May 16, 2025 • 19 mins
A two-day celebration of literature, featuring bestselling authors, inspiring panels, and a vibrant community of readers. Explore books, connect with creators, and let your imagination soar
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello everyone, and welcome to the Writer's Class. Aye, I'm
gonna do And I thought, ladies, that's a book festival.
I don't think she's gonna tell us about how to
write a chapter or a main character. That's what the
Writer's class is for. I think, why did I say?
I think it's my podcast. I'm gonna go. I think, whoo,
talk about speaking with confidence. There we go. That's what
(00:25):
I'm doing today. There's that writer self deprecation as well.
I don't known. And I remember to introduce myself. So
high five to me with the little high five dance.
That is not a high five dance. It's a narcissism
dance because I feel like I'm great when I get
it right.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Like what.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Anyway, I don't even know that characterizes as a narcissism
dance because it was just that bad. I write books,
y'all go figure out of all the things I could
do writing books on you know a podcast that talks
about writing. Wow, so reaching out and those books are
(01:01):
And I thought divorce was bad, and I thought being
grown up was ez if only our mem memor and Verse,
Foreign Coffee, Widdows Web and Widow's Debt and that is
six books that are six audiobooks, so you can get
those books wherever audiobooks are sold. And now you know,
you guys know that if you've been with me for
a while, that there are thirteen more of those bad boys.
So if you would like to see the rest of
(01:23):
the nineteen books, you can go to www dot. And
I thought, ladies dot com, and I feel like I'm
in a good mood today because some of my London
plans actually worked out, and now I'm not gonna tell
you about my personal life. You almost thought I was right,
ha ha, No, oh gonna I'm in a good mood.
(01:45):
So we're doing it like a car salesman. You can
see everything your ladies are up to at www dot
And I thought, Lady Doc, I need to do that
more often. But you're not here to hear about me,
which is such a shame, because you know, miss hearing
about me. You're here to hear about our wonderful guests.
Wonderful guests. Would you like to introduce yourself.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I am Jennifer john Z. I am with the Knoxville
Book Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, and a couple of things
people should know about me. Do I start that yet
or do you ask me that I'm sitting here thinking, gosh,
I'm fifty two years old. I have much to share,
(02:28):
but the three main things I guess. I am a
mother of a fifteen year old son. I am an
event planner and have been putting on events for about
twenty years. And I am actually a producer for a
news talk radio station.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
I should start with the mother question because that's where
you should start. But I heard producer, so therefore, what, Wow,
that's an interesting job.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Yeah, I've I've actually been in radio for probably twenty
five years now, from soft rock to country and now
to a news talk radio station, and as a producer.
So I've been a host, but I like being the producer.
I like making the host sound and look good. So
and I pushed the right buttons.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Okay, how would you give up being a host?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
You know what? Honestly, I did it for a really,
really long time, and I ran out of things to say.
You know, sometimes it's hard to come up with the
content that you're looking for. And I was a mom
of a young son, and I think I just got
burned out. But I left that and I opened a
business which was a brick and mortar a birthday party
(03:46):
and toy store, and that's a whole nother long story
in itself. But left that and then went back to
radio because I missed it, and I missed not having
to work so hard for a Paychecken.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
You own a business, that is all you ever do
is work hard for a page.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Really, and then a lot of times you don't even
get paid. So you know, that's just that.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
And I think the best part is that you're working
hard for your paycheck.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, I know I could pay myself, yeah, someday. But
the event business, we've really enjoyed. It's it's hard work,
it really is. But the ultimate when you see the
thing and action and people are smiling and they're making
money and they're selling books or whatever product, it just
(04:37):
gives me much joy.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Oh, you were in the event space in the conference space, No,
not confidence. I heard the party space birthday parties.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I heard that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Yeah, I used to be in the event space in
the party space too, like two hundred to five.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Hundred you you did. Mine was very small, so like
one birthday party at a time. Maybe you'd have forty
family members there with a child, her birthday party.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
So but we did.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
We did a few other events, and I had been
dabbling in events for a while, but nothing to the
size of what I'm doing now.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Okay, So she's hinted at the sides of what you're
doing now, and normally in this place, you know, in
this show, I don't do segus, but you hint it. No,
I'm taking it. Okay, we mean the side of what
you're doing now. What are you doing now? See segue.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
I'm assuming since we're talking about books, we're going to
talk about the Knoxville Book Festival, and that this is
our first year. I've been wanting to do this for
several years, myself and my business partners. It's just been
sitting there under the surface, you know, kind of We've
done few other events and those are rolling long time.
