*Header image: Sonya Hollins poses with Kalea Barnes and her new book, Chef Jasmine Goes to Tanzania.

One student rose to the occasion when Sonya Hollins challenged her Explorers to write a book. Kalea Barnes, a culinary entrepreneur, combined her passion and her role as an Explorer to write Chef Jasmine Goes to Tanzania. The chapter book takes youth to Tanzania, where Chef Jasmine wins a trip to teach kids how to bake her grandmother’s famous Red Velvet Cake. However, as Jasmine teaches her students, they also teach her that baking brings people together to learn even more significant lessons.

Although writing a book was more than she imagined, Barnes, a culinary arts student at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, said it is an experience she will never forget.

“It was hard,” Barnes said. “There was way more to it than I thought, but I am glad I did it.”

Hollins, the publisher of Season Press LLC, also founded the Merze Tate Explorers. She has consulted over two hundred self-published authors, has written several books SEE SONYA’S BOOKS HERE, and has been a commissioned author for local history projects. Hollins offered her services for free to challenge her students to write a book they would want to read. Barnes wanted to write a book that would highlight her as a young chef, and have as a product to promote her business, Parisian Dream Desserts. Besides editing services, Season Press LLC granted an artist, graphic designer, and publishing training.

“There are so many students with stories to tell; they just need a little help to bring it to fruition,” Hollins said. “I hope this is just one of many more books written by Explorers who can bring a new, fresh voice to the publishing world. They need to tell the stories they want to read.”

CLICK HERE To purchase your copy of Chef Jasmine Goes to Tanzania.

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