Karen Kendall is the author of many disasters and nine romantic comedies.

Her books have won the Maggie Award and been finalists in The Holt Medallion (3 times) the Bookseller's Best and the Madcap awards.

Karen's 2005 releases include First Date and First Dance in The Bridesmaid Chronicles, as well as Who's on Top, Unzipped and Open Invitation in her Man-Handlers series for Harlequin Blaze.

New York Times Bestselling Author Carly Phillips says about this author, "Hilarious and downright sexy! Karen Kendall will delight you."

Joanne Kerzmann-Troppello's debut novel Shadowed Remembrances was released in May 2004 to rave reviews. Spinsters Ink says, "The book is amazing and fresh…our readers found it to be compelling. The author's writing style and ability to conjure visuals is excellent and the author is very good at developing the tension to make the story move fast."

Shadowed Remembrances is a story about Torianna Silverman, a NYC crime scene investigator specializing in fingerprint identification, a young woman who has walked away from her past and her small town and started her life over in the city. On a visit back home, she is confronted with the hurts of her past, the rekindling of an old flame, and a murder. She encounters God in a special way and has to come face to face with her fears and find a way to move forward and solve the crime.

Internationally known author Pamela Kimmell writes her novels, short stories, and poetry in her home studio in Warrenton, Virginia. The Mystery of David's Bridge is the first novel in a planned series featuring Bailey Ferrol, private investigator, and her assorted friends and family. In this introduction to Bailey's world, a storm has moved through the town of David's Bridge, Virginia washing out the banks of the river, exposing the bones of a man who has been missing for some time. His involvement with some of the local estate owners' wives, as well as other questionable behavior, stirs up a variety of suspects that Bailey must pursue to catch the man's killer.

Pamela recently completed editing a poetry anthology for Sun Rising Poetry Press titled Cosmic Brownies, a collection of poems from over 50 writers, including Maya Angelou, about life's lessons learned. In addition, she and five other women friends just signed a contract for publication of a book containing inspirational essays, poems, and stories about womens' common journeys in life, titled Pink Jasper.

Ms. Land has been writing short stories and novels for 12 years and has won several awards. Serenity, Finding Faith, and Exit Wounds are all romantic suspense.

Serenity is about Maggie Thornton, an R.N. who leaves a large city after a heartbreaking series of events shatter her life. In starting life anew, she faces many challenges and twists and turns, makes a number of self-discoveries and finds romance in the most unexpected place.

In Finding Faith, Faith Hargrave meets the love of her life only to have tragedy strike soon after. She retreats to their beachfront home and faces tremendous obstacles as she struggles to cope with her heartbreak and find new meaning in her life.

Exit Wounds is the story of an insecure woman who devoted her life to her husband and children only to have it all fall apart after sixteen years of marriage. In one foolish moment she acts on impulse and suddenly finds herself suspected of murder.

Circles of Secrets and Promises to Keep are stories of international intrigue. Circle of Secrets pits ace CIA operative Alex Sheridan against a treacherous Columbian drug kingpin, Alfonse Guarino. Promises to Keep is the sequel as Guarino seeks revenge against Alex.

Joyce and Jim Lavene are co-authors of 40 novels and a wide selection of non-fiction articles and books. Their fiction is a blend of romance, mystery, and suspense. Their first mystery novel, Last Dance, was nominated for the Master’s Choice Award; and their romance, Flowers in the Night, was nominated for the Frankfurt Book Award. They live in North Carolina with their family.

Albert Leichter been writing since 1973. His works include books on music, a newspaper column on 1940s – 1960s R&B and R&R music, fund raising manuals for non-profit organizations, and local history. He publishes his own works as well as that of other authors. His in-print books are available locally, and at such sites as Alibris, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Abebooks, etc. In addition to writing, he operates an Internet business selling his own books, collectible books, phonograph records, and related music items.

Al will be teaching a course on self-publishing spring 2005 at Blue Ridge Community College.

Janet Lembke is the author of Virgil's Georgics, translation of a long poem on farming, The Quality of Life, Skinny Dipping, and Touching Earth. Her latest release, The Quality of Life, advises on how best to care for the elderly and make vital decisions for them when they are unable to do so themselves. The book was written as a result of caring for her mother during her final years and while her husband also was dying.

The Quality of Life is sure to tug at your heartstrings and cause you to think things through for your own life while you're still able to make rational decisions.

Ms. Lembke received a new award recently: the National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, 2005.

Kathryn Lively is the author of the Ash Lake Mysteries, including Saints Preserve Us, which won the 2003 Florida Writers Association Award for Best Mystery. She is also author of the EPPIE-nominated inspirational Little Flowers, Pithed: An Andy Farmer Mystery, and Dangerous Words, co-written with Bob Stanton.

She is also a regular contributor to Mystery Readers Journal, Mystery Scene Magazine, and This Rock Magazine. 