(05:58):
But this book thing I've wanted to do for a really,
really long time, and it just feels like the time
is right. You know. There was a strange shift in
books and reading when we went from paper to digital
and then you have these you know, fancy e readers,
and you have audio books, and you have all these things.
But the book, the real book, you know, and it's
(06:19):
just there's just nothing like it, and it just feels
like there's been this massive resurgence and people really wanting
these books and their art too. They're like pieces of art.
You know. You have the the spines and the you know,
the book part it's like painted and has designs, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Cover, Yeah, you can put it in the box and
sometimes you have the raise to book cover.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yeah. Oh, it's so neat. And then you put them
on your bookshelf and you can put it either way.
You know. It used to be you just have the
spine showing, but now you can turn it around and
the pages have art on them too. It's just amazing,
and it just feels like the time is right and
everybody's really excited here and I'm really glad because you
can create an event and put it together. But that
(07:07):
doesn't mean people want to like it or want to come.
But people seem very excited and that makes me happy
and hopefully they'll come and they'll have a good time.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I'm hoping, so that would be great. So what is
some what are some of the things that you were
planning for this book festival?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
So we definitely wanted to come out of the gate
strong because I know that as a reader myself, my time,
my time is so valuable. All of us women, especially
our time is so valuable, and we plan things very specifically,
especially when you have a family. You have a specific
(07:46):
amount of free time, and when you make a choice
where you want to spend that free time, it needs
to be good because if it isn't, you'll never forgive it.
You'll never forget it, you know, you're like, Okay, well
that was a waste of my time, you know, and
you can't get that time back. So we really wanted
this to be something special, not only for authors and readers,
(08:10):
but maybe even some people that are just trying to
figure out what's so exciting about it, you know, maybe
they come in and they get excited too. So we'll
have the author tables, we'll have lots of authors and
then but we'll also have some workshops and some classes
for authors, and we have a main stage where we'll
have panels talking about a variety of different topics. We
(08:33):
also wanted to make sure that we had some pretty
spectacular authors and so we invited. Obviously, with the first
year event, we couldn't afford to do anything super super huge,
but I'm pretty excited about who we do have. Is
it okay to go ahead and say that? Okay, all right?
So we have Charlene Harris, who is the author of
(08:56):
the Silkie Stackhouse series and others, many others series, but
she's I connected with Charlene Harris over the Sookie Stackhouse series,
which is what True Blood is based on, So that
was very exciting. And then James Dashner, who wrote The
Maze Runner. There's a movie, the Maze Runner. I wrote
The Maze Runner and The Maze Cutter and several other books.
(09:19):
He is also coming. So these are our two big
best selling authors that are coming to town that we
are bringing in as our special guests. And then we
have a few featured authors too.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
That was amazing. I can wait to hear the panels
on this. And I have a lot of book to
movie questions I need to ask you.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
I'm sorry, you have a what I have a lot
of book.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
To movie questions I need to ask.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Oh, okay, okay, well, I am right.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
I mean that best selling like for your panels, I
would love you know, excuse me, I have a question
for the panelist sort of thing. I'm joking.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
I hope people do ask them questions, because what's that like?
You know, if you're sitting there, you're the one on
the stage and nobody's listened.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
That happens quite a bit. Oh okay, so you you
said you and your partners got started, so like this,
this idea was kind of simmering under the surface when
you decide like this is it, this is the year
we're doing it.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
You know. That's the weirdest thing. And it's been that
way with every event that we've launched. It's like something
starts as an idea, you know, and it just sits
there and it's like somehow intuitively, I guess you could
say it was intuition, or maybe it's what I'm seeing
around me that tells me it's the right time. So
(10:43):
last year we've been planning this for an entire year.
