Tentatively signing and selling books at the festival will be:

Rick A. Baumgartner (April 10), a former newspaper journalist, has lived in theHuntington area since 1975. He is the author or editor of 15 book-length, non-fiction works, nearly all dealing with American Civil War and World War I subjects, and a selection of these will be available April 10 at the book festival. Baumgartner is the recipient of the Richard B. Harwell Award (for Echoes of Battle: The Atlanta Campaign), and the Alexander C. McClurg Award (for Blue Lightning: Wilder's Mounted Infantry Brigade in the Battle of Chickamauga). His latest book, This Carnival of Hell, was released in January 2010 and will be followed in April with publication of At Death's Door: A Yankee Soldier's Story of Survival in Confederate Captivity.

Rebecca Brock (April 10). Mild-mannered librarian by day and mild-mannered horror/romance writer by night, Rebecca is the author of the romance novel, The Giving Season. She has also had stories included in the new horror anthology, The Best of All Flesh, as well as History is Dead, Love Damned Love, Decadence of the Dead, Brainchild: A Collection of Artifacts, Cold Flesh, and The Book of More Flesh. She's written book reviews for Bookgasm.com and occasionally contributes a column on writing to Ology magazine. She's currently working on adding to her collection of rejection slips by writing more horror stories and novels, as well as scripts. Visit her online at: http://www.rebeccabrockonline.com.

Mary Calhoun Brown (April 10) is the award-winning author of There Are No Words. Brown tells stories about things that matter, weaving colorful and sensitive characters into history for a generation that prefers to be entertained rather than educated. Brown is an advocate for children and adults with autism. She also partners with educators to create curriculum guides for her novels so teachers and home-school parents can meet state requirements while making the most of classroom and planning time. She is a professional speaker and loves to spend time with students, parents and teachers.

James E. Casto (April 17) is associate director for public information at the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing (RCBI) in Huntington. He joined RCBI in 2004 after retiring from The Herald-Dispatch newspaper, where he was a reporter and editor for more than 40 years. He’s written freelance articles for a long list of national, state and local magazines and newspapers and is the author of more than a half dozen books on local and regional history, the latest of which is The Great Ohio River Flood of 1937.

Donald Childs (April 10) was born in Hartford, Connecticut, where he lived until he was 2 years until his family moved to West Virginia, where they were originally from. Growing up he recalls writing hs first play at age 8. Writing was, and remains, a passion. As well as plays he has written poetry and songs, but novels and short stories are his main focus. Donald Childs attributes many of his ideas tohis vivid dreams. In 2005 he won the Merritt Award for excellence in song writing from Paramount, a major accomplishment. Accolades aside, Donald Childs' passion is to write for a living, as he says, "To share my artwork with the world. To uplift the spirits of the one who is reading the book. My goal with writing is to be able to do what I love for a very long time. I love to submerge myself in my works. Milk Carton Mikey is the first of many novels to come."

Gina McKnight D’Andrea (April 17) “The Blackberry Patch is an exhilarating, step-by-step journey into the beautiful, lush haven of blackberries! Using all five senses, join author Gina McKnight D'Andrea on a hazardous quest through brambles and swarming varmints to find the ultimate blackberry patch for a delicious, natural treat. Readers of all ages will get lost in The Blackberry Patch. Gina McKnight D'Andrea began writing at an early age, encouraged by her parents, siblings, and teachers. Living near the Appalachian Mountains with her family inspires Gina to help children encounter the beauty of God's world through outdoor adventure.” (Tate Publishing Enterprises)

Jack Dickinson (April 17) is a West Virginia native and a 1966 graduate of Marshall University. He is a retired IBM Systems Engineer. He is currently employed by Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia as the Bibliographer of the Rosanna Blake Confederate Collection. This collection has been ranked among the top five Southern and Confederate history collections in the United States. Jack is the author of ten books and numerous magazine articles on the Civil War, including two unit histories in the Virginia Regimental Histories Series. He has had articles published in the Encyclopedia of the Confederacy, by Simon & Schuster, and the West Virginia Encyclopedia. Jack is also a member of the Company of Military Historians, a group of writers on military subjects, regiments, and wars, and has had articles published in their Journal. Jack is the 1999 recipient of the Jefferson Davis Historical Writing Award from the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the History Writer's award from the West Virginia Dept. of Archives and History. He is also the 2009 recipient of the West Virginia National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) award for outstanding contributions to West Virginia state and local history and a recipient of the DAR's national history award. He is currently a voting member of the West Virginia Archives and History Commission.

