Stacy Harder
Stacey Harder (Fischer) is an Australian thriller novelist & vocalist. As a young girl she developed an anxiety disorder and through her writing and singing she found that the anxiety was an ocean of creativity and was determined to ensure that her hardships would become her strengths. Second Reality is her debut novel, which tells the story of Hope who is struggling with life. Traumatized by her existence, she could not know that through this long, lonely time, someone would eventually come to save her. This book explores triggering topics such as sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, physical violence, self harm and suicide.
My mother was a very unwell woman. Her life began in trauma, and one evil person after another just seemed to find her along the way. Alcoholism, depression, PTSD, anxiety, drugs, disease… she was tortured from the inside as well as out.
So, I grew up in a broken home. I witnessed a lot of big and scary things for a child. You know some people cope with trauma by hurting others and numbing themselves with one substance or another. I am no better or worse than those people, I just made a different choice.
I wrote a book.
Second Reality is where I put all my fear and longing. I created characters who could be there for me when I didn’t know who to turn to. They were there for each other, and I always say, they can be there for you too.
Hudson Talbott
When Hudson Talbott was a little boy, he loved drawing, and it came naturally to him. But reading? No way! One at a time, words weren’t a problem, but long sentences were a struggle. As his friends moved on to thicker books, he kept his slow reading a secret. But that got harder every year. He felt alone, lost, and afraid in a world of too many words.
Fortunately, his love of stories wouldn’t let him give up. He started giving himself permission to read at his own pace, using the words he knew as stepping-stones to help draw him into a story. And he found he wasn’t so alone–in fact, lots of brilliant people were slow readers, too. Learning to accept the fact that everyone does things in their own unique way, and that was okay, freed him up and ultimately helped Hudson thrive and become the fabulous storyteller he is today.
My most recent book is A WALK IN THE WORDS. It’s my own story of my struggle with words, reading, and undiagnosed dyslexia as a child, and how it led me toward telling my stories through art. I wanted to share my story with any readers who might relate to it, and given the response I’ve received, it has.
Louise Glass
Louise Glass, is a multi-talented artist living in Demarest, NJ. Her debut novel, “Dream Lover,” won Readers View Five star Gold Medal. The novel tells the tale of three best friends navigating between reality and the supernatural. Ghosts are as integral to the narrative as humans.
I woke up one day with not one but with several books in my head: the Dream Lover Series. I went to my computer and started typing, and the birth of Dream Lover began. I made a 360-degree switch in my life from interior design (the career of a main character in the book) to writing full-time. The character becomes a clairvoyant empath, and I have had those abilities for many years and an abiding interest in the afterlife, which is a large part of my novels.
Dream Lover tells the story of three best friends trapped between the mortal realm and the supernatural. It is multi-genre, which makes it stand out from the other paranormal romances on the market.
J.F. Lawrence
Growing up, J. F. Lawrence was a storyteller through D&D, drawing, painting, sculpting, and more. As a Ph.D. student, and then as a professor at Stanford, he studied geophysics and wrote technical papers about the Earth. As an entrepreneur, he learned how to write with empathy, and to cater words for the people they were intended for. When he became chronically ill in 2018, he began writing science fiction as an outlet for creativity and as an escape from his body.
His latest book, I REBEL, is the Sci-Fi/Superhero sequel to I NANO.
Buy and review it on Amazon today: https://amzn.to/3xvsw5V
I REBEL is the Sci-Fi/Superhero sequel to I NANO. They are aimed at young adults and adults alike. It follows a teen named Mazz as he deals with having a glitchy AI in his brain when everyone else’s works. Accidents follow him wherever he goes. It turns out his malfunctioning AI causes nano-bots to misbehave around him, which he learns are actually misfiring control over the nano-bots, giving him special powers.
I wrote I REBEL to connect with my kids because I have a glitchy brain caused by a chronic illness.
Erika Andersen
Erika Andersen is the founding partner of Proteus, a firm dedicated to assisting leaders and their organizations navigate change. Change from the Inside Out is her latest book. She wrote it to help people to demystify the process of change, highlight its challenges, and provide guidance on how to traverse it with minimal upheaval, whether on a personal or organizational level.
My latest book, Change from the Inside Out, was published in the fall of 2021. I wrote it to help people understand how change works, what’s hard about it, and how to move through it – either personally or organizationally – more easily and with less disruption. At our company, Proteus International, we’ve been helping leaders and organizations move through change for many years, and I wanted to make our approach available to more people.
