D.H. Barbara
Writing and storytelling began in elementary school, including rewriting song lyrics. Often, I would rewrite them to God, and my favorite to sing was “You Are the Sunshine of Life.” I told elaborate tales to my Barbie and Dawn dolls, stuffed animals and imaginary friends.
My faith is vital to me, and my writing. I write inspirational fiction and fantasy because, frankly, I can’t help myself. I have tried to write without the faith element and it’s next to impossible. I want my story to reflect faith and honest struggles. The plots appear in my mind as if I’m watching a full length feature movie. At times, it’s hard for my fingers to keep up with my brain. I’ve moved from my beloved yellow legal pads and Crystal Bic pens to a keyboard, but the process is the same. I start at the beginning, find a “soundtrack,” and start typing. In the back of my books you’ll find a section titled The Song Behind The Story. Many times, I find a worship or praise song that fits the story perfectly and that becomes the main track I listen to while writing.
If I’m not writing something, I’m reading a wide variety of fiction, nonfiction, theology and apologetics, to name a few. My favorite genres are, by far, science fiction and suspense. Some authors I enjoy are, in no particular order, Susan Sleeman, Anne McCaffrey, C.S. Lewis, Max Lucado, John Jakes, Stephen King, Robin Lee Hatcher, Chautona Havig, Frank Peretti, Randy Alcorn, Dr. Richard Mabry, Tess Gerrison, J.K. Rowling, Peter Tremayne, Elis Peters, oh, the list could go on and on and on! I have the immense pleasure of interacting with some of them online via social media.
Currently, I’m working on completing my Lakeville series. Lakeville is a fictional town in the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania.
Pepper Basham
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of 5 great kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz, and Jesus. Her debut historical novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in May 2015 and has garnered awards such as Reader’s Favorites Award, finalist in the Grace Awards, shortlisted for the Inspy Awards, and most recently a finalist in the ACFW Carol Awards. Her second historical novel, The Thorn Keeper, released in Feb 2016 and her first contemporary romance, A Twist of Faith, released in April 2016 with a 4 star review from Romantic Times. The third book in the Penned in Time series, The Thorn Healer, released on December 6 with a 4 ½ star review from Romantic Times!! Her first contemporary novella released in March and her first romantic comedy, Just the Way You Are, came out in April 2017. Stay tuned for more books in the future – and make sure to connect with Pepper over at her group blog, The Writer’s Alley
Patricia Beal
Patricia Beal has danced ballet her whole life. She is from Brazil and fell in love with the English language while washing dishes at a McDonald's in Indianapolis. She put herself through college working at a BP gas station and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Cincinnati with a B.A. in English Literature. She then worked as a public affairs officer for the U.S. Army for seven years.
She now writes contemporary fiction and is represented by Bob Hostetler of The Steve Laube Agency. Her debut novel, A Season to Dance, came out in May of 2017 (Bling! / Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas). A Portuguese translation will be out in her native Brazil in August of 2018 via Editora Pandorga. Patricia is a 2015 Genesis semi-finalist and First Impressions finalist. She and her husband live in North Carolina with their two children.
She now writes contemporary fiction and is represented by Bob Hostetler of The Steve Laube Agency. Her debut novel, A Season to Dance, came out in May of 2017 (Bling! / Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas). A Portuguese translation will be out in her native Brazil in August of 2018 via Editora Pandorga. Patricia is a 2015 Genesis semi-finalist and First Impressions finalist. She and her husband live in North Carolina with their two children.
Kate Breslin
Former bookseller-turned-author Kate Breslin enjoys life in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and family. A writer of travel articles and award-winning poetry, Kate received Christian Retailing's 2015 Best Award for First Time Author and her novel, For Such A Time, won the 2015 Carol award for Debut Novel. Kate's third novel, High As The Heavens released in June 2017. When she's not writing inspirational fiction, Kate enjoys reading or taking long walks in Washington's beautiful woodlands. She also likes traveling to new places, both within the U.S. and abroad, having toured Greece, Rome, and much of Western Europe. New destinations make for fresh story ideas. Please visit her at www.katebreslin.com.
