Friday, March 1, 2019

Local Author Book Fair – Mesa Public Library - Red Mountain Branch February 2019

Local Author Fair – Mesa Public Library - Red Mountain Branch



I’m always hunting for new authors that I can promote. Last Saturday my travels took me to the Mesa, Arizona Public Library - Red Mountain Branch. They were hosting a local author fair with over 40 authors attending and books galore.

With the help of Stephanie Foster, the Event Coordinator and Reference Librarian, I have put together several posts highlighting the authors and their books.

I love events like this. Readers get direct access to local authors and a great time is had by all.
This is the first in a series of articles about the event.

(Date: February 23, 2019)




Wren's Whiskers

Author: Caren Cantrell

AVAILABLE at Amazon


Wren wants more than anything to be a cheerleader like her best friend Lilah. But Maggie, the team captain, doesn’t want a curly-whiskered, clumsy mouse on the squad. Wren tries everything to straighten them. Boing! Boing! Boing! When Maggie misses a jump during practice for the cheer championship, the team discovers curly whiskers are exactly what they need. Wren's Whiskers shows children that it's okay and often desirable to be different. Wren is determined and never gives up on her dream. Although she is misdirected at the beginning, by the end she learns to embrace her whiskers and stand in her power.


Author: Caren Cantrell
Author: Caren Cantrell
Author Genre: Children's Books

Website: 102nd Place
Twitter: @carencantrell
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Amazon Author Profile


Author Description:
Hi, I’m Caren. I write stories about characters who are a little different and don’t quite fit in with everyone else. They might have a flipper that’s too short or whiskers that curl. Or they might just be vertically challenged like me. I love describing the adventures of an underdog who rises to the challenge. Most often I write picture books. Writing for kids is something I’ve toyed with since I was little. I have six lovely grandchildren, and two on the way, who helped get me started. I’m writing books for each of them with a character who shares their name. Lately, I’ve been dipping my toes into middle grade – and now I’m writing a science fantasy adventure called The Sun Thief. I also have a non-fiction series of books on Kindle that are part of the Planet Discovery Books for Kids series. I write these under the pen name Matthew Taylor. They are books filled with fun facts and photos about the creatures in the world around us. Writing for children is awesome, but reading to them is even better. My three favorite words are: Read It Again!









Twenty-Six Minutes Plus Two

Author: Eugene Carr

AVAILABLE at Amazon


Lets start with a proposition:

What are the chances of your being able to back up and rerun an event that has just happened to you? Let us just suppose for a moment that you could do just that and, in the process, make one small change to what had happened. Would you relive the experience a second time, or even a third?

That is the premise of the stories you are about to read. An event, with potential dire consequences, is experienced by youin real time. For good or bad, if you had the opportunity to repeat it, making one small change, would you choose to do so? Would you do it again?

Take the challenge of a relifetime, and see what could happen, if you dare.


Author: Eugene Carr
Author: Eugene Carr
Author Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Romance

Twitter: @EWCarrBooks
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Amazon Author Profile


Author Description:
Eugene Carr is an acclaimed storyteller. He takes you where you may not really want to go. In Twenty-Six Minutes, you will be on the edge of your seat as he takes you on the ride of a life. This story can only be told by someone who has been there. Mr. Carr holds a commercial pilot certificate and has an instrument rating. Other stories that he has told delve into the realm of the fantastic, worlds that are familiar, but you can't get there from here. Raised in the Chicago area, he has spent his life traveling across our country and around the world. He now winters in Arizona with his wife.








In Kala's Hands

A Lakota Sioux Proclamation


Author: Mary Crocco

AVAILABLE at Amazon


In Kala’s Hands, A Lakota Sioux Proclamation, by Mary Crocco, is about a special young woman named Kala, who spends her first twenty-four years as a wannabe artist. Kala has no talent, which makes her life miserable as she suffers humiliation from her teachers and classmates. Always having support from her friends and family doesn’t make up for her pensive sadness. Aware her daily scribbles lack talent, she retains her passion.

Living in Rapid City, South Dakota, Kala visits art galleries and museums so often, the staff knows her intimately. Hoping to work at a gallery is a dream that she prepares for by educating herself through college in art history.