Mitch Ditkoff
Unspoken Word: Love Longing & Letting Go is a collection of 100 of my poems – the fourth in a series of poetry books I have written. It touches on the essence of what it takes to be a conscious human being – reflection, receptivity, wonder, longing, deep feeling, gratitude, love, humor, and the full enjoyment of the present moment.
Unspoken Word: Love Longing & Letting Go is a collection of 100 of my poems – the fourth in a series of poetry books I have written. It touches on the essence of what it takes to be a conscious human being – reflection, receptivity, wonder, longing, deep feeling, gratitude, love, humor, and the full enjoyment of the present moment. Here is what people have said about it:
John Slowsky
Raindrop Falling is my personal journey of discovering the core of myself. Let me begin by saying that we hide from a great resource that has been calling our name since childhood. Although the calling of the heart is transmitted only through ‘feeling’ and not words. This small book describes my passage to rediscover the core of the self. If you have ever felt there was more to life, I recommend turning within.
~~ T.A. Mann
Raindrop Falling (Fiction) is a story about a young man (T.A. Mann) who feels he has discovered the Kingdom of Heaven, hidden in plain sight. In his frustration to convince others, he embarks on a journey to see how deep the rabbit hole goes, only to find he is not alone. One only needs deep appreciation with a heart full of gratitude, and Eden appears before your very eyes. This book is his journal and his efforts to convince the reader of his epiphany.
My inspiration to write this story is a childhood dream, a story concept I have had for decades and never put pen to paper. The author of the book, T.A. Mann, is the character in the book written in a first-person narrative. This piece required me to put myself into my protagonist’s head, and the style resembles a conversation with a dear friend around a campfire. The reader becomes the silent voice in this setting. I hope you give it a read.
Pat Spencer
Dr. Pat Spencer is back with a new historical novel, Golden Boxty in the Frypan! This story is inspired by her Irish heritage and true life stories passed down by family members about experiences during the early 1900s.
Several issues came together to inspire me to write Golden Boxty in the Frypan. I wanted to learn more about my Irish heritage, including how and why so many Irish immigrated to the United States. Additionally, current news reports of what was being learned about acts committed against children in some orphanages during the early 1900s motivated me to learn more, beyond what my mother had told me about her experiences in a Catholic orphanage during the 1930s. Since my mother and her siblings had all passed, I contacted my cousins. They freely shared photos, remembrances, and documents. Then, as family secrets were revealed, I was hooked. I couldn’t stop investigating. And now, even though this novel is complete, new questions keep popping into my mind, driving me to find out more.
Rich Larsen
Rich Larsen is an Australian author with a love for the natural world. His debut novel, The Silent Society, is an adventure that pursues the philosophical underpinnings of what it is to be a human being and our place on this planet.
The Silent Society was inspired by my connection to the natural world and the way I observed interacting with it (or not). I have a strong interest in human and environmental health and this book is an amalgamation of those two interests. Oddly, I finished the book in 2019 (a few months before COVID reached Australia), yet the central storyline is a pandemic (of sorts), with public health alertness featuring heavily.
Quan Williams
Quan Williams was born and raised in Flint, MI, and has always had a love for stories. Quan honed his writing craft at the University of Michigan, where he studied creative writing. Since graduating, Quan has jumped at every opportunity to bring his wild ideas to life. His latest book, Godmode, is a straightforward survival horror story set inside the headquarters of a corrupt biotech/pharmaceutical company.
Godmode started as one of many wild story ideas I often get. It was originally supposed to be a shyamalan type story with a twist ending that the hero was actually a character in a video game. My beta readers shredded the first draft and didn’t buy that premise at all. So I refocused and told a straightforward survival horror story set inside the headquarters of a corrupt biotech/pharmaceutical company.
My other book, The Hand You’re Dealt, started as me reflecting on some of the trials and tribulations I’ve had to endure while trying to find my footing after graduating college. It started as just the catharsis of writing about my experiences, but then the reflections turned into whole scenes and the scenes started connecting to each other, and the characters in those scenes started developing their own unique voices.
Brenda McDaniel
Is becoming an author your dream, too? My book, My Author Journey, is about how I became an author and why I did it. I talk about my publisher and what needs to be done first, such as setting up social media, a website, and blog. Also understanding amazon algorithms, getting reviews, and developing contacts and a marketing plan. I included lists of marketers and publishers that helped me. A lot is involved in writing a book!
My latest book is called My Author Journey. I wrote it after being an author and freelance writer for four years. I talked with want-to-be writers and authors for years, who struggled. They had numerous questions about writing, publishing, marketing, or advertising their books. In my book, I share my why’s, for writing my first book, a memoir/biography about my parents and family. It is called My Angel My Hero. I tell all about my learning curve as a new author and discovering what worked best for me. And how quickly techniques and marketing change over time and how writing and publishing a book has changed over the years.
