For twelve years, the Lori Foster Reader Author Get Together has been a premier reader event. Within hours of tickets going on sale, it is sold out. What makes this event so special to readers and authors alike? Well, everything. It is a casual event where readers can share breakfast, lunch and dinner with authors. They win prizes, get amazing goody bags, books, rooms of workshops, reader events and more books!
This year featured 80 authors from bestsellers to debut novelists. While most are romance writers, a few also write in other genres. Readers can find something to suit every taste. Everything begins with a volunteers that make the entire event run like a well-oiled machine. From registration to packing goody bags, to carrying in all the swag that is given to readers, volunteers make it happen.
Authors sponsor the amazing events. Karen Rose sponsored this year’s dinner which featured a ‘murder-mystery’ game complete with a jail for photos, to her latest book being given to all attendees. Amazing bestselling authors, Dianna Love, Karen Marie Monning, Darynda Jones, and a surprise appearance by J.R. Ward thrilled readers.
Friday and Saturday featured booksignings, fun workshops for readers and a fun Disney night party. The costumes were amazing, and absolutely creative. 
Lest you think the event is just about books, authors and readers you should know that all those raffle baskets, roughly 250 of them raise funds for two amazing charities.
The Animal Adoption Foundation is a non-profit no-kill shelter for dogs and cats that have been abused or abandoned. $2500 to the Animal Adoption Foundation. From sales of limited print copies of A Buckhorn Summer to the AAF, plus Lori’s advance and all royalties moving forward! (Lori is currently giving the leftover copies to readers for at least a $5 donation to the AAF. For more on that, read this post on Goodreads.
The One Way Farm Children’s Home is a non-profit organization located in Fairfield, Ohio, caring for the abused, abandoned, neglected, troubled youth, and children with disabilities and developmental disabilities in the State of Ohio without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin. $21,000 to the One Way Farm
$1756 to the Conductive Learning Center. From a portion of Barnes & Noble book fair sales, given to the CLC
Here’s more from Lori Foster:
First, I need to thank our amazing sponsors, especially those authors who took on the expense of a meal. It would be wonderful if YOU thanked them as well by going to their Facebook pages and clicking LIKE. After all, they provided you with some delicious eats!
Thurs Welcome Party and Food:
Melissa Schroeder – https://www.facebook.com/MelissaSchroederfanpage/
Welcome Bags: Cheryl Dragon, Wendi Zwaduk and Jocie McKade
Fri breakfast:
Jenika Snow – https://www.facebook.com/JenikaSnow
Fri lunch:
Sylvia McDaniel – https://www.facebook.com/SylviaMcDanielAuthor
S.E.Smith – https://www.facebook.com/se.smith.5/
Geri Foster – https://www.facebook.com/Geri-Foster-Author-221042798245696
Kris Calvert – https://www.facebook.com/kriscalvert30
Sat breakfast:
Sam Cheever – https://www.facebook.com/SamCheeverAuthor
Sat lunch:
Toni Anderson – https://www.facebook.com/toniandersonauthor/
Rachel Grant – https://www.facebook.com/RachelGrantauthor
Sat dinner:
Karen Rose – https://www.facebook.com/KarenRoseBooks
Also, big thanks to Sam Cheever whose breakfast raffle added $550 to our contribution to the Animal Adoption Foundation, for a total of$2500.00 www.AAFPets.org
And to Trinity Blacio whose gave $400 from the Sweetside anthology to add to our contribution to the One Way Farm, for a total of$21,000.00 www.OneWayFarm.org
Lastly to Barnes and Noble, who will be sending 15% of book sales – a total of $1756.00 – to the Conductive Learning Center. www.clcgc.org
DATES FOR 2017!
We’ll be doing this again June 7-10, 2017. Same location.
If you attended this year and hope to make it in again in 2017, understand that you’ll be contacted prior to registration via this database to let you know it’s coming up in March. If you have friends who hope to make it through registration, watch the site for exact registration dates, and know that it happens the first week of March.
Given how quickly it happened this year, I assume we’ll again max out the very first day.
The website will be updated soon with photos from the donations and links to albums.
If you share photos, please use #RAGT16 to make them easy for others to find.
If you got a particularly good photo, please send it to me! I’d love to share.
