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Where Awesome Book Readers Meet Awesome Writers

1. Children of the Fog by Cheryl Kaye Tardif
   When romance author Cherish D'Angelo is not busy relaxing in her hot tub, sipping champagne, eating chocolate-covered strawberries or plotting romantic suspense with scintillating sensuality, she is ruthlessly killing people off in her thrillers as bestselling Canadian suspense author, Cheryl Kaye Tardif. Cherish's debut romance, Lancelot's Lady placed in the semi-finals of Dorchester Publishing's "Next Best Celler" contest and went on to win an Editor's Choice Award from Textnovel. Currently living in Edmonton, Alberta, she enjoys long walks on the beach, except there aren't any around so she has to make do with trips around the hot tub or a vacation to a tropical paradise. And margaritas. Cheryl Kaye Tardif is an award-winning, international bestselling Canadian suspense author. Her novels include Submerged, Divine Justice, Children of the Fog, The River, Divine Intervention, and Whale Song, which New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice calls "a compelling story of love and family and the mysteries of the human heart...a beautiful, haunting novel." She is now working on her next thriller. Cheryl also enjoys writing short stories inspired mainly by her author idol Stephen King, and this has resulted in Skeletons in the Closet & Other Creepy Stories and Remote Control (novelette eBook). Booklist raves, "Tardif, already a big hit in Canada…a name to reckon with south of the border."
2. If Chocolate Were Purple
   Jen Barton was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1971 and spent much of her life on the East Coast. In 2008, at age 36, she and her family moved to California. With two cars, she and her husband moved two dogs, two guinea pigs, a cornsnake and their 10-year old daughter across the country. She counts the five day road trip, including a near escape by both dogs on Day 3, as one of her best experiences to date. In 2009, with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy from Millersville University, Barton realized her childhood dream to become a writer. One van full of bored kids, one long day of travel, and one of her favorite characters, Fiona Thorn, was born. She's been writing ever since. When not taxiing her teenage daughter hither and yon, Barton loves reading (especially fantasy by George R. R. Martin), cooking (anything with pasta is a hit), and writing (magical worlds with obstinate teen girls is always a favorite). In 2012 Barton's middle grade fantasy adventure, Fiona Thorn and the Carapacem Spell, was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Southern California Book Festival. Later that year Barton was named 1st Runner Up in America's Next Author for her compelling short story of an old woman trapped in her own body, "Movin' On Up."
3. New Beginnings: Book 2 The Secrets of Clayton County Trilogy
   Each of these books is written from a genuine sense of knowing the community; author, Don Wooldridge, born and raised in Davenport, Iowa, and lived in the Mississippi River Valley for over 30 years. Grateful for the privilege of living along the Mississippi river, as a writer Don remembers the people of the small river communities and shares their faith that small town values and lifestyle will be everlasting. Don’s education spans from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas to Rutgers University in Brunswick, New Jersey. An accomplished writer, he spent 30 years in the technical training and development arena, as a technical writer, instructional designer, and interactive learning systems designer and producer. Wooldridge’s career took him far from his roots… throughout the US and Canada, as well as England, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. Today, Don enjoys putting his voice to print, and using his writing as a vehicle for taking readers back to their own roots. Writing novels inspired by his heritage, Don always welcomes the opportunity to speak about bartering, the Trilogy, or his journey as an author.
4. Smiley Riley and the New Neighbor by Katie McLaren
   Katie McLaren is a graduate from the University of Michigan and has spent her career as a Pediatric Intensive Care Nurse – looking after critically ill children requiring the highest level of specialist care. She also has 2 young daughters (aged 7 and 20 months) and has a passion for reading, learning and the importance of positive role models – especially for young girls.
5. Medium7: Evidence of the Afterlife and Predictions by Donna Smith-Moncrieffe
   Donna Smith-Moncrieffe, director and founder of Metaphysics Research, has been involved in conducting and reviewing scientific evaluation research for the past twenty years. Her expertise in research and statistical analysis in criminology and healthy studies have been applied to assessing evidence of the afterlife. Her current research interests include mediumship, the survival of consciousness, predictions science and reincarnation—all areas of study that enhance the validity of life after death and augment humankind’s understanding of the purpose of existence. Donna earned her honors Bachelors of Science degree in psychology, sociology, and philosophy from the University of Toronto. She went on to complete a postgraduate diploma in criminology at the University of Toronto. She completed her Masters of Science degree in sociology and social policy at the University of the West Indies. The author enjoys hearing from others about their spiritual experiences and tries to answer questions about the afterlife and certain paranormal phenomena. Contact her directly at medium7research@gmail.com
6. Her Perfect Revenge
   I've been writing for a few years now, coming from a screenwriting background, but I wanted to try my hand at penning a novel. So, I decided to turn one of my romantic comedy screenplays into a book and thus, HER PERFECT REVENGE was born. I'm a hopeless romantic and believe in happy endings; and when I write, I always try to write from my heart, hoping to bring love, laughter, excitement and sometimes a few tears to my fans. I hope you have fun reading HER PERFECT REVENGE!
7. Blood and Justice by Rayven T. Hill
   Rayven T. Hill was born in 1954 in Markham, Ontario. He has had a variety of occupations and careers since then, spending the last fourteen years as a computer programmer and web site designer. His first novel, written in 1960, was an instant hit with his mother and one sibling. He then put his career as a novelist aside for half a century to concentrate on making a living, but has now ventured back into the world of writing. His first real novel, Blood and Justice, was published as an eBook in June 2013. He lives with his wife in Toronto.
8. Helga: Out of Hedgelands by Rick Johnson
   I am a native of the Great Plains, having grown up on a farm in the Platte River Valley of western Nebraska. I love the wild beauty of the Plains and nearby Rocky Mountains--the too hot, too cold, too empty, too full of life extremes. Typically, the awesomely diverse and the awesomely stark are much the same, even as they are different. Although I have lived in Michigan, North Carolina, and British Columbia, the western plains, mountains, and desert are in my heart. As my day job, for over thirty years I have been a faculty member and administrator in higher education. Teaching broadly in the liberal arts, including creative writing, my professional publications include educational materials, poems, and 28 stories for young readers. I am a member of SCBWI.