Saturday, April 20, 1:00pm – 4:00 pm
Monken Activity Room, Second Floor (accessible by elevator and stairs)
Centralia Regional Library District’s Local Author Fair is back!
This year, 12 local authors will be exhibiting in the Monken Activity Room to discuss, sell, and sign their books. Admission is free and there will be a raffle drawing!
Meet the authors in this year’s lineup
Sara Bevis
Sara’s Facebook Page
Genre(s): YA Fiction
Target Audience: Ages 12+
Sara Bevis grew up in Southern Illinois, where she still lives with her husband, son, and dog. She enjoys reading, doing 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzles, and spending time with her family. Becoming an author has always been her dream.
Books:
Aurora in the Dark (Book 1 of the Seasons of Aurora Series, 2023)
Aurora has the perfect life until her father reveals, on his deathbed, that her real father is a lowly guard. She has to run away from home to find him.
Aurora in Secret (Book 2 of the Seasons of Aurora Series, 2023)
When Aurora finds her real father, she is unsure if he can be trusted to help her.
Jami Chrisine
Jami’s Website
@authorjamichristine on Facebook and Instagram
@author.jamichristine on TikTok
Genre(s): Metaphysical YA Fiction, Nonfiction Self-Help for Aspiring Authors
Target Audience: Ages 13+
Jami Christine has always been an out-of-the-box thinker, looking at life from different angles and marching to her own drum. After her dark night of the soul in 2011, followed by her grandmother’s death in 2013, she began to take a deeper look at life’s challenges and the positive reasons behind them, as well as the mysteries of death and the afterlife. Thus came the story of The Transcendent, which she hopes inspires, uplifts, and encourages people of all ages on their soul journey. When Jami is pretending to be an adult, she works in Southern Illinois as a massage therapist and transcendental hypnotherapist. Jami thinks she’s a pretty cool adult, but when she’s not adulting, she’s either out on an adventure with friends or with her two sons, gone for a run, painting something colorful, lost in a song she’s playing on the piano, or geeking out about astrology or anything metaphysical (she’s an Aquarius, by the way).
Books:
Transcend Your Story: A Guide to Transforming Your Healing Journey into an Inspirational Novel (2021)
So you’ve been through a life-altering event. Finding strength deep inside, you’ve survived your Dark Night of the Soul, done the inner work to heal, and learned the lessons that helped you grow into a stronger, wiser person. Now you’re ready to share this transformational story, to inspire others through their own trials. There’s just one problem: you don’t know how. You’ve always loved the thought of writing a novel but honestly have no idea how to even start a book, much less complete one. How do you bring the events from your real life into a captivating story that resonates with real people? How do you make it all make sense? How can it inspire your readers’ healing journey? In Transcend Your Story, Jami Christine answers all of these questions! If you’re ready to tell your story in a way that heals, inspires, captivates, and entertains, then join Jami and Transcend Your Story now.
The Transcendent (2024)
Seventeen-year-old Lessie Morrison has endured her fair share of car accidents, falls, and house fires, but not in the ways one would think. She is gifted with the unique–and unwanted–ability to leave her body behind as her spirit assists a departing soul to The Other Side if they’re dying alone. As if high school isn’t hard enough for an unpopular teen. The passing of her only mentor, her grandmother, who happened to share her ability, leaves Lessie with nobody to answer her endless questions as she navigates life with her strange ability. Especially if the questions that arise when she’s faced with a rather serious situation of being called to a reluctant soul: can she bring someone back to their body, and defy death? As it would turn out, she can. But coming back from the dead comes with a cost–not only a broken body, but broken dreams. Lessie is faced with the question: was bringing someone back to life their second chance, or did she meddle with cosmic forces she should have known better than to touch?
Shelia Cisco
Shelia on Amazon
Genre(s): Inspirational Poetry and Short Stories
Target Audience: Children/Teens
Mrs. Cisco is a previous nurse, educator, and mental health professional. She loves the outdoors, gardening, singing, and cooking. She is a public speaker.
Books:
Of Visions and Dreams: For Her Daughters (2021)
Of Visions and Dreams: For Her Daughters is as relevant today as it was when it was written. The poems could have been written shortly after the evening news, as it reflects the culture in which we live. Many of the concerns with race, economics, and religion are challenged as it questions what we believe and how we are living that out at this time in our nation’s history.
