Plymouth Meeting Mall
Book Fest

Elle Backenstoe — Facebook ▪️ Instagram

Elle Backenstoe lives in Eastern Pennsylvania with her husband, son, and two dogs. She grew up with her nose buried in a book and sometimes emerges long enough to write some words of her own. She writes fantasy and romance, often together. Elle runs on pop punk music and Coke, and will always choose sweet over salty. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her at her home-away-from-home, the dance studio.

Author of: Of Curses & Beauty, The Sacrifice and the Spare, A Vow of Shadows, A Whisper of Fate

Ellwyn Autumn — Facebook

Ellwyn Autumn is an American author and a certified teacher with a Master’s Degree in Education. She writes children’s picture books, middle-grade fantasy novels, and Young Adult fiction.

Ellwyn lives with her family in Pennsylvania. She loves all things magical, curling up with a good book, writing stories, and almost anything with chocolate in it.

Author of: Teddy Bear Tea, A Fish Named Fancy, Gingerbread Kids Hide-N-Seek, Kamyla Chung Series, Captain Hook Villain or Victim?

Michael Blatherwick — Facebook ▪️ Instagram

Michael Blatherwick is a collector of toys and books. He is a writer living in Bordentown, NJ with his wife, dog, and an army of formerly stray cats. Michael has twenty years of experience in financial markets and technical writing, and has been collecting, appraising, and curating toys since his teen years. Mike’s collecting and hunting includes obtaining toys for Kevin Eastman (co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and the awesome responsibility of defending a one-of-a-kind Barbie prototype toothbrush. Contain your enthusiasm.

Author of: The Photograph Chronicles Books One - Three, and The Lobster Princess 

Nancy Braitman — Facebook ▪️ Instagram

Nancy is a retired special educator with the School District of Philadelphia. Her inspiration for her Milo Loves series stems from the love of Milo, her mini-Bernedoodle!  In her books, Milo explores nature at the park and the beach and has fun at a fall festival and he even takes a trip to Europe!  The books have a rhyming quality, which is beneficial for phonemic awareness. The illustrations are colorful and lively!

Author of: Milo Loves the Park, Milo Loves the Seashore, Milo Loves Europe & Milo and Yuki Love the Fall Festival

Lydia Cohn — Facebook ▪️ Instagram

Joan C. Yingling (1930 - 2008), recipient of three literary awards, was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. She was married to Edwin Yingling, another native of Philadelphia, and together they had 7 children. Writing poetry was a hobby of Joan's. "The Story of the Can't That Could" and "The Story of The Curious Elf", published in 2019 and 2021 respectfully, were just two of several poems Joan wrote for her children in the 1960's. Her granddaughter, Jessica Taylor, is credited with the idea of posthumously publishing her grandmother’s poems into children's books. A third book is in the works. Visit www.joanyingling.com to learn more.

Author of: "The Story of The Can't That Could" and "The Story of The Curious Elf" 

Donna Debs - Facebook

Donna Debs is a longtime writer and longtime yoga teacher, two disciplines that cleanse the chaos in her mind. Her debut book, Wash Your Brain: Stories. Laughter. Yoga. Life., won GOLD in the Independent Book Publishers Association’s 2025 book-of-the-year contest in the category of humor. She was also a finalist in the 2025 Foreword INDIES book-of-the-year contest and was named Humor Writer of the Month for June 2025 by the respected Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop. Donna is also a former news reporter and editor for Philadelphia’s KYW Radio, the former owner of a writing/communications company, and since the late 1990s, she has doubled as an Iyengar yoga teacher with an active yoga studio.

Author of: Wash Your Brain: Stories. Laughter. Yoga. Life.

MaryBeth DiNunzio — Facebook

Mary Beth DiNunzio is a multifaceted author, coach, and advocate for personal empowerment. With a career spanning over three decades, Mary Beth has channeled her rich professional experience and personal journey into storytelling that inspires readers of all ages. Her passion for writing began with her beloved children's series, Naratonia Lights, which introduces young readers to imaginative worlds filled with courage, kindness, and curiosity.

