Meet Our Authors

Dawn D’Amico, author of “Trauma and Well-Being Among Legal Professionals” and the accompanying workbook.
Dawn D’Amico is a psychotherapist, author, and educator who specializes in trauma. She provides keynote speaking appearances, seminars, continuing education credits, and private psychotherapy internationally.

Mack Borgen, author of “The Writings of a Lifetime,” “The Relevance of Reason,” and “Dead Serious and Lighthearted”
Mack W. Borgen is a graduate of Harvard Law School and a national award-winning author. He is a native of Montana and was raised in the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest. Upon graduating from the University of California (Berkeley) with Honors in Economics, he delivered the last university-wide student commencement address before heading east to law school. Thereafter, he served four years in the U.S. Army and then lived and wrote in Europe for a brief period before returning to America where he began a long career practicing law and writing about economic, political, and social matters. He writes about a vast array of subjects relating to life in Modern America, and his writings are offered in the hope that they may, each in their own quiet way, lift the spirit of our country and lessen the discord of our national conversation. He lives with his family in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.
See www.mackwborgen.com.

Sean Butler, author or “Sean and Scout Go On An Adventure,” “Sean Gets Lost in the Jungle” and “The Tooth Fairy Dog”
“I was born in 2004. When I was 18 months old the doctors diagnosed me with Autism and a developmental delay. They told my parents I would probably never speak. After some time, a playroom was developed where my imagination could develop and grow. In time, with lots of family support I said my first word, “dog”. I eventually got Scout.
We would go camping and Scout always came a long on our adventures. I started writing stories because I was inspired by the one’s grandma told me as a toddler. As I got older, I would remind grandma about the stories she told me.
Grandma would tell me what a great memory I had, and she encouraged me to write my own stories. I decided to write my own stories about Scout because he is my best buddy.”

Lorrie Caplan-Shern Lorrie Caplan-Shern is a force of nature that inspires and uplifts people’s lives wherever she goes. She truly loves life. Her professional life and creative passions have often crossed paths in her twenty years as an Intuitive Life Coach as she helps others find their purpose and guides them to live a full and loving life. She discovered her own deeply creative abilities at mid-life and, in addition to being an author, has become a visual artist working in abstract watercolors and acrylics. She is also songwriter and playwright.
Currently Lorrie is co-writing pop songs and a song called Yesterdays News, co-written with Lee Johnson, placed in the top three songs at the 2012 Durango Songwriter Expo. You can hear this song and others by Lorrie at www.soundcloud.com.
While writing Giving Birth To My Parents (www.givingbirthtomyparents.com), Lorrie realized that she was incredibly lucky to have the childhood and upbringing she experienced. Her next book to be published by Summerland Publishing is entitled How to Have A Sacred Marriage & Eleven Boyfriends. It’s about celebrating marriage through honesty, integrity and humor.
Lorrie Caplan-Shern has been married to her partner, Food Stylist Stephen Shern, for 30 years. All of what she does is dedicated to her beloved husband. For more information visit www.lorriecaplan.com.