Marlis Manley
A former college instructor of all forms of written communication, Marlis Manley Broadhead has award-winning short stories and poems in literary magazines—including Kansas Quarterly, Mikrokosmos, Crosscurrents, and Kansas Women Writers. Her debut novel, TROPHY GIRL, published by Black Rose Writing last year, was awarded the William Faulkner second prize in 2018.
Trophy Girl, my debut novel, is historical fiction because it takes place in 1957. It’s inspired by my bio- and step-fathers’ car-racing careers. The setting is the Midwest dirt-track circuit the week leading up to the first grand national championship. Fun fact: My step father won that one, plus the one the following year and again in 1958.
I spent years of weekends in grandstands eating a lot of track dust. Sometimes we’d go to three races in three towns in one weekend. When I visited my bio father, I cheered him on in his sporty Deutsche-Bonnet, which he raced with the Sports Car Club of America (far less dust but harder to keep track of the cars). My memories of being a fan and a long shelf of scrapbooks took care of most of the research, but I still relied on subject-matter experts for the mechanical particulars.
Pat Spencer
For my first novel, Story of a Stolen Girl, my goal was to raise awareness of human trafficking in the United States. Most people mistakenly believe trafficking only happens in poor, underdeveloped countries by scummy-looking drug dealers. However, this is so untrue. Human trafficking happens in every country in the world and in every state in the United States. Doctors, lawyers, business people, hairstyling salon owners, mechanics, and folks from most any other profession you can think of as well as gangs and individual criminals commit this crime.
For my first novel, Story of a Stolen Girl, my goal was to raise awareness of human trafficking in the United States. Most people mistakenly believe trafficking only happens in poor, underdeveloped countries by scummy-looking drug dealers. However, this is so untrue. Human trafficking happens in every country in the world and in every state in the United States. Doctors, lawyers, business people, hairstyling salon owners, mechanics, and folks from most any other profession you can think of as well as gangs and individual criminals commit this crime.
The stories of true-life survivors inspired me, so I wove their stories into Story of a Stolen Girl. Additionally, I had a burning desire to write a novel in which the women take charge when official channels fail. The heroes in this novel are female.
For my novels currently in the midst of the publishing process, Sticks in a Bundle was inspired by a woman who shared her life’s stories while riding on a rickety old bus between Zimbabwe and South Africa. My mother’s experiences as one of eight children abandoned with her three youngest brothers at a Catholic orphanage in Pueblo, Colorado, provided inspiration for Golden Boxty in the Frypan.
George Blake
The Sun Sets in the West is about a man who sets out to fix the world as best he can with what he knows best. He attempts to avenge the love of his life and in the process improves the life of others around him. Jeff Thurman was born at a time when ideology hid a lot of ills in the world. A nuclear accident when no one knew there could be such a thing (at, least, not in the public citizenry’s view of the world). Also, many of the wrongs we know about today but are more aware of: Abuse, child trafficking, etc. But it also enlightens the readers about what is good and can be good in the world and brings hope for the future.
The Sun Sets in the West is about a man who sets out to fix the world as best he can with what he knows best. He attempts to avenge the love of his life and in the process improves the life of others around him. Jeff Thurman was born at a time when ideology hid a lot of ills in the world. A nuclear accident when no one knew there could be such a thing (at, least, not in the public citizenry’s view of the world). Also, many of the wrongs we know about today but are more aware of: Abuse, child trafficking, etc. But it also enlightens the readers about what is good and can be good in the world and brings hope for the future.
It is set in Southern California where I was born and grew up. I noticed most U.S. novels are written with East Coast / New England settings. Probably because most Publishing Agents only believe that East Coast writers and East Coast settings are worthy of consideration. I wanted a Western style with a unique perspective of what life was like starting with the Cold War era. I wanted to describe what I enjoyed about the area I grew up in and the things I experienced through Jeff.
Many writers write stories that involve pieces of their own lives. This was partly a therapeutic manuscript. While I only mildly experienced abuse in my life (I’ll explain in a minute), some around me experienced much more. I grew up in what I thought was an average American family. My Father was the anchor of the family. He was our emotional support and guide. My Mother: not so much. We lived a low-to-middle-income family existence as many others did.
