Apollo sunrise centerVoices of the Valley Local Book Festival

A Celebration of Literature, Creativity, and Local Community.

Welcome to the second year of the Voices of the ValleyBook Festival! We’re excited to welcome readers, families, and book lovers of all ages. This festival is all about celebrating stories, supporting local authors, and strengthening our community through the joy of reading. We’re proud to continue growing this event and hope you’ll join us in discovering new voices, making meaningful connections, and sharing in a love of books that brings our community together.

The this event is FREE but RSVP is required

Call For Authors!

Are you an author? Are you interested in being a part of this community? Visit our author page to learn more about participating and application process.

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Attending Authors by Genre

Self Help

The Rock - Destiny Through the Eyes of a Horse By Michele Lowry

“IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT…

An existence and experience in which we honor each other, living in balance in a beautiful world. Created for us to enjoy and be amazed by… Imagine, visualize and feel something wonderful every day. Watch life change before you.” – Much Love, Echoe

Echoe’s purpose is to illuminate the true self. His journey began 27 years ago. He continues to speak through his companion, Michele Lowry. As he puts it, “there is no hiding from your life, no door can shut away inevitable experience.” Echoe guides people remotely — both in their dreams and in the reality of each present moment. He sees their essence with clarity and, through sacred space, helps them forge an inner connection. “It’s all in the timing!” he often tells Michele as they encounter each person he is meant to support.

Michele has other books including:

When Crooked Teeth Go Straight Book and Oracle Deck – poems channeled by a miniature horse named Sunshine, kid friendly

Savour The Taste – 2nd book of poems channeled by Sunshine – kid friendly

Time to Find Your Herd Oracle Deck channeled by Kimmie (a horse’s profound wisdom shared through the cards)

See Michele Lowry speak about The Rock – Destiny Through the Eyes of a Horse – Self Development, on the Self Help panel on Saturday, November 14th.

Sunrise Soul: Sacred Words and Images to Celebrate a New Dawn of Awakening by Lisa Pelonzi

Sunrise Soul: Sacred Words and Images to Celebrate a New Dawn of Awakening By Lisa Pelonzi

Sunrise Soul is a beautiful keepsake book for inspiration, peace, and reflection. It’s a one-of-a-kind compilation of sacred words and images that celebrates a new dawn of awakening. Luminary and Professional Photographer, Lisa Pelonzi, coined the phrase, Sunrise Soul, to describe the divine experience of beholding and photographing the magnificence of each new morning. Her stunning photographs are infused with pure love and transcend the ordinary world into the realm of the ethereal.

Sunrise Soul is also the title of a channeled poem written by Sol Path Yoga creator, Chara Rodriguera. The two friends felt called to combine their unique talents with the intention of supporting others on their journey of personal evolution. The book you are holding in your hands is the result of their inspired collaboration. It’s an invitation to pause, breathe and allow more light to flow to you, through you and from you. With profound simplicity and beauty, Sunrise Soul is sure to illuminate a new dawn of awakening within you and your world.

See Lisa Pelonzi speak about Sacred Words and Images to Celebrate a New Dawn of Awakening, on the Self Help panel on Saturday, November 14th or stop by her table on November 14th and 15th

Fire It Up: Four Secrets to Reigniting Intimacy and Joy in Your Relationship by Carolyn Sharp

Let’s face it—modern life is stressful. With constant demands on your time and attention, it’s not surprising that you’ve neglected what used to be your North Star: your relationship. You might feel disconnected from each other and stuck in a cycle of go-nowhere arguments. Perhaps you miss the spark that made you excited to see one another at the end of the day. You might long for the time when the two of you were in sync on most things and could laugh at misunderstandings and miscommunications.

Fire It Up is the solution to relationships that are struggling, feeling stale, or just in need of a little extra care. Experienced couples therapist Carolyn Sharp outlines a clear four-step process to bring back the love, connection, and vitality to any marriage, with humor and authenticity. She’ll help you understand how relationships work—and why your partner does that annoying thing. Get to the heart of the problem and empower yourself with the knowledge to make lasting change in your relationship.

