Meet local authors and discover new stories at FPL’s Local Author Showcase on June 20 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Browse author booths, chat with writers, and purchase books directly from the authors. Before you visit, explore the participating authors below and get a preview of some of the featured books you’ll find at the showcase.
Featured Local Authors
R CLAYTON COWARD
It’s All About Baseball: The Tools of Ignorance
Trace the remarkable evolution of catchers—the unsung backbone of America’s pastime. Once rugged fielders who caught pitches on the bounce, catchers have transformed into strategic leaders who command the field with precision and authority. The narrative blends history, innovation, and biography, spotlighting the position’s journey through the invention of protective gear, the rise of catchers as “field generals,” and the modern reliance on advanced analytics. Profiles of legendary figures—including Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench, and Josh Gibson—illustrate their athletic brilliance and cultural impact, showing how these icons shaped the identity of baseball itself. At its heart, the book celebrates the grit, resilience, and leadership demanded by one of the sport’s toughest roles. It offers readers a sweeping yet intimate look at how catchers embody the spirit of baseball.
WILLIAM CULBERTSON
Shackles of Destiny
In a world of magic, one magician has become so powerful as to control the flow of destiny itself. Breckett, a skilled blacksmith, strives only to be unnoticed by anyone with authority. One night in a bar Breckett connects with the bartender, Emily. It’s an event that creates an obstacle to the flow of fate carefully crafted by the mage. It’s a meeting that triggers a struggle over who will choose the future of the world.
View William’s Website
KATHLEEN FALLS
Finding the Face of Jesus
This book describes the journey that photographer, artist, and restoration specialist used to find the real face of Jesus by restoring a copy of the Shroud of Turin.
STEVEN FARAMELLI
The Last Symphony
As a deadly man-made flu devastates the world, musical genius Chase Masters is caught in a conspiracy involving genetic engineering, bioterrorism, and betrayal. While civilization collapses, chase races to uncover the truth behind the pandemic before time runs out.
NICHOLAS HOCHSTEDLER
The Stars Above
In a small Indiana town on the brink of the meth epidemic, five boys discover an alien in the woods behind their house. The oldest boy, Johnny, sympathizes with the creature’s loneliness, and soon can’t shake the feeling that neither one of them is meant for Planet Earth. Written with lyrical prose and a fondness for 90’s pop culture, The Stars Above captures the essence of millennial childhood and Midwest isolation.
DANIEL AND TASHA KNOWLTON
The Adventures of Choo Choo Bob and the Farm Animals
This book is about taking an adventure with Choo Choo Bob while learning about kindness and different animal sounds.
TIM AND SUE IORIO
The Penn State Walk-On
We lost our son Nich Iorio to suicide in 1997. His brother, Joe, was the first freshman walk-on to start for Penn State in 1999. He played for the Colts and the Steelers. All in memory of his brother Nich! We all wrote about how we survived the tragedy!
NICOLE MANAHAN
Love You Like Your Mine
This book is about unconditional love. You don’t have to give birth to love a child as your own. This book was created from a poem I wrote to my step kids, thanking them for being able to celebrate Mother’s Day with them.
View Nicole’s Website
JACOB MCNEAL
The Green Brain
A poetry Chapbook exploring the brooding awareness of humanity and nature. It confronts our cycles of violence and self-deception, our arrogant separation from nature, and the haunting realization of our own insignificance.
ANGIE O’NEILL
Growing Up On The West Shore of Clear Lake
In this memoir, the author brings the reader on a journey through her life on the West Shore of Clear Lake, and the experiences with nature.
ELLA RENS
Molded by Moonlight & Fury
In a hidden world of wolf shifters, a young woman must survive brutal traditions and a bond she isn’t ready to claim. As a sinister plot unfolds, she’s pushed to fight for her place and the people she’s come to love, while discovering powers that could change everything. This slow-burn urban fantasy is filled with high-stakes tension, found family, and action-driven intrigue.
View Ella’s Website
MARK REDMOND
The Box M Gang
In post-Civil War Arizona Territory, five orphaned siblings struggle to operate their small ranch without letting anyone know they’re orphans, a discovery that would send them to an orphanage near Tucson.
View Mark’s Website
MITZI SALTSMAN
Once I Was Lost…But, Never Alone
Forty-five years ago, as a 19-year-old college sophomore, I traveled to India, alone, to teach at a mission school in Sitapur, UP. Before cell phones and through a string of wild, unplanned events, I was lost for a week in New Delia. I made it to the mission and realized God had been with me the whole time.
ABIGAIL SKIDMORE
The Concierge
A supernatural thriller where two sisters win a free vacation. When things start to go wrong, it turns into a fight for survival.
View Abigail’s Website
LYNN THOMPSON
76 Minutes: My Search for Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner
The only book written about the disappearance of Andrew, Alexander, and Tanner Skelton. This book covers all information known to the public with analysis of probable outcomes, including triple homicide charges against John Russel Skelton in 2025.
View Lynn’s Website