Jason Adams
Jason A. Adams writes across the spectrum. His stories include science fiction, fantasy, horror, Appalachian folk tales, and even a little romance here and there. You can find more of his work and sign up for updates from his Brain Squirrels at spiralpublishing.net/collections/jason-a-adams, and in the pages of Pulphouse Magazine, most recently in issue #9. His stories have also appeared in the 2019 Winter Holiday Spectacular from WMG Publishing. Several more stories will appear in upcoming issues of Pulphouse Magazine and Holiday Spectaculars, so stay tuned. Jason, a recovering Air Force brat who grew up all over the U.S. and Japan, now perches in the mountains of Southwest Virginia with his beautiful wife Kari Kilgore, four spoiled cats, and assorted wild visitors from the nearby forest.
Jason A. Adams writes across the spectrum. His stories include science fiction, fantasy, horror, Appalachian folk tales, and even a little romance here and there. You can find more of his work and sign up for updates from his Brain Squirrels at spiralpublishing.net/collections/jason-a-adams, and in the pages of Pulphouse Magazine, most recently in issue #9. His stories have also appeared in the 2019 Winter Holiday Spectacular from WMG Publishing. Several more stories will appear in upcoming issues of Pulphouse Magazine and Holiday Spectaculars, so stay tuned. Jason, a recovering Air Force brat who grew up all over the U.S. and Japan, now perches in the mountains of Southwest Virginia with his beautiful wife Kari Kilgore, four spoiled cats, and assorted wild visitors from the nearby forest.
Mary Ann Artrip
Whether it’s novels, short stories, or poetry, my writings tend to lean toward the stuff that I personally like to read: surprise endings and characters who teeter just a mite “off center.” I’ve yet to be offended by a little mayhem or misbehaving. Just keep me entertained.
I didn’t start writing seriously until later in life. I wasn’t ready in my tender years but I’m terribly envious of those who were, of those who had the talent and enormous energy good writing requires. I had to remember the words of Solomon: To everything there is a season. So I had to be patient and allow myself time to mellow, to be warmed by the sun of passing summers, to ripen slowly. The trick was to strike a balance between ripe and rotten. No easy thing for a writer to do.
For more information you’ll find me at: www.maryannartrip.com
Whether it’s novels, short stories, or poetry, my writings tend to lean toward the stuff that I personally like to read: surprise endings and characters who teeter just a mite “off center.” I’ve yet to be offended by a little mayhem or misbehaving. Just keep me entertained.
I didn’t start writing seriously until later in life. I wasn’t ready in my tender years but I’m terribly envious of those who were, of those who had the talent and enormous energy good writing requires. I had to remember the words of Solomon: To everything there is a season. So I had to be patient and allow myself time to mellow, to be warmed by the sun of passing summers, to ripen slowly. The trick was to strike a balance between ripe and rotten. No easy thing for a writer to do.
For more information you’ll find me at: www.maryannartrip.com
Adda Leah Davis- Addie is now deceased but was awarded the lifetime membership in 2023.
Adda Leah Davis was born in McDowell County, West Virginia, the youngest in a family of ten, of Scotch/Irish descent. This heritage gives her the background to tell authentic tales of the Scotch/Irish who settled in the Appalachian Coalfields. Davis is an avid reader and writer who constantly works on several books at a time. In this way, she never gets ‘writer’s block’ but only goes to another book when that one isn’t going well.
Davis first published in 1997 with a biography called Here I Am Again, Lord, Landon Colley an old time Primitive Baptist Universalist Preacher which was and is well-received by her readers. Since then, she has written and published nineteen books. The Lucinda Harmon Saga (a 4 book series) which contains Lucinda’s Mountain, Jason’s Journey, The Beckoning Hills, and Farther Along. A second 4 book mystery series consisting of A Fatal Beginning, A Fatal Love of Place, A Fatal Web of Deceit, and Fatal Choices and Second Chances are also out and selling well. Davis’ stand alone novels are: Abigail’s Redemption, A Heaven Sent Wife, The Whisperer, three school curriculum enhancement workbooks, and three books for children: Caleb’s Song, Rocky’s Lesson, and Life Cycles in Nature.
Adda Leah Davis was born in McDowell County, West Virginia, the youngest in a family of ten, of Scotch/Irish descent. This heritage gives her the background to tell authentic tales of the Scotch/Irish who settled in the Appalachian Coalfields. Davis is an avid reader and writer who constantly works on several books at a time. In this way, she never gets ‘writer’s block’ but only goes to another book when that one isn’t going well.
Davis first published in 1997 with a biography called Here I Am Again, Lord, Landon Colley an old time Primitive Baptist Universalist Preacher which was and is well-received by her readers. Since then, she has written and published nineteen books. The Lucinda Harmon Saga (a 4 book series) which contains Lucinda’s Mountain, Jason’s Journey, The Beckoning Hills, and Farther Along. A second 4 book mystery series consisting of A Fatal Beginning, A Fatal Love of Place, A Fatal Web of Deceit, and Fatal Choices and Second Chances are also out and selling well. Davis’ stand alone novels are: Abigail’s Redemption, A Heaven Sent Wife, The Whisperer, three school curriculum enhancement workbooks, and three books for children: Caleb’s Song, Rocky’s Lesson, and Life Cycles in Nature.
Susan Dickenson
Susan Dickenson was born in Richmond, Virginia, but spent her childhood summers in Northeast Tennessee—where she met and married her high school sweetheart. After living in Washington, Germany, and Texas, they moved to the beautiful foothills of Southwest Virginia where they raised three sons. Currently, she and her husband have two dogs and a kitten, who (being raised by dogs) thinks she’s a puppy. Susan enjoys spending time with her family, birding, and writing.
Her short stories include “Wisteria Blooms and a Hint of Cotillion,” included in the anthology Daffodil Dreams, “Her Knight in Flannel Armor” in Steamy Creek, and “Do You Hear What I Hear,” in Christmas All Year Long. Her poem, “Lavender Fields” is included in The Virginia Writer’s Club 2024 Golden Nib and Teen Nib. Susan is working on her first historical romance novel set in 13th century England and currently serves as a board member of the Appalachian Authors Guild.
Susan Dickenson was born in Richmond, Virginia, but spent her childhood summers in Northeast Tennessee—where she met and married her high school sweetheart. After living in Washington, Germany, and Texas, they moved to the beautiful foothills of Southwest Virginia where they raised three sons. Currently, she and her husband have two dogs and a kitten, who (being raised by dogs) thinks she’s a puppy. Susan enjoys spending time with her family, birding, and writing.
Her short stories include “Wisteria Blooms and a Hint of Cotillion,” included in the anthology Daffodil Dreams, “Her Knight in Flannel Armor” in Steamy Creek, and “Do You Hear What I Hear,” in Christmas All Year Long. Her poem, “Lavender Fields” is included in The Virginia Writer’s Club 2024 Golden Nib and Teen Nib. Susan is working on her first historical romance novel set in 13th century England and currently serves as a board member of the Appalachian Authors Guild.
Linda Dobkins/Jo Allison
Jo Allison is the award-winning author of five books in the Julia Nye Mystery Series and related short stories. The novels are set in 1910s St. Louis and highlight a bold heroine fighting the issues and prejudices of the day. The third book in the series, Heaven Will Protect the Working Girl, was judged Best Self-Published Novel by the James River Writers (Virginia) in 2016.
Allison drives family and librarians crazy with the depth of her research on the city and on the time period but delights readers who like their mysteries historical. She maintains a web page that highlights the setting at 1910-stlouis-by-jallison.com.
For more information, see joallisonauthor.com. Allison is the pen name for Linda Dobkins. She lives in Bristol, Virginia.
Jo Allison is the award-winning author of five books in the Julia Nye Mystery Series and related short stories. The novels are set in 1910s St. Louis and highlight a bold heroine fighting the issues and prejudices of the day. The third book in the series, Heaven Will Protect the Working Girl, was judged Best Self-Published Novel by the James River Writers (Virginia) in 2016.
Allison drives family and librarians crazy with the depth of her research on the city and on the time period but delights readers who like their mysteries historical. She maintains a web page that highlights the setting at 1910-stlouis-by-jallison.com.
For more information, see joallisonauthor.com. Allison is the pen name for Linda Dobkins. She lives in Bristol, Virginia.
Rachel DuBreuler
Rachel Ann Taylor DuBrueler has always felt most at home when she was alone and in the dark.
