Saturday, March 14, 2026

11:30am - 12:45pm ~ VIP Meet & Greet Reception (Sold Out)

The pre-festival VIP Reception will take place in the Speight Ballroom from 11:30am-12:45pm. This is your chance to mingle with the authors at a private reception before the festival kicks off! $30 per person. Limited to 50 tickets, first-come, first served. Advance tickets only, while supplies last. *VIP Reception tickets are now SOLD OUT!*

What you'll get:
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• The chance to mingle with all the authors!
• Access to book sales before regular attendees!
• Delicious hors' d'ouevres!
• Goodies from the attending authors!
• A Souvenir Ticket!
• A Festival Goodie Bag of Epic Proportions! 

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1:00pm - 5:00pm ~  Festival open to the general public | FREE

The authors will be at their signing tables from 1pm-5pm in the Nansemond Ballroom. Meet your favorites or discover new, exciting authors to read. A limited supply of the latest titles from each author will be available for purchase, ​but please feel free bring your own copies to be signed. 

Consider bringing home some signed copies for future holiday and birthday gifts! 
​And really, who doesn't love books? 

• Authors will be handling book sales at their signing tables 
• Complimentary shopping bags available
• Suffolk VA Authors Festival Souvenir Table on-site
• Coffee Lounge for reading and socializing​

Please note that moderated panel discussions are 30 minutes long.

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1:15pm - 1:55PM ~ interview with headline Author ~ Joe Kenda

Get to know Festival Headliner, Ret. Lt. Joe Kenda,
with ​a one-on-one interview facilitated by esteemed broadcast journalist and public relations professional, Kerri Furey.

Location: Chuckatuck Meeting Room
Interviewer ~ Kerri Furey

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2:00pm - 2:30pm ~ Moderated Panel Discussion #1

​Location: Chuckatuck Meeting Room

Page-Turning History: Mystery, Crime & Intrigue  
​​Murder, secrets, and scandals aren’t new. Discover how historical fiction writers create suspense in eras without DNA tests, cell phones, or modern forensics.
Panelists ~ Katharine Schellman, Bradley Harper & Beth Ford
Moderator ~ Christine Trent ​

2:35PM - 2:43PM ~ Author Readings

Pamela Brothers Denyes (Poetry) 
Chuckatuck Meeting Room

Barry R. Beck Jr. (Children's Literature) 
"Kid's Storytime Corner" (Pre-Function Space)

2:50pm - 3:20PM ~ Moderated Panel Discussion #2

​Location: Chuckatuck Meeting Room

Creatures, Curses, & Crime Scenes 
Solving crimes in worlds where anything—and anyone—is possible.
Panelists ~ WJ Brendle, Nicole Glover & Hunter J. Skye 
Moderator ~ Alanea Alder

​3:25PM - 3:33PM ~ Author Readings

Lisa Dodson (Romance & Suspense) 
Chuckatuck Meeting Room

Micki Bare (Middle Grade Fantasy)
"Kid's Storytime Corner" (Pre-Function Space)

3:40pm - 4:10PM ~ Moderated Panel Discussion #3

​​Location: Chuckatuck Meeting Room

Love, Fear, Magic & Murder 
​Blurring genre lines to create bold, boundary-breaking fiction.
Panelists ~ HM DuVal, Jenn Lessmann & Mark Piggott 
Moderator ~ Julie Moffett

​​4:15pm - 4:23pm ~ Author Readings

Pamela K. Kinney (Horror)
Chuckatuck Meeting Room

Tasha Haight (Children's Literature)
"Kid's Storytime Corner" (Pre-Function Space)

4:30pm - 5:00pm ~ Moderated Panel Discussion #4

​​Location: Chuckatuck Meeting Room

Dream to Draft to Deal  
​Navigating the Writing Journey.
​Panelists ~ Dee Armstrong, Moni Boyce & Scarlett M. Honey
Moderator ~ John DeDakis

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5:00pm ~ Festival Concludes