Meet the Authors 2024

*Elizabeth Ajamie-Boyer: TJ Boyer, the creative genius for the Mirror Gate Chronicles, and his wife, Elizabeth Ajamie-Boyer, have co-written several books in the Sci-Fantasy genre. They are from Phoenix, AZ. A writer in her own right, Elizabeth wrote a historical fiction series about the Underground Railroad and the Civil War, a biographical novel about her great-grandmother, and co-wrote with TJ, a murder mystery.
See MirrorgateChronicles.wordpress.com

*Tom Alberti: Tom is a 51-year resident of Arizona and has enjoyed riding his horses all over Arizona. He has written a seven-book series, ‘The Horseman.’ This series highlights the adventures and history of a young ranching couple and includes danger, romance, and historical background in the Arizona Territory.

Tom has also published a book of western short stories and two independent novels. Nine of his ten books take place in the Arizona Territory. Most of the horses written about in his ‘Horseman’ series are his own horses and the trails described in his books are actual trails he has ridden.

Find out more at TomAlbertiNovels.com

*Bart Ambrose: Arizona native Bart Ambrose grew up on an Arizona cotton farm where he spent his nights reading novels and teaching himself to play guitar. He graduated from ASU and worked as a natural resource conservationist, then a second career took him to Nashville, writing and teaching songwriting and guitar.
His first three novels are historical fiction set in early to mid-twentieth-century Arizona. They take readers on vivid journeys and adventures in a fascinating era of the state’s history. Bart and his wife live near Tucson, Arizona.

More information about Bart, his books, and his music is available on his website at  BartAmbrose.com

*Susan Anderson: Susan Clare Anderson has an associate Teacher Certificate and additional studies in Child Development. She has experience working with children and strives to create quality books that are age-appropriate and fun to read. Her books have won awards from both the Purple Dragon Book Awards and the National Federation of Press Women Communications Contests. Susan currently resides with her husband in Southern Arizona.

Find out more at SusanClareAnderson.com

*Bonnie Bahn: Animals, birds, and disabled children prompted Bonnie to write the Applevale Holidays series of books. Her goal is to encourage disabled children to think of themselves as heroes. There are four books – Christmas Alligator, Raccoon Rainbow, Moon Balls, and Saving Yankee and Doodle.

Her first middle grade book, Bumblefoot, Murder is For the Birds, is about a trio of teenage sleuths who enlist the help of telepathic screech owl to solve a murder. Fire Below Mystery Mountain was inspired by the beautiful area around Payson, Arizona, local children, and a very special Golden Eagle.

Info: bonniebahn.wordpress.com

*Deborah Barber: From stories and poems in childhood to business manuals and blog posts, Deborah has been writing her entire life. Fulfilling a dream, she now writes Christian fiction novels and inspirational material. Heartfelt and reflecting her faith, Deborah’s writing touches the hearts of her readers.

Retired from a career in financial services, Deborah lives in the mountains of Arizona with her husband, where she enjoys spending time with three adult daughters and their families, including seven amazing grandchildren. She still loves to read and write, as well as play the piano, paint, and travel.

*Carol Baxter: Handmade quilts, home-baked rolls, and the meter of poetry filled my childhood and, although it is a tossup as to whether the rolls or the poetry made the most impact, since 2005 I have made my living in print as a successful grant writer, marketing copywriter, editor, and award-winning features journalist. I am Carol Baxter and I have helped dozens of people write their memoirs, the truest family heirloom you can share with future generations. Isn’t it time to share yours?

Learn more at TalesofaLifetime.net

*KA Beldsoe:  K. A. Bledsoe’s writing journey began at the age of six with a short story about kids growing up on a space station. Even through other jobs like scooping ice cream, shoe salesman, pharmacy tech, band director, and parenting, writing has been a constant.

Born, raised and still residing in Arizona, the author continues to pen stories in all genres despite the distraction of house cats underfoot and the occasional bobcat or roadrunner strolling through the backyard.

*Patricia Boomsma: Patricia is a retired Arizona lawyer now writing, crocheting, traveling, and enjoying life. Her award-winning novel, The Way of Glory (Edeleboom Books), came out in 2018. Her second novel. Flotsam (Bink Press), was published in September of 2023, and her third novel, Lost, is scheduled for release in August of 2024.

Find out more at PatBoomsma.com

*Timothy J. Boyer: TJ, the creative genius for the Mirror Gate Chronicles, and his wife, Elizabeth Ajamie-Boyer, have co-written several books in the Sci-Fantasy genre. They are from Phoenix, AZ. A writer in her own right, Elizabeth wrote a historical fiction series about the Underground Railroad and the Civil War, a biographical novel about her great-grandmother, and co-wrote with TJ, a murder mystery.