Mary Beth's storytelling is deeply rooted in her belief in the transformative power of change and resilience and her life’s mission to empower individuals to embrace inner strength and navigate life’s transitions with grace and purpose. This mission is evident in her blog writing, poetry and a short story she has recently authored, Gossamer Wings and Changing Winds: Nothing Stays the Same.

Mary Beth is the founder of MBD Coaching. She  lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, where she enjoys fostering rescue dogs and contributing to community organizations.

Author of: Sir George of The Bamboo Forest, The Royal Hobbit Tree

Nicholas Dollak - Facebook

Nicholas Dollak is an author and illustrator of children’s, middle grade, and adult literature currently living in Jersey City, NJ.

Illustrator of children's books: The Boy Under the Bed; The Sailor and the Sea Witch.

Author of the middle grade books: Four Tales of Wonder; Jenna of Erdovon; Dr. Saturninus Sutton's Marvelous Machine; and "Nuckle" Nick & Nannerl (and the Get-Rich-Quick Scheme). And author of these adult fiction works: Where No Limerick Has Gone Before; The Tragedy of Rocky (the Very Picture of Horror); False Season; Slag; Four Years and Change: An American Decameron; and Strikes and Gutters.

Eskay Kabba — Facebook ▪️ Instagram

Wife, mother, partner, daughter, sister, friend, social worker, life skills coach and part-time erotic romance novelist, Eskay Kabba finds the complexity of human nature and creates romantic and erotic love stories. The characters reflect the notion that no one is all good or all bad, but we are all just trying to find love in hard places. Eskay pens erotic romance novels that celebrate the LGBTQ community, people of color, and interracial relationships. When not writing about the throes of passion, Eskay finds joy in spending time with her family, cats, and loved ones, reading dystopia and fantasy series, and binging a popular show from a streaming app. 

Author of: Hidden Love Series (5 books); Ryan D Ryder series (2 books); A Love for Micah; Jerry's Heart 

Melissa Groeling — Facebook ▪️ Instagram

I honestly didn’t know I had a Jersey accent until we moved out of Jersey. I thought everyone spoke the same way, called things by the same name, you know like subs, sprinkles, taylor ham, etc. It was quite the struggle, when, in fact, people elsewhere said hoagies, jimmies and pork roll.

Proper names of food notwithstanding, being a hardcore reader (thanks to those endless days at the library with Mom) helped shape my desire to produce stories of my own. Inspiration is endless, from movies, to board games, to more books.

Author of: Between the Dark Spaces, The Feeding, and Beauty Marks

Andrew Kibe — Facebook ▪️ Instagram

Andrew Kibe is a horror/thriller/suspense writer from Philadelphia, PA. His earliest memory of writing is from he was in 6th grade. He tried to write a horror novel with the help of his grandfather. The premise was a serial killer hunting high school students while wearing an Abraham Lincoln mask. Telling stories has been a passion for his entire life. From middle school all the way into his mid-twenties he and his friends would write scripts and act them out on camera. Which has led to this... 

He got serious about writing during Covid, looking to self-publish a collection of short stories. He went out, hired a writing coach and got to work. One year later he released FIVE. It debuted at #1 for "Hot New Release" for the horror anthology category on Amazon. 

Author of: Deception, Decay, FIVE

Jennifer M. Lane — Facebook ▪️ Instagram

Jennifer M. Lane is the author of historical, contemporary, and women's fiction. She has a master’s in museum studies from the University of Delaware where she wrote her thesis on the material culture of roadside memorials. She is a member of the Authors Guild and the Historical Novel Society, and her first book, Of Metal and Earth, won the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Award for First Novel and was a finalist in the 2018 Independent Author Network Book of the Year Awards in the category of Literary / General Fiction. 