Learn more about Carolyn Sharp and Fire It Up: Four Secrets to Reigniting Intimacy and Joy in Your Relationship on the Self Help panel on Saturday, November 14th or stop by her table on November 14th.

Body Wisdom Magic by Cécile Raynor

Body Wisdom Magic by Cécile Raynor is your ultimate wellness guide to unlocking the natural intelligence of your body for a life of balance, vitality, and peace. Blending practical tools with inspirational insights, this transformative book helps you reconnect with your mind-body connection and harness the power of integrated functioning.
Whether you’re struggling with chronic pain, poor posture, or everyday stress, Cécile Raynor’s step-by-step practices—including elements of the renowned Alexander Technique—offer a path to self-healing, increased emotional well-being, and vibrant energy alignment.
Through engaging practices in movement awareness, meditation techniques, and mindfulness practices, you’ll learn how to release tension, improve posture, and prevent pain naturally. Explore how spiritual growth, self-compassion, and personal growth are deeply connected to your physical health.
This book is perfect for anyone seeking natural healing, graceful aging, and a deeper connection to their body intelligence.
Experience the magic of your body’s wisdom and step into a life of ease, vitality, and joy!

Cécile has other books including:

The Wise Way to Yoga

Learn more about Cécile Raynor and Body Wisdom Magic, on the Self Help panel on Saturday, November 14th or stop by her table on November 14th or 15th.

The Rooted Renegade: Transform Within, Disrupt the Status Quo & Unleash Your Legacy by Rebecca Arnold

Peace Within for Extraordinary Purpose

Ready for more time and less hustle? In a climate dominated by ultra-competitiveness, quick fixes, and inequity, do you crave a meaningful, heart-centered life? Discover how to calm your nervous system, fire up your passions, have your own back, and create space for exceptional work. Holistic leadership coach Rebecca Arnold reveals how you can cultivate a rooted peace within that cascades out for profound, lasting impact. Combining her straight-talking, big-hearted coaching style with over fifty practical exercises, Rebecca fills this journey with vibrancy, humor, and accountability.

For those who are done with unconsciously moving through the day-to-day, who’ve tried everything but can’t find calm amid the chaos, The Rooted Renegade is a relatable and inspiring guide to identify what’s working and what’s not in your life, why, and what you can do about it. You’ll learn the framework for rooted peace, including how to
• create internal peace through embodied practices, mindful self-talk, and empowered actions;
• catalyze existential peace by living in alignment with your legacy and values; and
• cultivate relational peace by generating supportive relationships with yourself and others.
The tools to unlock rooted peace are simple and transformative. Meaningful impact and holistic success await—what are you waiting for?

#1 AMAZON BESTSELLER
National Indie Excellence Awards Winner in Body/Mind/Spirit

Learn more about Rebecca Arnold and The Rooted Renegade: Transform Within, Disrupt the Status Quo & Unleash Your Legacy on the Self Help panel on Saturday, November 14th or stop by her table on November 14th.

Non Fiction

The 9 Money Rules Millionaires Use: Only The Unconventional Ones by Joel Salomon

The 9 Money Rules Millionaires Use is fabulous, enlightened reading, filled with gripping personal stories – my favorite way to learn – written by someone who has walked the talk and who wants to help others do the same. I could not more highly recommend reading this one as soon as possible.

Mike Dooley NY Timesbestselling author of Infinite Possibilities.

The 9 Money Rules Millionaires Use is a must-read if you want to make, have and attract more money! There are two sides to money as with everything else in life: energy and action. Joel provides a fabulous mixture of spiritual tools and practical ideas and exercises for increasing money flow now! I highly recommend you read Joel’s powerful guide to attracting abundance and prosperity into your life.

Christy Whitman multi-New York Times bestselling author The Art of Having It All and Quantum Success: 7 Essential Laws for a Thriving, Joyful and Prosperous Relationship with Work and Money.

Check out Joel’s Other Books:

Infinite Love and Money
Mindful Money Management

See Joel Salomon speak about The 9 Money Rules Millionaires Use: Only The Unconventional Ones, on the NonFiction panel on Sunday, November 15th.

