Saturday, November 4, 11:00am to 3:00pm
Stop by the library to join us for our 2nd annual Local Author event! Authors and illustrators will be at their tables from 11:00am-3:00pm. Signings and book sales will be available at each table. Authors will accept payment in Venmo, cash, etc.
Face painting from 11am-1pm, and a collaborative craft for all ages, while supplies last.
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Dana Andrews is finally ready to share the story she almost didn’t get to tell. She is a survivor of unthinkable child abuse and her mission is to show others that surviving and healing from abuse is both achievable and amazing! Dana is the wife of one, mother of five and granny to 3! She is a retired nurse, and continues to write, illustrate, oil paint, create mosaic furniture, spin wool and knit. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, gardening and caring for her puppy, chickens and ducks. Dana is currently illustrating her second book, a true story for children. <Back to top of page> |
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Nicole Bradley is making her mark as a writer and is on a mission to spread literature to all children everywhere. Writing has always been a passion and a hobby for her. She believes that writing is one of the greatest forms of self-expression. She uses writing to express positivity, and healthy family relationships and bring awareness to diversity. Nicole self-published her first book in 2008; a book of poems entitled Heartfelt: A Collection of Poems. The Adventures of Maddie & Mack: The Big Sister Blues was her first children’s book published in 2019 followed by The Adventures of Maddie & Mack: Maddie the Boss published in 2021. The Adventures of Maddie & Mack: I Can be Anything is her third book from this children’s book series published in 2023. This book is also the first rhyme book in the series that pays homage to African American singers. Nicole is a graduate of Hampton University, where she majored in Broadcast Journalism and minored in Marketing. She has worked in the Television & Media Industry for numerous years at various television networks, including CNN, BET, Katz, and innovative media outlets such as Tegna Inc. In Nicole’s spare time, she loves to spend quality time with her family and create new memories with them. Nicole currently resides in New Jersey with her husband and children. <Back to top of page> |
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After thirty years as a reading and writing educator, Esther Phillips Clark has written four fun picture books, creating the Winellda’s Wish book series. Her company, Unicorn Tales, LLC, was established in 2015 and was created to highlight the magic of storytelling for readers of any age. She travels to visit schools, libraries, and local organizations, presenting her story and sharing her message: that dreams and wishes can come true. We can all make a positive difference if you listen to your heart. All you need to do is believe. Today, she resides in Moorestown, New Jersey, with her husband, Gene. She is grateful to have had the opportunities that life has provided so far. She is looking forward to more exciting adventures that are coming her way. <Back to top of page> |
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Mia Dalia is an internationally published author, a lifelong reader, and a longtime reviewer of all things fantastic, thrilling, scary, and strange. Her short fiction has been published by online by Night Terror Novels, 50-word stories, Flash Fiction Magazine, Pyre Magazine, Tales from the Moonlit Path and in print anthologies by Sunbury Press, HellBound Press, Black Ink Fiction, Dragon Roost Press, Unsettling Reads, Moon, Anthology of Lunar HorroPhobica Books, Psycho Toxin Press, Wandering Wave Press, and DraculaBeyondStoker Magazine. Her fiction will be featured in the upcoming anthologies by Nightshade Press,Bullet Points, Off-Topic Publishing. Mia’s Noir tales have been published by Mystery Magazine and Bang! Noir Anthology from Headshot Press. Her debut novelettes, Smile So Red and The Trunk, are available on Amazon. She currently has a multi-novella deal with PsychoToxin Press with 2023 releases scheduled. Her debut novel, Estate Sale, was published by Black Ink Fiction in April of 2023 to rave reviews. Find her at Official website: https://daliaverse.wixsite.com/author <Back to top of page> |
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“The Donna Gentile Story” is the author’s first publication within the genre of true crime. It is a true story, a story of tragedy, the story of a first cousin, a young woman, loving and kind, but silenced, abandoned when she speaks of her hardships at home, from there to exploitation, abandonment and death, a murder never resolved. A two-time nationwide award winning journalist, she has been a columnist for Century City News “Love Buzz” in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills Times “On The Move” and Advance medical magazine “X-Ray Visions”. Studied Broadcast Journalism at Temple U. and later received a Master of Arts degree in Somatic Psychology at Ryokan college in Los Angeles. Raised in South Philadelphia and Moorestown N.J. <Back to top of page> |
