PJ’s World is now available at the following locations: Karl Road, Whetstone, Gahanna, Northside, and Main Library.
In PJ’s World, anything and everything is explored. He takes the world on a journey, into his own imagination that includes magic, dinosaurs, and train rides. PJ loves talking about Hip-hop with his cousin from All in Together Girls. They talk about old school, new school, and everything in-between. He also joins a dance class of a world-renowned choreographer, who helps him understand the wonderful world of ballet. Driving a train is a must for this adventurous little boy who just wants to have fun and live life to the fullest.
Last year, I implemented the first Read to Lead/Write to Enlight Book Festival at Otterbein University. The festival was created to encourage individuals to read more, write more, and support local authors by purchasing a copy of their book.
We had authors from all across Ohio participate in the event. The authors were given an opportunity to read a portion of their work to others. Attendees were presented with the opportunity to win prizes, such a gifts cards, kindle, and possibly a free book.
This event was absolutely amazing and we loved everything about it. We hope you join us for this event this year.
Meet the winners of the Read to Lead/Write to Enlight Book Festival Scavenger hunt. This past Saturday, attendees were given a chance to win prizes for a scavenger. This family of five (Three pictured here) were the first and only attendees to complete the scavenger hunt successfully. It was only right for them to win the prizes.
They won six items, which were:
Kindle Fire Tablet
Kindle Fire Tablet Cover
Trader Joe’s Gift Card
Cash
Target Gift Card
Starbucks Gift Card
Not to mention this family also was gifted a book from Tyler Porter at the event on Saturday. If you know them personally, please wish them congratulations.
This past Saturday, I hosted the Read to Lead/Write to Enlight Book Festival. The book festival was geared towards helping individuals with making reading and writing a part of their daily activities. The event also spotlighted authors in Ohio and an author from Indiana.
Authors were given the opportunity to read their books in front of other people. The readings were amazing. We were presented with stories about unwrapping your gifts, God, overcoming harmful situations, suspense, 80’s Rock, and much more. We even had a book reading that included rhythmic drums and a host of other organized production techniques to tell a love story “that’s not a romance novel.”
This was the first book festival for some authors, while others had already attended 2 or more. The energy in the building was astounding. A reporter from the T&C spoke with me about the event and interviewed a few authors.
If you happened to miss the event, check out pics and videos here.
Author Tyler Porter gifts his book to this familyAuthor JAWS gifts this book to Author Alicia Wiggins Author Colette Harrell is supported by this beautyAuthor Sarah Johnson reads her bookAuthor Jamilah Ewing is supported by a patronThe Read to Lead/Write to Enlight Book Festival Authors Author Sarah Johnson is supported by Author Alicia Wiggins Author Colette Harrell is supported by Author Siarre Lashelle Massey Tyler Porter discusses his bookAuthor Siarre Lashelle Massey discusses her bookAuthor Colette Harrell is supported by Alicia WigginsJAWS talks to patrons about his booksAuthor Ron Cunningham gifts his book to this beautySupporters of the festival and Author Colette Harrell Author Colette Harrell is supported by a patron Author Colette Harrell gifts her books to these patronsPatron displays her goodies on social media appsVideo from Festival #VistaCreateBook Readings #VistaCreate
Today is the day! The Read to Lead/Write to Enlight Book Festival will be at The Point at Otterbein University from 1 pm to 4 pm. Come meet the authors, grab a book, enter to win a prize, and enjoy all the fun. Hope to see you there. #bookfestival #westerville #ohio #readtolead #writetoenlight
We are officially in count down mode until the Read to Lead/Write to Enlight Book Festival. Every day, until the festival, I will provide 5 things I am grateful for regarding the festival. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the gratitude.
Music from VistaCreate
5 days away- I am grateful for the organization, Black Children’s Books and Authors (BCBA). Because of them, I am able to support there efforts. In the next few days, I will make a donation to the organization on behalf of the festival. Each year, a new literary organization will be chosen to support and uplift.
Abby L. Vandiver, also writing as Abby Collette and Cade Bentley, is a hybrid author who has penned more than thirty books and short stories. She is both a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. Her latest books are A Killer Sundae as Abby Collette, published by Penguin Berkley and Where Wild Peaches Grow writing as Cade Bentley, published by Lake Union. Abby spends her time writing cozy mysteries and women’s fiction, as well as facilitating and teaching writing workshops at local libraries and hanging out with her grandchildren, each of whom are her favorite.
Where the Wild Peaches Grow Synopsis: In a deeply emotional novel of family, cultural heritage, and forgiveness, estranged sisters wrestle with the choices they’ve made and confront circumstances beyond their control.
Nona “Peaches” Davenport, abandoned by the man she loved and betrayed by family, left her Natchez, Mississippi, home fifteen years ago and never looked back. She’s forged a promising future in Chicago as a professor of African American Studies. Nona even finds her once-closed heart persuaded by a new love. But that’s all shaken when her father’s death forces her to return to everything she’s tried to forget.
