Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author K Hanson

K Hanson is a new author and in the spring of 2017 he launched his debut thriller novel, The Azrael Initiative, which features two young women being thrown into the fight against ISIS. He is also working on Storm Raven, the first book in a new series which will be a YA fantasy with pirates. K lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he works as a software developer. In his spare time, when he isn’t writing, he enjoys reading, working-out, playing video games, and spending time with his wonderful girlfriend, Bobbi.

Meet K Hanson
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Michele Hinton

Michele hails from Kentucky. She’s an indy-author who has several novels, children’s books and poetry/short stories to her credit. The genre she writes in varies. "What ever scratches at the attic-door of my imagination, I let the words spill out on to my word processor," Michele says, and then adds, “My stories and poems are the children of my mind.” Her novels include, The Inheritance, The Sin-Eater’s Daughter and Roxanne & the Dragon Mirror; her children’s books, Princess Courtney and the Magic Suit, Humpty-Dumpty: A Fractured Tale plus more. Check out her website at: www.myseashellbooks.com

Meet Michele Hinton
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Joanna Jones

Joanna Jones is a recognized author, educator and consultant. Her zest for reading and life made her a remarkable teacher of history, particularly through the children’s literature she authored. Joanna taught in the Southwest before she returned to the Black Hills. She has presented on a variety of literacy topics across the United States as well as in Portugal, Scotland, New Zealand, and China.

Meet Joanna Jones
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Dorothy Rosby

Dorothy Rosby is a syndicated humor columnist whose work appears regularly in ten western and midwestern states. She was the 2015 first-place winner in the National Federation of Press Women contest, Humor Column category and a finalist for the 2015 Robert Benchley Award for Humor Writing. She is the author of two humor collections.

Meet Dorothy Rosby
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Jan Cerney

After early retirement sixteen years ago from teaching, Jan began writing nonfiction books. Arcadia Publishing has published nine of her Images of America Series concentrating on South Dakota history. Even though she has not tried her hand at quilting for some time, Jan has written two novel series with quilting as the theme paired with mystery and adventure. She collects antique quilts and displays them throughout her home. Jan loves antiques and re-purposing old things! She lives on a ranch near Badlands National Park in South Dakota with her husband Bob. They have three children and six grandchildren


Meet Jan Cerney
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Nancy Todd Engler

Nancy Todd Engler, as a member of the Board of The City of Presidents, researched the personal lives of the US presidents. Nancy is presently working on her second book about the plight of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Courage to Create a Nation.

Meet Nancy Todd Engler
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Jorie Jertson

Small town mid America. That's me. Except for a few short forays into the exciting world of travel, I've lived my entire life in the Midwest. That is not to say life has been pastoral, quiet, or sweet. Far from it. I don't have to venture any distance at all it seems to find the unusual. The unusual manages to find me regularly. The wonderful world of fiction intrigues me to be sure, and a good read whets my appetite to write stories of my own invention; however, the very meaty material in my personal life's story will keep me busy for some time to come. Untold episodes crowd my mind, struggling to get out.

Meet Jorie Jertson
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Christina M Pagés, Ph.D

Christina M Pagés, Ph.D, recipient of the 2017 Eloquent Quill Award, is a native of Kent, England, where she spent her childhood roaming the fields with her three older sisters. Lucy, her main character in Lucy in her Secret Wood, depicts the author's happiness when she was in nature. She won a publication award for her 1st poetry collection Shadow Words, and several poems in her second collection, Remember Not to Forget, were nominated for the Pushcart prize. She was the winner of California Poetry Society's 19th annual contest in 2005. Lucy in her Secret Wood is her first children's novel (August 2016) and has won 5 awards already. Her Lucy 2 -- The Woodland Adventures of Lucy and Will will be published in 2018.

Meet Christina M Pagés, Ph.D
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Luke T. Harrington

Luke's writing has appeared in publications such as Cracked, BuzzFeed, Christianity Today, and also the back of a napkin once. In addition to three Literary Classics medals, Luke T. Harrington's debut novel, OPHELIA, ALIVE (A GHOST STORY) also snagged itself an Independent Publisher Book Award for horror.

Luke lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with his wife and two young daughters, where he's a stay-at-home dad, a freelance editor, and basically a pro at Nintendo Switch.

