By: Carissa Lovvorn
On Saturday, September 13, I joined fourteen other local authors at the 2025 Tennessee Valley Literary Festival, hosted by the Athens- Limestone County Public Library. Open to the public, the festival invited attendees to shop and connect with authors representing a variety of literary genres. In addition to local vendors, Athens native, New York Times bestselling author, and business owner Deborah Ford Strain, held a Q&A session to share her experience of writing and publishing The GRITS (Girls Raised in the South) Guide to Life.
This annual festival not only celebrates the accomplishments of local authors, but it also inspires us to keep writing and sharing our stories. I am grateful to have been part of such a meaningful event and look forward to attending next year.
I’ve always felt shy in large groups of adults, often overthinking my body language and every response during conversations. However, if you put me in a room full of fellow authors, I am a different person. I’m at ease. We share about publishing experiences, future writing projects, and, of course, the dreaded imposter syndrome that we all experience at some point during our writing careers. Together, we sympathize, empathize, and encourage one another. We build more than connections—we build a community. We become a family.
In a sense, inclusion in the writing community is a small reflection of the kind of belonging one finds in the faith community. We are one body and one church. When one grieves, we all feel their pain. When one is honored, we all rejoice. We rally together, offering support and encouragement as we walk along this winding path we call life.
God created us to have a deep need for one another. At the beginning, He gave Adam a helpmeet so he would not have to live alone. He then established the roles of a family—father, mother, and children— each looking to our Heavenly Father for guidance. His design stretches even further, weaving together extended family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers across nations and the world. God’s love binds us together and gently reminds us that we belong to him and to one another.
Scripture provides us with beautiful examples of how we are called to support one another. Consider this well-known proverb: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Proverbs 27:17 NIV). Paul later writes to the churches in Galatia, saying, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Galatians 6:2). And most importantly, Peter encourages us to “…love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8-11).
Much like the fellowship I found among the authors at latest Literary Festival, members of the faith community experience a similar bond—shared understanding, support, and encouragement. While I cherish my growing author network, nothing compares to my inclusion in God’s heavenly family —a place where I experience grace, love, and the comfort of leaning on others during times of uncertainty.
Many blessings,
By: Carissa Lovvorn
