A Local Author Showcase

Margie Smith Holt

Margie Smith Holt is a four-time Emmy-winning journalist whose print work has appeared in the St. John Sun Times, the Tradewinds, Sail, Sailing, Classic Boat, All at Sea, Caribbean Compass, Cruising World, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the West Side Rag in NYC. Since leaving television and radio she has worked in PR and marketing in New York and Philadelphia; as a waitress on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands; and on boats in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, logging over 11,000 miles at sea. She lives in New York and Ocean City, NJ. Visit www.margiesmithholt.com for more.

Josephine B. Pasquarello

Josephine is the tenth child of an immigrant Italian woman. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother, living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. In 2000, she finally retired to devote time to her family. Her hobbies include traveling, working out, baking and cooking the way she learned from her mother, and of course writing. Josephine has published two books recounting her Italian immigrant family's journey moving from Italy to Philadelphia and what life was like for them. For more information, please visit https://josephinebpasquarello.org/

Jennifer Shirk

Jennifer Shirk has a bachelor degree in pharmacy-which has in NO WAY at all helped her with her writing career. But she likes to point it out, since it shows romantic-at-hearts come in all shapes, sizes, and mind-numbing educations.

She is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of sweet (and sometimes even funny) romances for Montlake Romance and Entangled Publishing. Her novel, FIANCE BY FATE, a 2015 Readers' Crown Finalist, became an Amazon #1 bestseller for Series Romance. And recently, WRONG BROTHER, RIGHT MATCH won the Sweet Traditional category of the 2017 Golden Quill Contest and became a #1 Amazon bestseller for Holiday Romance and USA Today bestseller.

She resides in Ocean City, NJ with her husband, daughter and 2 rescue dogs.

For more information, please visit http://www.jennifershirk.com/

John Leone

John Leone started writing after retiring from years working in the electrical industry. .

Inspired by his grandson and looking for a creative spark to his retirement, this Gloucester County author took a page from literature and a few aquarium trips with his grandson to develop a compelling and humorous storyline that centers around Sharklock Bones and Mike Hammer (head), aquatic detectives of sorts.

Based loosely on Sherlock Holmes, kids enjoy the story and puns and adults “get” the frequent references to the music and events of the 60s, 70s and 80s that are in the “Sharklock Bones”,  “Beach Towns” and “History series of books.

For more information, please visit https://booksbyjohnleone.com/

Maryanne Scott

My father had Alzheimer's Disease for eight long years.  As his caregiver, I watched this devastating disease rob him of so much; his memory, his personality, and his independence.  After his death, I decided to write my book, An Eight Year Goodbye, in the hopes of helping other caregivers who are experiencing the desperation and sorrow that this disease brings.

Tara Scioli

My name is Tara Scioli, I was born and raised in Ocean City.  I have been married to my husband for 35 years. We have 3 children and 3 grandchildren.  One day while baby sitting my Granddaughter, Lena…I snapped a few photos of her interacting with our dog, Finn. It was so sweet, I knew right then in there I needed to make it into a little story! I wanted to honor my grandsons as well, and wrote a second one called “Luke, Cayden and a Big Fish Named Gill.

I also recently became an official Nonprofit for Children called Tara’s Happy Boxes!

M.B. Paradise

M.B. Paradise has always been a fan of stories, Santa, and the beach… so combining the three made perfect sense.  She got her undergraduate degree at Rutgers University and a Master’s in Education at the University of Virginia.   In high school, she started a painting business and later went on to become an athletic trainer and a college instructor.  She has climbed in the Rockies, barely survived two NYC marathons, and currently lives at the Jersey Shore with her husband and three daughters.  She likes chocolate, treehouses, comfy pajamas, and all kinds of fun stories.  Beach Santa is her first children’s book. For more information, please visit https://mbparadiseauthor.com/ 

Susan Weisberg

Weisberg’s inspiration for the Chester Midshipmouse series came in the form of a letter from the United States Naval Academy suggesting that any food parcels mailed to her sons should be sent in tightly sealed plastic boxes. Why? Bancroft Hall, the academy’s stately, gray-stone 120 year-old-dormitory, the largest dormitory in the world housing over 4000 naval students and containing more than four miles of hallways, is also home to mice. 

