Local authors shared their inspiration for writing and sold their books at a recent writers’ forum in the Mars Hill Coffee Shop.
Ramona Trevino, who authored the book, The Struggle to be Good Enough, under the pen name, I.M. Dauntless, organized the Nov. 4 event.
“I had a desire to highlight our local authors, and I found a passion to encourage others to write, to understand how powerful writing can be in their lives,” said Trevino, whose book was published by Tate Publishing.
“If you want to write, then you must do it,” was the ongoing theme from each of the nine authors who spoke to an audience of writers and those who wish to write, and for those who have written, but have not yet had their work published.
Poet Leta Pereira said she had not written anything prior to the recent book of poetry, The Message Maker, published by Redemption Press. It is for sale in the Gilroy at Barnes and Noble store.
“My poetry was the biggest lesson in my life,” she said. “I woke up from a sound sleep with someone calling me out on Jan. 3, 1999. ‘Come follow me, my child’ was the voice she heard, and from then on her life changed.
The words Pereira wrote in poetry just came to her out of the blue, she said as she read from her book, the poem, “The Potter’s Tears.”
Debra Gutierrez is the founder of the Lyme Disease Awareness Foundation, and her book, Schizophrenia or Lyme: A Memoir of My Journey, will be released soon. Gutierrez spoke about her daughter’s misdiagnosis and journey to get well after finally finding the doctor who gave the correct diagnosis of Lyme disease. Gutierrez handed out pamphlets regarding the foundation and the website: www.lymediseaseawarenessfoundation.org.
Louie Garcia’s book, Joy For 2 Day, was inspired by a paralyzing experience involving two sons, and hearing words from a pastor.
“I got the idea to send out scripture messages by email. And after awhile, I added commentary to the scriptures” he said. “People started reading them and now there are over 5,000 people reading the messages.”
Garcia read a portion from his book called, “Jesus never grows tired of desperate cries for help.”
Matt Raymond, a San Benito High School English teacher, and a fiction and poetry writer, read from his chapter book, The Muddy Season. The book, published by Black Lawrence Press, was inspired by his journeys through Central America.
“The story is from the lives of a repressive government agent, who indoctrinated native people in a small village,” Raymond said. “It is a dystopian story.”
Lisa Cook said she received inspiration for her book, Devotional — 30 Days of Strength for a Woman’s Heart — from her work connecting women through Bible study.
It was a growing ministry, she said, and put it all in a book. She didn’t know how to publish it and felt she didn’t have good punctuation and grammar skills, but that didn’t stop her.
“That’s how you accomplish things — just put one foot in from of the other,” Cook said.
After she learned how to put her book into Kindle, it opened up other opportunities to reach more people. It was on the bestseller list for a few days. She can be heard on 880 AM radio KKMC and 97.3 FM.
Jim Ostdick, a retired San Benito High School teacher, told the audience that his writing inspiration came early in life, by writing letters to his brother who went away to college.
Then, he became interested in the music of Bob Dylan and The Beatles, and he kept journals at the same time. Keeping journals throughout life gave him the inspiration to become a writer.
He mentioned the two experiences he had, called “trail magic,” a phenomenon that happens just when you need help at that very moment, while on a trail.
Those incidences and other experiences are published in his two books, and another book is soon to be published, as well.
One of the books he had to show and sell was, Palomino and the Dream Machine – a Retired Dude’s Bicycle Tour Around the Lower 48 States.
His latest journey will also become a book. The soon-to-be-published book documents his recently-completed walk from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, where he discovered, “this is an incredible country, and that people are good.” He promotes Reach Across America Foundation, encouraging people to get outdoors and on a trail.
Elayne Silva-Reyna, a former medic for the U.S. Air Force, wrote and illustrated, All Life is Sacred – World Dreamer. She also wrote her philosophy and indigenous spirituality in the book by Susan Averett, called, The Ways of Spirit.
Silva-Reyna’s spirituality began when she learned how to forgive. “Let it go and walk in the woods,” she said.
The author credits her learning to reading the works of Elizabeth Kubler Ross, who wrote the book, Death and Dying.
San Benito High School counselor Tim Pipes wrote Bay of Deception, which he decided to pen with the encouragement of his wife, and also from reading something that clearly made him realize he could write better than what he read.
Pipes said that he gets an image and a rough idea how a story it will end.
“It took two years to write this book,” he said. A friend kept asking him to send the manuscript to him but he didn’t do it.
However, after a total of six requests, Pipes finally sent it to his friend, who praised the work and suggested a thorough editing. Pipes took the advice and finished the book, which is now available on Kindle.
Pipes’ idea for the detective story came from visiting the shoreline near Pacific Grove, he said.
Aside from authors showing their work, artist Eduardo Luis Pastora showcased his vivid paintings available for the enjoyment of everyone in the coffee house. His work was recently featured at the Bryson Tiller Tribute in San Francisco — a monthly celebration of art featuring local artists. Pastora said he also enjoys volunteering with the Change a Heart Foundation that builds houses in Tijuana, Mexico.