Find out more about the series at MirrorGateChronicle.wordpress.com

*Jason Bradford: Jason grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and now resides in Arizona with his fiancé and three children. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and dedicated himself to a career in public service. Endeavoring to tap into his passion for creative storytelling and heart-pounding action and suspense, he set to work on his Solar Ashes series.

Learn more and connect at Bradfordbooks.com or Solarashes.com.

*Patricia L Brooks: Patricia is president/founder of Brooks Goldmann Publishing, LLC, and Scottsdale Society of Women Writers. She wrote/published three memoirs: Sick as My Secrets, Three Husbands and a Thousand Boyfriends and Gifts of Sisterhood – journey from grief to gratitude.

She holds two business degrees, a BA and a MAOM degree. She is an adjunct faculty at Arizona State University, currently teaching memoir writing for the Piper Center for Creative Writing. She previously taught marketing and management classes for over ten years in the W. P. Carey School of Business.

Patricia lives in Scottsdale, AZ with her husband, author Earl L. Goldmann. They are partners in their publishing consulting business.

Find out more at BrooksGoldmannPublishing.com

*Susan Budavari: Susan has always been an avid mystery reader. After years as a scientific writer/editor and encyclopedist in the pharmaceutical industry in New Jersey, she moved to Arizona and began writing fiction. She writes the Merano & Bell Novel series featuring a small-town Arizona PI (and ex-NJ cop) and his physician wife. Reason to Hide is the latest book in the series. She co-authored with Merle McCann, Beyond the Broken Door, 2020 Winner of the Anthology/Fiction Award, New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards. She has served as an advisor on the board of directors of Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter. Susan is currently working on a cozy mystery.

Learn more at susanbudavari.com

Kelly Burton: Kelly Fitzsimmons Burton, Ph. D. is a retired college professor. She is the president of The Logos Foundation, a non-profit educational organization in Young, AZ. She is also the founder and CEO of Public Philosophy Press, which has two imprints: Logos Papers Press and Valley Press. She is married to David Burton, a musician. They enjoy living in their tiny home, where they have two blue heelers and tend to a few cows.

Find out more at  PublicPhilosophyPress.com

 

*Tam Chronin: Tam is a figment of the imagination, which might be why she lives there often enough to find her main characters and convince them to share their stories. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her family and pets, including a vicious attack tortoise who guards the backyard.

Find out more at TamChronin.com

*Connie Cockrell: A 20-year Air Force career, a manager at a computer operations company, wife, mother, sister and volunteer, provides a rich background for Connie Cockrell’s story-telling.

She writes about whatever comes into her head so her books could be in any genre. She’s published 20 books, has been included in five anthologies and been published on EveryDayStories.com and FrontierTales.com. Connie’s always on the lookout for a good story idea. Beware, you may be the next one.

If you’d like to know more, go to ConniesRandomThoughts.com or to Facebook.

*Chrisann Dawson: Beginning in 1991, Chrisann and her family lived in Congo for seven years doing mission work, providing her with first-hand insight into the setting and culture. They were there for the 1995 Ebola Outbreak that shocked the world and they experienced war, trauma, and the hardships of daily life. Chrisann speaks Lingala fluently.

Chrisann and her husband, Gale, have been married for 30 years. They have three grown children. Their second daughter was born in the Congo. Currently they live in Payson, Arizona where Chrisann works part-time with University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.

Learn more at www.ChrisannDawson.com

*Tracy Dayment: Tracy is an author originally from the suburbs of Chicago. She, along with her husband, Tim, have resided in Arizona for more than twenty years. In 2013, they adopted their beautiful daughter, Diana. Tracy wrote Papercuts and Glitter Jars based on her own experiences of international adoption on a budget and raising a special needs child. Tracy’s first book Learning to Live: Life Skills for ALL Ages was created as a tool to help Diana learn important skills. Tracy is in the process of creating a children’s book series to teach acceptance of those who have different abilities.

Follow Tracy on Facebook.

*C.K. Donnelly: While other kids read comic books under the covers with a flashlight at bedtime, C.K. Donnelly wrote stories. She used her love of writing to pursue a career in journalism, and eventually, wrote a novel. After 20 years, the self-described “unsuccessful quitter” published her epic fantasy in 2020, Trine Rising, The Kinderra Saga: Book 1. The sequels, Trine Fallacy: Book 2 (2021) and Trine Revelation: Book 3 (2022), soon followed. Together, the series has won some 18 awards and has received critical acclaim.

C.K. resides in Arizona with her oh-so-patient husband and her little black dog (who is equally patient). She no longer writes under the covers by flashlight – usually.

Find out more at ckdonnelly.com

*R. A. Douthitt: Former writing teacher, R. A. Douthitt is an award-winning author of many books for middle grade readers and adults in fiction and non-fiction. She is the winner of the Moonbeam Children’s Books Award-Bronze Medal for Best Book Series and First Place in the 2022 Christian Indie Awards in the YA category. She currently works for Grand Canyon University and lives in Phoenix with her husband Scott and their little dog. When she isn’t writing, Ruth loves to run, draw, paint, and garden.