So last year I think we were just finally ready
as far as getting our other two events established where
we were really comfortable to give birth to a new
events because that in itself is a whole thing. It's
a big investment. There's a lot of things on the line,
(11:06):
and your mental health more than anything. And so I
think we felt like we were doing well in our
partnership and our experience to where we felt we could
go ahead and launch this event. And then also the timing,
of course, the excitement about books and reading that has
sort of had this massive resurgence. We felt all of
(11:27):
these things were lining up and it was time.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Definitely agree, I definitely agree. Now, tell us where we
can find out more information about the book festival and
more importantly, what.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Are the dates? Okay, So it's April fifth and sixth
at the Knoxville Convention Center and our website is Knoxville
Book Festival dot com. Tried to keep it very simple.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I love that Knoxville Book Festival dot com. So just
the case you were wondering where it was, it's in Knoxville,
and what it is, it's a book festival.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
We didn't have to explain what it was in the title.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Now, you said that first of all, you were a mom.
See I circled all the way back around. I eventually
got there. How on earth do you do all of
this and.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Be a mom? Well, I will tell you what. He's fifteen,
so that's good. But I have been doing events his
entire life, so from a small scale to running the business.
He was a little boy when I left my radio
career and opened the business. But my business catered to children,
so I was able to bring him to work with me,
(12:39):
which what a blessing that was. That was cool and
I would never change that for the world. But as
he's gotten older and less dependent on me, I have
been able to branch out just a little bit more.
And now he's fifteen, so he's like, Mom, I don't
need you. I do have more time.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Oh good, Oh yeah, and next year is what next
year's driving? So you have a ton more time and
you can send him on errands.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
That's what I was kind of thinking too. And he's
got some muscles so he can help us with the
heavy lifting.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
There you go, call anyway inventive. So I do have
to ask because I'm curious and I love hearing exclusive stuff.
Do we have plans for year two already in the work?
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Yes? I tell you what. We have learned so much
preparing for year one that we already started planning year
two because we were like, there's no way we can
fit this in this year. There's no way we can
do this this year and do it right. And there's
a lot that we need to watch and learn this
first year and get feedback from people. That feedback is great.
(13:51):
Sometimes it's not in a very friendly form. Sometimes it is,
you know, and but I take I've gotten such a
thick skin over the years. I know to listen under
the surface, say if somebody doesn't like it, or somebody's
not happy, I have learned to find the helpful part
underneath that, you know, and that that took me a
(14:12):
long time to get there. So we really need to
kind of just sit back and observe what we've created,
how it functions, how it runs, find the errors so
that we can fix those. But underneath the surface of
what's about to happen, Yeah, there are plans for twenty
twenty six. So very excited, all right.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
I said before this whole thing started that I was
coming I might be coming down in twenty twenty five,
but twenty twenty six sounds like a great year to visit.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
I think that would be great. Let us get our
first year out from under us, and then you can
can come see us or put us on your schedule.
For sure.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Definitely you are already on my schedule for this year,
But like twenty twenty six, son on the twenty.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Well, and yeah, and we we. I hope everybody will
give us the good, constructive feedback and let us know
what they want to see more of, less of, you know,
that kind of thing. We're open to all suggestions.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
In order for them to do that, you would have
to show up. So my audience, please let's show up
so we can give her good, nice, constructive because please
be kind, don't mean that.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Or be constructive. Be constructive. That's the main thing. I think.
Anytime somebody wants to give you some feedback, you know,
if they're in your face screaming, it's like, okay, just go, just.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Go, you know. Last question before I ask the question
about the website again, last question is can you give
us the top three things that someone that would come
to the Knoxville Book Festival should look forward to, like
seeing or hearing.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I think that the panels and the workshops and even
the crafts that we're offering will be fun. So let's
say that first and foremost. So don't think you're just
going to come and there's just going to be rose
and of authors. There will be that, yes, but we'll
have them separated into categories also, so we're gonna have
the romance and the spicy spicy section because you got
(16:12):
to have that, and then like the action adventure sci fi,
so we'll have the different rows. But then we also
have vendors, So we have book theme vendors that are
selling anything from bookmarks to coffee mugs that are book themed.
So we'll have that, and then the panels and the workshops.