I have been married and divorced twice. Both times by women who were abused by their fathers. Both could not bare children because their mothers were given DES (Diethylstilbestrol) to prevent miscarriages which resulted in female reproductive cancers. My second wife was also Bipolar, leading to the divorce as she would not do what was needed to try and correct the issue. The first one hid everything from me until the end, and we divorced after she was having an affair. I ended up later learning about more about abuse and the signs indicating it. My own mother and her family had been abused by her own father which resulted in her cold, unemotional demeanor. I started examining the various other families that I had grown up with in my neighborhood and found evidence of it, especially after my friends had grown and talked about it. It is reported that 1-in-4 women are abused in childhood. I suspect it is even higher.
Jeff is the synthesis of my hopes for the future. To avenge those who have been wronged. To bring about change slowly with the technology available today. To be hope for the hopeless.
Josephine Strand
Josephine Strand was born in Italy, grew up in South Africa, and is a long-time resident of the United States. Her travels between the three continents have strengthened her love for the sea and the outdoors. When not writing or absorbed in the latest gripping page-turner, she loves to cook and enjoys long nature walks. Misty Dreams is her first novel.
Misty Dreams is a dual-timeline romance novel set partly in New York City and partly on a fictitious island in the Southeast. As a child, Clare is separated from her family in mysterious circumstances. When a tragic accident in a department store leaves her injured and without a memory, Richard, a student at the time, rushes to her aid. The abandoned girl stirs up a protective instinct in him, and a friendship develops between them. But when Clare’s absent family suddenly makes an appearance and whisks her away, that bond is abruptly severed. Seventeen years later, present-day Richard and Clare cross paths again, and the memory of Clare’s tragic childhood experience comes back to haunt her.
When people ask me what inspired me to write Misty Dreams, my answer is always: my characters. In my mid-twenties, I wrote a series of novellas set in a vacation resort in Florida. It was superficial, frivolous stuff, unfit for publication. But two of my characters stuck with me, Clare and Richard, and when years later I decided to try my hand at a full-length standalone novel, I knew I wanted to write a story just for them. The Southern setting is somewhat similar to that of my earlier series, while the idea for the plot sprang from a daytime TV show I was following, where sibling rivalry was at the core of all the drama that took place between two sisters with very different personalities. I’ve always loved romance novels with a lot of family drama, and that’s essentially the premise of the story.
Tony Brunal
Tony Brunal is an author whose professional career began in 2017 after his first published work. Since then, he’s concentrated in writing science fiction stories that highlight the human spirit and creates a loyal group of fans who eagerly await his latest releases. With every book that he envisions, Tony Brunal continues to write stories that brings people a sense of hope and redemption. His latest book is “The King’s Tower,” a suspenseful science fiction story about man’s inhumanity towards man.
My latest book, “The King’s Tower,” is a suspenseful Sci-Fi story about “Man’s inhumanity toward Man.” The story delves into some very existential questions of what people are willing to do to continue living. This book deals with some modern problems and scandals that stay on the fringes of societal norms. I have always been amazed how as human beings, we can devolve into very cold and brutal beings in order to conquer, or exploit people. After reading a story on the news about organ harvesting in other countries, it peaked my interest and researched who were the people financing this. The story evolved from that premise.
Adam Richardson
I am not an author. I have not spent countless hours at my keyboard, pouring my guts out and agonizingly hammering out the next great American novel. I know nothing of developing characters, crafting a compelling narrative, or writing beautiful and realistic dialogue. In fact, I feel a bit of an imposter to be asked to be on Writer’s Connection amongst so many accomplished, esteemed, and professional authors. I’m just a creator and an illustrator. BUT I DID PUBLISH A BOOK… And I’m damn proud of it!
My latest, and also FIRST, book is called Famous Things. It’s essentially a collection of illustrated puns based on the names of famous people who have objects for last names – a visual guessing game of sorts. In fact, I hesitate to call it a book so much as it is more like “something amusing to look at while you’re killing time on the toilet.” Perhaps, I’m not giving it enough credit. But perhaps that’s mostly due to the fact that the inspiration for it came from a joke made around the grill with a close friend of mine. We had both previously worked with the excellent actor named Gil Bellows on our film Dead Draw, and as my friend was blowing on the coals to get them going on his grill, I said “If only we had a Gil Bellows!”. Boy, did I crack myself up (it doesn’t take much)! After that, though, I couldn’t stop thinking of other celebrities with objects for last names and started drawing illustrations of those “objects.” Pure profound brilliance, right? Not so much. Just a dumb joke – but one that still makes me smile and has ended up making me a few bucks. So I guess that’s something 🙂
Judy Ringer
Judy Ringer is the author of Turn Enemies Into Allies: The Art of Peace in the Workplace—a systematic guide to help managers resolve conflict between clashing employees, and Unlikely Teachers: Finding the Hidden Gifts in Daily Conflict—a book of stories and practices on turning life’s challenges into life teachers.
