Cardyn Brooks's Blog, page 2

TWWBF Grand Finale Gratitude & More Books

The 6th and grand finale The Write Women Book Fest 2025 event last weekend was phenomenal! It exceeded our most ambitious hopes during these very challenging times. Many, many heartfelt thanks to the each of the featured authors, tabling authors & their assistants, TWWBF Poet Laureate Aressa V. Williams, performing poets, storytime readers in the children's area, narrators, author and publishing services professionals... Special thanks to the 2/3 of the TBR Trio who attended, a dynamic IG influencer, and each and every attendee who engaged with participants and bought books and merch. And to the volunteers, Bowie Comfort Inn staff, the team at South Bowie Branch Library, and as always, our conscientious, tireless team of dedicated TWWBF voluntolders, expressions of gratitude beyond words!  
[a "The Write Women Book Fest" journal, a tote bag with "Maria Secoy Romantic Suspense" and a smaller  "Thank you" tote bag] 

[a collage of 3 images: left - plain white gift bag with a handwritten thank you note to the team at Barnes & Noble at Bowie Town Center surrounded by assorted individually wrapped snacks; top right - plain white gift bag with a handwritten thank you note to the team at South Bowie Branch Library surrounded by assorted individually wrapped snacks and candy with a smaller "thank you" tote bag on the upper left side; lower right - a black "I heart books" t-shirt with a "The Write Women Book Fest Grand Finale Author Outreach Director Co-Organizer Cardyn Brooks" name tag on a "All Write Well" lanyard]   


Special thanks to author Suanne Laqueur for her kind patience and thoughtfulness toward my young bonus niece who was drawn to her cool wheel of gifts, which she also invited me to spin and win this novella. At first my intention was to spin just for fun, but then I read the blurb for An Evening at the Hotel...  [front cover of a paperback novella An Evening at the Hotel by Suanne Laqueur showing parts of four large windows on a building facade] 

My BAC (Book Acquisition Compulsion) issues continue.

[two images: left - a bookstack of 8 books from top to bottom: What Will People Think, The Usual Family Mayhem, It Had to Be You, The Folklore of Forever, Direct Descendant, Capture the Moment, Sounds Like Love, Dead Man's List; right - a bookstack of 3 books from top to bottom: All Super-Heroes Need PR, Worth Fighting For, The Two Lies of Faven Sythe]   
Not shown are Up in Smoke and Positive Affirmations for Black Girls, both given to me by their respective authors. Thank you! Some new reviews from me before the end of the year, I hope.:-) 
Always wishing you good health, peace of mind & joy 

DIY Marketing TWWBF2025 + the Usual BAC Issues

Six(!) days until day one of the 6th and grand finale year of The Write Women Book Fest!!! Last week was another hard one for federal workers in the DMV area along with other ongoing challenges, making it tough for a lot of people to prioritize joy. This coming weekend TWWBF2025 intends to celebrate and support talented authors, poets, creatives, and publishing industry professionals and their work, readers and literacy advocates while we also celebrate everything positive that this event has contributed to our community since 2019.
[a two-image collage: right side - two posters atop the closed lid of a baby grand piano; both with "The Write Women Book Fest, 100+ authors Golden Angel, Eden Appiah-Kubi, Courtney Duke Foster, Jeaniene Frost, Maria Vale, Erin Wright, EC Poetry & Prose, July 19th QR Code thewritewomenbookfest.org, Use code FESTNEWS25 for 30% off!"; left side - an incomplete poster with "The Write Women Book Fest" and a blank sheet of paper with a graduated watercolor design] 
So many complete strangers were super kind and supportive during my two-hour stint in the high heat on Saturday! Lots of honks, waves, and even a screamed, "Way to go, The Write Women Book Fest!" as they zoomed down the road. Got home feeling productive and rewarded myself with a cold shower and lowering the temperature on the portable A/C we use to boost the chill factor of the central air conditioning upstairs.  
[split image: right side - traffic lights at the intersection of Stonybrook Drive and Annapolis Road/rte 450 east; upper left side - selfie of a Black woman wearing a black hat and black sunglasses with heart-shaped lenses; lower left side - closeup of the control panel for a portable A/C unit showing temperature set to 62 degrees Fahrenheit] 

More BAC (Book Acquisition Compulsion) Issues*   [a book stack from top to bottom: Sounds Like Love, Capture the Moment, Dead Man's List]

*In my defense, It Had to Be You by Eliza Jane Brazier remains at the library after my "You have many, many books at home (and on your tablet and phone) that you haven't read yet, and that you won't have time or energy to read until after TWWBF2025" self-chat actually worked. 
Always wishing you good health, peace of mind & joy!