Raised by gloriously supportive parents who saw no issue with a toddler watching Psycho, she cemented a love for twisty plots, creepy atmospheres, and the uncanny ability to spot the killer faster than the opening credits.
A proud West Virginian, Rachel earned four degrees from her home state’s flagship university—Let’s go, Mountaineers!—and considers herself a lifelong learner, even if she ghosted her Mensa dues years ago.
Her short horror story “Late for Muster” will appear in VIRGINIA FANTASTIC in May 2026, marking her first (but not her last!) published piece in the genre. In addition, she recently placed second in Octo Books' The Path Not Taken international writing competition for her piece "Right as Rain." She’s completed five psychological thrillers, each packed with sharp twists and layered tension, and she’s a proud member of multiple writing communities, including Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Virginia Writers Club, and the Appalachian Authors Guild.
Her home is shared with her husband and a rotating cast of rescued Doberman Pinschers who have the looks of security guards but the hearts of marshmallows.
When she’s not writing twisty tales, Rachel can be found passionately arguing about science, politics, or current events, whether or not anyone asked her to. And when the Steelers are on? Let's just say the neighbors know.
Rachel Ann Taylor DuBrueler has always felt most at home when she was alone and in the dark.
Raised by gloriously supportive parents who saw no issue with a toddler watching Psycho, she cemented a love for twisty plots, creepy atmospheres, and the uncanny ability to spot the killer faster than the opening credits.
A proud West Virginian, Rachel earned four degrees from her home state’s flagship university—Let’s go, Mountaineers!—and considers herself a lifelong learner, even if she ghosted her Mensa dues years ago.
Her short horror story “Late for Muster” will appear in VIRGINIA FANTASTIC in May 2026, marking her first (but not her last!) published piece in the genre. In addition, she recently placed second in Octo Books' The Path Not Taken international writing competition for her piece "Right as Rain." She’s completed five psychological thrillers, each packed with sharp twists and layered tension, and she’s a proud member of multiple writing communities, including Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Virginia Writers Club, and the Appalachian Authors Guild.
Her home is shared with her husband and a rotating cast of rescued Doberman Pinschers who have the looks of security guards but the hearts of marshmallows.
When she’s not writing twisty tales, Rachel can be found passionately arguing about science, politics, or current events, whether or not anyone asked her to. And when the Steelers are on? Let's just say the neighbors know.
Wendy Dwyer
Wendy Dwyer has been writing since she got a plastic yellow typewriter as a Christmas present when she was ten years old. Many decades later, after working as a freelance writer, radio disc jockey, singer, marketing professional, creative consultant, and English professor, Dwyer is still trying to make the world a more creative place one word at a time. When she’s not tending to her organic blueberries, rescue dogs, AirBnB, or her four Katahdin ‘sheeple’ (Jack & Jill, Mork & Mindi), she can usually be found helping other writers get in touch with their own creativity, facilitating writing groups via Zoom, touting the benefits of journaling, and in general, “putting imagination back into business.” Her book, Asshats to Assets: How to Turn Crappy Jobs into Career Gold, is available at Amazon.com, and you can read her occasional blog post at www.wendydwyer.com
Wendy Dwyer has been writing since she got a plastic yellow typewriter as a Christmas present when she was ten years old. Many decades later, after working as a freelance writer, radio disc jockey, singer, marketing professional, creative consultant, and English professor, Dwyer is still trying to make the world a more creative place one word at a time. When she’s not tending to her organic blueberries, rescue dogs, AirBnB, or her four Katahdin ‘sheeple’ (Jack & Jill, Mork & Mindi), she can usually be found helping other writers get in touch with their own creativity, facilitating writing groups via Zoom, touting the benefits of journaling, and in general, “putting imagination back into business.” Her book, Asshats to Assets: How to Turn Crappy Jobs into Career Gold, is available at Amazon.com, and you can read her occasional blog post at www.wendydwyer.com
Darrell Fleming
Darrell grew up in Clintwood, Dickenson County, Virginia. He graduated from Union College, Barbourville, KY with majors in English and History & Political Science and The University of Virginia in Charlottesville with a Master of Education degree. He was employed as a teacher of English, Assistant Principal, Sub-School Principal, Secondary Principal, and Coordinator of Human Resources in Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, VA, retiring in 1988.
He is former chair of the Appalachian Heritage Writers Symposium at Southwest Virginia Community College; Past President of the Appalachian Authors Guild, Abingdon, VA; member of the Lost State Writers Guild, Johnson City, TN; member of the Virginia Writers Club; recipient of 2014 Superior Service Award of The Virginia Writers Club, Charlottesville, VA; life time member of the Virginia Masonic fraternity; veteran of the U. S. Army; Union College Sports Hall of Fame; and member of Fellowship Chapel, Bristol, VA.
His first book, Family, Friends and War Heroes, was published in September, 2005 and Pioneer Lady of Southern Appalachia, published in June, 2013.
Darrell and his wife, Kathy, live in Blountville, TN. He enjoys reading, writing, traveling, golfing, and fishing.
Darrell grew up in Clintwood, Dickenson County, Virginia. He graduated from Union College, Barbourville, KY with majors in English and History & Political Science and The University of Virginia in Charlottesville with a Master of Education degree. He was employed as a teacher of English, Assistant Principal, Sub-School Principal, Secondary Principal, and Coordinator of Human Resources in Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax, VA, retiring in 1988.
He is former chair of the Appalachian Heritage Writers Symposium at Southwest Virginia Community College; Past President of the Appalachian Authors Guild, Abingdon, VA; member of the Lost State Writers Guild, Johnson City, TN; member of the Virginia Writers Club; recipient of 2014 Superior Service Award of The Virginia Writers Club, Charlottesville, VA; life time member of the Virginia Masonic fraternity; veteran of the U. S. Army; Union College Sports Hall of Fame; and member of Fellowship Chapel, Bristol, VA.
His first book, Family, Friends and War Heroes, was published in September, 2005 and Pioneer Lady of Southern Appalachia, published in June, 2013.
Darrell and his wife, Kathy, live in Blountville, TN. He enjoys reading, writing, traveling, golfing, and fishing.
Victoria Fletcher
I was an educator with the Washington County Public Schools for 30 years. I retired in 2008. I then became the secretary/ministry assistant at First Baptist Church of Damascus where I am also a member. I am the Sunday School Director, Technology Coordinator, and complete the church directory each year. I have written poetry since I was 12 years old. My very first poem, "A Rewarding Search" won several awards and placement in 2 anthologies; one from New York and one from California. My first book published was called "The Bible Tells Me So: Old Testament Stories for Children" in 2011. It was followed by "The Bible Tells Me So: New Testament Stories for Children." These two books were published by Xulon Press, a Christian based publishing company in Florida. My first book won the Xulon Press Children's Bible Books award in 2012. I have also published several devotionals and poetry books through Create Space (which is now Kindle Direct Publishing). Jan-Carol Publishing of Johnson City, TN published my "Fletcher's Fables", "Fletcher's Fables Too", and "Cocoa the Basset Hound". My "Daily Dose of Encouragement" will be out as a perpetual calendar in 2017. I am also in the business of publishing for other authors using Kindle Direct Publishing as the printer. My business is called Hoot Books Publishing. I am accredited by the Better Business Bureau too!!!
You can check out my books on my website: http://victoriafletcher.biz and my publishing business at http://hootbookspublishing.biz
I was an educator with the Washington County Public Schools for 30 years. I retired in 2008. I then became the secretary/ministry assistant at First Baptist Church of Damascus where I am also a member. I am the Sunday School Director, Technology Coordinator, and complete the church directory each year. I have written poetry since I was 12 years old. My very first poem, "A Rewarding Search" won several awards and placement in 2 anthologies; one from New York and one from California. My first book published was called "The Bible Tells Me So: Old Testament Stories for Children" in 2011. It was followed by "The Bible Tells Me So: New Testament Stories for Children." These two books were published by Xulon Press, a Christian based publishing company in Florida. My first book won the Xulon Press Children's Bible Books award in 2012. I have also published several devotionals and poetry books through Create Space (which is now Kindle Direct Publishing). Jan-Carol Publishing of Johnson City, TN published my "Fletcher's Fables", "Fletcher's Fables Too", and "Cocoa the Basset Hound". My "Daily Dose of Encouragement" will be out as a perpetual calendar in 2017. I am also in the business of publishing for other authors using Kindle Direct Publishing as the printer. My business is called Hoot Books Publishing. I am accredited by the Better Business Bureau too!!!