Sir Gregory Groundhog of Essex County (2023)
Sir Gregory Groundhog of Essex County is an amusing tale of comical antics as a whimsical creature, whose determination to savor the bounties of the season mirrors the resilience we all possess.
Loving the Broken (2024)
This book addresses difficult and painful subjects that have plagued caregivers, those incarcerated, raped, and racially stigmatized by the American culture. It also asks us, as people of faith, to question our motives and the Love of Christ that should be present in our homes, churches, and safe places of worship. The book is dedicated to school, hospital, and ministry servant leaders.
Brittany Clair “Clair” Elders
Clair’s Website
Clair on Facebook
@eldersclair on Twitter/X
@brittany.clair.elders on Instagram
Genre(s): New/Young Adult Supernatural Romance
Target Audience: Ages 15+
Clair is 32 years old, married with two children, and currently works in a high school kitchen. She has been writing almost all of her life since middle school, whether it be fanfiction, poetry, or short stories. At first it was a way to cope with anxiety and depression but then it became more of a passion. She began writing her first book, Hidden Desires, Broken Promises, in the spring and worked all summer from sunup to sundown to finish it.
Books:
Hidden Desires, Broken Promises (2023)
Alpha Jaxon Rivers and spirited Luna Avens share a passionate secret that has kept them apart for years. When Luna returns, their love is rekindled, but they must confront their own toxic relationships while unraveling the mystery of girls disappearing from shapeshifter wolf packs. Love, secrets, and danger collide in this thrilling paranormal romance.
Dane Johns
Dane’s Website
@DaneJhns on Instagram and Twitter/X
Genre(s): General
Target Audience: Ages 14+
Dane Johns lives in beautiful southern Illinois with his wife, Stacy, and their three children. At one time, he played in several bands that you likely haven’t heard of unless you were in very specific places at very specific times.
Books:
The Futile (2022)
In his debut novel, Hunger Games meets the Warped Tour as a punk band attempts to make it big despite their egos, insecurities, and the government trying to kill them.
Our Extended Universe (2023)
Two graduating seniors discover they inexplicably match as siblings through a DNA website.
Leia M. Johnson
Leia’s Website
@leiamjohnson on Facebook
@MamaOrgana80 on Instagram and Twitter/X
Genre(s): Picture Books
Target Audience: Ages 3-8 or Grades PK-3
Leia M. Johnson is an Air Force spouse and mother of four through birth and adoption. Sister is her first published book, and her book for adults titled Shine Until Tomorrow releases later this year.
Books:
Sister (2023)
A young girl experiences both the joy and grief of building a family through fostering and adoption.
Paul Klostermann
Paul’s Amazon Page
Genre(s): Sci-Fi Dystopia/Alternate History
Target Audience: Ages 2 to 92
Paul is a father, husband, and accountant by day. He began to tell the stories of Silver Hills about 5 years ago and has enjoyed writing as a necessary creative outlet. So far, he has published two novels and intends to follow them with at least two more along with a collection of short stories.
Books:
The Not Too Distant (Silver Hills Universe, 2020)
Just another normal mid November morning for Darwin Davidson. He, along with his closest companion Greta, jogged up the inclined road, passing the clock tower, the bakery, and the many other sights, sounds, and smells of Silver Hills. His 34th birthday was just around the corner. The steam from his breath accelerated as he turned around and began descending towards his home near the bottom of the lone hill in the awkwardly named town of Silver Hills. A car caught his eye. It was a car he was certain he had seen before. This time, he found an old man asleep in the vehicle. How long had he been there? Who was he waiting for?The old man in the car at the bottom of the hill would only be the beginning of Darwin Davidson’s most abnormal of birthdays. Darwin was going to learn that his destiny and purpose were not waiting for him, they had already been placed inside him long ago.Life in Freemandia would never be the same.
The Flyover War (Silver Hills Universe, 2023)
Gimmerva Henry was like any student at the Cliff, studying political science and law in relative anonymity. Unfortunately for her, anonymity is not meant for everyone. Occasionally, fate will find you. Gimmerva “Gimmy” Henry was destined to become more than just a lawyer in sleepy Silver Hills. With the assistance of some old friends, some teachers, and mentors, Gimmy Henry was destined to lead a Quest that would determine the fate of not only Silver Hills but all of the United States of America. Will their Quest be for naught, or will it bring rise to an American Renaissance?
