Will the city of Airdrie read more books this summer?
Can Airdrie readers agree on which book is the best?
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And watch the champions discuss their book selections
The 2022 Airdrie Reads Contenders and Champions
Veronica Funk was raised in northern Manitoba, studied Art & Design at Red Deer College, and is currently studying Art History through the Alberta University of the Arts. The focus of her work has become storytelling...honouring the lives and stories of women through portraiture. She is a voracious reader, and loves how she learns something new every time she picks up a book, even from works of fiction.
Veronica is a juried member of the Alberta Society of Artists, the recipient of the Federation of Canadian Artists Tinyan Chan Award, Fortis Alberta Professional Artist Award, AAW Vitreous Amazing Cultural Ambassador Award, and has been recognized for her contributions to arts and culture in Alberta through the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist nomination.
Kids of Concern by Perry Logan is available to purchase at Shoplift Deals and through the Airdrie Public Library here.
Amber Kakakaway is from White Bear, Saskatchewan. Identifying as female, Amber uses she/her pronouns and is a neurodivergent lady, full of quirks and quips. She is a single mom raising two amazing children, who make her laugh every day, in our beautiful City, and is honoured to have two bonus daughters who she met in Airdrie as well. It’s no wonder, her favourite thing about Airdrie is the people. Through her teen years in Airdrie all the way to the present day, she has crossed paths with so many people who helped her blossom into the person she is today.
Life has taken Amber along a long path of personal discovery and through that journey she has become a fierce advocate for neurodiversity inclusivity, Truth & Reconciliation and marginalized populations. In 2022 she received the Woman of Courage Award by airdrielife Magazine for the work she’s done to bring awareness to Indigenous Issues locally.
The Power to Speak Naked by Sean Tyler Foley is available to purchase at Shoplift Deals and through the Airdrie Public Library here.
Oghenetega (Tega) Odogu is Nigerian, born and raised. She moved to Canada eight years ago to study Urban Planning at U of C and currently works in local municipal planning and development, ensuring communities are built in a way that supports environmental, social, and economic sustainability. This means that it is her responsibility to ensure that the needs of the current generation are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
The best part of her job is knowing that she is helping to create places where people will build their lives. Places where their loved ones get to live, play, work, get to know the world, and figure out their purpose. Speaking of purpose, Tega believes that she was put on this earth to love and contribute to the betterment of all those put in her life by birth and chance.
The Shade Tree by Theresa Shea is available to purchase at Shoplift Deals and through the Airdrie Public Library here.
Tara Molina is a positive and passionate REALTOR® with a diverse entrepreneurial and educational background focused in real estate, business and marketing. She has been able to make these fields work together, forming a creative and analytical duo that thrives in the real estate industry and has helped her real estate clients in Calgary, Airdrie and Surrounding Area achieve their home selling and/or home purchasing goals! She would love to offer the same to you as well!
Having bought and sold numerous homes before becoming a REALTOR® herself, Tara saw an opportunity to offer both sellers and buyers a positive and strategic real estate experience. Tara is often asked why she entered the real estate industry, especially after having been at the helm of a bustling full-service marketing agency for over 10 years. Her answer is always simple…when you are truly passionate about something you make it happen!
Murder on my Mind by Dana Goldstein is available to purchase at Shoplift Deals and through the Airdrie Public Library here.
Born in Mexico City in 1979, Karina Clayton is the last of the Gen-X! She has 4 kids who she loves with all her heart; one of them is an angel. She and her family also have a furry angel, and they got a new puppy recently. Karina came to Canada in 2007 and became a citizen in 2013. She loves Canada so much; its people, its kindness and inclusion. Part of Karina’s charm is her positive, optimistic outlook on every situation in life, even the hard ones. She has a passion to help others and tries to volunteer as much as she can.
Her University Degree in Communication has enabled her to work in different industries, from education to telecommunication, mass media, and oil and gas. With finances being one of her most recent passions, knowing how much and how many people are struggling in our province to keep up with the downturns of the dominating industry in Alberta, she wants to help people reach peace of mind, liberate stress, provide information and let them know there are solutions out there that will help them prepare for the future.
Karina’s roots are in Mexico, but her heart is in both places: her hometown and Canada. She loves that Airdrie is a small enough city to still have a town feel, but a big enough that it has everything we need. She also loves that the Airdrie community is always ready to help, is generous, kind and hardworking.
Creeboy by Teresa Wouters is available for purchase at Shoplift Deals and through the Airdrie Public Library.
What is Airdrie Reads?
Airdrie Reads is a local Alberta spin on an epic national book battle – Canada Reads. Airdrie Reads combines the passion for books with the drama of reality TV--think The Bachelorette meets literature! The contest is sponsored by Big Sky Author Services and The Feathered Pen, local author services providers, with the aim to promote authors in Alberta. We also hope to inspire Airdronians to read these local treasures over the summer. Finally, during the Airdrie Reads contest, we will also be engaging local businesses in the community on social media to promote the ‘support local’ theme.
How it Works
Once the book entries have been shortlisted, five Airdrie Champions will choose one of the finalists’ books to indulge in, and then they will pitch their book selection to a panel of judges. Airdronians can cheer on their favourites while they watch the Champions persuade the judges in a video-pitch showdown, and the winning Alberta author will be crowned this year’s Airdrie Reads winner!
The Prize
In addition to the winning author’s book being highlighted on the shelves of several local stores, they will receive a free social media endorsement from both Big Sky Author Services and The Feathered Pen, and the grand prize of a professionally written article in the fall issue of airdrielife Magazine!
The Timeline
Deadline for Author Submissions is April 15, 2022
Read along with the Champions from May to July 2022
Champions pitch their book choices on social media during the month of July 2022.
Winner will be announced no later than August 15, 2022.
Media Sponsor
Big Sky Author Services and The Feathered Pen have partnered with airdrielife Magazine as our official media sponsor. We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of the magazine in donating both print and digital advertising and editorial pieces for this project.
To follow us and watch the online show
Your Hosts
Allissa Blondin, owner of The Feathered Pen, has been writing professionally in one form or another for nearly 25 years. With a degree in legal research and a certificate in applied business management, she has worked with municipalities, corporations, and not-for-profits to help them create clear and concise messaging for internal and external stakeholders. Today, she helps thought-leaders share their ideas with the world by providing ghostwriting and editing services. She knows writing a book can be daunting, but at the Feathered Pen, she and her team make this process light as a feather, so authors, speakers, and company leaders can share their message, in their unique voice, to create their written legacy.
Big Sky Author Services is a team of coaches, ghostwriters, editors, and publishing project managers who have decades of industry knowledge led by award-winning, bestselling author and certified writing coach Tammy Plunkett. Our team aims to help make your journey to becoming a published author as easy and cost-efficient as possible. We help you write, publish and promote your book. Most importantly, we take a stand for your books impacting the lives of your readers and help you produce the highest quality of work that will reach as many people as possible. www.BigSkyAuthorServices.com