Washing dishes at home, Kala suffers a horrific accident and mangles her right hand. During her emergency room visit, an unexpected visitor appears, Howahkan, from the Lakota Sioux Nation, and wraps a sacred blanket around her shoulders while reminding her of a proclamation declared on the day of her birth. Before she leaves the hospital, her hand is miraculously cured, which results in Kala possessing artistic talent. Shocking Kala, but understanding she now has a destiny to fulfill, absorbs her existence.

Family and friends step up to assist Kala with her new purpose in life as an artist. Her boyfriend, Todd, suggests a trip to The Pine Ridge Reservation. The trip reveals Kala’s destiny and she fulfills her proclamation by opening her own art gallery while using the profits to build an art school near the reservation.

Unconditional support from Kala’s family and friends, before and after her accident, plays a major role in her success. Life events provided Kala the tools for her trips to the reservation, where she maintains much needed art education for the residents. I recommend this book to readers who like stories of family, history, and culture.


Author: Mary Crocco
Author: Mary Crocco

Linkedin
Twitter: @MaryCrocco
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Amazon Author Profile


Author Description:
Mary Crocco grew up on Long Island, New York, where she loved the ocean, but hated the cold weather. Moving with her husband and two sons to the great southwest in her mid-twenties, she gained an appreciation for the Native American cultures and traditions. She lived in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and began working toward an education degree. LHC will always be her favorite place; nowhere compares to the horseback riding trails she loved to ride.

After a divorce, she moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to complete her bachelor's degree. She remarried and her family grew with the birth of her third son. Ready to work, she substituted for two years before securing a full time position in an elementary school. She taught fourth and fifth grade for three years, which included Native American students. Now a single mother, she decided to move to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she earned her Master's and taught social studies, along with ESL and reading in middle school for ten years. Her passion grew as she studied the native peoples of the region. Each year she invited the indigenous peoples to her classroom for her students to learn first-hand traditions, in hopes to spark their interest. Deciding to spend her retirement writing, her Native American studies inspired her to write stories of family, history, and culture. She is a member of Las Vegas critique and writer's groups.








Cornered!

A Kendra Morgan Mystery Book 2


Author: Patricia Curren

AVAILABLE at Amazon


The small-town gossips of Finchville, Nebraska, are having a field day discussing Glory Delgado's penchant for excessive shopping and pervasive hoarding. But even they are shocked into silence when Glory is found murdered in her farm house.

Kendra Morgan has vowed to keep her nose out of police business and concentrate on the budding relationship with her new boyfriend, Johnny Haskins. However, the teen is pulled back into her old ways when she learns Johnny may be in danger. He lives on the farm adjacent to the murder victim. And the primary suspect is Glory's husband, who is known for his hot-blooded outbursts. Kendra is haunted by visions of Mr. Delgado bursting into Johnny's home with a weapon and taking out the entire Haskins family.

And when a farmer is found hanged in his barn, Kendra is certain there's a link between the two deaths. Her obsession with finding justice for the victims and their families sends her underground to find the killer, once again putting her own life at risk.


Author: Patricia Curren
Author: Patricia Curren
Author Genre: Mystery, Young Adult, Fiction

Website: Pat Curren
Twitter: @pcurren88
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Amazon Author Profile


Author Description:
Patricia Curren lives in Mesa, Arizona, and is working on her third novel in the Kendra Morgan series, which has been described as both "wonderful and creepy." Unlike her first two books, the new one will be set in Phoenix, Arizona. She plans to do the same justice to the Arizona setting as she did in portraying the climate, culture, and especially, the people of Nebraska. Patricia loves hanging out with her cat, Cajun, when she's not working. Visit her website at www.patriciacurren.com for posts about writing, cats and fitness. She loves hearing from her readers there.








Killing in Quarter Time

a Missy Jenkins musical mystery


Author: Suzanne Flaig

AVAILABLE at Amazon


The third novel in the Missy Jenkins musical mystery series. Death by chocolate. A fiery car crash. A senator with a shady past. A family with too many secrets. Missy finds herself in the middle of a composition of killing. And the final death could be hers.


Author: Suzanne Flaig
Author: Suzanne Flaig


Website: Missy Jenkins Musical Mysteries
E-Mail: missymysteries@hotmail.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Amazon Author Profile


Author Description:
Suzanne Flaig is a former piano and organ teacher from Pennsylvania who grew up in a roller skating rink. She started playing piano at age six, and Hammond organ at age nine. After graduating from Ithaca College with a major in French, she married Paul and they had two sons, Jeffrey and Robert. Suzanne then attended Millersville College for her teaching certification. She worked as a substitute teacher as well as teaching piano and organ in her home studio and giving class and private rollerskating lessons.

