Author Profiles (provided by the authors)
Browse the Local Authors Showcase 2022-23 collection.
Erika Leigh Agnew
Erika Leigh Agnew is a Young Adult fantasy author publishing her first novel, “Dragonsown,” in August 2020. “Dragonsown” is the first instalment of the series. Erika is currently working on the prequel, tentatively titled “The Besieged Unicorn Army of Ryk” and has begun work on the sequel. Both are expected to be released in 2022. Erika was born and raised in Brampton, Ontario and grew up reading “The Chronicles of Narnia” and Christopher Pike mysteries. She is an avid traveler who is active in environmental and wildlife conservation causes. She is obsessed with dragons, sharks, and horses.
Sana Ahmed
Healing With Trees: A Collection of Short Prose & Tree Portraits
Sana Ahmed is an award-winning artist who loves to photograph trees. Sana has exhibited her artwork across the GTA including the 92nd Annual Exhibition of Photography at the University of Toronto Hart House, where she won the William J. Dowkes award in the Nature category. Sana completed her first solo show “A series of self-portraits” at the Crossroads Gallery at York University, and her second for her series “Tree Honouring” at Beaux Arts Brampton. She also exhibited two pieces from “Tree Honouring” at the Transitions Art Show at Beaux Arts Brampton. In 2020, Sana published “Tree Honouring” in The Earth Issue, a magazine that supports a collective of environmental artists. “Healing With Trees: A Collection of Short Prose & Tree Portraits” is Sana's first photobook. Through her work, Sana aspires to both raise awareness of environmental issues and help bring healing and hope to the planet.
Lana H. Allen
Mindfulness: From Chaos to Calm (The Simple Success System, Book 1)
Lana H. Allen is a life improvement author whose aim is to help you enjoy life and be happy now. She uses simple yet powerful techniques to help you be peaceful, discover your inner power, and overcome your challenges. Lana is a wife, a mom, and a child of God. She loves photography, writing, reading, spending time with her family, long bike rides, and being outdoors in nature.
Deborah Armstrong
I live with my family on our dairy farm in Caledon. My writing is a romantic blend of farming, family, and fantasy. Romance and farming were never so hot, especially when a Hollywood heartthrob or sexy rock star is involved.
When I’m not writing or doing farm work, I enjoy reading, travelling, watching movies, and spending time with my family and friends. My favourite beverages are strong coffee, chocolate milk, and single malt scotch in no particular order.
My writing focuses on women's fiction and contemporary romance; however, I read most fiction genres. Paranormal romance and comedic fiction are my current favourites.
I love the writing process. My characters decide when and how to tell their story. They talk to me at the strangest times. When I’m driving, out for a walk, or trying to fall asleep, they whisper in my ear and say, “This is what needs to happen next.”
Tanika J. Baker
Tanika is a practicing communications professional with almost 20 years of experience. She is a mother to two beautiful girls, Amira and Gianna, and wife to a wonderful and supportive husband, Marlon. Originally from Jamaica, Tanika and her family moved to Canada in 2016.
"Mommy, Is My Hair Nice?" is her first book and also the very first time she has written content for children! Being an author is a dream she's had for a very long time, but kept putting it off for one reason or another. Her family's journey and experiences in Canada inspired her to start writing, with a keen focus on some of the important lessons they learned and some very important messages to share with young readers.
Recently, Tanika has been spending time with students in the Peel and Halton School District Boards for read-aloud sessions with great responses from students and teachers!
Barbara Borzi
Barbara Borzi is a Toronto-born Canadian who decided to enter the world of aviation after graduating from York University. She is a flight attendant who is afraid of heights and suffers from motion sickness, and an introvert who uses writing and running as a means to recharge. She turned what was supposed to be a fun, temporary job into an unforgettable lifelong career full of stories, adventures, and occasionally tears and vomit. Barbara and her husband currently share their home in Brampton, Ontario with their three children and spoiled dog.
Jessie Brar
Untold: Defining Moments of the Uprooted
Jessie Brar is a young mental health advocate and diversity, equity, and inclusion professional. She grew up all over Peel Region, living in Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon. She found a passion for storytelling at a very young age and even went on to pursue the Regional Arts Drama program at Mayfield Secondary School.
Jessie has been working over the past several years to bring diverse voices to the forefront, specifically within the South Asian community. Her work has taken her all over the world and she is a published author, contributor for Brown Girl Magazine, and a public speaker who has presented for thousands around the world, most notably the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Will and Kate.
The anthology, ”untold: defining moments of the uprooted” shares her story, as well as the voices of 30 other South-Asians about pivotal moments that shaped their lives.
Lynda Brunelle
Cloudy With a Chance of Murder
Lynda lives in Brampton with her husband and two small children aged two and five. She also has two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Sawyer and Murphy. When she's not writing, she's flying the friendly skies as a flight attendant. She's been writing since she was a kid and loves to read as well.
