CERRITOS - The 2012 Romance Authors Tea was held Sept. 29 in the gaily decorated Skyline Room of the Cerritos Library and put on by the Friends of the Cerritos Library (FOCL).The program was presented by Friends President Janice Dawson along with Library Liaison Padmini Prabhakar. Both ladies, as well as many of the assisting Friends, are also members of the Women's Club of Artesia Cerritos. The contributing romance authors included Tanya Hanson, Jennifer Haymore, Linda O. Johnson, Charlene Sands and Patricia Thayer. They told their experiences in the publishing field, as wells as glimpses of their private lives. Charlene Sands and Patricia Thayer are longtime members of Romance Writers of America (RWA), an international writer's organization based in Texas. Both are members of the local Orange County Chapter located in Brea. Thayer is a past-president and Sands volunteers as Published Author Liaison. Linda O. Johnson is mostly a mystery writer whose first published works appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. She is also the author of the new Pet Rescue Mystery series. Jennifer Haymore also has an interesting background. Haymore earned a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from UC Berkeley and a master's degree from UCLA in Education, Before she became a full-time writer, she held various jobs from bookselling to teaching children in inner-city schools, to playing bit roles in soap operas. Tanya Hanson, an avid reader since she was 8, read "Little Women" and realized she had the writing ability inside her. Today an English teacher and author of several western historical romances, she is especially thankful to the Lord to have sold her very first contemporary inspirational White Rose. Tanya's husband is a firefighter and both her children are grown and both happily married. The latest love of her life is playing with her three-year-old grandson. It was a wonderful program and the authors talks riveting. There were delightful tea sandwiches and fruit served. It proved to be an informative and delightful day for all. For more info on the Friends of Cerritos Library, please contact the Library by calling (562) 916-1340 or http://ci.cerritos.ca.us/library. The library is located at 18025 Bloomfield Ave. in Cerritos.

********** Published: October 11, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 26