About the Author!

Our second of three winners, Emerald Mancini, has finally reached the launch pad with her title Tata and Me, available in print and as an eBook in two weeks. Please join me in giving her a warm round of applause. Her success is Gulfport's success. We are planning her first book signing. Stay tuned for more details.

While working through the 8th grade, Emerald Mancini attended free 2-hour workshops every Saturday for two months, spanning the arts of writing to readers, self-editing, the writer/editor relationship, and the world of professional publishing. She then survived a tough scrutiny by the panel of educational and publishing professionals that, in the end, named her the 7th through 12th grade winner for her Children’s book, Tata and Me.

Emerald Mancini has been writing since early childhood. She loves to write short stories and poetry. Since sixth grade, Emerald has been home-schooled which gives her more time to write. Emerald gets her inspiration from a variety of reading. Her favorite authors are Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, and Roald Dahl. In her spare time, she enjoys drawing and spending time with her dog, Ava. Emerald plans to have a lifelong career as a writer.