Oregon State Fair Authors Table

54 Oregon Authors to Appear at State Fair

By William L. Sullivan

With 54 Oregon authors appearing at the State Fair in Salem from August 23 to September 2, this year there’s something for everyone to read – literally. Here’s a sampling of newly released books by five local authors who are new to the fair this year.

Cheryl Wanner of McMinnville has written for Oregon Coast Magazine and has helped run pizza stores. Now she plays the keyboard in a church worship band and writes young adult novels with a romance angle. "See Me As I Am" tells the story of a 17-year-old blind girl who falls in love with her favorite rock star without knowing it's him. Wanner’s times at the fair are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 29.

Daniel Potter of Salem writes fantasy fiction with what he describes as “badass, snarky oddballs raging against the broken systems they inhabit.” In the four books of his “Full Moon Medic” series, a paramedic who happens to be a werewolf keeps trying to protect her daughter from hungry fairies. Potter will be at the fair 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 31.

David G. Lewis lives in Chemeketa (now known as Salem) but commutes to Corvallis to teach anthropology and indigenous studies at OSU. A member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, he has written “Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley,” a book that reveals much that had been neglected about local Kalapuyans. Lewis will be at the fair 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, August 23.

Leslie Barnard Booth of Portland earned a degree in creative writing at the University of Oregon, and has put it to use composing a series of children’s books published by Simon & Schuster in New York.  “One Day This Tree Will Fall” is the life history of a tree, and “A Stone Is a Story” tells the history of a rock. Booth will be at the fair 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the last day of the State Fair, Monday, September 2.

While Anna Grace was teaching history at a rural high school outside Eugene, she would get up early, drink a lot of espresso, and write wholesome romance novels before the sun comes up. “Reunited with the Rancher” is the fifth and final book in her “Love, Oregon” series published by Harlequin Heartwarming. She will be signing at the fair twice, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, September, 1, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, September 2.

The Oregon Authors Table is located in Columbia Hall, between the fair’s quilts and cakes. Unlike those exhibits, however, the authors take turns, so only a dozen authors are on hand at a time. For a complete schedule of the 53 authors and their booksigning times, see the list below, or check https://www.oregonhiking.com/william-l-sullivan/oregon-state-fair .

Friday, August 23

10am-2pm, Craig Comer (murder mystery)

10am-4pm, Mireya DeYoung (coloring books)

10am-4pm, Jean Moule (children and culture)

10am-8pm, William Burt (Christian fantasy)

10am-8pm, David Buzan (fantasy)

10am-8pm, Patrick Castles (science fiction)

10am-8pm, Jennifer Chambers (Oregon history)

10am-8pm, David Espinoza (sports, memoir)

10am-8pm, Jason Kilgore (fantasy, horror)

10am-8pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history)

10am-8pm, Solber Martinez (fantasy)

10am-8pm, William Sullivan (hiking, novels)

4pm-8pm, Doug Beisley (children’s books)

4pm-8pm, David Lewis (tribal history)

4pm-8pm, Lisa Lowell (fantasy)

Saturday, August 24

10am-4pm, Paul Neville (novels)

10am-4pm, Jerry Sutherland (Oregon history)

10am-6pm, Donna McFarland (children’s)

10am-6pm, Jean Moule (children and culture)

10am-8pm, Dan Armstrong (novels)

10am-8pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history, novels)

10am-8pm, Jennifer Chambers (Oregon history)

10am-8pm, Craig Comer (fantasy)

10am-8pm, Jason Kilgore (fantasy, horror)

10am-8pm, Arlene Sachitano (mystery)

10am-8pm, William Sullivan (hiking, novels)

10am-8pm, Cheryl Wanner (young adult)

4-8pm, Dan Liberthson (spy novels)

4-8pm, Lisa Lowell (fantasy)

Sunday, August 25

10am-12noon, Jack Cooper (children’s)

10am-2pm, Cheryl Smith (goats)

10am-4pm, Susan Field (historical novel)

10am-8pm, Dan Armstrong (novels)

10am-8pm, Maya Bairey (women’s fiction)

10am-8pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history, novels)

10am-8pm, Craig Comer (fantasy)

10am-8pm, Veronica Esagui (history)

10am-8pm, Jason Kilgore (fantasy, horror)

10am-8pm, Sharleen Nelson (time travel)

10am-8pm, Arlene Sachitano (mystery)

10am-8pm, William Sullivan (hiking, novels)