Payal Burnham, MSEd., CCC-SLP
Silent Sally Speaks: A Teach to Speech Book
Lily's Lost Smile: A Teach to Speech Book 'L' Sound
Kingsley's Great Escape: A Teach to Speech Book 'K' Sound
Payal Burnham is a registered and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO) and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Payal currently lives in Mississauga, Ontario with her husband and daughter. With the release of her “Teach to Speech” book series, she hopes to provide insight on a range of speech and language challenges. Payal also hopes that parents, teachers, and professionals alike will use this book as a teaching tool to help students with their communication needs and support them in becoming confident speakers.
Julene Butler
Knots in My Laces Knots in My Tummy
Julene Butler is a wife, daughter, and mother of four lovely children. She is passionate about working with children, youth, and families who may come from vulnerable communities and struggle with mental health issues. In her role as a Child and Youth Practitioner, she has helped hundreds of parents and children develop strategies to cope with emotional and mental health challenges. In her first book, “Knots in my laces knots in my tummy,” Julene leverages over 20 years of experience working with kids and a passion for writing to create an accessible resource that gets parents and young children talking about mental health. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Child and Youth Care from Ryerson University. In her spare time, she believes in doing her absolute best by taking leaps of faith and trusting God in the process.
Myah Catherine
Myah Catherine is a happily married mother of two who loves to read and write just as much as she loves anime and Disney Plus.
She aspires to create stories that connect with all generations and go against the norm. Writing fiction helps her reflect on her own view of relationships and faith while at the same time connecting with today's youth on issues like maturity, love, and their struggles within their faith. Beyond that, she's made sure to continuously show a representation of her culture and race in her works. Myah adapted to different genres with her writing, from romance to fantasy and even short stories in the thriller and comedy genres.
When she's not reading, writing, or binge-watching TV shows, you can find her on any of her various game systems or training her daughters in the ways of Disney!
Jaskaran Chahal
Seven Doors to Salvation: A Tale of Darkness and Light
Jaskaran Chahal was born in Mississauga, Canada and raised in the city of Brampton. As a student at Turner Fenton Secondary School, he started to develop an interest in writing from taking courses related to history, law, politics, religion, and philosophy.
Jaskaran graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in criminology and socio-legal studies with minors in history and sociology. Since then, he's also attained a Bachelor of Education degree and a Master of Education degree from York University.
In 2021, Jaskaran finished writing his debut novel, “Seven Doors to Salvation: A Tale of Darkness and Light.” It's a story about improving your mental health and staying hopeful whenever the weight of the world is pushing you down.
Besides reading and writing, Jaskaran’s interests include cinema, hip-hop, gaming, and fitness!
Jaspal Cheema
The Hindi Alphabet Book: International Bilingual Edition
Jaspal Cheema hails from Punjab, India where he was born in 1964. He immigrated to Canada in 1981 and has lived in several cities since then. He completed his high school education in Edmonton and received his B.Sc. degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Alberta. He moved to Ontario in 1987 and attended the University of Western Ontario, London, for his Master’s education in Social Demography. He has been an active member of the Ontario Public Service (Government of Ontario) since 1991. He currently resides with his family in Brampton.
Elexa Clement
A Journey to Remember: The Travel Diary of Jessie Roberts, 1926
Elexa Clement is a graduate of Western University, holding a Bachelor of Arts in History. She is currently a student at law. Elexa lives in Brampton, Ontario. She is the great-great-niece of the diary’s writer. At the time of publication, she was coincidentally the same age that her great-great-aunt was when the diary was written.
Melroy Coelho
Agile Hypergrowth Marketing as a Service (MaaS): Executing the 10 Ps of Agile MaaS
Melroy has led marketing teams for Fortune 500 companies, mid-size organizations, and startups across the globe focused on supply chain, industrial products, oil and gas, electrical engineering, enterprise mobility, courier and postal operators.
He developed a proven methodology and framework for building brands and generating demand so that tech startups can focus on what they do best: product and innovation.
Melroy is founder of MCMK. MCMK is a marketing agency that provides B2B hypergrowth tech startups, emerging-growth scaleups, private equity-owned portfolio companies and venture capital-funded enterprises with a complete outsourced, white-gloved marketing solution using its Agile Growth Marketing as a Service expertise.
Oksanna Crawley
Teach and Test ABC's and More: Reading and Writing Tips for Parents
Oksanna Crawley is the author and illustrator of over 30 levelled books featuring a goofy hamster who thinks he’s a superhero, “The Super Hammy” series published by DC Canada Education Publishing. She likes to make children laugh while helping to cultivate a love of reading. As a kindergarten teacher, Oksanna read thousands of picture books to her students! She continues to take writing and art courses. Her dream is to publish more books and live by a big lake with a dog (and her husband). Oksanna is a proud member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers.