DAYdreamers Rejoice, a Sign of the AI Times & TWWBF2025 Less Than 2 Weeks Away!

The wait is over for fans of Sylvia Day and for specific fans of her Crossfire series.   [cover art of a woman standing with her back to a man who is embracing her waist with one hand while she reaches back to cup his cheek; "New York Times Bestselling Author Sylvia Day, Ireland, A Crossroads Novel"] 
Ireland (Crossroads #1) by Sylvia Day, author & publisher contemporary romance fiction April 2025  Before this current wave of erotic and dark romance authors, there were these notable past and current talents: Zane, Cecilia Tan, Susan Johnson (now writing as C.C. Gibbs), Robin Schone, Thea Devine, and Sylvia Day. Crossfire fans, it's time to celebrate the launch of this related Crossroads series with its steamy, angst-drenched first entry of Ireland and Ronan's adversarial courtship. Ireland ends on a cliffhanger and Illusion, book 2, is scheduled for an April 2026 release, leaving plenty of time to read the original series, an enjoyable task the author recommends that readers new to this world complete first. 
And then there's the sad fact that we've reached the point in human history and technological development in which having a book registered as "Human Authored" is now necessary. Ay-yi-yi 
[same cover art as above for Ireland by Sylvia Day placed to the left of a title page with "Human Authored AG AuthorsGuild" seal above "HumanAuthored(TM)--Reg#..."] 


Before every trip to the library to return books I remind myself that I don't need to borrow anymore books until I've read the ones I already have on loan. And every time the new books display tempts me beyond my ability to resist. 
Here's my most recent BAC (Book Acquisition Compulsion) Stack 
[a horizontal stack of 7 books from top to bottom: No Ordinary Love; Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice, The Love Fix, A Lady Would Know Better, Direct Descendant, Left of Forever, Summer in the City] 
Tickets are still available for The Write Women Book Fest in Bowie, MD 7/19 & 7/20! https://www.thewritewomenbookfest.org/#/
 
Always wishing you good health, peace of mind, safety & joy! 

Our Poet Laureate's Memoir + More TWWBF2025 Prep

Educator, poet, short story author, mindfulness guide and now the moniker of memoirist has been added to the long list of creative accomplishments earned by Poet Laureate of The Write Women Book Fest Aressa V. Williams. 
She was born and raised in the vibrant community of Washington, D.C.'s Northeast neighborhood of Deanwood. Her Memoir evokes the nostalgia, challenges, victories, heartaches and joys of her life that connect with readers across generations and locations.   [photo credit: H.L. Brooks; image: two paperback ARCs of In Deanwood, A Memoir by Aressa Verdell Williams arranged on a tabletop; cover art of a sepia toned two-story colonial house with four columns - two on each side of the front door] 
The ebook is currently available with print copies coming soon!https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-deanwood-aressa-verdell-williams/1147594007 

Just under 3 weeks before day one of The Write Women Book Fest and we've finished decorating t-shirts for our awesome volunteers, and we've organized the fantastic swag already sent by some of our very talented authors. Others plan to bring theirs with them and distribute swag from their tables. 
[bookmarks, postcards, writing pens, pamphlets, stickers, business cards and more assorted swag from authors, poets, narrators, influencers, etc. for The Write Women Book Fest 2025 swag bags for attendees]  [a collage of 3 images, all showing different stages of painting "I <3 Books" onto black t-shirts; fabric paint, paint brushes, stencils; paper bowls] 


This week's BAC (Book Acquisition Compulsion) Stack;-)  [horizontal bookstack with 5 books from top to bottom: Poettry Is Not a Luxury, Christmas in Spite of You. Along Came Amor, The High Dive, All Too Well] 
Come join us in celebrating the freedom to read, to learn, to explore and expand our horizons on Saturday, July 19 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. at Bowie Comfort Inn & Conference Center! https://www.thewritewomenbookfest.org/#/ 

Always wishing you abundant good health, peace of mind & joy! 

