Quick Links: 2025 Writers | Venue | Shop | Schedule | Register | Lodging | Travel | Attractions | Media Kit | Press Release
Rendezvous 2025 Event Information
2025 Writers
first row: Abbey Downey, Amanda Cox, Angela Bell, Ann Elizabeth Fryer, Ashley Worrell, Bethany Turner, Cara Putman, Carol Moncado, Christy Barritt, Connilyn Cossette, Crystal Caudill, Crystal D. Grant; second row: Dana R. Lynn, Dani Pettrey, Danielle Grandinetti, Darlene L. Turner, E. A. Hendryx, Gabrielle Meyer, Heather Kaufman, Jaime Jo Wright, Janilise Lloyd, Jayna Breigh, Jenny Erlingsson, Jessica R. Patch; third row: Jill Kemerer, Joanna Davidson Politano, Karen Witemeyer, Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, Kimberley Woodhouse, Kimberly Duffy, Lisa E. Betz, Lisa Phillips, Lisa T. Bergren, Liz Bradford, Lynn H. Blackburn, Megan Besing, Nancy Mehl; fourth row: Natalie Walters, Sara Brunsvold, Sara Davison, Shannon Sue Dunlap, Sharee Stover, Sherry Shindelar, T. Elizabeth Renich, Tabitha Caplinger, Tara Grace Ericson, Toni Shiloh.
Note: Kimberley Woodhouse, Lynette Eason, Pepper Basham, Robin W. Pearson, and Shelley Shepard Gray are unable to attend.
Keynote Speakers
Jaime Jo Wright and Toni Shiloh
Worship Leader
Additional Participating Writers
Share the event with friends and communities to add special guests (such as publishers, authors, and your favorite bloggers and bookstagrammers) to the 2025 line-up. Check out featured titles and recent releases by participating writers (and Kimberley Woodhouse, Lynette Eason, Pepper Basham, Robin W. Pearson, and Shelley Shepard Gray who are unable to attend) in the JustRead Amazon Storefront.
2025 Sponsors
SILVER SPONSOR TWO DOGS PUBLISHING
SILVER SPONSOR BETHANY HOUSE & REVELL FICTION FROM BAKER PUBLISHING GROUP
SILVER SPONSOR HAVEN FICTION
SILVER SPONSOR ENCLAVE PUBLISHING
BRONZE SPONSOR LITERARYSCAPE
BRONZE SPONSOR KREGEL PUBLICATIONS
PAPER SPONSOR APOTHECARY AUDIO
EVENT PLANNING PARTNER THE CHRISTY AWARD PROGRAM (ECPA)
EVENT SPONSOR & ORGANIZER JUSTREAD PUBLICITY TOURS, LLC
Venue
Ballroom
Holiday Inn St Louis SW – Route 66
10709 Watson Road, St. Louis, MO 63127
+1-314-821-6600
Directions on Google Maps
Shop
Event shirts will be available for a limited time during the presale period. Limited event merchandise, including leather bookmarks, key fobs, bracelets, mugs, totes, and a small selection of shirts, along with featured titles by participating writers and publishers, will be available for purchase throughout the event.
The Book Bee sweet reads pop-up shop is a consignment event operated by JustRead Publicity Tours, LLC. All sales are final. Cash, debit, and credit cards will be accepted. If paying with cash, please bring coins and small denomination bills. Tax-exempt purchases are not available.