You can check out my books on my website: http://victoriafletcher.biz and my publishing business at http://hootbookspublishing.biz
Michelle Fleury
Michelle Fleury is a writer, designer, and creative marketing strategist focused on telling human-centered stories across business, community, and culture. Her work includes writing profiles on small business owners, documenting local and nonprofit impact, and shaping editorial content that makes complex topics feel accessible and engaging. She has worked across industries including fintech, higher education, healthcare, research, and publishing, often pairing writing with visual storytelling and design to create work that goes beyond the page.
She currently works at People Incorporated of Virginia, one of the state’s largest and oldest Community Action Agencies, where she leads storytelling, marketing, and graphic design efforts that elevate community voices and program impact. With a background in Information Technology and Graphic Design from SUNY Plattsburgh, along with minors in Journalism and Web Design & Programming, Michelle brings narrative depth alongside design and systems thinking to her work. Raised across South Africa, Thailand, and the United States, she draws from a global perspective and is actively expanding her writing into the creative publishing space.
Michelle Fleury is a writer, designer, and creative marketing strategist focused on telling human-centered stories across business, community, and culture. Her work includes writing profiles on small business owners, documenting local and nonprofit impact, and shaping editorial content that makes complex topics feel accessible and engaging. She has worked across industries including fintech, higher education, healthcare, research, and publishing, often pairing writing with visual storytelling and design to create work that goes beyond the page.
She currently works at People Incorporated of Virginia, one of the state’s largest and oldest Community Action Agencies, where she leads storytelling, marketing, and graphic design efforts that elevate community voices and program impact. With a background in Information Technology and Graphic Design from SUNY Plattsburgh, along with minors in Journalism and Web Design & Programming, Michelle brings narrative depth alongside design and systems thinking to her work. Raised across South Africa, Thailand, and the United States, she draws from a global perspective and is actively expanding her writing into the creative publishing space.
Tom Fugate
Tom Fugate is a 1978 graduate of Virginia Tech. He still lives in his hometown of Hiltons, Virginia. He has written four books in the “Spy Dreams” series, the memoirs of Lee Thomas secret agent. The books are “Spy Dreams”, “Sand Trap”, “Cigarettes for Two” and “Port in a Desert Storm”. He has never worked for or been recruited by any government agency. He has also written one nonfiction work called “Tears for My Father” that began as a journal to help him deal with his father’s Alzheimer’s. Tom is currently at work on more of the Lee Thomas books, some mysteries, a fantasy and some science fiction.
Tom Fugate is a 1978 graduate of Virginia Tech. He still lives in his hometown of Hiltons, Virginia. He has written four books in the “Spy Dreams” series, the memoirs of Lee Thomas secret agent. The books are “Spy Dreams”, “Sand Trap”, “Cigarettes for Two” and “Port in a Desert Storm”. He has never worked for or been recruited by any government agency. He has also written one nonfiction work called “Tears for My Father” that began as a journal to help him deal with his father’s Alzheimer’s. Tom is currently at work on more of the Lee Thomas books, some mysteries, a fantasy and some science fiction.
Donna Hankla
Donna is the World Intercessory Network (WIN) prayer director for the Appalachian Conference of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC). An ordained minister for over 22 years, she has participated in National Day of Prayer events in
Washington, D.C., since 2003. For the past 15 years, she has served as a prayer leader
for the event.She has led 24-hour prayer watches with Capitol Hill Prayer Partners (CHPP), 21-day Daniel fasts, and intercessory prayer shifts for Nightwatch Prayer, which focuses on scriptural prayers for the United States and Israel. In addition to her ministry, Donna holds an M.S. Ed. degree from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Donna has published 7 books on Amazon. Prayer and prophecy are the themes of her books. Her book, Pray Like A Prophet explores major prophets of the Bible, and their prayers.
The Rainbow and The Red Dragon was released on 11/28/25. The Rainbow surrounding God’s Throne from Revelation 4, and the Red Dragon from Revelation 12, are described.
Donna’s books provide personal testimonies and will encourage people to engage in prayer!
Donna is the World Intercessory Network (WIN) prayer director for the Appalachian Conference of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC). An ordained minister for over 22 years, she has participated in National Day of Prayer events in
Washington, D.C., since 2003. For the past 15 years, she has served as a prayer leader
for the event.She has led 24-hour prayer watches with Capitol Hill Prayer Partners (CHPP), 21-day Daniel fasts, and intercessory prayer shifts for Nightwatch Prayer, which focuses on scriptural prayers for the United States and Israel. In addition to her ministry, Donna holds an M.S. Ed. degree from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Donna has published 7 books on Amazon. Prayer and prophecy are the themes of her books. Her book, Pray Like A Prophet explores major prophets of the Bible, and their prayers.
The Rainbow and The Red Dragon was released on 11/28/25. The Rainbow surrounding God’s Throne from Revelation 4, and the Red Dragon from Revelation 12, are described.
Donna’s books provide personal testimonies and will encourage people to engage in prayer!
Linda Hudson Hoagland
I, Linda Hudson Hoagland of Tazewell, Virginia, am a graduate of Southwest Virginia Community College. I have won acclaim for my fiction novels of mystery of which I have published eleven. I have written six non-fiction books and released a collection of prize winning short writings along with a collection of poems with many of those previously published. I am a retired public school employee and a proud mother of two sons. I am currently serving as Secretary of the Appalachian Authors Guild, and a member of the Lost State Writer's Guild, along with memberships in other writing groups not mentioned.
I can be reached at lhhoagland@gmail.com or lhhoagland@yahoo.com. Check out my website at: lindasbooksandangels.com.
I look forward to hearing from you.
I, Linda Hudson Hoagland of Tazewell, Virginia, am a graduate of Southwest Virginia Community College. I have won acclaim for my fiction novels of mystery of which I have published eleven. I have written six non-fiction books and released a collection of prize winning short writings along with a collection of poems with many of those previously published. I am a retired public school employee and a proud mother of two sons. I am currently serving as Secretary of the Appalachian Authors Guild, and a member of the Lost State Writer's Guild, along with memberships in other writing groups not mentioned.
I can be reached at lhhoagland@gmail.com or lhhoagland@yahoo.com. Check out my website at: lindasbooksandangels.com.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Nicole Hodgson
Nicole Hodgson is a proud wife to her awesome husband (and biggest supporter!) and a mama to three amazing children. She is a Christian, and loves her little country church, where she teaches children’s church. She lives in Appalachia with her husband and children, where faith, family, and meaningful traditions fill her home and shape the stories she loves to tell. Nicole authored and illustrated her debut children’s book, Our Appalachian Christmas, published in November 2025. The book captures the magic of an Appalachian Christmas through a faith-filled, child-centered lens and reached the Amazon Kindle Best Sellers list, earning the title of #1 New Release in Children’s Religious Books on Amazon Kindle.
She is currently working on her next children’s book, and dreams of writing many more - including other Christian stories, Appalachian children's books, a complete series, and a novel. Her greatest hope as an author is to show her own children, and children everywhere, that with faith and determination, anything is possible.
Her book is available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/eMbdxAE
Nicole Hodgson is a proud wife to her awesome husband (and biggest supporter!) and a mama to three amazing children. She is a Christian, and loves her little country church, where she teaches children’s church. She lives in Appalachia with her husband and children, where faith, family, and meaningful traditions fill her home and shape the stories she loves to tell. Nicole authored and illustrated her debut children’s book, Our Appalachian Christmas, published in November 2025. The book captures the magic of an Appalachian Christmas through a faith-filled, child-centered lens and reached the Amazon Kindle Best Sellers list, earning the title of #1 New Release in Children’s Religious Books on Amazon Kindle.
She is currently working on her next children’s book, and dreams of writing many more - including other Christian stories, Appalachian children's books, a complete series, and a novel. Her greatest hope as an author is to show her own children, and children everywhere, that with faith and determination, anything is possible.
Her book is available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/eMbdxAE
Jason Houghton
Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Jason settled in Southwest Virginia. His writing career started with short stories in High School for fun, and that continued into his time in the service. After getting diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, he began to pursue his passion more seriously. He currently writes in multiple fiction genres.
Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Jason settled in Southwest Virginia. His writing career started with short stories in High School for fun, and that continued into his time in the service. After getting diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, he began to pursue his passion more seriously. He currently writes in multiple fiction genres.
