Spring Local Authors' Day - April 18, 2012 at the Lady Lake Public Library
The Lake County Library System is proud to announce the second program celebrating local authors and their books. The Spring Local Authors’
Day will be held in the Lady Lake Public Library on Wednesday, April 18th from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. In addition to meeting some of the best authors from around Florida, participants can enter for a prize drawing sponsored by the Friends of the Lady
Lake Public Library.
Because the amount of talent in the
community is astounding, our goal is to bring exposure to local talent and nurture the pursuit of the writing arts in Central Florida. We
encourage participating authors to share ideas and insight with the community.
Spring 2012 Authors
About the Authors
Diana Ballard
Diana Ballard is equally at ease wearing a stethoscope or carrying a briefcase. Her career has taken her from hospital rooms, to board rooms to court rooms.
A nurse-attorney-healthcare executive, Diana has decades of experience in executive health care management. She has been a frequent talk show and radio guest,
seminar leader, public speaker, and author. A Pace University educated attorney and a registered professional nurse, Diana has a degree in psychology and an MBA.
She is the creator of CarePower®, a self-improvement approach to developing excellence in customer service.
Diana is author and co-editor with Paula DiMeo Grant of her latest book,
Law for Nurse Leaders. It is no secret that health care has become one of the most
complex areas of our society. Complex environments often lead to the need for refined and highly discerned decision making. This usually calls for knowledge of
the law in order to guide the direction of the decisions and the ability to see impacts and implications that can be legally analyzed before a decision is final.
All nurses and indeed many outside the nursing profession will welcome this book. This book takes complex topics and legal theories, explains them in no-nonsense,
understandable language, and makes them relevant to the current world in which nurses practice their profession. In other words, this is knowledge and information
that nurses will find practical and useful!
Janet Beasley
First and foremost Janet is an epic fantasy author. She is the founder and the creative force behind JLB Creatives,
a subsidiary of her and her husband’s company Multi-Tech Productions, Inc. Together she and her husband have co-authored
non-fiction books and been published in trade specific magazines regarding technical theater, production, and audio visual.
They have produced and directed everything from full scale productions, to festivals, to haunted houses, and beyond. Traveling the
nation they have spoken at international conferences and served as facilitators regarding live events - production coordination -
and technical theater. This dynamic husband and wife duo has even had their moment of fame, appearing in TV commercials and spread
ads as local talent. Janet currently fills the position as the Executive Multimedia Director for the Orangeberry Group.
Volume 1- Maycly of Janet's exciting six novel series Hidden Earth will be "hot off the press," being published through
Orangeberry Publishing early 2012. Who will love reading Janet's novels? Anyone who enjoys clean tales of good vs. evil filled with fresh new characters-animals-and lands.
Illustrations throughout make the novels come to life. Readers won't find explicit sex scenes, foul language, or disturbing violence.
They will find characters, earthly or not, to whom they can relate. Even the young at heart will enjoy the "escape" Janet's novels bring to life.
An epic tale of Good versus Evil, Maycly is filled with adventure, trials, love, and epic battles, along with fantastic flora, creative creatures, and
characters that come to life. Will Iona discover her true destiny? Will she ever find her missing family? Is Maycly bound to an existence of
Evil for eternity? What will happen to Earth? Only the tales of Hidden Earth hold the answers.
Tom Bender
Tom has been in the writing business all his life – as a journalist (he wrote the story of the first draft card burning in America for the New York Times), as a speech writer (25 years putting words in other people's mouths), and as a college professor (helping a thousand MBA candidates learn to better express themselves in their speech and writing). Now Tom writes novels and also maintains an editing service for clients ranging from authors going to market to people hoping to publish a memoir or a personal history for family and friends. (To learn more about Tom¹s editing work, go to www.tombenderbooks.com.
