Authors and Artists in Avalon Park – Wordsmith Publishing, LLC

This is the inaugural event of Authors and Artists in Avalon Park, held at the Arts & Culture Center in Avalon on October 1, 2022.

Each author will have their own dedicated break out room for reader meet-and-greets and signings. What makes this event unique is we will be pairing each of the authors with local artists to spotlight and enhance each other’s work. The rooms will allow both the author and the artist to exhibit a creative display of their work.

This full day signing event will also feature author hosted workshops, readings, a scavenger hunt, and basket raffles. The general raffle items/baskets are donated by the participants of the event.

Tickets will be $1 each. The raffle proceeds will be donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Avalon Park Arts and Culture Center

13000 Avalon Lake Drive, ste. 100

https://avalonartscenter.com/

Free Public Admission

10 am – 7 pm Author Signing/Artist Viewing

7 – 9 pm Reception

Author’s and Artist’s works are available for purchase at the event.

Visit the Readings and Workshop room for the following readings scheduled during the day.

Author	Brief Bio	Blurb of Featured Release
Amy Rachelle Meador	Amy Rachelle Meador is a local author who has been an Avalon resident for 20 years. She writes stories, articles and poetry.	Incaras, a fifteen-year-old boy, and his massive dog Dingo accidentally travel through time. They wind up in a historical murder and must sort things out to try to save the victim. However, if they change history, they may destroy the home they’re trying to get back to.
Andrew Jarvis	Author site: www.poetandrewjarvis.com Press site: www.homeboundpublications.com	Sojourners explores and contrasts the promise and the reality of life in the country and in the city, each with its set of wonders and disappointments, beauty and hardship. The wilderness and natural world inspire, frighten, and challenge us. The city’s opportunities, structures, and support of society excite and embolden, but ultimately may fail us. We must always find a new beginning. The collection abounds with multisensory poetry that evokes feelings of hope, loss, humor, and sadness. Poems weave throughout ornate landscapes to create sentimental, permanent memories of family and belonging, of culture and home.
Angela Dunham	Angela Dunham is the author of young adult dark fantasy and paranormal. Her debut series, The Chronicles of the Fallen One is available now. Angela lives in Orlando, Florida with her husband and son, and loves to write spine chilling tales with a sprinkle of humor.	www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0578308533?ref_=dbs_m_mng_wim_calw_tpbk_2&storeType=ebooks
Arielle Haughee	Arielle Haughee (Hoy) is a six-time RPLA-winning author and the owner of Orange Blossom Publishing. She is an editor, speaker, and writing coach, and was previously the Executive Vice President and Marketing Chair for the Florida Writers Association. She was honored with the President’s Award from FWA in 2020, and in 2021 Pling’s Party was awarded Children’s Book of the Year. Her press, Orange Blossom Publishing, publishes books about love, humor, and wellness for women and children.	Piper by Arielle Haughee “A pleasant tale about battling negativity.” -Kirkus Reviews Piper is cheery and positive, no matter what confronts her—including all the strange beings she meets during her journey into the city. When the creatures are negative, uglies fly out of their mouths and stick to Piper, dimming her glow. Can Piper find her positive shine again after she is completely covered in uglies? Piper is a story of staying positive in challenging situations, and recognizing that we control how we react to stressors. It teaches children the value of optimism and finding happiness within.
Anapuena Havena	ANAPUENA HAVENA is a Brazilian writer, historian, researcher and businesswoman. Doctor Honoris Causa in History and Literature. President of the Brazilian Academy of History and Literature – ABHL and member of several literary academies. Author of the period novels Encantos do Café – Decisões; Charms of the Café – Unveiling and Discovering the Nobility of Love, and the children’s The Prince Who Didn’t Know How to Play. Organizer of the work Brasilidade: a song of love for the homeland. Creator and owner of a cultural space for the appreciation of History and Literature, the author has several awards.	