Kay Stamper Dickinson (April 17) is co-author with her husband, Jack of the 4-volume series on the Norfolk and Western railroad history of southern West Virginia. These books tell the history of the coming of the railroad into southern West Virginia, centered around the building of the N&W Railroad, the growth of the coalfields, the early history of the communities along the track and people of the area. In addition to co-authoring these books and editing her husband’s Civil War books, Kay is recognized as a professional researcher on West Virginia and the surrounding area. She has conducted research at the National Archives, the Library of Congress’s Manuscript Division, and the state archives and historical societies in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina. She is an experienced genealogist and historian with over 30 years experience.

Regina Dior (April 17) rose from a self-described hopeless lifestyle to become the owner of a small company that became a partner-vendor with the largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart, producing an instructional video that won a prestigious national award.  Regina is a US Air Force veteran; she served for eight years.  Regina is a talented artist and dynamic speaker who, because of her own life experiences, motivates and encourages all age groups. Breaking My Own Heart is a heart-warming and heart-rending story of one woman who dared to believe in herself once again, dared to believe in a God who cares, and dared to achieve her vision and succeed against seemingly impossible odds.  Regina’s story offers hope to many who are internally wounded, who silently cry out from the depths of their souls and ask, “Why?”.

Mary Drechsel, aka Sissy Marlyn (April 10). Sissy Marlyn was born out of the work friendship of Mary Drechsel and Faye Lynn Woods, although these days Sissy only channels her work through Mary Drechsel. Based in Louisville, KY, Mary has been writing as long as she can remember. Her careeras an author was interrupted by a sojourn into the world of business, but she never lost the passion for writing. In March 2005 Sissy Marlyn’s first book was published, Intimacies, and this was followed by Illusions and Indecisions. This romantic trilogy made Sissy aware of her real vocation, namely that of a writer, and she has subsequently been able to devote more time to her writing career. A trilogy of mysteries soon followed, Jury Pool, A Killer’s Mind, and Justice. Three more women’s fiction novels followed, Bardstown, Bowling Green, and Bluegrass. What began as a collaboration between friends on a commute to work has proven to have unlocked the doors for Sissy Marlyn.

Danny Fulks (April 17) was born and raised along the river in southern Ohio and spent his teaching career at Marshall University. His work evokes a special sense of place and time, stressing the close-knit relationship between the people, work, and the land of the Tri-State area. A Professor Emeritus at Marshall University, Danny Fulks has inspired countless students with his commitment to the power of the written word. His recent works, Tragedy on Greasy Ridge and Tick Ridge Faces the South are fine examples of his unerring ability to capture the essence of this special region of Appalachia and the broader South.

Debra Gaskill (April 10) is the managing editor of the Washington Court House (Ohio) Record Herald. She has been an award-winning journalist, covering everything from education to local politics and crime for 15 years, writing for a number of Ohio newspapers, the Associated Press and several national magazines. Debra and her husband Greg have two adult children and raise llamas and alpacas on their farm in Enon, Ohio. Barn Burner is her first book, which was written as a thesis for her master's degree in creative writing from Antioch University.

John Hanna (April 17) is the principal of Southside Elementary in Huntington, West Virginia. He and his wife Lynn have lived on the Southside of Huntington for the past eighteen years. They have four children and three grandchildren. This year makes John's thirty fifth year as a teacher and administrator for Cabell County Schools. He is now finishing his second children's book with the same character of Vincent J. Muggs, who made his appearance in Vincent J. Muggs-What If?.

Ron Houchin (April 17), a retired public school teacher in the Appalachian region of southern Ohio, was raised in Huntington, West Virginia. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Southwest Review, The Southern Poetry Review, The Potomac Review, Poetry Ireland Review, and over two hundred other journals. His fifth book of poetry, Museum Crows, was published by Salmon Publishing of Ireland, 2009. Ron's awards include the Vesle Fenstermaker Poetry Prize from Indiana University, an Ohio Arts Council Fellowship, Poetry Book of the Year from the Appalachian Writers' Association, and nominations for Paterson and Pushcart Prizes.

