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Share-a-Story Readings feature San Diego authors who participated in the 2019 Local Author Showcase. In this unprecedented time of quarantine, SDPL invited the authors to make short videos and “share a story” of themselves reading excerpts from their work for the stay-at-home enjoyment of their fellow citizens. Enjoy the bite sizes of fiction, history, poetry, and more served up by the talented authors of San Diego.
The Local Author Program highlights the intellectual and creative accomplishments of writers in the San Diego region. A centerpiece of the Local Author Program is the Local Author Showcase. Writers’ of all ages are encouraged to submit their work. The Showcase includes books written by adults, teens and children. In its 54th year, the aim of the Showcase is to bring exposure to local talent and nurture the pursuit of the writing arts in San Diego.
Non-Fiction
Ancient Sounds for a New Age: An Introduction to Himalayan Sacred Sound Instruments
Author: Diáne Mandle | Learn More
Ancient Sounds for a New Age is an introduction to and overview of sound healing with Himalayan Sacred Sound instruments. Diáne Mandle is an internationally known author, Sounds True recording artist, Tibetan bowl practitioner, educator and the only state certified practitioner/ instructor in California in her field.
Circles of Healing: The Complete Guide to Healing with Massage and Yoga
Author: Gwen Wendy Hammarstrom
Comprehensive massage and yoga techniques, case studies with photos and illustrations covering all aspects of therapy with a variety of clients, from motherhood and infancy to hospice care; a special emphasis on special needs clients including developmentally disabled, the chronically and acutely ill, and those suffering from trauma. Wendy is director of Innerworks Center: Classes for Bodyworkers and Healthcare Professionals and co-founder of Inland Holistic Health Association.
From Madness to Mindfulness: Reinventing Sex for Women
Author: Jennifer Gunsaullus | Learn More
From Madness to Mindfulness sets out to help women empower themselves to feel more worthy of love and great sex (and then have it!). Topics covered include communication, body image, passion & more! Jennifer Gunsaullus, PhD, sociologist and sex coach, is a national speaker on intimacy, sexual consent, healthy relationships, erotic play, and mindful sex. She has presented two TEDx Talks.
Kitchen Magic
Author: Alegra Loewenstein | Learn More
Kitchen Magic is a fun & effortless approach to cooking healthy, living well, & celebrating life, by making food magic in your home. Alegra Loewenstein is a best-selling author on the topics of emotional eating & how an earth based spirituality can foster health & happiness.
Living Inspired!
Author: Alex Montoya | Learn More
Alex Montoya's tales of being a motivational author & speaker, with the idea that life is better when we seek out things that inspire us and seek to inspire others. Alex Montoya is one of America’s most popular motivational authors, & writing coaches. He’s published 5 books, & ghostwritten for others, about disability, being an immigrant, Latino issues, & love.
The Encyclopedia of Moon Mysteries: Secrets, Conspiracy Theories, Anomalies, Extraterrestrials and More
Author: Constance Victoria Briggs | Learn More
A unique compendium of mysteries surrounding the Moon. Constance Victoria Briggs is a metaphysical, paranormal, and cosmic researcher/ writer. Briggs does not believe that the standard definitions of the universe adds up.
The Fight Abroad & the Fear Back Home: Italians of the California Coast During WWII
Author: J. Michael Niotta | Learn More
Italian-Americans served bravely in WWII, representing the largest ethnic group in the fight, yet sadly, their relatives and loved ones stateside endured awful treatment. They became enemy aliens. Writer-artist-musician, Dr. J. Michael Niotta, is a San Diego native and Iraqi Freedom veteran. The L.A. historian is the author of The Los Angeles Sugar Ring and The Fight Abroad & the Fear Back Home.
