Meet your Emcee:
Heidi Nightengale
Genre(s): Children’s Picture Book Fiction
Book(s): What Fragrance is the Moon, Robert’s Red Sweater, and ___.
Bio: Heidi Nightengale has been writing and publishing for over 30 years. Her work as a poet and children’s book author seeks to utilize the wonders of the natural world to communicate the beauty of our internal lives and what it means to be human. She has been an “author in the schools” in three states and in nearly one hundred classrooms.
Meet your Panelists!
Anthony Gero
Genre(s): Military History and Historical Fiction
Book(s): Black Soldiers of NY State, Cayugans in the Field, Excelsior’s Citizen Soldiers, Excelsiors Vanished Soldiers, Black Soldiers of North America: a Sketch Book, Boots: A Novella of the Civil War, The Night Dancer Chronicles ( Book One & Two)
Bio: Anthony F. Gero holds a BS in Secondary Education from S. U. C. at Oswego and an MA: History from S.U.C. at Cortland and is a retired high school teacher. He is an elected Fellow of the Company of Military Historians and is an author and co-author of six military history books and over 200 articles on military history among them Black Soldiers of New York State: A Proud Legacy (SUNY Press, 2009). Recently he has entered the field of fiction work that includes Boots: A Novella of the Civil War (Camp Pope Publishing, 2013) and The Night Dancer Chronicles: Book One (Downtown Books Publishing, 2014) Book Two (Downtown Books Publishing, 2015)
David Homick
Genre(s): Mystery, Time Travel, Romantic Suspense
Book(s): From Time to Time, Broken Angels, Reason to Live, and Don’t Curse the Rain
Bio: A native of Auburn, Homick began writing later in life. One of the underlying themes of his writing, as well as his life, was inspired by a favorite quote from George Eliot. “It’s never too late to be what we might have been.”
Website: www.davidhomick.com
Howard Nelson
Genre(s): Poetry
Book(s): That Was Really Something
Bio: Howard Nelson is a poet. His latest collection of poems, That Was Really Something, was published by Groundhog Poetry Press in September 2018. His previous books include All the Earthly Lovers: Selected and New Poems, The Nap by the Waterfall, Bone Music, Gorilla Blessing, Earth, My Likeness: Nature Poetry of Walt Whitman, and Robert Bly: An Introduction to the Poetry. Howard lives in the Finger Lakes region of New York and is Professor Emeritus at Cayuga Community College.
Website:www.howardnelsonpoet.com
Laurie Gifford Adams
Genre(s): Young Adult/Childrens
Book(s): Secrets of Love and War, Pawprints in the Snow, Finding Atticus, Over the Edge, Before I Knew, and You Can Trust Me
Bio: Laurie Gifford Adams is published in multiple genres including magazines and newspapers. She loves to write stories that tug at your heart and leave you feeling good.
Website: www.lauriegiffordadams.com
Lori Duffy Foster
Genre(s): Mystery/Thriller
Book(s): A Dead Man’s Eyes and Never Broken (Lisa Jamison Mystery series)
Bio: Lori Duffy Foster, a former Syracuse crime reporter, is author of A DEAD MAN’S EYES and NEVER BROKEN, books one and two in her Lisa Jamison Mysteries Series. Her debut thriller, NEVER LET GO, releases from Level Best Books Dec. 20.
Website: www.loriduffyfoster.com
Stephen Eoannou
Genre(s): Fiction
Book(s): Muscle Cars and Rook
Bio: Stephen G. Eoannou is the author of the novels After Pearl (SFWP 2025), Yesteryear (SFWP 2023), Rook (Unsolicited Press 2022), and the short story collection Muscle Cars (SFWP 2015). He has been awarded an Honor Certificate from The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and won the Best Short Screenplay Award at the 36th Starz Denver Film Festival. Eoannou holds an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte and an MA from Miami University. He lives and writes in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, the setting and inspiration for much of his work.
Website: www.sgeoannou.com
Meet your Authors-
Bobbie Dumas Panek
Genre(s): Memoir/Poetry
Book(s): Morning Walks: Zen Meditations and Just Another Day
Bio: Bobbie Dumas Panek is the author of Morning Walks: Zen Meditations (poetry) and Just Another Day. Just Another Day is a collection of 48 short stories that originally appeared in her weekly column for the Citizen. Bobbie received her B.A. degree in creative writing from Empire State College. She also chairs the Finger Lakes Writers Group and is a member of the National League of American Pen Women.
