Using a PowerPoint presentation Jeff Alt will discuss his book, A Walk for Sunshine, which recounts his entertaining adventure hiking over 2,000 miles along the Appalachian Trail. You’ll hear all the fun, challenging, humorous, inspiring things that happened to Jeff on his walk, including being charged by a bear, chased by a bull, and sleeping with a skunk. It includes hiking tips and gear suggestions to help anyone plan a similar outdoor adventure with their family.

Jeff Alt’s adventures have been featured on ESPN, Hallmark Channel, the AP, CNN-Radio, NPR, and more. A Walk for Sunshine is the winner of the 2009 National Best Books Awards sponsored by USA Book News.

RHODA JANZEN will introduce the softcover edition of her humorous and very moving book, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home. Rhoda wasn’t just raised a Mennonite, her father was once the head of the North American Mennonite Conference. And although she had long ago left the church, the conservative religious community of her youth welcomed her back with open arms and generous advice. That was just what she needed. In the embrace of her family and community she finds the space to come to terms with her failed marriage and the time to reflect not only on her desire, as a young woman, to leave her sheltered world behind but also on the choices she’d made that both freed and entrapped her.

Rhoda Janzen has an MA and Ph.D. in American literature and has received numerous awards, honors, and fellowships. She teaches English and Creative Writing at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.

CHRISTINA OLDS discusses the book she wrote about her father, Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds. He was a graduate of West Point and quickly became a top fighter pilot and squadron commander at the young age of 22, and an ace with 12 aerial victories. But it was in Vietnam where he became a legend. He arrived there in 1966 and found a dejected group of pilots. It was his unorthodox leadership that turned the group around and made them into distinguished fighter pilots. He did this by putting himself on the flight schedule and challenging the pilots to train him properly because he would soon be leading them. If they didn’t do it well, the unspoken theory was the group would not survive. They rose to the challenge. Olds went on to amass another four confirmed kills, becoming a rare triple ace. Fighter Pilot is his fascinating story.

Christina Olds, daughter of Robin Olds, holds a Vassar College BA in English and Creative Writing and compiled her father’s writings to help complete this book with Ed Rasimus, a retired USAF fighter pilot, who has written two books on the Vietnam air war, When Thunder Rolled and Palace Cobra. They both live in Colorado.

Conservative historian LARRY SCHWEIKART, author of A Patriot’s History of the United States, will introduce his newest book, Seven Events That Made America America: And Proved That the Founding Fathers Were Right All Along. He reveals the profound ways in which our nation was influenced by seven pivotal, yet shamefully ignored, episodes in our country’s history. He doesn’t merely recount our history--he forces us to rethink what makes our country great. He shows how individual liberty, private enterprise, and small government helped build a free and prosperous nation. Conversely, whenever these values have been threatened by big government, oppressive taxes, and special interests, we lose sight of the principles that made us strong.

Larry Schweikart has written 48 Liberal Lies About American History, America’s Victories: Why the U.S. Wins Wars and Will Win the War on Terror, and American Entrepreneur: The Fascinating Stories of the People Who Defined Business in the United States. He has also written many academic books and articles on national defense, business, and financial history. He is a professor of history at the University of Dayton, and appears regularly as a guest commentator on Fox News.

RESHONDA TATE BILLINGSLEY, #1 Essence bestselling author and Alpha Kappa Alpha member, will introduce her newest work, Holy Rollers, a touching and funny story of faith, love, and the value of friendship. We meet lifelong friends Coco, Nita, and Audra who are fed up with their bad luck in love. Coca has endured years of physical abuse from her boyfriend. Audra, a single mother, has dated her share of slackers and cheaters and yearns for a stable companion. Nita is tired of her club-hopping lifestyle and wants to settle down. They decide to take a new approach--“holy rolling.” Masquerading as God-fearing church-goers, the three women don their Sunday best and attend a local conference for ministers, hoping to find reliable responsible men. And though their results are varied, each woman discovers that the power of friendship and a little self-confidence can make all the difference in the world.

ReShonda Tate Billingsley has written seven previous adult novels, one nonfiction book, and several teen novels.