Barnes & Noble stores nationwide are joining in for their first teen book festival this weekend. B-Fest will feature author events, writing workshops, games and giveaways to celebrate the young-adult genre.
The local store at 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. will feature three local authors: Cherie Priest, Meredith Russo and Gary Highfield.
Each day has a theme.
* B-In the Know: Festivities kick off at 7 p.m. Friday, June 10, with Trivia Blast, created by Penguin Teen and Random House's First in Line. One winner in each store will win advance reader copies of the most anticipated new books for teens.
* B-First: Starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 11, visitors can get in on giveaways and get sneak peeks of upcoming stories from favorite authors, including James Dashner's prequel to "The Maze Runner," new stories from "Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children" from Ransom Riggs and a new series from "Divergent" author Veronica Roth.
* B-Part of the Fun: The wrap-up, starting at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 12, features bookish games and giveaways, including a spelling showdown, a story ball and a chance to win prize packs. There's also a chance to B-Creative with a story development workshop for aspiring YA authors. Created by Adaptive Studios, the exercise will cover how to write a log line, create a spark page and reimagine popular characters.
AUTHOR APPEARANCES
* Cherie Priest: 5 p.m. Friday, June 10.
Priest's "I Am Princess X" has been described as "an engrossing cyberthriller packed with a puzzling mystery, crackerjack detective work and an eerie, atmospheric sense of place." It's set in modern Seattle and some of the internet's darkest places. Priest has written numerous novels and short stories and has earned various industry awards and nominations.
* Meredith Russo: 6 p.m. Friday, June 10.
Russo's first book, "If I Was Your Girl," has drawn praise as "everything a coming-of-age novel should be - honest, complicated and meaningful." But there's a twist. Protagonist Amanda, born Andrew Hardy, has begun a long and difficult physical transformation after moving to small-town Tennessee after a brutal assault at her old high school left her with permanent scars. Russo, a transgender woman, bases part of the story on her own experiences.
* Gary Highfield: 6 p.m. Saturday, June 11.
Highfield's first book, "When Want To Becomes Have To," offers advice on how to go from where you are to where you want to be in order to change your life for the better. The author speaks from personal experience on the power of goal setting, building great relationships and gaining knowledge.
For more information, call 423-893-0186 or visit bn.com/B-Fest.