12noon-4pm, Peter Vanderwall (children’s)

2-8pm, Doug Beisley (children’s)

4-8pm, Mireya DeYoung (coloring books)

4-8pm, Jim Ragon (historical novels)

Monday, August 26

10am-12noon, Mireya DeYoung (children’s)

10am-6pm, Craig Comer (fantasy)

10am-6pm, Sharleen Nelson (time travel)

10am-8pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history, novels)

10am-8pm, William Burt (Christian fantasy)

10am-8pm, David Espinoza (sports, memoir)

10am-8pm, Jason Kilgore (horror)

10am-8pm, Julie Kooch (Wallowa memoirs)

10am-8pm, William Sullivan (hiking, novels)

10am-8pm, Ed Wollert (historical novels)

12noon-4pm, Cheryl Smith (goats)

12noon-4pm, Francesca Varela (science fiction)

12noon-8pm, Mary Jo Nyssen (children’s)

4-8pm, Doug Beisley (children’s)

Tuesday, August 27

10am-2pm, Sharon Franklin (children’s)

10am-4pm, Mireya DeYoung (children’s)

10am-8pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history, novels)

10am-8pm, William Burt (Christian fantasy)

10am-6pm, Craig Comer (fantasy)

10am-8pm, David Espinoza (sports, memoir)

10am-8pm, Veronica Esagui (history)

10am-8pm, Jason Kilgore (horror)

10am-8pm, Julie Kooch (Wallowa memoirs)

10am-8pm, Sharleen Nelson (time travel)

10am-8pm, Arlene Sachitano (mystery)

10am-8pm, William Sullivan (hiking, novels)

2-8pm, Dani Nichols (children’s)

4-8pm, Doug Beisley (children’s)

Wednesday, August 28

10am-2pm, Sara Behrman (children’s)

10am-2pm, Dani Nichols (children’s)

10am-6pm, Cheryl Wanner (young adult)

10am-8pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history, novels)

10am-8pm, William Burt (Christian fantasy)

10am-8pm, David Espinoza (sports, memoir)

10am-8pm, Judy Gabriel (midwife biographies)

10am-8pm, Jason Kilgore (horror)

10am-8pm, Julie Kooch (Wallowa memoirs)

10am-8pm, Arlene Sachitano (mystery)

10am-8pm, William Sullivan (hiking, novels)

12noon-8pm, Mary Jo Nyssen (children’s)

2-4pm, Barry Craft (science fiction)

2-8pm, Pam and Rick Bocko (children’s)

4-8pm, James Ragon (historical fiction)

Thursday, August 29

10am-4pm, Cheryl Gill (estate planning)

10am-6pm, Cheryl Wanner (young adult)

10am-8pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history, novels)

10am-8pm, William Burt (Christian fantasy)

10am-8pm, Veronica Esagui (history)

10am-8pm, David Espinoza (sports, memoir)

10am-8pm, Jason Kilgore (horror)

10am-8pm, Julie Kooch (Wallowa memoirs)

10am-8pm, Solber Martinez (fantasy)

10am-8pm, Katherine Munson (fantasy)

10am-8pm, William Sullivan (hiking, novels)

12noon-4pm, Eva Seyler (young adult)

4-8pm, Lisa Lowell (fantasy)

Friday, August 30

10am-2pm, Chelsey Elise Young (romance)

10am-8pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history, novels)

10am-8pm, William Burt (Christian fantasy)

10am-8pm, Kurt Cyrus (children’s books)

10am-8pm, David Espinoza (sports, memoir)

10am-8pm, Mark Fearing (children’s books)

10am-8pm, Jason Kilgore  (horror)

10am-8pm, Julie Kooch (Wallowa memoirs)

10am-8pm, Solber Martinez (fantasy)

10am-8pm, Katherin Munson (fantasy)

10am-8pm, William Sullivan (hiking, novels)

2-8pm, George Sorensen (cooking, history)

Saturday, August 31

10am-8pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history, novels)

10am-8pm, William Burt (Christian fantasy)

10am-8pm, Kurt Cyrus (children’s books)

10am-8pm, David Espinoza (sports, memoir)

10am-8pm, Mark Fearing (children’s books)

10am-8pm, Judy Gabriel (midwife biographies)

10am-8pm, Julie Kooch (Wallowa memoirs)

10am-8pm, Solber Martinez (fantasy)

10am-8pm, Katherin Munson (fantasy)

