Mary DeMarco-Logue (@folkhaus_studios) is a homeschooling, work-from-home mama to 3 with a love of all things quirky and handmade. An avid reader and writer, Mary grew up illustrating stories as her mom read aloud before bed and doodling in the margins of her notes in school. She is a sucker for the handmade and DIY culture, including self-publications like Zines. She took art classes in college but gave up drawing and painting for photography and, later, fiber arts, primarily crochet and dollmaking (@scribblesinstitches). Now, she is modeling to her kids that learning is a lifelong endeavor, both in guiding their primary educations and continuing her own now-self-taught forays into watercolor illustration and learning to play various musical instruments. She is detailing these homeschooling and arts-exploration adventures on her blog, named for her home: The Folkhaus (folkhausstudios.blogspot.com).  She is excited to offer illustrated bookmarks and bookplates, some Zines, and Scribbles Zinesters dolls, as well as some of the original art made for the bookplates at the Write Women Book Fest.

Bridget is owner of BDevlinDesigns, where she enjoys taking the old, worn out, or broken and turning it into something new and beautiful again.  From old books, broken watches, all the way to junk mail and take-out rice, she enjoys the challenge and satisfaction of up-cycling and re-purposing materials.  Bridget will be at the festival with some of her book-themed jewelry and gift items and also will be teaching a workshop on how to make paper flowers. You can see more of her work on Facebook, Instagram, and at bdevlindesigns.com. 
 
BDevlinDesigns is the brain child of "oddment artisan," Bridget Devlin Burke. What happens if we take the discarded and breathe new life into it? Take the old and broken and turn it into something new and beautiful? BDevlinDesigns was born to take what might be thrown away and turn it into something useful again.

The Idea
"BDevlinDesigns really came about while I was pregnant with my daughter. I want to be able to teach her how to knit when she gets older." The first items created were handcrafted, child-size knitting needles.
"I had only ever seen one pair of small needles for kids on the market. And they were plastic. I wanted to create something that small hands could use and would be more of an heirloom item that meant something more."

Repurposed Whimsy
"I have always been fascinated by the intricacies of mechanical watches, even before 'steampunk' really became so popular." From the original needles, to upcycling broken watches into jewelry, a new lifestyle was born. "It just became my thing. Taking something that may be thrown away and giving it new life. All of my designs now use upcycled materials. I want to create items that are unique and that help the Earth, too."

100% Handmade Family Affair"People visit my booth and always ask if I make everything myself. I always have new things to offer based on what I have to repurpose."

The end products of BDevlinDesigns are the result of the materials that are available.

"I couldn't do it without my husband and little girl, though. Their support means everything. These days she wants to help Mommy. I guess BDevlinDesigns will end up being able to teach her more than just how to knit."

We are excited to tell you that Firefighter Jones will be reading a couple of firefightery books to the kiddos at our Kids' Tent at The Write Women Book Fest, September 21st. She will also bring some of her turnout gear for the kids to check out! If you have any wee fledgling heroes, you won't want them to miss this!

Firefighter Robin Jones started her career as a volunteer firefighter over a decade ago. She continues to volunteer at a firehouse in Southern Maryland in addition to her full-time federal firefighting position. Robin enjoys the outdoors, working with animals, and is interested in conservation work. She hopes to become a Park Ranger upon retirement from the Fire Service.

Follow us to get the schedule of events when they are released! On Instagram @thewritewomenbookfest
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Write-Women-Book-Fest-105909694112584

J.L. Smith presents her new collection of poetry, Cast Out of Eden, a haunting collection of 30 poems that weave a devastating tale of love lost. She will be on hand to read, discuss, and sign this work and her other works of poetry, Medusa, The Lost Daughter and Weathered Fragments, Weathered Souls, as well as her family heirloom cookbook, Cooking with the Smiths. A certified life and creativity coach, she would love to discuss with you the creative life and how you can jump-start your own creativity. Follow her at jlsmithwrites.com or on Twitter @jennifersmithak.

Erin of Leaf and Yard makes hand-bound journals, bookmarks and bookplates with digital artwork, and miniature book jewelry. 

Erin has been crafting for as long as she can remember. She learned to crochet from her mom and sew from her dad. She would tell you that she is first and foremost a dollmaker. Her very first books were dollhouse scale miniatures which she has now turned into jewelry.

She has been making full-size blank journals since 2016. It started from a desire to find the perfect daily planner and Bullet Journal. The blank books available were fine, but she wanted something that she did not have to draw out every day. She learned how to print and bind books just to make a daily planner exactly as she wanted it. She has come across many people who say they would like to keep a journal or a planner but never seem to stick with it. This is because the pre-made journals on the market are someone else's vision of what your journaling experience should be. She started with a blank book to find her own style of journaling and now has the perfect planner and journal every year.

