Elite Authors & Events

RJ Prieto (a/k/a Joseph Black)

RJ was born in Tampa, Florida where he's lived his entire life. His relatively normal childhood took a dramatic turn In the summer of 1979 when he was diagnosed with ALL leukemia. He went into remission a month later, but the real fight was yet to come. In December, he suffered from a medication overdose. The doctors told his family he probably wouldn't make it through Christmas. Miraculously, RJ pulled through. Those trying times served as the inspiration behind Dewey's Christmas Adventure. RJ's had no further relapses with the disease since.

RJ's interest in writing began in middle school through creative writing projects. "I liked the idea of the power of the imagination. I could create anything I wanted. It was as if I had no boundaries." He wrote short stories and poetry as a hobby throughout his school career. "I never really took my writing seriously until after graduation. I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do so I took advantage of my talent." Meanwhile, he gained valuable expereince in retail and marketing which would later serve his career in ways he never imagined.

In 1995, he published his first book, Waldenlake. "It was nice to see a book I wrote in print, but I was young and didn't understand everything it took to be considered a real novelist. It's more than just writing. It's about communicating. I was a good writer, but a terrible communicator." Waldenlake sold modestly, and like many writers whose novels fall short of expectations, he felt discouraged. "I didn't stop writing, but I did stop trying to become a published writer."

By 2002, RJ was ready to give the business another shot, but this time he wanted to be in control. "I learned that you can't be successful at something unless you have a good understanding of all aspects of your field. I didn't know anything about the publishing business in 1995.  I realized that to be a successful novelist, I needed to understand the business side of writing." What better way than to start a publishing company? 

He spent five years studying the publishing business, and combined this knowledge with more than eighteen years of retail and marketing experience. In October 2007, RJ published Dewey's Christmas Adventure under the name of his new company, Elite Publishers of North America. "Nothing is going to happen while the ship is still in port," RJ has been known to say. 

For RJ, that ship is well out to sea. "Elite Publishers of North America is meant to be more than a small publishing company. As I get more comfortable in the industry, I want Elite to grow with me. I want it to be a springboard for unpublished writers to showcase their talent. Our novels are going to be about character and value. When you read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, you find quite a bit of adventure, but you remember Huck Finn for his moral fabric and what he stood for as a person. It's hard to imagine Huck Finn as simply a character in a book. That is the what Elite is about."

When not working, RJ enjoys spending time in the Florida outdoors with his son, Todd. He likes fishing, hiking, and strolling the Florida beaches. "I took my son to a Buccaneers game recently. We stood on the top deck of the stadium and looked toward downtown Tampa. The only thing we could see were the tops of trees all the way to downtown. It seemed like we were looking down on a forest, and somewhere inside that forest stood a city. You don't get that impression from the ground, but Tampa Bay truly is a special place, and I'm proud to call it my home." RJ is also a member of the Tampa Writer's Alliance.

                                                                                                                         RJ & Todd Prieto

Check out RJ's Blog! (Click Below)                                                                               

The Voyage of Writing as a Business 

                A Philosophical Journey Into Book Publishing

2008 Schedule of Appearances

September 20, 2008 ~ Book Basket, 3546 S. Suncoast Blvd., Homosassa, FL 34448 ~ 12 to 3 PM

September 27, 2008 ~ Deep Carnivale, Ybor City, FL ~ 10AM to 5PM

October 4, 2008 ~ Wal-Mart, 2602 Jim Redman Parkway, Plant City FL 33566 ~ 11 AM

October 25, 2008 ~ Festival of Reading, St. Petersburg, FL ~ 12PM to 2PM

November 14, 2008 ~ Hooked on Books ~ 1200 W. Retta Esplanade F-4, Punta Gorda, FL 33950 ~ 4PM

November 15, 2008 ~ One For the Books ~ 3810 Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral, FL 33904 ~ 11 AM to 1 PM

November 21, 2008 ~ Roger's Christmas House, 100 South Saxon Ave., Brooksville, FL 34605 ~ 1 to 3 PM

November 24, 2008 ~ Beach Book Nook, 7205 Estero Blvd., Ft. Myers Beach, FL 33931 ~ 10AM to 12PM

November 29, 2008 ~ Village Bookshop, 1006 11th Ave. W., Bradenton, FL 34205 ~ 11 AM to 2 PM

December 1, 2008 ~ All Booked Up, 271 Colony Blvd., The Villages, FL 32162 ~ 11 AM to 1PM

December 6, 2008 ~ Kringle's Christmas Shoppe, 400 75th Avenue, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706 ~ All Day

December 12, 2008 ~ The Muse Book Shop, 112 S. Woodland Blvd., DeLand,  FL 32720 ~ 6PM to 9PM

December 13, 2008 ~ Raintree Books, 432 N. Eustis Street, Eustis, FL 32726 ~ 9:30 to 11:30 AM

December 13, 2008 ~ Raintree Books, 312 CR 25, Lady Lake, FL 32159 ~ 1 to 3 PM

December 20, 2008 ~ Little Bookworms, 8111 Lakewood Main St., Bradenton, FL 34202 ~ 10 AM to 1 PM

December 22, 2008 ~ Circle Books, 478 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34236 ~ 1PM