Nastaran Arianpoo, co-author Negar Roghanian
Nastaran Arianpoo is a scientist and research associate at SFU, working on energy transition and climate change solution modelling. She is the co-author of two children's book series titled Friday with Mooshi and Mr. Hoot Adventures. In 2020, she co-founded the eBook Plus company to bring her imaginations and dreams to life. She believes our kids need to be equipped with specific skills, worldviews, values, and joy to reach their fullest potential.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Mr. Hoot Gets Lost in France
Elke Babicki
Elke Babicki, M.Ed., R.C.C. has been a consultant to corporations and a clinical counsellor in private practice in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada for over thirty years. She has led workshops and sessions in Europe and Canada to help thousands of people claim more power in their lives. Elke was recognized in 2011 with the Women of Worth Leader of the Year Award for her work in supporting and inspiring women across the globe. She lives with her husband, Matt, an engineer and inventor, by the ocean in West Vancouver, British Columbia. Identity: From Holocaust to Home was published in Germany as Uebern Ozean in 2017 with great success. www.elkebabicki.com
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Identity: From Holocaust to Home
Patricia Bowles
Patricia Bowles is a retired public relations executive living in West Vancouver and Bowen Island BC, Canada.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Butternut Island
Lisa Bournelis
Lisa Bournelis is a mom, taekwondo black belt, healthcare consultant, and former humanitarian aid worker. She has served all over the world, from Africa to the Balkans, to Afghanistan. Inspired by her child's experiences with OCD during the pandemic, she wanted to uplift children struggling with anxiety during this extraordinary time by sharing a hopeful message that adjustments to the way we think can transform our circumstances. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of this book will be donated to local BC Children's Hospital Pediatric OCD Research Clinic. Lisa 's TEDx Talk, 3 Questions to Change Your Life, can be viewed online. For more information, visit: www.makeoneshift.com
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Louie and the Dictator
Linden Carroll
The author originated in England and having travelled extensively in Canada now resides in beautiful British Columbia. Having devoted many years to the rescue and protection of dogs, they have tramped through the mountain trails in B.C. and the Cascade mountain area of Washington, U.S.A. enjoying the natural environment. Following a long tenure as a former writer and editor of environmental publications within the Federal Government of Environment, her latest ventures have included two published historical fiction novels both structured on historical fact and actual life events. lindencarroll.com
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Full Circle, Olive
Hilary Yates Clark
Hilary Yates Clark is a UBC graduate who spent 26 years teaching at Capilano College/University. During this time, she was elected to the board of Lions Gate Hospital where she became the first female board chair. At the same time, as an amateur musician, she founded the Ambleside Orchestra of West Vancouver. For her public service, she was awarded the Queen's Jubilee Medal. Hilary has written and published all her adult life. All she needed was the gift of the pandemic to document her mother's story.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: On the Cusp of Time
Teresa Coady
Teresa Coady is a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, an Associate Architect with the AIA in the United States, and a Fellow of the United States Green Building Council. Ms. Coady is internationally recognized for her innovative thinking and her leadership in sustainability, and she works closely with various agencies to continuously create new practices to benefit society. Ms. Coady is a board member of the United Nations Environmental Program, Global Alliance for Building Construction (UNEP GlobalABC). Ms. Coady lives with her husband in West Vancouver, and they enjoy forest hikes in the wildlands around their home. Teresa also has fun open-ocean kayaking and paddling with her children. teresacoady.com
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Rebuilding Earth: Designing Ecoconscious Habitats for Humans
Sandra Djwa
Sandra Djwa, MC, FRSC, D. Litt (Hon), D Lett (Hon) was awarded the Governor-General's Award for Non Fiction for this biography in 2012. She also won the Royal Society gold medal for literature for Professing English: A Life of Roy Daniells 2002 (0-8020-4770-X) and was short-listed for the Governor- General's Award in French Translation for The Politics of the Imagination: A Life of F.R. Scott (1987 )-8884-652-X)
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Journey With No Maps: A Life of P.K. Page
Elizabeth Faris
