Shaking Things Up
As August 29th gets closer, I wanted to take a moment to share the story behind why we decided to host this brand-new fundraiser event.
For years, the Coffeyville Public Library has hosted two annual book sales, one in the spring and one in the fall. Our spring book sale is usually our heavy hitter because we weed non-circulating items during the winter months, meaning there’s always a fresh stack of reads waiting for every book lover. While we are endlessly grateful for the incredible support our community shows us, we noticed that our fall book sale hasn’t done as well over the last few years. It made me pause and wonder: is having two traditional book sales a year getting a little stale? We at the library decided it was time to try something fresh. Still a book sale, but fresh.
Children’s Book Fair
The kids’ side of our fair is a dedicated book sale packed with new and used children’s books, fun bookish trinkets, and goodies! Best of all, every single purchase helps support the library. Proceeds raised during the Kids Book Fair directly fund library initiatives, including: upgrading our physical spaces, new furniture and shelving, library technology and funding guest performers during Summer Reading. By grabbing a few books or fun trinkets for the young readers in your life, you are directly investing in the future of literacy and community programs right here in Coffeyville!
Local & Regional Indie Authors
I believe independant stories deserve a spotlight. Alongside our kids’ book sale, we are excited to host 8 talented local and regional authors who will be on-site to chat, sign copies, and showcase their work. Take a look at the incredible lineup joining us this year:
Racquel Sims
- Genre: Fantasy
- Bio: Racquel Sims lives in Oklahoma where she battles all four seasons in one day and splits her time between writing and teaching. Passionate about portraying strong diverse characters within fantastical worlds, she weaves stories with epic loves, imperishable friendships, and grand adventures in her work.
Angela Whitaker
- Genre: Mystery
- Bio: Angela lives right here in Coffeyville and enjoys writing stories that blend mystery, heart, and imagination. When she isn’t writing, Angela works for her local parish and enjoys learning through unusual online courses, reading, and spending time with her family.
Dawn Feltrop
- Genre: Children’s
- Bio: Dawn Feltrop is an award-winning children’s book author from Kansas whose stories are inspired by her real backyard chickens. Through playful rhyme, expressive characters, and meaningful social-emotional learning, she creates engaging picture books that encourage children to build courage, perseverance, and self-confidence while fostering a lifelong love of reading.
Michelle Lynn Ross
- Genre: Romance
- About: Michelle Lynn Ross is from Kansas and writes small-town romcoms set in Southeast Kansas and Northeast Oklahoma. Her stories center on quirky, relatable characters in the mostly fictional town of Fawn Creek, Kansas. If you love cozy, Hallmark-style romance with local charm, you’ll feel right at home in Fawn Creek.
Cheryl Barker
- Genre: Non-Fiction, Devotional
- About: Cheryl Barker has led readers in reflection and encouraged them for years through the written word. Cheryl has written for various other outlets, compilations, and for Blue Mountain Arts greeting cards and gift books. Cheryl lives in Kansas and loves to spend time with family, take photos, indulge in daily doses of chocolate, and especially loves being grandma to two sets of twin grandsons.
Erin Herring
- Genre: Young Adult, Romance
- About: Erin is from Oklahoma writes fiction in relation to theatre and film with novels for young adults and adults. Her novel, Stage Lights, is aimed towards the younger audience and follows a young girl involved in her first stage play, loosely based on Erin’s own theatre experience! Her series, On Set, is a no spice romance that follows the story of Allison Clarke and her experience as a movie background extra, along with the friendships she forms and the boy she meets along the way.
Jennifer McMurrain
- Genre: Horror, Romance
- About: Jennifer McMurrain lives in Oklahoma and has won numerous awards for her short stories and novels, including hitting #1 on the Amazon Best Seller list with Quail Crossings. She has 38 novels and collaborations published under her name and her pen name, Raven Lee. She lives in Oklahoma.
Rachel Koszalka
- Genre: Romance
- About: You may recognize me—I’m the Library Director! And the writer of this post! I write under the pen name R.K. Scott and love writing romances, reading to my kids, and making cookies for my husband. I love lifting up other writers and authors, which is why I came up with this fun book fair idea: to give a voice to so many talented artists so they can live their dreams of being authors.
Be sure to stop by each author’s table to get your books signed—they make wonderful, unique gifts for friends and family!
📌 Event Details at a Glance
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📅 Date: Saturday, August 29, 2026
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⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
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📍 Location: Coffeyville Public Library | 311 W. 10th St., Coffeyville, KS 67337
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🎟️ Admission: Free & open to the public!
Bring your family, invite a friend, and come support local artists and our beloved library. We can’t wait to see you there!