Children's Storytime and Activity with Jennifer Swanson april 25th at 10AM For INDIE BOOKSTORE DAY

Children's author and scientist Jennifer Swanson will be joining us at The Book Loft to celebrate Indie Bookstore Day. She will be reading her book Footprints Across the Planet and will host a STEM-themed activity after the reading.  

Every footprint―from the physical to the digital and the permanent to the fleeting―leaves a mark on Earth telling a story of the past, the present, or the future. What type of imprint will YOU leave? Journey around the world and experience through these vivid photographs how every being on the planet leaves an imprint, with their feet, their words, their actions. Whether human or animal, voices or activity, each mark has a purpose. To remind us of our history, give us a glimpse of our future, and maybe even inspire us to change the world.  

Fifty-six-year-old Neena Lee is desperate to revive her travel writing career, though panic attacks have disrupted her work, and the new upstart editor has fired everyone else over the age of forty.

Neena’s finally sent on assignment to the remote Georgia island where John F. Kennedy, Jr., and Carolyn Bessette were married. She’s shocked to find JFK, Jr. himself waiting for her there…though he’s been dead for twenty-five years. The last thing Neena needs is to start seeing things, but JFK, Jr. needs her help, and it seems Neena might need his help, too.

"Neena Lee is Seeing Things is a haunting story of a love lost and found, of the bonds of family, and of finding the grace we need to forgive ourselves. The book is set on the evocative Cumberland Island, Georgia where the late John F. Kennedy, Jr. was married and whose spectral presence plays an important role in the spiritually wounded Neena's awakening. The author displays a mastery in creating multi-dimensional characters (including the no longer breathing ones) who pull the reader into the story and lead us to its surprising and satisfactory conclusion. I highly recommend this book!"

—New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Karen White

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, The Book Loft will be offering 10% off to all teachers with valid ID

Maggie is a recovering "Good Kid" turned trauma therapist, parenting expert and cycle-breaking mom who has spent her life recovering from being the child "nobody needed to worry about." This form of trauma doesn't always come from outright neglect or abuse; it grows in subtle, wordless exchanges, in how your emotions were exchanged or dismissed, in the unspoken rules that taught you that not upsetting anyone was more important than how you felt. Maggie will show you how to unload that shame and self-doubt, and guide your own kids through those same messy human moments that you weren't allowed to have.

Atlanta: July 1939
While the world holds its breath, poised on the brink of war, Mark Morgan is just trying to survive. Broke, divorced, and disgraced, Mark takes a job that seems too good to be true. A mysterious Rabbi pays him a fortune in cash to protect a visiting delegation of German Baptists. While odd, it's a simple job. Simple until the threats turn real, the police turn brutal, and the bodies start piling up.  

As Atlanta bakes under the bright July sun, Mark plunges into darkness. Entering a shadowy world of Klansmen, corrupt police, and spies, he uncovers a terrifying plot to twist American politics. If the scheme succeeds, fascism will gain a firm foothold in the United States. Hunted by a phantom killer and suspected by the authorities of murder, Mark must have the help of friends to survive.  But in a city where no one is who they seem, this may be the most dangerous choice of all.

Crystal is a special raccoon with a special story. Her little life begins with some big challenges. Lost and abandoned, Crystal needed help. And just when she thought she found it, her life takes another very big turn and she finds herself adjusting to a new normal. She sometimes feels different from other raccoons and wonders, will she be accepted for who she is?

Crystal's story of perseverance, love, and acceptance is heartwarming and inspiring. She reminds us that we are all special, important, and we are accepted for the unique and extraordinary individuals that we are.

Crystal the raccoon will be in attendance. 

Join us for a book signing and reception for Stephen Doster and Benjamin Galland to celebrate the release of their new Amelia Island Coffee Table Book: Palms, Priests, and Pirates: The Epic History of Amelia Island, Florida.

In Palms, Priests, Pirates: The Epic History of Amelia Island, Florida, Stephen Doster offers the first comprehensive examination of the rich and captivating history of this unique barrier island off the northeast coast of Florida. Drawing on extensive research and a deep personal connection to the region, Doster has chronicled Amelia Island’s remarkable story—from its initial Native American settlement, through the Spanish colonial era and the founding of Fernandina, to the island’s tumultuous periods of pirate raids, American “patriot” invasions, Civil War upheaval, and devastating yellow fever outbreaks. 

