Cover To Cover

Sally McQuillen, LCSW, CADC, is a psychotherapist in private practice specializing in addiction recovery, grief and trauma healing. An avid reader with a double major in writing and dance criticism in college, she began working in public relations and marketing prior to obtaining her master’s degree in social work. Reaching for Beautiful is Sally’s first book. She and her husband live on the north shore of Chicago where they raised their three children.

A luminous story of how love triumphs over pain, love transcends fear and love never dies; this debut memoir from a mother grieving her young-adult son’s death is a must-read for any parent who has lost a child, is raising a child from the edge of their seat, or whose family struggles with addiction. 

Grab a copy of Reaching for Beautiful- https://a.co/d/hnOuB2V

Tony Stewart has made award-winning films for colleges and universities, written computer software that received rave reviews, designed a grants-management application that was used by three of the five largest charities in the world, and led the development of an international standard for the messages involved in buying and selling advertisements.

Tony and his late wife Lynn Kotula, a painter, traveled extensively in India and Southeast Asia, staying in small hotels off the beaten track and eating delicious food with their fingers when cutlery wasn’t available. Carrying the Tiger is his first book.

Grab a copy of Carrying the Tiger- https://a.co/d/ilP0lUY

Dr. Thompson’s leadership and clinical skills were honed during his tenure as the chief resident of Internal Medicine at the University of Illinois Hospital.

He graduated from Washington UniversitySchool of Medicine and completed his residency training at the University of Illinois Hospitals and Clinics. His expertise is recognized by the American Board of Internal Medicine, where he is board-certified.

Dr. Thompson underwent allergy and immunology training at Washington University and is certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. He is also a fellow of the American College of Allergy and Asthma.

Dr. Thompson is a holistic nutrition health coach certified by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Dr. Thompson worked in the practice of allergy, asthma, and immunology in Chicago and the greater Chicago area for 34 years. He retired from his allergy practice in August of last year. He is the medical director for Healthy Living with A Vision, A 501c3 organization that provides health information and services to poor and marginalized communities.

Grab a copy of Fearless Wellness: Transform Your Life One Step at a Time- https://a.co/d/3Weh6H9

SAMUEL JAY KEYSER is a theoretical linguist. He is Peter de Florez Emeritus Professor, an emeritus member of the Linguistics and Philosophy faculty, and former Associate Provost at MIT. He has authored numerous books and scientific publications and is Editor-in-chief of the journal Linguistic Inquiry. He is also a jazz trombone player. He lives in the Boston area. 

Grab a copy of his book- https://a.co/d/6nRPJ94

Born to a poor Jewish family in Cold War Budapest, Polgar would emerge as the one of the greatest female chess players the world has ever seen. While still a teenager, she became the first woman to qualify for the men’s World Chess Championship cycle. She went on to become the highest rated female chess player on the planet and, at age 21, the first woman to earn the men’s Grandmaster title—chess’ highest designation. But to get there, she had to endure sexism, anti-Semitism, state-sponsored intimidation, and even violent assault. Throw in sabotage, betrayal, and powerful enemies, and you have a sense of what she went through while breaking chess’ glass ceiling. 

Polgar eventually left Hungary and started a new life as an American citizen. After retiring as a player, she became the only female Division 1 college coach in the country and built two separate college chess dynasties from scratch—at Texas Tech in Lubbock (where she now resides) and Webster University in St. Louis—leading them to more national titles, world championships, major titles, and Olympiad medals, especially gold, than all other college chess teams in the United States combined!

Grab a copy here- https://a.co/d/f4zEUbt

SAMUEL ASHWORTH is a professor of creative writing at George Washington University and a former columnist at The Rumpus. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in the Washington Post Magazine, Longreads, Eater, and Gawker. A native New Yorker, he now lives with his wife and two sons in Washington, DC. A two-time ghostwriter, this is his first novel.

