About The Author: D.A. Reed (Deborah Reed) writes young adult novels—from page-turning thrillers to stories based on challenges children and adults face every day. Her stories have garnered the attention of readers and fellow authors alike. Since 2016, author Johnathan Rand has invited her to be a writing instructor at his Author Quest writing camp for young writers. She was also asked to present at several writer and educator conferences including the North of 45 Retreat for Writers; Delta Kappa Gamma Women’s Educator Conference; and regional district libraries. Deborah also offers writing workshops at various venues. Deborah’s international travels include leading creative writing workshops to children—most notably at the Sharjah International Book Fair in United Arab Emirates (UAE). D.A. Reed’s books have received acclaim, notably: Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards in the category of Young Adult Fiction for All The Things We Didn’t See (2021) and Dare Accepted (2020); Best Indie Book Award (BIBA) in the category of Young Adult Drama for All The Things We Didn’t See (2021) and Nothin’ But Gutters And Pocket Change (2020); and Independent Press Award “Distinguished Favorite 2022” for All The Things We Didn’t See. She also writes Suspense/Thriller fiction for adults, including Three Thrilling Tales, One Killer Book!, The Caitlin O’Reitly Mystery Series, and Web of Decieit; as well as a collection of humorous essays, Chicken Butthair: Tales of an Over-Caffeinated Human. You may also find Deborah’s short horror stories published in Share Your Scare: A Lulu Anthology, and annual literary and visual arts magazine The Garfield Lake Review. Deborah lives with her husband and family in Western Michigan. Book Title: The Disaster Called Rue Taylor Genre: Young Adult Fiction Book Synopsis: Kicked out of several schools, Rue is running out of options. Bridgton High is her last chance, not only to graduate, but to find out what happened to her brother who disappeared from that very school a year earlier. As Rue begins to uncover secrets hidden within the walls of Bridgton High, she realizes her brother’s disappearance is closely tied to those secrets—and that every choice she makes as she fights for the truth has powerful consequences. Find The Book HERE! Visit D.A. Reed's Website HERE! Watch the YouTube Video HERE! 
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About The Author: Etaine Raphael is the author-illustrator of The Rhyme-Time Twins series. She was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and currently lives with her husband and two daughters in Northern Virginia. Before having children, she worked as a physical therapist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, mostly with men and women with traumatic amputations from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Etaine now delights in writing and illustrating children’s picture books. Her debut book, A Blueberry Day, was released in March 2020. She introduced her readers to The Rhyme-Time Twins in her second book, Words Take Flight, and she is excited to add more stories to this series in the coming years. Etaine feels constantly inspired by her daughters and their experiences, and she enjoys embedding important life lessons throughout her stories. She especially enjoys topics of inclusion, friendship, kindness, empathy, time in nature, and family togetherness. Title: Search for Silver Linings Genre: Children’s Fiction Book Synopsis: The Rhyme-Time Twins, Chloe and Zoey, are having a tough day at school - absolutely nothing is going well! Can learning about silver linings help turn this awful day around, or will it just continue to get worse and worse? Join Chloe and Zoey on their next adventure as they process a whole range of emotions from a very difficult day - anger, hurt, sadness, fear, and confusion. With Mom's help, the twins learn how to search for the silver linings from their day, and in so doing, they realize there were actually quite a number of good things that happened, too! The twins talk through their negative experiences, but are then able to celebrate their positive ones as well. By finding gratitude in the happenings of their day, Chloe and Zoey discover how to adjust their fixed mindset to a growth mindset instead. Find Etaine's Amazon Author Page HERE! Find The Book HERE! Watch the YouTube video HERE!   As I read, I often notice that those delicate moments in between the plot explosions and character epiphanies can be far more powerful than the obvious action or dialogue. Sometimes those spaces lead the reader into the madness of the story... but sometimes, they lead to pure ecstasy hidden in the pause. It's the writer's alchemy that balances the two with gentle finesse. This requires practice and devotion to the craft if they want the reader to give up the real world for the one they have created... if only for an hour or two.