By weaving together these diverse threads of Amelia Island’s past, with spectacular images by acclaimed photographer Benjamin Galland, Doster aims to offer readers an unparalleled understanding of the island’s pivotal role in the broader history of Florida and the early formation of the United States. From the cultural clashes between Indigenous populations and European colonizers to the strategic military significance of this Atlantic coastal outpost, Doster’s book

provides a fresh and illuminating perspective on an often-overlooked corner of

American history. Ultimately, Palms, Priests, and Pirates celebrates the remarkable resilience and enduring spirit of Amelia Island, a place whose dramatic saga from its earliest occupation to the present has remained largely untold—until now.

Each ticket includes a signed copy of the book and a plus one voucher. Complimentary food and drink will be served. There will be live music as well. Reception will take place on the 2nd floor of The Book Loft which is only accessible via stairs. For questions, email info@thebookloftamelia.com. To purchase tickets, click here.

Having made a comfortable living creating one form of fiction—advertising—the migration to another form, novels, was a natural extension of Tom's career as a copywriter and creative director in ad agency settings. In effect, he’s gone from making good money writing drivel, to making chicken feed writing fiction. Fortunately, the former more than paid the bills, the latter is an avocation. He is the author of nine novels, seven of which are set to varying degrees on or around Amelia Island, FL. The first novel, his initial foray into fiction, is set primarily in Heaven.

Join Tom in learning about his newest novel, a sequel to his 2025 novel LifeLine. 

Life is like a yo-yo for fourteen-year-old Bloom Howard. It has ups and downs, and it goes all around. With her parents' constant arguing, her little brother's illness, pressure to keep her grades up, and now a plagiarism accusation on a state writing test, Bloom's anxiety and depression rise and fall quicker than her beloved yo-yo. That's precisely when Bloom's life takes a turn. Through writing poetry, meeting an otherworldly muse, revisiting a friend from an ancient text, and connecting with writers both young and old, Bloom risks sharing her voice with the world. Along the way, she may just find that truth still exists, even in a world of deceit.

An evening at The Book Loft with award winning author, Kevin Powers, to celebrate the launch of his newest book, Children of the Wild.

Children of the Wild is a gorgeous, haunting love story set in the Virginia mountains and on the battlefields of WWI France. With the spare and exquisite prose and profound insight that made The Yellow Birds a landmark work of American fiction, Powers once again illuminates the savage, complex, and timeless bonds of loyalty, honor, and heroism, and breaks new ground with a profoundly moving story of love and its endless endurance.

Ewer’s Rock, Virginia, 1917. Roy Young is restless, eager to leave this isolated rural valley for university and return with the technical knowledge to modernize his family’s farm and bring them properly into the twentieth century. Samantha Hatton, the minister’s daughter and Roy’s best friend since childhood, knows that both Roy and the town expect them to marry. But Samantha, a daring and ambitious young woman, hungers for more. Above them on the mountain, tending to a lost herd of cattle, is silent Ennis Duke, the mysterious wild boy whose arrival in the valley will upend Ewer’s Rock’s understanding of itself and its place in the world. Within a year, the lives of these three young people will be dramatically transformed. America has joined the Great War, and Roy and Ennis feel duty-bound to join the fight. In the crucible of conflict, thousands of miles from the familiarity of home, the two men forge a fierce bond. Back in Virginia, Samantha’s love and courage endure unthinkable sacrifice in a corner of the world fractured by violence.

Purchase your tickets here. Each ticket includes a signed copy of the book and author talk with Kevin Powers. Complimentary food and drink will be served. The event is located on the 2nd floor of The Book Loft and is accessible by stairs only.

Theme: Evening Under the Stars

Attire: Wear any shade of blue to complement the theme and the colors of the book.

Join us upstairs at The Book Loft to make your own beaded felt bookmark with DIY Influencer Liz Rishel of Within the Grove.

Tickets include supplies, instruction, and light refreshments and drinks. Purchase your tickets here. The event is located on the 2nd floor of The Book Loft and is accessible by stairs only.

About Liz:

With a knack for creativity and a passion for teaching, Liz, the brain behind 'Within the Grove', is on a mission to empower you to transform your home. As a former Kindergarten and 1st-grade teacher, she adeptly turns complex projects into fun, engaging learning experiences. Liz's blog and social media channels brim with a variety of interior and exterior DIY projects, each thoughtfully presented to inspire and instruct. With her blog's namesake inspired by her first home amongst Florida's famed orange groves, Liz is your guide to creating a home you love. Dive into her grove of knowledge and turn your house into a home that reflects your personal style.