Suzanne began writing full time after moving to Arizona in 1998. Now a great-grandmother, she spends her time writing and editing. She is the author of the Missy Jenkins musical mystery series, and has published numerous short stories, poems and magazine articles. She has also served as editor for several anthologies and books by other authors. She is a member and past president of the Desert Sleuths Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and the Tempe Charter Chapter of the American Business Women's Association. She is the facilitator of the Mesa Writer's Guild in Mesa, AZ.









Mommy, Tell Me a Story about What Daddy Does

Author: Kristi Grimm

AVAILABLE at Amazon


“Well, this is where our story must start. It’s about a Chimp with a very big heart.” In order to find out what Daddy does, you will have to learn about Charlie the Chimp too because they work together as a team to keep our world clean. Soon you will be swept into the world of recycling and learn how you can help Charlie too. ABOUT THE MOMMY, TELL ME A STORY CHILDREN'S BOOK SERIES. We designed the Mommy, Tell Me a Story book series for little ones all over the world to help them express their own talents and see where the books can take them through imagination, lessons, and beautiful artistic expression. Our books are designed to help children tap into their abilities to make their own stories. We want to encourage young minds to understand that they too can come up with their own stories by just observing the world around them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR and ILLUSTRATOR Kristi and her husband Dave are natives of Arizona and work as a team. Dave illustrates and Kristi writes. Kristi and Dave have been married for over eleven years. Kristi is a paraplegic from a horseback riding accident when she was 15. She is a 1993 graduate of Biola University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Dave has worked as a city sanitation driver for 25 years. They are a blended family and together they have four sons. Their youngest son, Dillon, can be seen in all of their books as the little boy that asks Mommy to tell him a story.


Author: Kristi Grimm
Author: Kristi Grimm
Author Genre: Children's Books

Author's Blog: Kristi and Dave Grimm
Twitter: @AuthorKGrimm
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Amazon Author Profile


Author Description:
Kristi and Dave Grimm are natives of Arizona and work as a team. Dave illustrates and Kristi writes. Kristi and Dave have been married for over eleven years. Kristi is a paraplegic from a horseback riding accident when she was 15. She is a 1993 graduate of Biola University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Dave has worked as a city sanitation driver for 25 years. They are a blended family and together they have four sons. Their youngest son, Dillon, can be seen in all of their books as the little boy that asks Mommy to tell him a story. Kristi comes from a very strong Christian home which is the motivation for the values that she puts in her stories.

Their books include, "Mommy, Tell Me a Story About a Car", "Mommy, Tell Me a Story About a Plane" and "Mommy, Tell Me a Story About What Daddy Does." Their newest book titled, "Mommy, Tell Me a Story About a Fish" is scheduled to be released this summer. Follow Kristi and the Mommy, Tell Me a Story team on her blog.









Endgame

The Wielders of Arantha Book 3


Author: Patrick Hodges

AVAILABLE at Amazon


Eons ago, a game to determine galactic dominance began. Now, on the distant world of Elystra, that game is reaching its conclusion.

Two mighty armies clash: on one side, Elzaria the Lightning-Wielder, backed by her brother’s army, is poised to claim the third Stone and final victory. On the other, Earth pilot Maeve and her allies are all that stands in her way.

With the fate of the entire galaxy at stake, who will make the ultimate sacrifice?


Author: Patrick Hodges
Author: Patrick Hodges
Author Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Science Fiction

Website: Patrick Hodges
Twitter: @Shrykespeare
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Amazon Author Profile


Author Description:
I currently live in Arizona with my wife, Vaneza. After years of writing for several different entertainment-related blogs, I have found new life and vitality by writing fictional stories about young teens and preteens that are entertaining for ALL ages.

I was bullied badly in middle school and high school, and I am of the opinion that not enough books are written on the subject, and those that are come off as preachy or heavy-handed. It was my goal to tell a story that a young person could read and enjoy, a story that would not only entertain them but given them a perspective on a touchy and relevant subject that they may not have had otherwise.

I make it a point to bring an empathic view to all my books, to give readers a view into what it's like for kids at that age when they just start to mature into young adults. For me, it's all about the characters. I love creating characters that jump off the page, that feel like real people no matter how old the reader is. Because without great characters, you really don't have a great story, do you?









