< Back N.M. Opperman N.M. Opperman is a candid writer with a thoughtful edge. While much of her writing experience has been rooted in poetry, she has worked across various genres throughout her life and career. She is an incomplete C2 spinal cord and traumatic brain injury survivor, the result of a car accident at the age of three. Her book series, Nanette’s Adventures, follows a young girl navigating childhood with unique challenges, inviting readers to discover how ordinary the extraordinary can be. Next

< Back Jenn Bouchard Jenn Bouchard is the award-winning author of Considering Us and First Course. Her third novel, Palms on the Cape, will be published on July 2, 2026. She is a high school teacher of 26 years and also teaches writing classes and workshops to adults and teenagers in her local community and online. A graduate of Bates College and Tufts University, she lives with her family in the Boston suburbs. Next

< Back Michael Stephens Michael Stephens spent a career as an innovator, building new products for startups, small businesses, and large corporations - often without accidentally triggering an AI apocalypse. He’s now turned his creative energies to writing sci-fi comedies, “because the world needs more funny!” His work combines speculative ideas, satire, and characters doing their best in increasingly ridiculous situations. Michael is a firm believer that comedy and science fiction pair well, especially when things go absurdly wrong. He lives with his wife in Richmond, Virginia on a lil’ blue dot called Earth, within the Milky Way galaxy. Next

< Back T.J. O'Connor Tj O'Connor is an award-winning thriller and mystery author of The Whisper Legacy, The Dead Detective Casefiles, and other thrillers and paranormal mysteries. He’s an anti-terrorism consultant—life experiences that drive his novels. He has lived and worked around the world and now lives with his wife and Labrador companions in Virginia. www.tjoconnor.com Next

< Back Chris Register Chris Register served in the Peace Corps, graduated Georgetown Law, and litigated cases in federal court before embarking on his cross-country cycling and interview project, Conversations With US. Sixteen thousand miles of exploration and inquiry brought Chris and his touring bike into the heart, and along the fringes, of a vast and changing nation, where he sought connection and conversation with hundreds of everyday Americans, hoping to better understand their America. He’s now documenting the unforgettable experiences and heartfelt interviews from that journey with his ongoing Conversations With US book series, and relying on them to inform and inspire his recently-launched campaign to represent Virginia’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives as an Independent (with the help of his good and loyal dog, Banjo). Next

Information regarding our 2025 Festival. Find out what to expect and look forward to. What Can I Expect at the Event? Book Fair 70+ Nationally & regionally renowned authors Thriller, Poetry, Self-Help, Children's Books, Romance, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-fi, Mystery & more! Publishers' Alley Virginia publishing companies display their books and host their authors and editors. For the aspiring author, submission guidelines will be available for each publishing house. Poets Laureate of Virginia A special presentation from the Poetry Society of Virginia. Workshops & Presentations Workshops, panels, and presentations take place throughout the day. Focused on both readers and writers, the workshops and presentations illuminate library resources for book clubs, the craft of writing, the music of poetry, and the mechanics of the book industry.

Check out the full event schedule for the festival! Festival Schedule

Take a look at last year's festival pictures! Authors, poets, attendees & more 2025 Event Photos IMG_2111 IMG_2116 IMG_1883 IMG_2111 1/44

< Back Caroline Crocker Dr. I. Caroline Crocker is a speaker and author who has also worked as a research scientist, a biology professor, the CEO of a startup company, the president of a nonprofit, and a communications expert. She maintains a multifaceted blog, Rambling Ruminations, and is the author of 15 books, including her best-selling World War II narrative nonfiction book, Unforgivable: Through a Child’s Eyes. Caroline is married and has four grown children and eight grandchildren. Next

< Back Tabitha Mann Tabitha “Tabbie” Mann, also known by her pen name Dorcas Renee, is a licensed clinical social worker, author, playwright, and local television personality. She wrote her first book, Dinosaur Brains, after studying how fear functions as the brain’s safety system. Written for children ages 6–10, the book is also used as a therapeutic tool with readers of all ages. Bitten by the writing bug, Tabbie has since written and produced ten plays and two novels exploring displacement, family, and the quest for safety: Y’all Chose This: The Diaries of Trina Pardo and Wait! What? The Decimation of Lady Liberty. She is a well-known storyteller in the DC metro area and co-hosts The Loveys Entertainment Review Show on Comcast Channel 2. Next

< Back Loralee Clark Loralee Clark has a fourth chapbook forthcoming: Neolithic Imaginings: Mythical Explorations of the Unknown (Kelsay Press, 2026). Clark has been nominated for three 2026 Pushcart Prizes. She resides in Virginia. You can find her website at sites.google.com/view/loraleeclark and her Substack, which focuses on the process of creativity at nosuchthingasfailure.substack.com. Next

< Back Tommy Kerper Once upon a time, a bored lawyer and avid reader searched for a particular book. Tired of his favorite characters becoming background noise to the heroes of the story, he took it upon himself to write something different. A few books later, Tommy has dropped the lawyer gig and decided writing full-time is worth giving a chance. He lives in Virginia with his perfect wife, their dog with endless energy, and two boys that wear even the dog out. You can find Tommy writing, sipping another cup of coffee, or reading anything he can get his hands on. Next