Regina Jeffers (April 10): Writing about "passion" comes easily to Regina Jeffers. A master teacher for thirty-seven years, she has passionately taught thousands of students English in the public schools of West Virginia, Ohio, and now in North Carolina. Yet, "teacher" does not define her as a person. Ask any of her students or her family, and they will tell you Regina is passionate about so many things: her son, children in need, words, music, dance, the theatre, pro football, classic movies, the BBC, track and field, books, books, and more books. Holding multiple degrees, Regina often serves as a Language Arts or Media Literacy consultant to surrounding school districts and has served on state and national educational commissions. A Time Warner Star Teacher and Crystal Apple Finalist, as well a Martha Holden Jennings Scholar, Jeffers is relatively new to the publishing realm although this is not her first piece of writing. "I have written all my life," she says, "except it was not always in this format. When I write now, I write as I used to choreograph routines for my dance teams; I write the scene in my head like a movie. Usually, it plays there for several days being tweaked and rewritten, but, eventually, I put it to paper. Generally, it does not change much from there because I have completed several mental rewrites before the pen and papers are included."

Dr. Debra Johanyak (April 10) grew up in Akron, Ohio. Her graduate studies included a year in Shiraz, Iran, where she held a teaching assistantship. Debra began her professional career as an English instructor, and later, as an assistant professor, at Kent State University before coming to The University of Akron Wayne College, where she currently is Professor of English. She also is Past President of the Ohio Association of Two Year Colleges (1999-2000). In addition to teaching English composition and literature courses, including Shakespeare and His World, Debra enjoys writing and publishing. Married to an Iranian, and mother of two young children, Debra Johanyak was a teaching assistant at Iran's Shiraz University when the American Embassy in Tehran was taken over by militants on November 4, 1979. Behind the Veil tells the story of a woman with dual citizenship who loves both the United States and Iran but must choose between them when the embassy takeover triggers an international and personal crisis.

Darryl Markowitz (April 17) In his writing, Darryl Markowitz draws on his diverse experience as a science teacher in Pittsburgh, healthcare worker in Cleveland and Columbus and speaker on the meaning of life. He has also farmed, painted houses and roofed, and studied philosophy and psychology, science education and imaging technology. Darryl has written nonfiction and fiction in the hopes of inspiring people to thinking more deeply and appreciating more thoroughly what they love the most. Books 1 to 3 of The Faithwalker Series have received positive reader reviews, and Book 4 of the Series, due out in July 2010, promises to be the most action-filled in the continuing saga of two teenage protagonists. Read excerpts at www.TheFaithwalkerSeries.com to learn more about this highly entertaining yet insightful dystopian fantasy for young and old alike.

John McKernan (April 17), recently retired from the English department at Marshall University, has influenced countless students at Marshall. During his time at Marshall he won recognition for his teaching and for his poetry, and was awarded numerous honors, among them The Marshall and Shirley Reynolds Outstanding Teaching Award from Marshall University; The West Virginia Professor of the Year Award from The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; The Robert H. Winner Award from The Poetry Society of America; a citation for Mentoring from West Virginia Writers Inc.; and poetry prizes from numerous literary magazines. Outside of the classroom John McKernan remains a strong influence on the regional poetry scene through his work with the Guyandotte Poets and as editor and publisher of ABZ Press.

Llewellyn McKernan (April 17) has been published both as a poet and as the author of children's books. She has lived in Huntington since moving from Arkansas, where she received an M.A. in English from the University of Arkansas. As well as practicing her craft she has taught as an adjunct faculty member at Marshall University. Her work has been widely published and recognized. The Kenyon Review, Agni, Southern Poetry Review, Antietam Review, Appalachian Journal, The Potomac Review, Nimrod have all published Llewellyn's work, and she has been awarded over 50 prizes in state, regional, and national poetry contests.

Marlene Mitchell (April 10). Originally from St. Louis, Marlene Mitchell now makes her home in Kentucky. As well as being a mother and grandmother, Marlene has a wide range of interests including watercolor and oil painting, though writing has always been her passion. Her novels are an eclectic mix of settings and plots: Harlan County bars in eastern Kentucky, Mississippi plantations, and even on the hunt of a giant rogue elephant. But what unites her novels is a genuine sincerity with very strong characters to which her readers can relate. To quote Marlene : "It took me a long time to start writing, but now I can't stop. The stories just keep on coming.” Visit her website at www.marlenemithcellbooks.com.

