Media Release
Contact: Valerie J Lewis Coleman
937.307.0760
For Immediate Release
April 13, 2011
Abandon Doubt. Commemorate Character. Honor Self.
Dayton, Ohio - April 13, 2011 - On Saturday, April 30, 2011, forty students from Trotwood-Madison High School will debut the anthology A Kingdom Waiting: Loss, Triumph and the Young Spirit at the second annual Dayton Book Expo. The event will be held from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM in the Great Hall at Sinclair Community College's Ponitz Conference Center, 444 West Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402. Along with A Kingdom Waiting, several debut titles will be celebrated with cake, balloons and author presentations at noon. The family-friendly event is free and open to the public.
Valerie J. Lewis Coleman, Passionate Pens founder and anthology publisher says, "FBI statistics rank Dayton twentieth in the nation for crimes. The students in this book are proof that not all of our young people are involved in gangs or dropping out of school." Coleman, a bestselling author and Trotwood alumnae, is an expert on relationships and self-publishing. "My sons graduated from Trotwood and I believe in the school system. Giving a voice to youth by publishing this book is my way of honoring my alma mater."
In the words of a student contributor...
Renika Williams, a senior at Trotwood-Madison and contributor says, "My experience writing for the anthology was like none other! I've always enjoyed writing, but I had never written about myself because I was afraid that something I was ashamed of would surface." Renika will be attending Wright State University to pursue a degree in acting and communications/broadcasting. "When I wrote my story - You and Me - I realized that I had nothing to fear. They were just my flaws; everyone has them. I got teary as I wrote because I had been holding in the loss of 'myself' for years. Afterwards, I felt relieved and now I express myself through writing more than ever before."
In the words of Trotwood City Schools faculty and administration...
Sarah Acton, English Department Chair, Creative Writing teacher and anthology compiler says, "I have been privileged to have students share their thoughts and experiences with me. I have always known them to be intelligent and gifted; however, reading these stories reinforced their talent and articulation." The book project was sponsored by the school and Principal Terry Logan. The Dayton Book Expo is sponsoring the booth and awarding a crystal plaque to the top-selling student.
Gerald Cox, Director of Human Resources for Trotwood City Schools, says, "The anthology reflects what can happen when talented people collaborate: a local author, a caring teacher and motivated students. The infusion of writing and other creative arts across the public-school curriculum is critical to the development of our young people. As more classroom teachers and other professionals continue to invest in our students, the ripples will reach generations of children."
About A Kingdom Waiting: Loss, Triumph and the Young Spirit
Abandon doubt. Commemorate character. Honor self.
"There is nothing like youth. The middle-aged are mortgaged to life. The old are in life's lumber room. But youth is the lord of life. Youth has a kingdom waiting for it."
~ Oscar Wilde
In A Kingdom Waiting: Loss, Triumph and the Young Spirit, you'll explore life from a high-school student's perspective including
- Coping with grief
- Forgiving betrayal
- Moving past heart break
- Transforming depression
- Overcoming low self-esteem
- Shedding fear
- Realizing possibilities and
- Achieving potential
Retail: $9.95
ISBN-13: 978-0-9825984-5-0
About Dayton Book Expo
The Dayton Book Expo was created in 2010 by three local authors: LaTonya Branham, Charlotte Brown and Valerie J Lewis Coleman. The objective is to promote and encourage literacy in the Dayton area by connecting book lovers.
About Trotwood-Madision City Schools
Trotwood-Madison City Schools are committed to lifelong learning facilitated by an innovative and dedicated staff, community participation and state-of-the-art resources in a stimulating atmosphere. The district is hopeful that the next levy will pass so that programs such as Creative Writing and Passionate Pens continue.
About Passionate Pens
In 2006, Valerie J. Lewis Coleman, took her writing and publishing curriculum to prisons and schools. The following year, the first Passionate Pens book - Tainted Mirror An Anthology -debuted. The book is a call to action to stop making excuses, walk in purpose and fulfill destiny.
The program objective is to promote literacy by
- Exposing students to the book-publishing industry
- Compiling and publishing writings by the students
- Providing each contributor with a copy of the anthology
- Establishing credibility as published authors
- Debuting the anthology at the Dayton Book Expo
- Offering this program FREE to participating students
- Generating revenue for the sponsoring institution
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Passionate Pens is a division of
Pen of the Writer, LLC
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