Boa Fé farm, an important coffee producer in Paraíba Valley, thrives under the care of Mr. Arutes and his wife, Dona Gertrudes. The couple hopes that their daughter Ceci, the only heiress, will spark interest in the family business. However, this is not the wish of young Ceci Arutes, who will not give up on fulfilling her own dreams. Discover the charms of this historical romance. After all, who can resist a good story with a taste of coffee? A fazenda Boa Fé, importante produtora de café do Vale do Paraíba, prospera aos cuidados de Sr. Arutes e de sua esposa, Dona Gertrudes. O casal espera que a filha Ceci, única herdeira, desperte interesse pelos negócios da família. Porém, este não é o desejo da jovem Ceci Arutes, que não desistirá de realizar os seus próprios sonhos. Descubra os encantos deste romance de época. Afinal, quem resiste a uma boa história com gostinho de café?
Carolyn Cross	Carolyn Cross is a California native and lover of all things literary. As an avid reader, she always enjoying new and exciting reads. Now as an avid storyteller, it is her mission to bring that same joy to her beloved readers. She is the author of the Immortal Series.	Ethan West knows what it means to be different. With a haunted past and a strange sixth sense he sometimes can’t control, Ethan’s in search of a better future. However, fate has a different plan when he falls victim to a vicious supernatural attack. Narrowly escaping a horrific end, Ethan re-emerges as an immortal being known as a “Lorn.” These mysterious harbingers from beyond carry the ancient and dangerous secrets of their existence—a burden Ethan now bears. With the help of the powerful Lorn Rue and the organization known as the Alliance, Ethan hopes for answers, yet finds further doubts. Torn between two opposing factions of Lorns, Ethan struggles to understand his new identity and abilities. And what he learns has Ethan questioning his past, his purpose, and his sanity.
Debbie Brady	Debbie Brady is passionate about helping others who live with depression learn how to thrive and better manage their mental health. She has lived with depression since childhood and hopes the strategies and techniques she has learned can help others thrive too. Debbie has a Master’s Degree in Counseling along with over 20 years of experience in the mental health field. She lives in Orlando, Florida with the warm sun and her four sons.	Depression Survival Guide: Your Path To A Joy-Filled Life, is designed to help individuals who live with depression gain a deeper understanding of how their mental health affects their day to daddy life. It is designed to assist them with creating their own unique plan that will support the individual through their difficult times, help the to discover that strategies work for them and which ones do not and guide them to establishing a routine that will help them live a more joy-filled life.
Debbie Burton	Debbie Burton has a wealth of experience spanning thirty years of working with children as a teacher and a social worker. Her books in the Tails of Blueberry Street series entertain readers while teaching valuable lessons in kindness, empathy, and responsibility. Debbie lives in Orlando, Florida with her husband, Herb and their beagle, Buddy.	Happy Birthday, Buddy the Beagle! Join all of Buddy’s friends for the best birthday party on Blueberry Street. Buddy’s life seems perfect until his human, Henry, takes in Jack, a stray cattle dog with blue fur. Henry gives Jack plenty of attention, and Buddy feels jealous. How will he ever get rid of this bossy intruder who ruins his happy home?
Elizabeth Randall	As widely published freelance writer and author, I have interviewed prisoners on death row, traipsed through haunted houses and camped in humid tents. I have also presented guest lectures at book conferences and won first- and second-place writing awards from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association and the Royal Palm Literary Society. My previous books include: The Floating Teacher: A Guide to Surviving and Thriving (Maupin House), Haunted St. Augustine and St. Johns County (The History Press), Women in White: The Haunting of Northeast Florida (Schiffer Publishing) and Murder in St. Augustine: The Mysterious Death of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley (The History Press) an Ocklawaha River Odyssey (The History Press), Past and Present, Historic Orlando (Arcadia Publishing) and Fire is the Test of Gold (Brother Mockingbird Publishing).	Past and Present Historic Orlando, an August release for Arcadia Publishing, provides the history, architecture, and diversity of a city with a wild west past and an urban community in its future.