Learn more at ArtByRuth.com

*Laurie Fagen: Laurie is a long-time “writer by habit” who has written for radio and television news; corporate video, films and documentaries; magazines and newspapers; and now crime fiction mysteries. An honorable mention in a contest led to three published anthology stories, and her crime fiction novel series Behind the Mic Mysteries, Fade Out, Dead Air and Bleeder are available in e-book, print and audio-book. She’s working on Raw Image, the first in a new series, Behind the Lens Mysteries.

Fagen is a member of Sisters in Crime and chapters including Los Angeles, San Diego and Grand Canyon Writers.

Learn more at ReadLaurieFagen.com

*Cynthia Anne Finefrock: Cynthia Anne lives in Scottsdale, AZ with her furry roommates, Winston and Sparrow. Cynthia’s true passion in life is experiencing as much of the world as possible through the lens of her camera. After designing a website to showcase her diverse photography, Cynthia decided to edit her dog Winston into her travel landscapes. What started as a comical exchange between friends has transpired into an award-winning book series.

Before she ventured into the world of writing children’s books, Cynthia graduated from the University of Southern California before obtaining her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies from Cornell University. In her free time, Cynthia enjoys cooking, playing with her dogs, and researching new travel destinations.

Stay updated on Winston’s fabulous life by following him on Instagram @WinstonTravels. Visit CynthiaAnne.com for updates.

*Diana Fisher: Diana is an award-winning author, award-winning illustrator, and award-winning artist. She has been authoring and illustrating how-to-draw books, and other artistic products, for over 20 years. She is an expert at breaking down drawing into simple steps anyone can follow. The hundreds of 5-star reviews her books have received are testament to her ability to reach and teach children. After many years working with traditional publishers, she has now formed her own publishing company, Peewee Picasso®.

Visit the Peewee Picasso website at PeeweePicasso.com.

*Suzanne Flaig: Suzanne is the author of the Missy Jenkins musical mystery series, Terror in Double Time, Death in 3/4 Time, and Killing in Quarter Time. Her short stories have appeared in print and online, including several in various anthologies. Two books of original short stories, Thrilled to Death and Deadly Droplets, are available on Amazon and Kindle. Suzanne is a past president of the Desert Sleuths chapter of Sisters in Crime and a member of the Mesa Writers Guild.

For more information, see MissyJenkinsMysteries.com

*Erik Foge: Erik’s passion for history and writing began at age fourteen when his parents sent him to Washington, D.C. The characters in the Project Pegasus Series are drawn from within the Intelligence Community, the NRO; the NSA; the CIA; an Admiral and the Master Chief of the Sixth Fleet; Navy Seals, Astronaut John Glenn, and others. Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) 2020 named One Way Roads First Place in the Global Thriller Book Awards. CIBAs 2021 named We Know Your Name a Finalist in the Clue Book Awards. Erik was featured in Magic Image Hollywood Magazine, October 2022.

Find out more at ErikFoge.com

*Howard Gershkowitz: Howard lives in Arizona, though he hails from New York City. Journaling for more than forty years, he began submitting and publishing 12 years ago. To date, more than three dozen poems and eight short stories have appeared in print. His debut novel, The Operator, was published in 2018 by All Things That Matter Press. His second novel, Not on My Watch, was published in 2021, and book three, Special Delivery, is scheduled to be released later this year. Journeys to Authorship is an anthology of true stories by 14 authors outlining our varied journeys to becoming published.ter.com.

*Earl L. Goldmann: Earl launched Bounce Back in 2017 at age 82, and Intestinal Fortitude in 2022 at the age of 88. His third memoir to be out at age 90! Stay tuned.

Earl’s mantra is ‘you can keep going long after you think you can’t.’ His first memoir is the true story of one man’s journey to survive. His second is a powerful personal with his unflinching optimism during his search for identity through sports.

Earl played basketball and baseball at Oregon State University. He taught high school Social Studies and coached for over 25 years in Oregon. Today he is a partner/author at Brooks Goldmann Publishing.

www.brooksgoldmannpublishing.com

*Rita Goldner: Rita has a passion for the natural world, sustainability and environmental responsibility. This agenda, coupled with a love of drawing and writing made picture book writing/illustrating a great fit for her. Through written word and illustrations Rita shows her love of nature, endangered animals in their habitats, and global ecology. Her storytelling style, with colorful, whimsical pictures and lively action-packed plots, make learning fun.

She hopes that her award-winning books will bring awareness of the environment’s importance and will ensure that her readers will join the fight to preserve all this when they grow up.