I have found this exquisite balance time and again in the writings of Andrew Allen Smith. Recently, I discovered his first anthology of short stories, The Theft, and was impressed with the collection's impact. This skill in mixing emotion and action, the intensity of gentleness, and the surprise result of mistaken expectations, is clearly something he mastered years ago. The title story, The Theft, brilliantly captured the anxiety of a moment of fear for someone who deserved it. In this story, he combines the imagination of desire as a motivation, only to have that same imagination act as the betrayer. Most memorable for me in this piece was the strong auditory storytelling. I heard every sound in crisp, clear moments. I'm especially impressed with Andrew's skill in this area, as sound is an element I find missing in far too many books. Two pieces, Christmas and The Portrait found a strong resonance within me, and in fact, moved me to tears. The delicate way in which Andrew reveals deep emotion inside the thought of a gift or the tender way a painter holds a brush and mixes paint is magical. Because he is thoughtful with the vocabulary he chooses, Andrew imparts tremendous depth with simple elegance. Words are not wasted. The reader can hear the character's thoughts in between the words printed on the page... feel the electricity of emotion... and understand a perspective that perhaps seemed initially unclear. The catnip Andrew dangled before me, in the taunting of several full works he will one day complete, was anticipation on steroids. I was sucked into these stories, finding myself fully invested in the magic, the character's motivation, the unexpected satisfaction of violence in certain situations, and the quickening of my breath as I read the last sentence of each. I am thrilled with these glimpses into stories that I know will arrive in my hands one day... and I am equally annoyed that I have to wait to discover how they end. Patience is a difficult thing when you endure such temptations. Satisfaction is realized when I remember Andrew has many other stories that I can enjoy in the meantime. Thank goodness for that!
About The Author: Lindy Lenk is a Detroit-based writer, poet, photographer, filmmaker, educator, and author. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Wayne State and has won multiple awards for her writing, including the John Clare Award for Poetry and the Tompkins Award for Poetry. Some of her poetry and photography have been published by the Wayne State Literary Review. Lindy is currently working on the second book in the "Isabella’s Gate" trilogy. Title: Isabella’s Gate Genre: Children’s Fiction Book Synopsis: Isabella is a young girl whose journey begins at Margaret’s garden gate where she and the other children watch the old blue-haired woman water the rocks in her yard. But unlike the other children who come to laugh, Isabella comes with curiosity and wonder. When Margaret shares her secret, Isabella’s eyes are opened, and she catches a magical glimpse of the garden, in its fullness. In that moment Isabella must find the courage to step beyond the gate, but as she does, she loses sight of the flowers and soon loses faith in the garden. Does the garden really exist? If it does, where did it go? With paths unfolding before her, will one of these paths lead Isabella to rediscover the garden? “Isabella’s Gate” is a timely and timeless children’s book for all ages. It is a true fairy tale and a fairy’s tale of the universal truths about self-discovery, self-love, and self-actualization. It is a story about seeing with new eyes and waking sleepy dreams. This book is written in verse with a charming rhyme and soothing rhythm that will dance off your tongue and delight listening ears while enhancing a love and learning of language arts. “Isabella’s Gate” opens the gate to an exciting world of words as it inspires young readers with its thought-provoking vocabulary and use of language. There is a delightful glossary of these words, terms, and phrases, as they are used in the book. The illustrations are vibrant, magical, and filled with life. This is a book that you, your children, and your grandchildren will cherish for generations to come. Find L.T.’s HERE! Find The Book HERE! Watch The YouTube Video HERE! 
LISTENER ADVISORY: STRONG LANGUAGE About The Author: Julie Navickas is an award-winning author of contemporary romance. She has a keen ability to weave heart-wrenching, second-chance love stories through relatable characters with humility, humor, and heroism. She has quickly become a much-anticipated new author with Inkspell Publishing. When not writing, she spends her time serving as the executive director of The Writing Champions Project, a global writing community. She is also the public relations manager with Burning Soul Press and is an award-winning instructor in the School of Communication at Illinois State University where she teaches coursework in writing for public relations, magazine production and design, and public speaking. She is a mom to three children: Lillian, Colton, and Brady and has been happily married to her high school sweetheart, Tommy for ten years. Title: I Loved You Yesterday Genre: Contemporary Romance Book Synopsis: Joshua Templeton married the wrong woman. Tess Browning was never meant to be his wife. He never should have said I do – but… she also never should have slept with the neighbor. When divorce shatters the illusion of perfection, Josh reels from the mistakes he’s made, retreating into the past to determine where it all went wrong. But when an old letter from long-lost, high school sweetheart Mavis Benson reappears, the real search for answers begins. Ten years before, Mavis vanished from his life. The desire to finally learn the truth ignites a fire in Josh, and her memory catapults him on a journey to uncover the mystery behind why she left. But one thing is certain – the last place he ever expected to find her… was in his brother’s bed. Find The Book HERE! Visit Michael’s Website HERE! Watch The YouTube Video HERE!   Sacred [sey-krid] adjective; regarded with reverence; secured against violation and infringement.