Useful Questions: A Guide to Self Coaching
Author: Corrinn Davis | Learn More
Are you feeling stuck or at the mercy of your emotions? Would you like to learn to have more self-mastery? Do you dream of actualizing your full potential and adding value to others' lives? Are you ready to take your life to the next level? Then this book is for you. Life coach Corrinn Davis will take you on a personal development adventure with these Useful Questions that will move you from self-awareness through self-regulation and self-mastery and finally into self-transcendence.
Why Do They Hate Us? Making Peace with the Muslim World
Author: Steve Slocum | Learn More
Why Do They Hate Us? takes the spotlight off extremists and gives a voice to Islam's mainstream. Clears up misconceptions about Islam, counters Islamophobic political rhetoric, and points the way to friendship. Former missionary and peace activist, Steve Slocum, is the founder of SalaamUSA.org. He has appeared on KTLA and CBS8, and is a speaker at churches, mosques, and community groups in the US and Canada.
Working Dogs of the Eastern Sierra
Author: Jennifer K. Crittenden | Learn More
Stories and photographs of the real dogs who work on the east side of the Sierra Nevada in California: cattle dogs, avalanche dogs, search and rescue, therapy, guard dogs, K-9, guide dogs, agility...
YOU GOT THIS: Everything You Need to Master Authentic Public Speaking
Author: Lisa Kleiman | Learn More
Addressing topics such as managing speech anxiety and audience questions, YOU GOT THIS helps you prepare for any speech so you can deliver your message with clarity, confidence, and authenticity. Author, speaker, and trainer, Lisa coaches individuals and facilitates classes, workshops, and seminars across the globe on public speaking and business communication.
Fiction
Auroraden: Mars Chosen Ones
Author: Andrew Armao | Learn More
Jake from a dying Earth has his chance to go to the new colony on Mars, but an evil alien overlord forces Jake and 12 of his friends to play his deadly alien game. If not, Earth will be destroyed. Andrew attended CCA then majored in theater at Cal Poly, ultimately deciding to be a writer, sharing his passion for space, aliens and artificial intelligence.
Endless Blue Sky
Author: Josh Turner | Learn More
Endless Blue Sky is an irreverent take on family, the different ways we self-medicate and the limits of sunshine. Josh has an MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and writes for a local nonprofit.
Falling from the Moon
Author: Karin Zirk | Learn More
Peopled with flamboyant characters and mystical settings, in an alternative culture that emphasizes self-reliance and opposes authority, protagonist Sapphire's journey of discovery helps her find her place in this world. Karin Zirk has a BA in Literature/Creative Writing from the University of California, San Diego and a doctorate in Mythological Studies with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. In addition to her novel, Karin writes poetry, short stories and scholarly articles.
Foreign & Domestic Affairs
Author: Sarah Faxon | Learn More
Foreign and domestic affairs threaten to dismantle what the king and queen labored to rebuild. While mourning the death of their son, they must choose between saving their marriage or their thrones. S. Faxon writes fantasy novels and produces a weekly newsletter providing insight into the life of an author.
Monster Town
Author: Bruce Golden | Learn More
A satire of hard-boiled detective fiction set in an early sixties Hollywood ghetto where the monsters of black and white horror films have taken up residence, now that they're no longer in vogue. Bruce Golden’s short stories have been published more than 150 times across a score of countries and 30 anthologies. Monster Town is his 7th book. It's currently in development for a TV series.
Moonshadow
Author: Krystina Coles | Learn More
In a small town where young girls disappear every full moon, fifteen-year-old Melissa Moonwater investigates the death of her best friend and uncovers a secret stretching over hundreds of years. Krystina Coles was born in 1995 in San Diego, California. Though graduating as a chef in 2014, she chose to pursue her true love of writing and telling stories. She continues to live in the South Bay.
Roscoe’s Oscar
Author: Frederick Regenold | Learn More
Roscoe Ledbetter had toyed with the idea of writing a novel since he was a kid. A series of events takes place in his life as a banker and he's suddenly challenged by the little voice inside him: "Are you gonna write that novel or are you full of crap?" A Memphis native and graduate of Duke University and the Pasadena Playhouse, Fred Regenold was a photographer in the Navy and later worked in banking and the hospitality field. He now lives in San Diego and is proud to still be writing at almost 90 years young.