Ordinary Days and Tender Places: How We Talk (and Don't Talk) About Adoption in America by Margaret Bendroth

An adoptive parent and historian delves into the differences of families made by law, not biology– and shows us the deep value of those differences

Adoption touches on some of our most vexing social questions, about race and sexuality, abortion rights, economic inequality, even foreign policy and global poverty. More than that, it prods us in tender places, reminding us of our own questions about belonging and separation, identity and alienation, our worries about what is determined by fate and what is freely choose.

Blending personal memoir, history, and broader reflection on American culture, Ordinary Days and Tender Places offers a fresh take on adoption. As an historian and an adoptive parent, Bendroth takes seriously the criticisms and the personal pain many adoptees face, but she also invites readers to take a bigger view. This book asks us to turn the mirror on ourselves and consider the peculiarities of what we consider “normal” family life.

In the end, our questions and controversies obscure a basic fact: raising children born to someone else is a time-honored human practice. In the past and in many cultures today, our modern American ideal, the two-parent biologically-related nuclear family, is an oddity. Within the long history of humanity our ideas about kinship and our beliefs about what constitutes a “normal” household are surprisingly narrow and, in the end, not all that helpful.

Bendroth introduces readers to new ways of thinking about adoption, exploring the history of American families and children as well as fascinating findings by biologists and evolutionary anthropologists about kinship practices, genetics and inheritance, even motherhood itself. This is, in other words, a book about adoption and much more. It is an invitation to readers to reflect on their own lives, to think deeply about our human need to connect, to love, and belong.

See Margaret Bendroth speak about Ordinary Days and Tender Places: How We Talk (and Don’t Talk) About Adoption in America, on the NonFiction panel on Sunday, November 15th.

Blind Sight: When Freedom Was Not Enough by Ivy George

Ivy George tells the story of her struggle to straddle two worlds thousands of miles and hundreds of years apart. Growing up in a devout Christian family in Madras, India and educated by Irish nuns in an elite school, she was imbued with a deep sense of duty and tradition, but her voracious consumption of the English language opened her mind to the relative freedom enjoyed by girls and women in the western world. She embraces the paradoxes of her Indian childhood through the connection to her grandmother, a Kerala farmer, who lived without running water or electricity, and her professional, yet tradition bound mother. Pressured, and even threatened, by her father for the sake of the family’s reputation, she at first acceded to and then renounced the centuries old process of arranged marriage, fleeing to the US for higher education. Years later, by then skeptical of the values of Western culture where the pursuit of freedom rendered couples reliant on themselves, she made the agonizing decision to return to India for a marriage.

Ivy has other books including:

Uncommon Correspondence – An East-West Conversation on Friendship, Intimacy and Love (co-authored with Margaret Masson, 1998)
From Child Work to Child Labour (1990)

Learn more about Ivy George and Blind Sight : When Freedom Was Not Enough, by visiting her table on November 14th.

Cracking the Rich Code by Michael Vukelic

Cracking the Rich Code brings together 21 elite thoght leaders, innovators, and change-makers, each revealing strategies for living a rich and rewarding life. Endorsed by the legendary Tony Robbins and introduced by the timeless wisdom of Jim Rohn, this book offers unique perspectives and tools designed to empower, inspire, and unlock personal greatness. This isn’t just a guide-it’s a movement towards a life of value, purpose, and unparalleled fulfillment.

Unlock Your Divine Code: 4 Steps to a Rich Life – Michael Vukelic

What if everything you’ve been taught about success, fulfillment, and prosperity is missing a critical piece – the piece that unlocks your real potential and allows you to live with absolute certainty, purpose, and freedom?

In The Divine Code: 4 Steps to a Rich Life, Michael R. Vukelic reveals a revolutionary approach to personal mastery -one that transcends outdated conditioning and taps into the limitless intelligence within us all. Through a fusion of divine connection, mind science, unconditional love, and inspired action, this chapter equips you with the rare wisdom to rewrite the nature of your reality.

