Oregon Authors at the Oregon State Fair
Are you an Oregon author? There are more than 1600 authors in the state -- and the Oregon State Fair loves to feature them. The Oregon Authors Table has room for only 12 authors at a time, so a space at the fair is not guaranteed, but we love to see new faces and interesting new literary works. To be considered, send an email to Bill Sullivan at sullivan@efn.org with a sentence about you (which Oregon city do you live in?) and a sentence about each of your books.
Below you'll find a press release describing the 58 authors who were at the fair in 2024. But first, here are the rules for authors:
The Oregon State Fair has room for 12 authors at a time, at six tables near the entrance to Columbia Hall, between the quilts and the decorated cakes. There is no booth fee or sales fee for authors, but you have to pay for your admission ticket and parking at the fair. If you are selected to attend, you can choose to sign up for as many 2-hour time slots as you want from 10am to 8pm (that is, 10am-12noon, 12-2pm, 2-4pm, 4-6pm, and/or 6-8pm). You can attend all day, or for multiple days, if there is room. However, if you ask for one of the two weekends at the State Fair, you cannot also attend the other Saturday or Sunday.
Authors bring their own books and handle their own sales. If you don’t have a “Square” device for credit card sales, you can borrow mine for the bank’s usual 3% commission. Authors will be provided 4 feet of table space, a nameplate, a nametag, and some publicity.
State Fair admission tickets are about $8 in advance (much less for seniors, usually only $1). Parking is $5. 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. Please note that the fair gives you free table space on the condition that you are courteous to fairgoers and each other. No aggressive selling is allowed; we are there largely to entertain and engage with fairgoers. Books are not allowed if they are pornographic, racially offensive, aggressively religious, or confrontationally political. Spaces are not assigned; so you should arrive five minutes before your shift to see what’s available. There is room to safely store your books under the back tables before your shift, overnight, or between shifts. If you have the last shift of the day it’s OK to leave your books set up for the next morning.
That's it! Hope to see you at the fair!
Best, Bill
Author William L. Sullivan at the State Fair, 2023
58 Oregon Authors to Appear at State Fair in 2024
By William L. Sullivan
With 58 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 58 authors and their booksigning times, see the list below.
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, Michelle Walch & John Madden (childrens)
10am-6pm, Sharleen Nelson (time travel)
10am-8pm, Dan Armstrong (novels)
10am-8pm, Joe Blakely (Oregon history, novels)
10am-8pm, C. Steven Blue (poems)
10am-8pm, Craig Comer (fantasy)
10am-8pm, Veronica Esagui (history)
10am-8pm, Jason Kilgore (fantasy, horror)
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)
4-8pm, Chester Benson (biography)
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, Chester Benson (biography)
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, Chester Benson (biography)
2-6pm, Mireya DeYoung (children’s)
4-8pm, Beauford Averette (fantasy fiction)