10am-8pm, Daniel Potter (fantasy)

10am-8pm, William Sullivan (hiking, novels)

12noon-8pm, Mary Jo Nyssen (children’s)

Sunday, September 1

10am-2pm, Terry Evers (memoir)

10am-4pm, Linda Caradine (memoir)

10am-4pm, Jerry Sutherland (Oregon history)

10am-8pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history, novels)

10am-8pm, William Burt (Christian fantasy)

10am-8pm, Kurt Cyrus (children’s books)

10am-8pm, David Espinoza (sports, memoir)

10am-8pm, Mark Fearing (children’s books)

10am-8pm, Julie Kooch (Wallowa memoirs)

10am-8pm, Solber Martinez (fantasy)

10am-8pm, Katherin Munson (fantasy)

10am-8pm, William Sullivan (hiking, novels)

2-8pm, Valarie Anderson (history)

4-8pm, Barry Craft (science fiction)

4-8pm, Anna Grace (romance)

4-8pm, Kristine Lynn (romance)

Monday, September 2

10am-2pm, S. Lee Barckman (thrillers)

10am-2pm, Eva Seyler (young adult)

10am-6pm, Valarie Anderson (history)

10am-6pm, Leslie Booth (children’s books)

10am-8pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history, novels)

10am-8pm, William Burt (Christian fantasy)

10am-8pm, David Espinoza (sports, memoir)

10am-8pm, Anna Grace (romance)

10am-8pm, Julie Kooch (Wallowa memoirs)

10am-8pm, Kristine Lynn (romance)

10am-8pm, Solber Martinez (fantasy)

10am-8pm, Katherine Munson (fantasy)

10am-8pm, William Sullivan (hiking, novels)

2-6pm, Mireya DeYoung (children’s)

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Oregon Authors!

Starting in 2022 the Oregon State Fair decided to celebrate Oregon literature by offering authors free space at a newly imagined Oregon Authors Table in Salem. The tables have room for 12 authors at a time, chosen from a database of 1600 Oregon authors, If you'd like to be considered, send a sentence about yourself (which Oregon city do you live in?) and a sentence about each of your books to the table organizer, Bill Sullivan, at sullivan@efn.org .

Authors who are selected can sign up for as many two-hour time slots as they like from 10am to 8pm during the 11 days of the fair. There is no booth fee or sales fee, but authors are expected to bring their own books, handle their own sales, and pay their own fair admission, including a $5 parking fee. Admission tickets are $8 in advance or $12 at the door ($1 in advance for seniors, $3 at the door). Because tickets are not sold at the Red Gate nearest to Columbia Hall, it is strongly recommended that authors purchase admission in advance at https://oregonstatefair.org/about/admission-dates-hours/ . At that website you will have to register with your name and address and then click on the "Purchase Card" button to see a menu of ticket prices.

The Oregon Authors Table has a 40-year history at the fair in Salem. The venue consists of six 8-foot tables in a well-trafficked area near the entrance to Columbia Hall, between exhibits of quilts and cakes. Each author will have 4 feet of table space, a nameplate, and a nametag. The fair will provide publicity on its website and on the handout given to all fairgoers. Newspapers in Salem and Eugene will post articles featuring the schedule of author appearances on their websites.

Because there is only space for 12 authors at a time, you may need to limit your times to certain days or certain hours to make room for others. If you are requesting a block of 4 or 6 hours, please have mercy on me as volunteer scheduler and do not ask for just the middle of the day. To make room for other authors, it is also not permitted to attend both weekends of the fair; if you sign up for a Saturday or Sunday, you cannot sign up for a second Saturday or Sunday. 

If Salem is a long drive for you, you might choose to attend for all of just one day, or you might carpool with another author from your area, share a table for perhaps 2 or 4 hours, and still have time to explore the rest of the fair.

Although the general parking lots are not close to Columbia Hall, the fair offers a golf cart service that can shuttle you and your books. Ask the parking attendant when you pay your $5 parking fee. If you plan to attend more than one day, you may store books under the skirted tables behind the author area.

Available hours are 10am-noon, 12-2, 2-4, 4-6, and 6-8pm each day of the fair. And tell me what you’ve been writing recently. Give me the titles of any books you have published in recent years. Add a one-sentence description of each. I’ll do what I can to get out the word as the fair approaches.

Hope to see you at the Oregon Authors Table at the fair in Salem!

Best, Bill Sullivan

541-335-9433, sullivan@efn.org