TOMS RIVER – The Toms River Book Show will take place from 6-9 p.m. on June 5 in the Toms River Artist Community gallery located at 40 Main Street (Route 9) in the downtown area.
It’s the perfect opportunity to meet and support two dozen New Jersey authors.
The show takes place during one of the very well attended Downtown Night Out events. A section of Washington Street from Main Street to Hooper Avenue is closed to vehicles. People eat outside, enjoying live music and ambiance. Hundreds of people come from miles around. There will be three performances:
6:15 p.m.: Original songs and covers by Benjamin Lundy on bass.
6:45 p.m.: Readings and original music by Anthony Kisko (Gandalf Lebowski).
7:30 p.m.: Gregory Andrus, creator of “Portraits Of The Jersey Shore” will speak about his journey.
(Photo courtesy Gregory Andrus)
The book show is a fundraiser for the Toms River Education Foundation which helps provide extracurricular activities to enrich local children. A full list of authors is at TomsRiverBookShow.wordpress.com, including:
Gregory Andrus: Author, speaker, photographer, and founder of Portraits of the Jersey Shore. He’ll be speaking at 7:30 p.m. at the gallery as well as signing copies of his books, “Portraits of the Jersey Shore,” “A Walk Along The Jersey Shore,” and “Sand, Sea, and Rescue.”
J.R. Bale is a science fiction author whose works include “Cognition Chronicles: The Redstone Legacy.” Can a soul be duplicated? Can one man’s madness save civilization? Can an artificial intelligence have a heart? These are the questions the author attempts to answer.
Michele Baumann: Haunted by the vengeful spirit of her dead mother, a young witch is forced to turn to dangerous and unexpected allies to survive in “The Witch Hunter’s Daughter.”
Jennifer Beilis: “Hear I Am” & “Making Positive Changes” are about self help, mental health, education and disability accommodations/advocacy.
Christopher Michael Blake: “I write horror, mystery, sci-fi thriller and a coming-of-age series about witches – Midnight Macabre, Trespass Against Us, The Cape May Murders, The Four Marks, Pyramid of the Parasite, Prey for Dawn, and the Witches Of Summer’s End series.”
Erin Bowker: “The Pleasant Pineapple” is a warm, engaging picture book that helps young children explore emotions in a gentle, relatable way.
Karen Cino: Many books including “Seaside Beer Festival:” Vicki runs a beach shop on wheels and likes life uncomplicated: sun, sandals, and selling beach towels. When a finalist in Seaside’s beer festival turns up dead, Vicki and her retired police photographer friend Angie Knowles are the ones who find her.
Marian Colton: “To The Glory Of His Name!”: A collection of poetry, reflections, and ruminations from her time working as a paraprofessional in the Special Education Department of Brick Schools to her life in retirement living in a 55+ community.
Lauren Covaci: “Bulletproof Heart” is 17-year-old Lena Novick’s journal entries from the fall of 1989, written while she lives with her grandmother in a small beach town in NJ. It’s the year everything changes: her friend group dissolves, her parents get divorced, she meets Ant, the Ukrainian boy across the street, and she discovers the truth about her family.
Robert DeSando: “A Titanic Loss For New Jersey” explores, for the first time, how the tragic loss of the world’s grandest ocean liner in 1912 impacted dozens of passengers and crew with connections to New Jersey.
William Elias: “As a child, my imagination ran wild with stories that played out like vivid films in my mind. Late at night, I’d turn those visions into tales, building worlds meant to leap off the page and into the hearts of readers. Step with me into the patchwork of my life—as a husband, father, pastor, and retired policeman—and discover how these roles have shaped both the man and the writer I am today.”
Luke Giordano: “The Dead Showrunners” – Who is killing Hollywood’s top TV writers? Chick Natale is a technical consultant for cop dramas, but he’s not quite the former cop he’s told the studios he is. But when the case falls in his lap, who else could solve a murder in the city where no one tells the truth but the biggest liar in town?
Awgwyn Havardr: “SPOREFALL” is an award-winning, horror sci-fi novella focused on Mya, a girl losing her identity, a disease that wants to control both her body and mind, and spores falling from the sky like snow that seek to claim all of humanity.
Patrick Johns: In “The Hoarding,” an evil sorceress hoards sorcery to gain power for world domination. Her vile devastation turns kingdoms into a Junkland.
Karen Kamenetsky: “Stage Frightened To Death”: Singer-songwriter Sam Cook expects to perform with her trio at the Oak Hill Folk Festival, but discovers her friend’s body and wants to find her killer. She eventually finds the clue that solves Kat’s murder, but the killer is one step behind.
Anthony Kishko: He will be performing and reading from his book, “American Fool’s Day.” Duke The Suit is mysteriously warped into a 1939 film noire just as a new and advanced technology grips power through propaganda. He teams up with the likes of Hedy Lamarr and Louis Armstrong.
William Lewis: Our newest release is titled “My Daily Piney: Heartfelt Stories Rooted in the Pine Barrens.” But we will have our other 4 bestselling books about local history as well.
Olivia Martel: “How To Fly” is a coming-of-age story and a love letter to late bloomers. At the heart of the narrative is the question, Who are you when you are not being “good?”
Dawn McDonnell: “I Love You Like FOOD” is a book that showcases a unique and original artwork inspired by the love of the people in our lives. Love is a feast, a banquet of flavors, textures, and shared moments. It’s not just about food; it’s about nourishing your soul.
Paul Mila: He has incorporated the ocean and diving as the core of his writing, which includes six mystery/thriller novels, three children’s books, and a nonfiction book about ocean encounters. Vibrant underwater photography illustrates the stories.
Fish Nealman: “Born Posthumous” is a haunting view of identity, legacy, and time. The story follows the life of Manny Old, a legendary musician, and how his life continues even after his death.
Pamela Martoranda: “Turning Pain Into Her Power” is an anthology comprised of 22 inspiring stories, life lessons and strength strategies to help you rise and roar. These stories don’t just inspire; they equip you with the tools to stand taller, stronger, and more unshakable.
Donna Parsons: “The Excel Level 1: SkillzSet Instruction Manual is a spiral bound beginner-friendly guide designed to help students, adult learners, instructors and new professionals confidently build foundational Excel skills.
Susan Pitch: “Holly and Maple” is a children’s book geared toward grades 2-4. This book follows the unlikely friendship between a holly leaf with an attitude and a maple leaf who is sweet. Its emphasis is on love, friendship, jealousy, loss, and second chances infused with science.
D.T. Scarola: “Jesus Take My Wheels” is the compelling fictional story of an athlete’s journey from devastating injury to wheelchair basketball stardom. Combining raw vulnerability with spiritual grit, the book explores the power of faith and perseverance in redefining “ability” and finding a triumphant new purpose on and off the court.
Doug Snelson: “Who’s Got The Face” is for early and beginner readers. “The Fable of the Snake Named Slim” teaches persistence, perseverance, and creative problem solving. “Everybody Deserves A Hug” is about love, kindness and understanding. “Pickleball Poetry” contains fun and whimsical verses for pickleball players of all ages to think about.
Iolanda S.: “The Wolfe and the Sparrow”: WWII shatters the world of prima ballerina Julienne Auclair. When a defiant performance lands her in a prison camp, Julienne is drawn into dangerous proximity with the camp’s Commandant. Julienne faces a moral dilemma: Is it safer to stay silent, or will she risk everything to save others? – 18+ Readers for dark themes and content.
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