Pearl G. Alimo is a military spouse, an award-winning author and publisher of books that delight military children and help military families thrive. 

Pearl began her publishing journey in the year 2020 during COVID-19. Her main goal was to share her story with fellow military families as her way of helping military connected communities thrive.

Pearl's popular titles - Growing Your Family: Learn How to Flourish and Thrive as a Military Family and Maya Moves to a New Country have won several awards in the publishing industry. You can see all of Pearl's Books here.

Scott Mubarak (penname C.J. Cook) is an author and publisher of biographies of South Pacific artists, primarily Hawaii and Tahiti. His first biography, Tyree, Artist of the South Pacific (2017), was an incredible success, winning two Ben Franklin Golds for Best Cover and Best Biography from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) in April 2018.

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His second book about Edgar Leeteg, the Rascal in Paradise, entitled Leeteg, Babes, Bars, Beaches, and Black Velvet Art, was equally successful, winning a Ben Franklin Gold for Biography from the IBPA in April 2022. His last book was released in November 2023, Beauty in the Beast, Flora, Fauna, and Endangered Species of Artist Ralph Burke Tyree. 

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His next book, Edithe Beutler, Beautifying Hawaii with Color, should be released in late summer.

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Mubarak is a lifelong manuscript collector interested in art and the South Pacific. He is a board member of the Manuscript Society, which is dedicated to preserving and studying historical documents. More information can be found on his website, www.SouthPacificDreams.com.

Dr. Artika R. Tyner is a passionate educator, author, sought after speaker, and advocate for justice. Tyner is the CEO of Planting People Growing Justice Press and Bookstore (PPGJ). PPGJ publishes and promotes books that encourage and empower children to find joy in reading. In recognition of her leadership and service, she is the recipient of more than two dozen awards that include: Women in Business, American Small Business Champion, International Educator Citizen, Attorney of the Year, and American Bar Association Difference Makers.

She has been featured in a variety of media outlets. She is a prolific, award-winning author of adult and children’s books that includes: Amazing Africa: A to Z, and The Inclusive Leader: Taking Intentional Action for Justice and Equity. She serves as a global citizen by supporting education, entrepreneurship, and women’s leadership initiatives in Africa. In furtherance of her philanthropic efforts, she created Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute, a nonprofit organization committed to promoting literacy and diversity in books.

Ariane Erickson, along with her husband Todd, is an author-publisher of children’s books. They founded Norse-Gael Books in 2023 when they returned to writing after raising kids and discovered that indie publishing had developed and matured alongside their newly grown children.

Ariane and Todd are committed to creating children’s books that root for the underdogs, promote kindness and empathy, welcome and affirm all readers, embrace characters that are flawed but lovable, create feelings of satisfaction, security, and belonging, elicit uproarious laughter from children and adults alike, and are worth reading again and again. 

Ariane discovered IBPA when searching for indie publishing podcasts to listen to on her daily walks with her dog. Many dog walks later, having soaked up the wealth of information provided by these podcasts and other member resources, she credits IBPA for helping her find her way along the path to children’s book publishing. 

Norse-Gael Books debuted its first picture book, Baxter and Jeffrey, in January 2024. Its second book, Freya the Friendly, will be released in September 2024. Follow Ariane and Todd @norse_gael_books.

Joan T. Randall is the founder of Victorious You Press. She is a highly accomplished, award-winning independent publisher, internationally recognized speaker, and multi-best-selling author.

Her "Books 2 Business & Beyond® Bootcamp" is an essential resource for authors seeking to unlock the potential of their books and generate multiple income streams. As an "author's midwife," Joan helps mission-driven career professionals, faith leaders, and entrepreneurs turn their stories into powerful tools for impact and influence. Her exceptional work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including recognition as an outstanding community leader, entrepreneur of the year, and women's leadership advocate. Joan has been featured on major networks such as ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox, and has been listed as a Career-Mastered Top Entrepreneurial Woman to Watch in 2023.

Joan is a recipient of the Women's Entrepreneurship Certificate from Cornell University. She has also earned a certificate in Homiletics from Howard University and a certificate in Christian Leadership from Global Impact University. Additionally, she is a certified Life and Business Coach.

In 2023, Joan established the Tricia Wynn Payne scholarship fund to support Title 1 schools in underserved communities in Charlotte and abroad. The scholarship fund aims to help these schools establish a literary department and introduce young minds to the creative world of The Power of The Pen.

Taylor Reffe is an author based in New York City. They work primarily in the mystery and New Journalism genres.