Janie Jessee
Janie C. Jessee is the CEO and owner of Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc., a regional publishing company established twenty-two years ago, that produces a local women’s magazine, Voice Magazine for Women, an online literary magazine, Tapestry Journal, and publishes books by authors near and afar with a wide range of genres. JCP has grown with world-wide recognized authors, a podcast called Bookmarked, and offers authors opportunities to share their voices in both print and digital formats.
Janie C. Jessee is the CEO and owner of Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc., a regional publishing company established twenty-two years ago, that produces a local women’s magazine, Voice Magazine for Women, an online literary magazine, Tapestry Journal, and publishes books by authors near and afar with a wide range of genres. JCP has grown with world-wide recognized authors, a podcast called Bookmarked, and offers authors opportunities to share their voices in both print and digital formats.
T. Byron Kelly
Poet, Painter, and Musician T. Byron K. has been working as an active performance artist in the South Western Virginia area (Appalachia) for over two decades and has generations of family from West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia. Live, spontaneous lyric poetry performances and gallery exhibits have been at the heart of the Poet's work. As an Undergraduate and Graduate student, Byron studied with poets Nikki Giovanni, Lucinda Roy, Grace Bauer, and Anne Bromley, as well as novelist Don Secreast and painter Janet Niewald. Byron received private art instruction during that time and was also a member of Tri-M (Modern Music Masters honor society). Byron studied the relationships between poetry, painting, and music and soon began to illustrate his own poems with paintings and put them to music as well. Byron has also taught creative writing and composition on the college level (currently at Pilot Mountain School and Solitude of Virginia Tech) and is a member of Studio Appalachia, Spectral Arts, Project Rainbow, WVArts, the Appalachian Writers Association (A.W.A.), the Appalachian Authors' Guild (A.A.G.), West Virginia Writers, the Virginia Writers Club, the XYZ Gallery (Blacksburg, VA.), Glencoe Museum (Radford, VA.), and the Montgomery Museum and Lewis Miller Regional Art Center (Christiansburg, VA).
I paint poems and found a kind of home there. My paintings have always been rather cartoon like and fantastically oriented, a rendering of a dream if you will- I always thought (about realist art) that if you wanted a photograph then why not take a snapshot with a camera?
http://www.studioappalachia.com
http://www.studioappalachia.com/t-byron-kelly.html
Poet, Painter, and Musician T. Byron K. has been working as an active performance artist in the South Western Virginia area (Appalachia) for over two decades and has generations of family from West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia. Live, spontaneous lyric poetry performances and gallery exhibits have been at the heart of the Poet's work. As an Undergraduate and Graduate student, Byron studied with poets Nikki Giovanni, Lucinda Roy, Grace Bauer, and Anne Bromley, as well as novelist Don Secreast and painter Janet Niewald. Byron received private art instruction during that time and was also a member of Tri-M (Modern Music Masters honor society). Byron studied the relationships between poetry, painting, and music and soon began to illustrate his own poems with paintings and put them to music as well. Byron has also taught creative writing and composition on the college level (currently at Pilot Mountain School and Solitude of Virginia Tech) and is a member of Studio Appalachia, Spectral Arts, Project Rainbow, WVArts, the Appalachian Writers Association (A.W.A.), the Appalachian Authors' Guild (A.A.G.), West Virginia Writers, the Virginia Writers Club, the XYZ Gallery (Blacksburg, VA.), Glencoe Museum (Radford, VA.), and the Montgomery Museum and Lewis Miller Regional Art Center (Christiansburg, VA).
I paint poems and found a kind of home there. My paintings have always been rather cartoon like and fantastically oriented, a rendering of a dream if you will- I always thought (about realist art) that if you wanted a photograph then why not take a snapshot with a camera?
http://www.studioappalachia.com
http://www.studioappalachia.com/t-byron-kelly.html
Kari Kilgore
Kari Kilgore started her first published novel Until Death in Transylvania, Romania, and finished it in Room 217 at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, where a rather famous creepy tale about a hotel sparked into life. That’s just one example of how real world inspiration drives her fiction.
Kari’s first published novel Until Death was included on the Preliminary Ballot for the Bram Stoker Award for Outstanding Achievement in a First Novel in 2016. Until Death was also a finalist for the Golden Stake Award at the Vampire Arts Festival in 2018.
Recent professional short story sales include three to Fiction River anthology magazine, with the first due out in the September 2019 issue. Kari also has two stories set in a holiday-themed anthology project due out over the holidays in 2019. All three coming out in 2019 are Appalachian tales set in Southwest Virginia.
Kari writes fantasy, science fiction, horror, and contemporary fiction, and she’s happiest when she surprises herself. She lives at the end of a long dirt road in the middle of the woods with her husband Jason A. Adams, various house critters, and wildlife they’re better off not knowing more about.
Kari’s novels, novellas, and short stories are available at www.spiralpublishing.net, which also publishes books by Frank Kilgore and Jason A. Adams. For more information about Kari, upcoming publications, her travels and adventures, and random cool things that catch her attention, visit www.karikilgore.com or www.confidentialadventureclub.com.
Kari’s novella Songs in the Mountain was inspired by Frank Kilgore’s book Far Southwest Virginia: A Postcard and Photographic Journey, also from Spiral Publishing. Her Storms of Future Past Series is also partly set in Southwest Virginia, and her stories Wicked Bone, The Earworms, and In the Pines are set in and around Appalachia.
Kari Kilgore started her first published novel Until Death in Transylvania, Romania, and finished it in Room 217 at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, where a rather famous creepy tale about a hotel sparked into life. That’s just one example of how real world inspiration drives her fiction.
Kari’s first published novel Until Death was included on the Preliminary Ballot for the Bram Stoker Award for Outstanding Achievement in a First Novel in 2016. Until Death was also a finalist for the Golden Stake Award at the Vampire Arts Festival in 2018.
Recent professional short story sales include three to Fiction River anthology magazine, with the first due out in the September 2019 issue. Kari also has two stories set in a holiday-themed anthology project due out over the holidays in 2019. All three coming out in 2019 are Appalachian tales set in Southwest Virginia.
Kari writes fantasy, science fiction, horror, and contemporary fiction, and she’s happiest when she surprises herself. She lives at the end of a long dirt road in the middle of the woods with her husband Jason A. Adams, various house critters, and wildlife they’re better off not knowing more about.
Kari’s novels, novellas, and short stories are available at www.spiralpublishing.net, which also publishes books by Frank Kilgore and Jason A. Adams. For more information about Kari, upcoming publications, her travels and adventures, and random cool things that catch her attention, visit www.karikilgore.com or www.confidentialadventureclub.com.
Kari’s novella Songs in the Mountain was inspired by Frank Kilgore’s book Far Southwest Virginia: A Postcard and Photographic Journey, also from Spiral Publishing. Her Storms of Future Past Series is also partly set in Southwest Virginia, and her stories Wicked Bone, The Earworms, and In the Pines are set in and around Appalachia.
Crockett Kinser
Crockett is a creative soul whose passion for writing has been a slow burn, igniting his imagination from whimsical tales of astronaut alligators to dark narratives that would make even Bob Ross question the cheeriness of trees. With a deep appreciation for storytelling, Crockett draws inspiration from the vivid landscapes and rich culture of Appalachia.
Family is the cornerstone of his life; his beloved wife and three kids are his greatest champions, and it is their unwavering support that propels him forward.
Crockett harbors an ambitious dream to pen a series that could rival the literary intricacies of James Joyce while embarking on an epic journey that would even captivate J.R.R. Tolkien. With a heart rooted in his Appalachian heritage, he continues to weave words that reflect the beauty and complexity of both his world and the human experience.
Crockett is a creative soul whose passion for writing has been a slow burn, igniting his imagination from whimsical tales of astronaut alligators to dark narratives that would make even Bob Ross question the cheeriness of trees. With a deep appreciation for storytelling, Crockett draws inspiration from the vivid landscapes and rich culture of Appalachia.
Family is the cornerstone of his life; his beloved wife and three kids are his greatest champions, and it is their unwavering support that propels him forward.
Crockett harbors an ambitious dream to pen a series that could rival the literary intricacies of James Joyce while embarking on an epic journey that would even captivate J.R.R. Tolkien. With a heart rooted in his Appalachian heritage, he continues to weave words that reflect the beauty and complexity of both his world and the human experience.
Hazel Kitts
Hazel Kitts lives in Appomattox, VA with her second husband, Gary. Between them they have five children and eight grandchildren and enjoy family and traveling.
