Three books in the above picture are new this year—Don Fink's Escape to the Sky, Franz Beisser's Red Solstice, and Joanne M. Anderson's A Noble Spirit—and all three authors will be visiting the festival for their first time.
Several authors are returnees. Charles Shea Lemone will have his Corner Pride and The Spring of Unexpected Consequences. Barbara Roberts will also return with What a Christmas! and Not in my Wildest Dreams.
Another group of returning authors have novels are set in the area or have settings inspired by the area. Sally Roseveare's two murder mysteries, Secrets at Spawning Run and Secrets of Sweetwater Cove, take place at Smith Mountain Lake. While Sally mentions some real places in her novel, the subdivisions where her main characters live are fictional. Becky Mushko's Patches on the Same Quilt is set in Penhook and her middle grade novel Stuck is partially set in Union Hall, but Rocky Mount and Bridgewater Plaza are also mentioned. Susan Coryell's cozy mystery A Red, Red Rose is set at Moore Mountain Lake, which bears a strong resemblance to Smith Mountain Lake. Rodger Doss's Shine is set in various places in Franklin County.
If you're looking for fiction, surely you'll find something you'll like at Mountain Spirits Festival. Stop by the tent, chat with the authors, and take a look at their books.
