All bookworms and writers are invited to attend the Association of Rhode Island Authors (ARIA) 12th annual Rhode Island Author Expo on Dec. 7. This family-friendly event will consist of featured authors, informative panels, more than 100 local authors, raffles, and will have a visit from Santa Claus.  

Sponsored by Flori Fundamentals, Stillwater Books, and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, it will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick and is the largest event of its kind in the state for literature lovers of all genres. 

The 100-plus participating authors will highlight the works of four featured “spotlight” writers:  USA Today best-selling author Vanessa Lillie, RI native and freelance journalist Phil Eil, Bram Stoker Award-winning author Christa Carmen, and critically acclaimed novelist Jon Land. All four have connections to the state, whether being from or residing in Rhode Island, and referencing the state their work.  

Lillie is known for her suspense novel “Blood Sisters,” as well as her thrillers “Little Voices” and “For the Best,” which she will be representing. Eil, a Providence resident, will have copies of his debut book, “Prescription for Pain: How A Once Promising Doctor Became the ‘Pill Mill Killer,” which was released back in April. Carmen will be using this year’s expo as the drop for the first release of her next gothic novel “Beneath the Poet’s House,” which is being featured in Ink Fish Books Rhody Reader’s Box 2024. Land is a staple for the annual expo and recently gained notoriety for his part in the “Murder She Wrote” book adaptation of the hit CBS series. 

According to ARIA, hundreds of autographed books will be available for purchase throughout the event. The authors in attendance are coming from across New England including parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The Rhode Island authors hail from various towns including Wyoming, Warren, Cumberland, Narragansett, Providence, Warwick, and Cranston. 

 All authors will be presenting their most recent published work and represent up-and-coming writers such as Charley Black, as well as those who have been in the field a while, such as Alfred Crudale. Black, a Warwick resident, has been writing since she was 12 years old and has shown growth through her passion to write paranormal romance novels. She will be exhibiting her trilogy conclusion, “Forever Within the Darkness.”

Crudale, a native to the Knightsville section of Cranston who relocated to West Kingston, has a Ph.D. in Italian Literature and is a lecturer at the University of Rhode Island. He will be showcasing his publication, “A New Home for Salvatore,” a picture book about a boy and his little sister immigrating from Italy to their new home across the Atlantic Ocean. 

The books being presented at the expo are from all genres within fiction and nonfiction, and include fantasy, sci-fi, horror, mystery, romance and more. In a press release ARIA stated that “a special writer’s resource area will include exhibits from a variety of top literary and non-profit organizations from across the region.” 

The expo’s range of literature expands beyond genres, with seven different panels diving into various aspects of a writer’s world. These panels will include “World Building: Beyond the Basics,” “Authors and Book Banning: What Can We Do?,” “Pathways to Publishing,” and several more. The panels presented at this event are to inform and encourage all writers, and questions and feedback are welcomed. 

Cynthia Di Filippo Elomaa, one of the children’s authors on display and one of the committee members for the Expo, said, “[The expo] is a great opportunity for authors to showcase their work, talk to the public, network with the public and with potential clients. It is a great way for the public to recognize writers who live in their hometowns [and to] support local business. Many may even find a helping hand in their own writing.”  

She added that the expo provides “a chance to get up and personal with authors who live in the area, find out about their work, and maybe find a common project they can work on together.” 

Di Filippo Eloma is an author, an editor, a blogger, a wife and a mother. She will have her debut picture book “Nicky’s Very Messy Room” on display at this year’s expo. She is published by Stillwater books, which is based out of West Warwick. 

The expo will be held on Saturday Dec. 7 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Crowne Plaza is located at 801 Greenwich Ave. Admission and parking is free for all attendees.