I had an absolutely blast at the Foothills Book Fest (October 11, 2025) in Jasper, Alabama! This year marked the festival’s third year running, but its first under the new name and location. Formerly known as the Sumiton Book Fest (held in Sumiton, AL), the event has officially rebranded and moved to the Jasper Civic Center—an indoor venue that offered a spacious, comfortable setup for both authors and readers, complete with indoor plumbing. No more porta-potties!

And let me tell you—it was incredible.

The event saw a huge turnout with 74 authors and book-related vendors and an estimated 550 readers in attendance. I loved getting to know new readers and reconnecting with some familiar faces from lasts year.The organizers really outdid themselves this year, even bringing in a professional photographer, Samantha (ssoutherlandphotography) who took headshots and captured amazing photos throughout the day.

My husband joined me for the event and absolutely lived up to his “green flag, real-life book boyfriend” title. He chauffeured me to Jasper, helped with setup and teardown, handled the heavy lifting, and drove me home afterward—because he knew my pain levels were sky-high. (Can’t wait for surgery—finally, there’s light at the end of the pain tunnel!)

I’m thrilled to say it was a successful day for book sales! Secret in the Shadows and Chasing the Truth were equally popular among readers. I even sold one of my 13-year-old son’s clay “book buddies” and a few pairs of his earrings. Everyone commented on how cute his creations were, but the compliments didn’t quite translate into sales. After some family brainstorming, we think he might have better luck if he makes them more personalized—based on individual characters rather than generic book buddies. My custom bookmarks and ornaments didn’t move as much this time around, but I think it’s just a bit early in the season for Christmas items. Plus, there were several bookish accessory vendors this year, which likely divided interest—something to keep in mind next year when planning my table.

One thing I noticed: several readers wanted to buy bundled sets of my Spring Bluff series but hesitated when they realized the books weren’t all the same size. Totally understandable! It’s something I’ve been working on updating, but between my health challenges this year and my cover designer’s own family emergencies, those changes didn’t make it in time for Foothills. The good news? Those updates will be completed before my next round of events, which start in late February 2026—so all future bundles will be beautifully uniform!

Overall, Foothills Book Fest was a wonderful, encouraging day—full of friendly faces, great conversations, and a reminder of why I love what I do. I can’t wait to come back next year (hopefully feeling much better and pain-free!) and continue connecting with the amazing readers of Alabama.

Until then, I’ll be focusing on healing, writing, and getting ready for my next big event season. 💕


Note: Thanks to the amazing host/organizers of Foothills Book Fest for finding such a great photographer to take photos! Samantha can be found on Instagram  or Facebook.