Meet Local Authors at ʻWords and Wineʻ on August 7

Courtesy photo.

Kona Stories Book Store will hold its monthly Words and Wine event featuring local authors, complimentary wine and pūpū on Friday, Aug. 7, at 6 p.m. The free public event offers the public a chance to meet local authors and artists. The featured authors for August will be Lyla Basahan, Kimberly Dark and Vyana Reynolds.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. as an informal meet-and-greet and merge into a formal book presentation and reading by each author. It will conclude around 8 p.m. with a Q&A session. Dress is casual aloha wear. For more information, call Brenda or Joy at (808) 324-0350.

About the Authors

Vyana Reynolds went to law school to make a difference in the lives of women and girls throughout the world. She ran her own law firm for about two decades focusing on civil rights trial work. After selling her law practice in 2016, she moved to Kailua-Kona to open an award-winning bed and breakfast.

Reynolds developed a 13-step program to overcome food addiction which incorporates daily affirmations and inspirational stories. Her book, “Diving into the Divine Feminine: 13 Steps to Freedom from Food Addiction,” intends to empower people of all faiths and religions to find freedom from addiction.

Kimberly Dark is a writer, professor and raconteur. She uses humor, surprise and intimacy to help audiences discover and reclaim their power as creators. Kimberly teaches in Sociology and Women’s Studies at CSU, San Marcos. She also teaches writing and theatre courses for Cal State Summer Arts.

Dark has written award-winning plays, and taught and performed for a wide range of audiences in various countries over the past two decades. She is the author of Love and Errors, a book of poetry, and co-editor of the anthology “Ways of Being in Teaching.” Her essays appear in popular online publications such as Everyday Feminism and Ravishly. Her poetry and prose are available in various literary and academic publications.

Lyla Bashan is a Foreign Service Officer with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Bashan is currently serving in Armenia as the Director of USAID’s Sustainable Development Office, supporting the sectors of economic growth, democracy and governance, health and social reform. Previously, Lyla served in Washington, D.C. in the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia and also in the Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. She also served in Tajikistan as the team leader for Democracy and Governance, Health and Education. Her first USAID tour was in Guatemala as a Democracy and Governance Officer.

Bashanʻs book, “Global: An Extraordinary Guide for Ordinary Heroes” teachers readers who are passionate about social and environmental justice how the international system works, the key problems and players, and how to kick-start a career in activism. Her book is called a “must-read book for the changemakers of tomorrow.”