This is not just another success formula – or a discussion on identity puffery. This is an awakening – an invitation to step beyond repetitive unconscious thought and belief to evolve into the highest version of yourself. Here, you’ll discover how to dissolve old constraints, command your life with peace and purpose, and generate prosperity in every area – economically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Activate your Divine Code and claim the abundant, meaningful life that has always been yours to live. This chapter holds the key.

Michael has other books including:

Let Go of The Sh*! Show Conquer Your Successful Discontent

Learn more about Michael Vukelic and Cracking the Rich Code, on the NonFiction panel on Sunday, November 15th.

Children's & YA Literature

Adventurers of Jimmy the Little Blue Frog by William Smith

Overhearing Nana and Grampy tell his mother that they would be taking a trip to an exotic island, Aidan excitedly asked Nana if Jimmy could go with them on their trip.

“Who is Jimmy”?, asked Nana.

And with that question, a little blue frog’s first adventure began.

For reading ages 5-9 years old

William Smith has other books including:

Two Brothers who Love to Do Different Things.
Fun play things brothers do. Children ages 1-7

See William Smith speak about Adventurers of Jimmy the Little Blue Frog, on the Kids/YA Panel panel on Sunday, November 15th or stop by his table on November 14th and 15th

Lola Gillette and the Summer of Second Chances by Kimberly Behre Kenna

On a mission to honor her perfect twin sister who died in an accident she feels responsible for, thirteen-year-old Lola is desperate to complete their treasured Perfect Pairs Collection, but gets caught stealing in the process. She’s sent to spend August with agoraphobic Uncle Milo in his ramshackle mansion on the Connecticut River. Here she becomes even more obsessed with her collection—a lucky baker’s dozen of pairs would provide the magic she needs to keep her out of Bad Girls Boarding School. But mishaps in a Zen Garden, a glitchy projector that spits out holographic messages from her dead aunt, a beached houseboat, and a displaced wolf upend everything and force her to rethink her mission. Who needs the magic most, her quirky uncle or herself?

Reading Age 9-12 years old

Kimberly Behre Kenna has other books including:

Jett Jamison and the Secret Storm

Artemis Sparke and the Sound seekers Brigade

See Kimberly Behre Kenna speak about Lola Gillette and the Summer of Second Chances, on the Kids/YA Panel panel on Sunday, November 15th

The Youngest Lobsterman by Elle Eaton

Come with Wesley on an adventure of lobstering. At just 8 years old, Wesley is excited to finally be able to go lobstering with his own lobster license. Join Wesley and his grandfather as they haul traps and see sea creatures. Learn a little bit about what it takes to be a lobsterman, and that hard work doesn’t just have to be for grown-ups!

This beautifully hand-illustrated children’s book introduces young readers to:
-Lobstering and amazing ocean creatures
-the pride of following in your families footsteps and
-the value of hard work at any age

This heartwarming story is ideal for ocean lovers, families connected to the sea and anyone charmed by New England’s fishing traditions. A delightful read for fishermen (young and old) and dreamers alike.

Reading ages 3-8 years old

Get your copy of Elle Eaton at her table on November 14th and 15th

True Friends Indeed: A Seemore the Seagull Tale by Ralph Tufo

True Friends Indeed: A Seemore the Seagull Tale By Ralph Tufo

It is the grand finale of the Revere Beach Sand Castle Festival. The Fabulous Surfing Seagull Brothers, Seemore and Sydney, put on a show for the tourists doing acrobatic surfing maneuvers in the sea and in the air. From above, they witness a seagull, who looks different from the others, being taunted by Lucy and her followers. Seagull Lucy is no match for the quick response of Seemore and Sydney as they rescue Bonita. They show the other seagulls that everyone is valued and that friendship, courage, and inclusion reign supreme.

Ralph has other books including:

Seemore the Seagull
Brotherly Love: A Seemore the Seagull Tale
The Seemore the Seagull Coloring and Activity Book (A Seemore the Seagull Tale)

Reading ages 3-10 years old

See Ralph Tufo speak about True Friends Indeed: A Seemore the Seagull Tale, on the Kids/YA Panel panel on Sunday, November 15th

Penelope and the Pigeon of Piccadilly by Grace Marchese

Join Penelope on her first London adventure! She mistakenly think she disembarks at the wrong stop, but a witty city pigeon, Oliver, steps in and becomes her trusted tour guide. Can he help her reach Aunt Holly’s place? Find out!

