April is for Authors 2013

DOMINIC & YVONNE ADDARIO – YvonneAddarion, awarding winning author, and her author husband Captain Dominic Addario aka Captain Dom, are world travelers, undersea explorers, part owners of a treasure ship that is still being recovered in Jupiter, Florida. Yvonne writes about a popular niche of history. Her readers long to hear more of “the golden age of piracy,” from the past to the present. Treasure Diving with Captain Dom was written as a young adult’s book, while an Explorers Cookbook and Travel Guide -Pirates Edition was written for the home cook and arm chair traveler. http://yvonneaddario.com/ and http://explorerscookbookandtravelguide.com/. Captain Dom, is the original principle investigator and project director of the Jupiter Historic Ship Wreck Exploration. He is the author of The Jupiter Shipwreck Story and A Guide to Responsible Undersea Exploration. As team authors, they give an entertaining while educational multi-media presentation followed by question and answer sessions. They also bring along a selection of 17^th century treasure items and artifacts for you touch and see. http://jupitercoins.com/. Readers: All ages

MARY AMATO – Amato is an award-winning children’s and YA book author, poet, playwright, and songwriter. Her books have been translated into foreign languages, optioned for television, produced onstage, and have won the children’s choice awards in several states. Guitar Notes , a novel about the power of music, is her latest book. www.maryamato.com

MARIANNE BERKES – Berkes, an award-winning author, has spent much of her life as a teacher, children’s theater director and librarian. Music, theater and writing have been a constant in her life, and she puts all this to good use in her “interactive” children’s picture books about animals and nature. Beginning with Marsh Music in 2000 right up to her thirteenth (and counting) What’s in the Garden? all bring a fascinating sense of wonder. Berkes has won numerous awards for all of her books; most recently the 2013 Teachers’ Choice Award for two of her latest books: Over in the Forest, Come and Take a Peek , and Animalogy, Animal Analogies. She is a favorite presenter at conferences and schools nationwide. Readers: Elementary. www.marianneberkes.com

CLAY CARMICHEAL – Carmichael is the award-winning author-illustrator of the novel Wild Things, and the upcoming novel for young adults Brother, Brother, as well as three picture books for younger children. Her books have been translated into many languages. She lives with her sculptor-husband Mike Roig and three spoiled cats in Carrboro, North Carolina. Readers: Elementary/Middle www.claycarmichael.com and www.wincbooks.com/claycarmichael.htm

P.W. (PAUL WILLIAM) CATANESE -Catanese is the author of eight acclaimed fantasy-adventure novels for young readers, including The Thief and the Beanstalk, The Mirror’s Tale, and the Books of Umber trilogy. Interestingly, the letters in ‘P.W. Catanese’ can be rearranged to spell ‘want escape?’ Paul figures that’s why people read books like these. Readers: Grades 4-8 Learn more about the books and say hi to the author at www.pwcatanese.com and facebook.com/pwcatanese.

SHARON DRAPER – Draper’s books have received numerous literary awards, including the ALA Coretta Scott King Award, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Best of the Best, The Parent’s Choice Award, the Children’s Choice Award, the IRA Young Adult Choice Award, and the Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People. Copper Sun was selected by the US State Department and IRA for the international project called Reading Across Continents. Draper has been honored at the White House six times. Draper travels extensively and has been on television and radio programs throughout the country, discussing literature, reading and education. Out of My Mind was the 2011-2012 Sunshine State Young Reader Award winner in both the 3-5 and 6-8 categories. Readers: All ages sharondraper.com

ALEX FLINN – Flinn is the author of nine novels including Beastly, a #1 New York Times bestseller which has been made into a motion picture. She has three other fairy tale-based novels, A Kiss in Time, Bewiching (a companion to Beastly, and Cloaked, a Florida Teens Read Award finalist. Her first novel, Breathing Underwater, was named an ALA Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults and is the only novel included in Liz Clairborne’s “Love is Not Abuse” dating violence prevention curriculum for schools. Her books have received honors including Best Books for Young Adults, Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, International Reading Association Young Adult Choices, and Junior Library Guild selection. She is a non-practicing attorney who lives with her husband, daughters, and way too many pets in Miami. Her upcoming novel Towering, will be released in April, 2013. Readers: Young Adults alexflinn.com

ENRIQUE FLORES-GALBIS – In 1961 Flores-Galbis, at age nine, was one of 14,000 children who left Cuba without their parents in a mass exodus called Operation Pedro Pan. 90 Miles to Havana, an historical fiction YA Novel, presents a knee high view of the Cuban Revolution and his adventures in Operation Pedro Pan camps in South Florida. Raining Sardines, his first book, is based on his magical child hood experiences in Cuba before the revolution. A noted portrait painter and fine artist, he lives in New York City with his wife and two daughters. Enrique began writing on his first trip back to Cuba, when the memories he had stored away for safekeeping started to bubble up. The stories, observations and memories that he brought home in his notebooks were the source of Raining Sardines as well 90 Miles to Havana. Raining Sardines was a 2007America’s Award Honors Award book and 90 Miles to Havana was a 2012 Pura Belpre’ Author Honors Award book. Readers: YoungAdults http://www.enriquefloresgalbis.com