Tom and his wife Beth live in The Villages. Tom volunteers for the Lady Lake Library and other organizations relating to the arts. Beth belongs to quilting groups, and also teaches quilting. Tom and Beth have seven children and more than a few grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Readers love Tom Bender’s novel, Run For It! It is on sale exclusively at the Lady Lake Library Local Authors' Day on April 18th! Only a few copies remain. One critic calls the story "the Hardy Boys on Speed", and that expression just about sums things up. The pace is fast, the two innocent boys are fun, and the mystery and suspense keep you glued to the story. It is being read by people of all ages.
Joe Boschi
Joe Boschi was born and raised in New Jersey. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Newark College of Engineering and his MBA from Seton Hall University. He spent forty years in the Aerospace and Defense Electronics industries where he held various executive positions at Lockheed, United Technologies and Loral. Joe retired from corporate life and relocated to Florida with his wife Jo Ann in late 1999 where he turned his attention to golf course operations. In 2010 he pursued a lifelong dream to write and published his first book, a fictional work,
Extra Innings about life in retirement by an aerospace exec and a former Major League Baseball player.
While he thought that his writing days may have been over, he was contacted by his brother Fran and encouraged to continue his writing. Joe continued to write and in 2011 published his next fictional work,
Conceived in Liberty that takes a look into the political process and the election of a President with few apparent credentials. The story continues with the recent publishing of the sequel to
Conceived in Liberty entitled Born of Necessity.
These last two books are Must Reads before the 2012 Presidential Election.
For more about Joe Boschi and his works, visit his web site at www.joeboschibooks.com.
Steven Burgauer
In the immortal words of Robert A. Heinlein, “There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.” This is a theme Steven Burgauer
picks up time and again in his series of future-history sci-fi adventures. Many of his writings incorporate libertarian themes.
His books delve deeply into economic theory and political philosophy. From invention to property rights to personal freedom and choice,
these books follow the adventures of a space-faring family three centuries in the future. After a long career as a stockbroker and mutual
fund manager, Steven Burgauer turned to writing in 1993. He has written several science fiction books as well as an investment guide and a
fictionalized story of Neanderthal's first encounter with man.
His most recent title is The Road to War: Duty & Drill, Courage & Capture. It is a riveting first-person account
of a brave young man caught up in a cataclysmic World War. His other books include: The Fornax Drive; The Last American;
The Brazen Rule; Newhuman genetically superior humans colonize a newly-terraformed Mars; The Grandfather Paradox;
The Wealth Builder's Guidd; The Railguns of Luna; Naked Came The Farmer; The Night of the Eleventh Sun; and
A More Perfect Union.
Sherry Bruce (aka Sherry Cooper Sanders)
From humble beginnings in the small northwestern Alabama town of Phil Campbell, Alabama, Sherry Cooper Sanders considers her own life a
book of exciting chapters. Her talent for writing surfaced in her early years as she began writing poems, songs and short stories before reaching her teens.
While living in Nashville, she was named “Business Person of the Week” by the Nashville Banner newspaper, owned her own radio station, was invited to the
White House twice for luncheons with President Reagan, and became interested in family history, a passion shared by her grandfather that would ultimately
lead to the writing of
My Brother...My Son. Sherry lives in Leesburg, with her husband, William “Bill” Bruce.
My Brother...My Son, is a historical fiction novel based during the Civil War, and follows the lives of a real
family in Paulding County, Georgia. The Cooper men, who fought with General Robert E. Lee, in the 7th Georgia Regiment and Army of Northern
Virginia, suffer the horrendous realties of war, but in many ways no worse than the war the women and slaves endured on the family farm.
Two years of research went into documenting the men’s military movements, but the book is far from being just another history book about the
Civil War. It is about the people and the story they share. It is about men growing up on the battlefield, and women taking on roles they
never experienced before. It is about killing, dying, racism and starvation. It is also about faith, strength, and unity that delivers an
understanding and healing in one of the ugliest times in American history. It is as true as the author could write it
without being there, but then, she didn’t have to be. They came to her and said, “this is our story. We choose you as our messenger.”
