Deliah Lawrence

Hello book lovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to you novelist, Kiran Desai. In 1998, her first novel, Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard received many accolades from literary figures such as Salman Rushdie. It won the Betty Trask Award, a prize given by the Society of Authors for best new novels by citizens of the Commonwealth of Nations under the age of 35. Her next novel, The Inheritance of Loss won the 2006 Man Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award.  In May 2007, she was the featured author at the inaugural Asia House Festival... Continue Reading

Hello book lovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to you, journalist, writer, and filmmaker, Nora Ephron.  After participating in a class action suit against Newsweek for sexual discrimination (the magazine told her they didn’t hire women writers), she went on to enjoy a prolific career in journalism and screenwriting. She is best known for writing and directing romantic comedy films for which she received various accolades and awards (a British Academy Film Award, nominations for three Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and three Writers... Continue Reading

Hello book lovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to you, poet and essayist, Rita Dove. In 1987, she received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for Thomas and Beulah, a collection of poems loosely based on the lives of her maternal grandparents. In 1993, she was named United States Poet Laureate by the Library of Congress, a position she held until 1995. She has won several awards and collaborated on many creative projects including a live reading at the Lincoln Memorial, accompanied by John Williams’ music – a poem to Steven Spielberg’s documentary The Unfinished... Continue Reading

This is the first time I’m reading anything by Lily Zante and it won’t be the last. This novel serves up a dose of doubt, a spoonful of mistrust, and a heaping of finding love again.  So, let’s meet Ava Ramirez, an entrepreneur of an online kids store, reeling from hurt after being ditched by Connor Beachcroft, her fiancé six weeks before their Valentine’s Day wedding. After the suppliers, dressmakers, caterers, and party planners are canceled she sets out for Verona, Italy – the honeymoon destination, the one thing she didn’t cancel.  When Ava arrives at Verona airport, she... Continue Reading

Author’s Bio: Kristin Paul is a two-time award-winning author addressing social issues that impact women. Her books extend beyond storytelling, creating a platform for dialogue and awareness surrounding the challenges faced by women. She has spoken to numerous organizations about the difficulties women experience including domestic violence.   Her books are Drowning by Katelin Maloney and Freeing Yourself Financially: A Woman’s Guide to Rebuilding Her Finances After Divorce. She is also a book publisher at Purple Ribbon Publishing. Kristin Paul, also a passionate advocate for empowering... Continue Reading

Author’s Bio: Mary dedicated over four decades to development economics, with pivotal roles at institutions like the World Bank and the African Development Bank. Her journey from Uganda to North America has been marked by academic and professional pursuits​ and underscored by a commitment to ​grab opportunities, seek excellence and meaningful contributions​ to society.  Now, in her golden years, she champions women’s economic empowerment to achieve “Hope for a Better Future” for all and younger living for the retired. ​She has authored two books in retirement, including... Continue Reading

Lauren Blakely didn’t disappoint in this standalone novel about love, trust, and sexual fantasies. From the very beginning you can feel the heat flying off the pages between Lily Whiting, a sports reporter and Finn Nichols, a lawyer who’s healing from the death of his brother. They bond over sports and although their schedules are hectic, they find the time to get to know each other deeply.  Now that they are engaged, there’s just one ultimate fantasy (a threesome) that Lily wants to indulge in but doesn’t know how to bring it up with Finn. When Finn sees her browsing history, he wonders... Continue Reading

Author’s Bio: Julie Federico is an award-winning children’s service author who writes books that help parents keep their kids safe.  She has written prevention books on child abuse prevention, domestic violence prevention, school violence prevention, race relations, and elementary friendships.  She takes difficult adult topics and breaks them down in a friendly and non-threatening way that preschoolers can comprehend.   Julie believes knowledge is power and protecting your children is paramount. Her books are for readers 0-9 years old. All of her books are illustrated in a welcoming fish... Continue Reading

Author’s Bio: Erica Ginsberg has drawn on creativity in a variety of different roles: writer, documentary filmmaker, story consultant, project manager, and social entrepreneur. She co-founded the documentary film organization Docs In Progress and served as its founding executive director for more than a decade. She co-hosts The D-Word, a peer-to-peer global community for documentary professionals.  In addition to working in the arts, Erica has organized professional development study tours to the United States for mid-career professionals from around the world. She has a BA in international... Continue Reading

This is the first time I’m reading anything by Fiona Murphy and it won’t be the last. This novel captures the essence of Christmas: family, love, good deeds mixed in with some romance, a few surprises, and a heartwarming ending.    So, let’s meet Lydia Romano, a renowned and in demand sexy, sassy plus-sized stylist with many rules that her clients adhere to like not contacting her before noon (it’s on her business card that her hours are from noon to six). So, when she gets a call at six in the morning, she is furious and lashes out at the caller who later turns out to be Decker Holt,... Continue Reading