AUTHORS LUNCHEON 2021 IS LIVE!

 Alexandra Boiger is a New York Times bestselling children's book illustrator as well as the creator of the Max and Marla books. She grew up in Munich, Germany and studied graphic design at the Fachhochschule Augsburg. A career in feature animation at Warner Brothers and Dreamworks first brought her to the UK and finally to the US. Visual storytelling, the exploration of emotions, psychology, and history have always been at the core of Alexandra's work. Many of the books she worked on focus on social justice and the breaking down of stereotypes including the She Persisted books by Chelsea Clinton. Several of her titles have been translated into different languages. She Persisted, The Musical was the first to be translated to stage. Alexandra's work has participated at various exhibitions in the US and Japan. She lives in Northern California with her husband and daughter.

 Michelle Richmond is the New York Times bestselling author of eight novels and story collections. Her latest novel, the Silicon Valley thriller THE WONDER TEST, is "a gripping blend of danger and sharp social commentary on high-stakes education, the 1%, and suburban tropes" (Booklist, starred review). Michelle's previous books include THE MARRIAGE PACT, GOLDEN STATE, and THE YEAR OF FOG. Her books have been published in 30 languages. A native of Alabama, she has lived in the Bay Area since 1999, with a recent two-year stint in Paris 

 William H. Paris Jr. is better known as "Bubba" Paris. He’s from Louisville, Kentucky.  In 1982, he was the San Francisco Forty-Niner’s first draft choice. He played with them for nine years; eight of which he started at left tackle. In those nine years, they won three Super Bowl Championships, eight Western Division Titles and played in five NFC Championship games. 

He served as sports analyst for Channel 7 TV in San Francisco. He has co-hosted a weekly talk show on KNBR radio. He also had a segment on 1050 The Ticket Radio. He produced a special segment called "Behind the Face Mask." He has anchored sports. He was a special segment reporter and a producer of a sports piece entitled "Heart of a Champion." He was a sideline reporter for CBS covering 49ers and Raiders preseason football. He cohosted the 49er preview show for KPIX Channel 5. He also had a segment on the 49er Total Access Show call “Cooking with Bubba.” He’s a co-host for ‘The Point After,” a post-game TV show covering 49er football. He writes a column for a magazine and three newspapers. He wrote a book, “Born For This Moment.” He is also an ordained minister serving as an evangelist.

 A native of New Orleans, Alice Wilson-Fried attended Tulane University and later worked in Public Relations at the Delta Queen Steamboat Company. For the past thirty years, Alice has lived in California, first in Alameda County then moving to Vacaville in Solano County after the death of her husband, Frank Fried, in 2016. She is the mother of two, the stepmother of two and the grandmother of nine. She has three published works, a nonfiction entitled MENOPAUSE, SISTERHOOD AND TENNIS; the first of a mystery trilogy called OUTSIDE CHILD, set in New Orleans; and ONE DROP, the second trilogy installment that has the main characters caught in the middle of murder and mayhem while struggling to escape Hurricane Katrina.

OUTSIDE CHILD received the 2008 Silver Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing and was named Finalist in 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Award. Other writings include a screenplay entitled, THE HOT-FLASH CAPER CLUB which placed first in the 2008 East of Eden Writers Conference contest.

 Claire Splan, a freelance writer and editor, is the author of the award-winning "California Month-by-Month Gardening," "California Fruit and Vegetable Gardening," and "Not-So-Hot Tomatoes: Growing Delicious Tomatoes in Cooler Climates." A member of the Garden Writers Association, Claire writes about gardening on her blog, An Alameda Garden, and has written for several garden-related websites. Claire has done presentations on various gardening topics at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, the UC Botanical Garden, the Los Angeles County Arboretum, the Southern California Spring Garden Show, and numerous garden clubs and other venues; and been interviewed on radio shows such as "GardenLife," "Bob Tanem in the Garden," and "Gardening Today. “In addition to garden writing, Claire writes short fiction and nonfiction. She's currently working on a narrative nonfiction book about a 1901 shipwreck. Find out more at www.ClaireSplan.com.