Latrice McGlothin, author of “Hello Coco!: Suds, Songs, and Aunt Fancy’s Salad,” attended the Belmont Shore Book Fair on Oct. 19. McGlothin was inspired to write the children’s book, which centers around healthy habits, after making salad with her niece and reminding her to wash her hands. Jason Green | Long Beach Current

A Chase Bank parking lot became a bookworm’s paradise on Sunday, Oct. 19 as authors, families and dogs mingled and met local Long Beach-based writers at the Belmont Shore Book Fair.

The fair featured over 50 local writers, poets and publishers in attendance along with local organizations, including The Friends of the Long Beach Public Library, which bring attention to banned books.

“I think people will be shocked that there’s so many published writers living in their community,” Heather Kern, executive director of the Belmont Shore Business Association, said. 

Hosted by the Belmont Shore Business Association, the book fair began in September 2024. 

Several Long Beach authors and writers spoke and sold their books to the community at the Belmont Shore Book Fair in the Chase Bank parking lot on Oct. 19. Jason Green | Long Beach Current

That’s when Kern partnered with Long Beach writer and Long Beach State alumnus Max Evans to find other local authors for a festival. Kern said they had to turn away some applicants due to how quickly spots filled.

“This is only our second year,” Kern said. “We’ll have to see how it goes to see what we can do to expand.” 

Despite the limited space, Kern hoped that people would connect with others in the community and discover a new book. 

One of the literary-based small businesses that garnered attention was Undercover Bookcycle, a “secret” mobile seller offering second-hand books.

Undercover Bookcycle encourages “blind date” buying, where they wrap their books so readers don’t know what book they’re getting. 

“What we’re going for here is to get more people reading [and] more people buying second hand,” Carrie Foster, owner of Undercover Bookcycle, said. “Having them try something they might not have read otherwise.” 

Carrie Foster is the owner of Undercover Bookcycle, a “secret” second-hand bookmobile. Undercover Bookcycle sold “secret” books of diverse genres that could be revealed after purchase at the Belmont Shore Book Fair on Oct. 19.

First-time attendee Mikaela Smith is an avid reader of sci-fi and fantasy, and wanted to learn more about local authors. 

“I really enjoyed buying the blind date with a book so I’m very excited to crack that open and see what I got,” Smith said. 

In the corner of the parking lot, poet Nico Patino set up his stool, table and typewriter to offer personalized poems to the public.

When creating poems, Patino doesn’t think about what others might get out of them. For him, creativity is from not overthinking but rather letting his fingers type away. 

“One of my core mantras is ‘do not edit while you create,’” Patino said. “That’s what’s so hard about writing poetry for strangers on a typewriter; it’s a rough draft every time.” 

Nico Patino recently started writing poetry for strangers, which he did at the Belmont Shore Book Fair on Oct. 19. Jason Green | Long Beach Current

Further into the parking lot, attendees were met with colorful booths and goodies including bookmarks, pins, coloring sheets and, of course, more writers.

Author Amanda LaPera came to the fair to showcase her young adult book series, Desert of Dreams. 

Her series are intertwined stories, telling a different coming-of-age tale with each taking place in a town called Lake Los Angeles, which LaPera assured is a real place that she’s lived in for 13 years. 

“Two facts about Lake Los Angeles is one, there is no lake and two, it’s nowhere near Los Angeles,” LaPera said. 

Author and Long Beach State theatre alumnus Latrice McGlothin showcased her book, “Hello Coco! Suds, Songs, and Aunt Fancy’s Salad.” Inspired by her niece, McGlothin wrote the book about healthy eating, hand washing and healthy families.

“When I was growing up, there weren’t a lot of books that had characters that looked like me,” McGlothin said. “I think if we have more characters that look like all of the kids, a lot more kids would be more excited to pick up a book.” 

As a professional singer and songwriter, McGlothin would remind her niece to wash her hands by singing. When her niece would sing back to her, McGlothin thought she could teach other children too. 

“The song that’s in the book is a song that I wrote,” McGlothin said. “It’s a wonderful way to capture your feelings and capture stories that are happening.” 

Long Beach State alumnus Seth Segal promoted his mother Deborah Cooley Segal, author of “Critter Countdown,” at the Belmont Shore Book Fair on Oct. 19. Deborah is also a CSULB alumnus. Jason Green | Long Beach Current

Another Long Beach State alumnus, Seth Segal, was representing his mother Deborah Cooley Segal and showcasing her children’s book called Critter Countdown, which helps kids count their way through animals they may find in a zoo. 

As an educator for 30 years, Deborah was interested in creating a book that tied back to her success. 

“It’s been cool to watch it blossom into finished work,” Seth said. “I saw it when it was sketches and drafts so now it’s a whole real thing.”