27 Days Until TWWBF2025 Saturday 7/19-20!

Finally made it over to Barnes & Noble Booksellers at the Bowie Town Center to see the display of books by some of the authors participating in The Write Women Book Fest!  https://www.thewritewomenbookfest.org/#/ 

[endcap display with The Write Women Book Fest 2025 poster at the top; books by participating authors arranged beside and under it: Fake Flame, Results Will Vary, That ___ She He___*, Trading Places, Ruins and Redemption, ReInception, Molly Molloy and the Angel of Death, When She's on Top, Sleuths of Bears, Through Her Eyes, Protecting Paige, Love Reinvented, Too Dangerous to Love; Never, Now or Later; A Fire at Romanticon, Darcy's Gallant Gambit, The Adventures of Janie & Juliet, The Lord of Freedom: The Bell Tolling (Book One), An Exaltation of Larks, Macy the Mermaid] 

No One Is Self-Made: Build Your Village to Flourish in Business and Life by Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon non-fiction HarperCollins/William Morrow/DeySt, February 2025 
This passage from the introduction encapsulates the fundamental message of this instructional manual for ethical business endeavors: 
Doing business with an understanding that no one is self-made, that our playground for risk is safer and more prosperous when we carry one another, and that we are one another's salvation has revealed itself to me as the way forward. 
At a time when so many forces are working to move society backward (like to the 1850s), in eight concise, approachable chapters this book offers practical strategies for sharing resources to generate profitable outcomes for everyone involved. No One Is Self-Made is a keeper for easy access to being inspired and encouraged to work together and for us all to know that we're village-made. 

[two books face up: No One Is Self-Made: Build Your Village to Flourish in Business and Life by Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon, Say Everything, A Memoir by Ione Skye] 
Say Everything, A Memoir by Ione Skye non-fiction Simon & Schuster, March 2025 
Growing up is challenging. Doing so in the distorted funhouse mirror reflection of  entertainment media scrutiny makes surviving young adulthood multiple times harder. Through lots of trials and errors, this author learns to recognize and address the patterns of behavior that no longer serve her long-term goals for living a healthy, fulfilling life. This passage from the epilogue makes that point: 
A deep relationship is a labor of love... It's not a prize you win, like Cinderella, for being the prettiest girl with the daintiest foot. I know that now but no longer blame myself for not knowing it when I was very young. 
Studying the included photos and reading their captions adds even more pleasure to this engaging intimate self study with useful lessons for everyone.

Are there lots of undone tasks on my to-do list for The Write Women Book Fest 2025? Yes. Will that fact keep me from reading for pleasure at least a little bit every day? Nope. Stress reading is one of my coping strategies. 
My BAC (Book Acquisition Compulsion) issues continue.  

[horizontal bookstack from top to bottom: Salvacion, Down in the Sea of Angels, Cross the Line, Manic Pixie Dream Earl, Hazardous to a Duke's Heart, My Best Friend's Honeymoon, Great Big Beautiful Life; propped up next to the right side of the bookstack are Elphie: A Wicked Childhod and Wicked Movie dvd case] 

Assorted arrangements of The Write Women Book Fest 2025 display in the Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Bowie Town Center  [four photos of the Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Bowie Town Center display showing the books mentioned above in the first image plus: Eat Dessert First, Love Across the Table, Crimson Chaos]   

With much gratitude to journalist Leslie Gray Streeter for her recent column in The Baltiomore Banner about TWWBF!https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/opinion/column/book-festival-write-women-bowie-654CYWAVUBC4HKSRFUB22623TU/  


*My apologies to this author and the author of the book with the man wearing a dress shirt and suit coat for my not having the foresight to pull the book farther out to make the whole title easy to see. Check out The Write Women Book Fest IG page because Heather posted a video of our visit.  

Fathers in Life & Memory, and Families

The grieving process in fact and fiction 
[2 books arranged next to each other: left - Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like "Journey" in the Title by Leslie Gray Streeter; right - The Martian Contingency (Lady Astronaut #4) by Mary Robinette Kowal]  Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like "Journey" in the Title by Leslie Gray Streeter non-fiction memoir Little, Brown and Company, May 2020 
In eighteen chapters with titles from lyrics of popular television show theme songs and other cultural references, this author offers readers candid emotional details about her experiences in coping with the sudden death of her spouse. Grief as a form of emotional schizophrenia.  Her insightful revelations are poignant and funny in unexpected ways. Connections between family by blood, by choice, neighbors and extended community create an engaging picture of a relatable life with lots of often overwhelming responsibilities and commitments. 
From the last chapter: ... This isn't the end of anything. It's just the beginning. 
In addition to being a substantive memoirist, Leslie Gray Streeter is an award-winning journalist with the Baltimore Banner and a novelist as of the April 2025 release of Family and Other Calamities. Earlier this month she, Heather Brooks (founder and co-organizer of The Write Women Book Fest) and I enjoyed a lively chat about the challenges and rewards of hosting a big book event, being authors and much more. 
  The Martian Conspiracy (Lady Astronaut #4) by Mary Robinette Kowal alternate history sci-fi set in the 1900s Macmillan, February 2025 
An alternate history of the 1950s through the 1970s interweaves battles for and against entrenched gender roles, racism, reproductive autonomy, sociopolitical maneuvering and upheaval, and a variety of natural and man-made disasters in the context of emotional intimacy, assorted cultures and religions--all while exploring space. Outstanding and gorgeous character development and narrative dexterity. 

