ROBINSONFEST

In 2015, a small group of dedicated fans met with four of their favorite authors for a weekend in New England, and a legend was born…

Featuring Jeremy Robinson
Kane Gilmour
Kent Holloway
J.M. LeDuc
& Dan Delgado (narrator)
Matt James
Xander Weaver

Oct 3 – Oct 6, 2024

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

What IS Robinsonfest?

Robinsonfest started in 2015. A group of very determined readers pressured Jeremy—a near hermit-like introvert—into holding a weekend-long gathering. We were just thirteen people back then, and the first ’Fest was held in Portsmouth, NH. The weekend was full of great food, good fun, and a lot of laughter. We decided to make it an annual thing, and it grew each year. Until 2020, when we sadly put the event on pause for the pandemic.

Robinsonfest returned last year in St. Augustine, Florida, and this year we’re heading back to the Old City again!

In short, Robinsonfest isn’t like a standard author signing or event. The ’Fest will still be a relaxed affair. (Jeremy will probably be in shorts and T-shirt the whole time.) We’ll get together for the weekend. Go see and do some cool things around town, and we’ll have a big signing/hangout session on the Saturday afternoon, where you can buy books and get them signed. You’ll have plenty of time with the authors: Jeremy Robinson, Kane Gilmour, Kent Holloway, and J.M LeDuc are confirmed so far, along with audio narrator Dan Delgado, but we might have even more. You’ll have ample opportunities to ask them all your burning questions.

This year we’re heading back to Kent Holloway’s hometown of St. Augustine, Florida! This is the second time we’re holding the event out of New England, and while we had planned on some other towns this year, those cities made it hard on us. We looked at an event in the mountains of New Hampshire, but that would have necessitated a very small group, and not everyone would have been able to come. So, then we looked at Savannah, GA, but we couldn’t find a reasonable hotel with decent reviews, and one hotel actually tried to convince us NOT to stay there! Then we looked at Myrtle Beach, SC, but none of their hotel managers would ever get back to us. Finally, we decided to go home to amazing St. Augustine, which was magical good fun, so we’re heading back to a place where we are wanted!

The dates are Oct 3rd – Oct 6th. However, the bulk of the activities will take place on Friday (Oct 4th) and Saturday (Oct 5th). We’ll just be doing one or possibly two things on the Thursday night (Oct 3rd) [see below for more details]. Sunday morning we’ll be having breakfast and saying goodbye, so if you can’t stay that long, you’re not missing much. Should you be there for Thursday and Sunday? Well, read on for details, and you’ll have to decide for yourself. But the main part of the Fest is Friday and Saturday.

What is the hotel situation?

We tried to get a reasonable rate at a place that was centrally located and could handle our group’s size, and we did amazingly well! Everyone has different tastes when it comes to a hotel, and different budgets. Activities Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon and evening will be at the River Room at the Homewood Suites by Hilton St. Augustine/San Sebastian Hotel. We have a great rate at that hotel: $169 a night! We have a special group reservation code you can use. That info will be sent to you after you register, if you’re interested in it. You could also choose to stay at any number of inns, B&Bs, or hotels in the region. Most of the places in the Downtown are an easy walk to and from the Homewood.

HOWEVER, we will have a very limited number of rooms available at the Homewood for our special discounted rate. These will be available on a first come, first served basis. Note that the hotel requires a $25 a day Valet fee, which for those who stay at the hotel (with our discounted rate), will be reduced to a rate of $13.95 per day. If you are interested in one of the Homewood Rooms at our reduced rate, just say so when registering, and we’ll quickly notify those who can receive these rates. We’ll also make an announcement in TRIBE when the discounted rooms are gone. We expect these rooms will go very quickly.

What is the parking situation?

Much of downtown St. Augustine is comprised of small, narrow roads that are pedestrianized or extremely tight. So, we will be walking to and from many of our activities or taking Ubers/taxies. Parking is also ridiculously expensive in most of the downtown area, like with most major metropolitan cities in the US.