In Penelope and the Pigeon of Piccadilly, Penelope’s much-anticipated journey to visit her beloved Aunt Holly turns into an unexpected adventure. As she climbs aboard a red double-decker bus, a symbol of the city she’s always wanted to explore, her excitement is palpable. The magical and enchanting surroundings of Piccadilly Square await her, but an unforeseen hiccup occurs. Penelope finds herself in an unfamiliar part of the city. She wonders if the map is incorrect or if she, in her inexperience and wonder, misread her stop.

Just when Penelope begins to feel the stirrings of worry, she encounters a new friend in an unexpected guise – Oliver, a savvy and quick-witted city pigeon. Oliver, in his charming and cheeky demeanor, knows the ins and outs of London like no other. He steps in to help Penelope, turning her mishap into a delightful exploration. As Oliver shows her the sights and sounds of London, Penelope’s anxiety begins to fade, replaced by the thrill of discovery.

But the question remains, will Oliver’s guidance lead Penelope to Aunt Holly’s doorstep? Or will our young adventurer’s first trip to London be marked by a detour that takes her further away from her destination? This lively tale, steeped in the vibrant atmosphere of London, is a heartwarming story of friendship, adventure, and the joy of unexpected journeys.

Will Penelope manage to navigate through the sprawling city with Oliver’s help? Will she finally get to embrace her favorite aunt in the heart of Piccadilly Square? Dive into Penelope and the Pigeon of Piccadilly to join Penelope on her enchanting adventure and find out! This delightful story will captivate the hearts of young readers, making them yearn for more.

For reading ages 3-8 years old

Grace Marchese has other books including:

Vivian and the Vegetable Van
Harper and the Howling Hounds
The Ladybug in Luna’s Latte

See Grace Marchese speak about Penelope and the Pigeon of Piccadilly, on the Kids/YA Panel panel on Sunday, November 15th or stop by her table on November 14th and 15th

TyTy Tells a Tale About Birds by Laurie Powers LeBlanc

Meet TyTy, your cheerful, small-winged guide, dressed in blue sneakers and a backwards ball cap as he floats gently through familiar backyard scenes. With each turn of the page, little readers are invited to play “spot the Sidekick,” a mischievous bird companion cleverly hidden in every illustration.

From robins pulling worms to hummingbirds hovering and splashing in a birdbath, each page offers a gentle dip into nature, made even more magical with rhythmic rhyme and cozy nighttime vibes.

This enchanting picture book not only sparks curiosity about the natural world, but also helps children wind down for the night. With soft tones of kindness and comfort, TyTy Tells a Tale About Birds creates a calming bedtime ritual—leaving little ones smiling, sleepy, and eager for the next TyTy adventure.

For reading ages Baby – 6 years

Laurie Powers LeBlanc has other books including:

TyTy Tells a Tale About the Beach
TyTy Tells a Tale About Sports. To be released in October.

See Laurie Powers LeBlanc and TyTy Tells a Tale About Birds at her table on November 15th

Fiction

Cardio Chronicles by Vanessa A. Newman

Adult Book Series: Cardio Chronicles by Vanessa A. Newman

Adult Book Series: Cardio Chronicles by Vanessa A. Newman

An adult book series with adult content set in the 90s and early 2000 about a lovable female protagonist. She is a fitness instructor and former personal trainer who gets into chaotic and hilarious situations with ridiculous results.

