Saturday, Sept 16th ~ Celebrating National Literacy Month
Saturday, Sept 16th ~ Celebrating National Literacy Month
Join us at the Trinity River Book Festival and celebrate the power of reading. The book festival is a multicultural event during National Literacy Month. The mission of Trinity River Book Festival is to engage readers, support writers, and inspire the next generation with great literature!
The festival activities will be sure to inspire, entertain, inform and empower individuals, families and communities. This event will attract a wide array of authors, publishers, families, church community, book clubs, avid readers, artists, scholars, athletes and the business community.
We hope you and your guests can make it to the Trinity River Book Festival! Check out some of the highlights below:
Born March 11, 1984, in Hoboken, NJ, and raised in both Bronx, NY, and Puerto Rico, Abraham Lopez is an American US Army Veteran enlisted in the US Army from 2005-2016. He was deployed overseas between 2008-2009 during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Endurance Freedom (OEF). He received three army commendation medals and three achievement medals, among others. This is his debut novel. He is currently working on his second novel.
Brooks Harrington is a licensed attorney and a retired ordained United Methodist minister. He has served as a member of a law school faculty, a criminal prosecutor, a civil litigator, the senior pastor of an inner-city church, and the founder and head of a nonprofit legal ministry providing free legal representation and pastoral support to indigent victims of family violence and child abuse.
Chris Mullen is an Author from Richmond, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1997 and began his teaching career. Chris was awarded the 2019 Connie Wootton Excellence in Teaching Award presented by the Southwest Association of Episcopal Schools. In 2021, Chris signed with Wise Wolf Books, a YA Imprint of Wolf Pack Publishing, and re-released his debut novel ROWDY: Wild and Mean, Sharp and Keen on February 24, 2022. On March 31, 2022, he released ROWDY: Redemption, followed by an April 21, 2022 release of ROWDY: Dead or Alive. Chris currently writes for Wise Wolf Books and is working on the next ROWDY installment.
Ms. Cousia Towns, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, has overcome many tragedies and triumphed in many areas of her life. "EXPOSED, Sitting in the Blood of Generational Consequences," was written by Ms. Towns to help others UNMASK and EXPOSE the painful experiences they have unknowingly locked away; not realizing the hurt will resurface within their lives disguised as economic hardships, broken families, strained friendships and other adversities.
This book highlights the personal voyage of Ms. Towns' journey. It demonstrates how God delivered her from sitting in the blood of her mother's murder; abandonment by her family; dumped in and failed by foster care system; sexual abuse and rape by her father, that ultimately marked her for domestic violence.
Awards & Recognition
Since the publication of "EXPOSED: Sitting in the Blood of Generational Consequences" it has received a Readers Favorite FIVE STAR AWARD, as well as International recognition for the 2020 Honorable Mention in Non-Fiction-Drama Book Award!
Book(s):
JONATHAN RAY SCOTT is from Dallas, Texas. A 10-year veteran of the National Football League as an offensive tackle, Scott was also a member of the 2005 National Champion Texas Longhorns football team. His life off the field has been as successful as his time on the field with experience in real estate, finance, education, coaching, executive leadership, and the music industry. He recently became the co-owner of a private equity group.
Kristin Dickerson hosts North Texas' #1 lifestyle television show on NBC-5 called Texas Today. Kristin is also a videographer, writer and video editor who has earned numerous journalism awards including a National Edward R. Murrow, four National Gracies, and Regional Emmys. However, after 15 years of telling other people's stories, in 2019 she felt called to document her own. She and her husband went on a three-month pilgrimage to some of the holiest places on earth. In her book, My Journey Back to God, she details the life lessons and transformations that occurred during her faith walk. https: //www.facebook.com/KristinDickersonTV/ https: //spiritandnatureproductions.com
Lansford Guy is a former newspaper reporter who followed the court room beat into the courthouse and now practices law. His short fiction and poetry have appeared in Pulp!, the Austin Daze and My Favorite Bullet. His podcast, Fiction Tartare, features his original fiction and is available through Apple Podcasts. His non-literary interests include archery, virtual reality development, and perpetually refining his chili recipe. He lives with his wife, son and two cats in Texas.