Carolina Cutruzzola
Carolina Cutruzzola started her publishing journey in 2014 with her picture book series titled “The Adventures of Posh Princess.” In 2021, Carolina published “Kool to Be Kind” to shine a powerful light on the topic of bullying and promote kindness and empathy to all. Carolina was honored to receive the Canada Book Award for “Kool to Be Kind.”
Ruth Donnelly
Ruth Donnelly has always enjoyed writing ever since her youth. She comes from a family where only half of them are creative in their own way. Ruth just happens to fall into a pile of words. She has done a stint in journalism writing for the Elliot lake Standard where she still employed her creative writing. Ruth now lives in Brampton with her son, Tom Bolen, and her sister who has knitted herself into a corner. For her stories to sound almost authentic, Ruth will do research into the many fields of interest.
Nancy Early
Once Upon a River: Celebrating 200th Anniversary of Alton Village
Nancy has enjoyed writing this children/ family book, “Once Upon a River,” with award-winning Canadian illustrator Kasia Charko. For Theatre Orangeville’s 2019 season, Nancy also wrote with award-winning lyricist/composer Jim Betts to create a musical adaptation of Little Women for the professional stage. Currently, she works for Caledon Public Library.
Anjula Evans
Anjula worked as a Children's Therapist with a Master’s Degree for several years, and that's where her passion for writing and illustrating children's books on difficult topics comes from. Her desire is that her children's books will help kids who encounter tough issues.
Anjula's growing-up experience contributed to the writing of “Why Is Skin Color Different?” on racism. The book includes a non-traditional family tree activity, “Family Stars”, that is inclusive of children with unique families and can be photocopied for educational/classroom use.
Anjula has also been experimenting with different genres of fiction to expand her creativity. “Antares Trap” is a Young Adult science fiction, whereas “Marked Exchange” is a paranormal (shifter) romance for adults.
As a person with an ABI who has had to switch careers due to her injury, Anjula believes that finding her passion — writing — has helped to bring positivity and fulfillment to her life.
Sharon Faber
Sharon Faber writes from the heart, and her passion to help others grow closer to Christ is reflected in her writing. Sharon’s book, “A Closer Walk,” tells her story of learning to trust God at a deeper level than she ever had before. This book would encourage anyone who is facing something unexpected and feels overwhelmed.
Sharon has faithfully followed the Lord for over five decades and has shared her inspiring personal testimony on national television. Sharon and her husband Ken have been married for thirty-six years and have two grown sons. She grew up in Brampton, Ontario and still resides there.
Lynne Golding
Lynne Golding is the best-selling, award-winning author of the historical fiction series ”Beneath the Alders, comprised of “The Innocent” (1907 – 1914), “The Beleaguered (1914 – 1918), and The Mending (1918 – 1931), all set in Brampton, Ontario. A graduate of the University of Toronto and Queen’s University, she is a senior partner at the international law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP where she leads their health law practice group. Lynne lives in Brampton, Ontario and has three grown children.
Pradeep Grover
Pradeep Grover is a Canadian resident born and raised in New Delhi, India. Life has always been his domain of curiosity and he never stopped being a student of life, enriching his repertoire with valuable lessons gathered along a fascinating journey filled with thought-provoking experiences. He is pleased to share them with a wider audience. Besides successful careers in banking and business, he also had a brief stint in filmmaking. He is well respected among his peers for his exceptional community work and creativity. He likes to meet people from all walks of life and be a part of their lives. He is fascinated by the interconnectedness of the universe and is often seen avidly sharing his perspectives on the oneness in nature. Pradeep currently lives in Toronto, Canada with his loving family and pets.
Julie Hall
Julie Hall is a social service worker who is passionate about creating opportunities for continuing education and advancements within the healthcare field. She is a Humber College alumna and is currently completing her Honours Bachelor of Applied Science in Community Social Services at the University of Guelph-Humber. She was born and raised outside the city of Toronto, Ontario and started practicing creative writing as soon as she knew how to write her name. She had her first self-published novel, “Keep Quiet,” compete as a finalist in the Toronto International Book Fair at the age of 16. ”Infinitely Small Things” started as a self-care project while working on the front line of the COVID-19 Pandemic. If Julie isn’t busy playing with her cat, a Maine Coon named Django, she is probably napping or figuring out how many shots of espresso a coffee shop can legally give you.