I feel like that's a pretty good kind of what
(16:34):
you're going to get, all right. It's not just a
vendor show. It's not just an author's show. It's a
lot more than that.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
I did lie okay, which is.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
About question before I get to the last, do you
need any speakers for this year's event, because you know,
all my authors love to be all the authors out
there with and would.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Love to be a speaker. And if so, how do
you get in contact to apply?
Speaker 2 (17:02):
I think that I'm still trying to fill a few panels.
We I almost want to say, with us being close
to four weeks away, it's possible. So they can email
us events at Knoxville Book Festival dot com and send
it on who knows, you know, something might work out.
(17:23):
But other than that, we would already be accepting speakers
for twenty twenty six, because we are already taking notes
and planning for those things. So maybe if this year
doesn't work out, they'll come next year.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
There we go, look y'all, twenty twenty six. Get your
speaking proposals ready? Okay now, because I finally told the truth.
And that was the last question.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Oh where can we find out more information again? And
what are the dates?
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Okay? Knoxville Book Festival dot com and the day. It's
a April fifth and sixth, and it's in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee,
which is beautiful at the Knoxville Convention Center.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Thank you so much for being here with us today.
I barely enjoyed about hearing about the Knoxville Book Festival,
although I feel like I'm gonna wait now, I'm gonna
come in twenty twenty five by lied.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Will you be sure and let me know? And you
are delightful And I'm going to go and listen to
all of your podcasts from the past, so I really
enjoyed talking to you. You're a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
That's a lot of podcasts here. I have four of them.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Well, I guess I better get busy.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
You can find that. So I'm gonna wrap it up
with me. Over here, you can find out everything that
your ladies are up to a www. Dot and I
thought ladies dot com take a moment when you go
there and go down to the bottom of the page
and see the three charities that we probably support. We
asked that you take a little moment out of your
day and give them some support. Doesn't have to be money.
It could be advice because sometimes they need help and
(18:59):
get stuck in the little thing. Go. You could get
your hands dirty and get in there and you know,
do something. You know, build an orphanage in Ethiopia for
crying out. Oh one of those things. But we thank
you in advance for doing that. Remember that wisdom is
all around you if you're open to finding it and
accepting it. So peace and love you guys from Wilnona
in the Missing Jay. Oh yeah, thanks for listening.
Hello everyone, and welcome to the Writer's Class. Aye, I'm
gonna do And I thought, ladies, that's a book festival.
I don't think she's gonna tell us about how to
write a chapter or a main character. That's what the
Writer's class is for. I think, why did I say?
I think it's my podcast. I'm gonna go. I think, whoo,
talk about speaking with confidence. There we go. That's what
(00:25):
I'm doing today. There's that writer self deprecation as well.
I don't known. And I remember to introduce myself. So
high five to me with the little high five dance.
That is not a high five dance. It's a narcissism
dance because I feel like I'm great when I get
it right.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Like what.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Anyway, I don't even know that characterizes as a narcissism
dance because it was just that bad. I write books,
y'all go figure out of all the things I could
do writing books on you know a podcast that talks
about writing. Wow, so reaching out and those books are
(01:01):
And I thought divorce was bad, and I thought being
grown up was ez if only our mem memor and Verse,
Foreign Coffee, Widdows Web and Widow's Debt and that is
six books that are six audiobooks, so you can get
those books wherever audiobooks are sold. And now you know,
you guys know that if you've been with me for
a while, that there are thirteen more of those bad boys.
So if you would like to see the rest of
(01:23):
the nineteen books, you can go to www dot. And
I thought, ladies dot com, and I feel like I'm
in a good mood today because some of my London
plans actually worked out, and now I'm not gonna tell
you about my personal life. You almost thought I was right,
ha ha, No, oh gonna I'm in a good mood.
(01:45):
So we're doing it like a car salesman. You can
see everything your ladies are up to at www dot
And I thought, Lady Doc, I need to do that
more often. But you're not here to hear about me,
which is such a shame, because you know, miss hearing
about me. You're here to hear about our wonderful guests.