Since I was about seven years old, I have considered what qualities are required to make a thing, thought, or practice “sacred”. When I was little, much to the frustration of the adults around me, I asked why sometimes there were words, things, and rituals that were so important as to be protected at the highest levels, and never disputed. The WHY has always been important to me. The question is one that I return to time and again. My grandparents taught me that for something to be sacred, it should be ordained by religion. Their view was that all those things that we could not entirely explain but were taught to accept with blind faith should be seen as sacred. For such a complex concept, that explanation seemed too restrictive. It left out a lot of things that, when I asked them, they couldn’t explain. Even then, I knew that if you couldn’t explain it, you couldn’t validate why it was sacred. My teachers brought the concept out of the church and into the classroom. They instructed that only the things that could be empirically proved had the potential to become sacred. They bolstered this view through the understanding of the universal impact on our society. They insisted that the laws that govern our world like gravity, time, and momentum, should be revered as sacred because they did not change, and without them, science, philosophy, and art would be lost to us. While all of that may be true, it still seemed to me that the scholars were missing the point. Sacred is a tremendously important word. There had to be more to it than that. What I finally arrived at was this: The notion of any one thing, thought, or practice being held as sacred is an extremely subjective, personal, individual determination. Each one of us must find those things that are sacred to us and infuse them into our lives in a way that best respects the meaning of the word. I decided that for a thing to be sacred, it needed to hold a space in my understanding that did not diminish its relevance or importance over time. It could evolve at its edges, while remaining true at its core. I came up with a list of ten concepts that seemed to fit these criteria… at least for me. I enjoyed a tremendously insightful conversation with a friend recently on this topic, and it drove me to dig deep in the boxes of my basement, scour my old notebooks, and find the list I generated all those years ago. In examining the list, I’ve discovered that even though my vocabulary has improved since I was seven, my base understanding of these ten things, and why I have always seen them as sacred, has not changed. I’m sharing this list here, not only for my friend, so that they might gain greater insight into who I am, but also for you, that you may use my list as a springboard to look inside yourself and figure out what’s sacred to you, and why. Just for the record, no, “Troth” wasn’t a word I knew at seven years old. I learned that one the first time my English teacher read Shakespeare aloud to the class, in sixth grade. But I thought is sounded like a word that described the concept of “Private Me”, so I’ve been using it ever since. As all these words are sacred to me, they are presented here with the intention that none are more sacred than the others… but alas, a list is a list.
I love hearing stories read aloud… and I also enjoy talking with authors and illustrators about their craft. I’m interested to learn where they get their ideas, how they go about their process, and what they think about current industry trends. Indie Reads Aloud Conversations is my opportunity to indulge in those discussions. I get to learn more about our writing community while having a bit of fun… and I invite you to join us. The program is mostly unscripted... and we try to keep it all family-friendly. Once a month, I host a Targeted Conversation, where we'll discuss something specific (yet still mostly unscripted)... and once a month, it'll be a Conversation Frenzy, when we'll talk about whatever the group suggests. So, grab a cup of cocoa, tea, coffee… whatever… and a snack, and come join the Conversation! Authors In The Room Include:
About The Author: Andrew has led an interesting life. He has experienced a myriad of events and dreamed vividly each night about adventure, excitement and more. He quickly found that it was fun to record those experiences, to write and remember in both poetry and story. Using that writing became second nature and he began to tell the stories that had happened or had been dreamed; and enjoy a moment with someone only to create another story with them… and so on. Andrew is the author of eleven books in various genres, including The Masterson Files, a five book action/adventure series; A Slice of Passion, a poetry collection; The Slice of Fear series, a collection of suspenseful short stories; The Theft, a collection of action & adventure short stories; What Not To Say To People Who Are Grieving, a supportive resource for people experiencing grief; and Adam, a romantic thriller, and the first book in the Eternal Forever series. He has also contributed to several anthologies of poetry and short stories to benefit charity. Title: Another Slice of Fear: Monster Genre: Suspenseful Short Stories Book Synopsis: Fear is at the core of who we are. Join Andrew Allen Smith as he once again writes his way inside your mind to seek those innermost thoughts that you try to hide. A man finds the secret to immortality, or does he? A selfish woman gets eternal servitude, for a price. A monster awakens and has to decide who is the monster? A family fortune is saved by unlikely allies. A scene unfolds from three different perspectives and creates a problem for Kate with exciting results. A man wins a special vacation for the newly almost divorced. All this plus a new installment of the story from A Slice of Fear, "The Edge". Are you ready to see how deep the rabbit hole can go? Another Slice of Fear contains 16 original short stories from the mind of Andrew Allen Smith that may help you get there! Find The Book HERE! Find Andrew's Website HERE! Watch the YouTube Video HERE! 