Debbie Caterson, author of “Gluten-Free Meals – Mix and Match” Volumes I and II and “Inspiration Mixes Cookbook”
“I come from a long line of bakers. My Great Grandfather was an apprentice baker in Germany before migrating to the United States. His recipes have been handed down for generations for all of us to enjoy. Especially his bread recipes and the delicious cinnamon rolls.
We grew up poor but rich in spirit and like many were survivors. My first home was a box car on the side of the railroad tracks. It had an outhouse and one bedroom, a small kitchen and living room. My Dad worked for the railroad at the time and was offered this place to live for free. My Dad promised my mom that they could save a lot of money to buy a home later, which they did.
My Mother was very creative and fixed it up. She took fruit grates and made cupboards out of them. She sewed curtains to cover up the fronts not to expose dishes and food supplies. My parents moved in the box car when my oldest brother was turning one. I came 2 ½ years later. We moved into a home when my mom was expecting my sister Cathy.
Everyone baked back then. Not to mention canning. Our home was always full of great smells from baked goods, fresh strawberry jam and my favorite homemade bread smothered with real butter we made. We had our milk delivered in glass jars with the heavy cream floating to the top, which of course we made the butter from, or for ice cream or whip cream.
I do have to say the canning wasn’t always a pleasant smell, but the outcomes were amazing. Mom made the best dill pickles ever. We would sit down and eat a quart for a snack fighting over how much of the pickle juice we each got when all the pickles were gone. After my mother died, I searched for her recipe to no avail. Years later I found it handwritten in an envelope of recipes I had not gone through.
I had stomach issues growing up. I didn’t like milk or whip cream but loved my mom’s homemade ice cream made with real cream and didn’t affect my stomach. My Mother told me I had her father’s stomach. My Grandfather suffered a lot with stomach issues and seemed to think beer was helping. My Grandmother did not drink so it was always a bone of contention between them. He also drank a lot of baking soda and water to help things along. He died in his 80s from colon cancer. I wonder now if he was Celiac.
When my grandmother died at almost 98 years old, we all remembered her amazing cinnamon rolls. In fact, my son at age 4 named her “The Cinnamon Roll Grandma.” And that was what both our children called her from that moment on. It was a recipe from her father, my Great Grandfather from Germany.
I have to say I was never that good of a cook or baker. My siblings made fun of the many things I attempted to make. Like my mother, my sister could make anything. She was fondly referred to as a cupboard cook. I needed a recipe, which in the end didn’t always help. I never gave up and managed to make both my grandmothers and my Mothers German cinnamon rolls with great success. It took a whole day to make them.
When my grandson Sean was born, he had a lot of ear infections, and dermatitis which his doctor told his parents they were bathing him too much? He was healthy in every other way, but when he was around 15 months old his development started to slow down, and eventually stopped looking at us, stopped speaking, and was diagnosed with Autism at 18 months.
None of the doctors we saw seemed to have a clue on what to do, and even suggested with his increased behavioral issues to consider an institution. He began banging his head against the wall, had terrible melt downs sometimes lasting 45 minutes. Then someone told us about an autistic specialist that could help. My daughter called him but he wouldn’t see Sean until he was off gluten and casein for 3 months. Two words we had never heard of. We received a lot of help from this doctor educating us on what he could eat. With the diet change and within a very short period of time, his behavior issues just disappeared along with his ear infections and dermatitis.
Sean struggled with eating the prepared gluten free breads from the market (they were pretty dry and tasteless), everything seemed to have an after taste. I bought cookbooks and tried making things from scratch with the same outcome. My sister suggested we make some jiffy mixes, use our family recipes substituting gluten free flours for the wheat. This took some time, but we found that our baking turned out great. Family and friends said we should sell them, which later became our business Inspiration Mixes (est. 2009), inspired by my grandson Sean.
Sean’s journey with diet and how that affected his autism is how I discovered my own gluten and casein intolerance. My stomach issues like my grandfather were simply due to diet.
Sean is now a teenager and writes children’s books. “Sean Get Lost in the Jungle” and “Sean and Scout go on an Adventure”, sold on amazon. He has an amazing imagination and continues to write children’s story.
I created the cookbook to share with others knowing how hard it is to made great gluten free food. This cookbook is dedicated to my mother, Jo Ann, who was an amazing cook and baked the most amazing pastries. From cinnamon rolls to decorative pastries, to 7 course gourmet meals, she was a master and an artisan! We all looked forward to the holidays and finding a place at her table to share grace and her wonderful creations.
This has been a labor of love for me. Creating great tasting food like my mother did.
Proceeds from the cookbook are donated to the Option Institute, The Son Rise Program for scholarships like my daughter received for an amazing in-home program for autistic children that really helped Sean.
Bon appétit!”

Gary Delanoeye certainly met a lot of delinquent kids during his years as a teacher at a youth correctional facility! Journals from those days became the source of his two fictional novels, Checking in at the Crowbar Hotel and Letters from the Outs. But then Gary noticed that his other journals were full of characters, drama and humor too. And so he has prepared his first anthology of 12 very different short stories, Clean Shorts. Gary, Jill and a cat with several names live near Santa Barbara, California and thus, some stories have local origins. For example, “Back to See” is a story of whales and birds in the Santa Barbara Channel and Gary’s work as a volunteer naturalist.
There are more stories yet to come too! With plenty of journal material still left to explore, Gary continues to have fun with the words that capture his experiences and reflections.
C. A. Dumont lives in rural Oklahoma on a horse ranch with family, cats, dogs, chickens and various other animals including horses of course. C. A. enjoys nature, gardening, reading, and art along with being active in service to the less fortunate.

Patsy Garlan has published poetry, personal essays, syllabuses for drama students, and, with co-author Maryjane Dunstan, two college texts about the future (Prentice Hall), and two children’s books set in Burma (The Viking Press), where she lived for a year with her then husband and their four children.

Rich Grimes has authored seven published works including Classroom Under Construction, Angel in my Backpack, Old – Stories of Aging and Reflections on Caregiving, Cat Speak, and two children’s books, Animal Friends and Heather and Buddy Go to School. Rich’s writing reflects his interest in diverse topics, both fiction and nonfiction, based on his educational and professional background, affinity for the imagination and wonder of children, respect for aging, interest in the history global conflicts, and his own creative instincts.
Two more children’s books are in the works to complete the Heather and Buddy trilogy. Heather and Buddy Go to the Zoo is next – due for publication later this year. High school coach, principal mentor, writing workshop presenter, hospice volunteer, and storyteller, Rich is blessed with two beautiful, grown daughters and four adorable grandchildren. He lives in Ventura, California.

Yetta Harris, author of “Rocky the Rooster,” “Adventures of Daisy the Kitten,” “The Adventures of Peppy the Puppy,” and “Breakfast with the Twins”
Yetta Harris writes creative stories for young children, filled with colorful illustrations that will delight their imagination.

