Authors Present Works of Literature at Signing

Three talented writers were invited to host a book signing Dec. 22 at the Vanguard Art Gallery, located inside the Moreno Valley Mall. Authors Jeni Bate ("The Skies of Peace and Passion"), Linda Hayes ("Voice Hidden Within Me" and "Simply Tasty") and Debby Johnson ("Suburbia") presented their pieces during the event.. Bate has always enjoyed painting the sky, as she discovered as a young child — her first painting was of the sky. She knew early on that her dream was to one day become a skyscapist. Bate grew up in Wales, United Kingdom, where poetry has been a revered and central art form for centuries. Because of this, she explained, she embraced poetry early in her life and especially fell in love with Shakespeare’s sonnets at the age of 12. She began to not only paint the skies but also write about them, which lead to the creation of her book, "The Skies of Peace and Passion," filled with original poetry and artwork. Bate has been writing for over 40 years and has been painting professionally for about 12. She explained that she “[paints] the skies with peace and passion because that’s the way they paint me." The book's opening poem, titled “Difference,” is her favorite, she said. "It explains why we could never know what it is like to be someone else, because then we wouldn’t be ourselves," Bate said. Linda Hayes is an author and a motivational/inspirational speaker. Her literary series, "Heart Chatter," was created to provide inspiration, motivation and transformation to her audience, she said. Through her first book, "The Voice Hidden Within Me," she shares her story about her life and the hardships she encountered. The story is shared, she explained, to inspire her audience to find the motivation they seek and embrace transformation that leads to a more joyful life. "The Voice Hidden Within Me" is Hayes' own personal memoir, which began as painful journal from the experiences she had lived. When she sat down to rewrite her journal and add details to transform it from journal entries to a story, she said, "I hope that through this book I can help those people that have gone or are going through (hardships like) a divorce, or those that have achieved success but feel unworthy of it," she said. Hayes said she plans to write a second part to the book in the form of a workbook to achieve a happier life. Hayes's second book, "Simply Tasty," is a family cookbook she compiled at her daughter's request. She wrote it, she said, with the intention that the cookbook would be passed down in the family from generation to generation. "I thought that this would be a wonderful gift to not just my family, but my audience as well," she said. The cookbook is peppered with inspirational quotes throughout, something Hayes said she did to continue her mission to spread joy and peace to others. Debby Johnson is "an all around artist," she explained, identifying herself as a writer, designer, photographer, and painter. Johnson has been writing for as long as she can remember, since writing has always been a form of expression for her. Her recent book, "Suburbia," is a poetry book filled with poems about life, inspired from the observations she has made and experiences she has lived. In addition to her poetry book, Johnson has also written a children’s book, which will be coming in January. She explained that she spends lots of her time with children, therefore writing a children’s book seemed like a natural extension. Johnson is also currently working on a novel that she hopes will make her audience think about their lives in regards to where the are and where they are going.