Fran Cagner & Clare Hollister
Fran Cagner was born and raised in New York City. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Technology and worked in the field for more than thirty years. She has two children and six grandchildren. Now retired and living in Florida, Fran enjoys teaching yoga, boating, dancing, and especially photography.
Clare Hollister was born and raised on a farm in a small town in Michigan. He hunted and trapped to buy clothing for school, which was a one-room schoolhouse with all eight grades in one room.
After high school, Clare joined the Air Force and traveled the world for twenty eight years , while raising his five children. He went back to school and pursued a
college degree in the Arts. He is now retired and living in Florida, enjoying the good life by kayaking, boating, golfing, camping, writing poetry and photography.
Mr. Hollister’s poetry is for those who feel there is more to life than everyday labor. His poems are about common sense and life. His love of the water and nature
is reflected in many of his poems.
Don Canaan
Life tends to be cyclical. Everything, fashion, music or economics -- eventually returns. And so did Don Canaan -- from a Bronx tenement to marriage, children, success in television newsfilm, immigration to Israel, re-marriage, two more children and a return to the U.S.A. and a new facet of journalism--print. Canaan's career dates to his appearance on Mike Wallace's NightBeat program. His news background covers four decades of history -- from 1960 until his departure from United Press International to become a Quality Editor for LexisNexis.
Canaan eventually earned a master’s degree at Ohio State University’s School of Journalism while serving as an assistant in its TV news workshop. Then a terrific opportunity came up at the American Israelite. Canaan was brought on board as staff writer, copy editor and photographer. He enterprised stories that brought kudos from the community. His four-part series, "Jews in Ohio's Prisons: Does Anybody Care?" received a first place award for best weekly journalism in Ohio from the State of Ohio Bar Association.
Canaan's eBooks include: Horror in Hocking County (true crime about possible satanic murder in central Ohio),
Miss Rainbow and the Magic Teapot (fifth-grade level), The Cracker Barrel (a collection of his miscellaneous articles),
2021: A Spaced-Out Odyssey (two youngsters travel to 1859 and learn that boys and girls can enjoy equal school coursework opportunities), and his latest
Dutiful Daughter (a young girl who sets off on a journey to gather the shattered pieces of her past in the hope of forging a new future life).
John Capone
John Capone’s book Forgotten Peacekeepers was inspired by his experience as a member of the teaching staff at the U.S. Constabulary School in Sonthofen, Germany from March, 1946 to October, 1947. A member of Special Troops, he participated in the training and preparation of highly dedicated police-soldiers serving a major role in the peacekeeping mission. John Capone and his wife Diana Ballard live in The Villages, FL. John is a retired real estate developer, and graduate and past Alumni President of Southern Connecticut State University. This is his first book.
In writing this book, the author tells a little known story that deserves to be told. He presents a balance of historical fact and personal experience, taking the story of the U.S. Constabulary from planning to implementation, to successful achievement of goals, and gives it a well-earned place in WWII history. In reading the book, you cannot miss the great irony: that the impressive complex, known as the Kaserne in Sonthofen, Germany, was built to prepare Nazi leaders. Instead, it served the cause of peace and became the training ground for this new type of elite and well prepared U.S. police-soldier, who played a key role in bringing Germany back after the ravages of war and helped to restore peace and democracy. In reading this interesting and well written book, you will share in the passion of the author who honors their contributions and assures that the Constabulary Trooper is
not forgotten!
Joel Christie
Joel Christie grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota but has lived in the Orlando area for the last fourteen years, and now considers it his home town. He recently got married to his beautiful wife Anni, whom he loves trying to cook new and impressive gourmet recipes for. He is the president of the student conference at Asbury Theological Seminary where he is currently finishing up his master’s degree in mental health counseling. Joel and Anni have a dog, a cat, and a pet eagle (although one of those pets may have been fabricated).
Joel self-published his first book, Robby Fights the World, through Amazon.com.