Wonderful guests. Would you like to introduce yourself.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I am Jennifer john Z. I am with the Knoxville
Book Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, and a couple of things
people should know about me. Do I start that yet
or do you ask me that I'm sitting here thinking, gosh,
I'm fifty two years old. I have much to share,
(02:28):
but the three main things I guess. I am a
mother of a fifteen year old son. I am an
event planner and have been putting on events for about
twenty years. And I am actually a producer for a
news talk radio station.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
I should start with the mother question because that's where
you should start. But I heard producer, so therefore, what, Wow,
that's an interesting job.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Yeah, I've I've actually been in radio for probably twenty
five years now, from soft rock to country and now
to a news talk radio station, and as a producer.
So I've been a host, but I like being the producer.
I like making the host sound and look good. So
and I pushed the right buttons.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Okay, how would you give up being a host?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
You know what? Honestly, I did it for a really,
really long time, and I ran out of things to say.
You know, sometimes it's hard to come up with the
content that you're looking for. And I was a mom
of a young son, and I think I just got
burned out. But I left that and I opened a
business which was a brick and mortar a birthday party
(03:46):
and toy store, and that's a whole nother long story
in itself. But left that and then went back to
radio because I missed it, and I missed not having
to work so hard for a Paychecken.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
You own a business, that is all you ever do
is work hard for a page.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Really, and then a lot of times you don't even
get paid. So you know, that's just that.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
And I think the best part is that you're working
hard for your paycheck.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, I know I could pay myself, yeah, someday. But
the event business, we've really enjoyed. It's it's hard work,
it really is. But the ultimate when you see the
thing and action and people are smiling and they're making
money and they're selling books or whatever product, it just
(04:37):
gives me much joy.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Oh, you were in the event space in the conference space, No,
not confidence. I heard the party space birthday parties.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I heard that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Yeah, I used to be in the event space in
the party space too, like two hundred to five.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Hundred you you did. Mine was very small, so like
one birthday party at a time. Maybe you'd have forty
family members there with a child, her birthday party.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
So but we did.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
We did a few other events, and I had been
dabbling in events for a while, but nothing to the
size of what I'm doing now.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Okay, So she's hinted at the sides of what you're
doing now, and normally in this place, you know, in
this show, I don't do segus, but you hint it. No,
I'm taking it. Okay, we mean the side of what
you're doing now. What are you doing now? See segue.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
I'm assuming since we're talking about books, we're going to
talk about the Knoxville Book Festival, and that this is
our first year. I've been wanting to do this for
several years, myself and my business partners. It's just been
sitting there under the surface, you know, kind of We've
done few other events and those are rolling long time.
(05:58):
But this book thing I've wanted to do for a really,
really long time, and it just feels like the time
is right. You know. There was a strange shift in
books and reading when we went from paper to digital
and then you have these you know, fancy e readers,
and you have audio books, and you have all these things.
But the book, the real book, you know, and it's
(06:19):
just there's just nothing like it, and it just feels
like there's been this massive resurgence and people really wanting
these books and their art too. They're like pieces of art.
You know. You have the the spines and the you know,
the book part it's like painted and has designs, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Cover, Yeah, you can put it in the box and
sometimes you have the raise to book cover.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yeah. Oh, it's so neat. And then you put them
on your bookshelf and you can put it either way.
You know. It used to be you just have the
spine showing, but now you can turn it around and
the pages have art on them too. It's just amazing,
and it just feels like the time is right and
everybody's really excited here and I'm really glad because you
can create an event and put it together. But that
(07:07):
doesn't mean people want to like it or want to come.
But people seem very excited and that makes me happy
and hopefully they'll come and they'll have a good time.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I'm hoping, so that would be great. So what is
some what are some of the things that you were
planning for this book festival?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
So we definitely wanted to come out of the gate
strong because I know that as a reader myself, my time,
my time is so valuable. All of us women, especially
our time is so valuable, and we plan things very specifically,
especially when you have a family. You have a specific
(07:46):
amount of free time, and when you make a choice
where you want to spend that free time, it needs
to be good because if it isn't, you'll never forgive it.
