Author Steven Brock
​
Steven Brock was born and raised right here in the CSRA. A graduate of Aiken High and very little else, Steven found himself at 24 years of age with no skills or money. He joined the Navy’s Nuclear Power program and volunteered for submarines.

After getting out of the Navy in 1984, he had an idea to write a book about his life on a sub. An experienced procrastinator, it took him 15 years to start and another 15 to finish it.

“Bubbleheads” is a slang term given to those who serve on submarine. This book takes you back to the 80s, before cell phones, the internet and the Kardashians. Although the backdrop is centered around the USS Lapon and its crew, it’s more a love story about two people. No, silly, not about two submariners. It’s about John and Karen, two diametrically opposed people who fell in love and are trying to make this crazy relationship work between them.

Join the crew of the USS Lapon, a fast attack submarine, as they navigate their way through the Mediterranean, stopping at exotic ports, visiting historic monuments, and tasting unusual foods.

Available at Amazon and other fine bookstores online.

For more information on the author or to contact him, visit his "BUBBLEHEADS THE BOOK" Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/steven.brock.7334

​Author J.A. Lyons
​
J. A. Lyons grew up in the South before wandering in the wilderness for forty years. After returning to his home country he has fought a never-ending battle against crabgrass and nap-weed. His latest works include Sweet Chariots – unending love among the Carolina marshes, and The Emerald Spire, a quest fantasy.


​Set in the coastal islands of South Carolina during the mid fifties as the last vestiges of a dying culture fade into memory, Sweet Chariots follows Henry Jean Yuncie on his journey from boy to man. Can Henry Jean break free from the grandmother who loves him too much, and a mother who hates his very existence..., not to mention the ghost of his beloved Aunt Matilda and the silky wardrobe she left behind? Must he marry Mary Beth, his childhood companion and sweetheart, or can he sail to freedom across the endless marshes? Does freedom truly exist beyond Yuncie Island, or are all his dreams and desires simply the figments of an overactive young mind? Who can discern among love and hate, memories and ghosts beneath the Carolina moon? When Gracie, only daughter of the Island’s absentee landlord arrives, Henry Jean must choose between devotion to Mary Beth and passion for Gracie, as all three careen towards tragedy. Tensions build as Henry Jean weaves among the forces pressing him to action, and peak when Mary Beth reveals a secret that threatens to destroy all their lives. Now Henry Jean truly must choose his destiny as all paths lead to one fateful night... and no matter how he decides, everyone will suffer. Sweet Chariots is an intense journey into a young man’s struggle towards manhood. Adult themes and situations including love, hate and gender identity are central to the story. Parental discretion is advised for young readers. Praise for Sweet Chariots: “It tears your heart out, then puts you back together. This is not only wonderful Southern writing, it is simply great literature.” Barbara Steiner, Author of over 70 published works. Other books by J. A. Lyons: The Emerald Spire

​Available through Amazon

Aiken author Ruth Kipnis drew from her equestrian background as she was writing her first love story, the 2014 book “Lane’s End.”

Through a twist of fate we turned a hobby into a thriving business when we added a Thoroughbred Training Center to our already growing broodmare operation.

After retiring we spent two years aboard our boat the Paradigm sailing the waters of Mexico. We finally settled in Puerto Vallarta. Returning to the States seven years later for medical reasons, and purchased a farm in South Carolina filling it with ex racehorses.

Writing came late in my varied career, but I've always believed that all of us have some secret desire, be it to ride a bike, pay a guitar, paint a picture, or in my case write a novel. Age should not dissuade anyone from the joy of following one's bliss.

Seeing my stories in print, knowing people are enjoying what I've written is reward enough. All proceeds from my books are donated to charity.
​For her latest novel, Kipnis said she stepped away from her own experiences and looked to others’ romantic stories, particularly ones involving widowed or divorced people.

“A French Connection” was published in August by First Edition Design Publishing Inc., and was edited by Sue Clark.