Debby Morber
Genre(s): Children’s Books
Target Audience: Ages 6-12
Debby is a retired elementary teacher with more than 34 years of experience. She loves children, books, traveling, and nature. Telling and reading stories to her grandchildren is one of her favorite things to do. She lives in the country and gets inspiration for her books from animals and nature around her. Her latest book, The Tree is set to release early 2024 and is about an old oak tree that tells stories about experiences it has lived through.
Books:
Rabbit Run (2018)
A small rabbit family experiences life in the country as they grow together. Excitement builds as the Fall Festival and annual rabbit race arrive. Who will win the race?
Dragonfly Stones (2021)
A peaceful pond has an unwelcome visitor. This visitor is a bullfrog that eats dragonflies! Can they rid the pond of this awful bullfrog? Can the pond return to the beautiful and peaceful pond it once was?
Katie Otey
Katie’s Website
Katie’s YouTube Channel
@KatieOteyWrites on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X
Genre(s): Children’s Books
Target Audience: Ages 4-12
Katie Otey is an author and a poet with a passion for spinning heartwarming and humorist tales featuring characters of color. When she isn’t writing, she is traveling, singing, or spending time with her family. Her latest book, Izzy’s (Almost) Epic Day, is set to release in May of this year.
Books:
Every Other Christmas (2022)
After his parents’ divorce, a young biracial child spends every other Christmas celebrating the differing traditions between the African-American and Colombian sides of his family.
T.L. Sanders
T.L.’s Website
@author.tlsanders on Facebook
@tlsandersauthor on Instagram
@tl_sanders on Twitter/X
Genre(s): Picture Books and YA Fantasy
Target Audience: Ages 3+
Author and illustrator T.L. Sanders is a graduate of Kaskaskia College and of the Institute of Children’s Literature. After studying the art of writing for children and teens, T.L. pursued several avenues to hone her skills, both as a writer and illustrator. In the process, she has sold short stories to Essential Skills, illustrations to a toy company for heirloom puzzles, and more. She is continuing to work on her Prymzia series.
NOTE: Unfortunately, T.L. Sanders will be unable to join us the day of the Fair due to a family emergency. Please continue to support her by buying her books through her website above.
Books:
Pixie’s Princess (2022)
Pixie has the best ideas ever for her princess’s birthday. But not according to Princess Charlotte, who is tired of the traditional Royal parties. The excited pixie conjures up several examples, but Charlotte has an idea of her own. When the princess gets up the nerve to ask the king and queen, they grant her request. Things don’t go as planned, and her party is nearly ruined until Pixie comes to the rescue.
Rainbow Spider (2022)
A picture book and an activity coloring book! As Little Brown Spider comes to realize the value of its own particular beauty in Rainbow Spider, children are given the opportunity to explore their own wonderful uniqueness. Rainbow Spider can be used by home-school and classroom teachers as well as school librarians/media personnel as a ‘talking time’ starting point leading to awareness of differences and personal worth.
Upside Down (2022)
As Whisker meets new fish, he is apprehensive to play with them because they swim upside down. This colorful picture book includes coloring pages at the back of the book.
Christmas Time: Color, Cut & Paste: Scissor Skills for Ages 3 to 5 (2022)
This fun workbook will be enjoyed by preschoolers and kindergartners while strengthening their skills. It includes 44 activity pages.
Ravager of the Sea (Book 1 of the Prymzia Series, 2022)
Long ago, a gift was given to Prymzia… a gift that brought protection and extraordinary skills to the people. But sometimes what is meant for good can cause tremendous grief, for some want to use the gift for destruction and conquest. As evil descended upon the island, a mighty hero rose up to battle the beast. He prevailed against the monster, but not without great price. Many years pass, but whispers and shadows from the past yet emerge. And dark foes assemble to awaken the “Ravager of the Sea.” A quaint little fishing island, miles from the mainland, attracted many wealthy families. They built their beautiful mansions on the island. But the only house, on Divine Island, that drew fourteen-year-old Luke’s attention was the mysterious Corrinsen mansion that sat on the cliff above his home. Years ago the family that lived there disappeared. Luke’s imagination conjured up many possible scenarios until the mansion’s caretaker gave him an old book. “Read it and tell me what you conclude. It is truth or fiction,” the old man says to him. The book of Carthia begins an adventure, which propels Luke and his brother into an underwater odyssey and lands them on the mystical island, Prymzia.
