The Enchanted Book Faire Is Here!

In today's technological era, many of the activities that we enjoy outside can also be done at home from our magical towers. Today, we can add the Renaissance Faire to that list. A large group of indie fairy tale authors got together to form the Enchanted Book Faire, a special online event that lasts all weekend long. This faire is just like a real Renaissance Faire. It has a variety of different pavilions and activities to partake in. The only difference is that you don't need to worry about parking, crowds, or sunburn! The event is similar to some of the National Fairy Tale Day that many of these authors have participated in before, complete with a hearty prize of discounted ebooks for those who visit every booth.

The Enchanted Book Faire is hosted by Alesha Adamson and has 15 participating authors, each of whom provides a letter to unlock the secret code needed to access the sale at the end. The authors' booths have some wonderfully whimsical names, such as "Dreaming Princesses," "Fae Portal," and "Passport to Enchantment," which made me want to visit them all. Each booth contains a bio introducing its author host, along with a series of games such as puzzles or Mad Libs to entertain readers on their journey. There are also free printables, such as bookmarks or coloring pages, so virtual attendees can still have souvenirs to take home with them.

The journey begins at the Welcome Gate, which provides an introduction to the Faire and gives visitors a chance to enter the Enchanted Giveaway to win an impressive collection of fairy tale retellings in paperback form. Next, the Passport to Enchantment allows each attendee to become part of the magic by selecting a Faire name, companion, quest, and magical power, along with a printable to share their story in physical form or write a comment to share it with the other guests. I had a lot of fun hatching my magical unicorn companion and claiming my powers as an illusionist.

The Book Carousel, which could only be unlocked after visiting every pavilion and collecting all the clues, provided a unique presentation for the book sale that I found enchanting. It is not uncommon for indie authors to have group sales throughout the year, so it was nice to see one such an original format. The books rotate around in a circle, just like a real carousel, and readers must click the book they want before it gets away. Every time I clicked on a book, the carousel would refresh, and new titles would appear like magic. I had a lot of fun searching for books I hadn't read yet and watching the titles refresh.

I feel fortunate to live in an age where anyone can create their own online event and find people from all over the world to participate. The Enchanted Book Faire is just one example of how it's possible to spread princess cheer even if you don't run a massive corporation. It's just everyday fairy tale lover using their own resources and spreading magic across the net. The Enchanted Fantasy Faire will be active on Alesha Adamson's website from June 19th until the 21st, so there's still plenty of time to partake in the festivities. See you there!