Turn Enemies Into Allies: The Art of Peace in the Workplace was inspired by a series of five blog posts I wrote five years prior to the book being published. The posts offered tips and skills for managing conflict between co-workers, and is the primary content of Turn Enemies Into Allies.
I was inspired by the idea that the work I do with individuals and groups in conflict could (and should) be part of the manager’s skillset.
I’m an Aikido instructor, black belt, and founder of Portsmouth Aikido, in Portsmouth, NH. What differentiates the book is my application of Aikido principles to skills such as centering, curiosity, collaboration, and managing self in order to manage others. The illustrations by Adam Richardson also create a unique look.
Donna DeNomme
Donna is the award-winning, internationally published author of six books including her most recent book As You Feel, So You Heal: A Write of Passage. She was recognized as Colorado’s “Spiritual Health Guru” by 5280 Magazine for her innovative empowerment techniques which inspire us to recognize and own our “Wisdom Story,” so we might consciously compose our next chapter.
As You Feel, So You Heal: A Write of Passage was inspired by the intersection of two of my greatest loves: being present to witness another’s golden moment of break-through, potent with realization and new growth and creating integrative ceremonies that reach into the deepest parts of ourselves. Like a traditional “rite of passage” this “write of passage” ushers the readers through a series of thresholds, helping them see things from different perspectives, so they might reveal more of their unique character. As You Feel, So You Heal encourages us to own all our emotions – to observe them, listen to them, nurture them, and address them in a way that helps them (and us) evolve, up-leveling our life’s path.
Sara Frances
After flirting with careers as an archaeologist, pilot, concert pianist, and diplomat, Sara Frances settled on photographer after just a few month’s residence in Heidelberg, Germany, while studying for her Masters in Comparative Literature. She self-defines as a photojournalist-poet. Always a writer and reader, as well as photographer, her unique hybrid media approach blends image in a sort of illustrated, sculptural time travel. Fragments of Spirit: 60 Years: A Photographer’s Recollections of Taos Pueblo, the Region and its Arts is a sinewy braid of diverse picture stories from her longtime love affair with Northern New Mexico, plus her long-considered philosophy and methodology of making art.
Fragments of Spirit: 60 Years: A Photographer’s Recollections of Taos Pueblo, the Region and its Arts began as a promise to self and colleagues to publish my photography as art, not as in previous books where I wrote and illustrated professional expertise and techniques. At the time I could not have imagined how far reaching that goal would be, even to creating a second career. Some ten years ago I realized, while organizing my professional archive, that I had a half-century of historic, intrinsically interesting, personal images and portraits of Taos people, the Pueblo itself, the region, and artists I’ve known. At the time I unearthed just one print, but the scope of possibilities came to mind as as a flood. Also over years, I’d collected writings about my experiences, my techniques, and my philosophy of arts. I had the makings of a formal monograph—and my artistic legacy!
Trisha Watson
Trisha Watson holds a deep reverence for nature and compassion for those in need, especially animals. Of course that encompasses pets too, and thus all her dogs and cats over the years have been rescues or strays. Her first book, The Spiritual Adventures of Russell the Dog: A Blend of Truth, Fiction, and Inspiration From the Other Side, takes us on a spiritual adventure that is skillfully crafted. You will laugh, cry and possibly find answers to questions you may have contemplated in your own spiritual adventure. May you be inspired.
The Spiritual Adventures of Russell the Dog is told by none other than Russell. It is a true adventure of the spiritual kind traversing various lifetimes of a special soul (Russell) who refused his life review in a previous incarnation as a man. The journey of his soul deeply reveals the possible reason from our numerous, frequent lifetimes here on the earth plane, which is evolution of the soul.
The second part of the book’s title is: A Blend of Truth, Fiction, and Inspiration from the Other Side. It wasn’t my intention to write a book, however, I believe anything is possible. The idea began one day about my dog Russell who had made his transition. My intuition, which is sourced from Spirit Guides, angels, or God, depending on your comfort level, kept at me with mental dialogs, tied to crisp memories of my own life, beginning in childhood, and extending to present day. I resisted because the idea was so much bigger than me or my writing abilities. Plus, I didn’t want to take on the huge project of writing a book.
I have decided I am a different type of author. How I feel about writing is expressed best by Richard Bach, author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Illusions and many other books. Here’s how he describes the process:
“I do not enjoy writing at all. If I can turn my back on an idea, out there in the dark, if I can avoid opening the door to it, I won’t even reach for a pencil. But once in a while there’s a great dynamite-burst of flying glass and brick and splinters through the front wall and somebody stalks over the rubble, seizes me by the throat and gently says, “I will not let you go until you set me, in words, on paper.”
