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Local Authors

The Central Coast is home to many talented
 writers. We have everything from mystery writers, historians, and romance novelists to children's book illustrators!

Get to know our writers.

Nancy Jensen

NANCY JENSEN

Self-help
Nancy Jensen enjoyed more than 35 years of teaching, in public schools and private schools, in regular education and special education. Retired from teaching, she is now focused on lifelong learning, through travel, reading, watercolor classes, and time with family and friends. She and her husband are longtime residents of the central coast of California, with their children and grandchildren nearby. Cats at School: Understanding Students with Autism is her first book.
Kayla Marie

KAYLA MARIE

Romance
Author Website
Kayla Marie is a Central Coast romance writer who is a NIEA Finalist and Reader's Favorite Book Award Finalist.  

"For me, writing is a way to escape the everyday stresses of life and it creates a welcome challenge on a daily basis." 

Her Sweet Home Dixie series is made up of standalone contemporary romance novels set in a small, charming town in southern Alabama. All of her books have deep-rooted emotions, realistic and relatable characters full of flaws, personal struggles, and happy endings. She says that she wants to show readers that it's okay not to be perfect and that everyone falls down at some point in their lives. But with love and personal reflection, we can become far better people than we ever thought possible and can often achieve the unimaginable.

Tony Piazza

TONY PIAZZA

Mystery, Suspense & Thrillers
Author Website
Tony Piazza is a Central Coast mystery writer, film historian, presenter, and a veteran storyteller well-known for his passion about writing and movies.

He is an author of the mystery novels Anything Short of Murder, A Murder Amongst Angels, The Curse of the Crimson Dragon, Murder is Such Sweet Revenge, and Murder Will Out available through Gavin's Books. Piazza’s memoir, Bullitt Points, from SansTree, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the classic Steve McQueen movie Bullitt and the involvement of the Piazza family in the production.

Destry Ramey

DESTRY RAMEY

Childrens
Author Website
Destry Ramey is a retired Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and internationally known children's author, who has dedicated her life to children. 

The children in her practice along with her son’s first two pugs, Hunter and Ramona, inspired her to write her first two books “What About Me?” and “Why am I Dark?” Two rescue pugs, Kippy and Egress, later adopted by her son,
were the inspiration for her third book “Kippy’s African Adventure.”
Her final book in the series “The Brown Paper Bag” is based on the true story
of an abandoned puppy, who is found in the street after being thrown from a car window. 

Each book addresses contemporary real life issues as seen through the eyes of five unique and endearing dogs. 

KENZIE ROSE

Romance
Author Website
Kenzie Rose and her husband live on the Central Coast where she is surrounded by ideas and inspiration for her books. Her Vineyards of Love series is set in the vineyards of Paso Robles.

"When I'm not writing you will find me sitting on the deck reading romances and listening to the waves."  When she isn't writing, she loves cooking and connecting to her readers on Social Media.
Vineyards of Love Series: 
Everlasting Love, She's My Destiny, Love in Texas, Full Circle, Unexpected Love
Other Titles:
My Unexpected Cowboy
MJ Sewall

MJ SEWALL

Fantasy
Young Adult
History
Author Website
Mr. Sewall is a Central Coast writer who enjoys many genres and has a great Fantasy line in the Chosen King series.  His novels and non-fiction work share the theme of probing dark, unexplored places.

Sewall says, "Whether it’s boys chosen to be king, giant monsters attacking, kids with seemingly magical powers, or just an unraveling of deeply held assumptions, I write to explore.  My only rule: It must be a great story."
Chosen King Series: 
Dream of Empty Crowns, The Trials of Boy Kings, Plague of Tyrants
Other Titles:
Forever Warriors, Seven Ways to Jane, Wild Monsters Dance About

GORDON SNIDER

Historical Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers
Author Website
Gordon has published numerous magazine articles, many on travel destinations, and two business books. His second business book, How to Become a Killer, was published in 1999 and was the basis for a popular seminar that he presented at trade shows and conventions throughout the U.S. and Canada. The magazine articles often included his photography.

He eventually found himself photographing for tour operators. One of his assignments took him to Tibet. The country so mesmerized him that he wrote his first novel about it, entitled Sigourney’s Quest. Since then, he has published several more novels including The Separatist, The Hypnotist, Venice Lost, I'm Traveling as Fast as I Can, and the sequel to the Hypnotist, The Origamist.  

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