Website: www.bobbiedumaspanek.com
Crystal Keogan
Genre(s): Children’s Picture Book Fiction
Book(s): Through My I’s and Skit Skit Skitterarich
Dorothy Callahan (a.k.a Darcy Callan)
Genre(s):Romance & YA Urban Fantasy
Book(s): Over 19 novels including the Trollmageddon series
Bio: Dorothy Callahan is one of those authors who annoys other authors by refusing to be tied down to one genre. She’s known for her snappy dialogue, angsty romances, and hard-earned Happily Ever Afters.
Website: www.dorothycallahan.com
Janet Fagal
Genre(s): Poetry for Children & Adults
Book(s): What is a Friend?, Things We Do, and I Am Someone Else, Poems About Pretending
Bio: Janet Clare Fagal, retired teacher, poetry advocate and award-winning poet is a past president of the CNY Branch of Pen Women (NLAPW). Her poems appear in a variety of anthologies including one from Guinness Record holder, Lee Bennett Hopkins, five from Pomelo Publishing, online at nlapw.org and in The Pen Woman. Her chapbook manuscript, a work-in-progress, was a semi-finalist in the 2022 NLAPW Vinnie Ream contest.
Jeanne Crane
Genre(s): Travel Fiction
Book(s): Amidst the Stones of Celtic Ireland and Celtic Spirit: A Journey to the Heart
Bio: Jeanne’s love of Ireland and all early Celtic lands inspired her to write 2 novels where her American characters discover places of transformation and wonder. She also gives presentations, writes a blog, and offers travel tips to her readers.
Website: www.celticspiritbooks.com/books
Joni Lincoln
Genre(s): Historical
Book(s): Maud, the Erie House Dog
Judith Trice
Genre(s): Poetry, Fiction, Essays
Book(s): Steel Threads
Bio: Judith Trice, a native of Auburn, practiced law in California for 30 years before retiring and returning to her hometown. Since then, she has been writing poetry, fiction, essays and newspaper/magazine articles for publication in various venues. Her poetry has won awards from Pen Women and she has had a chapbook published, titled Steel Threads.
Kathleen Chaykosky
Genre(s): Nonfiction, Professional Life Coaching
Book(s): Survive Strong with Spirit and Spunk- Inspirational Reflections of my Own Cancer Journey
Bio: Kathleen Chaykosky holds a master’s degree in Psychology and is a board-certified professional life coach. Her business: Survive Strong – Compassionate Cancer Coaching helps cancer survivors and their loved ones navigate through the stages of their own cancer journeys. Kathleen is also a 24-year cancer survivor who provides inspirational reflections of her own experiences in her debut novel: Survive
Strong with Spirit and Spunk.
Website:www.survivestrong.com
Mary Gardner
Genre(s): Poetry
Book(s): When All Danger of Frost is Past, Place Settings, and Downsizing
Bio: Mary Gardner’s poems have appeared in anthologies of the National League of American Pen Women, McMaster University and Tower Poetry Society of Hamilton, Ontario, Syracuse Poster Project, Upstate Medical University’s The Healing Muse, and Cayuga Lake Books. Her chapbooks, When All Danger of Frost Is Past (2015), Place Settings (2017), and Downsizing (2020) were published by FootHills Publishing. She has sold 500+copies of her self-published MY LIFE MATTERS journaling book. She holds a Certificate in Poetry from the Syracuse Downtown Writers Center and Master in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. She published twenty professional articles while employed in the health field.
Michele Jones Galvin
Genre(s): Creative Nonfiction
Book(s): Beyond the Underground: Beyond the Underground. Aunt Harriet, Moses of Her People
Bio: Descendant Biographer tells the story of Harriet Tubman Davis, famed abolitionist, patriot, humanitarian, and suffrage supporter.
Website:www.mosesofherpeople.com
Russ Ebbets
Genre(s): Fiction/Non-fiction, Spats
Book(s): Supernova, A Runner’s Guide, Time & Change
Bio: Russ Ebbets has edited Track Coach, the technical journal of USA Track and Field since 1999. He is author of two novels, a trail guide to the Adirondack High Peaks and two technical books on running. His 2019 A Runner’s Guide was a finalist for the Track and Field Writers of America Book of the Year. A follow-up to A Runner’s Guide is currently being edited.
Toni and Luke Colella
Genre(s): Biography
Book(s): Now We’re Talking: The Story of Theodore W. Case and Sound-on-Film
Bio: Toni and Luke Colella are a mother-son writing team. Upon discovering the Cayuga Museum did not have a biography of Theodore Case needed for Luke’s school project, their research on Case propelled them to write Now We’re Talking … The Story of Theodore W. Case and Sound-on-Film.