JUNIOR DETECTIVE TRIVIA EPISODE #2 Listen closely and take notes. Then, attend the special Launch Event live, on September 30, 2022. Points are awarded for every correct answer. Visit HERE to learn more! About The Author: R.L. Fink grew up in Topanga, California as the eldest of three. An avid listener, then reader of detective stories, the only thing better than writing detective novels would have been to become a character in one. But since that never happened, R.L. Fink chose to write a detective series based on a middle school experience that never happened, but would've been fun if it did, with friends that never existed, but would've been fun if they had. Ruby studied Film Production at Chapman University’s Dodge College, with a minor in Narrative and Dramatic Literature. She has enjoyed producing many audiobooks over the last several years, and manages a small staff of freelance illustrators, audio engineers and voice actors, who make up the close-knit group that is Faux Fiction Audio. Title: Mickie McKinney: Boy Detective, Troubles with Teamwork Genre: Middle Grade Fiction Book Synopsis: Mickie McKinney is no longer Maple Ridge Middle School’s one and only private detective. Now there is a certain blonde by the name of Sam Hayes to share the office with, and the cases, who keeps giving away the candy! So when Angus McDermitt hires Mickie to help him ask Kailani Groom to the school dance, Mickie sees it as an opportunity to work one last solo case. Too bad for him, Kailani is the girl of his dreams. Find The Book HERE! Find R.L. Fink's Website HERE! Watch the YouTube Video HERE! 
JUNIOR DETECTIVE TRIVIA EPISODE #1 Listen closely and take notes. Then, attend the special Launch Event live, on September 30, 2022. Points are awarded for every correct answer. Visit HERE to learn more! About The Author: R.L. Fink grew up in Topanga, California as the eldest of three. An avid listener, then reader of detective stories, the only thing better than writing detective novels would have been to become a character in one. But since that never happened, R.L. Fink chose to write a detective series based on a middle school experience that never happened, but would've been fun if it did, with friends that never existed, but would've been fun if they had. Ruby studied Film Production at Chapman University’s Dodge College, with a minor in Narrative and Dramatic Literature. She has enjoyed producing many audiobooks over the last several years, and manages a small staff of freelance illustrators, audio engineers and voice actors, who make up the close-knit group that is Faux Fiction Audio. Title: Mickie McKinney: Boy Detective, The Case of the Absent Answers Genre: Middle Grade Fiction Book Synopsis: Mickie McKinney is Maple Ridge Middle School's one and only private detective. (Not that anyone else wants the job). So when the new girl is accused of stealing the history test answers, Mickie has a hunch that the school bully, Tommy Tubbins might be behind the crime. However, while Mickie suspects Tommy Tubbins is the true perpetrator, he still needs to prove it - without angering the meanest kid in school in the process. With the help of an orange smudge, the school’s mad scientist, and wisdom of his late father, Mickie is willing to follow the clues and unmask the true culprit. If only his sweet tooth and propensity to monologue won't get in his way. A story of humor and friendship, this well-meaning, somewhat strange, size-small sleuth will find his way into your hearts as he tries to solve, The Case of the Absent Answers. Find The Book HERE! Find R.L. Fink's Website HERE! Watch The YouTube Video HERE!  |
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