You'll never forget it, you know, you're like, Okay, well
that was a waste of my time, you know, and
you can't get that time back. So we really wanted
this to be something special, not only for authors and readers,
(08:10):
but maybe even some people that are just trying to
figure out what's so exciting about it, you know, maybe
they come in and they get excited too. So we'll
have the author tables, we'll have lots of authors and
then but we'll also have some workshops and some classes
for authors, and we have a main stage where we'll
have panels talking about a variety of different topics. We
(08:33):
also wanted to make sure that we had some pretty
spectacular authors and so we invited. Obviously, with the first
year event, we couldn't afford to do anything super super huge,
but I'm pretty excited about who we do have. Is
it okay to go ahead and say that? Okay, all right?
So we have Charlene Harris, who is the author of
(08:56):
the Silkie Stackhouse series and others, many others series, but
she's I connected with Charlene Harris over the Sookie Stackhouse series,
which is what True Blood is based on, So that
was very exciting. And then James Dashner, who wrote The
Maze Runner. There's a movie, the Maze Runner. I wrote
The Maze Runner and The Maze Cutter and several other books.
(09:19):
He is also coming. So these are our two big
best selling authors that are coming to town that we
are bringing in as our special guests. And then we
have a few featured authors too.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
That was amazing. I can wait to hear the panels
on this. And I have a lot of book to
movie questions I need to ask you.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
I'm sorry, you have a what I have a lot
of book.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
To movie questions I need to ask.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Oh, okay, okay, well, I am right.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
I mean that best selling like for your panels, I
would love you know, excuse me, I have a question
for the panelist sort of thing. I'm joking.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
I hope people do ask them questions, because what's that like?
You know, if you're sitting there, you're the one on
the stage and nobody's listened.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
That happens quite a bit. Oh okay, so you you
said you and your partners got started, so like this,
this idea was kind of simmering under the surface when
you decide like this is it, this is the year
we're doing it.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
You know. That's the weirdest thing. And it's been that
way with every event that we've launched. It's like something
starts as an idea, you know, and it just sits
there and it's like somehow intuitively, I guess you could
say it was intuition, or maybe it's what I'm seeing
around me that tells me it's the right time. So
(10:43):
last year we've been planning this for an entire year.
So last year I think we were just finally ready
as far as getting our other two events established where
we were really comfortable to give birth to a new
events because that in itself is a whole thing. It's
a big investment. There's a lot of things on the line,
(11:06):
and your mental health more than anything. And so I
think we felt like we were doing well in our
partnership and our experience to where we felt we could
go ahead and launch this event. And then also the timing,
of course, the excitement about books and reading that has
sort of had this massive resurgence. We felt all of
(11:27):
these things were lining up and it was time.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Definitely agree, I definitely agree. Now, tell us where we
can find out more information about the book festival and
more importantly, what.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Are the dates? Okay, So it's April fifth and sixth
at the Knoxville Convention Center and our website is Knoxville
Book Festival dot com. Tried to keep it very simple.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
I love that Knoxville Book Festival dot com. So just
the case you were wondering where it was, it's in Knoxville,
and what it is, it's a book festival.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
We didn't have to explain what it was in the title.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Now, you said that first of all, you were a mom.
See I circled all the way back around. I eventually
got there. How on earth do you do all of
this and.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Be a mom? Well, I will tell you what. He's fifteen,
so that's good. But I have been doing events his
entire life, so from a small scale to running the business.
He was a little boy when I left my radio
career and opened the business. But my business catered to children,
so I was able to bring him to work with me,
(12:39):
which what a blessing that was. That was cool and
I would never change that for the world. But as
he's gotten older and less dependent on me, I have
been able to branch out just a little bit more.
And now he's fifteen, so he's like, Mom, I don't
need you. I do have more time.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Oh good, Oh yeah, and next year is what next
year's driving? So you have a ton more time and
you can send him on errands.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
That's what I was kind of thinking too. And he's
got some muscles so he can help us with the
heavy lifting.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
There you go, call anyway inventive. So I do have
to ask because I'm curious and I love hearing exclusive stuff.
Do we have plans for year two already in the work?
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Yes? I tell you what. We have learned so much
preparing for year one that we already started planning year
two because we were like, there's no way we can
fit this in this year. There's no way we can
do this this year and do it right. And there's
a lot that we need to watch and learn this
first year and get feedback from people. That feedback is great.