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Marla Deibler, PsyD, ABPP, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and is Board-Certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology. She is the Founder and Executive Director of The Center for Emotional Health of Greater Philadelphia. Dr. Deibler serves on the Faculty of the Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) of the International OCD Foundation. Dr. Deibler also serves as President of the Board of Directors of OCD NJ, the NJ affiliate of the International OCD Foundation, Consultant at the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders, Visiting Clinical Supervisor at the Rutgers University Psychological Services Clinic, and as a member of the Executive Council for the Association for Contextual Behavioral Sciences OCD Special Interest Group. She is the author of The BFRB Recovery Workbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Effective Recovery from Hair Pulling, Skin Picking, Nail Biting, and Other Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (release date October 2023) <Back to top of page> |
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Janet Ouimet grew up on a dairy farm in upstate New York. Both parents were avid readers, so with no tv, board games, cards and reading books were the entertainment each evening. During her thirty-five years of teaching, she modeled writing for each class. Her daughter, Nathena DelPidio, has illustrated three of those stories. Janet lives with her husband in upstate New York on a mini farm. Nathena DelPidio is a children’s book author and illustrator. Growing up in upstate NY, books were a part of every day. Reading was always her favorite activity. She writes stories to celebrate the beauty and humor children bring to the world. She lives with her family In Moorestown, NJ. <Back to top of page> |
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Tony Digerolamo is a New Jersey screenwriter, novelist, comic book writer, game designer and comedian. He is best known for his work on The Simpsons and Bart Simpson comic books. He has also been a joke writer for Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, a scriptwriter for Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and a blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision website. He has written screenplays including Mafioso: The Father, The Son starring Leo Rossi. His novels, Fix in Overtime and The Undercover Dragon are available through Padwolf Publishing. After publishing his own comic books (Jersey Devil, The Travelers and The Fix) with SJRP, he eventually got a publishing deal with Kenzer & Company. Tony also wrote Everknights (another Kenzer comic book), as well as the Hacklopedia of Beasts (Volumes 1 thru 8) and Slaughterhouse Indigo (an adventure for the Hackmaster RPG). He also adapted Mark Twain’s Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc for Campfire. Performing in the Philly comedy scene for over ten years, Tony performed and directed such improv groups as Next Line Improv, The Cabal, The Ninjas and Bulletproof Giraffe. Tony’s Amazon Page ThePineys.com <Back to top of page> |
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Laura Eppinger knows that the Jersey Devil is real! Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize as well as Best of the Net. Her flash fiction chapbook, Loving Monsters, is available through Alternating Current: tinyurl.com/eppingermonsters. Her creative non fiction chapbook When the Hermit Appears is available from AlienBuddha Press. Follow her here: facebook.com/eppingermonsters <Back to top of page> |
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Alicia Guide worked 17 years as an award-winning newspaper journalist before she decided to pursue a new career as an educator. A Massachusetts native, Alicia now lives in New Jersey with her family and teaches at Haddonfield Friends School. She often sees bats flying at dusk as she walks her beagle rescue, Auggie the Doggie, around her Cherry Hill neighborhood. Nine New Jersey Bats is her first book. <Back to top of page> |
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Author. Illustrator. Editor. Colleen writes picture books and middle grade novels. Her picture books include Love Made Me More, A Home Again, and Lilla’s Sunflowers. Her middle grade novel is titled A Promised Stitch in Time. Love Made Me More has garnered star reviews and was selected to be included in the Pizza Hut Book It! Program. Her title, A Home Again, has been published in 8 languages. Colleen is a committee member of the NJ SCBWI and The Rutgers Council on Children’s Literature. She also teaches private classes on picture book writing, and works as an editor at Reedsy.com. Colleen is represented by Isabel Atherton of Creative Authors Literary Agency. Colleen is a graduate of Rutgers University, as are her husband and two sons. Her daughter followed the bright lights to work in the film industry in LA. Colleen works from her Cherry Hill, NJ studio with her canine assistant, Sage. <Back to top of page> |
