A Day with Local Authors at the Southport Literary Fair
Exploring author panels, book signings, and more
Last weekend, I attended the Southport Literary Fair, and in this article, I want to share some of the interesting conversations and moments from this author and fiction writing event.
About the Event
The event, hosted by Blue House Books at Southwest Library in Kenosha, Wisconsin featured over 25 authors and vendors. What I didn’t realize is that the authors would be hanging out all day to sign books and chat unless they were speaking on a panel. Throughout the afternoon, three different author panels were held: mystery/thriller, romance, and fantasy.
Things I Loved
The authors were local! Most of the authors were based in Chicago, and a few were from Wisconsin.
When I first learned about the event, I didn’t recognize any of the authors and realized that I’d never read a book by a local author. Since my goal is to attend more bookish events, I requested as many of the attending authors’ books as possible from the library and ordered a few that were not available. I read genres I don’t typically read. I exposed myself to books I probably wouldn’t have read otherwise.
Some of the novels, like Play the Fool and Tricks of Fortune by Lina Chern, are set in Chicago. I never knew how fun it is to read stories with references to locations I actually kinda know about.
At the event, I met even more local authors, such as Zee Lacson, and discovered indie books I would have never known about. My TBR (To Be Read) pile continues to grow!
Things That Made My Day
I went up to Allison Buccola to discuss her book, The Ascent. While we were chatting about cults (I discuss my experience in more detail on the Let’s Get Cozy Book Club podcast), she asked if I was writing a book and about my writing process. I was so flattered and told her about my YA fantasy. I felt like a real writer. I’ll forever be a fan of hers.
Her next book is a psychological thriller set in a lake house on Lake Michigan. It’s about three sisters, who all remember their pasts differently. I’m very excited to read it!!!
Mystery/Thriller Panel
For the Mystery/Thriller panel, the underlying theme was that the characters dictate the story. An author may have one idea, but eventually the character takes control, and something else totally different happens. This often causes the story to surprise the author and hopefully the reader, too.
They defined the difference between a twist and a reveal, which was something I’d never thought about. A twist occurs when something changes the entire story. For example, in Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, about midway into the book the reader learns the wife’s story, which redefines the understanding of the characters and interpretation of everything.
A reveal explains which character committed the act and why. For example, in The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, at the end of the story Robert Langdon reveals who is behind everything and what all the symbols mean.
However, as fun as twists and reveals are, having good characters is more important.
Romance Panel
The authors on the Romance panel provided some thought-provoking advice for writers. I really resonated with Kristen Vale’s point—not to be afraid to be seen trying.
I love the permission to show up, take up space, and not be afraid to try. Navigating the publishing industry, where nothing is guaranteed, and putting yourself out there can be intimidating.
Most of the time, we only hear about authors or see them showing up on social media once they have a book deal and need to promote their book. As a writer who aspires to have her books traditionally published, I appreciate knowing that Kristen wishes she had started sharing her experiences even earlier, which is what I’m doing.
Another interesting concept was the idea that a book is stardust, meaning the books being published now originated from what was happening in the world three to four years earlier, such as the boom in dark romantasy. Because no one can predict the trends, it’s important to write what you’re passionate about because by the time your book is published, what was a trend may no longer be trending.
Fantasy Panel
For the Fantasy panel, I found it interesting that Hayley Gelfuso, author of The Book of Lost Hours, doesn’t like fantasy novels because she struggles to suspend disbelief, so she tries to base her magic system loosely on science. Suspending disbelief is setting aside real-world logic and accepting things like magic as believable.
If a novel is set in the first world, aka the real world, the reader will suspend their disbelief momentarily, but expects to learn at some point how magic is possible. For example, A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is set at Oxford, where witches, vampires, and daemons coexist with humans. Throughout the novel, Deborah explains how this is possible.
However, in stories set in the second world, aka a fantasy world, the reader tends to be more lenient and forgiving, allowing for a greater suspension of disbelief. For example, The Lord of the Rings is set in Middle-earth, where the reader doesn’t question the existence of orcs, hobbits, elves, dwarves, and wizards, and more readily accepts it.
Reviewing these concepts helped me think about my magic system.
Book Talk
A Tale of Mirth & Magic by Kristen Vale is a spicy cozy fantasy romcom. It’s dirty and wholesome. It’s charming and sweet. I gobbled it up.
Elikki is an elf who is a magical jeweler, and Barra is a half-giant who is a bookkeeper. They get in trouble and have to flee the village of Povan. While they’re on the run, they become friends with benefits and develop feelings for each other. Even though they both have lots of baggage, they slowly open up to each other and fall in love.
Kristen’s working on the next book in the series. I thought the upcoming love story would be about Barra’s sister, Telen, and Maerryl. But I was wrong. It’s about Maerryl and someone else??? I can’t wait for it!
Kristen was so kind when I asked her for a photo. I was so nervous. It totally made my day!
Conclusion
I had a fun bookish day at Southport Literary Fair. Now that I know what to expect, I’ll be able to enjoy it even more next time. I can’t wait to see which author will be part of the event in 2026. I hope to attend again!
Sending you crimson leaves and sweater weather,
Liza