Naunidh Singh Hunjan
Land of Illuminated Seers: The Great Dawn of Brahmgyan - A Nirmala Scripture
Born and raised in Brampton, Ontario, Naunidh has opened up his insurance practice to strive in providing financial literacy to as many Canadians as possible. In his private life, he has followed a pursuit very dear to his heart, that of studying meditation. These efforts have culminated in his continued efforts to translate and publish this book on Sikh mysticism. A married father of three, Naunidh devotes a lot of attention to doing community service by volunteering at local temples in Brampton where he sings and teaches the use of Indian musical instruments free of charge for the past 10 years.
Hunyah Irfan
Hunyah travels cookbook : fast-food-take out edition
Mental health guide informational book
Hunyah Irfan is a blogger and YouTuber of Hunyah Travels as well an amateur chef, artist, and author. Hunyah Travels began in 2019 as the author began writing reviews and gradually started doing recipe videos on Facebook Live. In 2020, the Hunyah Travels YouTube channel was launched with exciting content. The goal of Hunyah Travels is to create accessibility for everyone, from easy recipes to information, and showing anyone can be a YouTuber. Hunyah enjoys sharing her journeys of travelling, cooking, reading, and more on the Hunyah Travels blog and YouTube channel.
Michael Joll
A Brampton resident since 1975, Michael Joll uses his retirement years writing, mostly fiction. GABRIELLE is his first genre romance novel. He has also had another novel published recently, “A Time to Love and a Time to Die,” featured in Brampton Library’s Local Authors Showcase in 2021. Two collections of short stories, “Persons of Interest” and “Perfect Execution and Other Stories” preceded the novels and also appeared in the showcase. Michael Joll is published by MiddleRoadPublishers. He is also the President of the Brampton Writers Guild.
Oviyaa Kamalanathan
I am very honored to be part of the Local Author’s showcase. Thank you for this opportunity. With the help of my very supportive parents, this book that I wrote in grade one has been published. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my parents, my grade one teacher Mrs. Welsh for editing this story, and my illustrator for working very patiently with me to recreate the images beautifully! I have two younger brothers with whom I enjoy doing a lot of activities. My hobbies are singing, painting, and reading books! I hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Paul Keery
Golden Boys: The Winnipeg Falcons of 1920
Paul Keery has written three Canadian history books for young readers. “Golden Boys: The Winnipeg Falcons of 1920” is his latest book and first sports history book. “Canada At War,” about Canada’s role in World War Two, was nominated for the Hackmatack Award for Children’s Non-Fiction. He is working on his next book about the history of democracy. Paul writes articles for magazines and newspapers about many subjects, including education, history, sports, technology, and LEGO.
In addition, Paul currently teaches writing and public speaking skills to intermediate and high school students at Write On Q, an enrichment educational program. Paul has taught intermediate and high school Civics, Canadian and World History, Law, and Information Technology. He is a public speaker who presents fun yet informative Canadian history workshops, based on his books, to students of all ages.
Gloria Adwoa Amoanimaa Konadu
Life Lesson Poetry: African Spirituality; Messages from Ancestors
I am a former medical secretary who uses writing as a healing tool. I am 37 years old, married to Edward Asamoah Frimpong, and I have one child named Gabriel K. Gyamfi.
Jade Foliage
Jade Foliage is a Vietnamese-Canadian author who hails from the Greater Toronto Area. Growing up, she was an avid reader of books, but noticed a distinct lack of stories that discussed generational trauma and mental health, which made her personal experiences feel invisible. After discovering the wonders of home Wi-Fi at age 13, she realized her passion for writing and wrote “Keychains,” her debut novel about forgiveness, family, and how the importance of friendship prevails in adulthood.
Alexis Lee
Beauty for Ashes: Memoir of a Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor
Alexis worked in the Human Services, and Criminal Justice fields for over a decade prior to a tragic car accident that changed her life and what she believed it would be. As a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) survivor, she experienced loss, trauma, isolation, and other elements that came with this injury. While never-ending, her recovery journey speaks to rebuilding her faith in God and bringing awareness and support to those who live with or know someone who has a TBI.
Ricky Lima
Ricky Lima is a bookmaker from Brampton. He specializes in making strange books.
Naman Luintel
Hello, my name is Naman Luintel and I am the author of "William Alpin short stories." I was born in Nepal in 2009. Later on, I migrated to Canada in 2012 with my parents. I moved through many different schools and struggled to find new friends during my journey in Canada. I am now a young author and my book will soon be in the author showcase.
Major Mangat
Major Mangat was born in Punjab, India on January 1, 1961. He first started writing at the age of 14 in grade nine and had his first book published in 1982. He later immigrated to Canada in 1990, where he continued to write and expand his collection as he established himself as a writer. Currently, he has a total of 16 books published, which include six storybooks, two novels, two non-fiction, two poetry books, and three scripts for movies. Major Mangat writes about themes such as life as an immigrant, cultural differences, and social matters, among others. He has been recognized for his work by receiving different literary awards and being honoured at functions. He is best known for his involvement in the Punjabi community through many different avenues, such as radio and TV host, writing articles for newspapers, and being a founding member of acclaimed literary associations in Ontario.