DONNA GEPHART – Gephart lives in Palm Beach County with her hubby, teenage sons, two dogs and a cranky old cat, who rules the house. Her newest book, Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen, is about a 12-year-old trivia whiz who will do anything to get on the TV quiz show Jeopardy! As If Being 12-3/4 Isn’t Bad Enough, My Mother Is running for President, which have won several awards, including the Sid Fleischman Humor Award. Gephart was the 2012 Thurber House Children’s writer-in-Residence and spent last summer giving writing workshops to hundreds of children in diverse settings. Readers: grades 3-8 donnagephart.com.

CHRISTINA DIAZ GONZALEZ – Gonzalez is the award winning author of The Red Umbrella (the story of a young Cuban girl who is sent to the U.S. through Operation Pedro Pan) and A Thouderous Whisper (the story of a young Basque girl who survives Hitler’s bombing of her hometown of Guernica). A Florida native and the daughter of Cuban immigrants, Diaz Gonzalez’s books have received numerous honors and recognitions including the American Library Association’s Best Fiction for Young Adults, the Florida Book Award, the Nebraska Book Award, and the International Reading Association’s Teacher’s Choice Award. Reviewers from publications such as Publisher’s Weekly, The Miami Herald, School Library Journal, and The Washington Post have called her novels engrossing, compelling and inspirational. Readers: 6^th grade -college. www.christinagonzalez.com

LISA GRAFF – Graff is the author of Thing about Georgie and Umbrella Summer (both nominated for the Sunshine State Award), as well as Sophie Simon Solves Them All. Her latest middle-grade novel, Double Dog Dare, is a SSYRA nominee. A former children’s book editor, Lisa received her MFA in Writing for Children at the New School in Manhattan. Readers: Elementary/Middle lisagraff.com

HELEN KETTEMAN – The author of nineteen books, Ketteman’s characters are varied as her books. From Old Man Gator to Bubba, the CowboyPrince to Yvette to Papa to Grandma’s Cat, Ketteman’s books have delighted elementary school children all over the United States. Having lived in Dallas, Chicago, and Seattle, she now calls Sanibel Island her home. “I write so that children will read. And once they start, who knows where it’ll take them?” Readers: Elementary www.helenketteman.com

SHAYNE LEIGHTON – Raised in Palm Beach and currently residing in Fort Lauderdale, the vampy South Florida native has already dominated other facets of her career in entertainment. At the age of 18, Leighton wrote, co-directed, and starred in the local, independent thriller, The Incubus, which was produced fully in South Florida and is now in syndication and being distributed on DVD all across the country. The Incubus also successfully obtained silver screen time among major move theater chains, such as Regal, AMC, and Cinemark. Currently, Leighton is in development for her next feature film, this one based off of her published, “Of Light and Darkness,” which has also achieved a best-selling ranking on Amazon.com. The film, though in its early stages, already has signed on several members of young Hollywood, such as Michal Welch (Twilight) and fellow South Florida native, Cassie Scerbo (ABC Family’s Make It Or Break It). Leighton’s sophomore novel, and sequel to the first installment of the Of Light and Darkness series is due out from Decadent Publishing in early 2013. Readers: High School and Adult shayneleighton.wix.com/shayneleighton

NAN MARINO – Marino is the author of Neil Armstrong is My Uncle and Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me, which was a SCBWI Golden Kite Honor Winner and featured on the Bank Street Best Books and the New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing lists. When she’s not writing middle grade books, she works as a librarian and in her spare time, she drives around the Jersey shore in search of bookstores. Yeah. She likes books. a. lot. Nan lives with her husband and a very large dog right at the edge of the Jersey Pinelands. Her next book, Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace comes out in April 2013. Readers: Middle Grades www.nanmarino.com

MARY A. MONROE -Monroe, Palm Beach County’s 2013 Teacher of the Year, was motivated to write for her middle and high school reading students who found reading “boring!” Her novels are fast-paced, engaging, and offer positive hope to teens experiencing real-life problems. Her popular trilogy includes Miracle at Monty Middle School, (translated into Spanish as Milagro en la Escuela Monty),Krazy White Girl, Nicole’s story about abuse and cutting, and Tagger, inspired by the true story of one of Monroe’s former Hispanic students who was addicted to graffiti. Readers: Teens, Middle and High. Free teacher lesson plans, quizzes & extension activities available at marymonroebooks.com