Meet Luke T. Harrington
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Award-Winning Illustrator Nadya Ruvinsky

Nadya Ruvinsky, is the illustrator of the Top Honors award winning book, The Green Children. Living in London, UK, she is a qualified professional with strong illustration, architecture and design experience in the USA, UK and Russia. She gained several awards in both the United States and Russia and is a member of professional societies such as British Institute of Interior Design and Russian Design Association.

Meet Nadya Ruvinsky at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Katy Newton Naas

Katy Newton Naas spends much of her free time chasing her two young boys, three dogs, four cats, and eight ducks. She is blessed to serve as youth leader in her church and teach middle school reading and language arts.

Katy is the author of many books for children and young adults, including Gold Literary Classics International Award-winner, Guardian, and Young Adult Book of the Year Award-winner, Healing Rain.

Meet Katy Newton Naas
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author BJ Sheldon

Award winning author, BJ Sheldon, lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her best friend and husband, Steven, a veteran of the US Army. She is represented by agent, Italia Gandolfo. Her hobbies include cuticle care, fighting off zombies, and traveling through space and time with a mad man in a blue box.

Meet BJ Sheldon
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Paul Haddad

Born in Hollywood, California, Paul Haddad was drawn to books at an early age—not just reading them, but writing them. From age 5 to 16, he penned more than one hundred—story books, comic books, maze books, even a world atlas featuring countries that existed only in his head. "Skinny White Freak" is his second Young Adult novel, a semiautobiographical tale of a boy working up the courage to confront, and empathize with, a camp bully. Haddad’s most recent book, a nonfiction adventure guide to Los Angeles, has spent time on local Best Seller lists. His website is www.paulhaddadbooks.com


Meet Paul Haddad
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Sheila Wall Slavich

Sheila Wall Slavich, author of “Jumpin’ the Rails!”, is the recipient of the 2017 Literary Classics Gold Award for Middle Grade Science Fiction/ Dystopia, Silver Award for Preteen Historical Fiction and the Best Cover Award. Prior to writing her novel, she worked as a journalist and later as the speechwriter and spokesperson for the Alabama Supreme Court and as the public information officer for the judicial system. She is an alumna of Auburn University where she studied literature and journalism and completed her degree with a study abroad at Oxford.

Sheila is currently writing her sequel to “Jumpin’ the Rails!”.
Meet Sheila Wall Slavich
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Danielle A. Vann

Danielle A. Vann started her career as a television news writer at the tender age of 18. With a passion for writing, Vann committed to learning every aspect of the newsroom. After graduating, she took an anchor position in Louisiana. Her career as a reporter and anchor earned her an Associate Press Award. Her book genres span a wide-range from children’s books with two highly reviewed series, award-winning YA fiction, and five star non-fiction title. Her debut YA series has been awarded nine prestigious awards both in the U.S. and internationally. Danielle lives in Texas with her husband and three children.

Meet Danielle A. Vann
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Hiba Masood

Hiba Masood is a Canadian-Pakistani writer, storyteller, and speaker. She runs Happy Place, an enrichment center for women and kids, where she holds story, art, and yoga sessions centered around her primary passion, children’s literature. Hiba is the author of Aiza and Alina, a story of friendship and Down Syndrome, which she wrote for use in inclusive education programs across Pakistan.


Meet Hiba Masood
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author C F Crawford

C F Crawford lives with her illustrator daughter, her trademark-designer daughter, and her husband near a magical wood that inspires them daily. When not playing with the many animals that live in and around their house, they enjoy exploring nearby historical sites. They are currently working on the fourth book in the series, Tales of Mr. Snuggywhiskers: The Summer Tales, and recording audio versions of all volumes in the series.


Meet C F Crawford
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota


For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Mukuka Chipanta

Mukuka Chipanta is an Aerospace Engineer and Author living in Maryland with his wife Sandra. Born in Zambia, he grew up near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mukuka played an integral role in designing the Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane. He published his debut novel A Casualty of Power in October 2016 with Weaver Press. The novel won prizes for ‘Best First Book’ and ‘Gold for General College Level Book’ at the 2017 Classic Literary Awards. Mukuka can be found on Facebook @ChipantaMukuka, on Twitter @chipanta and on his website www.mukukachipanta.com


Meet Mukuka Chipanta
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota


For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Great American Book Festival - Now Accepting Author & Vendor Applications - Labor Day Weekend - Rapid City, SD

Have you reserved your space yet?