And that is what it takes for me to write. I must feel moved by inspiration to the point of not being able to ignore it.
Martha and Ann Driscoll
Martha and Ann Driscoll are a mother/daughter writing team who most recently lived together near the banks of the Bellamy River in Dover, New Hampshire. Between them, and thanks to the award-winning illustrations and book design of Susan Andra Lion, Martha and Ann have three award-winning books. Other titles are Sammy the Seahorse and Rosa’s Monarch Butterfly. Martha’s professional life was devoted to literacy education, reading education and the preparation of reading teachers. Ann’s professional life was a mix of teaching and leadership in higher education and organizational development consulting. Martha died on November 08, 2021. But there are still stories to write…
My mother (Martha Driscoll) and I were co-writers (she died this past November). We created three picture books, Nosey’s Wild Ride on the Belle of Louisville, Sammy the Seahorse: Is He a Horse or is He a Fish? and Rosa’s Monarch Butterfly: The Magic of Metamorphosis. At their heart, all three books are an imaginary means for early readers to learn about something that is real – an historically significant steamboat, seahorses and monarch butterflies. My mother and I began working together on picture books around 2012. The idea seed for our latest book, Rosa’s Monarch Butterfly, came from a real-life experience that my mother had seventy years ago as an elementary school teacher. A little girl who was made fun of by her peers brought a monarch chrysalis to school. The teacher turned the moment into an opportunity for the girl and her classmates to get to know one another and to learn about the monarch life cycle. In real life, the teacher was the hero who intervened in the bullying and prompted the girl’s classmates to see her differently. For our story we shook things up. We wanted the girl to be the heroine, for it to be her voice that talked about monarchs and for the book to be a resource for readers to learn about monarchs. The inspiration engine for this particular story was the tremendous satisfaction my mother and I took from writing the first two books together. We both wanted to have that experience again, the act of creating something together from our imaginations.
Julie Loar
Julie Loar is a multiple award-winning author of eight books, dozens of articles, and a popular Blog. She has taught Astrology, Tarot, mythology and symbolism for more than forty years and traveled to sacred sites around the world, researching the material for her books and teachings, and leads sacred journeys to Egypt. She was a featured contributor on John Edward’s web site InfiniteQuest.com where she had her own internet TV show. Her newest book is Symbol & Synchronicity: Learning the Souls Language in Dreams and Waking Life.
Symbol & Synchronicity: Learning the Soul’s Language in Dreams and Waking Life is my latest book. The impulse to write the book, which at its heart is about working with dreams as guides on the spiritual path, came as a sort of “call” early in the pandemic lockdown. Over a year of writing, the journey was one of discovery and transformation. The book explores ancient dream traditions, scientific research into sleep and dreaming, cutting edge theories in quantum physics and consciousness, and wise spiritual traditions from different cultures. The book also includes a powerful and practical process for working with dreams that was triggered by an amazing dream I had while writing the book.
Susan Andra Lion
Susan Andra Lion is an award-winning designer, author, and illustrator with a full line of poetry drawings and a variety of decks of affirmation cards, journals, greeting cards, and prints. Sue is also a fine artist and works in colored pencil and pastel. Her work has been displayed in galleries, exclusive shows, and many private collections.
Fox Light, Magic Hidden in Plain Sight, was inspired by a comment made in a class I took with an elder member of my writing group way back in the 90s. She urged me to take the class, too. Sign me up, I said. By the way, what kind of class? Writing Your Memoirs, came the answer. Well, I wasn’t to the age of thinking of writing my memoirs, but the teacher was terrific. One woman in the class noted that in America, stories of “the olden days” weren’t valued. We have a history of charging ahead, even to the point of devaluing the wisdom of our older generations because of the false belief that whatever they did “back then” wasn’t productive or economically useful now. Times change. Keep up or get out of the way. All the wisdom, work ethics, problem solving, and experiences were dismissed. That led to a good class discussion about the value of passing down our stories, if only for our children and children’s children.
In the past, stories were passed down from generation to generation by the elders of the communities. The Storytellers were often the Uncles or Grandfathers, Aunts or Grandmothers. They told them over and over again to the little ones, making sure the history of the tribe was embedded deep in their hearts. Those stories became the foundation for future actions, decisions, moral stances, and pride. From oral histories came written accounts, even artwork to accompany the words. A commitment to the weaving of the community came through shared beliefs and an understanding of the earth, the plants and animals, the wind, spirit beings, and all humans.