Learn more at RitaGoldnerBooks.com

*David Gordon: David was a social studies teacher, principal, and is a founding owner of the Grand Canyon College Preparatory Academy in Tempe, Arizona. He grew up reading and watching science and historical fiction and is a big baseball fan. David has combined his various passions in the Jigsaw series, which focuses on time-traveling teens thrust into major historical events—many of which never made the standard history books. Born in New York David now lives in Arizona with the love of his life, Gwyn. They are dog people, and enjoy travel and food—Italian, Asian, Middle Eastern and Indian cuisines in particular. David is also currently an Instructional Assistant at Roosevelt Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona, and a political writer for Blog for Arizona.

Learn more at DavidAlynGordon.com

Maria Greenhalgh:

Michael Hale: Michael is an award-winning author and illustrator of picture books. He has illustrated over a dozen books with various authors, he also writes and illustrates his own stories. The books he writes are humorous, rhyming, read-out-loud stories for children.

Michael lives in Phoenix, Arizona. You can see more of Michael Hale’s work by visiting MichaelHale.me

Robert Hershberger: Robert Hershberger, Ph.D., FAIA is a retired architect and educator living in Payson, Arizona. He received degrees from Stanford, U. of Utah and U. of Pennsylvania. He served as professor of architecture at ASU from 1969 – 88 and dean at UA from 1988 – 2022. He published many articles and two academic books: Architectural Programming by McGraw-Hill, 1999, and Predesign Planning by NCARB, 2019. His architectural work received over a dozen design awards. His paintings are exhibited online and at galleries and resorts in Arizona. He cared for his wife as she battled Alzheimer’s disease from 2010 to 2015. Diary of an Alzheimer’s Caregiver is the result.

Go to HershbergerArtist.com or TheRimGallery.com to learn more.

*PJ Hultstrand: PJ is the author of 14 books. She has also been a book publisher, managing editor for two newspapers, senior graphics designer and is a digital publishing specialist for a 46-year-old education material publisher.

She is an author of Time-Travel Romance and New Adult Paranormal Fiction (aka Urban Fantasy). She also has an award-winning non-fiction, The Jungle Survival Guide to Media Kits for Authors, and a little duck series for children.

Find out more at PJHultstrand.com

*Leslie Keller: Leslie (Keller) Rager draws upon her experience in the restaurant business and her love of the Arizona desert to create the characters for her cozy mysteries. Both of Leslie’s books in her first series, Menu for Murder and Cocktails at Sunset, have received five-star reviews on Readers’ Favorites, Amazon and Goodreads. Book three is in process and continues the story of Jayne Stanford, the less than stellar server. Check out her contributions to the Desert Sleuths cookbook, Recipes to Kill For and read her short story romance, both available on Amazon.

She spends her limited free time hiking in the desert, savoring wine and spending time with her husband, family and friends. As a breast cancer survivor, she volunteers for EBeauty, a non-profit organization created to support women undergoing treatment for cancer.

Find more at LeslieKellerBooks.com

*Jan Kelly: Jan is a native Arizonan with an MFA in Creative Writing from Arizona State University where she taught for 30 years. She has one daughter and lives with her husband in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Find her books at ReadJanKelly.com

*Kathleen Kelly: Kathleen worked as a Registered Nurse specializing in Critical Care and Emergency Medicine for more than thirty years. Trained as a Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner, she worked with victims of violence. Kathleen is the Coordinator of Gila County Child Fatality Review for the Arizona Health Dept. She has studied extensively in alternative healing, embracing the richness of a holistic approach in her work as a medical intuitive. She believes her work lends the illuminating voice of each child after death.

Her short stories, penned in her journals over the years, celebrate the best in all of us.

Find out more at Myss.com/Profiles/Kathleen-Kelly

*Sandra Kindt: It’s no surprise to those who know Sandra well that she chose communication and relationships as her course of study. Earning an MA in the field of Organizational Communication, she refers to her degree as her “passport,” the thing that allows her to practice what she’s learned. Sometimes it’s been by teaching communication and organizational behavior skills at a university, or by sharing Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People at various corporations. Now, turning simple observations into stories for her grandchildren or anyone’s kids is her idea of living with purpose.

Find out more at SandraSorensonKindtAuthor.com

Christine Knowles: Christine grew up reading books in Geneva, IL. She graduated from Northwestern University after studying Theater, TV and Film, a perfect storm for her later writing life. She is also the managing editor of an international scientific research journal. Christine lives in Tucson, AZ, with her husband and dog. The Caveman in the Backyard is her debut novel. The story takes place at the Murray Springs Clovis site, just east of Sierra Vista, AZ, both in the present day and 13,000 years ago.

