Memoir + California History + Pregnancy Wellness

The bookstore welcomes three different authors with three different books of varying themes for an afternoon about travel in Tuscany, Route 66 in California, and staying fit and healthy during pregnancy.

Janet Davidson’s book is “Meet Us in Tuscany: A Memoir of Life at the Villa.” Fulfilling a long-time dream, in the summer of 2018 the American author, by design or not, created an unforgettable experience that attending family members and friends will forever mark as a "we-have-to-do-this-again" experience in the beautiful and historic region of Tuscany, Italy. Within the covers of this slim volume, she tells us how she pulled it off and, in the process, gives us an informal "blueprint" of how we too might create our own unique life at a villa in Tuscany. 

Janet and her husband, Richard Plat, have a love of travel and a spirit of adventure. There are few countries which they have not visited over their 26-year marriage. Sharing travel and the joy of learning about other places and other cultures with her children and grandchildren is her greatest pleasure. Following a successful career as an attorney, Janet now is focused on family, travel, nonprofits and writing. She lives in Newport Beach and Palm Desert, California. 

Joanna Kalafatis’s “Abandoned Southern California” includes everything from prospectors' haunts in old ghost towns dating back to the Gold Rush, to the now-almost-deserted roadside towns of Route 66 and describes how the history of Southern California lives on through its abandoned towns and buildings. Through old settlements and institutions, readers can get a glimpse into the waves of migration that shaped the spirit of Southern California.

JOANNA KALAFATIS is a travel writer and actress based in Los Angeles. She has previously lived in New York and Greece, and traveled to over thirty-five countries. After obtaining her B.A. in Economics from Barnard College, she decided to apply herself to her creative pursuits. Her articles have appeared in several online and print publications, and she also writes on her travel blog, LosetheMap.com. Joanna has a deep love for and fascination with her adopted state, and is always trying to learn as much as possible about the history and experience of California.

Dawn Weyand’s book (co-authored with Sonia Marie) is “Natal Health A Complete Guide to Pregnancy Wellness: Exercise Videos, Recipes, and Nutrition for all Three Trimesters.” MORE ENERGY, FEWER ACHES and PAINS, and LESS WEIGHT GAIN are some of the rewards you will enjoy from staying with a regular exercise program appropriate for your pregnancy. You may also experience an easier labor and shorter postpartum recovery time if you exercise consistently during pregnancy.

DAWN WEYAND is certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and has completed pre- and post-natal nutrition and exercise training programs through several organizations including The National Academy of Sports Medicine. She is the CEO and co-founder of NatalFit –  the company motto is “Be fit to deliver.”

Weyand has an undergraduate degree from University of Southern California and a J.D. from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law. Dawn lives with her husband and three children in southern California.

SONIA MARIE is a holistic nutrition coach and wellness counselor. She received her Health Coach training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where she studied more than one hundred dietary theories and practical lifestyle coaching methods with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts.

She is the mother of two, and her passion is to help women and children improve their health and lifestyles.