Hazel, who is retired from a 44-year career in the financial industry, grew up in Virginia, mostly in Richmond’s surrounding counties. Her dad was a dairy farmhand, more than a little fond of whiskey, and prone to imbibe on paydays. His drinking often led to him quitting his job or being fired. In the 50’s and 60’s, a job on a farm came with a home; lose the job, lose the home, so there was a lot of moving about. By age sixteen, Hazel had moved 30+ times. This meant changing schools as well as houses. That was long, long ago.
Hazel completed her education while working and raising a family, graduating from Lynchburg College in 1996 with a degree in mathematics. Work, as an actuarial assistant, was more of a left-brain focus: programming, analytics, project management, and so on.
As a retiree, she enjoys having more free time to devote to her right-brain interests: quilting and writing. She has made over 200 quilts; some award winning. This has produced tubs of scraps which she is now turning into scrap quilts that she gives away. She thinks of these as cotton poetry.
Hazel has written a fantasy novel (which she has not been able to get published) and a memoir (which she did not try to get published). She is now concentrating on poetry; has taken several poetry writing classes online, and has engaged a writing coach to help her get a poetry collection published. Fingers crossed. She enjoys all forms of poetry: rhyming/metered, free verse, prose, narrative, haiku, etc. Her subject matter is eclectic, reflecting inspiration from personal experience, ideas, observations, current events, and Spiritual But Not Religious (SBNR) practices.
She looks forward to being a member of Appalachian Authors Guild..
Hazel Kitts lives in Appomattox, VA with her second husband, Gary. Between them they have five children and eight grandchildren and enjoy family and traveling.
Hazel, who is retired from a 44-year career in the financial industry, grew up in Virginia, mostly in Richmond’s surrounding counties. Her dad was a dairy farmhand, more than a little fond of whiskey, and prone to imbibe on paydays. His drinking often led to him quitting his job or being fired. In the 50’s and 60’s, a job on a farm came with a home; lose the job, lose the home, so there was a lot of moving about. By age sixteen, Hazel had moved 30+ times. This meant changing schools as well as houses. That was long, long ago.
Hazel completed her education while working and raising a family, graduating from Lynchburg College in 1996 with a degree in mathematics. Work, as an actuarial assistant, was more of a left-brain focus: programming, analytics, project management, and so on.
As a retiree, she enjoys having more free time to devote to her right-brain interests: quilting and writing. She has made over 200 quilts; some award winning. This has produced tubs of scraps which she is now turning into scrap quilts that she gives away. She thinks of these as cotton poetry.
Hazel has written a fantasy novel (which she has not been able to get published) and a memoir (which she did not try to get published). She is now concentrating on poetry; has taken several poetry writing classes online, and has engaged a writing coach to help her get a poetry collection published. Fingers crossed. She enjoys all forms of poetry: rhyming/metered, free verse, prose, narrative, haiku, etc. Her subject matter is eclectic, reflecting inspiration from personal experience, ideas, observations, current events, and Spiritual But Not Religious (SBNR) practices.
She looks forward to being a member of Appalachian Authors Guild..
Greg Lilly
Greg Lilly is the Macavity Award winner and Agatha Award & Anthony Award finalist author of ABINGDON’S BOARDINGHOUSE MURDER.
Greg grew up in Southwest Virginia then lived in Charlotte, North Carolina. The rich storytelling tradition of the South captivated him, and he began writing. He first turned to creating short stories after plot lines emerged from the technical manuals he wrote for a large family-owned corporation. He published short stories and the Derek Mason Mystery series.
Moving to Sedona, Arizona, Greg chronicled the high desert characters–past and present–in his novels. Greg relocated to Williamsburg, Virginia, where he wrote and edited a monthly regional magazine. He’s the founder and past-president of the Williamsburg Book Festival.
His mystery/southern fiction novel, STRAY, was shortlisted in the top ten of IBPA’s Ben Franklin (mystery/thriller award), and UNDER A COPPER MOON was a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book (historical fiction) award.
Greg's historical true crime book, ABINGDON’S BOARDINGHOUSE MURDER (The History Press, 2024) is his latest book. He’s working on his next historical true crime, a collection of cases throughout Southwest Virginia.
Today, he lives and writes in Abingdon, Virginia.
Greg Lilly is the Macavity Award winner and Agatha Award & Anthony Award finalist author of ABINGDON’S BOARDINGHOUSE MURDER.
Greg grew up in Southwest Virginia then lived in Charlotte, North Carolina. The rich storytelling tradition of the South captivated him, and he began writing. He first turned to creating short stories after plot lines emerged from the technical manuals he wrote for a large family-owned corporation. He published short stories and the Derek Mason Mystery series.
Moving to Sedona, Arizona, Greg chronicled the high desert characters–past and present–in his novels. Greg relocated to Williamsburg, Virginia, where he wrote and edited a monthly regional magazine. He’s the founder and past-president of the Williamsburg Book Festival.
His mystery/southern fiction novel, STRAY, was shortlisted in the top ten of IBPA’s Ben Franklin (mystery/thriller award), and UNDER A COPPER MOON was a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book (historical fiction) award.
Greg's historical true crime book, ABINGDON’S BOARDINGHOUSE MURDER (The History Press, 2024) is his latest book. He’s working on his next historical true crime, a collection of cases throughout Southwest Virginia.
Today, he lives and writes in Abingdon, Virginia.
Gina McKnight
Living in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains promotes inspiration and passion for creative writing; children's literature, poetry, freelance, and more. Gina is a graduate of Franklin University/Leadership Scholar/BA, Columbus, Ohio. Writing at an early age, an avid reader and lover of words, Gina continues to be encouraged by her horses, neighbors, family and friends. She is the editor at Monday Creek Publishing, as well as a regular writer for trueCOWBOYmagazine, Florida Equine Athlete, and Arabian Finish Line. Connect with Gina on social media to find out more about her writing and horses. http://gmcknight.com
Living in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains promotes inspiration and passion for creative writing; children's literature, poetry, freelance, and more. Gina is a graduate of Franklin University/Leadership Scholar/BA, Columbus, Ohio. Writing at an early age, an avid reader and lover of words, Gina continues to be encouraged by her horses, neighbors, family and friends. She is the editor at Monday Creek Publishing, as well as a regular writer for trueCOWBOYmagazine, Florida Equine Athlete, and Arabian Finish Line. Connect with Gina on social media to find out more about her writing and horses. http://gmcknight.com
Ralph Mulleins
Ralph A. Mulleins is an avid writer of children’s stories and short stories with a passion for the holiday seasons. He quickly gained a following and recognition with his release of Christmas Cards for Santa in 2022 along with two new releases in 2025 titled A Reindeer Called Chaos and Annie Counts Christmas.
Annie Counts Christmas is the beginning of a fun series known as Annie’s Adventures.
He resides in Cumberland Virginia with his wife Karen. His inspiration for writing children’s stories are fueled by the energy from his eight grandchildren.
Ralph A. Mulleins is an avid writer of children’s stories and short stories with a passion for the holiday seasons. He quickly gained a following and recognition with his release of Christmas Cards for Santa in 2022 along with two new releases in 2025 titled A Reindeer Called Chaos and Annie Counts Christmas.
Annie Counts Christmas is the beginning of a fun series known as Annie’s Adventures.
He resides in Cumberland Virginia with his wife Karen. His inspiration for writing children’s stories are fueled by the energy from his eight grandchildren.
Sylvia Nickels
Sylvia Nickels pursues her lifelong dream of writing from her home in the mountains of East Tennessee. A graduate of Tusculum College, she is retired from the telephone industry, active with local writer's guilds and stays young-at-heart by playing with toy cars and trains with her great-grandchildren.
An avid reader for many years of stories and novels involving 'gumshoes', Sylvia once applied for a job as an apprentice PI, but to her disappointment it never happened.
She is the author behind two series of novels. The first series features Private Investigator Cameron Locke, who tracks down killers in Wexler Bend, Tennessee, hoping her friendship with police Sergeant Shac Lane grows into something deeper. The first two novels in the series were published by Oconee Spirit Press.
Sylvia's other series character is widow Royce Thorne, who can't keep from getting underfoot of Police Chief Jared Granite in Fall Creek, Tennessee, while searching for evidence to clear her late policeman husband's illegitimate son of murder. The first in this series, Disguise for Death, is under contract with The Wild Rose Press.
