Featured Authors

Kenneth Snodgrass: Empowerment through Prose

There are very few people in the world that have had the opportunity to hold an interview with one of FBI's most-wanted people. There is only one person to interview the first female to ever make the list, the escaped fugitive Assata Shakur. That person is Trafford Publishing author and former Black Panther Kenneth Snodgrass.

Scaling the Mountain of Soul with Skipper Lee Frazier

A man of many capabilities, Skipper Lee Frazier has affirmed himself as a disc jockey, radio personality, community advocate, producer, promoter, manager, and businessman.

Resuscitating Volatile Young Minds: Florence Akumu Juma

Young minds are considerably vulnerable at the hands of authority figures and the media. Florence Akumu Juma knows this all too well, especially in reference to her native Kenya and the events that followed the disputed general election in 2007, plunging Kenya into bloodshed.

Satish C. Bhatnagar: Language by Numbers

With a mind that moves swifter than light and a Cartesian ability to deduce, interpret, and express reason, Trafford Publishing author Satish C. Bhatnagar is a diamond in the rough. Dipping his quill in ink for the first time at the age of seventy, Bhatnagar continues to compile his idiosyncratic reflections into books—six so far. He is a unique and fitting feature author for this month's Trafford Oracle.

Dwight Jeffery: Sparking Change from Within

In the words of well-known poet George Gordon Byron, "Words can light fires in the minds of men and words can wring tears from the hardest hearts." Thus is the premise of Trafford author Dwight Jeffery, affably known as "Mr. Motivator," who penned the book SUCCESS Is An Attitude as his way of encouraging readers to pursue their dreams by starting with a change from within.

Louise Dupont: Finding Sunshine after the Storm

Suicide is a sensitive topic to explore, much less talk about, from a personal level. But this is exactly what Trafford author Louise Dupont did in writing and publishing the book Hidden Treasures.

Telling the true story of Ms. Dupont's son, André, who passed away at such a young age, the book chronicles the latter's life while also offering a cathartic peace to the author as she slowly came to terms with the tragedy.

Here, the subject is broached through a short story that André wrote when he was just seven years old entitled "Lost in the Storm." What was originally a creative writing project turned out to be the spark that lit the fire in Ms. Dupont to finally decide to share her son's and her own story following the latter's passing.

Bill King: Facing the Odds and Living to Write About It

Life did not give Trafford author Bill King much, especially during his childhood. But instead of caving in and being content with merely existing rather than actually living, King defied the odds and reached heights few thought he was capable of—arguably the highest of which was his election to both the Alabama House of Representatives and the Alabama Senate back in the 1970s.

Later on, he burnished his legacy by publishing a book with Trafford entitled Hack, which is a novel that takes the well-known evolutionary phrase "survival of the fittest" and applies it to characters curiously named after several of his real-life friends back in Alabama: "Hack," "One Lung," "Woosie," "Snake" and "Poolroom."

Rodrigue Tremblay: Making a Code and a Compass

Canadian economist, humanist, and known political figure Rodrigue Tremblay has had quite the career. Apart from being awarded with the prestigious Condorcet Prize of political philosophy in 2004, the professor emeritus of Montreal University congenially stripped down the literary process to the bare bottom in leaving this piece of advice to aspiring writers and authors:

"Write the first word and never stop."

These were the profound words of a man who, in 2009, published the The Code for Global Ethics: Ten Humanist Principles, which talks about ingenious principles that are based on the code of "natural dignity and inherent worth of all human beings."

Stephen Penberthy: From Bedtime Stories to Books

As it always does, it all started with family. Every night, Trafford author Stephen Penberthy would regale his daughter, Samantha, with stories of a flying dog, the inspiration of which came from a fluffy blue and white toy dog given by a friend. Those nightly flights of fancy eventually led to the Penberthy's decision to take those stories and publish them in a children's book that he hoped, would not just captivate the imagination of children everywhere, but also instill in them beneficial morals and values.

For Penberthy, that publishing dream manifested itself in the book entitled The Adventures of Bird Dog and Friends starring the lead character Birddog, who also went by the nickname Blondie. According to the author, the first book chronicles Blondie taking steps to learn how to fly along with the help of her friends, Bumble Bee, Swallow, Opossum, Monkey, Rocky the horse and Claw the eagle. It was published in 2009 and not long after, drew rave reviews as it was honored as a finalist in the USA Best Books Awards by the USA Book News.