Loren Steffy is the author of five books of nonfiction: Deconstructed: An Insider's View of Illegal Immigration and the Building Trades (with Stan Marek); The Last Trial of T. Boone Pickens (with Chrysta Castaneda); George P. Mitchell: Fracking, Sustainability, and an Unorthodox Quest to Save the Planet; The Man Who Thought Like a Ship; and Drowning in Oil: BP and the Reckless Pursuit of Profit." He is also the author of a novel, The Big Empty, which combines a sweeping appreciation for history and the struggles of small-town America with an examination of technology and the social and economic changes that come about when the two meet head to head.
Margie's dream had always been to write a book and after reaching her eightieth birthday, she decided that if it were ever to be accomplished, she had better get started. Being an avid "cruiser," she drew from her experiences of cruising to the Panama Canal to use as an environmental background for her first book. Much of the action takes place on a cruise ship and the ports and excursions mentioned are very real. Margie explained that "having a book published at age 85 is a little surreal. I am beyond thrilled that this has happened and being a very optimistic person, I planned this book as the first in a trilogy and have hopes of being able to accomplish that goal."
A native New Yorker, Nancy is a graduate of Harvard University, with a master's from Columbia University. Nancy Churnin is the award-winning author of multiple picture book biographies and has published ten children's books as of October 2021. The former theater critic for the Dallas Morning News and Los Angeles Times San Diego Edition, she's now a full-time writer and peace negotiator between her dog and cats. She lives in North Texas.
Books:
"ROB WELSH is a former U.S. Marine and minister with more than 17 years of experience in the financial industry. Welsh has trained and mentored thousands of people on leadership, business, personal growth with a key emphasis on empowering and adding value to others. He lives in Dallas with Miyuki, his wife of 35 years, and his son Kenny.
Hello! I am Shauntra Maddison, Louisiana/Texas girl who loves to cook! I call myself a Creole Texan since I get the best of both worlds whenever it comes to southern cooking. I get the creole Cajun flare from Louisiana and the comfort Texan cuisine from the Lone Star state. I have always had a passion for cooking. It all stems down from my beautiful mother, my angel, may she rest in peace. As a young child, my mother always had me in the kitchen. While my other cousins got to lay around and play during Thanksgiving, I was up early cooking in the kitchen. Cooking always allowed me to be creative with the taste and the look. Honestly, you eat with your eyes so I always made sure my food looked appealing.
Shauntra Maddison is a food blogger, cookbook author and a recipe and content creator. She has recently been featured on NBC 5 Texas Today and competed on Food Network's Big Bad Budget Battle.
My latest novel is for children, and for adults who wish to reminisce: Kudzu's Enormous New Life is a magical tale about an unlikely friendship between a precocious chipmunk, a stray dog, and a three-year-old boy on the autistic spectrum as they learn to express themselves as a means of happiness and survival.
The Bass Reeves Trilogy
When I heard Morgan Freeman declare in an interview on CNN that Bass Reeves was his dream role, I suspected, like a good deputy with a hunch, that I had just found my next project, my next obsession—even my next life, which is what a new perspective should inevitably give a writer, if it’s a worthy one. “You ain’t hear a lot of stuff about Bass Reeves,” said Freeman, appearing already to slip into character. “Nobody’s ever tackled him. He was one of the most well-known deputy marshals in the West in his time. I want to do Bass Reeves.” Freeman was right. I had not heard a lot of stuff about Bass Reeves; in fact, I had not heard the name once. How could I not automatically trust Freeman’s judgment of character, given that his filmography includes such wise choices as Street Smart, Glory, Driving Miss Daisy, Unforgiven, The Shawshank Redemption, Seven, and Amistad? Without much delay, I ordered the only two books I could find that existed on the subject of Bass Reeves—Art. T. Burton’s Black Gun, Silver Star, a scholarly compilation of court documents, newspaper articles, interviews, and photographs, and Gary Paulsen’s The Legend of Bass Reeves, a 137-page novel for young adults. I had never attempted or even considered writing an historical novel yet found myself surprisingly open to the challenge.
