Tim Dorsey (website)

Tim Dorsey was born in Indiana, and grew up in a small town about an hour north of Miami called Riviera Beach. He graduated from Auburn University and was a police and courts reporter for The Alabama Journal, the now-defunct evening newspaper in Montgomery. He joined The Tampa Tribune in 1987 as a general assignment reporter. He also worked as a political reporter in the Tribune’s Tallahassee bureau and a copy desk editor. From 1994 to 1999, he was the Tribune’s night metro editor. He left the paper in August 1999 to write full time. He is the author of such outrageous titles as Florida Roadkill, Hammerhead Ranch, Orange Crush, Triggerfish Twist, Stingray Shuffle, Cadillac Beach, Torpedo Juice, The Big Bamboo and his brand new title Hurricane Punch. He is Florida’s new Carl Hiaason and a big library supporter. It doesn’t get any better than that. Back to Top

Fawn Germer(website)

Oprah Winfrey said, “If you want to read a very inspiring book, read Hard Won Wisdon.” By Fawn Germer. Once Oprah told the world how inspiring Fawn's book was, she became one of the nation's most sought after speakers and corporate trainers. She followed up with Mustang Sallies, which hit best-seller lists within two weeks of its release. This ground-breaking book features interviews with more than 75 trailblazers, including Hillary Clinton, Susan Sarandon, Ann Richards,and Janet Reno. The book looks at how women can find success by being themselves. This acclaimed investigative reporter has worked as a Florida correspondent for both The Washington Post and U.S. News and World Report. Her reporting career earned her numerous state and national awards including four Pulitzer Prize nominations. She has worked as a staff writer for The Miami Herald and Denver's Rocky Mountain News and was an editor for The Tampa Tribune. Fawn states she loves libraries, and we are delighted she is with us today. Back to Top

Kathy Carmichael (website)

Florida author Kathy Carmichael lives with her husband, sons, pets, and a growing dust bunny collection. She is the author of Chasing Charlie, about an in-a-rut librarian; Here Comes Trouble, and My Lady Mischief. In addition to judging local, regional and national writing contests, she's a multi-year contest judge for a well-respected national writing magazine. She also hosts Book Prose to assist authors and writers to improve their productivity and quality of writing as they pursue a career in publishing. She is a frequent contributor to the Clearwater Public Library System’s annual writing workshops, and will be on board for the Clearwater Library’s Writer’s In Residence Day on March 2.Back to Top

Jeff Klinkenberg (website)

Jeff is a roving reporter for the St. Petersburg Times who writes about Florida culture in his column, Read Florida. His latest book, Seasons of Real Florida, is a collection of his favorite columns. He is the author of Dispatches for the Land of Flowers, Blind Dog in a Smokehouse, and Real Florida: Key Lime Pies, Worm Fiddlers, a Man Called Frog and other Endangered Species. Jeff keeps reminding his readers of what the real Florida is all about. We are happy to have him here with us today. Back to Top

Kim Llewellyn (website)

Kim got started in writing as a child when her mother threw a bunch of crayons at her one day, and the rest is history. After following a career path as a professional wrestler and petite model, she settled quickly into her forte of writing comedy with Soft Shoulders, Pretty Please, Tender Harvest, Tulle Little, Tulle late, and her latest The Quest for the Holy Veil. She has also written numerous magazine articles, short stories, and given professional workshops to aspiring writers. An enthusiastic contributor to many library workshops, the Clearwater Public Library System is delighted to have her participate in their upcoming Writers In Residence Day on March 2. Oh, and she has had her picture taken with author Margaret Atwood, Austin Powers, and a flying Elvis. Back to Top

Barbara Sorey

Barbara’s new book covers the early years of her parents settling and beginning their lives and her young life as a child growing up in segregated Clearwater, Florida. Know Where You Going? is the story of the African American family experience as told and seen through a child's eyes from the early nineteen 20's through the nineteen 60's. It shows the never-ending love and encouragement of a family during the years when being 'colored" was a classification of one's skin color and a determination whether access was granted to the simplest of accommodations. This is Barbara’s first book and she is already making quite an impact on our local community with her story. Back to Top

Lary Crews

Lary is the son of a local resident and the author of three mystery novels, Kill Cue, Extreme Close-up and Option to Die. He has also written two non-fiction books, Novel Secrets and The Baby Boom Writer. Lary is a generalist magazine writer writing for the Tampa Bay Magazine, Florida Business, and Writer’s Digest to name a few. He specialties are theatre, movie industry and business profiles. Back to Top

Patrick Foley (website)

Pat is our only artist . He is new to the area, but has already exhibited his works locally including the galleries at the Main Library. He specializes in Stock, Fine Art, and Commercial photography. His subjects range from a Dubai bridge, to an Arizona ghost town, to the stark formations of the Appalachian mountains. He has brought several of his works to share with us today and I know you won’t want to miss browsing thorough his collection. Back to Top