Robby Fights the World is a gripping and realistic coming-of-age story about a teenage boy whose experiences at a new school challenge him to deal with issues of love, loss, friendship, and integrity.
Robin Etter
Both musician and author, Robin has enjoyed an exciting professional musical career in Central Florida. After graduating from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, she went on to join the Florida Symphony, and was principal flute for years with the Orlando Philharmonic, and the Walt Disney World Orchestra.
She was professor of music at Rollins College and has produced a number of solo CDs. She is currently a reference librarian for Lake-Sumter Community College in Clermont and resides in lovely Mount Dora, where she enjoys bird watching and jogging the hills.
Her book, Suwannee Notes, recounts the adventures of building a cabin on the Suwannee River in North Florida along with her husband Scott, the quintessential carpenter. It is an armchair travel into the backwoods of the South. Snorkeling with manatees, skinning catfish, and battling squirrels all play a part in her efforts to become more of an outdoor woman. Combining the life of an urban classical musician with the nitty-gritty process of house renovation, Suwannee Notes is a celebration of creativity and the joys to be found in nature.
The subject of the book, the Suwannee River Cabin, now has its own following and website: www.suwanneerivercabin.com
Brian Fowler
Brian A Fowler currently lives in Lady Lake, Florida. He grew up in Madison, Wisconsin where a childhood of exploration laid a base for future writings.
At age twenty he moved to the East Coast where he's been ever since. He considers himself a poet rather than a writer although his readers tell him he
has a gift for bringing characters to life. On his blog, "Truth Is Freedom", Brian has been writing poems, short
stories and commentary since 2006.
Real Magic, a paranormal adult romance-fantasy, and self-published the novel to thunderous silence in late 2007.
Real Magic began as a serial for a group of friends who were so enthralled and enthused they strongly encouraged Brian to turn the raw draft into a full-length novel. 92,000 words later
Real Magic is now an intriguing romantic thriller about a woman threatened by mysterious forces and the man who tries to help her. That man is plagued by troubles of his own, but when they join forces together, sparks literally fly. Written for a discerning adult audience, Real Magic contains realistic sexual encounters, some violence, family troubles and lots of magic set against a backdrop of busy city life. Real Magic is a gripping and fast paced story that grabs your attention from the very first page and steadily builds tension with each shock and twist until the breathtaking conclusion. Despite many other drafts and ideas from Brian, Real Magic remains the sole book length project at this time.
(www.outskirtspress.com/realmagic/)
Kenn C. Kincaid
While pursuing a policing career, Mr. Kincaid attended the University of Cincinnati, obtaining a BA in Criminal Justice.
Fascinated by psychology, social customs, criminology, and specifically the “Etiology of Anti-Social Behaviors”; a study in the origin
of crime, it quickly became obvious that few knew why crime existed, how to control it, or how to rehabilitate criminals. Yet, to the author,
it was undeniable: if crime has a cause, it has a cure.
After decades of reacting to crime and contemplating the little difference and lack of headway law enforcement made, Kincaid
undertook the writing of The Pig's Eye Trilogy, to wit; understanding a viable answer to the question of criminal behavior. It is
based in 'foundations long buried', an obvious cure. Unfortunately, as children with castor oil, the masses perceive it as a
nasty tonic and avoid it. Upon completion of the Trilogy, he undertook writing the Abel Rose Mysteries series, a 'just for fun' old
style series set in the 80s reminiscent of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer.
Don Lubov
Don Lubov has published several stories including "Creativity" for The Florida Writer; "The Confession" for the Florida Writers
Association Magazine; "Linda", a poem for The Daily Sun; and "Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda", a poem for
The Florida Writer.
His books include Life’s Purpose and Memoirs of a Boomer, Long Island Zen volumes 1 and 2. He also contributes to The Stress Blog on DeeperMeditation.net.
Mr. Lubov teaches Spirituality/Zen for the Senior Institute at Central Florida Community
College, Spruce Creek Golf & Country Club and
The Villages Life Long Learning College.