(13:51):
Sometimes it's not in a very friendly form. Sometimes it is,
you know, and but I take I've gotten such a
thick skin over the years. I know to listen under
the surface, say if somebody doesn't like it, or somebody's
not happy, I have learned to find the helpful part
underneath that, you know, and that that took me a
(14:12):
long time to get there. So we really need to
kind of just sit back and observe what we've created,
how it functions, how it runs, find the errors so
that we can fix those. But underneath the surface of
what's about to happen, Yeah, there are plans for twenty
twenty six. So very excited, all right.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
I said before this whole thing started that I was
coming I might be coming down in twenty twenty five,
but twenty twenty six sounds like a great year to visit.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
I think that would be great. Let us get our
first year out from under us, and then you can
can come see us or put us on your schedule.
For sure.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Definitely you are already on my schedule for this year,
But like twenty twenty six, son on the twenty.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Well, and yeah, and we we. I hope everybody will
give us the good, constructive feedback and let us know
what they want to see more of, less of, you know,
that kind of thing. We're open to all suggestions.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
In order for them to do that, you would have
to show up. So my audience, please let's show up
so we can give her good, nice, constructive because please
be kind, don't mean that.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Or be constructive. Be constructive. That's the main thing. I think.
Anytime somebody wants to give you some feedback, you know,
if they're in your face screaming, it's like, okay, just go, just.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Go, you know. Last question before I ask the question
about the website again, last question is can you give
us the top three things that someone that would come
to the Knoxville Book Festival should look forward to, like
seeing or hearing.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I think that the panels and the workshops and even
the crafts that we're offering will be fun. So let's
say that first and foremost. So don't think you're just
going to come and there's just going to be rose
and of authors. There will be that, yes, but we'll
have them separated into categories also, so we're gonna have
the romance and the spicy spicy section because you got
(16:12):
to have that, and then like the action adventure sci fi,
so we'll have the different rows. But then we also
have vendors, So we have book theme vendors that are
selling anything from bookmarks to coffee mugs that are book themed.
So we'll have that, and then the panels and the workshops.
I feel like that's a pretty good kind of what
(16:34):
you're going to get, all right. It's not just a
vendor show. It's not just an author's show. It's a
lot more than that.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
I did lie okay, which is.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
About question before I get to the last, do you
need any speakers for this year's event, because you know,
all my authors love to be all the authors out
there with and would.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Love to be a speaker. And if so, how do
you get in contact to apply?
Speaker 2 (17:02):
I think that I'm still trying to fill a few panels.
We I almost want to say, with us being close
to four weeks away, it's possible. So they can email
us events at Knoxville Book Festival dot com and send
it on who knows, you know, something might work out.
(17:23):
But other than that, we would already be accepting speakers
for twenty twenty six, because we are already taking notes
and planning for those things. So maybe if this year
doesn't work out, they'll come next year.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
There we go, look y'all, twenty twenty six. Get your
speaking proposals ready? Okay now, because I finally told the truth.
And that was the last question.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Oh where can we find out more information again? And
what are the dates?
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Okay? Knoxville Book Festival dot com and the day. It's
a April fifth and sixth, and it's in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee,
which is beautiful at the Knoxville Convention Center.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Thank you so much for being here with us today.
I barely enjoyed about hearing about the Knoxville Book Festival,
although I feel like I'm gonna wait now, I'm gonna
come in twenty twenty five by lied.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Will you be sure and let me know? And you
are delightful And I'm going to go and listen to
all of your podcasts from the past, so I really
enjoyed talking to you. You're a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
That's a lot of podcasts here. I have four of them.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Well, I guess I better get busy.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
You can find that. So I'm gonna wrap it up
with me. Over here, you can find out everything that
your ladies are up to a www. Dot and I
thought ladies dot com take a moment when you go
there and go down to the bottom of the page
and see the three charities that we probably support. We
asked that you take a little moment out of your
day and give them some support. Doesn't have to be money.
It could be advice because sometimes they need help and
(18:59):
get stuck in the little thing. Go. You could get
your hands dirty and get in there and you know,
do something. You know, build an orphanage in Ethiopia for
crying out. Oh one of those things. But we thank
you in advance for doing that. Remember that wisdom is
all around you if you're open to finding it and
accepting it. So peace and love you guys from Wilnona
in the Missing Jay. Oh yeah, thanks for listening.
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