Dara Edmondson

Dara Edmondson began making up stories as soon as she learned to speak. Originally from New York City, Dara grew tired of the harsh winters of the northeast and opted to attend college in Florida. After receiving her degree in Public Relations from the University of Florida, she moved to Orlando. After careers in the salon industry and the Real Estate field, she's realized a lifelong dream of becoming a writer of fiction. She lives with her very supportive husband, son and daughter and two very spoiled cats.

Laurie J. Edwards

From the time she was old enough to talk, Laurie Edwards loved books. Once she learned to read, her mother constantly bugged her to put away her books and go outside to play. She also got in trouble for hiding books in her desk at school and reading during class. At night she’d sneak a flashlight into bed and read under the covers. By the time she was a teenager, she was reading thirty books a week.

So what does a booklover do when it’s time to choose a profession? She becomes a librarian, of course, so she can read to her heart’s content and never have to pay fines for overdue books. Or—even better—she becomes an author, so she can write stories of her own to delight not only herself, but other readers. Laurie started out as a librarian, but then wrote picture books and easy readers. Now she’s graduated to YA fiction.

Jane Greenhill

Born with a passion to read and write, and heavily influenced by Nancy Drew Mysteries, Jane Greenhill grew up with an unquenchable interest in both police procedure and writing suspense. Being married to a detective intensified Jane's interest in writing suspense and it wasn't unusual to have discussions about disposing bodies at the supper table.

Denise Gwen

Whew, where to start! I've been writing, off and on, for nineteen years. I tooka few years off when I had my kids, but I missed writing so much I started back up again, in earnest, in 2000. A few close calls, a few near misses, and with every rejection, I knew I was getting just a little closer to my goal of getting published. Visit Denise at her website.

Mona Ingram

Born in Ontario, Canada, Mona moved with her family to British Columbia as a teenager, and cannot imagine living anywhere else. Educated at the University of British Columbia, followed by a French immersion course at the Sorbonne in Paris, she loves reading, bird watching, and most importantly, writing. She lives on Vancouver Island and enjoys traveling with her husband.

Linda Kage

Linda's from Midwest USA, where she lives with her husband and nine cuckoo clocks. The eighth and final child of dairy farmers, she was forced into having a vivid imagination if she ever wanted to do something one of her siblings hadn't already tried. Catch up with Linda at her website.

Sherrie Kelley

Sherrie Kelley lives in Beebe, Arkansas, surrounded by family and friends, three dogs, and a horse named Dusty. When she isn't writing, she enjoys reading, playing with her grandkids, horseback riding, quilting, and brainstorming her next story.

Laurie Larsen

Laurie Larsen has had a multitude of jobs throughout her life: waitress, snack bar worker, press release writer, claim rep, supervisor, and computer instructor. Probably her most bizarre job was vaccuum cleaner tester -- she spent an entire summer sitting on a stool, pushing a vaccuum, racking up miles so the advertising could accurately state how long the thing would last. Right now, her day job is Information Technology Manager, but the job she has the most fun at is published author. Laurie is the author of five books. The Chronicles of Casey V is her fifth novel, and her first Young Adult novel. For more information on her other books, as well as a journal, photo album and contest offerings, visit Laurie online at her website.

Nancy Lindley-Gauthier

A New Englander throughout her life, Nancy Lindley-Gauthier currently resides in New Hampshire. Her chief interest is her horses, (she both rides and drives them) and she has also traveled to compete in sleigh rallies in every New England state. Occasionally, she is dragged away from the equines to serve as back-seat driver on her husband Kent's motorcycle. Other interests include art, history, boating, and endlessly coming up with clever ways to avoid dieting. Nancy has a BS in English from Southern New Hampshire University and an MA in Liberal Arts from the University of New Hampshire. Visit Nancy at her blog Another Shoestring Adventure.

Deb Logan

Deb Logan loves to write for kids and young adults. She’s been writing about faeries and dragons and fantasy creatures half her life. Her alter ego writes about those same subjects for grown-ups, but Deb’s first love is writing for the under twenty crowd! She’s been published in KidVisions, a cool science fiction / fantasy e-zine for kids and she’s really excited to be a Climbing Rose author! Oh, and Deb loves animals…big animals! She has a black lab and a mastiff-mix puppy who keep her happy and healthy. Visit Deb at her website and blog Flights of Fantasy.

Christine Marciniak

Christine Marciniak has been writing since she can remember because she loves to tell stories. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.

Visit her at her blog the simple and the ordinary.