More library books (of course) in support of my BAC - Book Acquisition Compulsion - issues 

[a bookstack from top to bottom: Problematic Summer Romance, What Happens in Amsterdam, It's a Love Story, The Love Haters, Dying to Meet You]
[Libby ebook app showing cover art for 2 titles on loan: Crossing Paths, Gold Coast Dilemma]  
Some people stress eat (don't ask me how I know, but you can guess). Stress reading is my jam. 

Failing to Plan Is Planning to Fail

Recent obvious failures and spectacular successes in book fests combined with an actual near collision (my fault) in the grocery store with the incomparable founder of the successful-for-decades BARR - Black Authors & Readers Rock - Conference* who's also the author of Plan It! The Complete Resource Guide for Authors, Book Clubs & Literary Event Planners inspired me to write this FlashbackFriday post. 
[photo of two Black women standing next to each other with their arms around each other's shoulders: Cardyn Brooks on the right; Sharon Lucas on the left] 
[title page for workbook "How to Plan an Event That "Wows" Workbook By Sharon Lucas" with a photo of the author then "An Addendum to Plan It! The Complete Resource Guide for Authors, Book Clubs & Literary Event Planners"] 
In 2017 P.G. Parks & Recreation hosted a community event (overall theme has escaped my Swiss cheese memory) at the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Complex. Sharon Lucas hosted an event planning workshop that explained the basics for creating a strategy and action plan to generate successful results. Later that year (or possibly the next?) I volunteered at the Prince George's County Book Festival, which she coordinated, and got to see and experience her impressive professional execution of the methods she'd taught. 
From the outside looking in successful events that run smoothly with organizers who provide quick responses and solutions to unexpected and sudden challenges make it look easy to do. It's not. Hosting book events that deliver satisfaction to everyone involved requires a dedicated team of experts and volunteers, knowledgeable and responsive venue staff, time, money, a lot of sweat equity and enthusiastic commitment to the mission, along with an enormous amount of planning for the known and the unknown, especially for factors beyond human control. 
The weather Traffic Parking The venue's HVAC system Physical and mental health of the team members (participants & attendees too) The economy/sociopolitical shifts Bizarre social media showdowns Other unforeseen circumstances 
For our very small team at The Write Women Book Fest, under promising and over delivering to participants and attendees while respecting and appreciating event volunteers and venue staff are our priorities. Sharon Lucas embodies all that we aspire to be as book events organizers. She dropped by the first TWWBF at Marietta House Museum in 2019. Her encouragement is the reason we dared to reach out to distinguished literary icon Marita Golden during the pandemic years. During our brief chat at the grocery store the other day Sharon Lucas mentioned that her current family responsibilities mean no more BARR, the event which set a very high standard for book events expectations in the DMV area and across the U.S. 
Her practical guide to book event planning is still available in ebook format and seems as necessary and relevant as ever. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/plan-it-sharon- lucas/1122810235 

Happy successful book event planning to all! 

*One of the reasons TWWBF moved from the outdoor venue of Marietta House Museum to the indoor venue of Bowie Comfort Inn & Conference Center is that it was where BARR was for years until they moved to National Harbor. 

The Best Man: Unfinished Business by Malcolm D. Lee with Jayne Allen Delivers All the Feels

Black love. Black joy. Black drama. Humanity in its vast melanin array.  
[front cover of a paperback ARC for The Best Man: Unfinished Business; silhouette of three adults]
The Best Man: Unfinished Business by Malcolm D. Lee with Jayne Allen 

adult contemporary fiction with romantic elements 

Storehouse Voices, July 2025 

First, dedicated fans of The Best Man franchise and its beloved characters need not fear how they’re treated in this first of three novels. In fact. One thread of Harper’s storyline seems to reflect the real-life author/screenwriter/director’s battle to protect and maintain the integrity of The Best Man universe. Mission accomplished. 