Elizabeth Faris studied English Language and Literature at UBC and Literacy Instruction at SFU, and for the past twenty years, has enjoyed working with English and ESL learners of all ages and ethnic origin. Her passion for writing extends to creative non-fiction and poetry, formal and informal, based either on a spectrum of original themes or the plots of literature and traditional tales. Her work reflects her special interest in nurturing continuity between past and present when it comes to our beloved legacy of classics. www.elizabethfaris.com
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Palimpsest: A Book of Literary Classics Penned Again in Verse
Julie Flynn
Julie Flynn was born and raised in Newcastle, England. After a brief visit to Canada, she immigrated and made North Vancouver her home in 2001. She soon developed a love for the great outdoors, especially trail running in the mountains. Julie's writing is inspired by her frequent adventures in the North Shore Mountains and beyond. Her debut book, Finn and the Magic Backpack landed number 1 on the Amazon bestsellers list for children's books and received a finalist award for the 2018 Canadian Book Club awards.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Finn and the Friends of the Forest
Jennifer Gow, co-authors Amy Ho, Teresa Kazemir, Kim Shauer
Jennifer wears many hats, including those of a writer and an editor. She loves calling North Vancouver home, where she lives with her family. Raising a deaf child opened a whole new community to Jennifer; a life change that was at first daunting has turned out to be enriching and deeply fulfilling. She is excited to share her and others' experiences of this less-traveled path. Website
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Finding Unity in Our Diversity: Family Stories of Raising Young Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Joanne Holden
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: The Dragon's Emerald Eye
Lindy Hughes
After forays into journalism and astrology, and a failed attempt at joining the circus, Lindy taught English literature at the University of South Africa. For the past 21 years, she has lived in a little blue cottage in Eagle Harbour, writing, dancing and facilitating writing workshops that break all the rules. She is the editor of the Beacon newspaper and the very surprised recipient of the 2018 West Van Citizen of the Year award. She collects rocks, loves the moon and walks barefoot whenever she can, even though it embarrasses her family. www.lindyhughes.com
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: The Common Wife: Getting Lost, Dancing Naked & Collecting Seashells
David Kirkpatrick
davidkirkpatrick.org
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Neither Married nor Single: When Your Partner Has Alzheimer's or Other Dementia
Alysse Leite-Rogers
Alysse Leite-Rogers has two demanding jobs: a film and tv director and a mother of three boys. When they were little, she would conjure up many bedtime stories for them which she would repeat night after night. Bella Luna's Epic Save was one of them. Alysse Leite-Rogers is a first-generation Canadian who hails from the Acores, Portugal. She is a lover of nature and animals. She has raised three boys on stories, curiosity and adventure. When not working in film and television, she enjoys her garden in North Vancouver where she joyfully awaits the visits the hummingbirds and butterflies.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Bella Luna's Epic Save
Sarah Lynn, co-author Elise
Sarah Lynn is a young woman who bravely chose to bring her struggles out of the shadows and face them head on. This is her first book of poetry and chronicles her journey to wellness. Sarah chose to publish this book with the hope that it finds its way into the hands of others, especially those struggling with an eating disorder. Isolation and shame are the hallmarks of many who struggle with an eating disorder, and this book aims to bring that struggle out in the open, let others know they are not alone, and act as a reminder that recovery is possible. Sarah is a university student, living on the North Shore, with the love of her life: her cat Elliot.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: In Repair: From Existing to Living
Jane Murray MacCallum
Jane Murray MacCallum, née Thompson, is a Vancouver girl born in 1931. She grew up in Kerrisdale, studied dance for many years from the age of three, married an Englishman and lived in England for 25 years where she brought up her three boys. After a divorce, she returned to Canada, married again and inherited three young boys. Jane now lives in West Vancouver with her husband Colin who has been the editor, adviser, contributor and artistic consultant for Jane's books.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: The True Story of Sophie, My Silent House, Love and Kisses Babe
Ken Miskin
Originally from Kent England, Ken takes inspiration from the world around him. Whether he's on vacation or a local coffee shop his observations become his stories. Ken's childlike wonder and life experiences combine to create not just a fantastical world but also a educational one. Come curl up in a comfy chair and fall into this magical universe with him.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Stories From an Old Tin Trunk
Bethanie Murguia