Jennifer Hill is a professional health care executive focusing on improving the quality of life for all. While advocating for others for over two decades in the health care arena, Jennifer’s passion is to spread the word of the gospel. Jennifer is an outgoing evangelist who provides spiritual sermons to several nursing facilities all across Colorado is described as ” the epitome of a true humanitarian.”
Jennifer’s philosophy:
With God all things are possible. Jennifer donates 6% of her book proceeds to:
Gateway Battered Women’s Shelter
P.O. Box 914
Aurora, CO 80040
Jennifer’s words are so amazing! She is the most energetic and spiritual woman I know. ~Lilli Garcia, LPN. Colorado
Jennifer is prolific and insightful in this breath of fresh air read. Jennifer offers a unique and down to earth perspective on handling life’s curve balls! ~Felisa Jack, Social Work Assistant Colorado
To know Jennifer is to love her. She is not only a great friend but an awesome spiritual sister. ~Kathy Davis, HostHome Provider

Tammera J. Karr, Ph.D., BCHN, CGP, CNW, – is an author, educator, researcher, and clinician. Passionate about how America’s health can be restored through the most economical and safe tool available to everyone – Food: Tammera authored Our Journey With Food, in 2015 and the second edition in 2018.
A Native of Oregon, Tammera enjoys Oregon wild areas and time spent outdoors. She is a lover of history, sharing lost knowledge, cooking, food preserving, and exploring in her free time. She currently resides in Southern Oregon with Husband Michael, Australian Shepard Sadie, and cat Molly.

Sharon Mendes
When Sharon was in the second grade her teacher read “Brighty of the Grand Canyon,” by Marguerite Henry. That became her favorite book, and the inspiration to start writing stories about her favorite subject, horses.In 1974 Sharon graduated from nursing school, and was finally able to buy her first horse, a dappled gray Quarter horse named Pippin. In addition to working as an RN for almost thirty years, she has owned and trained many horses. She is a co-founder of a 4H riding club named the Bourne Equestrians, and has taught children in the community to ride. She became a certified riding instructor and spent ten years as a competitive barrel racer.
Sharon has kept a daily journal for years. She has recorded the adventures she and her husband John and daughter Jessica have had with the ponies and horses on their small farm in Pocasset, Massachusetts. They all share a fascination with how the different animals interact with each other. Her first book,” Bravo and Glee of Cape Cod”, is based on her black Thoroughbred race horse, and white Shetland pony. Her Laura Lee Farm book collection also includes ” Who is Bella?”, the story of a new puppy that comes to the farm, and “Crossing Laura Lee Farm”, the story of a snapping turtle that must cross the paddock so she can lay her eggs in the lake close by.
Sharon has recently joined Peace for Ponies, a local organization that helps rescue abused and neglected horses. A portion of the proceeds of her newest book, “Ryan, A Horse’s Tale”, will be donated to them. For information about her charity, go to www.earthloge.org/peace for ponies, or like us on Facebook.

Jolinda Pizzirani, author of “Soul Survivor,” “Inspirations” and “Angel Words,” hopes that the messages put forth in her books may help readers better understand the purpose of this wonderful life we are given. Her lifelong study of spiritual philosophy and metaphysics has been the backbone of the beliefs she shares with others in the hope of helping to make the world a better place.

Daniel J Price, author of Author of “A Physical and Spiritual Reality: An Essay Connecting Theology and the Life Sciences.”
Daniel Price is a technical and medical writer with a background in cancer biology and drug discovery. Prior to doing medical writing, he spent more than 20 years as a research investigator in the areas of cellular signaling in academic positions and high throughput screening for drug discovery in industrial positions. Daniel received his B.A. in Biology from the Johns Hopkins University in 1976. He received M.S. and PhD. degrees in Biochemistry from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1982 and 1983 respectively.

Dr. Beverley Rider, received her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from University of Western Ontario, Canada, where she studied Type 1 diabetes and Autoimmune diseases. Subsequently, she served Silicon Valley as an immunologist for over ten years. She put her health detective hat on when her daughter’s health declined and doctors had no answers.
Years of dealing with her daughter’s puzzling reactions led her to dig into the research and try integrative medicine. This led her to discover the healing powers of food and eventually train to become a Certified Nutritionist.
Bev now practices as an evidence-based functional nutritionist and health detective in San Jose, CA, educating and helping people with histamine excess.
When she’s not helping people through her Histamine Bootcamp program, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and pup on their favorite trails.

Roger Simpson was born in a manger, actually a large and sturdy cardboard box filled with straw in an alley next to the main L.A. railroad station. He never knew his parents because he heard it whispered that the birth was divine and his parents were forced to live under cover of darkness. As you can read, Roger is a humorist, educator, and author who lives with his wife in a California town by the sea. Learn more at https://www.rogersimpsonauthor.com/

Wayne Soares is an actor, author and inspirational speaker. He is a highly acclaimed anti-bullying crusader and his message has impacted thousands of youth across the country. Wayne was featured in the comedy The Curse of Don Scarducci with Alec Baldwin and recently won a major role in the sci-fi thriller Tobacco Jack. He continues a personal mission of entertaining our troops around the Globe. His website is http://www.waynesoares.com/