Schedule
Meet and Greet on Friday, November 7
5 p.m. Sign-in & Bookshop Open
5:30 p.m. Worship
5:45 p.m. Welcome
6:00 p.m. Meet & Greet / Book Signing Reception with Appetizers
7 p.m. The Christy Award Winners Gala webcast
9 p.m. Bookshop Closes
Saturday, November 8
breakfast provided
8:00 a.m. Sign-in & Bookshop Open
9:00 a.m. Worship, Prayer, Welcome
9:30 a.m. Writer Panel 1
10:15 a.m. Break with beverages available
10:30 a.m. Game
11:00 a.m. Speaker Session 1
11:30 a.m. Small Group Discussions Round 1
12:00 p.m. Lunch buffet provided
1:30 p.m. Giveaways
1:45 p.m. Writer Panel 2
2:30 p.m. Break with snack available
2:45 p.m. Game
3:15 p.m. Break with snack still available
3:30 p.m. Speaker Session 2
4:00 p.m. Small Group Discussions Round 2
4:30 p.m. Closing Announcements, Worship, and Prayer
5:00 p.m. Book Signing & Shopping
6:00 p.m. Bookshop Closes, Event Conclusion
The dress code for this event is casual. Wear whatever you are comfortable in (clothing is mandatory, style is optional). The volunteer crew will be in jeans and tees.
Menu
Friday Night Reception Stations
Syberg’s house salad
Toasted ravioli
Chicken strips
Slider Station with braised beef or pulled pork
Fresh fruit salad
Saturday Breakfast
Sliced fresh fruit
Assorted pastries and muffins
Regular & decaffeinated coffee, herbal teas, water, and orange juice
Mid-morning Beverage Break
Coffee, herbal tea, iced tea, soft drinks
Lunch Buffet
Twisted Tree house salad
Tavern rolls and butter
Fresh steamed broccoli
Wild rice pilaf
Chicken spiedini
Pot roast with root vegetables
Twisted Tree wedding cake
Gluten-free/Dairy-free alternative dessert provided for 12 attendees
Coffee, iced tea, and water
Mid-Afternoon Snack Break
1st Phorm Protein Bars
Bags of chips
Chocolate chip cookies
Coffee, herbal tea, iced tea, and soft drinks
Please do not bring outside food or beverages to the event area. The registration/participation fee does not include lodging, transportation, or off-site parking. Attendees are responsible for all reservations and accommodation costs, including taxes and incidentals.
Quick Links: 2025 Writers| Venue | Shop | Schedule | Register | Lodging | Travel | Attractions | Media Kit | Press Release
Registration
To register, complete the registration form and submit payment. Payments are processed to JustRead Publicity Tours, LLC. Rendezvous is open to registered attendees only. Reader registration ends on October 15 or when the event venue’s capacity is reached. Click the banner below to open the form in a new tab. Be sure to click the submit button at the bottom of the form and proceed to complete payment.
Registration Payment
| Early Registration | ended March 28 at noon CT | |
| Standard Registration | March 28 – August 31 | |
| Late Registration |
September 1 – October 15 CLOSED |
Follow participating writers’ and event sponsors’ newsletters, as well as their social media platforms, for standard or late registration discount codes (limit 1 per person). Scroll down for Additional Information at the end of this page.
You are registered once you have received BOTH a copy of your form responses and a payment receipt in your email inbox.
REGISTER NOW
Lodging
Holiday Inn St Louis SW – Route 66
10709 Watson Road, St. Louis, MO 63127
Check-In: 4 p.m.
Check-Out: 11 a.m.
Event room block closed
Single King Bed OR Two Queen Beds
$149/night + 9.988% sales tax + 7.25% occupancy tax = approximately $175/night
Reservations may be made through the link below or by calling 314.821.6600 and referencing the “JustRead Rendezvous 2025” or group code JRR.
After following the link, select your arrival & departure dates before clicking “search” to start your reservation. Select their preferred room type and proceed to payment.
Travel
St. Louis Lambert International Airport less than 20 miles
Amtrak Kirkwood train station 3 miles
Metro Transit bus stop [Lindbergh @ Sunset Office SB] less than 0.1 miles (approximately a 2-minute walk to venue entrance)
Uber
Attractions
Dining
Twisted Tree Steakhouse (on-site)
Wakey-Wakey (on-site)
Steak ‘N Shake
Five Guys
Denny’s
Lion’s Choice – Sunset Hills
Subway
Crazy Bowls & Wraps
St. Louis Bread Co.
Longhorn Steakhouse
Burger King
Panda Express
Helen Fitzgerald’s Irish Grill & Pub
Chick-fil-A
El Agave Mexican Restaurant
Starbucks
Media Kit
We hope you will share our vision of serving fiction readers and writers through this event by spreading the word to interested community members. A media kit, including a press release, printable flyers, sample captions, and digital graphics (as they become available), is provided for your convenience.