Kimberlee R. Mendoza

Kimberlee resides in Southern California with her husband and two boys. She is a graphic designer and young adult drama director. She is the author of ten novels (including the Russell Family Series), three e-books, one non-fiction book, seven plays and several poems. She has her BA in Human Development and her MA in Humanities. She is an Army veteran, but is more Private Benjamin, than G.I. Jane. And on any given day, she would rather be hanging out with teenagers than people her own age. She's either really young at heart or really immature. Visit Kimberlee at her website, on facebook, or her MySpace page.

Sydney Shay

Oh, the dreaded biography! If I wrote non-fiction, I wouldn't be here! On a spare weekend when I'm not handling dogs at a show, you'll find me on my little laptop with another "work in progress". After dabbling in politics, history, and research, I finally took a year away to pursue writing, something I've loved since I was a child. I'm venturing between Young Adult and Contemporary, blending my crazy experiences in life and love - yes, you may laugh at my disasters - with my imagination to fill in the blanks. I currently live in South Florida with several show Chinese Cresteds. Visit Sydney at her blog.

Beth Shriver

I didn't know how much I loved to write, that was until about four years ago when I wrote my first book. Since then I've written five others and many articles and columns as well. I grew up in Nebraska, then moved to Colorado and am now living in Texas, and denial. Quite a change of scenery and shift in culture! I've been married for twenty years, and chose to be a stay-at-home mom to raise our two children, now teenagers. I have found writing to be my outlet, my passion and have grown closer to the Lord through the process. I've learned patience through my agent, and found encouragement from my husband and fellow writers. I love writing but also miss working in the social work field, so I write about it! Visit Beth's website and on shoutlife.

June Sproat

Inspired by Judy Blume, June decided at a very young age she wanted to be a writer and never gave up, even when life got in the way. She graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a major in fiction writing and is thrilled it's finally paying off. June lives in a suburb of Chicago, IL with her husband and three beautiful daughters. She is a current member of the Chicago North and the Beau Monde RWA chapters. Visit June at her website.

Barbara Stremikis

Born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley of California, I began kindergarten the year my sister left for college. With no nearby neighbors, I spent my time pursuing interests in music and the creative arts. I taught elementary school in the San Francisco Bay Area, Career Development with the Hawaii JOBS program, and Psych 101 in Indianapolis. Academic accomplishments include a Master's Degree in Music and a Ph.D. in Psychology. I began a novel, about a San Franciso psychologist, while waiting for my committee to approve my dissertation. My husband and I live in Virginia with our two rescue dogs, a husky and a black Lab mix.

Tara West

A former Texas high school teacher, Tara West is taking a break to raise her baby girl. She enjoyed coaching her writing team and even the hectic deadlines that came with running the school publications. Tara longs for another classroom of her own. In her spare time, Tara loves to write - anything. She's also obsessed with photography and graphic design. She contributes the cover art for her own novels. Visit Tara at her website and her MySpace page.

Terry Lee Wilde

Award-winning author of urban fantasy and medieval historical romantic suspense, Terry Spear also writes true stories for adult and young adult audiences. She’s a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves and has an MBA from Monmouth College. She also creates award-winning teddy bears, Wilde & Woolly Bears, to include personalized bears designed to commemorate authors’ books. When she’s not writing or making bears, she’s teaching online writing courses. Originally from California, she’s lived in eight states and now resides in the heart of Texas. She is the author of Heart of the Wolf, Don’t Cry Wolf, Winning the Highlander’s Heart, Deadly Liaisons, Relative Danger, The Vampire…In My Dreams (young adult) and numerous articles and short stories for magazines. Visit Terry at her website.

Pamela Woods-Jackson

I was born and raised in Oklahoma City, graduated from The University of Oklahoma, married young and soon moved to Texas. My two children were born in Wichita Falls, TX, but then we moved to Houston for a number of years. In 1990 my then-husband took a job in Indianapolis, which is how I ended up a Hoosier. I took a part time job at Conner Prairie Interactive History Park in Fishers, IN, and still work part time there now. In 1997 I was offered a full time teaching position with Indianapolis Public Schools in an alternative high school. After much drama, trauma, and angst, I finally arranged a transfer to Broad Ripple High School in 2005, teaching English in the Arts and Humanities Magnet. (Broad Ripple HS is the alma mater of Dave Letterman!) When I first began writing "Confessions of a Teenage Psychic," I borrowed names from many of my students and some of the faculty, but the characters and situations are purely fictional. I have to admit that Rosslyn High School is a thinly-disguised Broad Ripple High School.

Things change, school systems cut budgets and layoff teachers, and now I find myself seeking a new teaching position. I live in Carmel, Indiana, just north of Indianapolis, with my two cats Molly and Phoebe. My children, Robert and Caroline, both live in Indianapolis and I enjoy a close relationship with them.