If several people are unable to walk to/from the hotel, we might be able to arrange a carpool of sorts. And I’m working with the Trolley company to see if they can provide transport for us to and from the Alligator Farm on Saturday. More info on that as it develops.

What is the food situation?

Past Fest attendees take note: You are on your own for all meals. Making restaurant reservations for a group that might be as large as a hundred people would be impossible. So, we will all just break from our activities and go our own ways for lunches and dinners. St Augustine has dozens of fantastic restaurants for all budgets, all within easy walking distance between the locations of our activities. We’ve left ample time for these food breaks in the itinerary, as you’ll see.

What about this Dinner Raffle thing?

For dinners, we thought it might be fun to have a Raffle for each night, where for $20 extra, above the cost of your registration fee, you would be entered into a random drawing (for each night). The winners of the drawing will get to eat dinner with the authors (Jeremy, Kane, Mark, Kent, and Dan the Narratey Man) as well as the TRIBE admins (Dee, Mike, and Al). One winner each night. Yes, if you win, you can bring your spouse or significant other, if they are joining you at the Fest. The money from the raffle will go toward the expenses for the Fest (including your own dinner, which the winner will have paid for them), and to Jeremy’s and Kane’s expenses in getting to and from St. Augustine (since we live in New England). Note that even if you opt to not buy any raffle tickets, and you don’t win any of the three nights, you’ll still have plenty of time to talk to the authors at all the activities and the book signing!

The Raffle Winners will be notified well in advance that you won, and where we are eating, so you can definitely plan to be there with us for dinner on your respective night. If our dinner group needs to be seated at multiple tables at the restaurant, Raffle Winners will be seated at Jeremy’s table with him. No, we don’t know which restaurants we’ll be eating at yet. But once we do, if you want to join us at that restaurant, you’re welcome to if the place has available seating!

What about transportation?

Yeah. Transportation to and from St. Augustine will be on your own. (Some past Fest attendees will recall that we were able in the past to pick people up at bus and train stations and transport you to the hotel. We can’t do that with a much larger group this time, obviously.) We expect most people will want to drive to St. Augustine with their own vehicles or a rental car (if you’re flying into Florida). There IS an airport shuttle from Jacksonville airport to St. Augustine at: www.airportshuttlestaugustine.com. It’s pricey at $110, but probably cheaper, easier, and safer than renting a car.

Here’s an alternate transport service: https://www.airportexpresspickup.com/

However, keep in mind that the activity we’ll be doing on Saturday morning will require a vehicle to get to and from. If you don’t plan to have your own wheels on the trip, be sure to either investigate Uber/Taxi (or whatever) in St. Augustine or make plans to carpool with someone for the trip to and from the Alligator Farm. (Or, as mentioned above, we might be able to arrange a trolley. More info to come.)

What about COVID precautions?

If you are ill, please do not come to the Fest, obviously. Jeremy is only able to work at the speed he does because he has not yet gotten sick. Last year, a few of us went away with Covid, and it crushed us for weeks.

What about Guns?

Florida does not allow Open Carry, but neither does it prohibit Concealed Carry of firearms. Still, it would make us all a lot more comfortable if those of you who own firearms left them at home or in your vehicles. We’re not expecting any trouble as a group, but if we encounter it, you’ll all get to see Kane’s Scottish martial arts in action. So, feel safe.

What will we be doing?

We just let the cat out of the bag a second ago about the Alligator Farm! But see the attached Itinerary! In short, an Alligator-themed zoo, a trolley tour, a boat ride, a spooky Ghost trolley, a historical monument visit, and our usual author signing event. Plus, an after-hours hang-out!

Is there a registration fee, and if so, what does the money go to?

There is. Registration is $250.00. This money goes toward the cost of the meeting spaces. We’ll be using a large meeting space at the hotel for our Thursday night meet-and-greet, for the author signing on Saturday, and for the after-hours gathering. The money will also go toward a few other little things we’ll surprise you with at the event. We will also be covering the entrance fees for participants at the Alligator Farm and for the Scenic Boat Ride! Those two fees are included in your Registration Fee.

Does Jeremy Robinson make a profit off Robinsonfest?