Extreme Prejudice

Jinx Ballou Bounty Hunter Book 2


Author: Dharma Kelleher

AVAILABLE at Amazon


While in pursuit of an accused murderer, bounty hunter Jinx Ballou must face a past trauma to stop a terrorist plot.

Bounty hunter Jinx Ballou is hot on the heels of an accused murderer. Her investigation reveals her fugitive is involved with White Nation, a militant organization stoking the fires of prejudice and violence in Phoenix, Arizona.

To apprehend her suspect, she infiltrates White Nation, only to come face-to-face with the man who nearly killed her when she was a teen. Her efforts to bring both men to justice backfire, putting those she loves most in harm’s way.

As the city erupts in bigotry and bloodshed, Jinx’s world unravels, pushing her to the breaking point and forcing her to choose between seeking justice and saving lives.


Author: Dharma Kelleher
Author: Dharma Kelleher
Author Genre: Thriller, Crime, Gay and Lesbian

Website: Dharma Kelleher
Twitter: @zenpunkdharma
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Amazon Author Profile


Author Description:
Dharma Kelleher writes gritty crime novels with a progressive bent. She is the author of the Jinx Ballou bounty hunter series and the Shea Stevens outlaw biker series.

She is a former journalist and a member of Sisters in Crime, the International Thriller Writers, and the Alliance of Independent Authors. She lives in Arizona with her wife and three feline overlords.









The Parmeter File

Author: Merle McCann

AVAILABLE at Amazon


ORIGINAL COVER Someone is out to harm Holly Greer, and she's frantic to know why. Determined to stop the life-threatening madness, Holly sets out on a high-stakes journey to discover what evil provoked the attempts on her life. Her efforts take her far from home as she faces vengeance, manipulation and destruction. Amidst the threats and intimidation, her situation is dramatically changed when the handsome man from Chicago strides into her life intending to have his way in more ways than one. A born survivor, she dodges assassins, discovers blackmail, murder, and fraud within the United States pentagon, and a love is rekindled.

Fast paced, unpredictable and heart stopping, The Parmeter File is pure entertainment to the very last page.


Author: Merle McCann
Author: Merle McCann


Website: Merle McCann
Twitter: @gigimm2
E-Mail: merlemccann7@gmail.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Amazon Author Profile


Author Description:
MERLE McCANN is known for her National literature award- winning Longjohners Mystery Series for middle grade readers. She has published many short stories featuring Arizona, Mississippi, and Washington locations. McCann’s work won best in all categories and genres in the Dixie Kane Memorial as well as Arizona Authors Association annual National literature contest. Born in the Yukon, raised in Seattle, she has traveled the United States and Europe with her husband, pursuing their Arabian horse business. She has also worked as a paralegal, event planner, and scenic photographer, and lives with her husband in Scottsdale, Arizona.









Mexican Summer

Author: D.M. Miller

AVAILABLE at Amazon


After escaping an abusive marriage, Ashley stands at a crossroads. Desperate for a change, a move to Texas promises a brighter future, but she craves something more. The invitation to a Mexican vacation with Graciela and Bill comes at the perfect time.

Upon arrival, she meets Graciela’s brother Cristián. An immediate attraction blossoms, and Ashley dares to hope. But the blissful trip takes a harrowing turn with a devastating car crash. A series of shocking events follow, throwing her into a whirlwind adventure.

In a fight to survive, Ashley must face sinister forces. Who can she trust? What’s really going on beneath the surface?

And will she ever find the love she truly desires?


Author: D.M. Miller
Author: D.M. Miller
Author Genre: Romance, Religion, Contemporary

Website: D.M. Miller
Author's Blog: D.M. Miller
Twitter: @dmmiller_author
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Post with Profile + Interview: HBS Author's Spotlight

Amazon Author Profile


Author Description:
A writer from the age of twelve, after earning a Bachelor's degree from Syracuse University, D.M. Miller trekked a path from North to South to West, finally settling with her family among prickly cactus thorns and big sky valleys. Coming from a distinctively clashing gene pool, the author of the romantic interfaith "Heart" series has an appetite for going against the grain in both fiction and nonfiction alike, exploring the difficult themes of religion, politics, ethnicity, culture, family, ancestry, identity and most of all, love.









