Books, Beads,& More, located at 8106 Mechanicsville Turnpike in Mechanicsville, Va. will be hosting a book signing for local Author, Joann Teal and her new 10 book series, "Marley Says" and her newest book, “ME” on Sat, Sept. 14th from 11:00 – 2:00.

The 10 books in the “Marley Says” series are near and dear to her heart because she wants to help children and their parents, school teachers, and Sunday school teachers become happier and less stressed in their daily lives. These books can also be used to inspire hope and good will in groups and classes (dance, cheer, swim, etc.) as an incentive prize.

Joann Teal, having grown up in a very strict environment, being the only girl and the youngest child, soon learned what it meant to be invisible. Both parents believed that the belt was the best way to teach a child, as well as screaming and yelling. Humiliation, and isolation was also their go to. She had lived in 5 different states as well as Italy by the age of twelve. Due to her parent's financial difficulties, her clothes were mostly hand-me-downs. Her self-confidence became so low that it was difficult to make friends and she struggled with school. She remembers seeing other children who were happy and laughing and wished she could be like them. As the years went by she became withdrawn and very quiet. Her parents divorced when she was fourteen, her brothers had left home when she was thirteen and fifteen, and her mother worked several jobs to pay the bills. This left Joann alone for many years, so she turned to writing. She started writing poems and short stories at the age of fourteen. 

Teal met the love of her life who helped her find her path to a new and happy life. She married at age twenty-five and had two children, a boy and a girl, which she considers to be the best of both worlds. She swore to herself that she would make her children a priority and help them become as happy and confident as they could be. Because of her
crushed spirit during childhood, it has taken years to undo the damage that had been done to her and to rebuild herself. But slowly and surely she uncovered the secrets she needed to accomplish this. Through her perseverance, she learned what was most important in life and how to heal from her childhood trauma.  She has been living in Mechanicsville for 11 years. Her top priorities have always been as follows:
#1 Be the best parent for her children she can be.
#2 Be the best human she can be.
#3 Help as many people as she can to be happy and feel good about themselves.

Joann retired from 42 years in banking where she was able to help many people, young and old. She absolutely loved her time spent with her customers and many became friends outside of work. She now writes, as often as she can, in multiple genres and is a proud member of The Hanover Writer’s Club. She has written and published fourteen books to date and looks forward to her next one. Because her main purpose in life has been to help others be happy, she wrote and published her first book, “When the
Door Opens” for adults to learn happiness through the journey of a young girl discovering the secrets of the Universe. This book appears in the Atlee library, Books, Beads, & More, Berry's Produce Shop, and Amazon.

Then she wrote “Buddy Goes Home” to help children through the loss of their pet or family member in an upbeat, heartfelt, and insightful way. It teaches children that they don't have to be sad with the loss of a pet or person, because their spirit lives on through us, as well as the happy times we shared with them. This book appears in the Kilmarnock
library, Books, Beads& More, Berry's Produce Shop, and Amazon. 
 
Joann believes that if we can learn at a very early age how to create our own happiness then it will be much easier for us when we are adults. So Teal has now written a series of 10 books, “Marley Says” based on her granddaughter Marley’s unique ability to create her own happiness. She hopes this will be a good place to start for children to learn about the
power they have inside them. They not only teach children how to be happy, valuable life lessons, and instill confidence, but they also help parents have a child that is more self-aware, productive, and respectful.

Her most recent book is titled “ME” which is a novel about a man named Storm, telling his life story of how he overcomes immense childhood trauma and military cover-ups. Through saving others, he finds his long lost father, and a brother he never knew he had. He finds his soul mate by saving her from the depths of evil, then falls madly in love
with her. And he rights the wrongs to save his family from impending doom.

Marley Says - “Just Be Happy”
Marley Says - “Just Be Patient”
Marley Says -  “It’s Fun to Run”
Marley Says - “Be a Good Sport”
Marley Says - “Just Stop Teasing”
Marley Says - “Respect” 
Marley Says -  “Just Listen” 
Marley Says - “Just Be Strong”
Marley Says  - “You Have a Gift
Marley Says - "“Helping Makes Me Happy”
19 book series
Buddy goes Home
ME