The annual Local Authors Expo held at the Central Library will showcase Alabama authors, including many from the Birmingham area. This year's free event will be held on Saturday, August 19, 2017 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Authors will be on hand to discuss their work, sell and autograph books, and talk about their writing process. Two featured authors, Chandra Sparks Splond (10:30 a.m.) and Nia Mya Reese (1:00 p.m.), will discuss their writing and the publishing process.

This event is free to the public. Drop by and visit your favorite author, learn more about local authors, and get tips for publishing your work.

Featured Authors

Chandra Sparks Splond
Editor, Speaker, Blogger, and Award-Winning Author
10:30 a.m.

Chandra Sparks Splond is an editor, speaker and award-winning author and blogger. Her young adult novel Spin It Like That was chosen as a Popular Paperback for Young Adults by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), and The Pledge was a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. She is also the author of Make It Work, He’s Got Game, The Promise, You’ve Gotta Have Faith, and The Greatest Gift of All. Splond was named a Legends & Leaders for 2017 by Black Pearls Magazine for her blog, Book of Splond (formerly known as Magic City Momma). Splond is the owner of West End Publishing, LLC, and Live Life Creations, a personalized gift and party boutique.

In addition to working for Kensington Publishing as the consulting editor for Arabesque romance, Splond has also done work for Random House, Moody Publishers, Kimani Press (formerly known as BET Books), and Hyperion. She has edited books for several New York Times, USA Today and Essence bestselling authors. Splond has interviewed New York Times bestselling authors Karen Kingsbury, Kimberla Lawson Roby, and actress Meagan Good. She has also worked for Good Housekeeping, Black and Married with Kids, Brides Noir, Weddingpages, Newsday, The Morning Call and Romantic Times. Her blog, Book of Splond, helps women balance faith, family and fiction.

Of all the titles she has held, Splond’s most important remain child of God, wife and mommy. Splond graduated from Ramsay High School in Birmingham and the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa with a degree in journalism. She will receive her master’s in secondary education with a focus on instructional design and technology in December 2017. Splond is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and resides in Birmingham with her family. She is a member of Forty-fifth Street Baptist Church.  

Nia Mya Reese
Bestselling Child Author
1:00 p.m.

Nia Mya Reese is a Second Grade Student at Deer Valley Elementary School in Hoover, Alabama.

When Nia Mya was in first grade, her teacher gave her students an in-class writing assignment to tell about something that they were an expert at. Nia Mya said that she was a great big sister and wrote about “How To Deal With and Care For Your Annoying Little Brother” – thus the inspiration for her first book.

That summer, Nia’s mom discovered the writing assignment, partnered with Yorkshire Publishing, and released it as her first book to the public in December of 2016. The book, “How To Deal With and Care For Your Annoying Little Brother” has since topped charts as #1 on Amazon's "Hot New Releases", Movers and Shakers, Sibling Relationships, and School Aged Children and Parenting categories for several months after its release. In March, the book even surpassed Harry Potter, Hidden Figures, and the Great Gatsby in online sales on that day.

Nia has made several TV appearances including being interviewed by CBS Evening News - New York with Scott Pelley who flew to Birmingham, Al. to film for two days. She recently made her first talk show debut on the Harry Connick Jr. Show, and has had her story told all across the US, even being interviewed by international correspondents for German TV, which told her story in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and around the globe. The book’s principles of patience, kindness, and love are universal and are inspiring kids and adults both nationally and internationally.

She looks forward to sharing with the attendees at the Author’s expo her journey as it relates to getting this book to its published state and encouraging words for them on how to “Follow Your Dreams”.  

Authors
Shirley A. Aaron
Ed Abernathy
Kathy-Ann Alexis
Scott Blasingame
Franky A. Brown
BJ Burgins
C.D. Collins
John. B. Davis
Gwendolyn DeLaine
Byron De'Vinner Story
Tymetric Dillon
Patricia Eleby
Alethea & Eddie Fells III
Kenneth Friday
Mark Hart
Carol McVay Hull
Richard S Jaffe
LaJuan Jones
Lucy B. Jones
Peter Kirchikov
Tondra L. Loder-Jackson
Betsy Lowery
Shirley Mitchell
Billy McDonald
Brittany Nicole
Jack Owens
Jamie Porter
Twylia Reid
B. Wayne Seals
Nancy Seay
Doug Segrest
Dr. Akeam A. Simmons
Betty Smith
Jerelyn Sneed
Lyn Stafford
Joe Stahlkuppe
Jade Stewart
SL Stoutermire
Carlos B. Taylor
C. Duane Wheeler
Sherman Williams

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