LITERARY LOCALS | Meet These 6 Local Area Authors

SIP THE GARDEN: FUN, EASY DRINKS FOR A HEALTHIER FAMILY

T. Kari Mitchell, Burr Ridge

“We have received a wake-up call! While the obesity rate in the U.S. has reached epidemic proportions for the general population, it is the status of children’s health that inspired me to write Sip the Garden,” says author T. Kari Mitchell.

But jumpstarting a new health routine can be daunting for adults, much less children. That is why Mitchell’s goal is to offer families one way to make a nutritious change for the better – knowing that one change at a time will increase everyone’s chances of long-term success. This unique collection of beverage recipes, most being allergy-friendly, will help families incorporate plant-based beverages into their diet while reducing the intake of sugary beverages.

Diagnosed with food allergies, T. Kari Mitchell successfully reversed several of her health challenges after making dietary modifications and lifestyle changes. Mitchell offers classes and programs - for more information please visit www.lifestyle120.com. Sip the Garden is

available at Oasis Women’s Fitness & Spa in

LaGrange Park and www.amazon.com.

THE GREATEST LEGEND OF THE BLACK RIVER FOREST

Nicole Kaiser, Glen Ellyn

When a wise old owl tells the animals of the Black River Forest about a mysterious albino stag that once roamed the land, a curious young owl named Chick and a sly fox called Red embark on a quest to see if it’s true.

Legend has it that a beautiful white stag ruled the forest and wherever he roamed, magic happened. But then one day, the magic stag lay down and disappeared into thin air, leaving only his antlers behind. Chick and Red are convinced that if they find the golden antlers they will be turned into humans, but along the way they learn some more important lessons like the true meaning of friendship and sacrifice.

Nicole Kaiser is entering 9th grade at Glenbard West and is an avid cross country and track runner. Nicole spent much of her summer in Wisconsin at her family’s cottage and enjoys volunteering at DuPage Willowbrook Forest Preserve. Available at The Bookstore in Glen Ellyn and www.pigspublishing.com.

DICK DOES LIBERIA

Avery M. Dick III, Sugar Grove

When there’s a mission that’s too dangerous or not career enhancing enough for the more egotistical agents, the U.S. State Department Diplomatic Security Service calls on retired special agent Avery Dick.

Liberia is spiraling downward. With poverty running rampant, crime rates skyrocketing and a long and bloody civil war that has been raging on for years, the nation’s resources and spirits are all but drained.

In this fourth installment of the Avery Dick adventure series, Avery is sent out to stop an international fugitive who is looking to overthrow the newly-elected democratic government of Liberia. This manhunt will take Avery to some very dark places across the Dark Continent in hopes of saving the regime of the country’s first female presidency. George Larson has written five novels under the Avery Dick pseudonym and is a retired senior special agent with the Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Department of State. Larson based this book on time spent in Liberia training and mentoring the Special Security Service. Available at www.amazon.com.

THE THINGS WE SAVE

Joanne Zienty, Wheaton

“Everyone has a box. Oh don’t bother to deny it. You have one, you know it.”

So starts the book The Things We Save, and is where readers learn that main character Claire returns to her childhood home in Chicago and ends up finding the old Marshall Field’s box she used to save things in as a child.

Readers will be fascinated as Claire takes them on the journey of her life through the relics in this box - trying to save her tortured father from himself, dealing with a troubled mother and literally watching her family fall apart piece by piece. All of which leaves Claire wounded and broken, and finds her in the current day, a middle-aged woman unable to fully commit to love and family.

Joanne Zienty attended University of Chicago and Roosevelt University and was recently named the 2014 winner of the Soon To Be Famous Illinois Author Project. Zienty grew up on the south side of Chicago and now lives in Wheaton with her husband and two daughters. Available at www.amazon.com.

WHAT DO ANGELS DO ALL DAY

Rosemary Kuhn, Naperville

“Do you ever wonder what angels do all day? Do you think they sing or do they kneel and pray?”

That is just one passage from Naperville author Rosemary Kuhn’s clever and creative children’s book that begs the question: what do angels do all day?

Kuhn’s whimsical story about the imaginative roles of multicultural angels and how they spend their days is interwoven with illustrations, hand-drawn by Kuhn herself. All of which culminates in the reader experiencing the joyful life of angels, in a heavenly setting.

What Do Angels Do All Day is one book in an inspirational children’s book series that Kuhn has written. Other titles include The Angel’s Garden and On Angel’s Wings They Greet the King.

Rosemary Kuhn is a nurse whose work with special needs children has inspired her. In addition to being an author and illustrator, Kuhn is also a songwriter and hopes to inspire young people to pursue their own interest in art and writing. Aavailable at www.guardianangelpublishing.com; www.amazon.com; www.barnesandnoble.com

THE PULLER

Michael Hodges, Naperville

Matt Kearns is in mourning. He has photographs on his dashboard - his father, his girlfriend and his dog…who have all died. In turn, he has decided to retreat to his family’s old fishing cabin in the remote forests of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, to collect his thoughts.

But to Matt’s surprise, what was once a place of comfort has now become a place where evil resides and Matt has to make a choice: hide or fight. Held hostage by an invisible, yet powerful force, Matt must trust his instincts and make decisions that will affect whether he lives or dies.

This debut novel by Michael Hodges has been optioned by Hollywood and has been called by reviewers “fantastically frightful” and “the story of a true hero’s journey.”

Michael Hodges has had over 20 stories published in magazines and anthologies and is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). He is looking forward to seeing his debut novel, The Puller, get made into a major motion picture. Available at

www.amazon.com; www.barnesandnoble.com

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