Karen L. Newman (April 10) lives in Kentucky where she's an active member of Horror Writers Association and edits Illumen and Afterburn SF. She also writes a column for The Black Glove: Horror Culture and Entertainment. Over three hundred of her short stories and poems have been published both online and in print in places such as Dead Worlds: Undead Stories, The Pedestal Magazine, and Kentucky Monthly. Her poetry collections include EEKU (Sam's Dot, 2005), ChemICKals (Naked Snake Press, 2007), and Toward Absolute Zero (Sam's Dot, 2009). She won the 2005 Kentucky Mary Jane Barnes Award and two of her poems received honorable mention in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. She's been nominated for a Rhysling Award and twice nominated for a Dwarf Star Award. Please visit her online at http://home.zoomnet.net/~karennew.

Eliot Parker (April 10) is an Assistant Professor of English at Marshall Community and technical College. He teaches writing and literature courses for the college and also serves as director of MCTC's writing Center. He is a Teacher Consultant with the national Writing project and a literary reviewer with the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) and Dorrance Publishing.

Danny Pettry (April 10) was born and raised in Beckley, WV. He received his M.S. in Recreational Therapy from Indiana University and now practices as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, with a focus on children between the ages of 7 and 13. In providing therapeutic care for those in need, Pettry has used the craft of journaling as part of the recovery process. His work has been recognized through professional awards, and his book, Discover Secret Hidden Wisdom, brings the tools he has acquired through his practice into focus for everyone-providing insight into how to live a successful life.

Lois Loehr Rini (April 10) has worked with children as an Indiana Master Naturalist and as a 4H leader, and as the mother of four children, a grandmother to two, and great-grandmother to one, she has a
wealth of experience to draw upon for her first children's book, The Beag: Doing Good in the 'Hood'. She lives with her beag, Shiloh, in southwest Indiana. Ms. Rini's work includes articles for magazines, several short stories, and recently an award winning short story; however, her current interest is in writing for children.

B.E. Schafer (April 17) is the pen name of Blake Schaefer. He grew up and was educated in Southern Indiana. He has lived in Illinois and the St. Louis Metro area. He now resides in Indiana with his wife, six children, two dogs and two cats. He is the Evansville Books Examiner for the Examiner.com where he writes about local and national authors as well as book reviews. Addicted to a long love of horror and science fiction, Six Toes is his first novel. Six Toes is sci-fi, thriller and a little horror rolled into one.

Cora A. Seaman (April 10) grew up in rural Southern Indiana. A child of the Great Depression and a youth during World War II, her life experiences give her the insight and compassion to write about real life and real characters. Her stories are very poignant in their human emotions. They leave you breathless and curious as to what her characters will encounter next. Among her published works are Emily s Quest, Keeping the Promise, (written under the name Alyce Godbey, Yesterdays Remembered, The Making of Mary Ann, The Roosevelt Family of Southern Illinois, A Tangled Web, The Secret of the Old Stone Chapel, and most recently, The Secret of the Old Red Bridge. As well as being an author, Cora assists other authors through her active work in the Midwest Writers Guild of Evansville, Indiana, and through her publishing work with Cordon Publications.

Gina Simmons (April 17) is a cultural guide and author of Discovering Lavalette-Commemorative Village Edition, with degrees in Geography and Anthropology specializing in International Affairs. As a child, she was inspired by the mysterious origins of her tiny village's name- a quest that would be fulfilled many years later in a treasure hunt that shed light on the untold 200 year old secrets of her village. She is a part time teacher, avid adventurer and dedicated mother to her two children. She and her family live in West Virginia when not exploring the world.

Bruce L. Stout (April 17), an Ohio native and graduate of The Ohio State University, is a partner in the Huntington office of Huddleston Bolen LLP, where he has been based since 1982. He practices in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration and fiduciary litigation. Mr. Stout has been recognized for several years in The Best Lawyers in America. He has also been named by West Virginia Super Lawyers. Bruce has been on the Board of Trustees for The Huntington Museum of Art, and has formerly served on the Board of the Cabell Huntington Hospital Foundation and on the Board of the Cabell County Public Library. Mr. Stout served as instructor of the paralegal program at Marshall University from 1993 through 1996. He currently is an Adjunct Lecturer for the West Virginia University College of Law. In addition to serving in numerous legal organizations and committees, Mr. Stout has served as an expert witness in several trust and estate cases, has acted as speaker at numerous continuing education seminars, and has written various articles and publication updates. Mr. Stout also recently published his first book, Estate Planning in West Virginia: Real Answers to Real Questions.

