Local Children's Authors to Appear at La Mesa Readers & Writers Festival on Saturday

Meet Sheri Fink, Charmaine Hammond, and Dennis Yang at the First Annual Readers and Writers Fest at the La Mesa Library

La Mesa is celebrating its 100th Birthday in 2012. In recognition, the La Mesa Library is holding the First Annual Readers & Writers Fest.

Whether you prefer print or the new electronic media, readers and writers of all ages are invited to this festival and book fair to be held Saturday, February 25, 2012 at the La Mesa Library from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission is free to the public.

Enjoy a day in the library and meet local published authors from around the San Diego County who write children's books, mysteries, romance novels, fiction and non-fiction novels, poetry and more. Over 20 local authors will be available to sign their books for you and answer your questions about the writing process, including children's authors:

Sheri Fink
Author of the #1 best-selling inspirational children's book, The Little Rose

Charmaine Hammond
Best-selling author of On Toby's Terms and Toby, The Pet Therapy Dog and His Hospital Friends

Dennis Yang
Author of 110 children's books including The Tenth Floor and founder of the Papa Didos Ideals Foundation.




The event is sponsored by the Friends of the La Mesa Library, Kiwanis Club of La Mesa, Read Local San Diego and the San Diego County Library.

New to electronic media? Beginners and Ebook lovers come learn about the latest innovations of the Nook . Barnes & Noble representatives will be in attendance to answer your questions about their newest technology.

During the day, guest speakers will be presenting topics about writing and the emerging state of the publishing industry in the La Mesa City Hall Council Chambers.

At noon, former San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy will speak about his memoir, San Diego's Judge Mayor. At 2 pm, David Wogahn of SellBox.com will lecture on the e-book publishing revolution and how it works. And at 1 we have a romance novel writers' panel who will speak about writing romance novels.

Meet other area writers such as historical novelist Laurel Corona (Finding Emilie), memoirist Marjorie Hart (Summer at Tiffany), Linda Loegel (If You Don't Like Worms, Keep Your Mouth Shut) and Roger Conlee, journalist and historical novelist who will provide insight into the writer's world. Throughout the day, we will have poetry corners, children's book reading corners and even a surprise visit from author Scott Farrell who knows a lot about chivalry.

The library is located at:

8074 Allison Avenue
La Mesa, CA 91942

Hope to see you there!

California Readers: Meet Sheri Fink

By Bonnie O'Brian
California Readers

Sheri Fink, Author of
The Little Rose and
The Little Gnome

Did you write stories when you were growing up? at school? Or at home as a hobby? As a young child, or as a teenager, or both?
I started writing my own little books when I was 7 years old. I created the stories, the artwork, and the covers at home.

As a kid, I was obsessed with things like the Muppets and the Smurfs. I loved how they existed in their own little worlds and enjoyed watching the same movies and shows over and over.

I had a lot of fun dreaming up my own worlds and putting them into books. Fortunately, my mom saved the books I made as a little girl.

What are the topics are some of your books?
I write books that inspire and delight children ages 5-10 while planting seeds of self-esteem that can have lifelong benefit. My books help kids with their self-esteem while they have fun reading the stories and enjoying the beautiful illustrations.

My first book, THE LITTLE ROSE, is about a little rose who grows up in a weedbed and believes that she’s the weed. The story empowers kids to overcome bullying and to embrace their differences as gifts. My second book, THE LITTLE GNOME, is about a garden gnome and his first year in the garden. The story helps kids look for the good in change while learning about the four seasons.

What kinds of things inspire you to write?
I’m often inspired to write by things that happen in my life and the way I feel about them. I also get really inspired hearing the about the successes of other authors. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of speaking to a group of children and having them tell you with tears in their eyes what your stories have meant to them. I love making a positive difference!

What really triggers your imagination?
I like to surround myself with things that I love including beautiful artwork, happy music, pictures from wonderful experiences, and whimsical toys and books that make me smile. It’s easy to let my imagination roam when I’m in that environment. Taking time away from writing sometimes brings the best ideas … they sneak up on me when I’m not looking. I like to doodle to stimulate my creativity. I enjoy coming up with things that make me laugh. I also get really excited seeing beautiful pictures and inspiring messages on Pinterest.

The Little Rose #1
Best-Selling Children's Book

Have any of your books earned special recognition?
THE LITTLE ROSE was published in March 2011 and has been a #1 best-seller on Amazon for over 30 weeks. I released the Kindle edition in January and it became a best-seller and is the #2 top-rated children’s ebook on Amazon. As a result of my success with THE LITTLE ROSE, I was acknowledged as one of the top “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading” last year. THE LITTLE ROSE has changed my life. It’s been a truly amazing year!

Do you work on more than one book at a time?
Yes, I’m currently working on two books and have ideas and plans for four books. When I wrote my first two children’s books, I was narrowly focused and only wrote one at a time. Now, I’m finding that the ideas are flowing to me much quicker and I’m too fascinated with them to wait to write them.

Read the entire interview >