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Beth Erin, Event Coordinator
JustRead Rendezvous
rdv@justreadtours.com
https://rendezvous.justreadtours.com/
Readers and Writers will gather at the third annual Rendezvous organized by JustRead Publicity Tours, LLC on November 8, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT at the Holiday Inn St. Louis SW on Route 66. Rendezvous celebrates Christian fiction and sweet reads and features corporate worship, speaker sessions, author panels, small group discussions, games, giveaways, a pop-up bookshop, and book signings. This event aims to sweeten reading and storytelling experiences with fellowship and encouragement.
Jaime Jo Wright and Toni Shiloh will be the keynote speakers, and Lisa Phillips will lead the worship. Additional participating writers include Abbey Downey, Amanda Cox, Angela Bell, Ann Elizabeth Fryer, Ashley Worrell, Bethany Turner, Cara Putman, Carol Moncado, Christy Barritt, Connilyn Cossette, Crystal Caudill, Crystal D. Grant, Dana R. Lynn, Dani Pettrey, Danielle Grandinetti, Darlene L. Turner, E. A. Hendryx, Gabrielle Meyer, Heather Kaufman, Janilise Lloyd, Jayna Breigh, Jenny Erlingsson, Jessica R. Patch, Jill Kemerer, Joanna Davidson Politano, Karen Witemeyer, Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, Kimberly Duffy, Lisa E. Betz, Lisa T. Bergren, Liz Bradford, Lynn H. Blackburn, Megan Besing, Nancy Mehl, Pepper Basham, Robin W. Pearson, Sara Brunsvold, Sara Davison, Shannon Sue Dunlap, Sharee Stover, Shelley Shepard Gray, Sherry Shindelar, T. Elizabeth Renich, Tabitha Caplinger, and Tara Grace Ericson.
The Christy Award Winners Gala Watch Party and preceding Meet and Greet event will take place at the venue on November 7 from 5:30 p.m. until the webcast concludes. The evening’s activities include corporate worship, book signings, appetizers, and giveaways. The Christy Award honors and promotes excellence in Christian fiction and is a program of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.
Rendezvous is open to registered attendees only. JustRead Publicity Tours sponsors and organizes the event with support from The Christy Award program, Two Dogs Publishing, Bethany House & Revell Fiction from Baker Publishing Group, Haven Fiction, LiteraryScape, and Kregel Publications.
Additional Information
Payment
Full payment is required to finalize registration. Email rdv@justreadtours.com with payment questions. Proper identification with a photo may be required to sign in on the event date. Registration is non-transferable on the day of the event. You may contact us before the event date to transfer registration to someone else.
Cancellation
Cancellations are available on a case-by-case basis before September 15, 2025. Registration fees will be refunded via payment made, secure direct bank transfer, or mailed check minus the cancelation fee, as noted. Cancellations after September 15, 2025, will not be refunded.
Dietary Options / Allergies
Dietary alternatives may not be available. Please note that this event is NOT a nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, or soy-free event/environment.
Book Signing
Each attendee can bring no more than 3 personal (outside) copies of each writer’s books, with a maximum of 10 outside books total for signing. Additional books will be available for purchase at the event throughout Friday evening and Saturday. An unlimited number of books purchased at the event are permitted for signing.
Photography & Videotaping Policy
Photography and videotaping will take place at the event. Only event-appointed videographers can take videos or motion pictures within the event. By participating in this event, you are granting JustRead permission to use photos or videos captured at the event that you may be present or visible in for marketing purposes relating to this or future JustRead events only. Attendees are welcome to take pictures during the event and/or create videos outside of event areas.
Age Requirements
This event is only open to adults aged 18 or older and young people ages 13 through 17. However, attendees must be at least 18 to attend this event without a parent or guardian present at all times.
Waiting List
Once the initial author/reader threshold is reached, a waiting list for this year’s event will be available.