Howard Swick (April 17). Pastor Howard Swick was born and raised in a community called Hacker’s Creek near Philippi, WV, the eighth of nine children. At the age of sixteen, Swick says he began to have dreams about preaching and thus eventually joined the ministry. In 1995 Swick and wife Benita established the Living Stones Youth Ministry at Haven of Hope Charismatic Church and now serve as senior pastors there. Swick also works as a hospice chaplain and writes a monthly newspaper column. XV is his first book.

Lynn Tincher (April 17) was born in the small town of La Grange, Kentucky and grew up in Goshen.  She has always had a vivid imagination.  One of her fondest memories of growing up was when a short story of hers was read in front of the students at Oldham County High School.  Since then, her love for writing blossomed. Lynn studied Theater Arts in College in hopes of becoming a Drama/English teacher.  She has written articles in local newspapers and travel brochures.  Now, she is focused on writing novels, short stories and poems. She also visits schools and writers groups to help encourage other writers. Not only does Lynn look forward to sharing her stories, she is also focused on helping other new writers in their efforts to get published. Her eZine and website provides helpful tips and information. She began publishing The Literary Lynnch Pen as a way to help promote others as well as offering helpful tips and advice. Check out the Lynnch Pen at www.lynnchpen.webs.com and Lynn’s website at www.lynntincher.com/ and you may contact her at lynntincher@lynntincher.com. Her inspiration comes from some of her favorite authors, Robert Powell, Nora Roberts, Piers Anthony and J.K. Rowling. 

Sydney Burns Turnbull (April 10) was born in Louisa, KY, but has been a long-time resident of Huntington, WV. Her first book, the biographical study of an Appalachian childhood, Black Patent Leather Shoes & Transparent Pie, came about as a result of her participation in Patrick Grace’s life-writing class. More recently Sydney has published her first work of fiction, The Sixth Floor, a murder mystery/romance combined, which is set in Huntington, WV.

Patricia West (April 10) was born in Van Lear, Ky. She was raised in a coal mining town and heard many stories at night, as part of the long standing tradition of storytelling in Appalachia as a means of entertainment. Her father would tell stories of things that had happened to him and other people in his family. Her father passed away in 2004 and she decided to write as many of those stories down that she could remember. While doing that she talked with others and published these stories in her first book, Unexplained Mountain Tales. This book was dedicated to her father, Clyde Crum. Since then she has written another book, More Unexplained Mountain Tales. The stories in this book are from all over the area and the world. Currently Patricia is at work on a third book, which details stories of the unexplained and mysterious from eastern Kentucky.

Colonel Charles Dahnmon Whitt (April 10) was born in Virginia in 1944. Throughout his life he has been a keen student of the Civil War and his family genealogy. It was these interests which led him, in 1999, to begin to research his family history in earnest. This, in turn, led to the publication of an historical novel based on the times and adventures of a direct descendant, David Crockett Whitt. Anyone interested in how family history research can be turned into a first rate piece of historical fiction would do well to meet with Colonel Whitt!

Bob Withers (April 17) is well-known throughout the area both as a former newspaperman, for the Huntington Advertiser and the Huntington Herald-Dispatch, and as an author of two books which focus on the historical importance of the railroads, The President Travels by Train and The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in West Virginia. His keen interest in railroads, especially the B&O, was developed during his elementary school years, when B&O steam engines chugged past his school. Seeing Dwight Eisenhower's campaign train on the same line in 1952 intensified that interest. Over the years, he formed friendships with many B&O railroaders, some of whom shared old railroad photographs with him, so he could experience the rich segments of railroad history he had missed. Since 1959, Withers has been a charter member of the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society Inc., a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and has served as its president and recording secretary. He has written two previous books as well as several articles on railroads for Trains magazine, Classic Trains magazine, Railfan & Railroad magazine and was a contributor to the Encyclopedia of North American Railroads.