P.E.O. Authors

To be included on the Authors page, your book must have been published within the last year. Send the author’s name; their chapter letter(s), city, state/province/district; the title of the book; a brief, objective synopsis of the book and a photo of the cover of the book or of the author to: editor@peodsm.org  Authors are published in the order in which they are received and new authors are added in conjunction with the release of new issues of The Record. 

June Williams, AJ, Jonesboro, Arkansas,  wrote “A New Vision: Finding My Way When Life Turned Upside Down.” This is June’s story. This is her love story and her life story. This is June’s story of finding her voice and her vocation. This is June’s story of refusing to sit and stare out of a window and watch life pass her by..This is the story of a teacher and a wife and friend and a mom and an unlikely non-profit founder. This is the story of choosing community and courage in a time of isolation and fear. This is the story of being open to a new vision when all signs point the other way June co-founded a ministry to help children to have sight. All proceeds from the book go to help provide glasses to children in El Salvador.

Judy Creighton, VQ, Murphys, California, wrote “Cheese Loves Wine: A Pairing Guide for Easy & Elegant Appetizers.” Teaching about cheese and wine has been Judy’s pleasure and passion. She wants to share the experiences of enjoying wine and cheese together. She’s had amazing opportunities to taste and pair hundreds of cheeses with local and international wines at trade events. Regular cheese trips to Europe and attending tastings and food shows have kept her up to date. Advising on pairings in the Lavender Ridge Vineyard Tasting Room was where she truly learned the magic of making pairings. Pairing wines and cheeses daily became second nature..she is a cheese and wine geek!

“Cheese Loves Wine” is meant to help readers on their path to serving amazing cheese plates with delicious wine and food matches for any occasion with confidence. Cheese is a beloved food that makes us happy, and wine only adds to that enjoyment.

Jayme Sandberg, N, Douglas, Wyoming, wrote children’s picture book “Total Solar Eclipse: A Stellar Friendship Story” ahead of the widely anticipated North American total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, expected to be the most viewed celestial event in our lifetime. Jayme’s inspiration came from watching the 2017 total eclipse in Nebraska with her family and being unable to find a relatable and fun book for young children like hers to help explain the phenomenon. Told from the Sun’s perspective, the fun, informational fiction book teaches kids ages 4 and up how to safely view a total solar eclipse, while also demonstrating the unexpected and incredible ways we can shine by working together. The book includes a write-in page to help eclipse viewers of all ages capture and share their special memories for decades to come.

Paula Schumacher, IK, Lawrence, Kansas, wrote “The Beginning of Magic: Marat’s Story. The novel is speculative historical fiction.

A fearless young girl changes the world during the Bronze Age when she and her master, Eluti, discover magic. From the day Marat begins to wield this newfound power, the world tries to own her. Her privileged master ruthlessly controls her, the high priestess plots to kill her, and kings use her as a weapon.

Living along the Euphrates River in 2,500 BC, Marat must navigate the difficulties of power. Her preferred status in her master’s household ignites jealousies. She is haunted by the lives she’s been forced to take. Her actions against the king, the temple, and the gods ensure their retribution.

Will Marat survive to find what magic truly is?

Meredith Lindsey, AJ, Bridgeport, Illinois, wrote “Letters in the Attic.”After a tragic accident, Cami and her mother move to Green Peaks, Wyoming for a fresh start. This quiet town may seem like a blip on the map, but the surrounding trees hide a history even darker than the forest’s depths. A community of people live in the heart of the Cursed Woods, secluded from the rest of society.

Cami’s plans for a quiet senior year go out the door when she begins to receive love letters from a secret admirer. The mysterious “Z” reveals a truth about the forest and its hidden inhabitants, forcing Cami to accept that witches–and magic–are real.

When women start disappearing all around town, Cami must face the possibility that her future is just as dark as her past. Are the witches performing human sacrifices? And if so, is she falling in love with a serial killer?

Kim Waguespack, HG, Washington, Illinois, wrote “In Ways Unexpected: How God Speaks.” Maureen Myers Hotkevich, HG, Washington, Illinois, edited the book. Kim Waguespack wondered why she wasn’t hearing from God the way others were. She began looking for and listening to God more and realized He was speaking to her in ways she had not expected. She shares her stories and asks probing questions to help her readers identify the unexpected ways God is speaking to them too. Kim also provides readers with ten ways they can begin to hear God more.

Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, BU, Bozeman, Montana, wrote “Raising Your Spirited Baby.”

Does your baby bursts into tears when another baby in the same situation sleeps soundly?

Do the strategies your friends swear by not work with your baby?

Do the upsets and shrieking come out of seemingly nowhere and take forever to subside?

Moms and dads who answer “yes,” are the parents of a spirited infant. Spirited infants are the outliers—the exceptions to the “rules.” They are genetically wired to be alert and intense. Raising them takes special skills and patient perseverance.

In this groundbreaking new book, beloved parenting expert Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, Ed.D., offers her findings in the fields of neuroscience, sleep, temperament, self-regulation, attachment, and parent-child interactions, and shares what she has learned from hands-on experiences with families to bring this much-needed perspective to the parenting of babies under eighteen months of age, including:

• A plan for success with the 5-step Spirited Baby™ Methodology 
• How to master the “NUDGE” approach to help your baby thrive
• Parental Permissions – practical advice for parents to help them make sure their needs are met
• Resources to ensure the whole family unit finds balance and happiness 

Raising Your Spirited Baby is a shame-free, guilt-free how-to handbook that will be embraced by parents—and everyone who supports them—as a simple, trusted companion.

Joan Miller, JZ, Tokepka, Kansas, wrote “The Adventures of Jeremy Giraffe” based on a drawing by her four-year-old granddaughter Hope.