Bev Christensen: Deep into the Mind of a Criminal

Everyone has a story waiting to be told. All it takes is for someone to listen. Patrick Michael Mooney sure had a lot to say, and Trafford author Bev Christensen paid attention, eventually penning the former's gripping tale of crime and struggle for redemption as a police informant in her book Grab the Devil's Tail: Confessions of a Convict Turned Police Informant.

The sporadic presence of her subject proved to be a bane for Christensen, leading her at one point to consider giving up on this project. However, she relented and was finally able to publish the manuscript after working on it for 11 years.

Carolyn Bennett: A Life Found from a Life Lost

Put bluntly, paranormal investigations can be "long and tedious" and "very uneventful." But that never stopped Trafford author Carolyn Bennett from braving the humdrum in the hopes that one day, a minute yet irrefutable piece of evidence would come and shed light on a realm that has, for the most part, kept itself entirely in the dark.

In her book, Coast to Coast Paranormal Investigations: The Journey Underneath, Bennett continues her quest for veritable proof through the adventures of her lead character, Leigh Macleod, with whom she shares certain traits and circumstances with: Macleod was practically culled from the tragic life events that befell Bennett, one that started when her husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Tales From the New Frontier with Ralph Reynolds

Trafford-published author Ralph Reynolds is a Southwestern savant who engages his readers through Western adventures set mostly upon the rich cultural heritage of New Mexico. Following a short stint in the US Air Force, Reynolds quickly switched careers, which took him straight to his passion: writing. That fruitful move eventually paid dividends as it garnered him citations for both his writing and editing prowess, establishing a niche in the diverse book market with four titles under his name.

His latest work, Die Rich Here: The Lost Adams Diggings, is expected to even advance his literary legacy with his take on the fabled and mysterious events surround the Lost Adams Diggings of New Mexico in the 1800s.

Jill Criscuolo: This Jill Isn't Falling Down

Rare is the woman who can focus and succeed in one realm of the entertainment business, much less three! Such is the uniqueness of Trafford-published author Jill Criscuolo, who at a young age, has already carved out a niche in the business as a brilliant singer-songwriter and a budding actress.

Now, she can add "self-published author" to her lengthy list of accolades with the release of her inspirational illustrated children's book entitled I Want To . . .

Barry Tutor: A Candid Look into a Caregiver's Journey

According to the Alzheimer's Association, there is a person developing Alzheimer's disease every 68 seconds in the United States. However, for Trafford author and full-time caregiver Barry Tutor, the nightmare befell his family twice as his mother was diagnosed with having the disease, and his wife followed not long after with early onset Alzheimer's.

Billy Wetzel: Never Too Young to Chase Literary Dreams

You are never too young to launch a literary career. Trafford-published author Billy Wetzel proved that when, at the age of 17, he published his very first novel entitled Michael Durbin: An Olympian Tale in December of 2012.

It is an achievement worthy of praise, especially since the feat was done in the middle of his high school stint at New Egypt High School in Ocean County, New Jersey. For the young Durbin, the book was a culmination of his efforts to come up with an innovative and entertaining story, a skill he developed at a very young age, says his supportive mother, Michelle.

Diane R. Light: Taking People Out of the Dark with Self-Empowered Change

Tired of the passiveness that has enveloped people she had counseled in her thirty years as a licensed psychotherapist, educator, and life coach, Diane Light decided to take that collective frustration and provide people with a revolutionary and life-changing blueprint to life called Personality Integration Theory and Therapy. Light expounds on this subject in her self-help debut book titled This Way Out: The Power to Change which garnered acclaim as one of Kirkus Reviews Best Indie Books of 2012.

According to the former host of the radio program, Life Coaching Live, Light was keen on helping people find a way out from their doldrums by creating a concept that introduces a clear program for self-discovery and growth.

Margaret Sutherland – A New Zealand-Born Writer Thriving Down Under

"Funny, that. I don't know whether I belong with New Zealand authors or Australian authors but it doesn't matter," Sutherland declares. "I don't mind much about categories. As far as I'm concerned I'm a citizen of both countries and my ties to my NZ and my Australian families are equal."