Author of: Of Metal and Earth, Downriver, Stick Figures from Rockport, and The Collected Stories of Ramsbolt Series

Pam McAnulty — Facebook ▪️ Instagram

Pam McAnulty has been a middle school educator for more than 10 years. Prior to teaching, she was a journalist and public relations specialist for several Philadelphia-based financial and healthcare organizations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Temple University and a master’s degree in Secondary Education from Chestnut Hill College. 

Author of: I Know You Are But What Am I? and Ready Or Not, Here I Come!

Sherry V. Ostroff — Facebook

Pam McAnulty has been a middle school educator for more than 10 years. Prior to teaching, she was a journalist and public relations specialist for several Philadelphia-based financial and healthcare organizations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Temple University and a master’s degree in Secondary Education from Chestnut Hill College.

She is currently working on her second book, “Go Ahead, I Dare You! Practical Advice for Second-Career Teachers,” and collaborating with other authors to increase educational equity in under-resourced communities.

Author of: The Lucky One, Caledonia, Mannahatta, Expulsion, and The Wall at the Sugar Factory

Sherry V. Ostroff — Facebook

In my former life I was a teacher, a runner, a voracious reader, a wife and a mother.  Today I am an author, a walker, a voracious reader, a wife, a mother and a grandmother.  The big news is - writing has become an all-consuming passion.  In my spare time I enjoy cooking, traveling and hanging out with my high school sweetheart and our family. I currently reside  in Lancaster County, PA.  I don't have any pets at the moment, but I used to have a dog named Dog and a cat named Meow. 

Author of: The Lucky One, Caledonia, Mannahatta, Expulsion, and The Wall at the Sugar Factory

Paul Popiel — Instagram ▪️ Facebook

Paul Popiel is a writer, editor, photographer, and gamer from the Philadelphia suburbs. He earned his MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. 

Paul has written and published two novels, 13 Acres of Hell: Our Little Corner of the World, and 13 Acres of Hell 2: What Hell Awaits, with a third in progress.

He's had short stories published in Fantastic Futures 13, and Soul Scream Antholozine: Monstrous Hearts.

When not facilitating one of his many critique groups, he can be found running sessions of D&D, Call of Cthulhu, or Vampire the Masquerade.

Author of: 13 Acres of Hell: Our Little Corner of the World -- Slasher horror novel; 13 Acres of Hell 2: What Hell Awaits -- Slasher horror novel; Possibly novel #3 of the 13 Acres series; Soulscream Antholozine: Monstrous Hearts -- Quiet Horror Anthology

Dr. Teri Rouse — Instagram ▪️ Facebook

Dr. Teri Rouse is a 9x #1 international best-selling author, international speaker, early and behavior interventionist, reading and autism specialist, parenting coach, and the creator of Snuggle Bunny Book Club™. Leveraging her 30+ years of experience as an educator working with children, parents, teachers, and organizations, Dr. Teri facilitates improved communication, effective conflict resolution, and peaceful environments where everyone is respected. 

Dr. Teri is renowned for her ability to connect with audiences globally and to leverage her personal experience as a stepparent to a child with significant behavioral and academic challenges. Her empathetic, compassionate, relatability coupled with her experience as both an educator and parent/stepparent, allows her to effectively work with families and organizations alike to create Positive Behavior systems. 

She is regularly featured in top media outlets including NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, CNN, Discover, Bravo, The Success Network, and Female Entrepreneur Magazine, to name a few.

