From a pool of 28 Oregon authors, groups of eight will venture out to eight bookstores in eight regions of the state. The Deschutes County site for the Crazy Eights Tour is Redmond on September 28
A new Oregon author tour will hit the road this fall after under the banner of “Crazy Eights Author Tour.” Oregon author George Byron Wright said the idea came to him while on a recent road trip. The intention is to stimulate more interest in Oregon’s writing and publishing communities by connecting them with readers, booksellers and libraries in an exciting new way.
Once the idea jelled, Wright was able to interest 28 of Oregon’s award winning authors, and eight independent bookstores, to participate in an author tour that will bring eight authors at a time to eight separate venues across the state from mid-September to mid-November. He recruited a stellar steering committee to help advise him and in about two months had the tour tied down. “The tour is totally volunteer,” says Wright. “It has been the generosity of the authors that has made it work. They are passionate about supporting independent bookstores, libraries and our communities of readers.”
The Crazy Eights Author Tour will be launched on September 14 in Baker City, located in the far eastern side of the state. Betty’s Books will host the first event when eight authors from among the pool of 28 authors appear at the Crossroads Carnegie Art Center (a former Carnegie Library). Other tour venues will include: Cannon Beach, Redmond, Portland, McMinnville, Hood River, Lake Oswego and The Dalles.
Redmond will be the third stop on the Crazy Eights Author Tour: Paulina Springs Books, 422 SW Sixth Street, Redmond, will be the host venue, with eight authors appearing 6:30pm on Friday, September 28.
The event format will be something akin to speed dating only with authors. Each author will have five minutes to address the audience about their life as a writer and introduce their latest book. It will be a fast-paced literary slam. A mixer, wherein the authors will interact one-on-one with members of the audience to discuss their work and personally sign books, will follow the rapid-fire presentations.
NOTE: Author Roster for Redmond on September 28:
Ruth Tenzer Feldman (award winning writer, YA fiction Blue Thread)
Tawna Fenske (Award winning Romantic comedy novelist: Believe it or Not)
Anna Keesey (NEA award winning author, new novel: Little Century)
Sarahlee Lawrence (Oregon Book Award finalist: River House, A Memoir)
Naseem Rakha (PNBA award winning novelist: The Crying Tree)
Ellen Waterston (Award winning poet & essayist: Where the Crooked River Rises)
Karen Spears Zacharias (NYT notable: A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder)
Emcee: George Wright (Oregon writer known for his Oregon-based novels: Newport Blues)
Steering Committee, Crazy Eights Author Tour
Bill Cameron, mystery writer and designer of our website
Tom Booth, Associate Director, Oregon State University Press
Teri Graham, Co-owner, Graham’s Book & Stationery
R. Gregory Nokes, writer of historical nonfiction
George Byron Wright, writer of Oregon-based fiction, C8 Coordinator
Contact Information:
George Byron Wright, Coordinator
Crazy Eights Author Tour
C3 Publications
Tel: 503-223-0268 • Cell 503-267-7070
3495 NW Thurman St. • Portland, OR 97210-1283
georgec3pub@comcast.net http://crazy8sauthortour.com/
Complete Tour Schedule and Roll of Authors at each venue:
September 14: Baker City (Betty’s Books)
Ruth Tenzer Feldman (award winning writer, YA fiction: Blue Thread)
Tawna Fenske (Award winning Romantic comedy novelist Believe it or Not)
Anne Jennings Paris (Highly reviewed poet: Killing George Washington)
Anna Keesey (NEA award winning author, new novel: Little Century)
Gina Ochsner (Oregon Book award winner: The Russian Dreambook of Colour and Flight)
Eliot Triechel (Nationally recognized for fiction & creative nonfiction: Close is fine stories)
Ellen Waterston (Award winning poet & essayist: Where the Crooked River Rises)
Karen Spears Zacharias (NYT notable: A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder )
Emcee: George Wright (Oregon writer known for his Oregon-based novels: Newport Blues)
September 22: Cannon Beach: (Cannon Beach Book Co.)
