from Lexington, Virginia

In his second book entitled: Are You S.A.N.E. (Setting A New Example): Changing Who You Are by Changing How You Think, author and motivational speaker, Jonathan Z Queen, draws on his experiences as a convicted drug-dealer and career criminal, who was able to change his life after spending over nine years in prison. Based on his street education, spiritual revival, drug/alcohol and cognitive therapy treatment, Jonathan provides an innovative approach to changing how you think so that you can feel the way you WANT to feel and become the change you desire to see.

Are You S.A.N.E. explores intriguing topics such as: The ‘Don’t Blame Me’ Mentality, PersonalPrisons, Overcoming Addiction, Chained to the Gang, Spirit Up, Mis-sed Education, The RoleModel Risk, Drug Dealers Anonymous, Keeping It Reality, Taking the Diss Out ofDysfunctional Families, and much more.

Today, Jonathan Z Queen is an author, motivational speaker, playwright, actor, director, and poet. He is the co-founder of New Mindz Enterprises and Vice President of Asikari Publishing, LLC. He is an ordained deacon and a Government Contract Manager. More importantly, he is a devoted husband, faithful father and community leader.

Jonathan is also a member of The National Exhoodus Council (NEC); a nationwide campaign comprised of formerly incarcerated professionals; all are former members of the criminal, drug and gang culture who now serve as ‘beacons of hope’ for those who desire to make a positive change as well. Their motto is: Serving Our Country, After Serving Our Time.

“I want to help change the world.” Queen says. “There are men, women and children who have already made or will make mistakes similar to mine. They need to see that change is not only possible; it is required. I especially want to start a ‘Change’ Reaction in our young people. I want to empower them with an optimism that conquers their low self-esteem and teaches them the benefits of doing the right thing even when nobody is watching.”

         from Greensboro, North Carolina

              from Suffolk, Virginia

Nathan M. Richardson is the author of Likeness of Being and a soon to be published collection of love poems titled You are the Subject. His poetry and prose are widely published and universally accepted.  He is the recipient of the 2006 Southeastern Virginia Arts Literary Award and a past nominee for the prestigious ALLI Award from the Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads.  Nathan is the host of the long running Java Poetry Open Mic in Chesapeake, VA.  In addition to feature appearences at numerous literary events like the Christopher Newport University Writers Conference and The Russell Memorial Library Poetry Festival, he finds time to serve as managing editor of the popular E-News letter "Something to do/about nothing" which informs people throughout the Hampton Roads area about upcoming literary events.

Nathan is a roster artist with Young Audiences of Virginia through which he conducts poetry workshops in school districts all over Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina.  His spoken word performances at the university level include Longwood, Duke, Hampton, North Carolina A & T, Franklin & Marshall College, Tidewater Community College and many more.  Mr.. Richardson is a member of the Advisory Council for the Christopher Newport University Writers Festival and a member of the board of director for the Suffolk Arts League.  Find out more about his upcoming projects at www.scpublishing.

            from Edinburgh, Scotland

Coming all the way from Scotland for the SIXTH year in a row:

Dirk Robertson is a lecturer in social welfare, professional writer and actor. First thriller Highland T'ing was met with widespread critical and commercial success. His second is Bad Day For A Fat Boy.

He is a former Representative to Parliament for the National Body for Social Work in the United Kingdom, and spent many years working with delinquent adolescents. He is a former Karate international and professional instructor and trained actor, and he taught creative writing and drama in young offenders' institutions.

His screen work includes some of the top stage, film and television productions in the United Kingdom.  

                    from LaPlace, Louisiana

AJ Rodriguez is a children's motivational storyteller/author. Through her stories she attempt to motivate children to read more and to create their own stories. Many of her stories teach life lessons and are meant to encourage children to follow their dreams and to instill that they can do anything if they believe they can.

AJ Rodriguez is a Louisiana motivational storyteller/author.  Through her storytelling she is attempting to motivate children to read and to write their own tales. Many of her stories teach life lessons and are meant to encourage children to follow their dreams and that they can do anything as long as they believe in themselves.

