Why I Love Small Book Events

This past weekend, I spent the day in Waco Texas signing books at a small local event. It wasn’t a massive convention and there weren’t thousands of people walking through the doors.

No celebrity authors. No giant publisher booths.

Just myself and two author friends, (Vanessa E. Howard and Lewellen) and a few readers.

Honestly, these are my favorite kinds of events.

I love talking with parents who are trying to get their kids excited about reading. I love watching a reluctant reader pick up one of my books, flip through a few pages, and smile. I love hearing grandparents tell me they’re looking for “something he’ll actually read.”

Those conversations remind me why I started writing in the first place.

Because here is the deal. Books aren’t just products, They’re invitations.

Every signed copy has the chance to become a favorite bedtime story, the first chapter book a kid finishes on their own, or the book that convinces a reluctant reader that maybe reading isn’t so bad after all.

That’s hard to remember when most of our interactions happen through screens. Online, it’s easy to think in terms of likes, algorithms, and follower counts. In person, none of that matters.

It’s just two people talking about books.

And I love that.

If you’re nearby, my next event is Labor Day weekend at the Historic Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City at WriterCon, where I’ll be teaching two classes.

Finding the Funny: Writing Humor That Kids Actually Laugh At

We’ll break down what makes middle-grade humor work, why some jokes land and others don’t, and how to create memorable characters who are funny without trying too hard.

And...

Welcome to the Middle Grade Jungle: How to Survive (and Thrive) Writing for Kids

Middle grade is one of the most rewarding—and misunderstood—genres to write. We’ll talk about finding your audience, avoiding common pitfalls, and writing stories kids can’t put down while still giving parents something they’ll love recommending.

If you’re attending WriterCon, I’d love for you to stop by and say hello.

And before I go...

I finally uploaded two new videos to my YouTube channel, Geeky Dads Read.

If you love science fiction, fantasy, Star Wars, book recommendations, or discovering your next great read, that’s where you’ll find me talking about all of it. I keep all my videos under ten minutes so you can knock them out fast.

Seriously...

Go subscribe.

Like...

Right now.

I’ve got a lot of fun videos planned, and I’d love to have you along for the ride.

Thanks for reading, thanks for supporting my books, and thanks for reminding me that the best part of being an author isn’t watching numbers on a screen.

It’s meeting readers.