K.S. Thomas	A stereotypical writer through and through, I find hanging out with my imaginary friends while I sip coffee to be all the rage. Since 2012, I’ve written and published over thirty-five books, ranging from children’s literature to crime thrillers, but focusing most heavily on romance. The greater part of my work can be found under my pen name K.S. Thomas, including my most popular novel I Call Him Brady, which has sold over 11,000 copies to date. Originally born and raised in Bremen, Germany, I currently reside in sunny Florida with my daughter, our coyote, a three-legged roo, and a tamed wolf (AKA, our dogs).	Hunted wherever she goes, all who try to save her are at risk. But Annis is determined not to see the same tragedy unfold twice in one lifetime. Seventeen-year-old Annis Watson is on the run after witnessing her mother’s murder. Her stepfather will stop at nothing to find her, kill her, and claim her fortune as his own, but when Annis crosses paths with the circus in her search for a safe place to hide, she finds more than just sanctuary. She finds a home among the broken and the misfits. She finds friendship. Family. Love. And, finally, herself. With each passing adventure under the big top, it’s easy to forget her past. But it hasn’t forgotten her. Reinventing herself as Annis the Alchemist, she has to do more than engage an audience; she’ll have to master the act of vanishing in plain sight or else it’s just a matter of time before she’s found and the new life she’s built for herself in the circus is ripped away, her future along with it. While her stepfather is out there, all who try to save her are at risk, but Annis is determined not to see the same tragedy unfold twice in one lifetime. Part adventure, part coming of age, and part love story that spans far beyond romantic love, The Wild in her Eyes explores what it means to be different in a world where difference is embraced, find oneself in being lost, and above all, tells a story of freedom for anyone who has ever felt invisible, wrong or ‘too much’.
Kathleen Lopez Sydney Shaw	Kathleen – Dr. Kathleen Lopez started writing at fourteen as a junior high journalist. She continued her passion by writing short stories and poetry throughout college. Writing was never just a hobby, but a way of life. As an Indie Author, she publishes suspenseful stories of Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem, with a touch Romance for good measure. Sydney – Out of Left Field – Finding Hope marks Sydney’s debut release. This is the first in a planned series of steamy, small-town romances. This series follows Hope Spencer as she tries to regain control of her life, and who she chooses to be with in the end. Her writing hopes to provide a nice saucy diversion for her readers.	Out of Left Field by Sydney Shaw – Hope Spencer needed a fresh start. The life she was living, and who she shared it with, became so far away from the point of being happy or safe. She was slowly losing control of her own life. She decided she wanted it back.
Kerry Evelyn	Kerry Evelyn is an author and instructor in the Orlando literary community, mentoring student writers and teaching classes for libraries and professional organizations. Her sweet romance novels feature small towns, a touch of the supernatural, and charming characters pursuing happily-ever-afters. Fueled on faith, Dunkin’ iced coffee, and a love for people, including her amazing family, Kerry loves (in ever-changing order) books, boy bands, cats, hockey, sweet drinks, taking selfies, traveling, and the madness of getting the stories in her head onto the page. KerryEvelyn.com	His colonel hired him to protect her, not to fall in love. A fake honeymoon safely tucked away at an idyllic seaside resort in Maine seems like the perfect place to heal from their recent traumas. But when Lanie’s location is exposed, Matt will do everything it takes to protect her and prove their happily-ever-after is with each other.