Bethanie Murguia received her MFA in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York and worked as an art director for a variety of publishers, design firms, and marketing agencies before dedicating herself to children's writing and illustration. She has created numerous picture books including We Disagree, Do You Believe in Unicorns, The Favorite Book, and Zoe Gets Ready. Her work has received many accolades, including the Parents Choice Award, Amazon Best Books of the Year, and Bank Street College Best Books of the Year. Bethanie lives in West Vancouver with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, and one lizard. When she's not creating stories, she's most likely hiking or biking. www.aquapup.com
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: The Favorite Book
Susan Ney
Susan has worked with people all her life. As a human resources professional, she specialized in all aspects of employment, from hiring to retirement. She got her start as a national representative for a large Canadian union. After pursuing an undergrad degree in business administration, Susan transitioned to HR management, where she aspired to bring both employee and management perspectives to her work. She retired from her multi-decade career in HR to pursue writing and consulting. She promises some fun and lots of learning in this, her first book. Susan also holds a Master of Arts in Leadership and Training.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Leadership Inside Out: Effecting Change From Within
Laurie Pawlik
Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, MSW, is the author of Growing Forward When You Can't Go Back and the creator of the She Blossoms blogs. Her experiences taught her that choosing to grow forward is essential, especially when you can't go back! Her degrees are in Psychology, Education, and Social Work. Laurie writes full-time in her treehouse in Vancouver, Canada. blossomtips.com
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Growing Forward When You Can't Go Back
Lindy Pfeil (Editor)
Edited by Lindy Pfeil, writing coach, certified Guided Autobiography facilitator and editor of the Beacon newspaper. Contributing writers: Anne Baird, Annie Hill, Brenda Morrison, Chris Stringer, Deanna Regan, D. Higgins, Domenica Mastromatteo, Elizabeth Wooding, Elke Babicki, Fay Mehr, Jennifer (Lutes) Hill, Joanne Singleton, Julie Flynn, Karen Hoffman, Karen Tidball, Kimberley Clarke, Lindy Hughes Pfeil, L. Noel, Melody Noble, Rose Lepin, Sharon Selby, Sharon Thompson, Wendy Wilkins Winslow. Foreword by West Vancouver Mayor, Mary-Ann Booth. www.westvanstories.com
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: West Vancouver Stories: The Pandemic Project
Negar Roghanian, co-author Nastaran Arianpoo
The Friday's with Mooshi is a multi-language light read book series for kids ages 2 to 7 and readers who are just starting. The series aims to stimulate children's curiosity by encouraging them to explore their own environment.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Mooshi & the First Day of Spring
Jennifer Samson
Jennifer Samson is the author of the crime/family saga Sin City series and co-author of the dark comedy/thriller The Final Cut, the first in the Billie and Diana series. She has been published in the literary journals Thursday and The Lyre, as well as the BoldPrint book Friends (as Jennifer Cassidy). Her work has been featured in the Brookline TAB, Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen and Edmonton Sun. She enjoys fine-nibbed pens, Hilroy loose leaf paper, corner store candy, adorable cats, and beating her Goodreads Reading Challenge every year. Being Canadian, a love of hockey goes without saying. Although sometimes the Canucks make that love very, very difficult. She is currently working on the second Billie and Diana book, Curtains, as well as a seven book Young Adult coming-of-age series set in the 1980s and 1990s. www.arieswriting.com
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: The Dead Woman, Self Publishing for Canadians
Jane Jonas Srivastava
Jane Jonas Srivastava is a retired children's author, teacher, and accountant who has lived on the North Shore since 1965. Now retired, she leads an active life hiking, swimming, dancing and traveling; she also enjoys tai chi and reading non-fiction (especially nature and travel related), poetry, biography, and a wide range of fiction. She currently resides in West Vancouver.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Averages, Statistics, Area, Weighing and Balancing
Aurora Stredie