Authors from around the globe will be in attendance at this year's festival. All conference events will be held in downtown Rapid City, South Dakota with the book festival taking place in Rapid City's Main Street Square. Final dates, times and locations may be viewed at GABfest.info. The Book Festival and conference events, are FREE and open to the public.  Now accepting online reservations for book festival author space and conference registration.

The Black Hills region is known for its love of culture and the arts and is home to a vibrant and thriving community.

Rapid City, the second largest city in South Dakota, is close to Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monuments. A major world-wide destination for tourism, the Black Hills Region receives over THREE MILLION tourists annually, with Labor Day Weekend receiving a significant number of visitors from around the world.

FREE Writers' Conference - Social Media Strategies for the Working Author

Know Thyself... & Thy Audience
Social Media Strategies
for the Working Author

Presented by K.B. Hoyle
Multiple award-winning author, professional
public speaker, and writing instructor

Friday September 1, 2017

2:45 PM to 3:45 PM
Rapid City Public Library

Rapid City, South Dakota
FREE Event - Register Online Today at GABfest.info

Have you reserved your space? GABfest FREE writers' conference - Register Online Today!

Ignorance is NOT bliss
Know your limitations & rights when it comes to
using quotes, lyrics and more in your writing.

Presented by Patricia Reding
When she's not wearing her award-winning-author hat
Patricia practices trademark and copyright law.

1:15PM to 2:15PM

Friday, September 1, 2017
Rapid City Public Library
Register online at GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Stephan von Clinkerhoffen

Award winning author, Stephan von Clinkerhoffen, is a Peter Pan character. That’s why his books suit younger readers. Stephan’s writing, conceived from his love of mechanics, nature and art is tempered by humanity and fun.

An Engineering background allows him to develop new ideas, learning from success and failure. He enjoys tinkering with classic cars and motorbikes, and even built his own kit car. Through art he embraces the challenge of painting intricately-detailed land and cityscapes.

Following years spent volunteering with the NZ Red Cross after Christchurch’s earthquakes, Stephan feels lucky to call the Cotswold countryside in England his home.

Meet Stephan von Clinkerhoffen
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota


For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Sandra C. López

Born and raised in Hawaiian Gardens, CA, Sandra C. López is one of today's influential Latina authors in Young Adult literature. Her first novel, Esperanza: A Latina Story, was published in March 2008 WHILE she was still in college. Since then she has published several other books, including the Single Chicas series. She was named as one of "2011 Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch" by Latino Stories, and her book, Beyond the Gardens, was a Silver Medal winner of the 2016 Global Ebook Awards in Multicultural Fiction and won first place in the Int'l Latino Book Awards. Art, literature, and travel are her passions, and she aims to keep doing them as long as she can.

Meet Sandra C. López
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author M.J. Evans

M.J. Evans is the Award-Winning author of numerous middle-grade and YA fantasies and novels. As a life-long equestrian, most of her books center around horse or horse-based fantasy creatures. Ms. Evans lives in Colorado and is the mother of five and grandmother of almost 11!

Meet M.J. Evans
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author K.S. Jones

Multi-award winning author, Karen (K.S.) Jones, has written two novels: Shadow of the Hawk and Black Lightning. She was the first place winner in the 2014 Short Story Contest for Southern Writers Magazine, the recipient of the 2015 Literary Classics International Book Award, the 2015 Chaucer Award, the 2016 RONE Award, the 2016 WILLA Literary Award, the 2017 Literary Classics International Book Award, as well as a Readers' Favorite. She writes from her home in the beautiful Texas Hill Country where she lives with her husband, Richard, and their three dogs.

Meet K.S. Jones
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author K. B. Hoyle

K. B. Hoyle is a multiple award-winning Young Adult author, a public speaker, and a creative writing instructor. When she's not writing or traveling, she stays busy at her home in Alabama with her husband and their four young sons. She is represented by Ben Grange of the New York-based L. Perkins Agency.

Meet K. B. Hoyle
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Kenny Chumbley

Author Kenny Chumbley, is the recipient of the 2017 Enchanted Page Book Award. He was born and raised on a farm in east central Illinois, where he still lives. He is a minister, author, and publisher. Most importantly, he is the father of Gary, Kelly, and Steve, and the grandfather of Maddie, Mia, Aniyah, Honor, and Millie.


Meet Kenny Chumbley
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2, 2017
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota


For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Jacqui Letran

Jacqui Letran is a passionate and energetic leader who is truly gifted at helping teens transform into confident, happy and successful young adults. Jacqui teaches teens that success and happiness are possible, regardless of their current struggles or circumstances.