On her journey towards becoming the writer she is now, Sutherland reveals, "Books and writing are among my favourite interests. How did I begin and why do I keep coming back to writing, sometimes after silent years when I've been busy doing totally different things? I find the call to write is quite mysterious. Apart from childish efforts, I didn't pick up a pen in this way until I was into my late twenties. Becoming an author was as far from my reality as becoming an astronaut.

Betsy Schwarm – Classical Music Aficianado & Author

If you enjoy great music but want to know more about how it came to be the way it is—without investing time in a graduate degree—then Betsy Schwarm's Classical Music Insights will be a great addition to your library.

Schwarm has more than twenty years experience in the field of classical music as a classical radio announcer, a preperformance speaker, an author of classical concert program notes, and college music professor. In her book, she tells the background stories of over 200 great classical compositions.

Lee Yagel: WWII, Korea and Vietnam Veteran, Real Estate Broker, and Author

Lee Yagel, Trafford published author of the Cold War period novel The Foreign Pawn, spent twenty-four years in The Army Air Corps, AAF and USAF. He served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. During his career, he was in the South Pacific, the Philippines, Guam, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, South America and Europe.

Tom Paris – Rancher, Educator, and Children's Author

Tom Paris, Trafford-published author of Tom and Pearl's Udder Stand, began his career by writing children's environmental television shows. He has also worked at The Living Desert Zoo teaching kids about endangered species.

Pamela Purcell: Educator and Author

Pamela Purcell, Trafford Publishing author of A Pet is Fun, has had a long career in early childhood education at her own Montessori preschool in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. She holds an advanced diploma in Montessori Education, a diploma in Professional Journalism, and a diploma in Social Studies.

Melvin T. Luster Jr.: From Drug Dealer and Hustler to Legitimate Businessman to Author

Melvin T. Luster Jr.: From Drug Dealer and Hustler to Legitimate Businessman to Author Have you ever met someone who, despite extreme disadvantages, succeeded anyway? Meet Milton Luster, raised in a single parent home in a housing project in Knoxville, TN and constantly in trouble at school, he eventually moves to Fairbanks, AK where he starts a very lucrative business as a drug dealer.

Logan Mifflin: Author, Illustrator, and Car-Driving Zebra

Logan Mifflin wrote and illustrated Tobey the Zebra to introduce us to the first character from the Penny Park Zoo. Tobey was created out of his daughter's imagination. Read on for more about Tobey and the adventures his friends at the Penny Park Zoo will take us on.

Can G.V. Chillingsworth's Satellite Crew Save the Earth from a Lunar Collision and Alien Invasion?

Australian author G. V. Chillingsworth has created a disastrous scenario on an inter-planetary scale with his debut novel Moonshaker.

Pamela Clark on Writing about the Past and the Importance of Dreams

Trafford speaks to author Pamela Clark, who traces the path that has lead her to writing …but they call me Sonny.

Shelby Yastrow

Undue Influence was a bestseller in the '90s, and after its recent republication with Trafford it was awarded five stars by Clarion reviews. Trafford talked to author Shelby Yastrow to learn more about his republished work.

Miguel Batista

In the Dominican Republic Miguel Batista is known as el poeta—the poet, but in the United States, he is better known as a professional baseball pitcher currently signed to the Mets. His novel is published by Trafford, who caught up with el poeta to ask him about his poetry.

Steve Swatt

For over two decades, Steve Swatt was a political reporter for KCRA, Sacramento's NBC affiliate, and he contributed to NBC Nightly News, the Today Show, and other public affair programs. He's been recognized for his work and won several awards, including the Northern California Emmy Award. Trafford interviews Steve to find out more about his career, how it influenced his fiction writing and what tactics he has employed to boost his book's exposure.

Kelli Landon

Kelli's first novel Sudden Moves was published by Trafford. Sudden Moves is about a sixteen year old girl who searches for a classmate. The girl left for Spring Break and never returned," says Kelli, who has always harbored dreams of becoming a published author. "Readers can expect an edge-of-your-seat thriller. A real page turner and a surprise ending."