Carolyn Merryman
Carolyn grew up in Eustis Florida. As an ardent nature lover, she spent many hours in the Central Florida forest, lakes and rivers. After her husband’s death, she became a volunteer with the Crystal River Archeological State Park. There she met Nick Robbins, a second-generation park and reserve manager who shared with her some key facts about the area she has written about. Carolyn has written five children’s books and belongs to a Christian writers group.
Jimmy's Adventures in the 'Green Swamp', is a fictionalized account of 'Cracker' life style in the Central Florida area in the 1960s.
It is written to enrich the study of Florida History. Each chapter is designed to stand alone.
Look for the conclusion of Jimmy’s Adventures, Jimmy Returns to Hog Island, 2012. The appendix includes a map of
the Withlacoochee river area and history of the river and local communities.
Michael Micchelli
After thirty-two years of staring at the blue screen trying to make the numbers add up, Alice and I made a list. My personal favorite was writing a book.
The Bear Cave Saga is a four part tale of ordinary folks seeking redemption in extraordinary times. Each of us face the dangers and challenges on the journey to become who we think we should be.
The Bear Cave Saga chronicles the adventure in thrilling mystery fiction that keeps the pages turning while you hold on to the edge of your seat. A story forged in the blast furnace heat of the canyons of post soviet Afghanistan. Set in a small southern New Jersey town bordering on the northwest corner of the Bermuda Triangle, it spins among the murky depths of a military ordinance dump site, cruises through the posh neighborhoods of Washington DC then slams into the concrete realities within the tenements of the Bronx. It then walks the ancient Silk Road horse packs in the mountains of Afghanistan, dives in crystal waters of Bonaire, flies to pristine lakes of Northern Quebec and through the barrios of Argentina and Venezuela. The fourth and final book goes deep into the New Jersey Pine Barrens where the Jersey Devil lurks and gives up its dead to unravel the shocking conclusion. The Bear Cave Saga takes you to the jump point - don't miss it. Ninety-nine cents on Kindle or on loan from the Kindle Library. Print copies available at TheBearCaveSagas.webs.com.
Mark Miller
Mark currently resides in Florida with his family. He is an author, following in the footsteps of his namesake, Mark Twain. Mr. Miller
received his Bachelor’s Degree in Film at the University of Kansas. Some of his favorite movies and books include The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars.
Mark has completed five novels, a screenplay, three digital short story series and more. The first three books of his Empyrical Tales have been published by
Comfort Publishing. The Fourth Queen, The Lost Queen and The Secret Queen are available in print. Trestle Press published the eBook Daniel’s Lot along with a spiritual series; a
children’s educational series, and a faith-based fantasy series that he is co-writing with his daughter.
He believes being a father of four makes him uniquely qualified to write The Empyrical Tales. His writing sends a positive message with strong role models and
beneficial morals. His daughters unknowingly provided the models for his characters. Many of their phrases and behaviors can be seen in The Fourth Queen.
The Empyrical Tales is an all-ages fantasy adventure that tells the story of ten-year-old Zandria and her six-year-old sister, Olena. In Book I, The Fourth Queen, the sisters go on a journey to save their home and all the lands of Empyrean. Book II continues the story as Zandria goes in search of her missing mother in The Lost Queen. Then in Book III: The Secret Queen (coming June 1st, 2012), Olena heads south to a world of dinosaurs and Egyptian myths come to life. Home School Book Review says “there is a beneficial moral element” to the stories and Midwest Book Review says “there is a musical quality to the way [Miller] writes.”
Mark H. Newhouse
The son of Holocaust survivors, Mark loved being an elementary teacher in Central Islip, New York, and college teacher, and creating books and short stories
for numerous periodicals to entertain and inspire the children he loves. His short stories for adults have won various prizes and appear in a number of
anthologies including the Journeys series (Court Jester and Fireside Press).