Her other writing genre is Science Fiction. A forthcoming novella-in-four parts combines colonizing Earth-similar planets and murder. Sylvia's Science Fiction short stories have appeared in Bewildering Stories ezine, where it won awards and Communities Magazine. Her Mystery short stories were published in Mystery of the Green Mist anthology and Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine. "The Sweet Taste of Revenge" won Honorable Mention at the Cape Fear Writer's Conference Short Story Competition.
Sylvia maintains the website www.sylvianickels.com and blogs intermittently at www.mysterylanerambler.blogspot.com
Sylvia Nickels pursues her lifelong dream of writing from her home in the mountains of East Tennessee. A graduate of Tusculum College, she is retired from the telephone industry, active with local writer's guilds and stays young-at-heart by playing with toy cars and trains with her great-grandchildren.
An avid reader for many years of stories and novels involving 'gumshoes', Sylvia once applied for a job as an apprentice PI, but to her disappointment it never happened.
She is the author behind two series of novels. The first series features Private Investigator Cameron Locke, who tracks down killers in Wexler Bend, Tennessee, hoping her friendship with police Sergeant Shac Lane grows into something deeper. The first two novels in the series were published by Oconee Spirit Press.
Sylvia's other series character is widow Royce Thorne, who can't keep from getting underfoot of Police Chief Jared Granite in Fall Creek, Tennessee, while searching for evidence to clear her late policeman husband's illegitimate son of murder. The first in this series, Disguise for Death, is under contract with The Wild Rose Press.
Her other writing genre is Science Fiction. A forthcoming novella-in-four parts combines colonizing Earth-similar planets and murder. Sylvia's Science Fiction short stories have appeared in Bewildering Stories ezine, where it won awards and Communities Magazine. Her Mystery short stories were published in Mystery of the Green Mist anthology and Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine. "The Sweet Taste of Revenge" won Honorable Mention at the Cape Fear Writer's Conference Short Story Competition.
Sylvia maintains the website www.sylvianickels.com and blogs intermittently at www.mysterylanerambler.blogspot.com
J. Michael O'Connor
J. Michael O’Connor; Born in Oklahoma City, Okla. In 1945.
Raised: Grew up on the Clinch River in Russell County, Virginia. 1947-1965
Military: Served in the United States Army from 1965 to 1968, with tours in Vietnam.
College: Eastern Michigan University.
Major: Social Science
High Schools: North Farmington High School, Honaker High School
Hobbies: Drawing, writing, day hiking.
Retired in 2010 after 35 years.
I credit my authorship to Helen Owens, my twelfth-grade advanced English teacher, and Sharon Clevinger, an English Teacher and close friend at Honaker High.
My novels are written in the form of fiction and are based on a real person. The novels are labeled literary fiction.
My web page: vnvet1.wixsite.com/jmfoc
J. Michael O’Connor; Born in Oklahoma City, Okla. In 1945.
Raised: Grew up on the Clinch River in Russell County, Virginia. 1947-1965
Military: Served in the United States Army from 1965 to 1968, with tours in Vietnam.
College: Eastern Michigan University.
Major: Social Science
High Schools: North Farmington High School, Honaker High School
Hobbies: Drawing, writing, day hiking.
Retired in 2010 after 35 years.
I credit my authorship to Helen Owens, my twelfth-grade advanced English teacher, and Sharon Clevinger, an English Teacher and close friend at Honaker High.
My novels are written in the form of fiction and are based on a real person. The novels are labeled literary fiction.
My web page: vnvet1.wixsite.com/jmfoc
Delilah O’Haynes- Delilah is now deceased but was awarded the lifetime membership in 2022.
Delilah’s “raising”and family history appear in every poem she writes and definitely in the series, Paper Roses. She grew up just a couple of miles from the old homestead depicted in the first book in the Roses series (where her grandpa made Shine), in the backwoods beyond Clintwood, Virginia, and needed little research about guns, horses, or moonshine to write this book, which she unintentionally began to write in grade school. Her father was a coal miner—a fact which permeates The Character of Mountains, a book of poetry and photography.
Paper Roses will be published by Mountain Gap Books in 2022and will most likely be available on Amazon.
To get to know this Appalachian author, listen to an Interview done by one of her Abingdon Depot writer buddies, Henry McCarthy, through Emory & Henry College and archived through Appalachian State University: https://archive.org/details/PoetsAndWriters, Delilah is a cancer, lupus, and Crohn’s survivor, as well as an abuse survivor. As of 2021, she has had 41 surgeries. Her non-fiction book, Walk Free from Fear of Cancer, chronicles her journey through breast cancer and offers advice, along with scriptures and words of faith, for both breast-cancer and prostate-cancer patients. Her book, Rise, Woman. Rise encourages women to rise above life’s tragedies; several of the contributors to that book of poetry were Delilah’s students. Delilah retired from teaching after 43 years in the classroom, in 2020. She now spends her time writing and presenting workshops on writing and/or doing motivational speaking. Delilah lives in the heart of Appalachia, Bluefield, WV (Little New York), with her two darling puppies, brothers Teddy Bear and Snow Bear.
Delilah’s “raising”and family history appear in every poem she writes and definitely in the series, Paper Roses. She grew up just a couple of miles from the old homestead depicted in the first book in the Roses series (where her grandpa made Shine), in the backwoods beyond Clintwood, Virginia, and needed little research about guns, horses, or moonshine to write this book, which she unintentionally began to write in grade school. Her father was a coal miner—a fact which permeates The Character of Mountains, a book of poetry and photography.
Paper Roses will be published by Mountain Gap Books in 2022and will most likely be available on Amazon.
To get to know this Appalachian author, listen to an Interview done by one of her Abingdon Depot writer buddies, Henry McCarthy, through Emory & Henry College and archived through Appalachian State University: https://archive.org/details/PoetsAndWriters, Delilah is a cancer, lupus, and Crohn’s survivor, as well as an abuse survivor. As of 2021, she has had 41 surgeries. Her non-fiction book, Walk Free from Fear of Cancer, chronicles her journey through breast cancer and offers advice, along with scriptures and words of faith, for both breast-cancer and prostate-cancer patients. Her book, Rise, Woman. Rise encourages women to rise above life’s tragedies; several of the contributors to that book of poetry were Delilah’s students. Delilah retired from teaching after 43 years in the classroom, in 2020. She now spends her time writing and presenting workshops on writing and/or doing motivational speaking. Delilah lives in the heart of Appalachia, Bluefield, WV (Little New York), with her two darling puppies, brothers Teddy Bear and Snow Bear.
Tracy Prater
Tracy Stephenson Prater was born and raised in Saltville, Va. She is a retired educator and school administrator. Tracy and her husband, also a native of Saltville, consider New Orleans to be their second home and spend as much time as possible there. Tracy’s experiences in the New Orleans area added to her Appalachian heritage have led her to write historical fiction that includes the mystical and magical spirits of both places. She is currently writing the follow-up book to All But the Blood (Book 1 of the Blood Promises Legacy) while dipping her hand into a few side projects based on true facts about her hometown. Tracy loves hiking, coffee shops, antiquing, old book stores and road tripping. All activities that lead her to story ideas and character creation.
Tracy Stephenson Prater was born and raised in Saltville, Va. She is a retired educator and school administrator. Tracy and her husband, also a native of Saltville, consider New Orleans to be their second home and spend as much time as possible there. Tracy’s experiences in the New Orleans area added to her Appalachian heritage have led her to write historical fiction that includes the mystical and magical spirits of both places. She is currently writing the follow-up book to All But the Blood (Book 1 of the Blood Promises Legacy) while dipping her hand into a few side projects based on true facts about her hometown. Tracy loves hiking, coffee shops, antiquing, old book stores and road tripping. All activities that lead her to story ideas and character creation.
Betty Jamerson Reed
Betty Jamerson Reed, a native of Western North Carolina, is a retired educator best known for her award winning histories of segregated black schools: The Brevard Rosenwald School: Education and Community Building in a Southern Appalachian Town, 1920-1966 (McFarland, 2004) (Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies) and School Segregation in Western North Carolina: A History , 1860s - 1970s (McFarland 2011) (Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies).
She also writes poetry and fiction. Her poems have appeared in Lucidity Poetry Journal, Friends Journal,Out of Our Hearts and Minds (2006), Echoes across the Blue Ridge (2010), and It's All Relative: Tales from the Tree (2015Other than creative writing, her interests center on family, especially her nine grandchildren, historical research, volunteerism, and stories of Christian missions. She is active in encouraging other writers and also belongs to The Transylvania Writers Alliance, the Transylvania Storytellers, and the North Carolina Writers Network.