Ruth Tenzer Feldman (award winning writer, YA fiction: Blue Thread)
Tawna Fenske (Award winning Romantic comedy novelist Believe it or Not)
James Bernard Frost (Celebrated author: World Leader Pretend” and “A Very Minor Prophet)
Lauren Kessler (PNBA & Oregon Book Award winner: Stubborn Twig An All Oregon read)
Sid Miller (poet, founder and editor of Burnside Review: Dot-to-Dot Oregon)
R. Gregory Nokes (top 10 nonfiction selection by The Oregonian: Massacred for Gold)
Barbara Roberts (Oregon’s first and only female governor: Up the Capitol Steps)
Karen Spears Zacharias (NYT notable: A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder)
Emcee: George Wright (Oregon writer known for his Oregon-based novels: Newport Blues)
September 28: Redmond: (Paulina Springs Books)
Ruth Tenzer Feldman (award winning writer, YA fiction Blue Thread)
Tawna Fenske (Award winning Romantic comedy novelist: Believe it or Not)
Anna Keesey (NEA award winning author, new novel: Little Century)
Sarahlee Lawrence (Oregon Book Award finalist: River House, A Memoir)
Naseem Rakha (PNBA award winning novelist: The Crying Tree)
Ellen Waterston (Award winning poet & essayist: Where the Crooked River Rises)
Karen Spears Zacharias (NYT notable: A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder)
Emcee: George Wright (Oregon writer known for his Oregon-based novels: Newport Blues)
October 4: Portland: (Broadway Books)
Brian Doyle (5-time nominee for Oregon Book Award: Mink River)
Robert Dugani (NYT best selling thriller writer: The Conviction)
James Bernard Frost (Celebrated author: World Leader Pretend” and A Very Minor Prophet)
April Henry (NYT best selling mystery author: YA: Girl Stolen”, Adult: Eyes of Justice)
Jane Kirkpatrick (Oregon Book Award finalist: Where Lilacs Bloom, A Nove”)
Ron Lovell (author Martindale mysteries: Murder in the Steens)
Phillip Margolin (NYT best selling mystery writer: Capitol Murder)
Naseem Rakha (PNBA award winning novelist: The Crying Tree)
Emcee: George Wright (Oregon writer known for his Oregon-based novels: Newport Blues)
October 18: McMinnville: (Third Street Books)
Alison Clement (Oregon Book Award winning novelist; Twenty Questions)
Molly Gloss (PNBA & Oregon Book Award winner: The Hearts of Horses)
April Henry (NYT best selling mystery author: YA: Girl Stolen, Adult: Eyes of Justice)
Lauren Kessler (PNBA & Oregon Book Award winner: Stubborn Twig All Oregon read)
Ursula Le Guin (National Book Award, Nebula, PEN: The Real & The Unreal, Lavinia)
Ron Lovell (author Martindale mysteries: Murder in the Steens)
Phillip Margolin (NYT best selling mystery writer: Capitol Murder)
Barbara Roberts (Oregon’s first and only female governor: Up the Capitol Steps)
Emcee: George Wright (Oregon writer known for his Oregon-based novels: Newport Blues)
October 23: Hood River: (Waucoma Bookstore)
Bill Cameron (Award winning mystery writer: County Line)
Robin Cody (Oregon Book Award winner: Voyage of a Summer Sun)
James Bernard Frost (Celebrated author: World Leader Pretend and A Very Minor Prophet)
Lauren Kessler (PNBA & Oregon Book Award winner: Stubborn Twig All Oregon read)
Barbara Roberts (Oregon’s first and only female governor: Up the Capitol Steps)
Bill Sullivan (Popular hiking guide author. New novel: The Case of D.B. Cooper’s Parachute)
Eliot Triechel (Nationally recognized for fiction & creative nonfiction: (Close is fine stories)
Ellen Waterston (Award winning poet & essayist: Where the Crooked River Rises)
Emcee: George Wright (Oregon writer known for his Oregon-based novels Newport Blues)
November 15: Lake Oswego: (Graham’s Book & Stationery)
Robin Cody (Oregon Book Award winner: Voyage of a Summer Sun)
Jane Kirkpatrick (Oregon Book Award finalist: Where Lilacs Bloom, A Novel)
Ron Lovell (author Martindale mysteries: Murder in the Steens)
Phillip Margolin (NYT best selling mystery writer: Capitol Murder)
R. Gregory Nokes (top 10 nonfiction selection by The Oregonian: Massacred for Gold)
Anne Jennings Paris (Highly reviewed poet: Killing George Washington)
Naseem Rakha (PNBA award winning novelist The Crying Tree)
Karen Spears Zacharias (NYT notable: A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder)
Emcee: George Wright (Oregon writer known for his Oregon-based novels: Newport Blues)
November 17: The Dalles: (Klindt’s Booksellers & Stationers)
Bill Cameron (Award winning mystery writer: County Line)
Linda Crew (Oregon Book Award winning YA novel A Heart for Any Fate)
Molly Gloss (PNBA & Oregon Book Award winner: The Hearts of Horses)
Ursula Le Guin (National Book Award, Nebula, PEN: The Real & The Unreal, Lavinia)
Ron Lovell (author Martindale mysteries: Murder in the Steens)
Sid Miller (poet and editor of Burnside Review: Dot-to-Dot Oregon)
Gina Ochsner (Oregon Book award winner: The Russian Dreambook of Colour and Flight)
Karen Spears Zacharias (NYT notable: A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder )
Emcee: George Wright (Oregon writer known for his Oregon-based novels: Newport Blues)