The story opens on Norman Feinberg, a semi-retired, widowed businessman, living in San Francisco. When he wants to sell his two-story house, he becomes connected with Nicole Johnson, a widowed, French real estate agent who is 20 years younger than him.
“Their business arrangement becomes something more than casual. The differences in age, religion and family present many ups and downs to a developing romance. A trip to Paris to meet her family sets them on a rocky road to marriage,” says the book’s summary.

The idea for the plot stemmed from the stories of second love Kipnis kept hearing from those who are divorced or had lost a spouse.

“If you lined these people up, you would think, ‘There is no way they would be a couple,’” she said.

These people also differed in traits such as age and culture, much like the romantic leads in Kipnis’ book. Kipnis is originally from San Francisco and came to Aiken with her husband Mervyn in 2002. He passed away in 2010.
In her travels, Kipnis has visited Paris.

“(San Francisco and Paris) are both liberal cities, yet culturally, they are as different as night and day,” she said.

Kipnis dedicated the book to her husband.

“I was fortunate enough to fall in love and marry a wonderful man who, throughout our lives together, encouraged me to pursue any over-the-top dream I had. ... Even though my husband is gone now, I still filter my endeavors through his prism and hope this story would have pleased him,” her dedications reads.

“A French Connection” is $14.95 in paperback and $4.99 as an ebook and can be purchased through major online retailers such as Amazon and Google Play.

 Available on Amazon

​Walking Each Other Home
​Reflections about Living a Christian Life from an Older Dad to His Daughter

Published by Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN 978-1-53261-806-2  
​2017
The English writer G. K. Chesterton once wrote: "Nothing taken for granted; everything received with gratitude; everything passed on with grace." These reflections are the author's effort, as an older father, to pass on to his daughter, with grace, what he believes is truly important in life.

When his daughter was young, he used to tell her that his constant prayer was to live long enough so that "I can get you raised!" Thankfully, that prayer has been answered. But parenting is a life-long process that evolves as we and our children grow older. Through the years, Dr. Wilcox has discovered that being an older father has advantages and disadvantages. If age gives one more life experience and wisdom, then hopefully these reflections will be a way that he can share his life and wisdom with her and others.

Throughout thirty years as a psychotherapist and spiritual director, Dr. Wilcox counseled many fathers who were genuinely trying to be good parents. This book is intended to help fathers influence, in a positive way, the life choices their daughters will make. It is an invitation to explore how we can continue to help our daughters grow spiritually and psychologically into the person God is calling them to become.​
​

​THERE ARE NO RIGHT ANSWERS TO WRONG QUESTIONS
15 Ways Our Questions Influence Our Choices to Live a Christian Life

Published by Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN 978-1-49828-994-8
​2016
​Abraham Joshua Heschel said that, “We are closer to God when we are asking questions than when we have the answers.” He believed that to be a Christian is not to be a person who knows all the answers but one who “lives in the part of the self where the question is constantly being born.”

Most of us don’t think very much about our questions. In our culture, we are accustomed to being able to find answers to nearly any question just by typing it into Google search or asking Siri. But behind any answer, there is always a question. Sometimes, the question isn’t clear to us; sometimes, it is not very well articulated, even to ourselves. But it is always there.
           
In over thirty years as a psychotherapist and spiritual director, Peter C. Wilcox has seen how the questions people ask themselves have shaped their lives in some important ways. This book is an invitation to see how important it is to learn how to ask the right questions about our lives. This is because our choice of questions leads us on a path of discovery towards answers that help us to grow spiritually and psychologically. Our questions orient our lives and give direction to us. We will see that they enable us to make choices that have a tremendous impact on the kind of person we become.

​JOHN HENRY NEWMAN, Spiritual Director 
1845-1890

Published by Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN 13:978-1-62032-204-8
​2013
John Henry Newman (1801-1890) was a man who sought to integrate life and holiness. He believed that the spiritual life needed to be lived in an active and dynamic way, touching a person's fundamental attitudes and actions. Although Newman rejected the title of spiritual director as such, it is obvious from his correspondence that directing others through various facets of the Christian life was one of his dominant concerns. Surprisingly, comparatively little has been written about Newman's idea of spiritual direction.

