When Carole G. Barton was a little girl, her mother instilled in her a love and passion for literature. Many of Carole’s fondest memories with her mother are of times they spent reading together. Today, Carole uses children’s books to teach her speech therapy students about friendship, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, social skills, and speech. She has been working as a speech therapist for over 25 years. The impact reading makes in her students’ lives acts as a constant reminder of the impact Carole’s mom made on her own life through literature. It was this constant reminder that inspired her to follow her dream of becoming an author!

Illustrator for the Bruno's Friendship Chronicles™ book series, Andre V. Ordonez has been drawing ever since he could hold a pencil. Art has always been a big part of his life. Andre illustrated The Friendship Adventure when he was 12-years-old. By the age of 14, Andre illustrated his second children's book project, Red the Dragon. Andre's commitment and passion for art have not stopped him from doing a lot of other fun things in life, like skateboarding, fishing, biking, hiking, working out, and hanging out with his family and friends. Andre plans to join the military after high school. After his time in the military, Andre plans to attend art school to learn animation. 

Trisha B. Perez is an entrepreneur, public speaker, and wordsmith, committed to increasing her impact on the world by building up leaders and thinkers through a variety of channels and platforms. In 2014, Trisha B. Perez founded her publishing company, Storm Praise Publishing, L.L.C. Leveraging the power of entrepreneurship, public speaking, and publishing allows Trisha the opportunity to invest in the personal growth of people worldwide.

Trisha B. Perez is the author and creator of the children’s book series, The Adventures of Josie & Bud™. Trisha has written and collaborated on several personal development books and guides for people of all ages, including Ready, Set, GOAL! The Gen Z Guide to Achieving MORE.