Andrew McKinney
How I Lost My Hair Raising Teenage Girls and the Lessons I Learned
As an executive in the pharmaceutical industry, Andrew McKinney learned only too well the pressures of work and family. He and his wife, Karen, raised a son, two daughters, a cat, and a dog. And despite some difficult years, he cherishes the good times and funny moments that occurred when least expected.
By sharing his challenging yet humorous experiences, he hopes to entertain readers who have raised kids and provide a roadmap to those beginning to navigate this stage of their lives.
After living with his family in a small town in Ontario for decades, Andrew has been on the run from his daughters ever since publication.
Allen W. McLean
Allen W. McLean's books focus on transcending hindrances with ideas from metaphysics and theology alongside practices like meditation.
Born and raised in Brampton, Ontario, he outlined his first novel "Escape Perennial City" in 2017 when he was twenty-one, inspired by years of digesting pop culture with a preference for superhero comics, science fiction, and philosophy over music, games, or television, which still influences him. A writer since elementary school, he and his friends worked on webcomics while indulging in his school's creative writing assignments. Allen writes for mindful meditation, which his themes centre around, while reading books on and engaging in the practices of Neoplatonism, Hermeticism, and Buddhism.
His spouse April Salisbury-White illustrates his covers and self-produces psychedelic music as "Electric Armchair;" at her behest, Allen started sharing "HaikuPrajna" poetry that presents his works in progress as Bite-sized Insights, which have been collected both online and in print.
Carlos Medina
Certified by seven Canadian institutions, Carlos R. Medina teaches English and French to adult immigrants in Ontario. Before reinventing himself as an ESL-FSL teacher, he was an academic who earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Louvain University (Belgium) and his Post-Ph.D. from New York University (USA). He plays the guitar and the piano and does concerts with the Brampton Folk Club. He is blissfully married to Maria Veronica, with whom he has a 31-year-old son, Theo. His book "Brampton Stories" was featured in the 2018-2019 Local Authors Showcase.
Mehak Minhas
I have lived in Brampton for the majority of my life and am currently a proud resident here. Living in the suburbs felt a bit isolating to me and I found my solace in writing. My first love was singing, which helped me discover my passion for the written word. I began writing verses and songs, which eventually transfigured into writing poetry, prose and short stories. My first self-published work, “The Sentimentalist,” is a collection of personal anecdotes in the form of poetry from the perspective of an 18–21-year-old trying to navigate the world around her. I am currently working on my second anthology to be completed within the next year or so. I hope to continue to master my craft and eventually publish a novel within the next decade. When I am not writing, I love to volunteer in my community and make a difference where I can!
Jennifer Morrison
Run with a Mighty Heart: How a Racehorse with One Eye Helped a Family Find Meaning in Life and Loss
Jennifer Morrison is an elite storyteller who has covered horse racing for almost four decades, writing for some of the country's most esteemed publications. Her work has appeared in the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star, among other places, and has earned her three Sovereign Awards, given out by the Jockey Club of Canada to recognize excellence in horse racing journalism. Jennifer's deep love and passion for horses have allowed her to form relationships and tell stories that would be beyond most writers.
Inspired by the journey of Mighty Heart, Jennifer took pen to paper to tell the world of this incredible yet improbable story of a one-eyed horse and his human family. Jennifer has lived in Brampton for 20 years.
John Mullinder
Little Green Lies and Other BS: From "Ancient" Forests to "Zero" Waste
John Mullinder was a television reporter, editor, and foreign correspondent for a number of international publications before emigrating to Canada in the mid-1980s.
Here, he was asked to lead an environmental council for the country's paper packaging industry, although he knew little about the issues it faced. He ended up serving on various national and provincial task forces, boards, committees, and councils over the years and helped the council achieve a number of world and/or North American firsts in waste reduction and recycling.
John has now published two books on environmental issues. The first debunks commonly held myths: that Canada is running out of trees, and that massive deforestation is taking place in our own backyard. The second (Little Green Lies and Other BS), both explains and exposes a variety of environmental buzzwords that are widely used but often poorly understood.
A. Reigns
Reigns lives in the suburbs of Caledon, Ontario with her family. Her love for children's books inspired her to write her own. In a world full of things and thoughts, A. Reigns speaks to children about the basic traits of inclusivity through the expression of gratitude. This simple publication helps to build the foundation of gratefulness in children from a young age.
Nair Reji
Me and You - A Poetic Tale of Epiphanies
Reji writes from her personal experiences with great emotional depth and a zest of fantasy. She enjoys listening to music, reading books, and sketching during her spare time.