Susan’s two midshipmen brought home larger than life stories during their seven overlapping years in Annapolis where they trained to become Naval and Marine officers. They shared tales of discipline, honor, courage, evasion, capture and escape…well, those last three had to do with mice, but perhaps we had better let Chester tell his own story.

Weisberg holds a bachelor of science in nursing, and has worked in hospital Emergency and Urgent Care.  She has also freelanced as a food writer and food stylist for a large city newspaper—progressing in her writing from mousse to mice!

The author and her husband divide their time between the Florida Keys and a coastal New Jersey town where she recently escorted a wayfaring group of mice to safety from her kitchen during a cold snap.

For more information, please visit https://www.chestermidshipmouse.com/

Tina Kashian

Tina Kashian writes the best-selling Kebab Kitchen Mediterranean mystery series, and her first book, Hummus and Homicide, spent six weeks on the Barnes & Noble bestseller list. Tina is an attorney and a mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. She also grew up in the restaurant business, as her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. Tina also writes historical romance as Tina Gabrielle and will publish her twentieth book at the end of May 2023.

You can connect with Tina at:

Website: www.tinakashian.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinaKashianAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TinaKashian1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinakashian/

Monica Zane

Monica Zane began a career in the arts studying the natural landscapes and seascapes of Avalon. With a quest to diversify in the arts, she was awarded a 2-year scholarship to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in NYC. She toured Europe with the musical “Cats” (in German and English) and performed for a few years (singing in French and Italian) in an orchestra in Monte Carlo, where she opened for acts like Ray Charles, Liza Minelli, and Michael Bolton. She has sung in jazz clubs in NYC and wrote, produced, and starred in a one-woman show that had a run at the Grove Street Playhouse, The Bowery Poetry Club, and The Cape May Theater. She has written TV and film scripts, songs, and children’s books. RUDY DOESN’T LIKE ROGER is her first published. Throughout her travels and extensive theater and film work, she has continued to paint, showing her artwork in galleries, in benefits, and in film and television (HBO’s “Divorce,” USA Network’s “Royal Pains”). She has worked closely with clients doing hundreds of large-scale commissioned paintings. She is a member of The National Art’s Club in NYC and a SAG AFTRA AEA member for her work in film, television and theater. She has a studio in NYC and in Avalon, NJ.

For more information, please visit www.MonicaZaneArtShop.com

John Sweeder

John Sweeder’s poetry has been published in Philadelphia Stories, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Burningword Literary Journal, Shantih, Better Than Starbucks, and River Poets Journal, among other venues. A Finalist of the Adelaide Literary Award for Poetry 2018 and 2019 and Finalist in the 2019 Willow Run Poetry Book Award, John is listed in Poets & Writers Directory of Poet & Writers and is a member of the Poetry Society of America. His books of poetry include Untethered Balloons (2021) by Adelaide Books, New York/Lisbon, and Untangling Knots (2022) Kindle Direct Publishing. In addition to his poetry, John has written two memoirs, Breathing through a Straw, and Faith Genes for the Blue-jean Generation, the second of which is available on Amazon.com. He lives in Ocean City, New Jersey.

Deirdre Palm Adams

About the Author

Deirdre Palm Adams was born and raised in New Jersey and remains a Jersey Shore Girl at heart, with fond memories of summers on the beach in Ocean City. Today she enjoys the beach life with her husband, Joe, along with her loving extended family including her parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews.

Rocky the Poodle is a real dog. Deirdre was inspired to write Don’t Worry Rocky while walking Rocky on the beach, watching the early morning sunrise. Rocky has reinforced Deirdre’s belief that people can learn a lot from their dogs; after all, they are our best friends, and it feels good to celebrate them for all the joy and love they give us!

Don’t Worry Rocky is the second story in The Adventures of Rocky series. The first book is entitled Don’t Be Afraid Rocky.