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Why do some leaders thrive while others simply survive? The answer is that leaders who thrive work on leading themselves first, while the surviving leaders only work on leading others. You Only Lead One: 8 Principles for Leading Yourself Before You Lead Others, offers tools and strategies for new and emerging leaders that have been entrusted with passing the leadership mantle to the next generation. YOLO provides practical steps to equip you with the skills to lead yourself. The most successful leaders in the world know how to practice self-control. Once you learn how to master yourself from within, you have entered into a whole new dimension of leadership. Thriving leaders are YOLO Leaders because they realize—You Only Lead One. Use this book as a guide to help you become the leader you were created to be. <Back to top of page> |
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Kamili Choma Leath is a Multi-Cultural Education Consultant. She has over 25 years in the education field. She believes that every child can thrive in the right learning environment. She has spent her professional career helping make that belief a reality. Kamili conducts seminars; workshops and training for child care institutions and churches as well as businesses. She teaches on a wide variety of topics including her specialty which is cultural diversity. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Arcadia University and a Master of Science in Christian Counseling from Carin University. Together with her husband, Jonathan M. Leath, she co-founded Discover HOPE, a youth leadership, and development organization that helps young people develop their character and cultivate integrity. Kamili is also the COO of Leath & Associates, LLC, a Cultural Competency & English Language Learner consultant, and a licensed insurance agent. She has been married to Jonathan for over 25 years. Together, they are the proud parents of four children. <Back to top of page> |
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Michael Leone’s fiction has been published in numerous literary journals, including Ninth Letter and the Indiana Review. Michael has also written for the San Diego Chronicle, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and the Kansas City Star. He lives in New Jersey with his daughter Alex. <Back to top of page> |
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A man who never knew his father finds him – on a video of a 1961 episode of the TV quiz show “To Tell the Truth.” He’s propelled into a “new” family including his dad’s seven marriages, eight siblings and a grandfather and crusading reporter murdered by a Texas sheriff in 1949. Keith Mason is the guy it all happened to, and “Please Stand Up” is his well-reviewed memoir. (Your $20 purchase of a signed copy includes a donation to the library children’s dept.) A Cinnaminson resident, Keith began writing for Philadelphia newspapers, interviewing dozens of top artists from Jerry Garcia and Phil Collins to George Carlin and Monty Python. In 1978 he began a nearly forty-year career in public relations, nonprofit development and the performing arts, including stints at Drexel University and the Kimmel Center (home of the Philadelphia Orchestra), for elderly and disability services, and at a major addiction recovery center. He also created and taught a senior writing course at Temple University. The author was a producer for one of Philadelphia’s most cutting-edge theaters, and worked in radio for years, covering all forms of music and information. <Back to top of page> |
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A graduate of Villanova University, Mike is the author of five books published by Arcadia Publishing Company and is co-author of Marpke’s Gretchen Harrington Tragedy: Kidnapping, Murder and Innocence Lost in Suburban Philadelphia and Cherry Hill A Brief History, published by The History Press. He also works as a freelance writer and is a contributor to the Encyclopedia of New Jersey, which was published by Rutgers University Press in 2004, and State Supreme Courts, which was published by the National Center for State Courts in 2013. He is the recipient of awards from the New Jersey Press Association, the New Jersey chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, Philadelphia Press Association, the New Jersey Communications Advertising and Marketing Association and Camden County College. <Back to top of page> |
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Andrew McCoy is a fifteen year old boy who loves to tell jokes that he creates to his family members. He is talented at creating his own jokes, and this encouraged him to write his own joke book when he was eleven years old. If many of his family members laughed at the joke, then he would add it to his joke book. He is also interested in science, math, space, and especially rockets. He enjoys reading, swimming, and learning about NASA, rockets, and the planets. He volunteers monthly at the library and during the summer teaching children how to play chess. He has a younger brother who is also writing his own book about cooking. <Back to top of page> |
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Stephen McCoy is a creative thirteen year old boy who likes math, reading, cooking, baking, and swimming. He also loves computers and coding. He enjoys spending time in the kitchen cooking and baking with his family. He volunteers monthly at the library and during the summer working with children who want to learn to play chess. He has been dedicated and working hard on the cookbook since he was eight years old. He has an older brother who is also writing his own joke book for children. <Back to top of page> |