Betty Jamerson Reed, a native of Western North Carolina, is a retired educator best known for her award winning histories of segregated black schools: The Brevard Rosenwald School: Education and Community Building in a Southern Appalachian Town, 1920-1966 (McFarland, 2004) (Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies) and School Segregation in Western North Carolina: A History , 1860s - 1970s (McFarland 2011) (Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies).
She also writes poetry and fiction. Her poems have appeared in Lucidity Poetry Journal, Friends Journal,Out of Our Hearts and Minds (2006), Echoes across the Blue Ridge (2010), and It's All Relative: Tales from the Tree (2015Other than creative writing, her interests center on family, especially her nine grandchildren, historical research, volunteerism, and stories of Christian missions. She is active in encouraging other writers and also belongs to The Transylvania Writers Alliance, the Transylvania Storytellers, and the North Carolina Writers Network.
Sara Robinson
Sara M. Robinson, founder of the Lonesome Mountain Pro(s)e Writers’ Workshop, and former Instructor Contemporary American Poets at UVA-OLLI, was poetry columnist for Southern Writers Magazine. She served as guest lecturer at UVA’s College at Wise, Wise, VA. Her poetry has appeared in various anthologies, including We Grew Wings and Flew (2014), Scratching Against the Fabric (2015), Virginia Writer’s Club Centennial Anthology (2017), Blue Ridge Anthologies and Mizmor Anthology (2018). Journals include: Loch Raven Review, The Virginia Literary Journal, vox poetica, Jimson Weed, Whisky Advocate, and Poetica. Other works include Love Always, Hobby and Jessie (2009), Two Little Girls in a Wading Pool (2012), A Cruise in Rare Waters (2013 Stones for Words (2014), Sometimes the Little Town (2016, Poetry Society of Virginia’s 2017 Book Award finalist). In 2019, Needville, her poetry about effects of coal mining on SW Virginia was published; and in 2020 debuted as play in Charlottesville. Simple River (Cyberwit) released in 2020. Poetry Matters (2022), is a compilation of her essays in Southern Writers Magazine on the art and craft of writing poetry. Her play, Needville, revived in January 2024 at the Live Arts Theater in Charlottesville, VA, and was selected a Spotlight production in the 2024 WaterWorks Festival(Live Arts). Her latest book, out in September 2025, is Fraudulent Offerings(Cyberwit).
Sara M. Robinson, founder of the Lonesome Mountain Pro(s)e Writers’ Workshop, and former Instructor Contemporary American Poets at UVA-OLLI, was poetry columnist for Southern Writers Magazine. She served as guest lecturer at UVA’s College at Wise, Wise, VA. Her poetry has appeared in various anthologies, including We Grew Wings and Flew (2014), Scratching Against the Fabric (2015), Virginia Writer’s Club Centennial Anthology (2017), Blue Ridge Anthologies and Mizmor Anthology (2018). Journals include: Loch Raven Review, The Virginia Literary Journal, vox poetica, Jimson Weed, Whisky Advocate, and Poetica. Other works include Love Always, Hobby and Jessie (2009), Two Little Girls in a Wading Pool (2012), A Cruise in Rare Waters (2013 Stones for Words (2014), Sometimes the Little Town (2016, Poetry Society of Virginia’s 2017 Book Award finalist). In 2019, Needville, her poetry about effects of coal mining on SW Virginia was published; and in 2020 debuted as play in Charlottesville. Simple River (Cyberwit) released in 2020. Poetry Matters (2022), is a compilation of her essays in Southern Writers Magazine on the art and craft of writing poetry. Her play, Needville, revived in January 2024 at the Live Arts Theater in Charlottesville, VA, and was selected a Spotlight production in the 2024 WaterWorks Festival(Live Arts). Her latest book, out in September 2025, is Fraudulent Offerings(Cyberwit).
Madelyn "Madge" Rohrer
I have been writing all of my adult life – business letters, organization newsletters, instruction manuals, newspaper articles, and occasionally a poem – nothing big. It was only after moving to Tennessee in 1996 and becoming involved in telling stories of Historic Jonesborough as a tour guide that I eventually became an “official” storyteller and left the street behind. (I love to tell people that I started my storytelling career as a streetwalker!) After years of writing stories for the stage, I decided in 2014 to start putting them into written form. It surprised even me that one story which was intended to be a 25-minute stage story (Shoes in the River) actually ended up being a novel…with a sequel (Children of the Edict). Another intended short story turned out to be a novella (The Ugly Christmas Tree), a story about orphans. You just never know where a storyteller will go when you cut ‘em loose! Tiggy Tiggy Touch Wood and Touched by Tennessee are collections of my short stories in print and audio. Children’s books are my new love: Hobie the Christmas Spider and Bert the Owl Bat (print and YouTube). Eirennie the Dove of Peace and There’s a Ferret in the Neighborhood! are scheduled for release in 2024.
I have been writing all of my adult life – business letters, organization newsletters, instruction manuals, newspaper articles, and occasionally a poem – nothing big. It was only after moving to Tennessee in 1996 and becoming involved in telling stories of Historic Jonesborough as a tour guide that I eventually became an “official” storyteller and left the street behind. (I love to tell people that I started my storytelling career as a streetwalker!) After years of writing stories for the stage, I decided in 2014 to start putting them into written form. It surprised even me that one story which was intended to be a 25-minute stage story (Shoes in the River) actually ended up being a novel…with a sequel (Children of the Edict). Another intended short story turned out to be a novella (The Ugly Christmas Tree), a story about orphans. You just never know where a storyteller will go when you cut ‘em loose! Tiggy Tiggy Touch Wood and Touched by Tennessee are collections of my short stories in print and audio. Children’s books are my new love: Hobie the Christmas Spider and Bert the Owl Bat (print and YouTube). Eirennie the Dove of Peace and There’s a Ferret in the Neighborhood! are scheduled for release in 2024.
Jack Russell Rose- Jack is now deceased but was awarded the lifetime membership in 2022.
Jack Rose to family, friends and workmates, I was born in one of the numerous small coal camps which dotted the landscape of the Southern Appalachian region of Southwest Virginia. The second oldest of six, I grew up on a small family farm, where we moved when I was seven. There I learned the true meaning of working for survival. After gradation from Richlands High School, Class of 1964, I left the region, as most young people did then, seeking higher education and work opportunities, first in Washington, DC. In 1967, I married my childhood sweetheart and love of my life, Esther (Lawson). We finished our college education together at Richmond's Virginia Commonwealth University. A brief term in the USAF, took us to Texas, Illinois and Missouri, where I served as a Minuteman Missile Targeting Officer. With the ending of the VietNam War, I left the military, returned to Richmond and resumed my career in the insurance industry. In that business, I was presented with the opportunity to return to Texas - first to Houston, then later to Abilene in West Texas - where our two children grew up. In the late 1980's we returned to Southwest Virginia, where we live today - in the city of Bristol. After returning to Virginia, I began writing down stories, based on the places we had seen, and the people we had met. Texas and the Western Mountains of New Mexico and Colorado, provide the backdrop for Looking Down on the Moon and Missing. The Missouri Farmland I saw while in the Air Force, is the birthplace of Ryder Haynes, who would become the homeless person of Murder In Pleasant Grove. In the Northern Virginia area, outside DC, Ryder finds a home and hapiness. Richmond, VA, is the setting in Missing, and In Search of Himself. I am currently and active Board Member of the Appalchian Authors Guild, a Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club - www.appalachianauthors.com. A group dedicated to providing support and educational opportunities for budding authors in the Southern Appalachian Region.
