More than 250 authors scheduled to appear at the 16th annual Louisiana Book Festival

The 16th Annual Louisiana Book Festival gathers more than 250 authors and presenters from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, in downtown Baton Rouge’s Capitol Park with events and programming in the Louisiana State Capitol, State Library of Louisiana, Capitol Park Museum, Capitol Park Event Center, and in tents on neighboring streets. There will be more than 100 programs offered throughout the day, followed by book signings in the Barnes & Noble tent, where featured titles will also be available for purchase.

The festival begins with State Librarian Rebecca Hamilton honoring 2019 Louisiana Writer Award recipient Richard Campanella in the State Capitol. Campanella is a Tulane University School of Architecture professor and the author of 10 books and 200 publications on Louisiana and New Orleans geography.

Throughout the day there will be best-selling authors speaking, storytelling performances for children, live musical performances, cooking demonstrations and book-related exhibitors. A special program in the Senate Chamber this year celebrates the 10th anniversary of Little Free Library, with a panel attendee winning a Little Free Library donated by the Louisiana Library and Book Festival Foundation. Now in its 11th year, the One Book, One Festival program invites attendees to read Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory,” with Dr. Gary Richards leading the discussion at the festival.

I'll be moderating the Modern Day Romance: Love Finds a Way panel with authors Abby Jimenez ("The Friend Zone") and Casey McQuiston ("Red, White and Royal Blue") at 11:15 a.m. in Senate Committee Room A. I'm be one of several authors on the Building a Mystery: Creating a Series in Genre Fiction panel at 2:15 p.m. in Senate Committee Room F. The other mystery authors will be Laura Cayouette ("The Haunted Heirloom"), Sandra Bretting ("All Hats on Deck"), P.M. LaRose ("Beers Abroad: Peril in London") and Ellen Byron, moderator ("Fatal Cajun Festival").

For a full list of authors (including yours truly) along with programs and a downloadable schedule, visit LouisianaBookFestival.org.

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.