A Christmas Book Fair at the Katy Depot, slated for Saturday, has been organized by local author Madge Gressley, Mary Nancy Smith, editor and owner of Eagle Eye Editing, and the Depot. The event will feature several area authors.
Katy Depot Site Manager Jill White said they are providing the venue as a way to show support for area writers. The Depot carries the work of many local authors in its store.
“We also sell the annual Sedalia Christmas ornament,” White added. “Myrna Ragar is going to be signing and autographing them.”
Ragar, a local artist and businesswoman, will offer her 2015 Christmas ornament featuring the Trail’s End monument during the book fair.
“This is No. 31 of the Sedalia Annual Commemorative Ornament Series,” Gressley said. “They ran out, so we ordered more. People who missed it the first time around will have time to get it Saturday.”
This is the first time the book fair has been offered at the Depot. Previously in April, a Writer’s Corner was hosted at Trail’s End Western Heritage Days on the Missouri State Fairgrounds. Several of the authors who participated in Trail’s End are featured in Saturday’s event.
“We’d heard back from several of the authors that were at Trail’s End,” Gressley said. “They wanted to know if we were going to do something like this again. So, on the spur of the moment, we decided to pull some authors together.”
The authors will be at the Depot signing and selling their books. Gressley added that this would be a perfect opportunity to make Christmas purchases.
The authors and subject matter is varied. Becky Imhauser will offer her historical books about Sedalia. Connie Koch, a local poet, will have her book “Fractured Fiction and other Far Fetched Fables” available.
“She’s a humorist with short stories and poetry,” Gressley said. “Adam Veile, he writes young adult books, (and) D.J Parsons, she champions women in her writing. She’s very good.
“We have a brand new author, Charleen Meyer,” Gressley added. “She’s out of Syracuse, and she writes children’s books. This is her first children’s book. She’s been working on it for 10 years and we finally got it published. I’m working on illustrations for a second book for her.”
Local author and poet Debbie Noland will be in attendance with of her books “Throw the Rock” and “Touch a Cloud.” Gressley will have her romantic-suspense novels, the “Inescapable” series, available as well. Sedalia writer Diann Grable will have several of her books on hand, too.
Christmas Book Fair at the Katy Depot will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Depot, 600 E. Third St. Refreshments of cookies, hot chocolate and hot cider will be served. The event is free.