Lisa Narciso	Lisa Narciso is a first time children’s author from Newark, New Jersey. She now resides in Orlando, Florida. After being self employed for most of her life, she is now retired and lives with her 3 beautiful and crazy cats. In 1997, as a first time mother, Lisa decided to incorporate early childhood learning techniques into her family and conceived The Alphabet Family Book. This was a picture book that associated various members of her family with the first letter of their name and words that also began with those letters. Twenty Five years later, she has turned that concept into a reality. Inspired by her son Anthony and his girlfriend McKenzie, she is now the proud author of the the series “The Alphabet Family and Friends, A to Z”. Always Inspired. Always Inspire.	Always Inspired. Always Inspire. The Alphabet Family and Friends A to Z Series is a place for parents, grandparents, caregivers and teachers of children ages 3 – 7 to come together to explore the writings by children’s author Lisa Narciso. The series “The Alphabet Family and Friends” combines early childhood learning with creative expression, and promotes spending priceless time together.
Lynda R Edwards	Lynda Edwards is a Jamaican writer. She has written two novels, Redemption Songs and Friendship Estate. She is putting the finishing touches on her third novel, I Am Cuba. She has written articles for www.jamaicans.com, the Jamaican Gleaner, the Romance Novelists Association, and Romance Matters magazine and is a passionate advocate of Caribbean stories and the importance of hearing them told in our own voices.	1) FRIENDSHIP ESTATE – Jamaica in the late 1700s and early 1800s was at a crossroads. The abolition of slavery was on the horizon, the white and black races had been mixing for generations and had formed a new culture, a modern society born of oppression with a deep desire to mix freely and chart a new course for themselves. This utopian fantasy transcends history. Instead, transporting us to a world with renewed faith in the possibilities that lie ahead. By showing us what might have been, Friendship Estate points the way to what might still be. If only… 2)REDEMPTION SONGS – After the death of her American husband, Josephine Myers Blakely has moved back to Jamaica, the land of her birth. Married at nineteen and widowed at forty, Jo is adrift in a sea of grief. Then a chance meeting with a shadowy family member sets her on a path to help her family atone for generations of sin…or perish with them in the fire of their own destruction. She must find the strength to walk between two worlds, reconciling them, not only for her family’s survival, but for hers as well. To find her destiny, she will learn that life was never meant to be lived in a straight line.
Melanie Joy Mezzancello	Melanie grew up in North Providence, RI, and she earned her Bachelor of Science Degree from Bryant University where she became a member of the Phi Sigma Sigma Sorority. Melanie has always been passionate about dogs, animals and animal rescue. She is a writer, a dancer, a musician and an artist. Love Snaggs is her first book. Melanie is a 3-time cancer Survivor, and she lives in Central Florida with her family and her dog Wesley.	Meet Snaggs, the yorkie mix. After his life on Earth is done, Snaggs crosses the Rainbow Bridge and wakes up in Summerland – the place our beloved pets and other animals go to after they die. Snaggs is determined to find a way back home to his family. He courageously leaves the safety of the idyllic Garden of Souls and embarks on a fantastical journey in his quest to Spire Mountain where he seeks Shaman the old ram who, according to legend, can help Snaggs rejoin his family back on Earth. Along the way he forges friendships with other animals, such as a ring-tailed lemur, a mountain lion and a giant pterodactyl. Getting back requires a dangerous trek to the kingdom of the dragons, where unbeknownst to Snaggs and his diverse band of allies, there is a revolution brewing and a prophecy that is about to come full circle.
Roger Jimenez	boy blue is a gay 20-something year old writer, doodler, and shutterbug. Having discovered his love for writing as a kid in elementary, he began sharing his work in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, self-publishing his work in order to make his dream come true. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Roger Jimenez (boy blue) is the eldest of 5 of his big Latino immigrant family, and a first-generation graduate from Tallahassee Community College. Visit him online at byboyblue.myshopify.com	Featuring 30+ poems, photos, and illustrations by the author himself, boy blue immortalizes the experience of newfound dating as a twenty-something gay guy. Each chapter is a set of raw and honest poems written during the authors time/relationship with the subject of every chapter! Six boys, six chapters, six stories! With poetry that encompasses love, loss, and all of the feelings in between, there’s something for everyone in this coming-of-age romantic poetry book.
