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AboutAleta Antoinette is the founder of the Imagine Peace Foundation, whose mission is creating peace one person at a time. Inspired to write poetry at a young age by her father, George Betzler, who often read poetry aloud as a way of connecting, Aleta has spent five decades writing and collecting her work — work that has grown into a broader mission across her books: to inspire readers toward epiphany, helping them see themselves, each other, and the world through a fresh, new perspective.
Her first book, Imagine Peace: A Year of Gifting, brings together those five decades of poetry, honoring 80 charities and global photographers along the way. Its mission is to inspire readers to be kind to themselves, each other, and the planet. The book's launch was held at the Brown Palace in Denver on September 11, 2021 — chosen as the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, as a moment of tribute and healing — and was featured on both ABC and Denver7 news. Aleta has been featured as a local author at Tattered Cover Book Store, and was a runner-up for Aurora Poet Laureate in 2022; she was invited to apply again for the 2026 cycle, with a decision expected in the coming weeks. This year, Aleta continues that mission of epiphany with four new releases. Braving the Shadows, Embracing the Light: From Breakdown to Breakthrough is a raw and deeply personal memoir tracing her own journey through childhood trauma, illness, and healing — a story of learning to see her sensitivity not as a burden, but as a gift. As she puts it, the frightened child who once whispered words of comfort to herself now speaks them in triumph. Rare disease advocate Stephen Schroeder writes that the book "offers steadiness to patients and reminds us that none of us walks this road alone," while author Tom LaRotonda describes Aleta's presence on the page as one that "helps you feel less alone." A portion of proceeds from the book supports trauma survivors and the rare-disease community. Peace is Brave: The Power of Creative Surrender asks a bolder question still: what if choosing peace is the most courageous act of all? Proceeds from Peace is Brave, less $1 per copy, support the Imagine Peace Foundation. Nature has always been Aleta's inspiration and her reprieve — and that connection is what drives her to help make the world safe and healthy for the creatures and people who share it. That inspiration is at the heart of Serenity the Sea Turtle, the first series in her Year of Gifting collection, created to inspire children — and the adults who love them — to take action for the planet they share. What began in 2024 with Please Help Us Save the Oceans is now a full trilogy: Please Help Us Save the Land arrives this fall, introducing Serenity's land-dwelling cousin Keya, followed by Please Help Us Save the Air this holiday season, completing Serenity's journey from ocean, to land, to sky. |
ALETA ANTOINETTE
Founder of Imagine Peace Foundation Aleta’s mission is to be a peace warrior by using creativity, imagination, gifts, and commitment with gratitude to bring forth a more peaceful world.
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