​This book investigates Newman's understanding of spiritual direction during his life as a Roman Catholic, 1845-1890. It examines the major areas in which Newman gave spiritual direction through an analysis of the correspondence from his Catholic years. It also explicates those principles of Newman's own spiritual life that found expression in his direction of others. Newman had a mammoth "apostolate of correspondence" His Letters and Diaries have been edited and published in a series of thirty-two volumes, embracing more than twenty thousand letters. The first ten volumes deal with Newman's Anglican period; the remaining twenty-two volumes cover his Catholic period and are the primary source for this book. These volumes have been studied chronologically in order to determine and extract the major areas in which Newman gave spiritual direction to others, and to investigate the stages of development in his spiritual advice.
​

A SHELTERING TREE Inspirational Stories of Faith, Fidelity, and Friendship

Published by Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN 13: 978-1-62564-665-1
​2014
When we think about the lives of the saints, we can easily forget that they were people just like us--with all the same struggles, temptations, joys, and sorrows we experience in life. They were not born saints; they became saints. And in the course of their journeys through life, other people helped them become the people that God wanted them to be.
 
A Sheltering Tree offers stories of faith, fidelity, and friendship from both Christian and non-Christian writers that explore the importance of friendship to psychological and spiritual development. These stories show how friends became "special graces," special gifts given to us by the Lord to help us grow in holiness. Contemporary stories of "ordinary people" illustrate fifteen lessons about friendship in our own time to help us understand the "grace of friendship" in our lives. These stories are a source of encouragement and inspiration for each of us on our personal journeys, leading us closer to each other and to the Lord who has called each of us his friend. 
​

​DON'T BE A WASTER OF SORROWS, Nine Ways Our Sorrows Can Lead to a Deeper Spiritual Life

Published by Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN 13: 978-1-4982-0733-1
​2015
The well known Austrian poet and spiritual writer, Rainer Maria Rilke encouraged his young friend not to be a ''waster of sorrows,'' but to use them in a positive way as a means to help him grow in holiness.
 
And isn't this the challenge for all of us? Everyone has sorrows in life. The important question is: what can we do with them so that we don't waste them? Whether our sorrows are personal or communal, how can we share our mutual vulnerability so that we can connect with others in a way that leads to growth?
 
For over thirty years as a psychotherapist and spiritual director, Peter C. Wilcox has listened to people's stories about their lives. Often, parts of their stories involve sorrows of one kind or another. Some people become overwhelmed by their sorrows while others have learned how to integrate them into their lives in a positive way.
 
This book is an invitation to discover how we can learn to integrate our sorrows into our own lives so that we can grow psychologically and spiritually. It suggests nine ways that we can reflect on our sorrows to deepen our spiritual lives, so that as Rilke wrote to his friend, we don't ''waste them.''

​"Paying Attention to the Wisdom of our Sorrows"

​Recently published article in 'TheWay', an international journal of contemporary spirituality published by the British Jesuits.

Author Clarence D (Dave) Cowfer
​Retired from a career in aging management of pressure vessels and piping systems in Nuclear Power Plants and Petrochemical facilities.  A Life Fellow Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers(ASME).  His writing experience includes over 50 publications and 45 years on ASME Boiler Code Committees responsible for developing Codes and Standards.  Has a passion for home projects, fishing, Penn State Football, home projects, golf gardening and all games of cards.
He wrote this book at the request of its principle character, his late wife Doris.  His 8 years of caregiving experience was the most rewarding of his life.        
 
 
Book Synopsis:
It starts with a mundane walk down the driveway to retrieve the morning paper.  A stop on the way to bend over and dead head a pansy resulted in a fall on her chin paralyzing Doris from the shoulders down.  Doris shares her experience to alert women of risks associated with brittle cervical spine conditions caused by osteoarthritis, low bone density and calcium deficiency.   Doris dictates her experience in the first two sections of the book.  Dave shares caregiver interactions with Healthcare providers, spinal cord injury impact on motor and bodily functions and survival challenges typically experienced by paralysis.  Doris’ story should be An encouragement to all facing life challenges that seem insurmountable.   