Watching a book come to life from loose leaves and chip board is an experience like no other. Writing in a beautifully hand sewn book on quality paper is truly a thing of joy. Erin believes you are more likely to keep writing when you enjoy what you are writing in.

In early 2019, Erin dove into the world of digital art. Occasionally painting turned into drawing in a digital format almost every day. This new medium was the magic ingredient she needed to finally start fulfilling her dream of drawing her own tarot deck.

Erin is a wife and mother who has lived on the East Coast of the U.S. all her life. In addition to her many artistic and craft pursuits, she enjoys running, kayaking, community theater, and yoga.  

 

Cardyn and I had such a fun time talking to Jade & Wilnona on their show about The Write Women Book Fest. We couldn't get my camera to communicate with Zoom, so you'll never know just how cute Cardyn and I looked! Hop over to www.andwethought.com to learn more about Jade & Wilnona and what they are up to. You can also meet them at the book fest!

The Write Women Book Fest is excited to have Keturah Kendrick as a Featured Panelist!

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Keturah Kendrick’s home is the world. As a child of the south, she grew up receiving persistent and pervasive messages about her limitations as a girl and her deficiencies as an African American. However, the fires of destiny continually kept those poisonous messages at bay. When introduced to inspiring Black women authors, the fire was reignited and she knew her home could not confine her desire to soar. She was meant to be an unmarried Black woman, absent of children, living a joy-filled, fulfilling life as a resident of the world. Since then, she hasn’t looked back!

Having lived on three continents, Keturah Kendrick presently lives between Shanghai, China and New York City. She chronicles her life and those of ordinary Black women living extraordinary lives on her cutting-edge podcast, Unchained. Unbothered. In its second season, Unchained. Unbothered. features women from all walks of life who find common ground in their perspectives on 21st century Black womanhood. Episodes feature interviews from an eclectic array of women representing a plethora of diverse lifestyles. While all sharing different experiences, each woman interviewed lays bare her challenges, triumphs, contradictions, pleasures and everything in between.

Keturah’s upcoming book project, No Thanks: Black, Female, and Living in the Martyr-Free Zone (She Writes Press: June, 2019), is a collection of essays chronicling her challenges and reflections on living while Black, woman, single and childfree around the globe. On the African continent she was considered “the crazy American woman!” On the Asian continent, she was just “too much altogether!” Even in her American home, she was not quite the epitome of “good Black womanhood.” From page to page, voyage vicariously around the world as Keturah claims her freedom and lives unapologetically in it. Each discovery and rich revelation is sure to challenge your concept of what it means to be enough for yourself and others.
Whether teaching, speaking, or simply reaching women with her quick wit and discerning style, Keturah Kendrick represents one of this century’s most significant thought leaders. Overall, her chief aim is to let each person know:

 “You are enough for you, and you are more than enough for me.”

Corrugated Sky Publishing, LLC is a small group of authors, editors, and publishing professionals whose goal is to bring you the best books we can. We have books from cozy mysteries to B-movie horror, as well as fantasy with a little steampunk thrown in. Check us out at www.corrugatedsky.com 

Corrugated Sky was formed by four writers who met through National Novel Writing Month and decided to pool their skills together and start a publishing company. We are:

JC Rock is the author of several books and works as an IT professional. You can find out more about JC on his website at www.jcrockbooks.com and follow him on Twitter @jcrockbooks.
 
Karen Garvin has a master’s degree in history and writes nonfiction and fiction. Read her blog Focal Plane at https://ksgarvin.wordpress.com and follow Karen on Twitter @ksgarvin.

Michelle Schad is a short-story author and novelist of various genres. You can keep up with what she does at www.tamingchaos.net or stay in touch via Twitter at @ChelleSchad.
 
Cathryn Leigh crafts complex worlds for her stories, which often include stronger-than-they-think women that are inspired by her maternal New England heritage.

Pamela D. Beverly is a contemporary romance/women's fiction and children's picture book author from southern Maryland, who has been writing for most of her life. Under the contemporary romance genre are the titles, Relations and The Love Labyrinth. Under the children's picture book genre is her latest book, What if an Octopus Followed Me Home?  

She is currently working on her latest contemporary romance book project as well as a new children's book. She will have copies of her books available for purchase. You can also contact Ms. Beverly at pameladbeverly.com
Facebook.com/PamelaDBeverlyAuthor
Twitter.com @writesistah
Instagram @ pamela.beverly.94.