Sarah Sperling	Sarah Sperling, poetically known as Astrora, is a writer/poet based out of Orlando, Florida. She enjoys rainy weather opposed to sun, and is mostly inspired by the people, the music, the coffee and tea around her. She spends most of her days accompanied by her black cat, Pluto, enjoying candlelight while she reads.	In her debuting title Lost In Translation, we find poet Astrora’s words echoing to us: words crafted to us from a place of both darkness and light, reflecting in the form of whimsy, of emotion, of wandering thoughts themed by the cosmos in three chaptering parts. Lost in Translation is the words unspoken between the lines of what we at times have needed to say. Perhaps the words we still must. Where there are moments in which it is too late, there are moments in which it is also time to begin. The acknowledgement that this in itself is a moment. And in that moment we must love, we must smile, we must cry, and above all, we must be Brave.
Seranda Boberg	Seranda Boberg was born and raised in the Midwest. Though she loved the bluffs and four seasons, life’s twists and turns landed her in the gulf coast. Growing fond of her new home, this self-proclaimed Floridian enjoys drawing and writing outside in the sunshine alongside her cat, Meow. Since a young age, Seranda has loved art in all forms. Known for her paintings and graphic designs, she has recently fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming an author and illustrator as well. Her new children’s book, An Autumn Adventure with Ava and Parker, reached #8 on Amazon’s Halloween New Release chart within the first week of publication. Her children’s books are inspired by her niece’s milestones and life experiences, blended with imagination and adventure. Look out for more adventures with Ava and Parker coming soon!	What are you doing this fall? Ava and her best friend, Parker the Pup, went on another adventure. Join the two companions as they tell their tale of autumn to you and their curious bunch of animal friends.
Tawdra Kandle	Tawdra Kandle is the author of over 100 romances that span genres from contemporary through paranormal. Her engaging and realistic characters bring readers back again and again to devour the steamy love stories she spins. Fan favorites include The Anti-Cinderella Chronicles, the Career Soldier Series, and the Love in a Small Town series.	When an old friend calls in a favor that sends me to the UK to pose as a nanny, I’m not thrilled. Kids and me? Not a great mix. But Prince Nicholas and his wife, Kyra, turn out to be the most relaxed royal parents ever, and their little girl is actually a sweetheart. Protecting their family turns into something I want to do. Maybe this undercover nanny job will be easier than I thought. The only problem? The prince’s cousin Milo, the Earl of Ross, is living here, too, and this guy is a huge complication. He’s arrogant, elitist, and haughty. Oh, and he’s also handsome, sexy, and super hot. I don’t want to feel this attraction to him, but it seems I can’t help it. How can I do my job if I’m more worried about protecting my heart from falling for him?
Vivian Geary	Vivian Geary was the primary caregiver for her mother for ten years after her mother suffered a life-altering stroke. Her first book, Mommy Philosophies: Lessons I Learned from my Mom During Caregiving, tells the stories of love, strength and resilience shared between the two of them over the years. Even while working full time as an Event Planner and taking care of her Mom, she still found the time to start Caring for Family Caregivers in 2015, an organization that helps Family Caregivers get their footing in their new role and provides them with coaching, resources and support. Vivian speaks and teaches on topics related to family caregiving. She lives in Orlando with her 2 cats Jake & Ellwood.	You know how the things your mom repeated the most are the things that you still hear ringing in your head? I know that feeling oh too well after being my mother’s primary caregiver for the last 10 years of her life. I can still hear her saying things like, “when given the choice of ‘either/or’ usually the best answer is BOTH!” Or “all is well”, which she said at least ten times a day, even on days when it really did not appear to be. Now that she is no longer physically with us, I figured I would explain the meaning behind her most popular sayings to keep her spirit and her memory alive in all those that learned her story. This is Mommy Philosophies: Lessons I Learned from my Mom During Caregiving.