Reji lives in Brampton with her family.
Kai N
Ahoy mateys, I'm Kai and I’m a very cool high school student in Peel Region. I wrote and drew mr.frog all by myself in one day, because I was motivated by my love for frogs since they're really cool and cute. I really enjoy listening to music and sometimes writing my own songs and lyrics. In my free time, I like playing video games like Minecraft and Mario, and I also enjoy cooking and baking (Gordon Ramsey fears me). I think that writing is something really fun that I enjoy doing because it lets me write about my opinions on different things (foreshadowing LOL).
Cherry Narula
Nona and Daniel - Taming the Monkey
Cherry Narula created Goldfinch Storytellers in 2020 to share sunshine stories. “Nona and Daniel – Taming the Monkey” was released in December 2020 and is dedicated to all grandparents. Born in India, Cherry lived in several towns all over India, ranging from the foothills of Darjeeling to the Western Ghats and towns of the Thar Desert to the Himachal hills. She pursued studies in English and French literature, followed by an airline career that took flight to France for several training programs. Cherry moved to Brampton 25 years ago and it has been home ever since, with a second home at Pearson Airport for almost two decades. Some of her work that was featured in the Brampton Writers’ Guild 2020 Anthology is “Woven Together” (third prize, non-fiction, BWG 2020 competition), “A Cup of Chai,” and “Tara’s Musings.” Cherry believes that the values of our heritage can be utilized positively to heal the world.
Norma Fay Nicholson
Walking Miles in Sensible Shoes
My name is Norma Fay Nicholson, a four-time self-published author of non-fiction books. I use the contents of my books as vehicles to educate, motivate, encourage, and empower at-risk children and families. As a retired RN with a MA in Adult Education and a BA in Sociology and Psychology, I have vast knowledge of human potential and my belief is that human potential is limitless. With over 30 years of public service, I have spent more than half of these years in community outreach and volunteering. Actively engaged in public, motivational, and keynote speaking, I use these opportunities to involve stakeholders such as schools, professionals, and community members in making a difference in the lives of at-risk children and families.
Patrick Obi Njoku
Patrick Njoku was born in Nigeria, but left his homeland sometime after its devastating civil war to study writing, Greek, and business studies at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece. In 1985, he came to Canada, where he met his wife Geraldine and started a family of three sons and eventually a granddaughter, his Princess Nayeli. Retired after a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry, he began reflecting on his experiences and observations growing up in the rich Igbo culture of pre-Civil War Nigeria and during the war itself. Though "My Mother's Wife" is fiction, it is firmly rooted in his own family history. "My Mother's Wife" is the first book in a planned trilogy. The second book "Norah Becoming" was released last year. Patrick and Geraldine live in Brampton, Ontario.
Ariel T. Olalere
Stella, Friends, and a Selfless Babysitter
My name is Ariel Olalere. I am an author, a storyteller, and a creative mind. I am a dynamic thinker whose thoughts are shaped by the evolutionary nature of life. I have a passion for imagining future events and also appreciate the memories of the past. My first book, "Tippy and Jakes: The eagle of the morning" was published by Olympia in the UK, and my second book "Stella, Friends and a Selfless babysitter" was published by Barnes and Nobles, USA. Nothing gives me joy more than seeing people reading and learning from my books. I am hoping to inspire the citizens of the world, especially, the younger generation, to see themselves as an instrument of change to make the world a better place.
Tunji Oreyingbo
Tunji Oreyingbo is an Information Technology Consultant, writer, and theologian. He has a vision that if more people put efforts at helping the orphans, no child will walk the street hungry or naked. He is also very passionate about care for senior citizens. Tunji is the author of “To Save the Falling Nations: A Physical task for Spiritual Leaders”. He is a co-founder of Sanctified Word Ministry. He conducts seminars and workshops in varieties of ecumenical settings. He has Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Computer Science, and a PhD in Apologetics and Theology. Tunji is married to Rachel and is blessed with children.
Sinduja Pathmarajan
Sinduja Pathmarajan is a Tamil-Canadian educator born in Germany to Sri Lankan immigrant parents now living in Ontario, Canada. She has spent more than a decade exploring the world and teaching at schools internationally. One of her passions is for the largely underrepresented children of the Tamil diaspora to feel empowered, heard, and represented in the books they read. Look out for more of her books coming your way! Follow her journey on instagram.com/SindujaPathmarajan.
Mermaid Jacy
There's a Mermaid in My Bathtub
Mermaid Jacy is an early childhood educator and children’s author. She has over 25 years experience in the entertainment world through stage plays, musicals, and operas. Mermaid Jacy is a PADI certified Mermaid Instructor with PADI Advanced Mermaid training and freediving background. Mermaid Jacy has been mermaiding since 2017 and has used mermaiding to teach others about self-care, healing, and strength. Entertaining adults and children with her mermaid magic, Mermaid Jacy has written a children’s book about the unlucky friendship between a young girl and a mermaid who likes to eat cake. Mermaid Jacy is happy to be a part of the Local Author Showcase.