Second, once readers - fans or not - start this novel they won’t want to stop. The compulsion to re/watch The Best Man movies and limited series and maybe even to reread this book while anticipating the release of book two in 2026 will prove difficult to resist. 

Who are you? 

Who are your people? 

Where do you belong? 

What’s the purpose of your life? 

When is the allure of the familiar a trap, and when is it a safe space to heal and thrive? 

With emotional vulnerability that’s often messy, visceral sensitivity, lots of humor and incendiary sexual tension in three acts, this story focuses on the decades-long interpersonal tension between Harper, Robyn, and Jordan. Within that complicated entanglement each is experiencing their own existential reckoning connected to present-day quandaries rooted in hindsight and some past trauma. 

Recurring themes on meditation, self-care, and therapy dovetail seamlessly with riffs on complex family dynamics between those related by blood and by choice. The Best Man: Unfinished Business offers a grown-and-sexy examination of how circumstances change and relationships evolve and get reconfigured among people who know and love each other through multiple stages of life. 

Forthright candor in the writing style resonates with poignant authenticity and many laugh aloud moments. Shades of Percival Everett’s Erasure mixed with Marita Golden’s The Strong Black Woman and The New Black Woman, and Dr. Maya Angelou's All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes along with a bit of the pathos of Sliding Doors, echoes of Living Single and Girlfriends fast-forwarded into their greater later era, too, in its joyous celebration of the multi-faceted expressions of being human while Black while delivering an entertaining, provocative read for and about real grown folks make this one of the best ways to satisfy fans’ desires for more new content featuring cherished characters. 

an observation regarding the ARC given to me: high frequency usage of ellipsis punctuation (which is maybe a screenwriting convention - or a texting effect - that’ll get adjusted in the final version?)  Oh, read Swept Away by Beth O'Leary late last night and it also used lots of ellipses so it's possibly a new trend in fiction.

This week's library support of my BAC (Book Acquisition Compulsion) issues   [a bookstack from top to bottom: Frenemies with Benefits, The Martian Contingency, Say Everything, Book Boyfriend, Crash Landing, Another Fine Mess, The Ephemera Collector] 
Oppressors hate it when the people they're attempting to oppress savor the simple, small, medium and grand joys of life, so experience lots of pleasure every day! 

Has SINNERS Got You Thirsting for More...

[cover art for the DVD case for the BBC Dracula series, three-quarter profile of the lower half of a man's face; open mouth displaying fangs with blood dripping over his lower lip and chin] 


Bloodsucking and Other Supernatural Fare? Past and present TWWBF authors can help satisfy your cravings: Shai August Golden Angel H.L. Brooks S Courtney Kait Disney-Leugers Jeaniene Frost Rhiannon Futch Claire E. Jones Hannah Levin J.S. Living Glori Medina C.L. Merklinger Liv Macy Leslye Penelope Ivy Quinn Sheri Queen Rebecca Rivard Olivia Springer Rose Staine Michelle Summers Maria Vale Plus more fiction and non-fiction from all of these other talented TWWBF2025 authors and vendors: in-person https://www.thewritewomenbookfest.org/2025-authors--vendors.html#/ and virtual https://www.thewritewomenbookfest.org/2025-virtual-authors--vendors.html#/
Come join us for all sorts of bookish fun on our ticketed day one Saturday, July 19 at the Bowie Comfort Inn & Conference Center and/or our free day two on Sunday, July 20 at the South Bowie Branch Library (just 5 miles from the hotel down Rte 301 south to Central Ave west toward Washington; right turn at the 2nd traffic light - street address is "Hall Road" but library actually faces Central Ave)  Tickets through Eventbrite: The Write Women Book Fest 2025 Tickets, Sat, Jul 19, 2025 at 12:00 PM | Eventbrite 

This week's library haul a.k.a. my BAC (Book Acquisition Compulsion) issues;-) 
[4 books arranged vertically, from left to right: No One Is Self-Made, Any Trope But You, Swept Away, Fan Service] 
Yes, TWWBF2025 is just about two months away in addition to the sometimes overwhelming demands of my personal and other professional responsibilities, but reading for pleasure and enlightenment is as essential to me as oxygen. 
Always rooting for you! 

