from Williamsburg, Virginia

The ministry of forgiveness is in full force. God has opened up doors for me to speak in schools, churches, and various organizations. I am determined to encourage, motivate and inspire those that have given up hope because of a scar. I realized through my book in order for me to fulfill my purpose in life I had to face my scar. I hated it and wished I never started to go that route but I trusted God more than ever before to write about it. It wasn’t easy at all but I did it. Since, my life has changed tremendously. Therefore if you need a word to lift your spirits, this book will do it.

                  from Buckingham, Virginia

Joseph Patrick Anthony is the author of Innerworld, a young adult fantasy (Bonneville Books, 2002); and two nature awareness picture books, The Dandelion Seed (Dawn Publications, 1997: Benjamin Franklin Silver Medal 1998), and In A Nutshell (Dawn Pub., 1999: Parent Council Outstanding Selection, 2000; Virginia Young Readers List 2002-2003).

                     from Buckingham, Virginia

Besides illustrating the two above mentioned picture books by Joseph Patrick Anthony, Cris’ title, All Around Me, I See by Laya Steinberg, was released by Dawn Publications in spring 2005 and was named a Bank Street ‘Best Book’ for 2006.   In The Trees, Honeybees, by Lori Mortensen was released by Dawn in March 2009 and has received critical acclaim.  Cris' newest title, Champions Of The Ocean by Fran Hodgkins, for middle school readers, is scheduled for a September, 2009 release.  Cris’ other illustration clients have included Frederick Warne, Franklin Watts, Donning Co., Berkley Books, Hampton Roads, ARE Press, and others.  She has also worked in advertising and animation for clients such as PBS TV in New York City, and the BBC.

                     from Charlottesville, Virginia

Her "The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences," brought the entire field of near-death studies up-to-date worldwide, and was featured in an online version of Newsweek Magazine. In 2005, she was awarded the Outstanding Service Award from the International Association For Near-Death Studies (IANDS), and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Transpersonal Hypnotherapists (NATH), as well as an honorary Ph.D. from a school in Sri Lanka. Also, a generational researcher, she is now writing the sequel to her book, "Beyond the Indigo Children."

                       Donna Nordmark Aviles

                        from Hockessin, Delaware

A resident of Hockessin Delaware, Donna Nordmark Aviles is the granddaughter of Oliver Nordmark, the protagonist of her first two books, Fly Little Bird, Fly! and Beyond The Orphan Train.  Based on Oliver’s oral history, these books tell the story of his early life as an orphan train rider in 1906 from NYC to Kansas in search of a home.  Aviles has worked in many fields including foreign exchange, social services and business.  After raising three children, she returned to her early love of writing and has recently released Peanut Butter For Cupcakes: A True Story From the Great Depression.

Aviles enjoys speaking at schools and community organizations on the Orphan Train Movement as well as the Great Depression and is a member of OTHSA - Orphan Train Historical Society of America.  She is a founding member of the Independent Authors Guild and an active member of the PODBRAM Review Team - an online review site offering cost free, honest reviews of deserving independent books. 

Fly Little Bird, Fly! & Beyond The Orphan Train was named the winner of the 2009 BEST BOOKS Awards sponsored by USA Book News in the Audiobook-Non Fiction Category.

Peanut Butter For Cupcakes has been named a finalist in the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards as well as a finalist in the 2009 BEST BOOKS Awards sponsored by USA Books News. 

                        from Staunton, Virginia

                      from Cumming, Georgia

In January 2003, federal agent Jack Branson’s 85-year-old aunt Ann was bludgeoned to death and stabbed 97 times in small-town Kentucky.  The killer left no fingerprints and no DNA. The case may have gone unsolved if Ann herself had not pointed police to her killer. Her story is chronicled in Murder in Mayberry and will also be featured on Discovery ID and TLC networks as part of a new show called Unusual Suspects.

Murder in Mayberry: Greed, Death and Mayhem in a Small Town is the true story of a brutal crime, a promising young professional who became a killer, and a wealthy, successful woman who became the perfect victim. It’s about the impact of violent crime on a previously “normal” family and on a quiet, trusting community who refused to forget one of its own.

Murder in Mayberry is endorsed by Family and Friends of Violent Crime Victims. The hardback edition was released in February 2008 by New Horizon Press. The paperback edition was released by Berkley in March 2009.

