Parisian Phoenix Publishing

Geraldine Donaher and I attended the Collingswood Book Festival last weekend with Pennwriters Area 6. It was my first time at the festival and I had a fantastic time. I would whole-heartedly promote this event as a vendor or a spectator. It was organized, well-run and even the neighboring businesses were friendly.

It’s always hard as a bookseller, especially as one not highlighted at one of the stages, to make a significant amount of book sales when everyone is selling books. But, when the weather is nice, this festival encompasses the entire main street and connects authors, writing groups, and readers on a large scale. And so many people had well-behaved, well-socialized dogs.

Attending such an event with other writers can minimize the cost— though Collingswood is very reasonable.

I even had an opportunity to explore the town and support other small businesses, like the artisanal bakery, The Candy Jar, and Kismet Bagel. The bagel shop had the best wallpaper ever, and I met a young aspiring writer at the candy store.

Geraldine and I made a great team, as we both tackle social issues with our writing. Geraldine bases her work on personal experiences. Her first novel, Still (which I am reading now, along with about four other books), reflects on her six years in a convent followed by her re-entering the secular world, marrying and having a stillborn son.

Her young adult novel that Parisian Phoenix will release in January 2026, Mouth Shut Head Down, tackles the topic of human trafficking. Geraldine wants to warn parents, teachers, and teens the signs of coercive control that can lead to trafficking.

My novels use the supernatural to examine themes like domestic violence, grief and depression, and coming of age. Geraldine and I approach our writing in different ways, but we work to educate readers or at least to widen their world view.