Meet Our Authors – The Line Up for our annual Author’s Day 2026

Jim Shneer is a retired Aerospace engineering manager who specialized in the development of satellite ground stations. Since retiring, Jim has lectured on local military history, railroad history, lighthouses and the Channel Islands.  In addition to local topics, he has lectured on naval history, Middle East history, the whaling industry and calendar mathematics. He makes a regular appearance as an author for the online Palos Verdes Pulse Magazine and the Palos Verdes Magazine. He is a docent at the Pt. Vicente Interpretive Center and a member of the Friends of the Pt. Vicente Lighthouse. Jim currently has 12 books in print including five on naval history.

Steve Marconi is a native of San Pedro. He began writing about his hometown after graduating from San Pedro High in 1969. He was a stringer for the News-Pilot and Daily Breeze, covering local high school and junior college sports, then was a sports writer for the Las Vegas Sun, eventually returning to San Pedro with The Daily Breeze and News-Pilot, and ending his career with the L.A. Times. He is a retired longshoreman, and in 1983 he wrote the Real San Pedran. He began writing a monthly column about San Pedro in 2005 and now writes for San Pedro Today magazine.

Author and San Pedro Bay Historical Society board member Joe McKinzie has combed through his large and diverse collection of vintage San Pedro postcards and selected the most evocative examples to illustrate the historic past of his hometown’s great harbor. Both the waters and shores of the port community are shown in their heyday, including images of boats of every kind, cargo and military ships, off-loading cranes, military installations, lighthouses, wharfs, beaches, restaurants, and other shoreline businesses. Joe resides in San Pedro with his wife.

Local author Raymond A. Vaudo has called San Pedro home since childhood. A dual U.S.–Italian citizen, he traces his family roots back to the 1400s to Gaeta, Italy — a beautiful coastal community in Southern Italy that mirrors San Pedro’s seaside character and charm. After a career in government, Vaudo became a distinguished author and consultant. He translated complex Italian recordings and documents his late father left behind which inspired the publication of his father’s acclaimed biography, A Gaetano in America (2023). Vaudo later chronicled his own return to Gaeta through a series of visits and unexpected discoveries, leading to his second book, When I Followed the Olives… (2025). He continues to write nonfiction that connects place, family history, and identity.

Dr. Fereidun Shokatfard is an educator, poet, entrepreneur, philanthropist and artist. He is the author of 16 books, covering a wide range of topics from spirituality, poetry, art, and children’s books. He is the founder and CEO of Heartful Children’s Foundation, helping children with cancer through art, and is an active volunteer at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach.

J. Walter Pesusich was born and raised in San Pedro. From an early age, he was interested in mystery books, riddles, and treasure hunts. After graduation from California State University at Long Beach, he worked as a crime analyst with the Los Angeles Police Department for over 25 years.

When not traveling, he enjoys exploring local history, folklore, and unsolved mysteries. His debut coffee-table book on Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson combines archival research, storytelling, and a detective’s eye for clues to spotlight one of San Pedro’s most fascinating – and mysterious- woman.
Rudecinda’s Mystery: the Lost San Pedro Treasures is available on Amazon and locally at The Den gift shop in San Pedro, at 1126 W. 37th St.

Gloria A. Ramos is an international best-selling author of Lead with Purpose: A Memoir and Handbook for Leaders Ready to Serve, Heal, and Transform, and co-author of Becoming Happy: 25 Ways to Heal Your Mind, Body, and Soul and Choosing Positivity. A longtime elected school board trustee, educator, and Certified High Performance Coach, Gloria has dedicated her life to helping others rise through service, resilience, and personal transformation. Her connection to San Pedro began in childhood, spending weekends visiting family in San Pedro, creating a lifelong bond with the harbor community, leading to her hope to one day retire in the coastal town that has held such deep meaning throughout her life.

Craig Ibarra was born and raised in San Pedro, CA where he was accidently turned on to punk rock by his older brother. Craig has been involved in all aspects of punk in and around San Pedro, including providing vocals for bands, starting a cassette label called S.A.D. Cassettes, creating a music calendar, The Punchline, a fanzine, The Rise and Fall, the record label Water Under the Bridge Records, and publishing house END FWY Press. Craig has always done his part to help build and inspire the Pedro punk community by staging gigs, releasing records, and publishing literature.

Cynthia Engh McCoy, born in North Dakota, now lives in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. She toured the U.S. and Canada as a professional ice skater and built a career in radio, television, and advertising. Cynthia holds a dual master’s degree in Behavioral Science and Gerontology, with a published thesis and poems. The Property is her debut novel.

oel Torrez Jr. is the creator and host of The Harbor Area Podcast, a storytelling platform dedicated to the people, history, culture, and hidden stories of the Los Angeles Harbor region — including San Pedro, Wilmington, and Long Beach. Joel frequently visited the waterfront with his family and developed a deep appreciation for the community through trips to the beloved Ports O’ Call Village, a place that left a lasting impression on him and inspired his fascination with the region’s unique identity and history.

That lifelong curiosity eventually evolved into The Harbor Area Podcast, where Joel combines thoughtful conversation, local storytelling, and historical exploration to highlight the voices, landmarks, and issues shaping the Harbor Area. The podcast has featured conversations about environmental justice, local legends, waterfront redevelopment, hidden military history, civic activism, and the evolving culture of the port communities.

Through The Harbor Area Podcast, Joel continues to document and celebrate the stories that make the Harbor Area one of Southern California’s most distinctive and historically rich communities.