Mark is President of the Writers League, Top Cat of the Children’s Authors Team (CAT) and a member of the Authors Guild, SCBWI, and the
Florida Writers Association. Please visit his website to see his entire book list. Not even he knows what his imagination will conjure up next.
overweight girl fighting a wacky vampire named Dr. Ghoulash provides lessons about bullying in You Never See Fat Vampires, first prize winner
in the Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Awards Competition (YA Published Fiction). In the Rockhound Science Mysteries,
three books and CD Rom, Teachers Choice Winner, Learning Magazine (2001), a dog detective named Rockhound solves mysteries with
fun science experiments such as making ice pops. These and a child of divorce finding himself living with his uncle, a lawyer for
mythical monsters, 3rd Prize winner for unpublished Middle Grade fiction in the Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary
Awards (2010), and a boy discovering the horrors of the Holocaust in "Stolen Property", Honorable Mention in the international
Writers Digest Short Story Competition (2011), are some of the characters galloping through the imagination of Mark H. Newhouse.
Barbara Phillips
Barbara Daniels Phillips earned her BA degree in Education from Wichita State University and her MA degree at Fort Hays State University.
She also attended Kansas State and Kansas University. Barbara was a recipient of two fellowships in Philosophy, three fellowships in Social
Studies and a national Newspaper Fellowship at Kansas State University. She spent two summers at KU attending Science Fiction Seminars under
the direction of James (Jim) Gunn. She now resides in The Villages, Florida with her husband Donald Phillips.
Under the name B.L. Daniels, Barbara Daniels Phillips, has written three books of romantic adventure in the
Space Darling Series: Best Laid Plans Vol. I; Darlings on Ice, Vol. II and
Power of the Crown, Vol. III. Under the name B. L.
Phillips, Barbara has published a romance adventure Fantasy novel: Search for the Red Wizard: The Blue Wizard’s Quest Series Vol. I.
which is about change as a powerful force of life and nature. Meg and her four friends discover this when they abruptly find themselves
no longer in Kansas. The new world offers them the opportunity to experience the power of magic, the adventure of a life time, and the
dynamics of love as they seek the Red Wizard to join them in their battle against the invaders who threaten to destroy their new world.
Lois Podoshen
Lois Podoshen is the author of four children's
books entitled Grandpa's Candy Store,
Paco's Garden, The Artist and The Birthday Bird. Her children's books are used in elementary schools and libraries across the United States.
Her feature articles have appeared in Westchester Magazine, Westchester Family Magazine and Westchester Weddings and her op-ed pieces have
been published in The New York Times and The Scarsdale Inquirer. Lois belongs to the Florida Writer's Association and The Creative Writers Group of The Villages.
A freelance author, she writes advertorials for Hudson Valley Magazine in New York and just finished a book of humorous essays entitled
Trying on Bathing Suits and Other Horror Stories.
Lois Podoshen's books are appropriate for children in kindergarten through second grade. They include:
Paco's Garden-A little boy and his grandmother plant a garden only to have their efforts thwarted by a hungry intruder;
The Birthday Bird - A child's special birthday gift wins over a skeptical mother; The Artist - A little girl learns about
color thanks to her Uncle Josh's paintings; and Grandpa's Candy Store - A sweet tale about a little boy and his relationship with his grandfather.
Jody Rehman
JL Rehman's law enforcement experiences were fertile ground for providing inspiration in her writing career.
She founded Partners In Crime Publishers which has published several local authors, and she is the author of three
Florida crime novels: No Middle Ground and Death Impressions, finalist in the 2010 Eric Hoffer award; and
Blood of Belladonna.
Her latest novel, Insanity Road, is soon to be released. She is also a member of Writers One Flight Up, a group
that promotes writing contests and readings for prizes and publication.
For more about JL Rehman and her work, visit www.partnersincrimepublishers.com and www.writersoneflightup.com.
Gisela Riedinger
Gisela Riedinger arrived in America at age 25 with only a few words of English and the proverbial one dollar in her pocket. Fortunately, she was met at the dock in New York City by an aunt and uncle who had secured a job for her as a maid at a dude ranch where they lived and worked in North Carolina.