Find out more at ChristineKnowlesAuthor.com

*Sharon Langdale: Sharon graduated from the University of San Bernardino, Ca. She eventually moved to the San Juan Mountains of Colorado for seven years. She built a restaurant and resort on the shores of Lake San Cristobal at 9200 ft elevation. She now resides in northern Arizona, and she has found the proximity of ancient Native American sites inspiring and recently joined the Arizona Archeological Society. Sharon loves mystery stories, and her novels, Vein of Justice and Maggie of the Ute Tribe are rich with research that bring the characters alive as she weaves fiction and fact into stories that are exciting and tense.

*Ivory Angelic LaNoue: Ivory is a respected angel communicator based in central Arizona. She’s the author of Let Your Angels Lead and Celestial Connections Angel Journal. Ivory is the host of The Angel Room, a podcast popular around the world. She teaches angel communications, does spiritual counseling and angelic healing.

Find out more at IvoryLaNoue.com

*Venetia Hobson Lewis: Venetia worked at several stock brokerages and for almost eighteen years as a corporate paralegal for a motion picture studio. She is the author of several award-winning Western short stories.

Find out more at VenetiaHobsonLewis.com

*Nikos Ligidakis: Award-winning author, Nikos Ligidakis, writes with clarity and passion in an ardent voice, not to just recount adventures, but with an expression of feelings, to encourage the reader to think, to find hope in the eternal struggle for the meaning of life and the awareness of harmony. Today Nikos devotes his life to coaching new authors encouraging and assisting them to write and publish their books.

Nikos has founded several charitable organizations with the most notable his Thanksgiving Project to Feed the Hungry, a program that provided food to tens of thousands during its 21-year run. His selfless work with people has earned him several humanitarian awards over the years.

Follow him at Facebook.

*Ed Loughlin: Ed Loughlin is a retired faculty member from Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona where he worked as a Counselor, Advisement Coordinator and Health Instructor. Ed attended Northern Arizona University (NAU) where he received his undergraduate, graduate and nursing degrees. He has worked as a psychiatric nurse and taught both elementary and junior high school. Ed was also a radio announcer and loves to chat about music from the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

Find out more at SelfishService.com

*Betsy Love: Betsy Love: If Betsy had a horse, she’d be out riding. Instead, she writes small town, contemporary romances. Betsy Love has loved to write from the moment she could hold a pen and has been creating stories since she was in elementary school. In high school, her creative writing teacher told her one day she would be published. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in secondary education/English. When not writing, she loves spending time with her children and grandchildren, so much so that she and her granddaughter wrote a picture book together.

You can find her online at BetsyLove.com

Bill Lynam: Bill’s children’s books are Bernie, the Flying Squirrel and Lucky Foxes (2018), Bernie, la ardillita voladora (2019 in English & Spanish); and Steampunk Mashup, a YA collection of short stories (2017). He is also the co-author of Footloose Pilgrims, a coming-of-age travelogue (2014). All can be found on Amazon and Kindle.

Coming soon: Shorty, Alien Dog, an obedience school drop-out comes to earth for adventures, and The Confederate Canuck, historical fiction about a Canadian lumberjack who travels to Mississippi and becomes a Rebel officer as the Yankees are fighting their way upriver to split the South.

Find out more at Bill-Lynam.com

Wilma MacLiver: Wilma began writing at age 10 to relieve the pain of her mother’s unrelenting abuse. She discovered that writing brought some relief.

Years later, she searched for a book on mother-daughter sexual abuse (MDSA), from a daughter’s perspective and found none. She decided then, that if she found the courage, she’d write her story for other daughters searching. Life Behind the Masks is the true account of the unspeakable abuse she suffered and her inspiring healing process.

Wilma is a public speaker on the issues of child abuse and bullying and she works with trauma support groups.

Learn more at LifebBehindTheMasks.com

*Nancy Marshall: Nancy was born in New York and moved to Arizona in 1975. She was Executive Director of the Arizona Civil Liberties Union for almost five years. Nancy spent many weekends with her family at a cabin outside Prescott. There, she encountered an Arizona Black Rattlesnake that had stories to tell about his fellow wild creatures. In 2008, she defended an activist jailed by Sheriff Joe Arpaio and learned many stories of his reign of popularity—and abuse of power.

Nancy believes in your capacity to read, think for yourself, talk with friends, and act on your new awareness.

Find her books at NuggetPress.com

Jan M. Martin: Jan would rather write than eat or sleep, which is handy for authors—not so much for husbands. Favorite writing moment: meeting famous moonshiner Popcorn Sutton during research for Heir of Deceit. She has won national contests for her comedic poetry on subjects such as Black Friday, Eskimo Pies, and her messy kitchen. She wrote for a local newspaper at age 11, and worked for her high school and college journalism departments. She is the author of novels Heir of Deceit and Impressions of Innocence; My Word, That’s Absurd! (Humor); and Maintaining a Youthful Appearance (in progress).

Visit her website.