Jacqui is an Award-Winning Author, International Speaker, and Founder of Teen Confidence Academy. She has 17 years of experience in Adolescent Health as a Nurse Practitioner, Success Coach and Teen Confidence Expert. Jacqui is passionate and committed to guiding teens to achieve remarkable success in their academic and personal lives.

Meet Jacqui Letran
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Saturday September 2
Main Street Square
Rapid City, South Dakota
Labor Day Weekend, 2017

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author John Hanc

The co-writer of the Lumen Award-winner for Literary Excellence, Walter’s Way, John Hanc has authored or co-authored 16 books. His previous books include the award-winning memoirs The Coolest Race on Earth, about his experience running the Antarctica Marathon; Not Dead Yet, which he co-authored with Type 1 bike racer Phil Southerland and The Ultra Mindset, a memoir/prescriptive nonfiction book written with ultra-distance running champion Travis Macy. His other books include the popular self-help title, Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life—written with Margaret Moore and Dr. Paul Hammerness—and The B.A.A. at 125, a history of the organization that created the Boston Marathon. A long-time contributing writer for Newsday, a contributing writer to Smithsonian.com, and a frequent contributor to the New York Times, Hanc is an associate professor of communication arts at New York Institute of Technology. He also teaches memoir writing at Harvard Medical School’s annual Writing, Publishing and Social Media class.

Meet John Hanc

and other authors at 

Great American Book Festival 

Rapid City, South Dakota 

Labor Day Weekend, 2017

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Gary Schwartz

Gary Schwartz is an actor, director, and master improvisational acting coach.
He has appeared in numerous film and television projects, including the Oscar-winning feature film Quest for Fire. Schwartz has written for two children's television series in which he co-starred: Zoobilee Zoo as Bravo Fox and the Disney Channel's You and Me, Kid. As a voice-over artist, he's lent his voice to hundreds of film and television projects and is the voice of several well-known video game characters, including Heavy Weapons Guy and Demoman in Team Fortress 2.

The King of Average is his first novel. Learn more at gary-schwartz.com

Meet Gary Schwartz 

and other authors at 

Great American Book Festival 

Rapid City, South Dakota 

Labor Day Weekend, 2017

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Authors Molly & Gary Whitney

Molly grew up in Auburn, Alabama. She is a graduate of Auburn University. She was a teacher, a real estate agent and in Human Resources before she followed her calling as an artist, taking classes at Houston's Glassell School, an arm of the Museum of Fine Arts. She has exhibited her watercolors in solo and group exhibitions.

Gary, born in Denver, Colorado, received a BFA in Interior Design and an MS in Interior Architecture from Pratt Institute. His award-winning architecture and design portfolio includes projects for Disney World, the American Club of Hong Kong and the Dubai Hyatt Regency.

Their common interest in art and architecture came together when they built a miniature twig house, perfectly sized for fairies and trolls. As the house evolved, and at the urging of their friends, the Whitneys started creating and illustrating the story the house inspired in them.

Meet Molly & Gary Whitney
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Rapid City, South Dakota
Labor Day Weekend, 2017


For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Debi Nelson

Debra’s (Debi) writing career began with articles on importance of cooperation between disciplines in healthcare. Her goal was to encourage and inspire colleagues. After leaving healthcare in 2011, she started writing and photographing wildlife for nature magazines to encourage and inspire others to enjoy nature. Her cabin in the Turtle Mountains of ND gave her the perfect setting for her first educational nature book, “A Cabin by the Lake” set in a heartwarming story.

Debi is married with two grown children and five precious grandchildren and currently works for FEMA when she is not writing and photographing wildlife.


Meet Debi Nelson
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Rapid City, South Dakota
Labor Day Weekend, 2017


For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author C. M. Huddleston

C. M. Huddleston loved history and dreamed of writing a book even as a child. Instead, she became an Army wife, mother, elementary school teacher, archaeologist, and historic preservation consultant, before publishing her first book! In 2016, she published her seventh and eighth volumes, all dealing with her first love, our nation’s past. While three are written for children, her other works are histories for adults on a variety of subjects.


Connie resides in a log cabin in Kentucky, with her husband Charlie and their Australian Shepherd Katie. They all enjoy the quiet of rural Kentucky.


