United by Judge Bill Littlejohn at the North River Coffee House & Eatery, Marcella, LaTonya, Valerie and Kaye planned a celebration for Black History Month. By the time our meeting adjourned, we decided to pool our resources and the Soul of the Pen Book Tour was created. In May 2007, the tour was expanded to include Gail and Dorinda.

Starting in Dayton, Ohio, the tour consists of readings, chats with readers and aspiring authors, gift drawings and book signings.

Our desire is to have a positive impact on our community through the written word. We are committed to providing readers with books that encourage and inspire. Whether it’s encouraging interaction between parents and children, addressing the unique demands of stepfamilies or understanding the impact of our words and actions, we want to help children and their families flourish.

DAYTON AUTHORS UNITE TO CELEBRATE NEW BOOKSTORE

(Dayton, Ohio) – Twelve local authors will autograph copies of their books at the North River Coffee House & Eatery, 323 Salem Avenue from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday, February 7, 2009. The event is free and open to the public.

Guests are invited to enjoy complimentary gourmet coffee, light refreshments, gift drawings and purchase books until 1:00 pm. Following the meet and greet, aspiring authors can participate in a one-hour session on book publishing.

Valerie L. Coleman, author and owner of Queen V Publishing, says, “I’ve assisted hundreds of writers through the publishing process. Most of them came to me with a manuscript and the question, ‘What do I do now?’ During the session, I will share techniques to help writers master self-publishing and make money.”

Bill Littlejohn, owner of the North River Coffee House and Eatery, says, “My intent is to offer quarterly events to spark interest in the arts. Dayton Authors United is a collaboration designed to promote literary creativity and celebrate the launch of The Little Bookstore.” Located inside the North River Coffee House, the bookstore will feature self-published authors and independent music artists from the Dayton community.

The following Dayton Authors United participants will be featuring their books:

• Lena Arnold, author of For This Child We Prayed: Living with the Secret Shame of Infertility
• Marcella Ashe, author of Granny Says and Hog Bottom Days
• Andrea Attaway-Young, author of The Secret Treasure
• LaTonya Branham, author of CultureSeek and Spirit Seek
• Valerie L. Coleman, author of Blended Families An Anthology and Tainted Mirror An Anthology
• Toni Perry Gillispie, author of I’m Here, Now What? A Woman’s Guide in Corporate America
• Thomas Maultsby, author of Meek
• Gail Miller, author of True Love Has a Passion for You
• Dorinda Nusum, author of Sins and Sacrifices, The Victory, Afflicted and The Back Pew Crew
• Margaret Peters, author of Dayton’s African American Heritage
• Tina Toles, author of Whispers from Above
• Flonzie Wright, author of Looking Back to Move Ahead
  

For more information, contact Valerie J. Lewis Coleman at 888.802.1802 or visit PenoftheWriter.com.