Tracy Pepe
Pepe has been working with brands for over 30 years using scent as a communication tool to expand visitor experiences.
In her TED TALK “How the Nose Knows,” Tracy Pepe refers to the research connected to lack of smell and depression. With smell and emotions being closely linked, people living without a sense of smell are more likely to experience low moods or symptoms of depression. As a perfumer, Tracy teaches us to re-think how we smell and use aromatic plant materials, essential oils, to re-train one’s sense of smell. Her passion for scent is contagious; in her book she demonstrates techniques to help individuals to regain their sense of smell and taste, specifically when it has been lost from COVID-19. Tracy Pepe is the published author of “So What’s all the sniff about?” and her recent book "Why the Nose?"
Ken Puddicombe
Ken Puddicombe’s writing has appeared in newspapers and literary journals in Canada. Originally from British Guiana [now Guyana] in South America, he now lives in Canada. “Racing With The Rain,” his first novel, was published in 2012. His second novel “Junta” was published in 2014 and is set in the fictional island of Saint Anglia where the military stages a coup. His collection of short stories “Down Independence Boulevard” was released in 2017. His first book of poems “Unfathomable and Other Poems” was released in May 2020. His genre is historical fiction based in international locations but especially focused in Canada, the Caribbean, and Guyana. In addition, he’s publishing for other selected indie authors through Middleroad Publishers.
Elicia Roper
My name is Elicia Roper. I am a 26-year-old living in Canada.
My love for reading and writing started when I was in elementary school.
My love for writing grew by the time that I got to high school and I wrote a short story for English class. That assignment inspired me to continue writing and to write a novel one day. When the pandemic hit I decided that I would do what I always dreamed of: write a novel!
I am so proud of my accomplishments and I am stoked to share my book, my dream, with all of you.
Alyssa Ross
Written in the Stars: Omari's Story
Alyssa Ross is the author of “The Power of the Moon and Sun” and its prequel, “Written in the Stars: Omari's Story.” She has an Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design and lives in Brampton with her family. When she's not writing, she loves going for walks around the city, making art in too many mediums, and testing her culinary skills.
Coleen Schmidt-Williams
Coleen is a wife, mother of two, and the author/illustrator of her very first book, “Neotinoto, go, go, go!” She lives in Brampton, Ontario, and holds an undergraduate degree in Human Resources Management and a certificate in creativity and creative problem solving from Sheridan College.
When she isn’t cooking, potty training, or trying to find a hiding spot to take a break from her kiddos (moms and dads, you know what she is talking about), she is enjoying her hobby of writing and illustrating children’s books.
Dhvani Shah
My First Words | Maara Pahela Shabdo (English-Gujarati)
My First Words | Mere Pahle Shabd (English-Hindi)
My First Words | Mere Pahile Shabd (English-Punjabi)
Dhvani is a mom of two kids and an engineer by profession. She became an author and publisher when she realized there was a big gap in the availability of South Asian language resources and decided to create these quality resources herself to help parents pass on their language and roots.
Tanveer Singh
Azad Sikh Raj De Sikke, Sikhan Dee Prabhuta Dee Nishani
The author is a self-taught history aficionado and has written several Punjabi primers for young learners and maintains a website for new Punjabi learners. The author is an IT professional and has created tools for Punjabi learners and made them available for free. The author is in the process of writing a second book on the Sikh coins in English and a new book in Punjabi to teach programming to young people in high schools and those taking undergraduate degree courses in IT.
Parm Sran
Own Your Life : Create As You Go
Parm Sran is an inspirational speaker, a nurse educator, and a Mental Health Nurse with 20+ years of experience.
She has a YouTube channel where she uses the power of her voice to raise awareness on mental health and eradicate the stigma related to it. She is a mindset coach, too. She has been coached by many renowned coaches such as Tony Robbins, Eric Lofholm, Joel Bauer, and Skip Archimedes.
Being a Mental health nurse, Parm is naturally inclined toward mind-body relationships and has a special attraction towards spirituality and the law of creation.
"Own your life - Create as you go" is Pram's second published book, which is on the best seller's list. Her first book was a poetry book in the Punjabi language which was also liked by many.
Olive Rose Steele
Olive Rose Steele is a wife, mother, grandmother, and author. She never gave up on her dream of becoming a bestselling author. Olive spends most of her time writing inspirational books.
Steele is a productive author with various publications including “The Solid Rock,” “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” “Self-help Yourself,” “Cry Tough (a Novel),” “Watt Town Road,” and “Before You Go”.