​cdcow4@gmail.com
EMAIL

V. A. Riccasola prides herself in being a well rounded individual: she’s a mother, daughter, sister, friend, career woman, writer, runner, kick-boxer, fad dieter, pseudo-nutritionist, home school teacher, cook, amateur political debater and public speaker, small-time daredevil and home maker. She is passionate about challenges and adventures and has found she loves roller coasters, rappelling, no ropes rock climbing, spelunking, skiing, martial arts, motorcycle riding and Corvette racing. Currently residing in Lexington County, South Carolina and working in Public Safety, she writes tales born mostly from her experiences in the Northeastern and Southwestern United States. Now she is accumulating experiences in the American South to share. Short yet valuable careers in hospitality, real estate, the medical field and public safety give her an experienced view of the world from which to draw. Her love of travel lends zeal to share the world's beauty and both personal and imagined experiences through her writing. Her stories are the culmination of many hours of pecking away at her keyboard between all that life has thrown at her and running. Mother of two teenage boys, she is often surprised when she can find even fifteen minutes a day to call her own. She dedicates that cherished time to writing. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15336948.V_A_Riccasola
​

 
"Ill Gotten Gain" by Ralph Jarrells

Ralph Jarrells entered the field of writing novels late in his life. He retired from corporate America eight years ago and began an award-winning video production company that specialized in creating video programs for ministry and mission organizations. So far, his work has received 18 international creative awards.

He retired from a successful career in marketing, advertising and publishing that included senior executive positions with major corporations - Sr, VP Marketing with an international franchise company, VP Marketing with a NYSE company, VP Account Supervisor for the worlds largest advertising company and Editorial director for a major trade magazine publishing company.
Although writing had its place in all of his business responsibilities, writing the "Great American Novel" was never in his plans. While discussing a story idea, a work associate challenged him to write it as a novel. That was 40 years ago. The novel was an on again off again process for the next four decades. With the encouragement of his wife, he actually completed novel number one, "ill gotten gain," a plausible, if not believable fictional account of the movement in time and space of the 33 coins Judas was given for betraying Christ. The novel was selected by Wordcrafts Press.
"ill gotten gain" answers the question, What happened to the 30 pieces of silver given Judas for betraying Christ? It is a historically based, religiously oriented mystery. It presents a plausible, if not believable account of the movement of the suitable cursed coins from Jerusalem c:33 AD/CE to Charleston, South Carolina current day in which every one who has the coins dies.
"This is a good example that you are never to old to start a new chapter in your life, Jarrells said. "At 73, maybe I should think about fishing or rocking in a chair over looking the ocean, but I never liked fishing and even though looking at the ocean sounds interesting, I think I wouldn't be able to take more than one day of that without something to do. Finishing the novel was an accomplishment and having it selected by a publishing company was an honor. Now for number two and number three."
https://www.facebook.com/ralphejarrells
https://www.amazon.com/Ill-Gotten-Gain-Ralph-Jarrells/dp/0998941646/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Ed Koterba Morgret, son of journalist Ed Koterba, was born in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, in 1952. Ed’s professional background is in school psychology. He holds a BA from Clemson University, an MA from the Catholic University of America (Washington, DC), and a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was awarded the West Virginia School Psychologist of the year in 2005 and served as president of the West Virginia School Psychologists Association from 2009 to 2010. Today he lives with his wife in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where he enjoys playing jazz piano and tennis. This is Ed Koterba Morgret’s first book.
www.TheEssentialEdKoterba.com.

​Sally Berk is a retired college professor who holds a master's degree in English literature from Northwestern University. She has studied the Bible for over forty years and taught about its influence in Western thought and culture. The mother of two adult daughters, Sally lives with her husband, John, in Aiken, South Carolina.

