Carlsbad Authors Take Center Stage

Local authors gathered on stage at the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium at the Feb. 12 to talk about their books. The authors had written about a variety of subjects including travel, relationships, health, lifestyle, and personal growth.

The books and authors featured at the Forum were "Dear Guests, Beware of Wild Monkeys" by Joe Tash, "Tinera of Vieste" by Joseph Bacardi,  , "Nature's Food for Life" by Lee Cohen, MD, "The Unauthorized Legoland Guidebook", by Bridget Smith, "The Champagne Taste, Beer Budget Cookbook" by Woody Wilson, and "Jonestown Survivor" by Laura Johnston Kohl. 

Tash said the lack of vacation books for families was what inspired him to write "Dear Guests, Beware of Wild Monkeys." Bacardi said the spirit of his late father came to him and told him to write about the history of his family. Waldal said her personal experience with an abusive relationship as a teenager made her want to want to reach out to others. She warned "even children of good parents can end up in a abusive relationship." Dr. Cohen said many problems he sees as a heart surgeon could have been avoided with a healthy diet and lifestyle, and his book separates the myths and realities of healthy eating.  Smith shared her inside tips on visiting Legoland, especially if you have kids. She said it was a great book to have on hand for out-of-town guests. Wilson said he found himself single in middle-age, and decided to write a cookbook on entertaining for bachelors. He said his cookbook can be read like a novel. Kohl became very emotional as she talked about having been a member of Jim Jones' cult "The People's Temple." She said she missed the mass suicide because she was away buying supplies for the group. She talked about the challenges of moving forward after such a horrific event. She said it took her two to three years and lots of contact with other survivors to write the book. 

The moderator of the event encouraged all members of the audience to write their own books, so that they could be one of next year's featured local authors. 

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