Engelhardt is her story, beginning in pre-war Berlin. She shows Berlin through the eyes of a child, visiting grandparents, playing in the sandbox, strolling through one of the city's beautiful parks. Then came Hitler and Hitler Youth and being bombed out of her family's apartment, running from the Russian planes as they strafed the shores of the Sea where she and her brother had been sent for protection. Finally the war and the bombing and the hunger and the running were over and in a few years, Gisela and her brother said goodbye to their mother and father and sailed for America.
Engelhardt continues her story here in America: marriage, children, the death of her husband on the day her second child was born, a second unhappy marriage and, eventually, the joy of retirement with her daughter, grand- and great grand- children nearby.
William Russell
Mr. Russell holds a Master of Business from Salve Regina University in Newport R.I. and spent the majority of his career working as
a Government Contractor for the U.S Navy. He has completed two of the Guardian of the Tomb Trilogy;
The Guardian of the Tomb and
The Guardian of Mount Li. The trilogy involves Steven, a gifted 13-year-old, who finds himself thrown into a quest that will take
him into the tomb of Seti I and the Pits of the Terra-Cotta warriors of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's burial site. Steven, along with an
Egyptian Priest, Shu an Egyptian Wind God, Bastet his Egyptian Mau, and Morag a Western dragon must release the Guardian’s before
the Ruler discovers their entry into the guarded tombs.
Mr. Russell is a member of the Children’s Authors Team, Writers League of The Villages, and Florida Writer’s Association.
For more about the Guardian series visit www.guardian-of-the-tomb-series.comor or
send an email to theseeker.guardian@comcast.net.
Mary Ann Sciavillo-Lopez
After years of business writing and composing monthly newsletters for her pet business, Mary Ann yearned to write a novel. When her short
story, "Scents of Heaven", was selected and published in the FWA’s 2009 collection, From Our Family to Yours, Mary Ann aspired to write her
first novel. Sons Rise, a biblical fiction, follows the lives of three young men seeking forgiveness who learn to love and forgive through
renewed faith.
Mary Ann has contributed to several blogs about pet care, is a member of two Christian writers associations, and attends local
writing groups. Her sequel novel, A New Day, is due to release by summer 2012. Mary Ann, along with her husband Felix,
and their two dogs, Mac and Black Jack, reside in north central Florida where they own and operate a dog grooming shop.
Visit www.authormasciavillolopez.com for more information about the author
Peter Shianna
Peter Shianna, a licensed private pilot, avid golfer and pickleball player, also enjoys the arts, travel and playing cards. He taught at two universities
before serving in several executive positions in the private sector, including Vice President, Field Operations. In addition to Love Tag and his first
novel, Take Off, his writing has appeared in Rockhurst University’s Rockhurst Review, the Kansas City Star, the Creative Writers Journal and six anthologies.
He resides in Florida with his wife, Lori.
Shianna deftly creates a group of well-defined characters in Love Tag, which recounts the drive of protagonist Phil Tag to prove he’s a winner. Already
successful in his financial, professional and personal life, Tag attempts to settle a grudge with an old adversary. With megabucks at stake, past dirty
tricks pale next to present treachery. Fireside Publications is proud to announce that Love Tag has won first place for a published mainstream novel in
the Royal Palm Literary Award competition. The RPLA is national in scope and is sponsored by the Florida Writers Association.
For more about Peter Shianna and his work, email him at pshianna@embarqmail.com
Pam Smedley
Born in Dayton, Ohio Pam has been an independent professional portrait, wedding and nature photographer for over 25 years. She has been published in many travel, zoo and state park publications. She is also a contributing photographer in the coffee table book Houston A City in Motion.
Love of animals and photography has come full circle in her publication of Dogs and the Retirees That Love Them. In watching the love between dogs
and the retirees that have acquired them thru adoption, breeders, rescues and family inheritance you can see how
these animals have changed the outlook and attitudes of the many owners who now can give them full time care and love.
