2025 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (LATFOB) – Book Signing: “Playing Hurt” by Gerald L. Nardella
In partnership with ARPress, Gerald L. Nardella, author of “Playing Hurt,” held a successful book signing event during the 2025 Los Angeles Festival of Books (LATFOB) at the University of Southern California.
The 2025 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (LATFOB), held on April 26–27 at the University of Southern California (USC), was a significant cultural event that brought together a diverse array of participants and marked its 30th anniversary with a vibrant celebration of literature, culture, and community. The festival is known for attracting a large crowd each year. For instance, the 2024 festival drew over 150,000 attendees, and the 2025 event featured more than 550 writers, experts, and storytellers, along with hundreds of exhibitors.
The festival featured over 100 ticketed author events, children’s storytelling sessions, poetry readings, book signings, and more than 400 exhibitor booths. Notable participants in the 2025 festival included authors such as Stacey Abrams, Jon M. Chu, Amanda Gorman, Chelsea Handler, Ibram X. Kendi, and Rebecca Yarros, among many others. The festival’s success was also attributed to the generous involvement of volunteers who assisted with various aspects of the event, including welcoming attendees, staffing author events, and supervising book signings.
LATFOB 2025 emphasized accessibility and community involvement. General admission was free, with select programming requiring tickets. The festival’s partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs ensured that a wide range of activities were available to attendees of all ages and backgrounds, fostering a welcoming environment for literary enthusiasts and families alike.
Gerald Nardella was born and raised in Livingston, Montana, and he served in the U.S. Army. He married Peggy, his high school sweetheart, in 1962. They have two children: Michael and Terri. Gerald received a degree in accounting from Montana State University, Bozeman, in 1968. He worked for a national CPA firm before starting his own CPA practice in Billings in 1974. Gerald enjoys golfing, reading, and working on the family cabin in the Crazy Mountains.
Recently, The April 14, 2025 issue of Publishers Weekly features “Playing Hurt” by Gerald L. Nardella.
ARPress is honored to partner with Publishers Weekly Magazine in featuring and marketing outstanding published works by dedicated and passionate authors. Every year, millions of books are released, but only a select few are featured by Publishers Weekly—a credible and globally trusted magazine in the publishing industry.
“Playing Hurt” by Gerald Nardella is recommended and advertised at American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) page.
ARPRESS and the American Association of Retired Person (AARP) are now working together to support their respective advocacies. ARP has been publishing and marketing books written by dedicated and determined authors who dream of sharing their stories and insightful information that helps and guides readers to live life better.
“Playing Hurt” by Gerald L. Nardella, published by Author Reputation Press, was one of the nominees for the 2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award. It was highly praised by Amanda Hanson of the US Review of Books, highlighting that “Nardella uses a confessional technique popular in narratives by having her protagonist reveal these thoughts to her friend, Karen. Deanie then establishes a sharp contrast between Karen and herself. Karen was able to stand firm and refuse to sleep with her boyfriend, while Deanie feels that she gave up too easily. Deanie’s intense struggle with her thoughts and emotions helps make her relatable to the reader. Many will likely appreciate this book because the characters express their emotions with honesty.” Eric Hoffer Book Award honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers.
This masterpiece was also displayed at the 2024 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference. The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services.
“Playing Hurt” by Gerald L. Nardella was also among the books displayed by Author Reputation Press during the 2024 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (LATFOB) at the University of Southern California on April 20–21, 2024. LATFOB is one of the world’s most significant literary gatherings. It has been held every year since 1996 with the goal of bringing together the people who create books and the people who love to read them. It is attended by more than 550 authors, celebrities, storytellers, and hundreds of exhibitors.
This book reached an international audience when it was showcased by ARP at the 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, on October 18–22, 2023. The Frankfurter Buchmesse, reportedly known as the world’s largest trade fair for books, opened its doors to participants around the globe celebrating books and their authors. The massive book fair also celebrated its 75th anniversary this year.
“Playing Hurt” is a romantic fictional narrative about two teenagers. This story tackles the issues of peer pressure, struggle with intimate desires, betrayal, jealousy, insecurities, and fear of the future that every teenager encounters while growing up.
In addition, this masterpiece, “Playing Hurt,” was featured in the February 2025 issue of The New York Times Book Review (NYTBR) magazine. The New York Times Book Review is a weekly magazine supplement included in the Sunday edition of The New York Times, where current fiction and nonfiction books are reviewed by professional critics.
Gerald L. Nardella was also interviewed by CBS Radio’s Benji Cole. The interview in the program, People of Distinction, is about the discussion of the message of the book as well as the author’s purpose for writing this masterpiece.
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