Brandy Bruce
Brandy Bruce is a mom, a wife, a book editor, an author, and someone who really loves dessert. She’s the author of the award-winning novel The Last Summer, Looks Like Love, and The Romano Family Collection. Brandy, her husband, and their children make their home in Colorado.
Sandra Byrd
Bestselling author Sandra Byrd has published fifty books over her editing and writing career. Her traditionally published books include titles by Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, Tyndale House Publishers, WaterBrook Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, and Bethany House Publishers.
Sandra’s series of historically sound Gothic romances launched with the best-selling Mist of Midnight, which earned a coveted Editor’s Choice award from the Historical Novel Society. The second book, Bride of a Distant Isle, has been selected by Romantic Times as a Top Pick. The third in the series, A Lady in Disguise, published in 2017 and was named by the American Library Association’s Booklist as one of the Top Ten Inspirational Fiction books of the year.
Her contemporary adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2011, and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012.
Sandra’s new series launches in October 2018 with the lead title, Lady of a Thousand Treasures.
Sandra is passionate about helping writers develop their talents and their work through content coaching and line editing and has mentored hundreds of writers. Please visit novelcoaching.com for more.
Heather Chapman
Being the youngest of four sisters (and one very tolerant older brother), Heather grew up on a steady diet of chocolate, Anne of Green Gables, Audrey Hepburn, Jane Austen, and the other staples of female literature and moviedom. These stories inspired Heather to begin writing at an early age. After meeting and marrying her husband Mark, Heather graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University and finally settled down in a small farming community in southeastern Idaho with her husband and four children. In her spare time, Heather enjoys time spent with family, volleyball, piano, the outdoors, and almost anything creative.
Joyce DiPastena
Joyce DiPastena dreamed of green medieval forests while growing up in the dusty copper mining town of Kearny, Arizona. She filled her medieval hunger by reading the books of Thomas B. Costain (where she fell in love with King Henry II of England), and later by attending the University of Arizona where she graduated with a degree in history, specializing in the Middle Ages. The university was also where she completed her first full-length novel...set, of course, in medieval England. Later, her fascination with Henry II led her to expand her research horizons to the far reaches of his "Angevin Empire" in France, which became the setting of her first published novel, Loyalty's Web (a Whitney Award Finalist).
Joyce is a multi-published, multi-award winning author who specializes in clean historical romances heavily spiced with mystery and adventure. She lives with her two cats, Clio and Glinka Rimsky-Korsokov, in Mesa, Arizona.
Lauren Winder Farnsworth
Lauren Winder Farnsworth was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is an avid reader, a chocolate enthusiast, and a CPA with a slight alternative music obsession and dreams of one day becoming a gourmet chef. She obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Accounting from the University of Utah, went to work as a financial statement auditor, and then decided that since creative accounting wasn’t an option, creative writing would have to do. As a nice compromise, accountants tend to crop up in her stories (as she firmly believes they’re under-utilized in literature anyway). Having obtained two degrees from the same institution has made Lauren somewhat of a compound collegiate fan, and the only entity that holds more of her heart than the University of Utah is her hunky husband, Bryan. Lauren currently lives in South Jordan, Utah, where she spends entirely too much time watching Gilmore Girls and looking for excuses not to clean.
Lauren loves to hear from her readers! You can reach her at:
Janet Ferguson
Janet W. Ferguson grew up in Mississippi and received a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Mississippi. She has served as a children’s minister and a church youth volunteer. An avid reader, she worked as a librarian at a large public high school. She writes humorous inspirational fiction for people with real lives and real problems. Janet and her husband have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a few cats that allow them to share the space.