A Million Lives Book Festival - An Unfortunate Exception, Not the Event Rule

[2 decorative stickers on lined writing paper from left to right: a round smiley face arranged upside down to look like a frown and a round smiley face arranged right sight up]


By now most bookish folk and others have heard about the inaugural A Million Lives Book Festival held at the Baltimore Convention Center last Friday and Saturday. To recap: according to participating authors and attendees many promises were made and almost all of them were broken. 
As outreach director and co-organizer for The Write Women Book Fest scheduled to host its 6th event Saturday, July 19 & Sunday, July 20 of this year at the Bowie Comfort Inn & Conference Center in Bowie, Maryland, U.S.A., my reaction to the feedback being shared about A Million Lives is nightmarish. Even though we aren't connected to it in any way or familiar with the event organizer or her company, our completely unrelated event has felt some minor residual effects because people are worried. And that's an understandable reaction. 
Even during the best of times no one wants to risk their money and other resources or waste their energy. And for too many people this is the opposite of the best of times. Yet authors are still writing, publishing and engaging with the public. Readers are still reading, buying and hyping books and their favorite authors. They're still investing their money, time and effort in attending events that feature books and authors. 
In the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area the highest benchmarks for excellence in talented authors, enthusiastic readers and dynamic events that meet and exceed promises made along with stellar execution are the norm. Some examples: 20+ years of BARR (Black Authors & Readers Rock), Mahogany Books events hosted throughout the year - most recently former First Lady Michelle Obama's conversation with Ms. Tina Knowles about her memoir, Matriarch; year-round events and community engagement hosted by Loyalty Books, Charm City Romanticon, Maryland Romance Writers, Mountains Wanted Publishing events in Annapolis, all kinds of events hosted by Prince George's County Memorial Library System and Anne Arundel County Library... and one of my personal all-time favorite book events was the Popular Romance Fiction: The Literature of Hope Conference hosted at Yale University in 2023 - Ms. Beverly Jenkins, Roxane Gay, Adriana Herrera, Mary Bly (Eloisa James), the sisters who own The Ripped Bodice Bookstores, Alyssa Cole Zoomed in and so many more intellectual, academic, entrepreneurial and successful publishing industry heavyweights. This is the caliber of book events that inspire The Write Women Book Fest. 
Like many self-pubbed, indie, small press and mid-list authors, the miniscule, dedicated TWWBF team works other jobs full-time and self-funds our author expenses. As authors we empathized with the disappointed A Million Lives participants who spent hundreds of dollars (or more) on travel and accommodations, pricey event venue parking for those who drove, books ordered and shipped, swag, leave taken from their reliable paycheck jobs, and anticipation for a successful experience that delivered failure. Kudos to the participating authors who listed trauma bonding with others as a plus. 
The spectacular failure of the A Million Lives Book Festival has been covered by local and major media outlets in the U.S. and other countries. What if smaller successful events like The Write Women Book Fest received even a fraction of such coverage with a positive spin instead of a negative one? What if the major news outlets got inspired to observe a designated "good news only" time frame each week like V Spehar does with their Under the Desk News? Would people feel more encouraged? Would the dedicated organizers and hosts of modest community events that inspire and support creativity and making personal connections to foster and deepen a sense of human solidarity feel seen and appreciated and motivated to continue? 
Who knows? But finding out seems worth the effort. 
If there's a book event or bookstore that's hosted joyful experiences that you've attended, please mention them in the comments.  
I'll start: TWWBF 's first 4 years were at Marietta House Museum, a PG Parks & Rec property with a dedicated, knowledgeable team that provided all of the support we needed; they set us up to succeed, so much so that we outgrew that venue. The team at the Prince George's County Memorial Library System has also offered years of practical support and encouragement. Same with the Barnes & Noble Booksellers at the Bowie Town Center. They're our local bookstore and they invest in the success of local authors with their year-round schedule of events, store inventory and displays. EC Poetry & Prose has been with us since year one to elevate our programming with the award-winning, highly acclaimed work of their outstanding roster of talent. And shoutouts to all of the TWWBF participants past and present who embody the core reasons we've succeeded and grown every year since our first in 2019. TWWBF2023 was our first year at the Bowie Comfort Inn & Conference Center, which we chose because we knew BARR had been there for years until they outgrew it. Their team knows how to execute a successful book event. Appreciation to Michelle Fewer, host of Charm City Romanticon and a generous person who's always willing to share her proven event planning strategies with us, and previous TWWBF participating author Calla Claire who mentioned our event in such positive terms in her thoughtful video commentary about AMLBF. Kait Disney-Leugers, too! They're magnificent examples of the caliber of the authors and creatives who participate in The Write Women Book Fest. 
If I didn't mention you by name, please forgive me. I appreciate you. It's 71 days until TWWBF2025 starts and my brain is already half mush. 

Always wishing you good health, peace of mind & joy!