Julia Curtis hasn’t forgiven her sister for deserting the family. Just like their mother, Nona walked away from Julia when she needed her most. And Julia doesn’t feel guilty for turning to Nona’s old flame, Marcus, for comfort. He helped Julia build a new life. She has a child, a career, and a determination to move on from old family wounds.
Upon Nona’s return to Natchez, a cautious reunion unfolds, and everything Nona and Julia thought they knew―about themselves, each other, and those they loved―will be tested. Unpacking the truth about why Nona left may finally heal their frayed bond―or tear it apart again, forever.
Welcome Ron “Buster” Cunningham to the Read to Lead/Write to Enlight Book Festival. He is a newcomer to the title published author. Although Unwrapped Gifts is his first book publication, his writings span 37 years, beginning with poetry. His haikus and sonnets won middle school writing contests, and his talent would eventually progress him into a lyricist, writing both R&B and Hip-Hop. Ron, or Buster to some of us, would rekindle his youthful passion for poetry, engaging in community readings and developing a passion for the spoken word. His desire to write expanded further into script writing for the NuTalkNow podcast. From here, his writing creativity would further grow into ideas like the NuLeague for Freedom, which was his rendition of our freedom fighters as superheroes with superpowers fighting for freedom in both modern and historical contexts.
Buster, or Ron to some of us, has been grooming his various artistic gifts for years. Musically he was a member of Greenhouse Effect, PipeDown, and the Prophetionals. He also partnered to create Weightless Recordings and would eventually create GyeNyame/God Only Recordings, where he was either a featured lyricist on albums or collaborated with others to bring musical art to its fruition.
“I no longer fear the responsibility of my purpose. I love helping others, which allows me to live in my optimum self. So, when I wrote Unwrapped Gifts, I found my freedom. I found confidence in my authentic self, which is a sense of liberation that is euphoric – borderline indescribable. More importantly, I now know that this euphoria is something that belongs to you also. Therefore, I encourage you to Unwrap your own Giftsand LIVE!”
Synopsis of Unwrapped Gifts: Have you ever asked yourself, “What can I give to make this world a better place?” Your answer may lie within the talent or gift you possess. You may not know what that talent is yet, or maybe you do. If your goal is to leave a legacy by sharing your talent or gift then you should read Unwrapped Gifts to help guide you through the journey while overcoming pitfalls such as fear, self-doubt, procrastination, and distractions. We all need a boost to remind us of our capabilities of doing great things in life. A wake-up call is necessary to cue our urgency in this lifetime. It is critical to know how we impact others and ourselves when we share our gifts and when we do not. You are not too young or old. You can conquer your fears, excuses, and unforeseen challenges. You are good enough to share the gifts inside you; read why!
We are less than a month away from the Read to Lead/Write to Enlight Book Festival. This is the first literary festival that will be held at Otterbein University with hopes of making it an annual event. We will have the following genres: Love, Self-Help, Christian, Movie Musicals, Suspense, 80’s rock, Poetry, and Children’s Books
Join us on Saturday, September 17th for book readings, raffles, and more. Can’t wait to meet you.
This was one of many events to come. Yesterday, I was afforded the opportunity to attend the Mid-Ohio Indie Author Book Expo. This was my second year attending. I met some amazing people, made connections, and sold some books. Ah, the wonders of being published and selling books.
Being pushed and attending book festivals has it’s ups and downs. Sometimes I attend a festival and sell 10-15 books and other times I sell 1 or 2. There’s no method to the madness. One thing is for sure, if you can provide a business card or flyer, please do. Don’t let a potential partner, sponsor, supporter, or just a great person in general leave your table empty handed. This is funny I say this because that’s exactly what happened yesterday. Yesterday, I brought business cards to hand out to the guests. Within 1-2 hours, I ran out. Oh no 🙈, what was I going to do? I still networked, made connections, and interacted with people. I am saying this to say, plans change. No matter what you want to do, sometimes life shows you another way of doing things.
If you ever have an opportunity to visit a book festival, please do. There are some amazing authors, stories, an opportunities awaiting you. Hope to see you there.
Welcome Siarre Lashelle Massey to the Read to Lead/Write to Enlight Book Festival. Siarre is an Ohio born and based writer, storyteller and artist.
Her Solar Return
Her first collection, Her Solar Return, was published in June 2022. Prior to this, she shared solely via blogging. She is here, first and foremost, to share her experiences as a multi-ethnic woman, as a mother, as a person with neurodivergence—-as a human being living and learning and trying to enjoy the scenery along the way.
In August and September, I will be attending a couple of book festivals. If you happen to attend one of those events, ask me how to get 20% 10 or more books. I am also willing to offer this discount for a variation of kids lit, poetry, and other books as well. We can call this a special mix and match book festival discount.