*Merle McCann: Merle is known for her National Literature award-winning Longjohners Mystery Series for middle readers. Her short stories have appeared in many award-winning anthologies. Her novel Vagabonds & Kings won best in all genres at Louisiana’s Dixie Kane Memorial National Literature competition. Merle is a founding member of Sisters in Crime, Grand Canyon Writers. She served on the Board of Directors of Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter. She has worked as a paralegal, banker, event planner, and scenic photographer. She lives in Cave Creek, Arizona, with her husband.

Find out more at MerleMcCannAuthor.com

*Kathie McMahon: Kathie is the author of the humorous, award-winning chapter book series, Mortimer and Me, about eight-year-old Jimmy and a moose named Mortimer. Kathie taught elementary school for 32 years, where she composed several school musicals. She also collaborated on many youth theater musicals, receiving four ariZoni awards for Original Music Composition. She is a member of SCBWI and hosts the East Valley KidLit Mingles. Kathie lives in Gilbert, Arizona, where you won’t find any moose, but plenty of snakes, gila monsters, and mountain lions.

For the latest news involving the adventures with Jimmy and Mortimer, visit KathieMcMahon.com.

*Ron Mealka: Ron served in the USAF as an aircraft mechanic during the Vietnam era. Upon discharge, he spent a few years as a 6th-grade schoolteacher and enjoyed challenging his students to be creative.

Many years ago, he scribbled down on paper an idea to write a children’s book and custom write and illustrate it only for his two small children, Jennifer and Jason. It was supposed to be a family book only, but then he realized that teachers and parents could use his book as a teaching tool. That is how Jason, Jennifer, and the Fun House came to be.

Follow Ron on Facebook.

*R Gregg Miller: After twenty-five years of chasing the bad guys on the streets of Los Angeles, Gregg retired from the LAPD to chase his toddler around the house. Instead of dragging a war bag to the trunk of a police car every day, he began tossing a stroller and a diaper bag into his SUV for another “daddy and daughter adventure day.” Now, with his daughter working on her PhD, the aging street cop lives in the White Mountains. When he isn’t building furniture or strolling through the forest, he’s working on another exciting novel.

Learn more at GoodGuyPublishingHouse.com

*Virginia Mohler: Virgina retired from teaching in June of 2020 and presently writes children’s books that inspire and encourage young minds as well as, history and humor for adults. Virginia writes a weekly blog on her website to inform and entertain. These funny stories and little-known historical facts are meant to encourage and uplift those of any age.

Virginia has taught students from Kindergarten through High School, but she found her love in the Kindergarten classroom where she taught for the last 35 years.

Find out more at VirginiaMohler.com Follow her on Facebook

*Tom Morrissey: Tom is a retired Chief Deputy US Marshal, martial artist, veteran of the US Army, former member of two hit rock groups and a song writer for Ray Charles and Richie Havens. He was born and raised in Brooklyn NY, to a blue collar family, in a culturally diverse neighborhood. An animated film based on Tom’s children’s book is in the pre-production stage. He is co-writing an action thriller series with actor/martial artist Steven Seagal. He loves to tell a good story about his dream of the return of this country’s founding principles, with power back to the people.

Follow Tom on Facebook.

*Margaret C. Morse: Margaret writes about a lawyer with magic powers, a witch. In the most recent, Murder Hexes the Reunion, attorney Petra Rakowitz solves a murder to save her newly discovered birth mother from arrest. When characters can kill with magic, the ways to dispatch a victim dramatically increase. After 25 years as a Public Defender Margaret knows a lawyer can transform into a witch. She lives in Phoenix with her wonderful husband Duane and many mutts. If Margaret is not planning how to kill someone, she loves cooking, bird watching, and visiting stark landscapes.

Visit her at MargaretMorseAuthor.com

*R.L. Nelson: Randee Lee, professionally known as R.L. Nelson, has been writing stories as long as she could hold a pencil. What started as a childhood passion for storytelling, has become her lifelong passion. There is nothing Randee enjoys more than writing (and reading) stories that are heart wrenching, along with some humor and a hint of romance. When she’s not dreaming up new stories to tell, you can find Randee spending her time with family, playing video games, and painting, or binge-watching true crime dramas.

For more information visit her website AuthorRLNelson.com

*Kathleen Osborne: Kathleen served in the Air Force for 21.5 years. She has traveled widely, living in several states, as well as in Turkey and England. Kathleen and the group she founded, Transcendent Authors, have written seven anthologies since they were formed. Kathleen’s novel, King of Onus, Book One of the Onus Chronicles, a Space Opera, is available on Amazon.com. Her second novel, Dream Brides, Book 1 of the Modrog Protectors, is a SciFi-Romance.

More information about Kathleen can be found on her website: Kathleen-Osborne.com

*Glenda Sue Paradee: Born in California, Glenda moved to Arizona in the 1970’s. She got her certificate in Computer Programing in 1981. She loved her career as a computer programmer for 30 years. She created her company, Thanks For The Music, in 1993. She publishes an online music website at ThanksForTheMusic.com.