​The Promised One: The Mystery of the Messiah

Ulla Ringle was born October 1948 in Germany live in the USA since 1985
She met her husband in Sri Lanka; that’s were she visited elephants every day and heard their stories;
A baby elephant falls into a well, he gets rescued and ends up in an orphanage; the book tells his trials and tribulations and how he becomes famous

​ AIKEN WINE & SIGN FOR ET DINE-AROUND RAFFLE

• One Prize

38 Restaurants each donating a $25.00 gift card. 1 ticket takes all.
Raffles 1 ticket -  $5.00 each
5 tickets for $20.00

List of Restaurants
Aiken Brewing Company
Betsy's on the Corner
City Billiards
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
Dukes BBQ
Golden Corral  
Jimmy John's
La Dolce Gourmet Bakery, Coffee, and Tea Bar
LongHorn Steakhouse
Marco's Pizza
Pizza Joint
Pot Smokers
Red Lobster
The Bradley
What's Cookin' Downtown
Whiskey on the Alley

Aiken Wine & Sign Event Raffle: terms and conditions
​
This raffle is organized and administered by the Diann Shaddox Foundation for Essential Tremor a accredited 501 (c) 3.
Entry requirements
To be eligible to enter the raffle, entrants must:

• Be over 18 years of age by 1 January 2018
• Not be a member of DSF
• Have purchased at least one ticket at $5.00 each online or at the Aiken Wine & Sign Regional Book Signing Event or received one ticket from purchase from the sale of a book at the Aiken Wine & Sign Regional Book Signing Event April 22, 2017 Aiken Municipal Building

Prizes     Each winner will be contacted by phone provided on ticket.

Winners
The winner will be drawn by an independent person on April 21, 2018. The promoter's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The winner will be notified within 20 working days of the closing date by phone. The winner's names will be announced on DSF Website.   Also:

• The winner will be contacted by telephone. In the event that we cannot contact the winner within 28 days after the draw, the prize will be awarded to a new winner.
• If the writing is illegible on the ticket and no contact details are given, a new winner will be selected on the day of the draw.
• The prizes consist of what is listed above.
• By entering the draw, winners confirm their agreement to take part in any associated publicity.
• ​ Winner need not be present to win

Please note
DSF respects, and is committed to protecting your privacy. The personal information you provide will remain private and will only be used for the purposes outlined here.

DSF reserves the right to amend, withdraw or terminate the raffle or alter the raffle at any time without prior notice.
  

Author Miho Kinnas
Miho Kinnas is a Japanese poet writing in English. She holds an MFA in creative writing (poetry) from the City University of Hong Kong. Her first book of poems, Today, Fish Only is due to be published in early 2015 from Math Paper Press of Singapore. She read at NYU Shanghai Literary Reading Series in March 2014 and her current projects include the translation of contemporary Japanese poems. She recently moved from Shanghai to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina in the U.S

​TODAY, FISH ONLY
poems by Miho Kinnas
published by Math Paper Press
*
In a series of finely wrought poems, Miho Kinnas tells of leaving one place that was not quite home for another, and of learning to make herself at home in each. On revisiting the country of her birth, she weaves a story of transitions, of locations, of junctures and memories. It is an investigation into otherness (both being and perceiving ‘the other’) as much as it is a pondering of herself.

​Hey, I'm Erica. I write poems and short stories, I lead workshops, I drink lots of coffee, I wear lipstick (sometimes). I'm glad you stopped by.

Erica is a poet, speaker, and artist who creates messages of love; mixing rawness with positivity, practicality with imagination, and curiosity with conviction. In 2015, Erica began A Poem Before Breakfast, posting a short poem to Instagram every before her morning meal.  With the conviction that everyone is in love with someone or something, Erica created We Are Love Stories on Instagram, an experiment in empathy, kindness and creativity. 

Erica is a dedicated advocate of female empowerment, and has spoken at the inaugural Allatoona Book Festival's "On Place" panel; and has taught workshops in haiku and blackout poetry as self expression in the Atlanta metro area. As an activist for job readiness and employment, Erica works with MUST Ministries in Marietta where she assists local clients in writing beautiful resumes and cover letters. She is a supporter for children's arts education, and works in after school programs within Georgia Schools.  

Erica is a member of the female arts collective Atlanta Women's Poetry Collective and the Georgia Poetry Society. Erica's work has been featured in the Bella Grace Magazine, Badassery, ReVamped, Silver Birch Press, The Found Poetry Review, Flash Frontier, Serious Eats, Pure Slush, Blue Lyra Review, Non-Binary Review, Love & Ensuing Madness, Crab Fat Magazine, and The Borfski Press. She was born in Brooklyn, raised in Indiana and resides in Georgia. 
​
Erica happily accepts questions, love notes, book recommendations, and offers for coffee and conversation at erica@ericageraldmason.com.

