writing community when she moved  to Scottsdale from New York many years ago. 

“I think most people don’t realize that, but it’s almost like we have more authors per acre than just about anywhere else except New York,” she noted. 

Webb said the book festival’s mission should inspire people to attend. “It’s going to be wonderful, just wonderful, and to know that it’s to help children who have autism, it’s a win-win,” she said. 

Susan Pohlman, a participating author from Scottsdale, has had much success with her travel memoirs set in Italy – Halfway to Each Other: How a Year in Italy Brought our Family Home and A Time to Seek: Meaning, Purpose, and Spirituality at Midlife.

Pohlman participated in a festival in Los Angeles, where a long line of Italophiles were bubbling over with excitement to share their love of Italy with her.

“The joie de vivre of the Italian culture that had soothed my soul and healed our family while we lived in Italy was alive and well in Los Angeles,” she said. “I even had a priest who waited an hour to chat with me. 

“He shared that he was on his way to live in Rome and was very nervous about it. He wanted me to know that my book had given him courage. 

“It was at this book festival that I witnessed the power of memoir,” she said.

Memoir is also the chosen genre of Patricia Brooks of Scottsdale, who has written three. 

Gifts of Sisterhood details her relationship with a cherished sister who died from cancer 25 years ago; Three Husbands and a Thousand Boyfriends is about love, addiction and domestic violence, of which she is a survivor and an advocate; and Sick as My Secrets, focusses on her 40-plus years of sobriety and recovery from alcoholism.

Brooks, who will attend along with her husband, Earl L. Goldmann, also an author, said she spreads word about her books via social media, online presentations, over the phone, in newspaper articles, and the popular group she founded, the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers. 

However, she finds book festivals tops them all, and does about six each year. “The book festivals take you right there where you’re at with your books and allow you to tell people about them in your own way,” she said. 

Joseph Cazier, a professor at Arizona State University, will promote Leading in Analytics, which helps leaders understand how to create value with data and AI.

“The book is written for decision-makers who want to use analytics effectively – not necessarily by doing the math or writing the code, but by asking the right questions, building the right teams, and making ethical, data-informed decisions,” he said.

The Tempe resident is sharing any proceeds of his book to support the autism community. 

“I’m participating because I care deeply about kids and adults with autism, and I believe in the work SEEDs is doing,” he said. “If my book can spark a good conversation or help raise funds for a great organization, then that’s all the benefit I need.”

Charlotte Whitney, also a Tempe resident, will promote her fast-paced historical fiction set in the farmlands of the Midwest during the Great Depression. 

Her recently published third standalone, A Tiny Piece of Blue, follows The Unveiling of Polly Forrest and Threads: A Depression Era Tale.

Whitney sees many benefits to being a featured author here. 

“First, there’s the publicity. Being part of a book festival propels you into a group of established authors and gives authenticity to your stature as a writer,” she said. 

“Next, networking with other authors is invaluable. I try to come early and meet other authors, find out what critical issues they’re facing, learn about their books for referrals to people who might come to my table but are interested in other genres.”

McCann, who is also a historical novelist and a creative nonfiction author, has worked as a professional writer for 35 years. She has a dual purpose to organizing this event.

“First, as an author, I understand how much time and effort authors must put into promoting their books. 

“I thought it would be wonderful to have an event that relieved some of that workload and made it easy and fun for authors to participate,” she said. 

Her second reason is to give back to SEEDs for Autism, which nurtured her son, a participant there for many years.

“Creating this event as a fundraiser for SEEDs and a way to introduce hundreds of people to their amazing program seemed like the perfect fit with my professional experience,” she said.

Shawver offers some advice for guests planning to attend the event.

 “Go with an open mind,” she said. It’s fun to connect with authors you know, but it’s even more fun to discover new books and authors. 

“Support authors and buy their books or invite them to your book club. That is what keeps these events strong and attracts future authors to participate.”

Details: azauthorbookfestival.com.