She is the author of two books, Tinkerbell, the Long-haired Chihuahua, and Taffy Travels Around the World to See What She Could Find. She lives in Gilbert, Arizona with her husband and in the summer months they live up at their cabin in the pines in Overgaard, Arizona.

Find out more at ThanksForTheMusic.com/shop

*Jonathon Pembroke: A meteorologist in a former life, Jonathan now spends his days crafting a completely different type of made-up tales. His adult fantasy series include The Holly Sisters, Tales of Bleakwater, and Way of the Pathfinder, and his middle-grade fantasy series is called Protectors of Palladia. When not writing, Jonathan reads, gardens, and fiddles in his shop. He lives in northern Arizona with his wife Lisa.

See more at FlintHatchet.wordpress.com

*Dr. Arthur Phoenix: Dr. Phoenix is an acclaimed author, board-certified life coach, and motivational speaker with a Ph.D. in Philosophy. He has also worked with numerous renowned celebrities over the past 30 years. Dr. Phoenix received the prestigious President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from President Donald J. Trump for his accomplishments in 2018. Dr. Phoenix also received a Letter of Recognition personally signed by President Barack Obama in 2013.

Dr. Phoenix has written four compelling books: a music autobiography that intertwines with his life story; an insightful, celebrity tell-all book; Phoenix Rising: Life’s New Beginning, an inspiring guide for personal success and Dr. Phoenix’s brilliant masterpiece; and a fun-filled fantasy tale children’s book.

Read more at his website SpiritPublishingBooks.com

*Laura Planck: Laura was a graphic designer for 40 years. After retiring, she started to illustrate and write children’s books, a dream of hers since high school. Laura’s experience comes from a fulfilled life of being a Christian mom, wife, and business owner. She desires to continue to use her talents for God. All her books show the joy of helping those in need. They’re about funny, loving, little animals with Christian values. She enjoys story time with the children, using lots of cool props and music. Laura encourages them to find their God-given talents, so life can be more meaningful and blessed.

Find out more at BigcheeksAtSquirrelyBeach.com

*Barbara Renner: Barbara started writing children’s picture books when she retired from teaching. Inspired by nature, the stories in nine of her books revolve around wildlife main characters and include animal sounds and facts. Avid dog lovers, Barbara and her husband rescued a yellow lab mix, Larry, who became the subject of a photo book filled with feel-good messages as seen through the eyes of a dog. When not writing, Barbara can be found walking Larry, hiking the desert foothills, gardening, traveling, and occasionally attempting to play a round of golf.

Info: www.rennerwrites.com

*Jen Rinaldi: Along with her artistic endeavors, Jen always kept a journal. That practice sustained her love of the written word. She has worked as an artist or writer in some capacity in almost every job since. She started as a glass designer and restoration specialist in Wisconsin, then moved to Arizona and began exploring graphic design and print media. She managed events and designed visual media for horse races, rodeos, and county fairs, that experience teaching her how to speak publicly. She writes a monthly article for Outdoor SW magazine.

You can visit her at Jen-Rinaldi.com

*Robert Ronning: From Washington State, Robert had an early career in theatre, earning a Ph.D. in communication arts. He directed two plays Off Broadway: a comedy about George Bernard Shaw and a concert docudrama on Albert Einstein at Lincoln Center. He taught performance literature at City University of New York. His writing has appeared in local, regional, and national publications. He made a pivot to write about wildlife and conservation, including his adventure novel, Wild Call to Boulder Field. He and wife Kathleen Alden live in Tucson and summer in a cabin in Arizona’s White Mountains, just a few minutes daily dog walk from national forest and wildlife.

Find out more at RobertRonningAuthor.com

*Hayley Rose: Hayley is a chocolate-loving writer and goat yoga enthusiast. The author of several successful children’s books, and an award-winning line of gratitude coloring journals, Hayley hopes to inspire a love of reading through education and humor.

Over the years Hayley has been invited to speak at bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Borders and Bookmans, and for the last few years Hayley has been a featured author at the Children’s Learning and Play Festival which garners crowds of 10,000 and up. Hayley has been interviewed on the Author Learning Center alongside authors Stan Lee and R.L. Stine.

Visit Hayley at HayleyRose.com or follow her on Facebook.

*Jane Frances Ruby: Jane has authored two YA Arizona Adventures, The Azurite Encounter and its sequel, Voiceless Whispers. She’s also written several award-winning short works including Surviving the Catholic School from Hell, an essay describing abuse at her elementary school: Brutal Hackage, a sci-fi YA short story about an assassin drone terrorizing a local high school golf tournament: and Theories of Decay, a sci-fi thriller about media personalities gripping with crashing satellites.  Ruby also contributed to Toby Heathcotte’s Women Wronged, an award-winning essay compilation.

