The Friends of Coronado Library hosted the Local Authors Book Signing event on March 14, 2015
Author Belinda Jones’ eyes sparkled this past Saturday as she sat in front of a table of her books. “I’ve published heaps of books in the UK,” she explained, “but The Traveling Tea Shop is the first one that’s been published in the U.S.” She pointed to a postcard listing her 10 other books. “This one, though, The California Club, begins and ends in Coronado. I wrote it 13 years before I moved here! Back when I was doing my research, I thought this would be the dream place to live – and it is!”
Belinda Jones was just one of 14 authors chatting with book lovers in the Winn Room of the Coronado Library. Glad to escape the weekend’s heat wave, the authors signed books for their fans and exchanged ideas with each other. All of the participating authors live in Coronado, and San Diego features prominently in many of their books.
The book signing event, hosted by the Friends of Coronado Library (FOL), was the first of its kind. “I’m all about getting the community to know what amazing artists we have here, and I hope it’ll continue,” said Brenda Jo Robyn, the organizer of the event and FOL board member. Robyn is a Coronado native; several of the authors are former high school classmates and lifelong friends.
Brenda Jo had arranged tables into a large horseshoe, and each author sat behind a table and a stack of their books. Propped beside each one was a colorful poster introducing the author and his or her source of inspiration. Carl Luna, a political thriller and science writer, was inspired by “living in Russia for a year as a Fulbright Senior Scholar.” Another author, Tania Pryputhiewicz, is a poet who says her father inspired her. When she and her siblings were young, “he kept an Underwood typewriter on the table for us stocked with a fresh sheet of paper.”
Coronado Authors Belinda Jones and Jennifer Franks with their books
Equally diverse were the genres represented that day. These Coronado authors have written political thrillers, mysteries, travel memoirs, cookbooks, poetry, women’s fiction, horror, sci-fi, biographies, self-help, and more. Authors were self- or e-published as well as traditionally published, and some books were hot off the press, like Belinda Jones’ The Traveling Tea Shop.
One author, Jennifer Franks, has written three books, each in a different genre. As a child, she grew up overseas due to her father’s career, moving every few years. “When we lived in India, I was a teenager, and it made a big impression on me,” she explained. “I wrote my first book, The Lotus Blossom, when I was in college because of my experiences in India.” She has gone on to write a children’s Western and a work of Biblical fiction, and she just published a new short story. “Now it’s my hobby,” said Jennifer, who has a young family, but continues to be inspired and simply can’t stop writing.
At another table an aspiring author stopped to talk to George Galdorosi, author of multiple books including The Kissing Sailor. The young writer is seeking a publisher for his first novel, and he came to the event specifically to meet Galdorosi, who has written books in collaboration with the Tom Clancy brand. One of George’s best-known novels is Tom Clancy Presents: Act of Valor, a novelization of the blockbuster film about the Navy SEALS. The two authors — one seasoned, one fledgling — exchanged ideas over copies of George’s six books.
Next to Galdorosi, Ted Nulty signed copies of his San Diego-based crime thriller, The Locker. Nulty is a former Marine and federal agent, as well as a fan of zombie and horror stories. His Going Feral series reflects his fascination with thrilling tales. He based his most recent novel, The Locker, on his own experiences as a Marine. “They say, ‘Write what you know,'” Ted laughed, “So that’s what I’m trying to do!” The Locker was voted Best Crime Fiction of 2014 on Amazon.
A poster of a windblown television reporter stood in front of the calm and smiling Jane Mitchell. “I’m as native [to Coronado] as they come,” she said with glowing pride, though she demurely didn’t mention she’s also the winner of 27 Emmy Awards. Her book, One on One: My Journey with Hall of Famers, Fan Favorites, and Rising Stars, describes her work as a producer and anchor at Channel 4 in San Diego. From 1997-2011, Jane covered the highlights and most authentic moments of San Diego’s greatest sports stars, and her book reveals her side of the story as well as transcripts of her most memorable interviews.
At the end of the day, the authors packed up their books and posters, all of them leaving lighter than they had come. Their books are also available at Bay Books (1029 Orange Ave in Coronado), and most are also on display in the Coronado Library. For a full list of the authors, their work, and other upcoming events, visit the Friends of the Coronado Library Facebook page.
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Becca Garber
Staff Writer
eCoronado.com
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