Books in Bloom
Randolph, NJ
March 14, 2026
Saturday’s book fair in NJ was a huge success for me. By no means did I make a lot of money, but more than any other event. Plus, the money I made, I spent on books. If you didn’t know about my appearance, that could be because you’re not subscribed to my newsletter. If you missed the chance to buy my novels or comics, you can see all the options at my author website, ElizabethAmberWrites.com.
This was specifically an event for book lovers. It was in the community center right next to the library. It was accessible. The event planner is an author, Kristina Garlick, and she knew what she was doing.
The difference is that previously, I’ve tabled at events that were town celebrations or comic cons. Comic con attendees rarely buy a novel in my personal experience. Maybe they do if it’s a pop culture brand like a famous author signing Star Wars or Marvel adaptations.
The authors were diverse across genres. If shoppers wanted sci-fi, romance, speculative fiction – there were authors with that. There were even a couple poets.
Of course some people only came over to talk in order to check off the Bingo card space: talked to an author I never heard of.
I was scheduled to give a 15-minute talk on writing violence in a violent world. I think I babbled. No, I definitely babbled. I was quite drained physically and mentally. And, I recorded it.
I also loved that the hours were normal. By normal, I mean a lot shorter than a comic con. Instead of a 12-hour day, we had set up between 7-9:30, but I got there around 9am as did many others. Operating hours were 10-4. I was wiped out after a couple hours, but pushed through and had excellent help (Cat Dad & Butler) so I didn’t even have to drive home. I closed my eyes immediately in the car.
My body was exhausted, but I couldn’t fall asleep, of course. I woke up early, but not in a useful state. I fed Gus, had breakfast, and fell back to sleep. My Sunday plans for video editing, fort building, resin casting, or doing any creating did not happen. All that I accomplished was posting promos I created last week. Thankfully, I had them ready.
Gus snuggled all day. (He’s sneezing, but otherwise seems good after last weekend’s ICU stay. Thanks for all the cheerful comments.)
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AmberUnmasked.com and Vodka O'Clock Podcast. Author of The Farrah Wethers Mysteries, comic book short stories, prose, and non-fiction. Cosplayer and figure model.