GREG NERI – Neri is the Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author of Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty and the Odyssey Honor-winning Ghetto Cowboy. He is the recipient of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Most Promising Poet Award for his first book of verse, Chess Rumble. He and his family live on the Gulf coast of Florida. You can read more about him and his books at www.gregneri.com. Readers: Middle/High

MICHAEL PATRICK O’NEILL – O’Neill is an internationally award winning photographer. He has combined his love for the sea and all that lives in and near it with a love for preserving the environment and created masterful books for the young readers. And, you don’t have to be young to appreciate the underwater photography! O’Neill is another Palm Beach County resident who’s audience reaches far beyond his hometown. Readers: All ages mpostock.com

HARVEY OYER – Oyer…a fifth generation South Floridan, an archeologist and an attorney…draws upon his wealth of knowledege to write books about his great-grand uncle, Charlie Pierce. The Pierce family was the first non-native family to live in Southeast Florida. The Adventures of Charlie Pierce, The Last Egret was chosen by the School District of Palm Beach County as a district wide read for all fourth graders. The Adventures of Charlie Pierce, The Last Calusa will be published in November 2012. Oyer is a popular local speaker. Readers: All who love the history of South Florida www.theadventuresofcharliepierce.com

GINNY RORBY – Rorby holds an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Miami, an MFA in Creative Writing from the Florida International University, and is the author of 4 novels for Young Adults, Dolphin Sky, and Hurt Go Happy, which won the American Library Association’s Schneider Family Book Award (2008) and has also been nominated for six state reading awards. The Outside of a Horse is a Scholastic Book Fair selection, and Lost in the River of Grass is a Junior Library Guild, a Scholastic Book Fair selection, and a 2012 / 2013 Sunshine State Young Readers Award nominee. Readers: Middle Grades www.ginnyrorby.com

SERENA SCHREIBER – Schreiber’s debut middle-grade novel, Finn’s Ship, won a Royal Palm Literary Award. Axel’s Wheels, a short story in an anthology of the FWA and her second novel, Finn’s Car, have recently been published. Currently, she works as a teaching artist for Blue Planet Writers’ Room in West Palm Beach, Florida. Serena is a member of Florida Writers Association (FWA). In 2011 she co-founded “Howl at the Moon Writers Jam,” a monthly reading for authors and songwriters at a local coffeehouse in Stuart, Florida. Serena likes to drink coffee at outdoor cafes in a romantic locations. Readers: Middle School www.serenaschreiber.com

DIANE Z. SHORE – After 9 1/2 years, 385 rejections, and a forest of sloppy copies, teacher-turned-author Shore published her first picture book, BUS-A-SAURUS BOP, a rollicking, rhyming, read-aloud, and winner of the 2004 Children’s Choice Award. Diane says her short attention span, limited vocabulary, and immaturity prepared her wellto be a children’s writer. As a child she loved Amelia Bedelia, wanted to move into in the Berenstain Bears’ treehouse, and still looks for the hidden pictures in Highlights for Children, one of several magazines for which she writes. Readers: Elementary Visit her website at www.dianezshore.com

DANETTE VIGILANTE – Vigilante grew up in the Red Hook Houses in Brooklyn, New York. In fifth grade, her teacher wrote a simple sentence on the back of her report card which changed her life forever: “Danette needs help with her reading.” Soon after, Danette began visiting the library and grew into a reading machine. Writing books became the next step in her journey. The Trouble with Half a Moon is her first middle grade novel. Vigilante is an SSYRA 2012-2013 nominee. READERS: Grades 5-8, Danettevigilante.com

JACQUELINE WEST – West is the author of the best-selling middle grade fantasy series, The Books of Elsewhere Volume One: The Shadows, which was a Junior Library Guild Selection, a Publishers Weekly Flying Start, and a Cybils Award winner, and has been nominated for several state reading awards, including the Sunshine State Young ReaderAward. Jacqueline lives and writes in Red Wing, Minnesota, surrounded by large piles of books and small piles of dog hair. Readers: Grades 3-5. Visit her at www.jacquelinewest.com, or hear more about The Books of Elsewhere at www.thebooksofelsewhere.com.

SHERRI WINSTON – Winston grew up in Michigan living within earshot of Muskegon Heights High School where she could practically inhale the sounds of the Tiger’s marching band. Her other senses were overloaded with the smells and sights of Michigan autumn. Now she lives in Central Florida and dedicates herself to the art and craft of writing. She hopes to add illustrating to her credentials and is currently working on her first kid’s mystery. Her novels The Kayla Chronicles and President of the Whole Fifth Grade both benefited from Winston’s memories of listening to her schools award-winning marching band and living in a place where a season like autumn takes on a life of its own. Readers: Elementary