Meet C. M. Huddleston
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Rapid City, South Dakota
Labor Day Weekend, 2017


For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Carmela Dutra

Carmela Dutra is an award-winning author, storyteller, illustrator, wife, mother, and photographer. She is currently residing with her family in the California Bay Area, along with her four cats. She is best known for her frequent visits to classrooms in her community, where she shares her books and encourages children to set free their creativity through writing, and drawing.

Meet Carmela Dutra
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Rapid City, South Dakota
Labor Day Weekend, 2017

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Caytlyn Brooke

Caytlyn Brooke lives in a small town in the Southern Tier of New York. From a young age, she has crafted stories about fairies and monsters in the woods with the hope that someday she could share her imagination with readers all over the world. Caytlyn lives with her husband, son, and orange tabby cat who is only slightly overweight. Caytlyn is also a huge movie buff and enjoys trivia and is always ready for a challenge.

Meet Caytlyn Brooke
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Rapid City, South Dakota
Labor Day Weekend, 2017

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Patricia Reding

Multi-award winning author Patricia Reding leads a double life. By day, she practices law. By night, she writes fantasy. She lives on an island on the Mississippi with her husband and youngest daughter (her son and oldest daughter having already flown the nest), and Flynn Rider (an English Cream Golden Retriever). From there she seeks to create a world in which she can be in two places at once.

Meet Patricia Reding and other authors at Great American Book Festival

Rapid City, South Dakota Labor Day Weekend, 2017

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Hayley Rose

Meet Hayley Rose and other authors at Great American Book Festival Rapid City, South Dakota Labor Day Weekend, 2017

Hayley Rose is a diehard chocoholic and when not promoting her award-winning, #1 best-selling children’s books, she is out in search of the best indie coffee houses to feed her vanilla brevé addiction. To find out more visit HayleyRose.com

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Natalie Allison

Meet Natalie Allison
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Rapid City, South Dakota
Labor Day Weekend, 2017

Natalie Allison grew up in a house full of books. Her world—and her imagination—became infused with the wonder and mystery of places like Middle Earth, Narnia, Valdemar, and Pern. An early love of reading led to an early love of writing, and she wrote her very first novel at the tender age of eight. She's been building worlds with words ever since, and her stories have entertained readers from all over the globe. Now she lives with her adoring husband, a son who's a genius, and a dog who's determined to save the world from mushrooms, kittens, frogs, and other nefarious creatures.

Who’s coming to the Great American Book Festival? Meet Author Pamela Hartley

Meet Pamela Hartley
and other authors at
Great American Book Festival
Rapid City, South Dakota
Labor Day Weekend, 2017

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Pamela began writing at the age of 5 constructing her first book from cardboard and crayons. Although her masterpiece never made the NY Times, her love for captivating stories continued into her 30+ years as an educator. In addition to The Seasons of a Giant, she’s authored two books, Dough For It (recipes for slime, gook, and glop), and The Dirty Thirty: 30 Science Experiments to Try in the Tub.

Pamela is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching which afforded her a visit to the White House to meet the First Lady, Laura Bush, and to scratch the First Dog, Barney!

Who's Coming? Meet Author Dorothea Jensen at Great American Book Festival!

Meet Dorothea Jensen and other authors at the Great American Book Festival 

in Rapid City, South Dakota over the Labor Day Weekend, 2017!

For Event Schedule & More Information Visit GABfest.info

Dorothea Jensen majored in English (Carleton College), mastered in Education (UNM), mothered 3, and is grandmothering 6 boys. She has written two award-winning MG historical novels, THE RIDDLE OF PENNCROFT FARM (Harcourt), and A BUSS FROM LAFAYETTE (BQB). With another former teacher, she has authored a BUSS teacher's guide (BQB) Her other works include illustrated modern Christmas stories in verse about some of Santa's high tech elves. These have all won various honors and awards. Besides being a writer, Dorothea is an experienced actress/singer who played many G&S contralto and mezzo roles etc. (She usually lost the hero to the soprano.) 

Patrick Snow presents "Becoming a Best-Selling Author - 21 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing, Publishing and Promoting Your Book"

Patrick Snow Presents:

Becoming a Best-Selling Author

21 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing, Publishing and Promoting Your Book

Friday, September 1, 2017 at Great American Book Festival & Writers' Conference. Downtown Rapid City, South Dakota


Patrick Snow is an international best-selling author, professional keynote speaker, publishing, speaking and book marketing coach. He first discovered his gift for speaking at the age of 17 while giving the pre-game speeches to his high school football team. Since then, Patrick has electrified more than 3,000 audiences on four continents to create their individual and organizational destinies.