Feel free to tweet, message, or leave a message on my IG page about this discount and how to get it.
Guess what? We have been working diligently to re-release The Wanderlusts are a group of animals who love to travel. They also love meeting new people, art, taking pictures, helping others, reading, and exploring the world.
They travel to places such as, Montreal, Canada and Los Angeles, California. Come explore with the Wanderlusts as they travel to New Jersey, New York, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, California, and Canada.
Welcome Author Tyler Porter to the Read to Lead/Write to Enlight Book Festival. Tyler is an American Author with a focus on suspenseful, thriller novels. He launched his writing career with the debut of his novel, Love Before Law. From a young age, he has been involved in creative writing and has always had an interest in storytelling. There are many exciting things in the works for him, so be sure to follow him on his social media outlets!
Eyes Never Lie Synopsis: A ruthless killer. A retiring detective. A game of life and death. After thirty years on the force, Detective Casey Norris has finally accepted that the time has come for him to retire. His body is slowing down, his mind can’t be far behind and he won’t allow either to decide his fate. He is ready to go out on his terms. But, before it can be made official, a killer emerges from the darkness with a mission. A mission that must be carried out through blood and death. A mission that will not be complete until the killer has the thing they want the most; the death of Casey Norris. Norris has never been a step behind, but as he and his team of detectives work to stop the rising body count, the murders begin hitting too close to home. It becomes evident that the killing will not stop until he or the killer is dead. Will he be able to protect those closest to him? Or has he finally met the monster he cannot stop?
Literacy and giving goes hand-in-hand, especially if you are giving the gift of literacy. There are so many ways that you can give the gift of literacy, such as: giving books or a kindle as gifts, having book readings, teaching others how to read, and developing a book festival with the goal of increasing individuals daily reading activities. Ways in which a book festival can do this is by spotlighting new and upcoming authors, supporting literary programs, and giving away books and other items for the encouragement of reading and writing.
The Read to Lead/Write to Enlight Book Festival does just that. The festival was developed with the intention of connecting readers and potential readers with authors and the books they write. The festival is also intended to connect writers/bloggers with the literary community to encourage them to continue to write and possibly become an author in the future.
If this sounds like a festival just for you, feel free to message me or contact me with the information listed on the flyer. We only have two more spots available.
I hope you are doing well and living your best lives, as Lil Duval and Snoop sings/rap in Smile. We all deserve to smile and live our best lives.
Speaking of smiling and living my best life, I have to give a shout out to anyone who has read and reviewed my books. You are appreciated. Reviews to authors is like a rapper finding a great beat to spit 16 bars on. We all know that a good beat only embellishes that, which is already outstanding.
The same can be said about a good review. A good review only embellishes that, which is already outstanding. The thing about a book is that there are a lot of amazing books not getting the reviews they deserve. This just means that people are reading these exceptional works, but not writing reviews or giving the book a global rating.
In supporting authors and their drive to create additional works or sign with a traditional publisher, I ask you to consider writing a review about a book you have read. Reviews give authors the support they need to gain support, funding, and resources they need to continue building their brand.
The registration for the Read to Lead/ Write to Enlight Book Festival has opened up. We are truly excited for this event to take place, as well as other future events.
Read to Lead, Write to Enlight is a call to action. We dare you to Read to Lead, Write to Enlight and buy books locally. The event is geared toward spotlighting 7-10 local authors with the potential to also include 1-3 authors from other states. Authors will have the ability to sell their work, talk with attendees, and get the community engaged in reading, writing, and literacy activities.
There are different ways to support the event, which are:
Author Table
Includes author table, two chairs, a boxed lunch, and a page feature in event booklet.
Author Table/Sponsorship
Includes author table, two chairs, a boxed lunch, a page feature in event booklet, and benefits of a gold sponsor.
Spotlight Author
This allows you to support the event without attending the event. There’s nothing like wanting to attend an event, but being unable to do so because of your location or activities. Well with this option, you name and a link to your website will be added to this page.
Sponsorship/Advertise
There are three different levels of sponsorship, which are Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The very basic level allows you to be featured in the event booklet. The next level not only allows you to be featured in the event booklet, but also allows your name or organization to be listed on all the promotional materials. The last level allows you to have all the features of the Silver sponsorship with a shoutout on various social media accounts as a sponsor.
Interested in being an author, listed on the website, or sponsoring this event? You have two options to participate, you can go to my Envite page and select a sponsorship level or go to the registration page to select any and all options.
Here’s my 2022 news! I’m hosting my 3rd book Festival and first one in Ohio at my alma mater. I am looking for 10 #authors and #sponsors to participate in a book festival in September of 2022. Spaces will fill fast, so make sure you register. Registration will be released on my website MelicaNiccole.com by 1/31/2022.
Melica Niccole 