Well, now years later, I was struck with the notion that recording experiences in my life didn’t have to be dull or outdated. I reflected on the “magical” incidences I’ve had, many of which can’t be explained with math or logic, and I started scribbling notes. One note lead to another, and the pages kept getting a little higher. Each story triggered another, until I realized I had the content for a book. Just for me, just for my children, but created with my professional approach to any job in my list.
Then, because I’m an illustrator, I felt creating drawings to augment the text was a combination of my skills. So, why not! They touched a deeper place in me – I think images do that – but I was surprised at how deep. A piece of me went way back, back to the days of being a little kid sitting at the kitchen table when we lived in North Dakota, and just drawing. I didn’t actually take an official art class until I went to college, but I was lost in bliss when I did art back then.
Fox Light is a collection of short stories based on my experiences of something magical happening in my life. I saw my beloved dog’s blue, ethereal spirit rise from her body. I’ve had Beings hike with me, transparent though they were. I’ve had a connection to the workings of the earth that have lifted me to a different plane. I believe we all have these magical moments, if we are willing to let go of our preconceived notions about how things work. Too often we say, “that can’t be” or “it’s just a figment of your imagination” and the magic that presented itself disappears. I hope my book helps people be more aware of the magical moments in their own lives and revel in their bigger world.
Tyler Baras
Tyler Baras is the Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder of Area 2 Farms. Tyler has a range of urban agricultural experience from homesteading to commercial hydroponics. While completing his B.S. in Horticultural Sciences at the University of Florida, he traveled overseas to study Organic Agriculture in Spain and Protected Agriculture (greenhouse production) in China. After graduation, he worked as a grower for 3 Boys Farm Inc., one of the first certified organic hydroponic farms in the United States. In 2013, Tyler moved to Denver, Colorado where he worked as the hydroponic farm manager at The GrowHaus.
Home Hydroponics: Small-space DIY growing systems for the kitchen, dining room, living room, bedroom, and bath” is my third book on hydroponic gardening. Most hydroponic gardens look like a maze of PVC pipes, including many hydroponic garden designs described in my previous books, but in my latest book I detail 14 different DIY hydroponic garden designs that heavily prioritize the aesthetics of the garden while maintaining their functionality.
Doreen Berger
The Captain’s Daughters is Doreen D. Berger’s first novel in a series about the adventures of the Marsh sisters, Diane and Robin. Doreen, known to her family and friends as Diane, has based the series on her relationship with her lifelong friend, Robin, and their spirited childhood escapades.
The Captain’s Daughters was inspired by my childhood escapades with my best friend Robin. We always seemed to find ourselves in hot water for a silly prank we pulled! We were both astronomy and science-fiction fans and dreamed about living on a starship. The book combines our not-so-good behavior with our dream of outer-space travel.
Peri Heft
Peri Heft is a 360-degree health and wellness coach who educates, encourages, and inspires others to improve their Meals, Movement, and Mindset. As a certified nutritionist, yoga and fitness instructor, personal trainer, and lover of all things health and holistic wellness, her knowledge and experience surrounding food and its effect on the body plays a large role in her success as a leader, educator, trainer, and author. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, working out, creating artwork, enjoying live music, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with friends and family.
I’ve always cooked meals and shared recipes, but as my social media accounts grew bigger and bigger, and as I started taking on more clients in the Health and Wellness industry, people just kept asking for my recipes. Anytime I would share a dish on, let’s say Instagram, I would get several comments and messages asking for the recipe. So I figured, why not create a book that I could sell to folks who want “in” on my cooking style, and provide one to my private clients too!?
Angela Thompson
Angela Thompson is a writer of children’s books. She holds a degree in Health and Human Services and has worked in this field for numerous years. Her books rhyme to hold the children’s attention while they are learning. She currently has two books on the market, Who Has Seen the Wind, Today? and How We Get From Here to There?
It is titled How We Get From Here to There? It’s a rhyming book about transportation. It is written in a humor mode and I wanted it to be fun to read, yet an easy way to learn about transportation. It was inspired by my grandson’s love of big trucks. He was so excited when saw them while traveling and he likes books about big trucks.
Sabina Khan, PhD
Dr. Sabina Khan, PhD, is a research scientist, clinical professor and freelance writer of brain health, nutrition and scientific articles in Miami, FL. Dr. Khan’s research falls at the intersection of neuroscience and women’s health and is focused on how our genetics, diet, environment and lifestyle shape the brain.