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Brandon Muzyka is an American poet, author and podcaster from New Jersey, with a vivid imagination and passion for storytelling through language. In 2019, Muzyka released his first collection of poetry, “Sunflower: A Poetry Collection.” In 2022, he released his second collection of poetry, “Seasons of Change.” Both collections make up the “Poem-synthesis” series. Muzyka continues to fulfill his passion and love for content creation and finds distinct inspiration through his travels. To stay connected with Muzyka, and receive the latest news in regard to his latest projects, visit http://www.muzykaprojects.com <Back to top of page> |
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Angeli Rafer is a Filipino American illustrator and comic artist based in the diner capital of the world (a.k.a. New Jersey). She is a self-taught digital artist, with a passion for telling stories about everyday magic — from cooking and first crushes to cute animals and bad puns. Her work also appears in several anthologies: Hellcat Press’s Screams Heard Round the World, Dark Lady Returns, and the Sequential Artist Workshop’s Rhythms. Her first graphic novel, Ghosts Don’t Eat Potato Chips (The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids #3), will be available in September 2023! <Back to top of page> |
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Michele Ryan is a multi-published author who embraced her creative passion with her co-author TL Reeve. Michele is a lifelong resident of the state of New Jersey, along with her husband and three children, whom she refers to as her hobbits. When Michele is not plotting or writing, she can be found either volunteering at her children’s school or reading. The dynamic duo, as they often refer to themselves, write a little bit of everything from contemporary to paranormal and everything in between! <Back to top of page> |
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Allison Schwartz is an animation graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University and a South Jersey local with a passion for cartoons and video games. She started her children’s book journey during her senior year of college, publishing her first title after she completed her degree and her second title only a year later. Allison’s favorite genre has always been fantasy fiction and dreams of exploring fantastical worlds through her artwork. Allison hopes her works inspire kindness and creativity in children, as well as a deep love of reading from an early age. <Back to top of page> |
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Lisa Schwartz is a creative with a broad reach through different artistic mediums. In 2021, she self-published her first title, “Sir Ken D. Kane and the Fabled Frog,” a book centered around characters she developed over the course of her university animation program. Predominantly an animator, she branched out into creating children’s books starting in 2020 and 2021, in her final years at Fairleigh Dickinson University with her animation degree and a few freelance positions under her belt. She is a firm believer in the power of children’s media to teach newer generations moral lessons, and a lover of fantasy. Her inspirations stem from her childhood, when she read books, played games, and watched cartoons- typically about medieval kingdoms, sci-fi worlds and other fantastical realms and characters. She hopes to continue developing her stories through moving and still pictures, and that such projects bring as much joy to her audiences and readers as they do to her when she creates them. <Back to top of page> |
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June is the Statewide Diversity Leadership Officer for the Center for Family Services providing cultural competency leadership for DMHAS agencies throughout NJ. She currently serves as an Honorary Commander Emeritus for the Joint Base – McGuire-Dix Lakehurst, Board Chair and Diversity Committee Chair, Alice Paul Institute and Board Trustee of the Burlington County Military Affairs Committee, (BCMAC). She is also a member of the Distinguished Alumni Board for Strayer University and Adjunct Professor for Wilmington University. She is a lifelong resident of New Jersey with her husband, Michael and daughter, Alyssa. <Back to top of page> |
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Debbie Sharnak is Assistant Professor of History and International Studies at Rowan University. Her book, Of Light and Struggle: Social Justice, Human Rights, and Accountability in Uruguay were published with the University of Pennsylvania Press in June 2023. She is also the co-editor of the forthcoming volume Uruguay in Transnational Perspective with Routledge (July 2023). Other work has appeared in the Journal of Iberian and Latin American Studies, TALLER, Diplomacy and Statecraft, and several edited volumes on topics such as Latin America, human rights, and transitional justice. She has also done various international human rights work at freedom house, new media advocacy project, the international center for transitional justice among others. She holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BA from Vassar College. She has lived in Moorestown since 2020. <Back to top of page> |