In the near future, China wins the Pacific War that leaves the United States vanquished and bankrupted. Beijing is plotting to make a puppet of the next US President, in command of a corrupt and hypocritical government that has created two Americas: one of ease, affluence, and influence; and one where people struggle to survive. Now paroled military officers and ordinary Americans are beginning to fight back. Their plan is to put a spy into the highest reaches of government. Philip Nolan agrees to infiltrate the Internal Security Division--America's Gestapo--and replace his look-alike brother as the head of a vast secret police network built to intimidate, arrest, and imprison the government's critics. Nolan risks capture, torture, and death as he works undercover to aid the rising Resistance. This is a gripping dystopian thriller that explores the themes of loyalty, identity, and the struggle for freedom in a world where truth is a rare commodity and courage is the ultimate weapon. 

Alec DunBarton (aka The Singing Sleuth) and his wife, Paige, didn't expect trouble. They had been instructed to join the Centaurus, currently on its British Isles cruise. The controller disembarked the ship without official leave, and Alec has been asked to audit his books for irregularities. On the second night of the cruise, Vera Blythe, the president of the Greater London Titanic Club, is found dead in her cabin. She wholeheartedly supported the actions of J. Bruce Ismay, the Titanic's infamous chairman of the White Star Line. Since Vera had the tongue of a viper, no one was surprised to learn she was poisoned.

Alec's suspects are Agatha Jensen, an advocate for the Titanic's first officer; Don Wison, who prefers machines to people; Sorcha McCarthy, granddaughter of the housekeeper who had worked for the shipbuilder's family; Neil Shepherd, a mama's boy and Anti-Lordite; Sarah Sinclair, a shy relative of a Carpathia passenger; and Sam Warren, an urbane collector and former treasurer of the Titanic Club.

Join Alec as he learns about the Titanic's ill-fated maiden voyage and the club members who had strong opinions about the ship's memorable heroes and villains.

Listen to Mac McCollum share about her life as a CSI for a metro Atlanta police department and her new book, Swan's Don't Swim in a Sewer.

Join us on Wednesday, June 24th at 6:30 PM for an evening with award winning, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl "Mac" McCollum. Mac will talk to us about her background as a CSI and her newest true crime book, Swan's Don't Swim in a Sewer, publishing May 12, 2026.

Ticket includes admission, a signed copy of the book, and complementary snacks and drinks. The event is located on the 2nd floor of The Book Loft and accessible by stairs only. Purchase your tickets here.

Bob Allison is a Nassau County resident and has lived here in the county for almost fifty years. During this time he has created Fernandina Harbor Marina, served in locally countywide elected office, and pioneered most of the provisions of the current Nassau County Tree Ordinance. He was the first developer in the County to use tree surveys in the planning of residential land developments preserving several hundred acres of Nassau County's virgin oak canopy forests. With his wife, he manages the largest citrus groves in the county and 100% of their annual crop is given to charities managing local food banks and food give away programs. His work in land development has had a major impact on Amelia Island and it includes lakes built, new roads imagined and built, and the construction of major large residential subdivisions on Amelia Island like Egans Bluff on Simmons Road. 

Join us upstairs at The Book Loft for an author talk with Eliza Knight about her newest book, Lost in the Summer of '69.

Ticket includes admission, a signed copy of the book, and complementary snacks and drinks. The event is located on the 2nd floor of The Book Loft and is accessible by stairs only. Purchase your tickets here.

Lost in the Summer of '69

Three generations of women, an unforgettable summer of music, and the epic cross-country road trip they'll never forget.

Summer, 1969: Eleanor Bell doesn't have anything to lose. According to the doctors, she might not remember how to sing or play guitar soon, so why not head west now? Why not join the music festivals sweeping the country and lose herself in the music again, in a swan song of her own?

Except she forgets, maybe on purpose, to tell anyone where she's going. When her daughter, Leanne, discovers her mother missing, she enlists the help of her own daughter, Nora, to help her find Eleanor. The last thing Nora wants to do before starting as one of Yale's first female undergrads is hit the road. But then Nora hears something strange on the radio—her grandmother's voice, singing. Nora and Leanne hop in their Chevy for a cross-country road trip, always one step behind Eleanor, who has been dubbed the Dame of Rock n' Roll by none other than Johnny Carson.

Full of nostalgia and awash with the warmth of summer, Lost in the Summer of '69 is an epic celebration of savoring the encore-no matter what the next act may bring.