I have been working as a licensed clinician for nearly ten years and seeing the ins and outs of neurodegenerative conditions, working with patients with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, speaking with family members of patients suffering from cognitive deterioration, I was often asked about preventable factors. I wanted to dive into if living a healthier lifestyle, our diet and nutrition could really outweigh genetic predisposition and make a significant difference for individuals with these conditions or at-risk with respect to brain health. Time and time again, I have found brain chemistry is absolutely changed by food, pollutants and lifestyle choices. This lead to my research deeper into neuro-nutrition and inspired me to write “Feeding Your Brain” for those wanting to take control of their brain health.
Brad Richard
Brad Richard is the Author of the book “Man at 50 – A Journey of Crisis, Revelation and Survival!” His speaking, mentoring and coaching is focused on helping people move forward with their lives through his unique system of going back to move forward! He currently lives in East Texas with his wife. He is a full time security officer, Realtor® and Host of the Podcast “Man at 50!” His goals are simple: help at least one person and leave his story behind for others to learn, benefit and grow by!
Man at 50 – A Journey of Crisis, Revelation and Survival is my Autobiography, my story of a life filled with fear, sexual identity questions and codependency. I lived a life of a child for the 1st 50 years of my life. My life changed dramatically after I decided my life had to change and the time had come for me to step up to Manhood!
Teresa Pérez
Teresa Pérez is an American expat living in Argentina with her husband, two dogs, myriad cacti and assorted plants, and the errant wild birds that visit her two bird feeders on any given day. Oh yeah, and the daughter of Cuban immigrants.
My latest book is the second in a children’s book series. The idea behind the series is to get children (and their parents) interested in geography and other cultures through the adventures of a loveable, yet imperfect dog. The books blend facts about the country featured in each installation presented alongside a fictional storyline with interesting cultural tidbits scattered throughout. I typically highlight things that are less known or something one might not find in typical tourist literature to offer a more unpredictable adventure and engage both adults and children. I have purposely chosen places off the beaten track in each country, not the most famous cities, as touristy places can often have more outside influence and may not truly reflect the local culture. I also include things which link one country to another (in the series) to highlight the fact that we, as humans, have more in common than one might think, no matter how different our cultures may seem.
This second book was inspired by my time in Uganda working for an NGO. Having never visited the African continent before, I had no expectations but was utter overwhelmed at how friendly, curious and lovely Ugandans are. Everywhere I went, I found a kinship with the local people and shared stories and time with people which has left a lasting impact. When I tell people that the Ugandans are the friendliest people I have ever met in my travels, it always surprises them – for preconceived notions really, not based on any actual experience. Some of their traditions, perhaps “ways of thinking” is a better way to express it, are ideas that are simple but profound at the same time and, in my opinion, worth sharing. I truly wanted to impart this experience, especially with young people, who have not been influenced by the world yet. I firmly believe if children are curious at a young age, this will follow them throughout life and hopefully lead to a desire to learn more about the world around them and form opinions based on facts and experience and not just hearsay.
I have been traveling and living abroad for almost 20 years now. I have heard so many notions adults have about different countries without having ever travelled themselves. I was a bit taken aback by this realization and decided I wanted to do my small part in making a positive change, starting with young people. Adults often get caught up in the practical differences about countries – the language, access to services, level of development – and forget that there are people and cultures with long and wonderful traditions which are overlooked in the process. Children don’t have these notions yet and are more likely to engage in a story they like and become curious about where it is in the world; my sincere hope is that they then read more. When I was a kid, I received a “pen-pal” through a service and that contact with the world outside mine was enough to plant the seed of curiosity within me. With the world changing, not always in the best ways, finding commonalities in our fellow man around the world is something we need now more than ever. Hopefully, Joaquin’s adventures will inspire kids to look outside of themselves and their own cultures and find the good in the world that exists outside their realities.
Matt Ingwalson
Matt Ingwalson is an author of genre fiction including mysteries, thrillers and horror stories. He has published multiple books including SHELF UNBOUND’S BEST INDIE NOVEL OF 2015 and the award-winning Western noir Sin Walks Into the Desert.
The Baby Monitor: A Novella of Family Horrors is about how everyday life drives you insane. The bills that won’t stop coming. The alarm clock you forget to turn off on the weekends. The flat tires. The broken washers. Sometimes it almost seems like there’s some evil force tormenting you.
In The Baby Monitor: A Novella of Family Horrors, you meet Richard and Lissa, two young parents who can’t sleep. Every night their infant son wakes them up screaming, crying, gripped by a terror he’s too young to name. But does he simply have nightmares? Is his nursery haunted? Or there is something even darker eating away at the sanity of this new family? It’s a book about secrets, sleeplessness and stress.