At this year’s Riverfest, we are thrilled to have six incredible young adult and picture book authors join us! Here’s the complete schedule:

SATURDAY JUNE 6

Ann Marie Stephens is the author of numerous picture books including both the ARITHMECHICKS and CATastrophe series, SO MANY BOOKS! (with Sue Fliess), and more. She is a retired, award-winning elementary school teacher with over 30 years in the classroom. Ann Marie’s poetry and literacy work has been featured in Bon Appetit Magazine and on NPR. Ann Marie can be found at http://www.annmariestephensbooks.com/

Anna Bright is the author of YA novels The Hedgewitch of Foxhall, The Song That Moves the Sun, The Beholder, and The Boundless. When not writing, she loves concerts, roller coasters, and adventures at home and abroad. Anna lives with her family in a charming corner of Washington, DC, but you can find her online at www.annabrightbooks.com

Celeste Dador (da-door)  writes cozy, swoony, seasonal romances with big heart and laughs. A former reality TV show semi-finalist on America’s Next Great Author, Celeste is also an advisor with SCBWI, a global nonprofit writing community. Celeste resides in the DC area, and like many of her characters, she’s proudly Filipino American. When writing adult romance, which includes a dash of spice, she uses the pen name C.C. Dador. Instagram

Christina June writes fiction for kids and teens when she’s not writing college recommendation letters during her day job as a school counselor.  She loves the little moments in life that help someone discover who they’re meant to become – whether it’s her students or her characters.  Christina is a voracious reader, loves to travel, and hopes to one day be bicoastal – the east coast of the US and the east coast of Scotland.  She lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and Boston Terrier, Winnie Cooper. Christina is the author of IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE,  EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO BE, and NO PLACE LIKE HERE. https://christinajune.com

Alex Travis is a school psychologist and author of the women's fiction/romance book The Only Black Girl in the Room and the young adult thrillers The Payback Girls, and the forthcoming Black Girls Don’t Cry. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Parents, and Blavity. She lives with her daughter and husband in Northern Virginia. https://www.alextravisauthor.com

Marcie Flinchum Atkins has spent over 28 years in the elementary classroom and library. Marcie holds an M.A. and M.F.A. in Children’s Literature from Hollins University. She is the author of many nonfiction books including Wait, Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature (Millbrook Press, 2019) and When Twilight Comes (Chronicle, 2026). Her YA historical fiction novel-in-verse, One Step Forward (Versify, 2025), is about the youngest suffragist to be imprisoned at Occoquan Workhouse. You can find her online at www.marcieatkins.com.