Candee Fick
Candee Fick is a multi-published author in both fiction and non-fiction. She is also the wife of a high school football coach and the mother of three children, including a daughter with a rare genetic syndrome. When not busy with her day job, writing, or coaching other authors, she can be found cheering on the home team at sporting events, exploring the great Colorado outdoors, indulging in dark chocolate, and savoring happily-ever-after endings through a good book.
Chloe Flanagan
Chloe S. Flanagan is an author, technical writer, blogger, and graduate of New York University. She enjoys exploring the Christian walk frankly and thoughtfully in her fiction and in her blog, The Candid Corinthian. When she’s not writing, Chloe loves music, travel, reading books in all genres, and spending time with family.
Jean C. Gordon
For Amazon Bestselling inspirational and sweet romance author Jean C. Gordon, writing is a natural extension of her love of reading. From that day in first grade when she realized t-h-e was the word “the,” she’s been reading everything she can put her hands on. She and her college-sweetheart husband tried the city life in Los Angeles, but quickly returned home to their native small-town Upstate New York, where she sets her books.
They share a 175-year-old farmhouse just south of Albany, NY, with their daughter and son-in-law, two grandchildren, and a menagerie of pets. Their son lives nearby. While Jean creates stories, her family grows organic fruits and vegetables and tends the livestock de jour.
A founding member of the Capital Region Romance Writers (Albany, NY), Jean currently serves as membership chair. She’s also a member of the Romance Writers of America and its Faith, Hope and Love Chapter, the American Christian Fiction Writers, and Novelists, Inc.
Lauraine Henderson
Lauraine lives with her husband, dog and cat on 68 acres of woodland 40 miles north of Portland, Oregon. After growing up in Oregon, they moved their family of three children to Utah. From there they moved to Hawaii and Arizona, finally coming back to Oregon in 2015. Their three children, two girls and a boy, are all grown and live across the United States. After being a professional bookkeeper for over twenty years, she turned her hobby of writing into her first published novel in 2016. She loves to write inspirational romance and hopes her readers will be both entertained and uplifted by her stories. When she’s not writing, she loves to paint (watercolors, oils, and acrylics), sew, knit, crochet, and read (of course!).
Pam Hillman
CBA Bestselling author PAM HILLMAN was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her daddy couldn't afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so Pam drove an Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn't mind raking. Raking hay doesn't take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her head. Now, that's the kind of life every girl should dream of.
Elle E. Kay
Elle E. Kay is a born-again bible believing Christian who lives in the Endless Mountain region of Pennsylvania. She is a hopeless romantic who believes in happily-ever-after. Elle and her husband, Joe have their own piece of rural paradise loaded with animals, including goats, sheep, turkey, chickens, and rabbits. Their livestock guardian dog, Sadie is on the job to keep them all safe.
Stella was Elle’s first novel, since its debut in 2016, Elle has released the second novel in that series, Claudia, as well as several novellas, including two for the multi-author Lawkeeper Series. Elle also writes children’s books under the pen name, Ellie Mae Kay.
Josi S. Kilpack
Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and credits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and has written twenty-five novels, one cookbook, and been part of multiple collaborations since then. She is a four-time Whitney Award winner and Best of State winner in Fiction. Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah, with her husband and children. Look for her upcoming national women’s fiction novel, As Wide as the Sky, published through Kensington Press under the name Jessica Pack, sometime in 2018.
Rachel Kirkaldie
Rachel Kirkaldie has been in love with writing since before she can remember. After earning her BA in Creative Writing at Brigham Young University-Idaho, writing took a backseat to “real life” jobs (from veterinary technician to state employee), but it never lost its shine. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband, three kids, one horse, and an annoying cat.
Tracey Lyons
An Amazon bestselling historical and Christian romance author of the Adirondack Pinkertons and the Women of Surprise series, Tracey sold her first book on 9/9/99, the day everyone thought all the computers would crash. Thankfully that never happened and Tracey’s books have gone on to final in the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, The Greater Detroit Booksellers best contest and OKRWA’s Reader’s choice awards. Tracey is a member of Novelist Inc. and Romance Writers of America, where she serves on the board of the Faith Hope and Love chapter. A true upstate New Yorker, Tracey believes you should write what you know. She considers herself a small town gal who writes sweet and inspirational small town romances. Her books have been translated into several languages and are available in print, digital and audio formats on Amazon.com. Pop on over to her website www.traceyjlyons.com where you can stay in touch with all of her latest news and sign up for Tracey’s newsletter.