T. M. Brown
A Southern boy at heart, although he’s lived and traveled in many states far removed from his beloved boyhood roots in Georgia and Florida. He returned to his Southern roots several years ago while his two sons were still in school and regularly traveled throughout the South before returning to college shortly after his youngest son graduated. In the last fifteen years he has preached, taught and coached in Alabama, Georgia and Florida until his wife and he moved outside of Atlanta and retired to write, travel, and spoil grandchildren.
Connie and Mike reside outside of Newnan, GA just south of Atlanta. He is an active member of the Atlanta Writers Club, Georgia Writers Association, Chattahoochee Valley Writers Conference, and American Christain Fiction Writers. Selected as presenting fiction author at the 2017 Decatur Book Festival, 2017 Milton Literary Festival, and 2018 Dahlonega Literary Festival.

Nominated for First Novel category of the prestigious 54th Annual Georgia Author of the Year hosted by the Georgia Writers Association.

Finalist for Best Suspense Novel of 2017 by Interviews and Reviews.
​
Sanctuary featured as a “Must Read” in the May/June issue of Southern Writers Magazine, 2017.
  www.TMBrownAuthor.com

​Testament – An Unexpected Return (March 2018)Testament picks up the following summer from where Sanctuary left off. Theo and Liddy are enjoying sinking deep roots into their new hometown of Shiloh. Friendships are growing and Liddy has been offered an opportunity to return to the classroom as the new art teacher after Theo has written a book. However, Ominous shadows cast by the town’s past portend more tragedy for little old Shiloh. “Do you know what a banshee is?” This repeated inquiry in the opening chapters of the story sets the tone for the rest of the drama that unfolds in Testament, An Unexpected Return.

For more information go to: www.TMBrownAuthor.com

Sara York writes passionate stories full of real life and real people. She lives in the south with her family and dogs. Her blood type is Coffee+ and her muse is the beach. Sara hopes you enjoy the stories she’s created. For more information on Sara York visit her website at http://sarayork.com
Books: 
Do I Belong
Working It Out
Southern Thing Series
Colorado Series

Kimberley O’Malley is a recent transplant to Charlotte, North Carolina from the frozen North. She is learning to say y’all but draws the line at sweet tea. Sarcasm is an art form in her world. When not writing, she is a full-time nurse and part-time soccer Mom, but not necessarily in that order. She shares her life with an amazing husband of more than twenty years, two teenagers, and one very sweet Shetland Sheepdog, Molly. 

​With 30+ books to her credit, Regina Jeffers is an award-winning author of historical cozy mysteries, Austenesque sequels and retellings, as well as Regency era-based romantic suspense. A teacher for thirty-nine years, Jeffers often serves as a consultant for Language Arts and Media Literacy programs. With multiple degrees, Regina has been a Time Warner Star Teacher, Columbus (OH) Teacher of the Year, and a Martha Holden Jennings Scholar and a Smithsonian presenter. In 2016, she was a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, the Frank Yerby Award for Fiction, and the Chanticleer International Book Award.

Every Woman Dreams Blog: https://reginajeffers.wordpress.com

Website: http://www.rjeffers.com


Austen Authors: http://austenauthors.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Regina-Jeffers-Author-Page-141407102548455/?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/reginajeffers

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Regina-Jeffers/e/B008G0UI0I/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1479079637&sr=8-1

​April Alieda is the internationally selling author of the Flower Moon Cafe series which is salty-sweet (PG-13) contemporary romance with magical elements. Her debut, All Who Wander, is a full length novel and the other titles in the series are Zip Romance - little stories big on fun. At the time of the signing she'll have four titles available. Find out more - APRILALIEDA.COM

Amanda Marsico, author of Humans In My House, a middle grade fiction novel, and Acephalous, a young adult paranormal drama; Owner of Red Ink Enthusiast writing services.
www.redinkenthusiast.com


​