Rebirth of the ReVelant (Book 2 of the Prymzia Series, 2023)
The Elders gave Luke, Frankie, and Emily a drink from the Elders’ cup and sent them home through the veil to wipe away all knowledge of the secret island, the pearls, and the Gift. Many years ago, Carthia sacrificed himself by encasing the sea monster, Leviathan, in stone to protect Prymzia. However, the monster is now free. After a fierce battle on the Prymzian shore, the beast escaped into the ocean. The Elders said Luke and his siblings would be safer on their home island rather than Prymzia. The same sea surrounds Divine Island as it does Prymzia! Why would they think they would be safer? And what about the Marsini? Three pearls hover ─ one over each volcano, until now. Legion, the Marsini leader, stole one pearl causing the protective veil to shred at that corner of the island. With difficulty, the Prymzian Guard worked to conceal that corner. Even though Prymzia once again had possession of the pearl, Seona’s anxiety intensified with every passing day as the stakes grew higher. When will they return the pearl to its proper place? Prymzia’s secrets must stay concealed. If the plan to restore the pearl fails, Seona fears chaos will take over. Will wildlife peace remain, and what about the old fable of the dragonflies ─ will they grow into dragons? The Marsini, that evil horde, continue with their plans to control Prymzia. Who will stop them?
Sindy Smith
Sindy’s Amazon Page
Sindy on Facebook
Genre(s): Inspirational/Environmentalist Children’s Books
Target Audience: All Ages
Sindy was born and raised in Belleville, Illinois, where she attended public schools. She has degrees from SWIC, Concordia University of Wisconsin, and McKendree University. She was honored by the Illinois Library Association in 2012 and has been a keynote speaker for St. Clair County, Monroe, and Randolph County Young Authors Awards. Sindy is married to Attorney Kevin J. Kubitschek and has 2 daughters. She does animal rescue and has 6 dogs, 1 cat, and 4 bunnies (all indoors). She loves the natural world and is a conservationist.
Books:
Little Lucy Lou (2010)
One Spring day, the animals of Wirsing Manor hear a strange peeping sound coming from a shed on the property. They go to investigate, and find chicks, the biggest of whom is Little Lucy Lou. Lindsay, a child who lives in Wirsing Manor, introduces them to all the chicks. Soon after, the other chicks begin to suspect that Lindsay likes Lucy Lou the best, and they start being mean to her. She is upset by this and runs away into a meadow where there are foxes roaming around that could hurt her. The chicks realize what they’ve done and the animals go and try to find her. Will she come back safely? Little Lucy Lou is a heartwarming story about learning to accept the things that make you different.
Mr. Minko (2011)
Mr. Minko is a lost little kitten without a mother, a home, food, or love, who is just about to give up. Just when he is about to lose all hope, he wanders into the wonderful world of Wirsing Manor and discovers the many animals that live there. But will Mr. Minko fit in? Will he be accepted by the other animals that live there? Will he let his fear get in the way? Find out what happens to Mr. Minko, in this wonderful story about hope, fear, acceptance, and friendship. Mr. Minko is part II of the Little Lucy Lou book series.
Rosie the Rottweiler (2012)
Many dogs in the United States are currently in animal shelters. One such dog is Rosie, a Rottweiler. When Marie and her daughter, Katie, visit a local animal shelter to get a hamster for a pet, Marie sees Rosie and is instantly smitten by this big black dog. But when she brings Rosie home, many of her friends say that dogs like Rosie are mean. Join Marie on her journey discovering the truth about big black dogs.
Dadu the Dolphin (2012)
Dadu is a friendly little dolphin whose greatest pleasure in life is swimming and playing in the clear blue ocean with his family and friends. But he can’t ignore the bad things he sees happening to the ocean, his friends, and his family, and he decides to do something creative about it. But can he do the job? Is he too late? “DADU THE DOLPHIN” is a delightful story of a little dolphin who decides to help his friends, family, and the deep blue ocean he loves so much.
Indy the Unicorn Prince (2012)
Did you ever wonder what would happen if a unicorn lost its horn? In “Indy the Unicorn Prince”, a unicorn, who is the prince of the forest, is seized by evil trolls who hunt unicorns just for their horns, believing the horns will make them live forever! In this enchanting story, a unicorn’s life is changed…in ways you might never expect. With help from his best friend, Rocko, the unicorn tries to make a new life for himself. But how is he changed? Can he survive? What happens to him? You’ll find that “Indy the Unicorn Prince” is a delightful tale of wonder, discovery, and the true meaning of friendship. “Indy the Unicorn Prince” is book three in the Wirsing Manor children’s series, which includes “Mr. Minko” and “Little Lucy Lou.”
Charlie the Chipmunk and the Lost Goldmine (2012)
Old Stan’s birthday gift from his three best friends fulfills his lifelong dream-a trip to Colorado to prospect for gold in the icy streams of the Rocky Mountains. It is there that he befriends a gang of chipmunks who are hiding a special secret. Join Stan on his journey out west and learn a lesson that is more valuable than gold.
Thirteen Ghostly Encounters at Wirsing Manor (2012)
If you believe in ghosts, or not, Thirteen Ghostly Encounters at Wirsing Manor is about ghost experiences that Author Sindy Smith had while living with them for over a decade. Sindy Smith fell in love with a 19th century ruin of a house. She also knew restoring it to its former splendor would be quite an undertaking, since it suffered from, among other things, one hundred plus years of deferred maintenance. Sindy had her hands full, sanding floors, tearing off wallpaper and knocking down walls-what she didn’t know was, that along the way, she’d be introduced to the many ghosts of Wirsing Manor.
Ervin and Alma’s Little Mouse House (2013)
Ervin and Alma Mouse live quietly with their pet cricket, Clicker, in their little house on the edge of the forest. But even as they sit rocking on their front porch watching the forest animals, and listening to the sounds of the woods, they keep a silent lookout for Finko the fox … who would like nothing better than to make them the main ingredient in his next meal! Ervin and Alma’s Little Mouse House tells the charming story of two mice and their pet, who when faced with danger, see how little actions and working together can make a big difference.
The Tale of Pinky Wink Possum (2013)
When a baby possum gets lost from his family, he finds a new home with a little girl and her mother. Pinky Wink Possum goes from being a lost little possum to a beloved pet where he is treated like a king. Pinky Wink Possum has his own pink clothing, a doll bed to sleep in, and is safe and warm in his new home. Yet he longs to be outside and free. One day he gets his wish. But once Pinky Wink Possum learns about the dangers of being in the wild he longs to be back with the family that captured his heart. In “The Tale of Pinky Wink Possum,” a little possum discovers that home is truly where your heart is. “The Tale of Pinky Wink Possum,” is based on a true story of how Author Sindy Smith rescued an injured baby possum and nursed him back to health. The real Pinky Wink possum now lives at The Treehouse Wildlife Center in Dow, Illinois where he is used to teach children about the environmental importance of North America’s only marsupial.
Tony Thompson
Tony’s Facebook Page
Genre(s): Horror, Fantasy
Target Audience: Middle Grade/Young Adult
Tony Thompson works in special education at Belleville West High School. The author of four books, he currently resides in Okawville, Illinois.
Books:
Dryver’s Fields (2019)
The children of Okawville, IL are disappearing at an alarming rate. Three life-long friends are determined to find out who or what is behind the disappearances. They need to do so, quickly, before Okawville becomes a ghost town.
The Eighth Lion (Book 1, 2020) & Eschaton (Book 2, 2021)
Prince Landon is on a quest to save his sister from the clutches of a rogue dragon and to prevent the coming apocalypse. To do so, he must travel to the edges of the Known World and enter Mfiri, the gateway to the Underworld. Along the way, he might even find the answer to a question that has plagued humankind for centuries.
Midnight in Varosliget (2023)
What happens when a nostalgic vampire, a neurotic werewolf, and a mummy with a 200 IQ meet at midnight in Varosliget Park in Budapest, Hungary? Finland the Werewolf and Ahmose the Mummy must put aside their differences as they wait for the arrival of the friend Pentele Sandor, the world’s most powerful vampire, who is about to end a 10-year self-imposed fast.
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For questions and concerns about the fair, please email program coordinator Charessa Sistek at csistek@centralia.lib.il.us or call 618.532.5222 extension 225.
If you are an Illinois author that would like a chance to exhibit at our next fair, let us know!
Updated 4/20/2024