Fighting illiteracy through her program "One Angel at a Time"  is dear to AJ's heart. Since the inception of her program she has visited eleven states and has spoken to over 30,000 children about the importance of reading.  AJ and her husband David volunteer their time at schools.  All visits are funded through the sales of her books and other related items.  AJ and her husband have dedicated themselves to bringing our children back to reading.

AJ is the author of the Theodore Da Baer series of books for children of all ages.  In 2009 she released two new books: A Cajun Crawfish Tale and Cycle of Life.

AJ will be appearing at local schools the week before the Book Em event and will be signing her books at Book 'Em.   

             from Weyers Cave, Virginia

Born in Caribou, Maine, Pamela Roller grew up an Air Force brat, residing in several U.S. states and in Europe. Upon graduating from Longwood University in 1983 with a teaching degree, she followed her heart and moved to Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Pamela began to write novels in 2003 and was published in 2007.  Her book has won numerous awards in various contests, among them the Lake County Romance Writer's Barclay Gold, the Lowcountry Romance Writers of America’s Jasmine, the Tampa Area Romance Writers’ TARA, the Land of Enchantment Romance Authors contest, and the New Jersey Put Your Heart in a Book contest.  Pamela is an English teacher at Fort Defiance High School and resides in Virginia with her family and a myriad of adopted pets. Visit Pamela at www.pamelaroller.com.

           from Charlottesville, Virginia

Andy Straka is the author of the Shamus Award-winning and Anthony and Agatha Award-nominated Frank Pavlicek novels.  A licensed falconer and co-founder of the popular Crime Wave at the annual Virginia Festival of the Book, Andy is also the author of Record Of Wrongs, which Mystery Scene magazine calls "a first-rate thriller."

              from Warsaw, North Carolina

Do you need to be inspired?  Do you need a reason to believe?  Then look no further than the words written by Denise.  Writing poetry since grade school, she discovered at an early age how comforting words can be in lifting people out of despair and pushing them towards achievement.  Each word she writes is carefully chosen to bring meaning and relevance to others.  Denise often compares herself to the greeting card magnate, Helen Steiner Rice, as she strives to capture the feeling one gets when they find the right phrase for the right occasion!  She has self published two books of inspirational poetry, My Words and Me and Do You Know Him? and one motivational book, Seizing Opportunities That Propel You Forward.  She has also co-produced several CD's, one titled "Words Can't Tell."  She loves to share her words of inspiration and prides herself in being a musician, songwriter, and inspirational speaker.   Visit her website, www.mywordsandme.com , to view more of her work.

                from Roseland, Virginia
 

Marti Regan lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with her husband and pets.  She retired in 2008 from her ‘9-to-5’ job with over thirty years of computer science experience working for the space program at NASA and the National Institutes of Health. She now has time to combine several of her loves—writing, children and animals. Dogs of a Different Collar is her first book, and she has several other children’s books in the works, including a sequel. 

Marti is a dynamic speaker with a gift for engaging children’s enthusiasm  and  combining  teaching moments with a sense of fun. Check out her website (http://martiregan.com) for more information about the author, her books, and related events.

         from Northhampton, Pennsylvania

Tom Tancin started writing when he was 13 years old after being challenged by his 7th grade English teacher.  Encouraged by his 10th grade English teacher to continue writing and to publish the novels, the challenge never ended.  He has been called  "a must read", "talented", "gifted", "a wonderful writer with a unique storytelling voice and style", and "worthy of comparison of skill to many older authors in the same field".  

Tom's Time Warriors Legacy, a young adult sci-fi series, is about a group of young adults that become the government team responsible for regulating and protecting time travel.  The series relates to teens because it demonstrates the growth and development of young adults as they mature into adulthood.  It also shows the importance of friendship and staying true to yourself. 

