2022 FEATURED AUTHORS

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David Bush is a medical doctor specialized in hematology. He was born in Malta but left for the U.K. at a young age. He returned to his first home in 2003, where he still practices hospital medicine. In addition, he is the co-founder of a support group for patients with blood cancers. Since he gave up his private practice, he has had more time to spend with the family. He enjoys reading, swimming, travelling, and doing any type of D.I.Y. job. He has published a medical book, and many papers in international peer-reviewed medical journals. He also writes analytical opinion articles for a satirical political blog. “General Jack and the Battle of the Five Kingdoms” is his multi-award winning debut novel. It was voted IAN Fiction Book of the Year in 2021. The book has garnered thirty awards so far, sixteen of which are first place. His second middle-grade novel, “The Joyous Adventures of Whizzojack” has also been critically acclaimed, winning four awards so far. 

After graduating from Loyola Marymount University with a BA in Technical Theater, Michele Kwasniewski spent over fifteen years in film and television production. Starting out as a film set assistant on movies such as INDEPENDENCE DAY, FACE/OFF, PRIMAL FEAR, and EVITA. Michele eventually switched to the small screen and worked her way up the ladder to production manager, gaining experience on television shows such as BIG BROTHER, ADOPTION STORIES, EXTRA YARDAGE and MEET THE PANDAS. She is also a proud member of the Producers Guild of America. Michele's colorful experiences in the industry inspired her to write THE RISE AND FALL OF DANI TRUEHART series. Michele lives in San Clemente, California with her husband, their son, and their disobedient dachshund.

RISING STAR was awarded Finalist in the category of YOUNG ADULT FICTION for the 2021 BEST BOOK AWARDS and 2022 INTERNATONAL BOOK AWARDS. RISING STAR also was awarded Finalist in the categories of GENERAL FICTION and YOUNG ADULT FICTION in the AMERICAN FICTION AWARDS.

Christopher Nelson is the author of The C.R. Patterson and Sons Company: Black Pioneers in the Vehicle Building Industry, 1865-1939. While primarily known for becoming the first Black-owned automobile manufacturer when they built their first car in 1915, the Patterson story of overcoming obstacles and breaking color barriers extends into many areas such as education, sports, business, politics, and helping Booker T. Washington in founding the Negro Business League. Mr. Nelson originally conducted the research as part of a 2009 master’s thesis, which has now been majorly redeveloped and expanded into a book released in 2022. Based on the research for the book, plans are currently underway by a film production company to bring the Patterson story to the big screen. 

Mr. Nelson has a background in Archaeology and History and has worked in those fields for nearly two decades. He has a strong interest in the history of transportation, particularly during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and has worked on multiple projects within this topic during his career. Mr. Nelson has taken a recent interest in expanding his storytelling activities. This has come through various stages of involvement in filmmaking. Mr. Nelson is serving or has served in the role of Executive Producer or Associate Producer on several films including both feature length and short films. Mr. Nelson resides just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.

For further information about the book and Mr. Nelson, please visit: www.crpattersonandsonscompanybook.us

Author, speaker, and businesswoman, Mitzi Perdue holds a BA with honors from Harvard University and an MPA from the George Washington University.  She’s a past president of the 40,000-member American Agri-Women, and  her television series, Country Magazine, was syndicated to 76 stations.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, her Scripps Howard weekly column, the Environment and You was the most widely-syndicated environmental column in the United States.

Mitzi Perdue’s biography, Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless, tells the story behind the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and how Hansen entered the Guinness Book of World’s Records for selling half a billion books. The book provides both inspiration and encouragement for readers to make the most of their gifts.

She has an interesting lens through which to view Mark’s success. Her father was the president and co-founder of the Sheraton Hotel Chain and her husband was the chicken magnate, Frank Perdue. As someone who’s fascinated by people being all they can be, Mitzi studied what factors Mark had in common with these two mega successful men.

Every penny of the royalties from Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless will go to support anti-trafficking efforts in Ukraine.

Puja Shah is a visionary poet who shares her voice through written and spoken word, guided meditations, and teaching. Born in Queens, New York, to immigrant parents, she defied teachers who questioned her English skills by winning countless poetry and short story awards in her youth. She has completed over a dozen trainings in various forms of yoga, meditation, and ancient wisdom. With over 10 years of nonprofit experience and a long public health career, she has aligned with girl trafficking awareness causes for her debut novel, For My Sister. More information at www.formysisterbook.com. 

Linda Sheehan is the author of Fore Play, the novel Kirkus Reviews calls “A seamy, steamy comedy of errors”. She’s also the author of Decanted, winner of the Reader’s Favorite Bronze Award for Cultural Fiction that Kirkus calls “A highly enjoyable story of love, wine, and passion". Linda began her career in Manhattan where she worked for the CBS Television Network before moving to Los Angeles where she wrote and produced commercials and trailers for movies and television. She now lives in Napa, California, where she's the co-owner of Poe Wines that makes highly acclaimed Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, and Rosé. Besides indulging her passion for great wines, she is an avid horseback rider and golfer. 

Tom Trondson’s debut novel Moving in Stereo was published by Calumet Editions. The story revolves around Richard Blanco, a colorful yet troubled professional tennis player navigating his final year on tour. Kirkus Reviews called Moving in Stereo “a throwback 90s tale with a compellingly dysfunctional tennis-playing protagonist.” Trondson taught tennis all over the world (including the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida), was a stay-at-home dad, and learned how to cross-country ski during the pandemic. A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, he holds a graduate degree from Hamline University’s MFA program, where he teaches creative writing. He lives with his family in Minneapolis. Find him at tomtrondson.com.