Books have the power to entertain, inform and transport us into other worlds and fantastic adventures. Tampa Bay boasts some very talented and accomplished authors of children’s literature, fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Keep reading to discover some of Tampa’s most celebrated authors.
P.K. Lichtenberger
www.holdmypaw.org
P.K. Lictenberger, along with her husband, is the co-owner of Bett’s Fishing Center. She was inspired to write this children’s book when Snapper, a Labrador retriever puppy only nine weeks old, was training to become a therapy dog. Snapper had undergone extensive medical tests and surgery, and as a result, shied away from people that tried to touch her paws. In order to become a therapy dog, she would have to get used to people holding her paw. This colorful, heart-warming book is the true story of Snapper’s journey from timid pup to working therapy dog.
Tracy A. Akers
www.soulsofaredyrah.com
Tracy A. Akers holds a degree in education from the University of South Florida and is both a teacher and a writer. She has won several awards for her series, “The Souls of Aredyrah,” including the Gold for Young Adult Fiction in the Florida Book Awards in 2008. In addition, she has also been invited to give lectures, serve on literary panels and speak at conferences. This three-book adventure series is written for young adults and the young at heart.
Enid Shomer
www.enidshomer.com
Enid Shomer lives in Tampa and is an author of both poetry and fiction. She has won a multitude of awards for her works, including the Wildwood Prize, the Eve of St. Agnes Prize, the Celia Wagner Award of the Poetry Society of America and most recently, the Lifetime Achievement Award. Her essays, poems and stories can be found in over 50 textbooks and anthologies used in classrooms throughout the nation. Her works include “Stalking the Florida Panther,” “Tourist Season” and several poetry collections.
Cynthia Barnett
www.cynthiabarnett.net
Cynthia Barnett, a journalist with over 25 years of experience, has researched and reported on freshwater issues all over the world, from Singpore to the Suwanee River and back again. She holds two degrees from the University of Florida: a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s in environmental history. She is the author of two non-fiction books, “Blue Revolution: Unmaking America’s Water Crisis” and “Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S.” “Mirage” won the Gold for non-fiction in the Florida Book Awards in 2011.
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Archie Boston
www.archbosgd.com
Archie Boston grew up in St. Petersburg and is now a professional graphic designer and author. In one of his books, autobiographical “Lil’ Colored Rascals in the Sunshine City,” he gives insight into what his life was like before the Civil Rights movement and what it was like in the “colored” section of town. His other book, 185-page “Fly in the Buttermilk,” records his memoirs of what it was like to be a “minority insider” in the world of advertising, design and design education.
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Amanda Mole has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil and cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove. She believes that food provides more than just vital nutrients: it is an irreplaceable part of countless cultural and social activities. As a Tampa Bay resident for the past 21 years, she is well acquainted with the incredibly diverse range of restaurants, bars, and food festivals that the area has to offer. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