Tiramisu, Tube Tops & Trouble
Croissants, Caramel Clusters & Catastrophes
Baklava, Bibs & Brouhaha: A modern Odyssean adventure

Vanessa A. Newman has also written Kids Books

Red, Merry & Bright – Holiday Hope A children’s rhyming book for ages 4 to 12 that addresses feeling down or alone on the holidays with a special guest who brings hope.
Chris Mouse series – Winner of a 2025 Ella’s Way award for promoting acceptance, kindness, and inclusion! On a cold and wintery night a creature arrives on the eve of a holiday. This critter has a message and a lesson to share with those who find him. Why is he here and what happens when he is discovered?
Alex and His Monsters series – A series of books about a young boy named Alex who learns to confront and manage his emotions and behaviors. He meets monsters of his own creation in his room and befriends them in unique ways.

Check out Cardio Chronicles and her Kids Books during the Fiction panel on Saturday Nov 14th or stop by her table on the 14th or 15th

Virtuous Women by Ann Goltz

The sheltered eldest daughter of a Quiverfull family. Her naive new stepmother. The patriarch who controls them both.

Isolated from the world except for their insular church community, Hope Wagner has little exposure to anything outside of her father’s beliefs. That changes when her father marries the worldly newcomer to their church.

Jennifer Levine always wanted a large, close-knit family that lives according to the traditional values portrayed in her beloved historical novels. But after her marriage to Michael, a handsome widower at her new church, Jennifer’s life becomes a nightmare of inadequacy and futility as she tries to embody her husband’s idea of a virtuous woman.

Michael Wagner will stop at nothing to ensure his wife and daughters fulfill their God-given roles as helpmeets and mothers, and does everything in his power to eliminate the dangerous ideas his new wife has introduced into his family.

When Jennifer rejects Michael’s authority over her, she launches the family into a crisis. Now, to escape the future her father has planned for her, Hope must find the courage to leave the only world she’s ever known and pursue a life she’s never been given the tools to manage.

This emotional and eye-opening book shows the reality of Christian patriarchy, and the terrible price paid by women who have no choice but to be virtuous.

See Ann Goltz speak about Virtuous Women, on the Fiction Panel panel on Saturday, November 14th

By the Dark o’ the Moon by K. Stephens

In 1927, with Prohibition luring Maine lobstermen to smuggle liquor under moonlight, a ruthless rumrunner, Elray, steals a selkie’s child from the storm-ravaged rocks. Trapped in human form while she hunts for her daughter’s stolen sealskin, Aaelene is caught between the call of her colony and the child she cannot abandon. To reclaim her daughter and escape the island, she must trust Danny, Elray’s apprentice, whose conflicted loyalties could destroy them both.

See K. Stephens and learn more about By the Dark o’ the Moon by visiting her table on Saturday, November 14th

The Macdonalds of Cedar Park: An Ordinary Family in Extraordinary Times by A. E. Macdonald

When Pearl Harbor is attacked, and the country goes to war, Donald “Mac” Macdonald is recruited by the Manhattan Project. His wife, Bertha, manages the new rules regarding blackouts, rationing, recycling rubber and tin needed for the war effort, and security around her husband’s new job. Their oldest, Sonny, 18, knows he’ll be drafted and endeavors to join the ski-and-mountaineering troops, the 10th Mountain Division, using his friends and family to gather the necessary recommendations. Youngest son, Ig, is about to enter High School, becomes a messenger in the Boston office of the Manhattan Project, and at 15, gets his driver’s license to deliver groceries. While Mac uses all his engineering skills in the race to bring the boys home, Sonny is determined to survive in the Apennine Mountains of Italy, and Ig has lost his carefree teenage years to work and school. Bertha hopes the secrecy is worth all the sacrifice. By war’s end, the close-knit family is changed forever.

A. E. Macdonald has other books including:

Deadlines Are Murder: A Sam Monroe Mystery
Weddings are Murder: A Sam Monroe Mystery

See A. E. Macdonald and learn more about The Macdonalds of Cedar Park: An Ordinary Family in Extraordinary Times on the Fiction Panel panel on Saturday, November 14th

Stay Tuned for More Attending Authors…

Apollo Sunrise Center invites individuals to embark on a personalized journey of self-improvement through an array of classes and workshops facilitated by leaders in the wellness and spiritual industries. From yoga and meditation classes to workshops on topics such as healing from trauma and creative writing, Apollo Sunrise Center provides a diverse range of learning opportunities for all levels.