Warren G. Landrum, Jr. is a Publisher/Author/Poet
WarLand Books was created to publish and provide easy-reading, feel-good books. These offerings also collectively take a look into the psyche of one Black Man and serve to act as an example of how All of God's Children, Black, White, Brown, Yellow or whatever, can answer the question as to whether or not we can all live together with a resounding, 'Yes We Can'!
A Corona Love Affair Mia Goes to Jamaica
Always Be Your Best You
Texas Politics - Grand Prairie Style
Let's Go Home to Indiana Harbor
The Heart & Soul of a Black Man
Nine Days in Singapore
Nine Days in Paris
Nine Days in Italy
The Stroke of Grace
Adriane Woods is an ordained Elder with over 20 years of active ministry service. Adriane is a member of Trinity Harvest Church in Hurst, TX where she currently services on the teaching team and as leader of the Grace Women’s Ministry. It is her desire to see the lost, hurting, and broken walking in victory.
Adriane Woods Ministries (AWM) is a Christian-based organization called to share the gospel and extend the love of Christ to help the believers walk in complete healing and wholeness. AWM is dedicated to sharing the truth of God's life-changing power and grace with every open heart and mind.
With more than 14 years of writing experience as a copywriter, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Media Communication with a minor in Marketing and a master’s degree in English and Creative Writing.
In 2003, she published some of her fanfiction online and won awards for her stories. Two years later, she was the first-place winner of the 2005 Arche Books Publishing Novel Writing Contest, Women's Fiction with her novel Behind the Eyes of Dorian Gray.
Born and raised in upstate New York, with a brief and very influential stint living in Great Britain, Beth A. Freely now calls Texas her home. She loves horseback riding, swimming, reading, cuddling her cats, and helping other authors hone their craft.
Books:
Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Courtney grew up wanting to be a veterinarian - until Hurricane Katrina changed the course of her life. After attending numerous engineering and math camps, she left Louisiana to pursue degrees in civil engineering and mathematics at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas.
She began a career in construction project management of heavy civil infrastructure projects that has included work at DFW International and Love Field Airports, highways, and local municipalities. Courtney went on to obtain a master's degree in civil engineering with a concentration in structures from SMU and a master's degree in business at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX. She is also a licensed professional engineer in the state of Texas.
In her spare time, Courtney serves on the board for SOSMC USA, a nonprofit raising funds to renovate three buildings on the campus of a school for low-income disabled children in Chennai, India. She enjoys traveling, attending arts events, discovering new music, watching Korean dramas, and spending time with her fluffy bunny, Albus.
Books:
Kim Tubbs is a Board Certified Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner trained through Vanderbilt University. She specializes in treating children, adolescents, and adults with a variety of issues, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, mood disorders, behavioral issues, trauma histories, autism spectrum disorders, and ADHD.
With over 25 years of experience in the field of psychiatry, Kim came to realize that medication wasn't resolving the underlying issues. This started her journey and research into holistic psychiatry. She has been dedicated to the study of nutrition, mindfulness, yoga, and ayurveda, as well as new research in the field of traditional psychiatry and pharmacology.
Combining her knowledge of integrative and traditional medicine, she works synergistically with her patients and their families to uncover any biological or thought issues that may be at the root of the problems and together they develop the most holistic plan for achieving wellness.