Samuel Ashworth has been a bartender, a dancer, and a reporter. He has gutted seafood in the back of Michelin- starred restaurants and assisted with autopsies in a Pittsburgh hospital. His fiction and nonfiction appear in the Washington Post Magazine, Longreads, Eater, Hazlitt, Gawker, the Rumpus, and so on. He is a professor of creative writing at George Washington University, and assistant fiction editor at Barrelhouse Magazine. A native New Yorker, he now lives with his wife and two sons in Washington, DC. He is on Twitter and Bluesky at @samuelashworth. MARKETING AND PUBLICITY Convention Appearances: AWP, BEA, ABA Regional Trade Shows • Major prepublications

Grab a copy of The Death and Life of August Sweeney- https://a.co/d/0Itz31p

Betsy Armstrong grew up on a farm in Minnesota, but Chicago captured her country-mouse heart thirty-plus years ago, so she stayed. Betsy is a writer, mom, athlete, and philanthropist who wants to change the world. She has had careers in sales, counseling, and the non-profit space. Still, her true passion is running, which led her to become the Executive Director of Girls on the Run - Chicago and the Chicago Area Runners Association. Her writing has been published in the Brevity Blog, The Pinch Journal, and WOW-Women on Writing, and she has been recognized by essay contests in Writer’s Digest and WOW-Women on Writing. Besides writing, she bakes apple pies exactly how her great grandma taught her and listens to NPR while simultaneously recording too many reality TV shows. She and her husband, kids, and pets divide their time between the mountains of Nevada and the lakes of the Midwest. 

Grab a copy of-The Mother of All decisions a memoir of mother loss, legacy and adopting kids in midlife here- https://a.co/d/dzKE3Zg

Ford Cooper, born and raised in Clarksville, Tennessee, is an emerging 23-year-old musician whose soulful melodies and introspective lyrics resonate with audiences worldwide. 

Cooper’s music exemplifies the boundless possibilities of artistic expression. From the gritty sounds of 90’s grunge to the smooth rhythms of neo-soul, his musical journey is a testament to the transformative power of music. Feeling Fly is his new release

Ford’s musical odyssey began at the age of 15 when he first picked up a guitar. Drawn to the raw energy and emotional depth of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, it was the authenticity of these bands that ignited his personal desire to become a musician.

Ford dove even deeper into the rich tapestry of musical genres highlighting the soulful sounds of artists like Marvin Gaye, D’Angelo and Erykah Badu. This allowed him to craft his own unique sound, blending a fusion of smooth grooves, heartfelt lyrics, and infectious melodies.

Ford has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and his new single, “All I Ever Say” shares his personal struggles with mental health. 

You can find his music here-https://open.spotify.com/album/0X69cH92voTrpGxZXUTieT

Jennifer Anne Gordon (she/they) is an award-winning author and podcast host. Her debut novel Beautiful, Frightening and Silent won the Kindle Book Award for Best Horror/Suspense for 2020, as well as the Best Horror Novel of the Year from Authors on The Air and was a finalist for American Book Fest’s Best Book Award- Horror, 2020. Her novel Pretty/Ugly won the Helicon Award for Best Horror for 2022, and the Kindle Book Award for Best Novel of the Year (Reader’s Choice). Her collection The Japanese Box: And Other Stories was an instant Amazon Bestseller and her story The Japanese Box won the Lit Nastie Award for 2024 for Best Short Story.

Her personal essays have been featured on Horror Tree, Nerd Daily, Ladies of Horror Fiction, Writers After Dark, and Quail Bell Magazine, and are featured in Such a Loss, and Letting Grief Speak: Writing Portals for Life After Loss.

Jennifer is the creator and co-host of the popular comedic literary podcast Vox Vomitus, as well as a co-host of House of Mystery on NBC Radio.

For benevolent stalking please visit www.JenniferAnneGordon.com

Grab a copy of her book here-https://a.co/d/fg5hgfr

Meg Hamand has had a heart for storytelling since her first poem was published in an anthology in elementary school. Since then, she graduated with a degree in English and creative writing from Indiana State University. She’s been published in multiple print and online publications and recognized as Michiana 40 Under 40 by South Bend Chamber of Commerce. She lives in Northern Indiana with her high school sweetheart, daughter, and miniature Dachshund, Nixon (named after Captain Nixon from Band of Brothers, not after the president).

Grab a copy here: https://a.co/d/7zN6D5p