You can learn more about Deirdre and The Adventures of Rocky on www.deirdrepalmadams.com

FB: www.facebook.com/deirdrepalmadamsauthor  

IG: www.instagram.com/deirdre_palm_adams_author 

Victoria Devine

Recognized in: South Jersey Magazine, Courier Post, Sentenial Ledger, Women of Distinction Magazine, and Story Monsters Ink/Scholastic.  Victoria Devine performs at many elementary schools during October's Bully Awareness month, Read Across America, and Christmas events.

Ocean City, NJ -- Victoria Devine, Award Winning Children’s Book Author of Santa's Bully Elf, MacCarrig, and Sparky's Bully Workshop, Anti-Bully Advocate, Elementary School Teacher, Teacher of Students with Disabilities, and owner of Shore Tutoring serving all locals and visitors to Ocean City.

Victoria has sponsored a Miss New Jersey Teen USA pageant contestant with her anti-bullying platform. The pageant encourages self-confidence and individual pride in their message to bring an awareness that bullying must be stopped.

MacCarrig: An exciting Ocean City children's book that brings four birds together for the annual boat parade except something terrible goes wrong.

Sparky's Bully Workshop: Sparky, a lovable Golden Retriever helps children learn their ABCs - how to be assertive, bold, and confident future leaders.

Santa's Bully Elf: Sparky is one of Santa's "K-9" helpers at Lookout Tower in Santa's North Pole village. His job is to watch over the naughty and nice list for Santa. When he spies two naughty children, Santa requests to see them immediately!

For more information, please visit www.victoriadevine.com

Rhonnie Jones

Rhonnie Jones is a proud graduate from the home of the Institute of Children's Literature located in West Redding, Connecticut.  He is a dedicated children's writer.   He helps our formal educators entertain and educate our students simultaneously.  He believes that educated children make better grownups.  Better grownups make better parents.  Better parents make better families, which make better communities.  This collectively makes better countries, which altogether makes a better world in which we have to live, Love.

K. T. Roberts

K. T. Roberts loves all things mystery and thriller, including cozy mysteries. Growing up in small town America, she lived across the street from a police station and often witnessed cuffed criminals being dragged into the precinct. It was then that her love for the men in blue developed and her need to create stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Although, she never became an officer of the law, her sister did, and she’s her source for authenticity. Penning her first crime novel in 2012, the creation of the Kensington-Gerard Detective series was born. Now working on her fifth novel in the series, Sleeping with the Enemy will be released in 2021.

K. T. finds inspiration from researching true crimes and is passionate about writing suspenseful novels with crazy twists. Twists you never see coming. She knows her novel is good when she finds herself so wrapped up in her stories, the only thing that calms her down is a handful of chocolates. Her inspiration for her first crime novel was created through a conversation of idle gossip, and the rest is history.

Her thriller novels have elements of mystery, suspense, and romance. She is also the author of the Chef’s Toque series, the Cape May Capers series, and a few Christmas romances.

When she's not absorbed in a novel or working on her next thriller mystery, her favorite past time is utilizing her culinary skills of creating pastries or gourmet meals for family and friends.

For more information, please visit www.ktrobertsmysteries.com

Gail Baldwin

Mr. Brown Went to Boston includes heartwarming stories of one young girl’s memories of fun times with her father, and how the entire family navigates the ‘50s and ‘60s in suburban Philadelphia.

Linda Dilworth-Diego

Linda Dilworth-Diego returned to college in her late forties to pursue her love of writing.  She eventually took a 6-week student study abroad trip to Spain, while pursuing a degree in Literature from The Richard Stockton University of New Jersey.  Linda’s book “The Black Virgin” is a compilation of essays built around her Mimi Schwartz award winning essay “La Moreneta,” which focuses on The Virgin of Montserrat, a black Catalonian icon whose image pops up frequently during this trip.

Linda recently completed an edition of short stories entitled, “The Price of Candy” which explores the façades many people present and/or, need to believe about their fellow man.

“I was a bit insulted when an acquaintance, after reading ‘The Black Virgin,’ labeled me a voyeur,” says Linda.  “However, after doing an edit on ‘The Price of Candy’ I realized he was right.  I do enjoy watching and trying to empathize with the human spirit.  I guess that makes me a voyeur, and there is nothing wrong with that.”

Linda lives in Egg Harbor Township with her husband Jon and her cat Noodles