As a publishing coach, he has mentored more than 1,000 clients throughout the world to successfully publish their fiction, non-fiction, memoir, legacy, or children's book.

Patrick's "DESTINY" message has been recognized on TV, in magazines, and in major newspapers such as The New York Times. His book and family photo was also featured as a cover story in the December 5th, 2002, issue of USA TODAY. He was also recently featured in a Spanish edition of Forbes Magazine.

Patrick is author of the international bestseller, Creating Your Own Destiny, which has sold upwards of one million copies in five languages and 108 countries worldwide since its first printing in 2001. As a result, this book and his second book, The Affluent Entrepreneur, have both been purchased by John Wiley & Sons in NY and have been republished under the Wiley imprint. He is also a contributing author to numerous other books including Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons for Mastering the Law of Attraction. Patrick's newest book, Boy Entrepreneur was published in September 2014. His next book, Providing Massive Value will be published in the months to come.

Originally from Michigan, Patrick graduated from the University of Montana in 1991. He lived in the Seattle area for more than 20 years until April 2013, when he and his fiancé, Nicole, have moved to Maui, Hawaii (where he continues to build his speaking, coaching and consulting business).

Announcing the Great American Book Festival & Writers' Conference Keynote Speaker - Polly Letofsky, the Only Woman to Walk Around the World!

Keynote Speaker

Polly Letofsky

THE ONLY WOMAN TO 

WALK AROUND THE WORLD

and author of 3MPH presents:

LITTLE STEPS, BIG FEAT

On August 1, 1999, Polly Letofsky left her Colorado home and headed west. She traveled across 4 continents, 22 countries, and over 14,000 miles -- by foot -- to become the first woman to walk around the world.

 

As an awareness campaign for breast cancer, survivors and well-wishers around the world came out to walk with her. Every day strangers welcomed her into their homes and shared meals.  Across four continents she had dinner conversations with poets, politicians, country singers, olive growers, pig farmers and the female bomb maker in Australia.  The world had embraced her.

But in the middle of Polly’s five-year journey, the world suddenly shifted on its axis when September 11 flung us all into a crossroads in world history.

Polly’s GlobalWalk has been featured in over 2,000 newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations around the world including Good Housekeeping, CNN International, The CBS Early Show, NBC’s Your Total Health, and Fine Living Channel’s Radical Sabbatical. A documentary Polly’s GlobalWalk has been aired on PBS around the country. Her book, 3mph: The Adventures of One Woman’s Walk Around the World has been awarded 6 national awards, including Best Memoir at the 2011 Writer’s Digest Best Book Awards.  She also narrated her audio book.

To rapt audiences, she richly details her journey with humor and honest reflection, the good times and the hardships. Sometimes serious, sometimes funny, always inspirational, Polly’s program personifies the spirit of commitment and perseverance that will compel you to conquer life’s challenges -- one step at a time.

GREAT AMERICAN BOOK FESTIVAL & WRITERS' CONFERENCE - Labor Day Weekend in the City of Presidents

Authors from around the globe will be in attendance at this year’s festival. Below are just a few of the events slated to take place in conjunction with the Great American Book Festival.  All events will be held downtown in  Rapid City.  Final dates, times and locations to be announced.  The Book Festival, as well as most conference events, are FREE and open to the public.


Great American Writers' Conference - Friday, September 1, 2017

Great American Lit Walk - Friday, September 1, 2017

Great American Book Festival - Saturday, September 2, 2017

For complete schedule, times and locations visit GABfest.info


The Black Hills region is known for its love of culture and the arts and is home to a vibrant and thriving community.

Rapid City, the second largest city in South Dakota, is close to Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monuments.  A major world-wide destination for tourism, the Black Hills Region receives over THREE MILLION tourists annually, with Labor Day Weekend receiving a significant number of visitors from around the world.

Located in the heart of downtown Rapid City, Main Street Square is home to year-round festivals and events attended by local residents as well as by tourists who come to the region in droves each year.

In 2015 alone, over a quarter of a million visitors participated in various events at Rapid City’s Main Street Square, with an average attendance of 13,000 visitors at their signature events.

For more informaton visit: GABfest.info