Virgin River showrunner and authors behind The Hunting Wives and Guarding Stars take the stage alongside book signings, coffee, and swag at the Netflix Reading Lounge

For the first time, Netflix is coming to the Texas Book Festival in Austin, TX on November 14-15 with a weekend built around the books behind your favorite Netflix stories.

The lineup includes a panel on The Netflix Effect and cultural impact on heartland book adaptations, featuring Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith, The Hunting Wives author May Cobb, The Bodyguard author Katherine Center whose bestselling novel is the inspiration for the upcoming film Guarding Stars, and Netflix Vice President of Drama Cole Galvin, moderated by Cosmopolitan’s Tamara Fuentes; an early special screening of Guarding Stars; author book signings; and the Netflix Reading Lounge, a cozy downtown Austin hangout with free books, coffee and swag.

Festival attendees can also hear Cobb discuss her new novel, All the Little Houses, and Center share her new novel, The Shippers. The festival is free and open to the public, Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm.

Here’s everything we have planned:

The Netflix Effect: How Book-to-Screen Adaptations Are Capturing the Heartland Saturday, November 14 | 3-3:45 pm CT | State Theatre, 719 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 From Texas landscapes to a small town in Northern California, some of today’s most beloved screen adaptations started as novels set in close-knit communities across the American heartland. Join Cosmopolitan’s Tamara Fuentes for a conversation with Patrick Sean Smith (Virgin River), May Cobb (The Hunting Wives), Katherine Center (Guarding Stars inspired by her bestselling novel The Bodyguard), and Netflix Vice President of Drama Cole Galvin as they discuss bringing these stories to life on screen, and the cultural impact that follows its premiere on Netflix.

Book Signings with May Cobb and Katherine Center Saturday, November 14 | 4 pm CT | Netflix Reading Lounge, 920 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 Right after the panel, Cobb and Center will sign copies of The Hunting Wives and The Bodyguard. Stop by for a signature, free coffee and swag.

Netflix Presents: A Special Screening of Guarding Stars Sunday, November 15 | 5-6:30 pm CT | State Theatre, 719 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 Be among the first to see Guarding Stars, starring Leighton Meester and Jared Padalecki, based on Center’s bestselling novel The Bodyguard. Reserve your spot on Eventbrite.

Netflix Reading Lounge All weekend | 920 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 Your cozy stop between sessions. Take home a Netflix tote bag, customize a bookmark, order free coffee inspired by your favorite books and pick up free books, including the new movie tie-in cover of The Hunting Wives. Browse the books behind Netflix favorites like Virgin River, The Hunting Wives, The Bodyguard, East of Eden, Pride & Prejudice, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, In a Holidaze and more.

We can't wait to see you there!