The Lavy Books were developed in response to a growing trend of children struggling with being able to emotionally handle the common disappointments of life. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is an essential skill for being able to handle the ups and downs of daily life and is instrumental in being healthy, happy, and successful. The Lavy Books were developed to teach this critical skill in young children through age appropriate stories.
Books:
Born and raised in Fort worth. Retired after 33 years with the Fort Worth Fire Dept. Published three books telling about his life and career.
Gary Lewis Rhodes is definitely a blessed man to be retired from many professions including: The Fort Worth Fire Department; A Fire Technology Program Instructor; A Concealed Handgun Instructor; A Swing Out Teacher; A Truck Driver; and a Pyro Technician.
Books:
Jamesha has been a registered nurse for over 20 years including being a nurse manager. In addition, she is a nursepreneur, innovator, app developer, success coach, and inventor. Most of her work is in teambuilding, leadership, and self-development. She has a soft spot for every teen that is juggling parenthood while in school, female entrepreneurs, and new nurses along with fellow nurse managers.
Books:
Hi, I’m Kellye, a former business executive happily transformed into a writer, yoga teacher and practical life skills advocate for trauma survivors. I’m passionate about creative community building—changing the world, one relationship at a time. A graduate of the University of Kansas, I hold a Bachelor of Science in Secondary English Education. Currently, I live in land-locked Plano, Texas, dreaming of my next trip to the sea!
Books:
Monique Roshawn Johnson is a woman of strength and resilience. She attributes her faith in God to her ability to press through life’s challenges. When she received news from her doctor that she was pregnant at eighteen, Monique did not let it stop her from pursuing her goals. When she received a breast cancer diagnosis, she stood firm on her faith that she’d be well, and she was victorious! Her journey has not been easy, however. She experienced many challenges that impact single mothers. After experiencing heart pain that came with being a parent of an incarcerated teen, Monique founded a nonprofit organization that used performing arts to wake up the genius and gems inside of young people. She partnered with community organizations to bring awareness of the impact that prison privatization had on black and brown youth. She is also an advocate for mental well-being after seeing the effects of emotional trauma on her own family. She believes therapy should be embraced in the black community, not shunned. Monique is a senior project manager at a leading aerospace company and is the owner of Envision1t.com; a site that showcases her books, workshops, and merchandise. Monique is enjoying life as a new grandmother and author. She has a wealth of knowledge, inspiration and motivation to share with all who want guidance on their purpose journey
Books:
Books:
Zenobia Denny is a dedicated educator, writer, and author. She earned a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D in Educational Psychology. She has a passion for learning and helping all children succeed through fun and engaging literacy.
Books:
Adriane Woods is an ordained Elder with over 20 years of active ministry service. Adriane is a member of Trinity Harvest Church in Hurst, TX where she currently services on the teaching team and as leader of the Grace Women’s Ministry. It is her desire to see the lost, hurting, and broken walking in victory.
Adriane Woods Ministries (AWM) is a Christian-based organization called to share the gospel and extend the love of Christ to help the believers walk in complete healing and wholeness. AWM is dedicated to sharing the truth of God's life-changing power and grace with every open heart and mind.
With more than 14 years of writing experience as a copywriter, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Media Communication with a minor in Marketing and a master’s degree in English and Creative Writing.
In 2003, she published some of her fanfiction online and won awards for her stories. Two years later, she was the first-place winner of the 2005 Arche Books Publishing Novel Writing Contest, Women's Fiction with her novel Behind the Eyes of Dorian Gray.
Born and raised in upstate New York, with a brief and very influential stint living in Great Britain, Beth A. Freely now calls Texas her home. She loves horseback riding, swimming, reading, cuddling her cats, and helping other authors hone their craft.
Books:
Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Courtney grew up wanting to be a veterinarian - until Hurricane Katrina changed the course of her life. After attending numerous engineering and math camps, she left Louisiana to pursue degrees in civil engineering and mathematics at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas.