Elizabeth Maddrey
Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace on their way to their own romantic happily ever after.
Debra E. Marvin
Debra E. Marvin is a member of ACFW, Sisters in Crime, a Grace Awards Judge, and serves on the board of Bridges Ministry in Seneca Falls, NY. She’s one of the founders of Inkwell Inspirations Blog, and is published with WhiteFire Publishing, Forget Me Not Romances, Journey Fiction and Barbour Publishing. Debra works as a program assistant at Cornell University in upstate NY, enjoys her family and grandchildren, obsessively buying fabric, watching British programming and traveling with her childhood friends.
Julie Matern
Julie A. Matern was born and raised in London, England. As a teen, she loved to visit the historic buildings of London, and developed a love of classic literature which blossomed as an adult and grew to include costume dramas.
Ms. Matern’s writing credits include British War Children, a middle grade historical fiction novel which received a ‘Recommended Read’ award from the League of Utah writers and British War Children II, An Enemy Among Us. This is Ms. Matern’s debut Regency Romance novel.
Ms. Matern lives in the shadow of the mountains with her husband, three of her six children and a golden retriever called Duchess.
Stephenia H. McGee
Stephenia H. McGee writes stories of faith, hope, and healing set in the Deep South. After earning a degree in Animal and Dairy Sciences, she discovered her heart truly lies with the art of story. She put pen to page and never looked back.
Jessilyn Peaslee
Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee was born into a family of avid readers, music lovers, and movie quoters. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in English. Her debut novel, Ella, was awarded the Silver Quill by the League of Utah Writers. Jessilyn grew up in the beautiful high desert of Southern California and now resides in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her handsome husband and five incredible sons. As you read this, she is probably folding laundry . . . or should be.
Joanna Politano
Joanna Davidson Politano freelances for a small nonfiction publisher but spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. Her debut novel, Lady Jayne Disappears, released October 3 from Revell. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods and shares stories that move her.
Jenny Proctor
Jenny Proctor lives just outside of Charleston, SC with her husband and six children. She loves spending time outside with her family and is happy her home keeps her close to the beach, and to the mountains. She loves great food and great friends, especially when she can enjoy them together. Jenny has four published novels, including contemporary romances Wrong For You (2017) and the 2016 Whitney Award winner in the Romance Category, Love at First Note.
Adrienne Quintana
Adrienne Quintana is the author of Eruption as well as several children’s books. When she isn't writing, Adrienne enjoys running, hiking, and matchmaking (Are you single? She probably knows someone perfect for you.) She lives in Arizona with her husband and four children, who give her love, support, and plenty of good material for Instagram.
Linda K. Rodante
Linda K. Rodante is an author and lover of sweet tea now living in the foothills of Tennessee. She sometimes misses her native state of Florida—the beaches, the swamps, and the forests--but she loves the coolness and seasonal changes in Tennessee. Especially the fall leaf change!
Linda writes Christian romantic suspense. Her books wrap sweet romance in real-life issues women face today then adds an edge of mystery and suspense. She desires not only to entertain with a good story, but to encourage others in their walk with God.
Cynthia Roemer
Cynthia Roemer is an award-winning inspirational writer with a heart for scattering seeds of hope into the lives of readers. Raised in the cornfields of rural Illinois, Cynthia enjoys spinning tales set in the backdrop of the 1800s prairie. She writes from her family farm in central Illinois where she resides with her husband and their two college-aged sons. Under Prairie Skies is Book Two in her Prairie Sky Series.
Beth Steury
Beth immerses herself in the YA world via substitute teaching, connecting with the teenage staff at the fast-joint where she claims the back booth as her office, and reading YA fiction.