Searching for a Shadow
Author: Ann Robson | Learn More
Robson’s novel takes you on a journey with Zack and Zoe Elliott as they seek to find who they are through searching for their father. Ann Robson was born in South Africa, where she worked as a newspaper columnist. She now lives and writes in San Diego. An excerpt from her first novel, Marula Ridge, won a Writer’s Digest Award.
Sumerland
Author: M. Lee Buompensiero | Learn More
An award-winning novel, set in San Diego, spanning three generations of a family’s history. Buompensiero’s work was inspired by a true story―her own! Sumerland traces a family’s devastating history and the ghosts who haunt the present, seeking to right the wrongs of the past.
Teen Transformation
Author: Allan Chapman | Learn More
Golden light magician. Angry teenager. Warrior against dark side magicians armed with red magic laser beams. James rejects magic until a new dark side threat rises. Allan Chapman graduated from Stanford with a BA in Creative Writing under Wallace Stegner. Chapman has written a thriller and seven magical reality fantasies.
The Legend of Zelkova: Umbras
Author: S.L. Vaden | Learn More
Two hundred years after the events of the first book, Elementum, Zelkova has vanished and the world lost its connection with the elementals. Humans have long forgotten about the elemental gifts they once had. And whispers of shadowy figures start to circulate as a dark elemental makes its return to the world. The descendants of Zelkova's companions must take up the fight and reawaken their dormant elemental gifts. Will the legend return, or will darkness consume the world? S.L. Vaden writes books in several genres including high fantasy, dark romance and poetry.
The Water's Fine
Author: Janice Coy | Learn More
Tragedy on a scuba boat in the Sea of Cortez leads two women into uncharted territory, fostering an unlikely friendship. Can either trust the invitation to "come on in, the water's fine" again? Janice Coy is the author of five suspense novels, published in four anthologies, was a finalist at the San Diego Book Awards Association contest and earned the IndieReader seal of approval.
Memoir
A Few Minor Adjustments: A Memoir of Healing
Author: Cherie Kephart | Learn More
An unforgettable memoir that will move you with its fiercely inspirational account of one woman’s incredible journey to find life-saving answers. In the end, she finds much more than a diagnosis. Cherie Kephart’s memoir has won several awards and prompted a companion book as well as essays, stories, and poems.
Crackers, It's Cold Outside!: A Complete and Unabridged Conversation with a Cat
Author: BK Manning | Learn More
Crackers the Cat has a message for his "manservant." Will he be understood? As seen through the eyes of an exasperated human, Cracker's communications are sure to delight anyone who has ever been "owned" by a cat.
I Have Everything I Need
Author: Bridget McGee Houchins | Learn More
2 people, 2 years, 20 countries: Trading leisure and enlightenment for sunburns, scars, and blisters. This book details an attempted PCT thru-hike, exploring the USA, and 19 European countries. Professional photographer, printmaker, Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike failure, fleamarket-bike-tourer, self-published writer, and dog rescuer.
Lions and Tigers and Hamsters: What Animals Large and Small Taught Me About Life, Love, and Humanity
Author: Dr. Mark Goldstein | Learn More
During his extraordinary 30-year career, Dr. Mark Goldstein has accrued a lifetime of experiences working with all sorts of animals and the people who care for them. Dr. Mark's life with animals taught him more than how to be a great doctor, it taught him how to live life. The stories in this book reflect those lessons; they will make you laugh and cry as they entertain and amaze you.
Newbie
Author: Tali Nay | Learn More
Newbie is not just a book about city life and what it takes for a small-town girl to adjust. It's also a book about lifelong dreams and what can happen in our quest to achieve them. Tali Nay studied writing in college and went on to earn an MBA, although recently left Corporate America to pursue her dream of becoming a gemologist.