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Memories from Morocco and Beyond. In this collection of her memories, which spans from the 1930s through 2001, Nelly shares her experiences during historic events as well as, often amusing, everyday moments from her idyllic childhood in Casablanca, her later life in England, and her travel adventures. Nelly Chinn grew up in Casablanca, Morocco in a society where the magic of the Arabian Nights co-existed with the rationality of the western world. Within her family French, Spanish, Moroccan Arabic and English were all spoken. She survived German/Vichy French occupation during World War II to become, in later years, knighted by the French government. After the war, she married her knight in shining armor, Harry Chinn, an unpredictable and irrepressible Liverpudlian whom she met while he was serving in the RAF. They lived in England, then Casablanca, then America. Nelly wrote her memoirs over many years, to leave a taste of her life to her grandchildren. In 2021, when Nelly was 93, her daughter, Norma Shepperd, helped her curate and publish her stories. Nelly passed away in February 2023. <Back to top of page> |
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David Sullivan retired in 2020 as assistant managing editor, editing and standards for The Philadelphia Inquirer, a position he had held since 2012. He started at the paper as a copy editor on the Metro desk in 1983 and worked on the Sports, Features, Neighbors, and Metro desks until becoming assistant managing editor, copy desks, in 2001. Before working at the Inquirer, he had been a reporter and editor at The Palladium-Item in Richmond, Ind., and two newspapers in Michigan, The Ypsilanti Press and The Flint Journal. While working for the Inquirer, he led workshops on better editing and headline writing at newspapers in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, Ontario, and Pennsylvania. He served as president of the Greater Philadelphia Pro Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists, and as a board member, secretary, and vice president of ACES: The Society for Editing, a national organization with nearly 5,000 members. A native of Indianapolis, he is a 1975 graduate of Ball State University, of which he was named outstanding journalism alumnus in 2012. He also is a historian of department stores, and wrote the entry on that subject in the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Until working on this book, he never paid much attention to pro football; now, he bleeds Eagles green. He and his wife, Betsy Anderson, live in Moorestown, N.J. <Back to top of page> |
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Andrew Vassal, ED.D has been an educator for over 20 years in both urban and suburban districts. He is a 2023 semi-finalist for the Pennsylvania Teacher of The Year Award. During his earlier years in Urban Education, he developed a thirst for knowledge in the area of literacy. The depth of knowledge he obtained allowed him to better support his students who were reading at a grade deficit. Through this journey, he developed a skill in storytelling which allowed him to elevate his students’ stories so their voices could be heard. The central concept of his stories support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) and Social, Emotional, Learning (SEL). <Back to top of page> |
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Char Webster and Charlene Raquel are two pen names for one author who weaves suspense, mystery, romance and humor into all of her books. As Char Webster, she specializes in paranormal romance and as Charlene Raquel, she focuses on contemporary romantic suspense. She was lucky enough to make the USA Today Bestselling list for both her pen names. Char strives to make her fantasy and paranormal worlds fit perfectly into real life, where anything seems to be possible. Charlene keeps readers guessing what could happen next while the danger continues to grow. Reading and getting lost in a story have always been her favorite things to do. Since very young, she has also had a love for writing, which led her to her daytime career in public relations and marketing. Her books fulfill a lifelong dream of creating a world where people can escape reality for a little while. Char loves living in South Jersey because she feels like it is in the center of everything. She loves pizza, hot sauce, French fries, dancing, photography and trying new things. <Back to top of page> |
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KarenLynn Williams grew up in Delran, attended Ursinus College, and obtained a Master’s Degree from Rowan University. Karenlynn worked in education for 26 years as a mathematics teacher, school library media specialist, and supervisor. She currently lives in Moorestown with her daughter Colleen, and enjoys reading, biking, hiking and gardening. <Back to top of page> |
If you would like to participate in our next Local Author Program, please check our website at the beginning of 2024 to submit an application. If you have any questions, please contact Ashley.