Nope. Most years he’s lost money on the event, and some years he’s broken even (with the money from sales of books at the signing). If there is extra, we’ll come up with some kind of fun way that it goes back to the fans after all costs are paid. Making money isn’t the point of the gathering—it’s just to hang out with readers, friends, and fans.

What is the weather like in St. Augustine?

Highs are usually around 81°F (27°C) with lows usually around 72° F (22°C) in Oct. So, it should be pleasantly warm with a gentle breeze. That said, it could rain on any or all our days. It might be clear or cloudy. That time of year the sunrise should be around 7:20am and sunset around 7pm. It’ll probably be around 70% humidity. We’ll be there at the tail end of Hurricane Season, but we’re taking our chances on a great town (which hasn’t been slammed by a giant storm since the 1960s) and we’ll be keeping a very close eye on the weather. There are never any guarantees with weather. Be prepared for rain and windy, and let’s hope the weather cooperates.

What will we do for the outdoor activities if it rains?

Err. Something? Not sure yet. If it’s just a light rain, that won’t really affect our activities much. If it’s a downpour, the Alligator Farm and the Castillo de San Marcos Monument would possibly be replaced with an indoor activity. We’ll figure that out and let you know long before the event.

Do we have to go on all the activities?

Nope. You can go to all of them or skip some of them, as you see fit, but the registration fee will remain the same.

How much will the activities cost?

The fees will be determined by the activity vendors themselves, but the basic costs for each of these things are below. Keep in mind that we should be able to secure a group rate for each of these (or many of them), which might make them each a little more affordable. We’ll be covering two of these entrance fees with the money you pay as a Registration fee.

Alligator Farm: $35 [This one is covered by your registration fee.]
Trolley Tour: Not sure yet, but probably under $35 once we get a group discount going. We’ll let you know.
Scenic Boat Ride: $23 [This one is covered by your registration fee.]
Walking Ghost Tour: $25 (Group rates possible) Discounts available
Castillo de San Marcos Monument: $15 (Group rates possible) Discounts available

Where it says “Discounts Available” that’s usually for students, seniors, military, and AAA members. Not sure yet if those discounts can be added on top of a group rate, if we can secure one, but again, we’ll let you know on each of these things.

Can I buy Jeremy’s books at the fest?

Yes. And no. The ‘Yes’ is because, yes, we’ll have many of Jeremy’s books for sale, at the author signing (and for less than we sell them in stores and online). The ‘No’ is because we won’t have all his nearly 80 titles on hand. We typically bring a few boxes of books with us, mostly of the more recent titles. If there are specific books you’ll be wanting to buy and get signed, let us know well in advance, and we can make sure we have those on hand. Otherwise, we’re just guessing as to what people might want. Jeremy and Kane will be driving down from New England, so there will be room in our vehicle for some boxes—but not too much room. Let us know what you’re after, and we’ll see what we can do.

Will Jeremy be signing books?

Yes. There’s no fee for signed books. He’ll sign any book you like. Do you have to buy one of the books we brought to sell? Nope. Can you bring your ratty, dog-eared copy of Pulse with the cover falling off and have him sign that? Yes. Will he sign things other than books? Sure. We often have people bring in comics to sign, and we sometimes sell posters/prints of Robinsonverse artwork, which Jeremy is also happy to sign. (No, he hasn’t been asked to sign body parts yet.) And he’ll draw the line at signing a blank check. But otherwise? Yes, he’ll sign whatever. Same for Kane, Mark, and Kent. You want it signed, we’ll sign it.

Will there be a Robinsonfest T-shirt?

Yes. We’ve designed one. It will be available to buy at TeePublic. We’ll let you know when the design is uploaded. TeePublic runs sales almost every month, so don’t pay full price; wait for a sale. You can buy a shirt even if you’re not going to the Fest. (Not sure why you would want to but go for it!) You don’t need to buy a shirt if you don’t want to—even if you are going to the Fest. It’s not a uniform. You don’t have to wear it. We just made one because in the past, people have asked about them.

Where do I sign up?

