Usually I pick five, but this week I just couldn’t narrow it down! As always, I’m excited to tell you about some of the new authors that joined Red Room this week. Pleaese visit them and say hello.

Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best-selling author and the founder of the charity Be the Star Your Are!, which has served nearly 200,000 individuals and families, distributed more than $1.6 million in resources, and is dedicated to raising the life skills and self esteem of women, at-risk youth, and families. Cynthia is also an acclaimed speaker, radio and TV host, syndicated columnist and acting coach. 

Robert Earle spent over twenty years in the Foreign Service, including serving as Ambassador Negroponte's senior adviser in Iraq and later as counselor to the Deputy Secretary of State. The recipient of the Christian A. Herter Award for outstanding contributions to American diplomacy, he is the author of Night in the Pink Motel, a first person account of the early strategic negotiations after the invasion of Iraq. 

Amy Hagberg is the author of four books, most recently 100 Answers to 100 Questions Before You Say "I Do". As a freelance writer her columns have appeared in more than twenty journals including Savvy Miss and Christian Women. She is the editor for Called, a new lifestyle magazine for women in ministry, and hosts a weekly internet radio show called “God Unplugged.”

Lauren Kessler is the author of five works of narrative nonfiction, including Pacific Northwest Book Award-winner Dancing with Rose and Los Angeles Times best-seller The Happy Bottom Riding Club— which David Letterman chose as the first (and only) book for the Dave Letterman Book Club. Her journalism has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times Magazine, O Magazine, Utne Reader, The Nation, newsweek.com and salon.com. She and her family are chronicling their experience of renovating a house towards a 2,000-watt lifestyle on their blog.

Rene Colato Lainez is a Salvadoran award winning children’s author. His picture books have been honored by the Latino Book Award, the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, the California Collection for Elementary Readers, the Tejas Star Book Award Selection and the New Mexico Book Award. He was named “Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch (and Read)” by latinostories.com.

Cathe Olson is the author of Simply Natural Baby Food and The Vegetarian Mother’s Cookbook. Her new non dairy, vegan ice cream cookbook will come out in spring 2009 with Book Publishing. Cathe is also the director of the Central Coast Writers’ Conference.

I encourage you to visit these authors and make them feel welcome, and remeber to tune in next week!

–Max Sindell, Author Liaison and Community Coordinator