Aurora Stredie was born in Romania in 1953. She attended high school in Bucharest, in an all-girl, strict, stern and unescapable boarding school. After completion, she took different postsecondary courses to become a French and Italian language tour guide. She worked in the tourism field for many years. In 1984, after a four year struggle to obtain her passport, she finally immigrated to Canada. She settled down in Hull, Quebec and was admitted at Richard Robinson Academy of Fashion Design in Ottawa. Two years later, she obtained her diploma and worked in the fashion industry in Hull, Montreal and Toronto and owned a fashion boutique in Bucharest carrying her line of clothing. She married in 1987 and in 1992 she gave birth to her only child, a beautiful daughter. When her daughter graduated high school in 2011, her dream was to attend university in Vancouver. Aurora and her husband were separated at the time, so the idea to join her daughter on this adventure seemed to be the logical next step. Aurora now lives in North Vancouver. In 2012, Aurora participated with a short story in the anthology Exotice along with other Romanian writers. The book was the initiative of Mihail Gramescu, a well-known author, who encouraged her to continue writing. The result was the publishing of her novel Umbre Instrainate (Estranged Shadows), in 2017. The author presents real events, and had she not lived them first hand, they might have seemed implausible even to her. The book is a profound and moving testimony of life under the communist regime, written with brutal sincerity yet at the same time with delicate sensitivity. At present time, Aurora Stredie is working on her second novel, this time drawing her inspiration from her daughter's life in Canada.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Umbre Instrainate (Estranged Shadows)
Gwyn Teatro
Now retired, downsized, and still poking fun at herself, author Gwyn Teatro is a certified professional coach with a master of science degree in management. She spent the bulk of her career as an HR professional in the financial services industry where she coached senior business leaders and groups on leadership, organizational effectiveness and strategic business planning. Active on social media and an award-winning blogger on HR and leadership trends and issues, Gwyn has learned a lot about building: that is, building relationships, building bridges, building alliances, and building credibility.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: In the Thick of It: Mastering the Art of Leading From the Middle
JG Toews
JG Toews now lives on the North Shore having resided many years in Nelson, BC, the outdoorsy mountain town that inspires the setting for her Stella Mosconi mysteries. Judy is a former nutritionist and non-fiction author whose health sciences background spurred her passion for forensics. Give Out Creek was shortlisted for the 2016 Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best Unpublished Crime Novel and the 2019 Left Coast Crime Lefty for Best Debut Mystery Novel. www.jgtoews.com
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Give Out Creek, Lucky Jack Road
Miles Walker
Miles Walker's Atelier, Paintings and Reflections presents a visual travelogue of 200+ colour digital paintings, notes, jokes, philosophical musings and poetical observations in a surreal, dreamlike journey into everyday life. Miles Walker has been living in Vancouver since the early 80s, painting, writing, running a graphic design business, teaching at Emily Carr and BCIT. He has written 10 books in the collection, The Art Book Series, which contains 2000+ paintings, stories and poems. Published on Kindle/Amazon. mileswalker.com
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Miles Walker Atelier
John J Wensveen
John J Wensveen is a retired Secondary School English teacher and owner of an Academic Learning Centre. He has a BA (English), a B Ed (Secondary), and an M Ed (Administration). Married for 51 years; two successful children, both authors, involved in Education.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Just Monk: Finding Family
Hope West
A writer and photographer, Hope West is a longtime student of the Sri Vidya yoga traditions of South India, both academically and as a practitioner. In Incantations, she invites the language of art to meet the language of yoga in a work that is thoughtful, as well as thought-provoking. Hope explores common Sanskrit yoga terms through her lens of rich imagery and lushly evocative poetry, beguiling the reader into a contemplative meditative experience. Japanese woodblock prints have a long history of enchanting and influencing artists: Vincent Van Gogh, Monet and Degas were all avid collectors. As a writer and an artist who has spent a lifetime studying Asian traditions, Hope West is delighted to introduce this remarkable art of ancient Japan to a young audience through her new keepsake edition children's book, Snow Changes Everything. Rich illustrations and the uplifting rhyming tale will win hearts of all ages.
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Incantations: Reflections on the Language of Yoga, Snow Changes Everything
Ray Wood
Ray Wood was born in Wales, traveled the world and settled in West Vancouver where he lives in a five-story heritage commercial building. He is a serial entrepreneur and a prolific inventor of devices used on yachts and off road vehicles. Ray - and Robyn Wenner his wife - travel extensively worldwide in their own Land Rover. In part their adventures and love of overland travel to exotic locations are reflected in Stalking Geraldine. Ray's daughter Shelley Wood is a successful writer. Her debut novel Quintland Sisters is a Canadian best seller. www.stalkinggeraldine.com
Titles in the 2021/2022 Collection: Stalking Geraldine
