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authors, book festivals, books, Matt Goldman, Minnesota, readers, reading, writers, writing

Like many organizations, the Deep Valley Book Festival had to pivot this year and find a way to deliver content online. We held the virtual festival the weekend of Oct. 3-4 and while there are a lot of benefits to an in-person festival, we discovered going virtual isn’t too bad!
For one thing, people could join from all over the country. We had audience members from Massachusetts to Oregon, as well as a lot of attendees from near our home base of Mankato, Minnesota. We like to focus on Minnesota authors, but the virtual edition allowed authors from across the Midwest, and even further, to participate.
The best thing is, all of our programming is now available online. We hope people will browse our YouTube channel and watch panels of interest to them. You can find panels on:
- Nonfiction writing
- Fiction writing
- Mystery writing
- Book illustration
- History writing
- Writing for young adults
- Writing for children
- Publishing, especially self-publishing
- Sci-fi/fantasy writing

You also can watch an interview with our keynote author, New York Times bestseller Matt Goldman. His latest novel, Dead West, featuring private investigator Nils Shapiro, was released in August and got a strong review from the New York Times.
The Deep Valley Book Festival is in its fifth year and celebrates readers and writers. We recognize the literary talent that resides in southern Minnesota and the avid readers that make this a great place for books.
If you are an author and are interested in exhibiting in 2021, please go to the website and get in touch with us. The next festival will be held Oct. 2, 2021. We would like to hold it in person, but we may end up having a combination of in-person and virtual events so as many people as possible can take part.
In the meantime, please check out some of this year’s programming and if you like it, share with your friends!
I was surfing the Internet tonight and I decided to look up Camilla Hall. Some how I came across your blog. In 1974 I was taking a Asian religion class at DePaul university in Chicago. Dr Hall was the prof for this class. On a Monday a grad student came in and informed us re Dr. Hall, the kidnapping And his daughters involvement. I found it odd that I was thinking about this situation and came upon your article. If you are interested I’ll give you what I can remember about Dr Hall and what he said about his daughter
Don, what a fascinating connection! I’d love to hear more. Please email me and let me know how I can reach you. I’m at rhanel (at) hickorytech (dot) net.