Right here on this page. Registration is now officially OPEN.

So, you’re all invited to join New York Times bestselling author Jeremy Robinson, along with International bestselling authors Kane Gilmour, J. Kent Holloway, and J.M. LeDuc along with audiobook-narrator extraordinaire Dan Delgado for a weekend of great food, crazy adventure, and Florida awesomeness.

Registration is now open for the seventh ROBINSONFEST event, which will be held 3-6 Oct, 2024. When you register, we’ll send you details if you are interested in a hotel room at the Homewood Suites. And of course, you’ll have opportunities to ask your favorite authors (and narrator!) your burning questions about our work, and to get your books and audio CDs signed.

Not convinced? Check out the post event wrap up from 2018!

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Please read this Accident Waiver and Release of Liability before registering.

By completing the registration process, you are agreeing to its terms.

The Fine Print:

Registration fee covers the cost of meeting spaces and some entry fees. In the past it has defrayed the cost of getting authors to the event, and has covered the production of other goodies for participants. Sometimes the fee has been used to help subsidize attendance for participants who experienced unexpected financial problems at the last minute. Hotel costs and meals are at participants’ own expense. Jeremy does not make a profit on the event. Final date for registering for the event is July 31st. No refunds will be given for registration fees after August 15th.

2024 ITINERARY

Thursday:

5:00pm Meet-and-Greet gathering at the River Room in the Homewood Suites Hotel.

6:00pm Dinner on your own

(6:30pm Raffle Winner Dines with the authors and TRIBE admins)

Friday:

9:00am Castillo de San Marcos Monument

11:00am Historical Trolley Tour of St. Augustine

12:00pm Lunch (on your own)

2:00pm Down Time

4:00pm Walk to Marina

4:30pm Scenic Boat Ride

6:00pm Dinner (on your own; Raffle Winner dines with authors)

8:40pm Ghosts & Gravestones Trolley Tour of St. Augustine

Saturday:

9:00am Alligator Farm!

12:00pm Lunch (on your own)

2:30pm Homewood Suites, River Room: Author Signing Event

6:00pm Dinner (on your own; Raffle Winner dines with authors)

8:00pm River Room ‘After Hours’ hangout

Sunday:

8:00am Breakfast at Metro Diner (Optional)

Registration Fee

We are charging a $250.00 registration fee (per participant) for the event. It will cover costs for our meeting space at the hotel and other costs. Groups of 2–5 get a slight discount.

Where does the registration fee go? We do not see a profit off of the event. All money goes toward programming costs. The money does not go to Jeremy Robinson, and it’s likely he will be paying for some of the event himself. He is also paying for all the books we will be giving away. We’ve worked hard to make this event as affordable as possible.

SPECIAL GUESTS

Jeremy Robinson – New York Times and #1 Audible bestselling author of Infinite, Singularity, and Nemesis and over eighty novels and novellas translated into 14 languages he can’t read. www.bewareofmonsters.com

Daniel Delgado is the audio-book narrator for Jeremy’s INSOMNIA collection of short stories, for several of Xander Weaver’s thrillers, for Rick Chesler, and others. Dan lives on Long Island, where he has also taught high school for over 20 years. www.d2voice.com

Kent Holloway is an international bestselling author, a real-life paranormal investigator, and works as a forensic death investigator. www.kenthollowayonline.com

Kane Gilmour – international bestselling author of The Crypt of Dracula and the co-author of Viking Tomorrow and Omega. He lives in Vermont and brews craft beer.
www.kanegilmour.com

Xander Weaver – author of the Cyrus Cooper thriller series including Dangerous Minds and Halon-Seven. He lives in northern Illinois. www.xanderweaver.com

J. M. LeDuc – the bestselling author of the Phantom Squad, Sinclair O’Malley, and Evil Awakened series. maa0043.wixsite.com/jmleduc

Matt James – a full-time storyteller and the international bestselling author of over thirty-five titles, including THE CURSED THIEF, THE BLOOD KING, and THE LOST LEGION. He specializes in action-packed, globetrotting thrillers. www.MattJamesAuthor.com