Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore – Meet the Authors – #Mystery Sharon Marchisello, #Memoir Cynthia S. Reyes, #Poetry Annette Rochelle Aben

There are over 150 authors in the Cafe and Bookstore and I wanted to keep it to key pieces of information such as buying links, recent review, website and covers. However, I know that readers also like to know more about the background of authors.

In this series during June and July I will share the bios of all the authors in the cafe in a random selection. I hope that this will introduce you to the authors in more depth and encourage you to check out their books and follow them on their blog and Twitter.

Meet Sharon Marchisello

Sharon Marchisello is the author of two mysteries published by Sunbury Press, Going Home (2014) and Secrets of the Galapagos (2019). She is an active member of Sisters in Crime.

She contributed short stories to anthologies Shhhh…Murder! (Darkhouse Books, 2018) and Finally Home (Bienvenue Press, 2019). Her personal finance book Live Well, Grow Wealth was originally published as Live Cheaply, Be Happy, Grow Wealthy, an e-book on Smashwords. Sharon has published travel articles, book reviews, and corporate training manuals, and she writes a personal finance blog called Countdown to Financial Fitness.

She grew up in Tyler, Texas, and earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Houston in French and English. She studied for a year in Tours, France, on a Rotary scholarship and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue her Masters in Professional Writing at the University of Southern California.

Retired from a 27-year career with Delta Air Lines, she lives in Peachtree City, Georgia, doing volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society and the Fayette County Master Gardeners UGA Extension.

One of the recent reviews for Secrets of the Galapagos

Robbie Cheadle 4.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced and entertaining  Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2020

This is an entertaining murder mystery with a large dollop of romance. The story is set on a cruise ship which is travelling around the idyllic islands of the Galapogos. The author weaves some lovely and interesting information about these island, the conservation programmes they have in place as well as the amazing wildlife that is found there, into the story which I really enjoyed.

Giovanna has recently had some bad experiences. She lost all the money raised from investors to build her dream non-profit veterinary clinic to a clever con artist and, as a result, her fiancee and business partner, Tim, has broken off their engagement. To make matters even worse, her best friend, Connie, is married to the conman, and helped entice her into his trap. Giovanna’s youthful looking grandmother, Michelle, talks her into going on a cruise to help her recover from these losses and move on with her life. Giavanna decides on the Galapagos as a destination because she has learned, via Facebook, that this is where Connie and the conman have gone and she hopes to somehow get an opportunity to confront him and get the stolen money back.

Giovanna is in for some more hard knocks. While snorkeling with her new friend, Laurel, the pair get separated from the group and Giovanna is nearly left behind by the boat. Laurel disappears and no-one will acknowledge it except for Michelle and a few other guests who notice she is missing. Other unusual things are also happening on board the ship: Michelle gets hit over the head in the ship’s library, a memory stick with photographs of animals on it belonging to Laurel goes missing and one of the guides turns up dead in the swimming pool. Giavanna is determined to get to the bottom of it all and also to confront the conman if the opportunity presents itself.

Into this whole mix enters a gorgeous local policeman, Victor, who is investigating the murder, the disappearance of Laurel and who is interested in Giavanna.

This is a fast paced book with lots of action and some romance. I found it a bit hard to follow in a few parts because there was just so much happening and so many different sub-plots but on the whole this is an entertaining and interesting read.

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – and: Amazon UK – follow Sharon: Goodreads – blog: Sharon Blogspot – Twitter: @SLMarchisello

Meet Cynthia Reyes

Cynthia Reyes is the author of A Good Home and An Honest House. Her children’s illustrated book Myrtle the Purple Turtle was published in October 2017 to excellent reviews.

Cynthia is a former journalist, producer-director and executive producer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. More than a hundred episodes of her programs appeared on network television. She won national and international awards and acclaim for her work, including The Children’s Broadcast Institute Award , The Trailblazer Award and The Crystal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film and Television.

In October 2016, the country of her birth, Jamaica, inducted Cynthia into the Order of Distinction, Commander Rank, in recognition of her work in Canadian and international journalism.

One of the recent reviews for Twigs in my Hair on Goodreads

Mar 10, 2020 Wendy Macdonald rated it Four Stars and really liked it

If you have ever loved a garden, you’ll enjoy this gardening memoir by Cynthia Reyes. She shows us her flower borders and introduces us to her favorite plants, trees, seasons, and people. Cynthia weaves humor and personal stories into the garden’s fabric so that by the end of the book you feel as though you’ve had tea with a good gardening friend and a tour of a lovingly landscaped Eden. Her husband’s excellent garden photography pairs well with Cynthia’s beautiful and inspiring writing.

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And  : Amazon UK – Follow Cynthia : Goodreads – Website:Cynthia Reyes – Twitter: https://twitter.com/CynthiaSReyes

Meet Annette Rochelle Aben

Annette has an attitude of gratitude that she spreads around on a daily basis… Annette’s Blog and also by interviewing authors on radio Tell Me A Story with Annette Rochelle Aben | The Magic Happens (TMH)

A love of writing, began for Annette when she was but a small child. Of course, she gives all the credit to her parents, who read to her and her siblings from the moment they were born. Once in school, teachers took over the roles of main influencers, as they required the students to do a lot of (wait for it… wait for it…) WRITING!

Over the years, Annette has been blessed with having both hobbies and jobs that required her to write. This resulted in her winning the admiration of peers and industry professionals alike. Publication lead to awards, which provided even more encouragement and now, Annette Rochelle Aben is a #1 Best Selling Author!

These days, Annette writes poetry books, coaches others through the writing of their books, and edits articles for the digital magazine The Magic Happens.

Along the way, Annette found time to explore the worlds of Aroma Therapy, Astrology, Bach Flower Essences, Crystal Therapy, Feng Shui, Hypnotherapy, Music Therapy, Numerology, Reiki, and Tarot. Guided by her Angels as to what to study and with whom, Annette turned many of her studies into sideline businesses

A selection of books by Annette Rochelle Aben

One of the recent reviews for Think Tanka

Bette A. Stevens 4.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Poetic Renderings!  Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2020

Aben aptly describes Think Tanka as a collection of “short songs.” As an enthusiastic reader, rapt by the author’s introduction, I began “thinking in tanka.” I was impressed by the poems’ clever grouping by theme—adding to the enjoyment and ease of relating them to my own life. Ranging in scope from nature to human nature, Annette Rochelle Aben manages to strum the heartstrings and lift the spirit with her delightful poetic renderings. ~ Bette A. Stevens, author of award-winning children’s picture book Amazing Matilda and other books for children and adults.

Read the reviews and by the books: Amazon US – And : Amazon UK – Follow Annette: Goodreads –  Blog: Annette Rochelle Aben WordPress – Twitter: @YouAreTheExpert

Thank you for joining me today for this series and I will be sharing another three authors and their work every weekday during June and July. It would be great if you could share. Thanks Sally.