She began a career in construction project management of heavy civil infrastructure projects that has included work at DFW International and Love Field Airports, highways, and local municipalities. Courtney went on to obtain a master's degree in civil engineering with a concentration in structures from SMU and a master's degree in business at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX. She is also a licensed professional engineer in the state of Texas.
In her spare time, Courtney serves on the board for SOSMC USA, a nonprofit raising funds to renovate three buildings on the campus of a school for low-income disabled children in Chennai, India. She enjoys traveling, attending arts events, discovering new music, watching Korean dramas, and spending time with her fluffy bunny, Albus.
Books:
Kim Tubbs is a Board Certified Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner trained through Vanderbilt University. She specializes in treating children, adolescents, and adults with a variety of issues, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, mood disorders, behavioral issues, trauma histories, autism spectrum disorders, and ADHD.
With over 25 years of experience in the field of psychiatry, Kim came to realize that medication wasn't resolving the underlying issues. This started her journey and research into holistic psychiatry. She has been dedicated to the study of nutrition, mindfulness, yoga, and ayurveda, as well as new research in the field of traditional psychiatry and pharmacology.
Combining her knowledge of integrative and traditional medicine, she works synergistically with her patients and their families to uncover any biological or thought issues that may be at the root of the problems and together they develop the most holistic plan for achieving wellness.
The Lavy Books were developed in response to a growing trend of children struggling with being able to emotionally handle the common disappointments of life. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is an essential skill for being able to handle the ups and downs of daily life and is instrumental in being healthy, happy, and successful. The Lavy Books were developed to teach this critical skill in young children through age appropriate stories.
Books:
Born and raised in Fort worth. Retired after 33 years with the Fort Worth Fire Dept. Published three books telling about his life and career.
Gary Lewis Rhodes is definitely a blessed man to be retired from many professions including: The Fort Worth Fire Department; A Fire Technology Program Instructor; A Concealed Handgun Instructor; A Swing Out Teacher; A Truck Driver; and a Pyro Technician.
Books:
Jamesha has been a registered nurse for over 20 years including being a nurse manager. In addition, she is a nursepreneur, innovator, app developer, success coach, and inventor. Most of her work is in teambuilding, leadership, and self-development. She has a soft spot for every teen that is juggling parenthood while in school, female entrepreneurs, and new nurses along with fellow nurse managers.
Books:
Hi, I’m Kellye, a former business executive happily transformed into a writer, yoga teacher and practical life skills advocate for trauma survivors. I’m passionate about creative community building—changing the world, one relationship at a time. A graduate of the University of Kansas, I hold a Bachelor of Science in Secondary English Education. Currently, I live in land-locked Plano, Texas, dreaming of my next trip to the sea!
Books:
Monique Roshawn Johnson is a woman of strength and resilience. She attributes her faith in God to her ability to press through life’s challenges. When she received news from her doctor that she was pregnant at eighteen, Monique did not let it stop her from pursuing her goals. When she received a breast cancer diagnosis, she stood firm on her faith that she’d be well, and she was victorious! Her journey has not been easy, however. She experienced many challenges that impact single mothers. After experiencing heart pain that came with being a parent of an incarcerated teen, Monique founded a nonprofit organization that used performing arts to wake up the genius and gems inside of young people. She partnered with community organizations to bring awareness of the impact that prison privatization had on black and brown youth. She is also an advocate for mental well-being after seeing the effects of emotional trauma on her own family. She believes therapy should be embraced in the black community, not shunned. Monique is a senior project manager at a leading aerospace company and is the owner of Envision1t.com; a site that showcases her books, workshops, and merchandise. Monique is enjoying life as a new grandmother and author. She has a wealth of knowledge, inspiration and motivation to share with all who want guidance on their purpose journey
Books:
Books:
Zenobia Denny is a dedicated educator, writer, and author. She earned a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D in Educational Psychology. She has a passion for learning and helping all children succeed through fun and engaging literacy.
Books: