LITERARY LOCALS | Jennifer Rizzo of Lisle; Chantal Panozzo of LaGrange; Georgiann Baldino of Napervi

Support These Local Authors

This month we feature local authors from LaGrange, Lisle and Naperville. From holiday craftiness to everything you ever wanted to know about Switzerland– it's all here!

Creatively Christmas

Jennifer Rizzo, Lisle

If you’re looking for a creative outlet for your Christmastime craftiness, look no further! This yuletide guide was written and designed by lifestyle blogger and all- around crafty girl, Jennifer Rizzo.

Sparkly doily banners, snowball jingle bells, and burlap gift bags are just some of the 35 hands-on projects featured in this holiday how-to, which will take your home to new levels of merry and bright. Readers will also find a pictorial tour of Illinois homes decorated for the holiday season, as well as some simple but inspiring decorating tips for your most festive holiday home.

THE perfect hostess gift or stocking stuffer for your bff. And oh heck, buy one for yourself while you’re at it!

Jennifer Rizzo is the owner of Jennifer Rizzo Design Company and has produced projects for Country Living magazine, Romantic Homes magazine, and Oprah.com. She also teaches in-person and on-line classes. To contact her or view her shop, go to www.jenniferrizzo.com. Available at Room 363 in downtown Naperville, www.amazon.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com.

Swiss Life:

30 Things I Wish I’d Known

Chantal Panozzo, LaGrange

Doesn’t moving to Switzerland, eating chocolate, climbing mountains, and ordering cheese in four different languages sound exotic…and fun?

Well, in 2006, author Chantal Panozzo found out that the fantasy she pictured for herself, when moving abroad, was pretty far removed from the reality. With an impending identity crisis – not to mention upheaval in the form of landing and then losing several jobs, navigating the landscape of different languages, and becoming a mother for the first time (a chapter appropriately titled “About Mutterhood”), Panozzo quickly discovers just what she is made of.

This is a great read for the dreamers in your life, or those who have even the slightest touch of wanderlust, on your Christmas list this year.

Chantal Panozzo recently returned to the Chicago area after spending a decade in Europe. She has written for publications including CNN Travel, The Christian Science Monitor, and Swiss News, and is at work on her next book. Available at www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, and check www.IndieBound.org for local bookstores.

Journal of a Cavalry Bugler

Georgiann Baldino, Naperville

Nineteen-year-old Charlie Dickey joins the Union army after the fall of Fort Sumter – it’s 1861 and as a member of the 4th Illinois Cavalry, serving as a bugler, Dickey becomes a member of General Grant’s escort.

In this interesting work of fiction (based on the autobiography and Dickey’s correspondence) the reader becomes privy to the state of the U.S. in the years leading up to the Civil War as well as other interesting events, including the assassination of President Lincoln.

Journal of a Cavalry Bugler has been described as “strong, sturdy, yet romantic writing” as well as “entertaining and riveting” and would make the perfect stocking-stuffer for the history buff in the family.

Georgiann Baldino owns a copywriting and publishing business and has published a variety of works in genres including suspense, historical fiction, and travelogues. She enjoys volunteering and serving on the board of directors for the Naperville Woman’s Club. Available at www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, and check www.IndieBound.org for local bookstores.