Olive created “Let’s Have Coffee,” an informal literary group for discussions about the challenges and issues of self-publishing. She also writes a series of blogs titled “View from my Coffee Cup.”
Olive's interests are community, reading, and writing. She loves coffee and ornaments.
Daniel B. Thomas
In Far Off and Distant Times: Songs and Stories of a Life Cut Short
Daniel B. Thomas was a native of Halifax (in Nova Scotia) who would later relocate to Toronto in 1970 when his mother made arrangements to move to Ontario following a tumultuous period in their lives in the '60s. Danny would eventually grow to thoroughly enjoy writing as a hobby before subsequently earning a degree, majoring in Philosophy and minoring in English, from the University of Toronto's Erindale College (now known as the University of Toronto Mississauga) in 1983. He would eventually pass away after a much needed open-heart operation in October 1985 having been born with a major congenital heart defect.
Vanessa Vigneswaramoorthy
Vanessa Vigneswaramoorthy is a Tamil writer, researcher, and community organizer, born and raised in and around the Greater Toronto Area. Her poetry has been in Savant-Garde, Q/A Poetry, Kiwi Collective Mag, and her short essay, “A Letter to an Ancestor Whose Existence I Cannot Confirm” was recently featured on the Living Hyphen podcast. Her book, “Habitation: A Topography,” was released as part of the Poetry InPrint residency at InPrint Collective. She is currently pursuing an MA in Adult Education and Community Development, researching Tamil experience and anti-oppressive diasporic futures. In her spare time, she likes playing video games and re-watching TV shows from her childhood.
Vinma
In this debut volume of verse, Vinma invites you on a lunar journey to not only rediscover previously known thoughts about love but also to learn and embrace new insights. Within a variety of poems sprinkled with passion, promises, commitments, compromises, betrayal, and sacrifices, Vinma leads us to a realization of self that truly endures and powers through eclipses in life's darker moments to find radiance in each moon cycle and ultimately come full circle.
Love Moons is a poetic saga of love and endurance of self that truly shines bright in the twilight of life.
Monica Wanner
The Power of YES: Building Your Network Marketing Business Without Leaving Your Comfort Zone
The Power of YES: How Network Marketing Creates Dream Lives
Monica is a Certified Educator and Wearable Neurotech Specialist. She is also an online Business Strategist, offering workshops and seminars to help home businesses generate qualified leads so they can finally start getting customer sales! With COVID offering her lots of extra time, this snowbird stayed home. Even her learning disability didn't stop Monica from adding two-time #1 published author to her resume in 2021.
Monica hopes that her works will inspire readers to not necessarily step out of, but extend their comfort zone, to be authentic, and remain true to their core values and beliefs as they pursue their own business success!
Sana K.C.N. Watts
Sana' Watts is a follower of Jesus who enjoys joining the ultimate Creator in creating worlds with her words. She is passionate about the intersection of faith and mental health as well as coming alongside people in their faith journeys. Sana' was a local missionary with Power to Change and is studying for her Master's in Pastoral Studies with a focus in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy at Knox College. She is the happy wife of one husband and mother to a baby boy. She currently attends Church of the City, Brampton.
Andrew Welch
Andrew Welch is a speaker, theatre director, experiential educator, and Search and Rescue instructor, to name a few of his (mostly volunteer) pursuits. Brampton citizens will probably recognize him from his frequent appearances for the city as an award-winning Town Crier.
He was most widely known for creating WattPlot, a software suite sold around the world for monitoring renewable energy systems (now free). Andrew “retired” just before 40 when he learned that retirement does not mean you have to stop working. Instead, it can mean that you are free to do your own thing for extended periods. Like writing a book. Or two!
As a speaker and author, Welch is known for his engaging style and ability to communicate complex ideas through easily-grasped stories and historical anecdotes. Book clubs and community groups love to dive into deep discussions inspired by his chapters. Just think of him as “the Malcolm Gladwell of ecological economics.”
Belynda Wilson Thomas
Belynda Wilson Thomas was born on a farm in Saskatchewan and moved to Mississauga in 1976.
She works with her husband in their business and started writing her novel ”Secrets and Silence” in 2012 and self-published it in 2020 on Amazon. The “Secrets” series are young adult/family saga novels based on a family dealing with secrets and betrayal. The second novel in the series, “Secrets and Sorrow” will be published in February 2022 on Amazon.
She brought her love of art and writing together in her illustrated children's book, “When Can We Get A Puppy,” book one of the “A Dog Named Krypto” series, self-published in October 2021. She is working on her second children's book in this series.
She is a member of the Mississauga Writers Group, Meadowvale Toastmasters, Streetsville Horticultural Society, Mississauga Arts Council, and a book club.
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