Rowan Lore started writing about 10 years ago and has completed several science-fiction short stories along with some fictional short- stories, essays and poems published on an online e-journal. She has also co-authored a vanity press humor book called The Right Time. Orange is her first full-length novel.

In Rowan Lore's debut novel Orange, there is a strong female protagonist that many women can relate to. The main character finds out no matter how strong and courageous we think we are, there are things we have trouble dealing with in real life.

Cathy Maxwell's checkered career includes stints as manager of a New England watch factory, a news broadcaster in Dodge City, Kansas, and six years as a naval officer.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in Olathe, Kansas, Cathy has been writing since 1991, authoring sixteen historical romance novels. Her books routinely appear on the USA TODAY "Top Fifty" list and the NEW YORK TIMES bestseller list. Her latest title is THE PRICE OF INDISCRETION released from Avon Books August 2005.

Cathy enjoys lecturing about writing and was profiled in the 1996 edition of WRITER'S DIGEST'S ROMANCE SOURCE BOOK. One of the highlights of her career has been her participation in the Smithsonian Associates sponsored weekend seminars on writing. She lives in beautiful Powhatan, Virginia.

Carlton Mcginnees is a retired airline pilot that has traveled the world and is now pursuing his love of writing.

Author of Murder on the Mountain, a book of international intrigue set in the capitols of the world and the wilds of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and The Sun Never Sets, a book about the life of an airline crew and the life altering events that take place during a flight to the west coast.

Slayton Moorhound writes stories of fiction with historically accurate timelines throughout the plots. His books are read internationally, and he has been featured on the cover of Commuter Air Magazine and was profiled in Venture Magazine. His books have been nominated by the Library of Virginia's Annual Awards in 2000 and 2003.

He will be signing nine of his books at Book 'Em, including: The Delivery Man, The Deercat, The Nephilim, The Student of Clifton Bales, Oh For Heaven's Sake, and Those Among Us. 

Award-winning author Linda Morelli is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Washington Romance Writers (WRW) since 1994. She has served the chapter as Vice President, chaired various committees, judged national and regional romance writing contests, and is a permanent judge in RWA's Golden Heart contest. Her other memberships include ESPAN-RWA (Electronic and Small Press Authors Network) and NUW (Not the Usuual Way).

In addition to writing, she is currently Associate Romance Editor with Port Town Publishing and Historical Editor for Gotta Write Network Online. In the latter capacity, she provides monthly columns in historical writing and interviews with award-winning authors.

Linda's books have received rave reviews and Shadow of Doubt has won numerous awards. Linda has been a professional artist, model, creative writer/editor, and a political direct mail fundraiser. She is currently writing her second romantic suspense and has several others in the works.

BJ Mountford is the author of the 'Bert Lenehan' mysteries set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  Her latest, Bloodlines of Shackleford Banks, has been recommended for regional collections by Library Journal and nominated for the Sir Walter Raleigh Award.  Her first novel, Sea-born Women, was called "a terrific debut" by Margaret Maron and was nominated for both the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the Sir Walter Raleigh Award.  She is currently working on her third mystery in the series.

BJ Mountford  was born in San Francisco but grew up on the west coast of South America.  Her father, an executive in the shipping industry, sent her to boarding school in Barbados to cut short the Spanish accent she was developing.  Like her heroine, Bert Lenehan, Mountford has volunteered for the National Park Service on Portsmouth Island, Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument in Idaho.  She lives in Emerald Isle, North Carolina.

Carol Newell has worked as a journalist, film critic, college instructor, and as a writing and reading tutor. She has published fiction and non-fiction in many magazines, including REDBOOK. Carol has an undergraduate degree in journalism from the State University of New York and a Masters in Fine Arts from The Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University, where she studied under John Barth.

Blue Lewis and Sasha the Great is her first published children's book. Carol was born in Los Angeles, California, with blue nails and blue lips, like Lewis. After undergoing two heart surgeries, her lips and nails are pink.

Ms. Nichols holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Kent State University, and has worked as a journalist and in elementary education in the Columbus, Ohio public schools.

In 1996 while her baby daughter Alysoun slept, she decided it was time to get started on the book she'd always intended to write. She fired up the word processor and five years later, Caviar Dreams was finished.

Ms. Nichols has finished her second novel, Tree Huggers, about the clash between militant environmentalists and unscrupulous developers, which is due for publication in 2007. She is currently working on a sequel to Caviar Dreams, titled How Do You Get To Music Hall? 

An award-winning author of paranormal and fantasy novels, Jana Oliver regularly communes with the numerous voices in her head. The end result has been her DragonFire Fantasy Series. The second book in the series, The Summoning Stone, won a Daphne du Maurier Award and finaled for the Colorado Award of Excellence.

Her next endeavor, Sojourn, due to appear from Dragon Moon Press in Spring 2006, mixes time travel with shapeshifters set amidst Late Victorian London during the time of the Ripper murders.

When not herding verbs and annoying nouns, Jana hosts The Curious Mind on Leisure Talk Radio Network, an Internet radio station. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and Midnight the cat.