Stepmom Bootcamp

A 21-Day Challenge


Author: Elizabeth Mosaidis

AVAILABLE at Amazon


Take action to make your stepfamily life better one step at a time by participating in a 21-day stepmom boot camp. Through research and practice, Elizabeth Mosaidis has designed a program that will challenge you and help you transform your stepmom life. By completing readings, daily challenges, and reflections, you will gain a better understanding of yourself as a stepmom. You will walk away with inner peace, greater clarity on your stepmom role, and a vision for your life in the future. All you need is the commitment to follow through on this 21-day challenge, and you will experience an improvement in your stepmom life. Get started today!


Author: Elizabeth Mosaidis
Author: Elizabeth Mosaidis


Website: THE STEPMOM PROJECT
Twitter: @stepmomproject
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Amazon Author Profile


Author Description:
Elizabeth Mosaidis, MA, is a Stepfamily Foundation Certified Coach and has been a professional educator in several countries for over fifteen years. Her lifelong passion is to empower others through knowledge, self-exploration, and coaching methods. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband and stepdaughter.








The Great Boat Race

Author: Christoff Orr

AVAILABLE at Amazon


During the early days of WWII, British and French troops were surrounded and completely cut off, trapped around the city of Dunkirk. Thousands of Englishmen crewed hundreds of “Little Ships” and risked everything to rescue Allied troops. With their world falling apart all around them, these men didn’t need a uniform to answer the call to arms. Sailing from ports all around England, the nearly 700 “Little Ships” raced across the English Channel towards Dunkirk to help pull off one of the greatest wartime feats. They were referred to as “Little Ships,” but there was nothing little when it came to their courage and honor. The Great Boat Race is a tribute to the fighting spirit of those “Little Ships.”


Author: Christoff Orr
Author: Christoff Orr


Website: Ohana Books Publishing
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Amazon Author Profile


Author Description:
Christoff Orr, born on a US Air Base in Bitburg Germany, found his love and passion of American and US Military history early in life through the influence of his father, a US Air Force NCO. Christoff attributes his father as always pushing him to learn and become a better man, which motivated him to complete a college degree. Christoff graduated from Arizona State University with Honors, Sigma Cum Laude, with a BIS degree in Business & Economics with a Minor in US History. Christoff's love of writing and storytelling also began at a young age, and after completing his degree he aspired to become a published writer. Current socio-political controversies inspired the ideas and direction of the Lost Nation series. Christoff and his wife live in Mesa Arizona with their four wonderful kids, two boys and two girls ranging in age from 16 to 3, and their dog, Stitch.

Along with being an author, Christoff has also started his own publishing company, Ohana Books. You can visit www.ohanabookspublishing.com to read a weekly blog, learn more about Lost Nation Series as well as learn about new upcoming book projects.









Little Trish and her Adventures Under The Sea

Author: Helena Toscano

AVAILABLE at Amazon


LITTLE TRISH lives in a beach house on a beautiful island, but she wonders what it’s like to live under the sea. And one sunny morning while daydreaming on the dock, she plunges into the water, grows a mermaid tail, and finds out! On her magical, merry day in the ocean, Little Trish laughs at the antics of a company of clown fish, takes a wild ride on a seahorse carousel, attends class with a school of fish, and finally makes a wish on a shiny starfish to find her way home. With vivid imagery, the sweet-natured Little Trish and her Adventures Under the Sea captures a universal childhood experience, the daydream, and brings it to rollicking life.


Author: Helena Toscano
Author: Helena Toscano
Author Genre: Children's Books

Website: Helena Toscano
Twitter: @toscano_helena
E-Mail: helenatoscano2@gmail.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Amazon Author Profile


Author Description:
HELENA TOSCANO is a native of New Jersey. After graduating from Gibbs College in New York City, she lived and worked in Connecticut for a number of years. Now retired and currently living in Arizona, she frequently travels to Connecticut to spend time with her two daughters, her grandchildren, and the newest addition to the family...her granddoggie! Helena's love for children has inspired her new passion for writing children's stories. Her first book, HERBIE HERMIT CRAB, was published in the spring of 2014. She also loves song writing, playing the guitar, art, travel, reading, gourmet cooking, and gardening. Helena is presently active in poetry and writing groups. Her dream is to someday have her books made into an animated movie and a TV series....





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