The Bransons have also written a teen fitness book that will be released by HCI Books in January 2010 called Cutting Myself in Half: 150 Pounds Lost, One Byte at a Time.  It’s the story of 16-year-old Taylor LeBaron, who reduced his weight from 297 to 145, using a unique fitness plan he developed himself, a plan that turns fitness into a game. The foreword is written by Dr. Michael Dansinger, WebMD physician and nutrition consultant for NBC’s The Biggest Loser.

Jack is also the author of a new mystery-thriller, "Terminal Justice", which he fills with details and descriptions that could only be gained from a lifetime in law enforcement.

"Terminal Justice" is the story of highly trained but ordinary people who find themselves at a moment in life when they have nothing to lose by using their skills outside the law and following through on their secret impulses. Knowing they’ll soon die releases a strong sense of justice in this group of federal agents as they pick up where the justice system failed.

The Bransons are currently working on two other true crime books. Their website is www.jackandmarybranson.com.

                   from Pikesville, North Carolina

Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. Experienced in technical editing, he has also worked with an adult literacy program. A musician and leader at his church, the author lives in the Carolinas with his wife.  http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

                            from Lyndhurst, Virginia

After retirement in December of 2006, these same people asked her not to let their stories end with her retirement. They wanted her to do something more permanent with the information she had collected in the Backroads for a quarter of a century.

Over the winter of 2008-09, Lynn began sorting through the old newspapers, picking out articles and interviews that she thought would be of interest to those wanting to know more about the Appalachian culture from our area. The results is Lynn's first book entitled "Backroads, Plain Folk & Simple Livin'", which came out in the autumn of 2009.

Lynn will be signing copies of her book at Book 'Em. If you cannot attend Book 'Em, you can contact her at 540-949-0329.

                             from Keswick, Virginia

Angels Unawares is Sofie's fifth book written, second in publication, and the first book in the Angels Series.

Next to raising two "para-normal young adults," her favorite occupations are writing, reading, and talking with young people on a variety of topics.

                         from Fulton, Maryland

Once upon a time...

there was a magical place with lots of magical characters and some strange folks, but not to worry I just finished my latest book.

I have been illustrating children’s books since 1991 and have won a number of awards for my Art and Books in my magical career. It’s the perfect job for me, because I get to be a kid every day. To date, I have illustrated over 30 books and just recently Trouble in Troublesome Creek got selected to represent the whole state of Kentucky at the National Book Festival in September 2010.  The Mystery of Journeys Crowne won a Biblio Best of 2009 Award. So all the magical things and strange folk that live in my head….

lived happily ever art once their creator got back to work.

                            from Keswick, Virginia

Her second book, A Passover Blessing, takes us to Jerusalem during the market days of Passover. Here, the young Jesus mesmerizes his audience in the temple, as a poor-afflicted girl listens at his feet. In Happy Birthday Precious Lamb, A Memoir of Your Birth, Jayne writes a memoir of the birth of Jesus, as written by His beloved mother, in stunning detail.

                         from Fulks Run, Virginia
 

Carol Maureen DeHart is the author of two books and numerous oral history interviews. “Boys of St. Mike’s, 1939-1943” is her father, John P. McCormick’s story. When he was fourteen, he and his two brothers were orphaned in a most dramatic way. Told in their lively Pennsylvania dialect, John, and his brother, Mike, share their unique story of life in a boy’s orphanage. John’s black and white photos capture the raw spirit of the era. Furthermore, letters between their mentor, the director of the Catholic orphanage, Father Hammond, and their eldest brother, Arthur, convey the life of a naval aviation machine mate during the Second World War. “John L. Heatwole, The Word Gatherer” is the oral history of the beloved historian and wood carver who enchanted Shenandoah Valley audiences with his story telling ability, his Civil War knowledge and his vast collection of folklore tales. History, superstitions, gypsy lore, magic cures and witch stories blend to create this fascinating memoir.

Carol Maureen has been a firefighter/emergency medical technician with the Bergton Volunteer Fire Department for twenty-three years in addition to working part time as a wildland firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service. Two days a week she manages Crafty Hand’s Toyland in the Shops at the Dayton Farmer’s Market.

                      from Hanover, Pennsylvania