Author of: Untamed Chaos A Parent's Guide to Improving Communication, Resolving Conflict and Restoring Peace in Your Home; REAL Reflections Inspiring Quotes for Empowered Living a Journal

Ray Schneider — Facebook

Ray Schneider is an award-winning freelance photographer whose images span numerous genres including portrait, street, and landscape, with images from over 30 countries. His recent book, What the Photographer Sees, invites us to create photographs with greater intention, and to see them with greater understanding. Ray has had a number of solo exhibits, has received a Portfolio Merit Award from Black and White Magazine, shoots community events, teaches photography workshops, and speaks to camera clubs across the country. His career as a chemical engineer and process improvement expert, and his love of travel, have taken him around the world—sometimes on his bicycle. You can see his work at www.rayschneiderphotography.com

Author of: What the Photographer Sees

Cassandra O'Sullivan Sachar — Instagram ▪️ Facebook

Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar is a writer and associate English professor in Pennsylvania. She holds a Doctorate of Education with a Literacy Specialization from the University of Delaware and an MFA in Creative Writing with a focus on horror fiction from Wilkes University. She is the author of the Regal Summit Book Award-winning dark suspense novel Darkness There but Something More (Wicked House Publishing), the short horror story collection Keeper of Corpses and Other Dark Tales (Velox Books), the middle-grade mystery The Hidden Diary (Bone Chillers), the horror novella Close the Door (Unveiling Nightmares), and the young adult mystery Lake of Secrets (Horrorsmith Publishing). She is the editor of Wicked Universe: A Wicked House Publishing Anthology (Wicked House Publishing).

Author of: Darkness There but Something More, Keeper of Corpses and Other Dark Tales, The Hidden Diary, Close the Door, Lake of Secrets, and Wicked Universe: A Wicked House Publishing Anthology

M.B. Turchick — Instagram

M.B. Turchick is a picture book author from Bucks County PA.  She is a behavioral therapist, grandmother, animal lover, and avid gardener.  Her goal is to write engaging books for young children and their adults that encourage curiosity and fun!  

Author of: Under the Hydrangea, My Butterfly Garden with Grandma, ACHOo!

Sia Dempster Willie — Facebook ▪️ Instagram

Sia Dempster Willie is a first-grade teacher and a children's picture book author. Born in Liberia, Sia now lives in the USA with her husband and three boys. She draws inspiration from the captivating art of oral and written storytelling, influenced by the wisdom and love of her grandmothers. Sia's stories exude warmth and heart, inviting young minds on adventures. When not crafting tales or teaching, she delights in cooking with her family and dancing to a variety of beats, infusing her creations with a sprinkle of cultural exploration and culinary education. With a deep-rooted desire to foster joy and wonder in children and families, Sia's stories aim to create cherished moments and strengthen the bonds that tie loved ones together.

Author of: Liberian Rice Bread

Amber L. Werner — Facebook ▪️ Instagram

Amber L. Werner loves to write about magic, monsters and mythical creatures. Her works include The Palisade Trilogy and the Blood Song Trilogy. Her book Shadows That Bind Us was a 2023 SPFBO-9 semi-finalist. She lives in Norristown, PA with her husband and two children.

Author of: Shadows That Bind Us, Muses That Align Us, Lines That Drew Us, Bloodfeather Lullaby, Bloodfeather Heartsong, and Magic and Mocktails

Nicole M. Wolverton — Instagram

Nicole M. Wolverton is a fear enthusiast who grew up in the rural hinterlands of northeast Pennsylvania, wondering what lurked in the cornfields outside her bedroom window. Today, Nicole is a Pushcart-nominated writer of (mostly) speculative and horror fiction for adults and young adults. She is the author of A MISFORTUNE OF LAKE MONSTERS, a young adult speculative novel (July 2024), and THE TRAJECTORY OF DREAMS, a 2013 adult psychological thriller. She was Editor of the 2021 anthology of short fiction BODIES FULL OF BURNING, exploring horror through the lens of menopause—the first of its kind. Her short fiction, creative nonfiction, and essays have appeared in over forty anthologies, magazines, and podcasts. She lives in the Philadelphia area and still wonders what creeps in the dark. 

Author of: A Misfortune of Lake Monsters (2024), The Trajectory of Dreams (2013), Bodies Full of Burning (2021)