She’s a cheerleader for saving sex for marriage. Her “Waiting Matters … Because YOU Matter” blog helps people of all ages navigate the choppy waters of saving sex for marriage and “renewed waiting.”
Beth is also a genetic genealogy enthusiast who used DNA to find her birth parents. Her journey to find and connect with her biological family is chronicled in “A Doorstep Baby’s Search for Answers” blog series. Her “Slices of Real Life” posts find GOD in the day-to-day moments of real life.
All of Beth’s writing endeavors can be found on her website. Connect with her on Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. Check out her books available on Amazon in both print and e-books.
Elaine Stock
Elaine Stock is the author of the novels Her Good Girl and Always With You, which has won the 2017 Christian Small Publishers Association Book of the Year Award in fiction. And You Came Along, a novella, released in December 2017. Her novels fuse romance, family drama and faith in a clean fiction style. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and contributes to the international “Happy Sis Magazine” and “InD’tale Magazine.” In addition to Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, she hangs out on her active blog, Everyone’s Story, dedicated to uplifting and encouraging all readers through the power of story and hope.
Born in Brooklyn, NY, Elaine has now been living in upstate, rural New York with her husband for more years than her stint as a NYC gal. She enjoys long walks down country roads, visiting New England towns, and of course, a good book.
Tanya Stowe
Tanya Stowe is an author of Christian Fiction with an unexpected edge. She fills her stories with the unusual…mysteries and exotic adventures, even a murder or two. No matter where Tanya takes you…on a trip to foreign lands or a suspenseful journey filled with danger…be prepared for the extraordinary.
Shannon Symonds
Shannon Symonds announces her first book, “Safe House,” a 2017 Whitney Award Nominee released by Cedar Fort Publishing and Media in July of 2017.
Shannon worked for 15 years as an Advocate. Shannon lives in a small seaside town where she works, writes, runs and paints. She believes the word can be changed one heart at a time and then even small acts can make a difference.
Kari Trumbo
Kari Trumbo is a best-selling author in the Cutter’s Creek continuity series as well as her personal series, The Seven Brides of South Dakota. She began her writing journey five years ago and has indie published over thirty titles. Prior to writing, she was a freelance developmental editor and beta reader.
Kari has a degree in psychology and home schools her four children. She loves to learn new things and believes life should always be a learning environment. To continue her writing education, she is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the American Christian Fiction Writers Association as well as her local chapter, MN N.I.C.E.
Teresa Tysinger
Teresa Tysinger writes Southern contemporary romance, inspired by grace. She loves the charm of small-town living, Southern accents, and happy endings. Teresa lives near Nashville, TN with her husband, daughter, and dog. She is a proud member of American Christian Fiction Writers, the Association for Women in Communications, and Religious Communicators Council.
Denise Weimer
Represented by Hartline Literary Agency, Denise Weimer holds a journalism degree with a minor in history from Asbury University. A former magazine writer, she is a substantive editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas as well as the author of The Georgia Gold Series, The Restoration Trilogy, and a number of novellas, including Across Three Autumns of Barbour's Backcountry Brides Collection. A wife and swim mom of two daughters, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses!
E.B. Wheeler
E. B. WheelerSummaryJoan Pryce is not only Catholic but also Welsh, and comes from a family ofproud revolutionaries. But when a small act of defiance entangles her in adeadly conspiracy, a single misstep could lead her straight to the gallows! Joanmust decide between fighting for freedom and finding her true love.Contributor BioE.B. Wheeler grew up in Georgia and California. She earned her BA in historyfrom BYU and has graduate degrees in history and landscape architecture fromUtah State University. With Welsh ancestors on one side of her family andcrypto-Catholics on the other, she's been fascinated by the story of WelshCatholics since writing about them in her master's thesis. She's the award-winning author of The Haunting of Springett Hall and lives in northern Utah withher family.
Roseanna M. White
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.
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