The Day Before I Died
Author: JF Whitaker | Learn More
The Day Before I Died is the story of an innocent Irish Catholic boy on his journey from the quiet New England coast through the apple trees of Pennsylvania to Vietnam and ultimately to the brink of suicide. His story is an intimate look at his struggles with PTSD, exposure to Agent Orange, skin cancer, depression, alcoholism and the internal conflict with sexual orientation written in the hopes we can prevent just one person from taking their own life.
Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl's Journey to Freedom
Author: J. Elke Ertle | Learn More
In this true story, two obstacles threaten the freedom and autonomy of a young girl born and raised in postwar Berlin: The Berlin Wall and the harsh rules her uncompromising parents impose. Weaving history with personal experiences, Elke takes the reader on a remarkable journey into her closely supervised childhood, her youthful disillusionment, and her deliberate, albeit difficult, decision to choose freedom. Retired from a career in Public Administration, Elke resides in San Diego, California, and holds a masters degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from San Diego State University.
Poetry & Short Story
A Gallery of Masks
Author: Linton Robinson | Learn More
Poems compiled over decades that explore the concept of masks--and thus issues of identity, appearance, deceit, and other poetic obsessions. Poet from childhood, veteran of urban reading scenes, poetry published by many presses over too many years.
Darkverse: The Shadow Hours
Author: Lori R. Lopez | Learn More
Darkverse: The Shadow Hours encompasses such pieces written by Lori R. Lopez between 2009 and 2017. Lori R. Lopez is an award-winning author, poet, illustrator, and wearer of hats. Learn about her novels, stories, verse and art at Fairy Fly Entertainment.
Lesbian Humor is Not an Oxymoron: Light Verse
Author: Sandra de Helen | Learn More
A book of light verse by lesbian poet, Sandra de Helen. de Helen's collections of poetry are published by Launch Point Press. Her poems also appear in Artemis Journal, The Dandelion Review, The Medical Journal of Australia, Mom Egg and others.
Palabra: Open Mic
Author: Ted Washington, ed. | Learn More
Palabra: Open Mic is an anthology containing poetry and prose by the authors and artist that attend the Barrio Logan based event. Ted Washington is a San Diego based artist, author and publisher. He hosts Palabra, a twice monthly reading and open mic at La Bodega Gallery in Barrio Logan.
Searching for Sandra Second Edition With Grace
Author: Sandra Northard | Learn More
Searching for Sandra is a collection of Poetry about the process of overcoming. This is the second edition of the series with grace. This time there are more spicy words placed together with more wisdom, clarity and sound. Prepare to be transformed by the movement of words. Each destination is intended Sandra Renee Northard is an African American writer and her objective is to remind others to move forward in health.
SUMMATION 2018/19
Author: Robt O'Sullivan Schleith, ed. | Learn More
Juried artworks are displayed at the gallery every December; local poets from around the county write to the art between January and March … the anthology is then produced the following November. Robt O'Sullivan is editor / publisher of the annual SUMMATION ekphrastic anthology; he has hosted the Poets INC (Inland North County) literary series at the Escondido Municipal Gallery since 2007.
The Shoes of Moses
Author: Blaine C. Readler | Learn More
Ponderable stories that straddle the intersection between thriller and science fiction in the mode of the late Michael Crichton (but with more humor). Blaine C. Readler is the author of fifteen novels in addition to this collection of short stories.
Español
Retratos Urbanos
Author: Sara Garcia Molina
Historia de la ciudad que narran los esfuerzos por sobrevir, a veces entre la pobreza y las adicciones, luchando por no caer en ellas. Tambien se narran vivencias de los migrantes en E.U. Vivo en San Diego, Ca. Soy escritora autodidacta y autora novel. Naci en la Ciudad de Mexico, creci en Tijuana B.C.