This is a 132 page book with over 180 color photographs and individual stories for each dog.
The book can be purchased thru Pam’s web site at www.Pamsmedleyphoto.com, or calling 352-259-4944 or contacting her email address at Pamsmedleyphoto@Gmail.com.
Bea Anderson Swedien
In her memoir, Under the Red Blanket, Ms. Swedien tells the story of a Swedish-American family
living among headhunting tribes in North East India during the British Raj. The book is an intimate account of the Andersons’
lives and their relationship with the Nagas (a composite of 18 tribes). It is filled with evocative anecdotes and family photographs
illustrating the love and brutality of life in the remote jungles of Nagaland and includes stories of life under British colonialism and
World War II, including the Japanese invasion into India.
In 1950 Bea returned to the United States and in 1953 she married Bruce Swedien, now a 5-time Grammy award winning music engineer/producer.
Bruce worked for RCA and Universal studios, recording the likes of Oscar Peterson, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, Duke Ellington,
Buddy Miles and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. While working with Quincy Jones on the movie “The Wiz”, Bruce and Bea
met Michael Jackson and a long personal and professional relationship followed with projects such as “Off the Wall”, “Thriller”,
“Bad”, “HIStory” and “Invincible”. Early on, Bruce made it a habit to include Bea in the studio. Loved by all for her warm
smile and fun-loving personality, she was always an important presence at these legendary recording sessions.
Joan West
Joan West, Ph.D., retired from teaching in college to become a literary agent. From that interesting and stimulating profession, she moved into small
press publishing and has shepherded several books written by authors around the country into publication. From time to time, she offers classes on
the publications industry through The Villages Lifelong Learning College. Her own writing efforts have resulted in numerous articles which have
appeared in national magazines; a six-and-a-half-year extremely enjoyable stint as a columnist for The Villages Daily Sun newspaper; the publication
of a book which grew out of her experiences as an agent entitled An Agent Speaks: A Primer for Unpublished Writers; editing CATS a book of short
stories about cats contributed by local authors and authors around the country; and writing the novel
Call of the Loon.
The story of Call of the Loon takes place on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in up-state New York. It exposes the heart of a woman,
her ambitions, regrets, sorrows and passions. Hope, suspense, love found and lost thread quickly through the pages as attorney Megan
Kearney struggles in her search for both love and career. While trying to protect her family from a ruthless schemer and herself
from the evil machinations of wealthy Ellen Foster, she is tossed about on a sea of love and deceit surrounding the men in her life.
Only her faith in the river and the call of the loon can bring her peace.
Lois Wilmoth-Bennett
After earning her Ph.D. from Kent State University, Dr. Lois Wilmoth-Bennett practiced psychology in Akron, Ohio and eventually merged with
Counseling Consultants, where she functioned as senior psychologist and supervisor of interns in a diverse range of nursing homes in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio.
Her work in the nursing home setting consisted primarily of consultation with doctors, nursing staff and residents, many of whom were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Bennett moved to Central Florida in 1996 to care for her mother as she became more incapacitated with Alzheimer’s disease. Her years in Florida have led
to a later-life career in editing and publishing novels with her business partner, Joan West, at Fireside Publications.
She is the author of Beyond Forever under the pseudonym Taylor Shaye. Deadly Visions, and her latest non-fiction book, Death Tales: From the Land of the Living & The Shadows of the Dying are both available only as ebooks on Kindle and Nook.
Dr Bennett is best known for her non-fiction book, Essays: "On Living with Alzheimer’s Disease: The First Twelve Months", released in 2010 just
one year after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. The book is written from a three-fold perspective,
that of psychologist having worked with patients diagnosed with the disease; caregiver, from caring for her mother for a decade while she
lived with AD; and now a patient herself. She spends her time writing and speaking to groups about subjects related to Alzheimer’s disease.