Ruby is currently compiling her short works for a 2024 publication.

Read more at ArizonaAuthors.org/members/Jane-Frances-Ruby

*Terri Ann Russell: Terri Ann is a healing heart specialist and author. She is an intuitive empath healer with abilities in clairsentience and clairaudience.

Her book, From Death to Life: The Incredible True Story of Anthony Joseph, the story of the connection between her and Anthony, her middle son, was written just 4 months after his passing. She is currently finishing a series of books, the first one, Reaching for You- a Workbook for Spiritual Transformation with Mother Mary, shares a deep connection with Mary through transmissions that help you heal your heart and align you with your higher self.

Follow her on Facebook.

*M Ryan: M is an author local to the White Mountains of Arizona. Her first book—The Monster Hunter—debuted in August of 2023, and was quickly followed by the sequel—The Court of Monsters—the following October. When she is not hacking out a story furiously on her laptop, she can be found spending time with her husband, their animals, and family. M looks forward to releasing more projects and is always pleased to find young adults reading her books.

*R.S. Scott: R.S. Scott hails from Canyon Diablo, AZ, born to a Navajo Christian preacher. As the last unruly sibling of 4 brothers and 3 sisters, he grew up herding sheep while armed with a rifle and a horse named Prince for company. He currently resides in Phoenix, AZ where he continues his education studying theoretical math and collecting vinyl records of jazz and blues greats of yore. As a self-professed geek, he expertly juggles school, work, and his love of writing and music while surviving on pub food, pizza, and the occasional binge on sushi.

He writes in Native American, paranormal, and thriller genres.

Find out more at Facebook and at AuthorRSSscott.com

*Jody Sharpe: Award-winning author Jody’s loss of her daughter set her on a course to write books about angels. Her background teaching children with special needs inspired her to write her memoir. She’s written five novels in The Mystic Bay Series, a children’s book and now her first mystery.

Find out more at JodySharpe.com

*Katrina Shawver: Karen is an author, lifelong history geek, and relentlessly curious about finding unknown stories. Her book, Henry: A Polish Swimmer’s True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America, about a Polish survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, garnered many awards and reviews, and is now available in English, Polish, and Czech. The Polish American Congress of Arizona awarded Katrina their 2018 Polish Heritage Award. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona, where she can hike the nearby mountains any time she wants.

Find her at katrinashawver.com.

*Susan Starr: Susan moved to Payson from Phoenix in 2007 to take a job as a Certified Veterinary Technician at Star Valley Veterinary Clinic, where she is still employed. She joined Tonto Rim Search and Rescue in 2009 and became Dog Team Leader the following year. At this time she is on the board as Secretary. She taught accounting for seven years at Gila Community College. Susan has her MBA and also an Associates in Veterinary Technology from Mesa Community College. She has four dogs, three that are SAR, two cats and three birds.

*Kent Thompson: Kent’s original goal was to teach history and coach football and basketball, but God had other plans. What started as a summer job at an oil refinery to replenish funds so he could continue his education turned into a career in the oil industry. While supervising three offshore platforms off Long Beach, California, he worked with Navy SEAL TRADET to plan SEAL training on those platforms.

He is a lifelong student of the U.S. Constitution and the Federalist Papers. Kent and Susan live in a small mountain town in Arizona. They will never actually “retire.” They have three grown children and two grandsons.

*Jim West: Author Jim West spent over 40 years in radio working up and down the dial in places like Indianapolis, Baltimore, Albuquerque, Tucson and Phoenix. He served on the Board of the Academy of Country music in Hollywood. Jim was a finalist for the Country Radio Hall of Fame in Nashville. He volunteers his time with the Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame where he got the idea to document the early Arizona recording and rockabilly music scene in his book The Phoenix Sound. Jim also helped co-write the book Ray Odom, A Lifetime of Radio, Records & Racehorses.

Find out more at JimWestMedia.com

*Brenda Whiteside: Brenda is an award-winning author of romantic suspense, cozy mystery, and romance. She writes children’s books with her granddaughter under the names of Brenda Sue and Sadi Belle. She’s a born and bred Arizona native who sets her fictional stories in imaginary, but recognizable, Arizona locations. After marrying, she and her husband lived in six states and two countries, but a few years back they settled in Central Arizona. They admit to being gypsies at heart so won’t discount the possibility of another move. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW fishes, Brenda writes.

Visit Brenda at BrendaWhiteside.com

*Paula F. (Pfeiffer) Winskye: Paula, a North Dakota native, began writing stories about horses at age 12. She released her first novel in 2003 and published her 24th this year. The Reverend & the Writer is the 12th in her Tony Wagner mystery series. It also features the protagonist from her Randy McKay mysteries.