Tom is also the critically acclaimed author of the Detective Lindsey Scott Thrillstery Series.  The series, geared for adult mystery readers, follows the female lead who is known as the 'solver of the unsolvable'.  Detective Scott is the best in the detective field but she has a very broken personal life.  The first book in the series, The Man in the Moon, was nominated and the runner up for the 2008 Allbooks Reviews Editor's Choice Award in Fiction.

Book List

The Man in the Moon (2007)- A Detective Lindsey Scott Thrillstery Watched (2008)- A Detective Lindsey Scott Thrillstery Time Warriors: Induction (2009)- Book 1 in the Time Warriors Legacy

               from Midlothian, Virginia

Willie is a retired decorated  US Army Noncommissioned Officer, who was a supervisory military police officer and investigator during his military service. He received a bachelors degree in criminal justice from Virginia Commonwealth University and was inducted into the criminal justice honor society for academic achievements.

Willie currently teaches English to immigrant students at a middle and high school in Virginia and resides at Chesterfield County Virginia with his wife and a grand daughter. He has two adult children, a son and a daughter.

Willie's book is a memoir that reveals his family secret, which was an incident that occurred at his family farm during 1957, which is near Wilmington, N.C. Willie's book, The Winds of Destiny, received a favorable review from the Midwest Book Review of Oregon, Wisconsin and he later wrote a sequel to his book, The Winds of Destiny - The Keepers of the Secret.

Willie has spoken at events and workshops on several occasions about violence and tragedy and the burdens that they place on the victims and families. Willie is a board member of Read Aloud Virginia and notably the past president and vice president of the organization, which promotes literacy through parents reading aloud to their children.

       from Lumberton, North Carolina

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p.m.terrell is one of the cofounders of Book 'Em. She is the internationally acclaimed author of four suspense novels, two historical suspense, one how-to book for writers and four non-fiction computer books. PBS has aired four shows on her books, The China Conspiracy (2004), Ricochet (2006), Songbirds are Free (2007) and Exit 22 (2008). PBS host Barbara Berlin heralded Ms. Terrell as the "next John Grisham". The China Conspiracy was nominated for the 2004 Literary Awards by the Library of Virginia; Rebecca Reads said the book "sings like red-hot jazz"; It was also on the recommended reading list of EntreNet, sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University and the Greater Richmond Technology Council. Midwest Book Review said, “Terrell has effortlessly set herself at the top of the ranks of suspense writers” and Canadian syndicated reviewer Simon Barrett said about Terrell's writing, "you are swept along on a magic carpet ride of writing wizandry!" Syndicated reviewer Richard R. Blake said about Exit 22, “Her writing is tight and intense. Exit 22 is p.m.terrell at her finest.”

Ms. Terrell will be signing another new book at Book 'Em this year, the next in the historical suspense series based on the true life of Mary Neely. The first in the series, Songbirds are Free, is her fastest-selling title.

                      from Palmyra, Virginia

Elizabeth Tidwell writes historical fiction and political intrigue from her home just south of Charlottesville, Virginia.  Her new political intrigue novel, Device and Deceit will have its public debut at Book ‘em 2009.

Her first novel, Memories Will Always Linger, is a lost-object history mystery, featuring students at a renowned Waynesboro girls prep school, Fairfax Hall. Memories introduces the Blue Ridge Tunnel which figures prominently in the Device and Deceit plot.  This features the cadets of Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro as they try to thwart a Nazi plot to disable the United States East Coast during World War II.

Tidwell’s third novel will feature her travels along the Lewis and Clark Trail.  Or she may first return to her Texas roots to spin a tall tale just southeast of San Antonio.  It’s hard to ignore a family history which includes one of the first Texas Ranger lawmen and a martyr at the Alamo.

Contact her at writestuffva@yahoo.com with comments and for more information.  Follow her blog at liztidwell.blogspot.com and check out her website at writestuffva.com.

              from Harrisonburg, Virginia

I am a 2008 Golden Heart Finalist.

Being from Virginia, and passionate about Colonial America, much of my work centers around early Virginia and the Carolinas.