Photo Credit: Vickie Barrett
There was a meet of the minds held in Ormond Beach, Florida on March 13. These minds were no ordinary minds though; these were the minds of people many of us know, love, and aspire to be like! These minds included Charlie Ridgway, Kelly Monaghan, Seth Kubersky, Steve Barrett, and Lou Mongello! These five renowned authors were seen around the Ormond Beach Library this past Sunday as a part of the “Meet The Authors Bookfair and Festival” held by the Friends of the Orlando Beach Library. They were among more than 50 other authors based in Central Florida at this event. These authors greeted fans, talked about their books and about the parks they write about and love. They even took part in a panel discussion where they discussed their books and how they came to be.
For those of you who may not know about these authors or who are interested in checking out their work, here are brief descriptions provided by our kind friends over at Intrepid Travel:
Charles Ridgway, who was named a Disney Legend in 1999, shares anecdotes from a 40-year career of pitching Disney in Spinning Disney’s World: Memories of a Magic Kingdom Press Agent < http://www.intrepidtraveler.com/spin/index.html>. As the Disney publicist for the parks in California, Florida, France, and Hong Kong, he was in the unique position of arranging events involving ambassadors, celebrities, heads of state, and yes, even ducks. Since his retirement, he has traveled the world as a writer and photographer.
Steven Barrett <http://www.intrepidtraveler.com/authors/stevebio.html> is the author of the Hidden Mickeys series –Hidden Mickeys, Disneyland’s Hidden Mickeys, and Hidden Mickeys Go to Sea, along with The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation 2011, now in its tenth edition. As a physician and longtime Disney expert, his unique perspective enables families to get the most out of their Disney experience.
Lou Mongello <http://www.intrepidtraveler.com/authors/loubio.html> has written two volumes chock full of Disney trivia: The Walt Disney World Trivia Book and The Disney World Trivia Book, Volume 2, stemming from his love of everything Disney that began at age 3. He hosts WDW Radio, which provides an ongoing selection of Disney-related broadcasts, blogs, forums, interviews, and information on all things Disney. He just returned from hosting a cruise aboard the Disney Dream.
In Universal Orlando 2011: The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park Adventure, Seth Kubersky <http://www.intrepidtraveler.com/authors/sethbio.html> provides the first eyewitness reviews of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the smash hit attraction at Universal Orlando. As a former backstage Universal Orlando employee and arts columnist for Orlando Weekly, he has been exploring the parks for 14 years.
Kelly Monaghan < http://www.intrepidtraveler.com/authors/kellybio.html> is the founder and publisher of The Intrepid Traveler. He is also a co-author of Universal Orlando. His other books include The Other Orlando and Sea World, Discovery Cove & Aquatica; he also created The Home-Based Travel Agency home study course.
Contributed by: Jessica Clawson (NDI#21) Jessica is the News and Current Events Blogger. She is also the creator of The True Disney Fan.
Living in Delaware her whole life, Jessica did not know much about Walt Disney World until she went at 13 years old. That initial trip, though, got her hooked on the magic. As the years went on, she did everything she could to learn more about Disney (including watching documentaries and reading books). She did not know many people that shared her passion until she discovered the wonders of the internet and the Disney community found on it. She has gotten involved with as many Disney projects as she can, including writing the weekly news articles for The Disney Driven Life and writing for her own blog, The True Disney Fan. Jessica has also taken on a position with Celebrations Magazine, working the social media aspects of the publication. Through all these platforms, Jessica strives to bring as much Disney magic as possible into her everyday life, and she works to share it with everyone she meets!