Jack Rose to family, friends and workmates, I was born in one of the numerous small coal camps which dotted the landscape of the Southern Appalachian region of Southwest Virginia. The second oldest of six, I grew up on a small family farm, where we moved when I was seven. There I learned the true meaning of working for survival. After gradation from Richlands High School, Class of 1964, I left the region, as most young people did then, seeking higher education and work opportunities, first in Washington, DC. In 1967, I married my childhood sweetheart and love of my life, Esther (Lawson). We finished our college education together at Richmond's Virginia Commonwealth University. A brief term in the USAF, took us to Texas, Illinois and Missouri, where I served as a Minuteman Missile Targeting Officer. With the ending of the VietNam War, I left the military, returned to Richmond and resumed my career in the insurance industry. In that business, I was presented with the opportunity to return to Texas - first to Houston, then later to Abilene in West Texas - where our two children grew up. In the late 1980's we returned to Southwest Virginia, where we live today - in the city of Bristol. After returning to Virginia, I began writing down stories, based on the places we had seen, and the people we had met. Texas and the Western Mountains of New Mexico and Colorado, provide the backdrop for Looking Down on the Moon and Missing. The Missouri Farmland I saw while in the Air Force, is the birthplace of Ryder Haynes, who would become the homeless person of Murder In Pleasant Grove. In the Northern Virginia area, outside DC, Ryder finds a home and hapiness. Richmond, VA, is the setting in Missing, and In Search of Himself. I am currently and active Board Member of the Appalchian Authors Guild, a Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club - www.appalachianauthors.com. A group dedicated to providing support and educational opportunities for budding authors in the Southern Appalachian Region.
Clinton Sargent
I'm an oncoming author with a young adult Fantasy romance series in the works. I dabble with horror, science fiction, and drama/ noir stories as well . I believe that all cultures should be celebrated and shared with the world. Let me help show you the world in my eyes.
I'm an oncoming author with a young adult Fantasy romance series in the works. I dabble with horror, science fiction, and drama/ noir stories as well . I believe that all cultures should be celebrated and shared with the world. Let me help show you the world in my eyes.
JC Schweingrouber
I am a writer because I have always been a reader. From an early age, books were not simply entertainment to me. They were like friends, and doorways into other lives. I was always voracious reader having gotten the love of reading from my mother. Still to this day I often juggle two or three books at a time. Long before I ever thought of myself as an author I understood the quiet power of a well-told story and the lasting imprint it could leave on a reader’s mind. My favorite writer…F. Scott Fitzgerald.
I believe storytelling is one of the most valuable forms of art we have. Great stories endure because they carry meaning far beyond the page. Powerful themes can inspire, challenge, and unsettle us, while strong emotions (when written honestly) tug at the reader in deeply personal ways. I am still striving for that kind of authenticity. A book can change how we see the world, how we see others, and sometimes how we see ourselves. That belief has shaped not only how I read, but how I write.
I began writing in the year 2000 with no grand ambitions. My original intention was simply to write one book. Like many people, I had always thought that writing a book was something you put on a bucket list to tackle someday, maybe later in life. I figured I might as well knock that one off early and move on. What I did not expect was what writing that first book would do to me.
That effort resulted in a total disaster. It was clumsy, simplistic, and full of the mistakes that almost every new writer makes. But it was also transformative for me personally. Somewhere in the struggle of getting words onto the page, wrestling with ideas, and trying to shape something meaningful out of nothing, I discovered that writing was not just a goal…it was a calling.
One book quietly turned into another, and then another. Over time, that single bucket-list project grew into more than ten published works across multiple genres. Each book taught me something new…not just about the art of writing, but about patience, discipline, and persistence. Writing showed me that creativity is not a lightning strike; it is something you show up for, day after day, even when you can’t seem to find the words.
As an Appalachian writer, place matters to me. The rhythms, histories, hardships, and resilience of the region have shaped how I see the world and how I approach storytelling. Appalachia is rich with stories. Some are celebrated and many overlooked. I believe writers play a vital role in preserving, questioning, and re-imagining those narratives.
Writing is no longer something I do for book sales or recognition. It is a lifelong passion, a habit of curiosity, and a way of making sense of the world. I keep writing because I can’t imagine not doing so. And because I still believe, as I did when I was a young reader, that great stories matter.
J.C. Schweingrouber, aka Cyrus Alderwood
I am a writer because I have always been a reader. From an early age, books were not simply entertainment to me. They were like friends, and doorways into other lives. I was always voracious reader having gotten the love of reading from my mother. Still to this day I often juggle two or three books at a time. Long before I ever thought of myself as an author I understood the quiet power of a well-told story and the lasting imprint it could leave on a reader’s mind. My favorite writer…F. Scott Fitzgerald.
I believe storytelling is one of the most valuable forms of art we have. Great stories endure because they carry meaning far beyond the page. Powerful themes can inspire, challenge, and unsettle us, while strong emotions (when written honestly) tug at the reader in deeply personal ways. I am still striving for that kind of authenticity. A book can change how we see the world, how we see others, and sometimes how we see ourselves. That belief has shaped not only how I read, but how I write.
I began writing in the year 2000 with no grand ambitions. My original intention was simply to write one book. Like many people, I had always thought that writing a book was something you put on a bucket list to tackle someday, maybe later in life. I figured I might as well knock that one off early and move on. What I did not expect was what writing that first book would do to me.
That effort resulted in a total disaster. It was clumsy, simplistic, and full of the mistakes that almost every new writer makes. But it was also transformative for me personally. Somewhere in the struggle of getting words onto the page, wrestling with ideas, and trying to shape something meaningful out of nothing, I discovered that writing was not just a goal…it was a calling.
One book quietly turned into another, and then another. Over time, that single bucket-list project grew into more than ten published works across multiple genres. Each book taught me something new…not just about the art of writing, but about patience, discipline, and persistence. Writing showed me that creativity is not a lightning strike; it is something you show up for, day after day, even when you can’t seem to find the words.
As an Appalachian writer, place matters to me. The rhythms, histories, hardships, and resilience of the region have shaped how I see the world and how I approach storytelling. Appalachia is rich with stories. Some are celebrated and many overlooked. I believe writers play a vital role in preserving, questioning, and re-imagining those narratives.
Writing is no longer something I do for book sales or recognition. It is a lifelong passion, a habit of curiosity, and a way of making sense of the world. I keep writing because I can’t imagine not doing so. And because I still believe, as I did when I was a young reader, that great stories matter.
J.C. Schweingrouber, aka Cyrus Alderwood
Tammy Robinson Smith
After two decades of working in the communications field, Tammy Robinson Smith founded a boutique publishing company specializing in Appalachian women's fiction. As a publisher, she launched the careers of several regional authors. Tammy published three short story collections filled with writers of Appalachian fiction and added two imprints to the company to open up publishing opportunities for authors who were seeking small, regional presses.
In 2012, Tammy sold her press and began working as a contract writer and marketing and public relations coach to entities seeking assistance with publicity. Since then, she has liaised with clients to produce written pieces to communicate with their target audiences via print, digital and television promotions. Clients included authors, non-profit organizations, media outlets, small businesses and individual entrepreneurs.
Early 2019 brought another writing venture into Tammy’s life. She decided to get back to her creative writing. She is releasing the first of her novels in her “Stories from the heart of Appalachia” line this summer. Look for The Ivy Creek Sewing Circle on amazon.com and tammyrobinsonsmith.com soon!
After two decades of working in the communications field, Tammy Robinson Smith founded a boutique publishing company specializing in Appalachian women's fiction. As a publisher, she launched the careers of several regional authors. Tammy published three short story collections filled with writers of Appalachian fiction and added two imprints to the company to open up publishing opportunities for authors who were seeking small, regional presses.
In 2012, Tammy sold her press and began working as a contract writer and marketing and public relations coach to entities seeking assistance with publicity. Since then, she has liaised with clients to produce written pieces to communicate with their target audiences via print, digital and television promotions. Clients included authors, non-profit organizations, media outlets, small businesses and individual entrepreneurs.
Early 2019 brought another writing venture into Tammy’s life. She decided to get back to her creative writing. She is releasing the first of her novels in her “Stories from the heart of Appalachia” line this summer. Look for The Ivy Creek Sewing Circle on amazon.com and tammyrobinsonsmith.com soon!
Dan Swanson
Daniel C. Swanson became a writer after a long and successful business career that enabled him to travel to all fifty states and around the world. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, he worked for Fortune 500 companies and international consulting companies in a variety of roles in project management, engineering, and sales. He founded and managed three companies in management consulting, land development, and home construction. He currently resides with his family in the historic town of Abingdon, Virginia. In addition to his writing projects, he has remained active in business while he has maintained a close relationship with his beloved Virginia Tech through alumni activities and annual work with the scholarship program for deserving students from Southwest Virginia.
Daniel C. Swanson became a writer after a long and successful business career that enabled him to travel to all fifty states and around the world. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, he worked for Fortune 500 companies and international consulting companies in a variety of roles in project management, engineering, and sales. He founded and managed three companies in management consulting, land development, and home construction. He currently resides with his family in the historic town of Abingdon, Virginia. In addition to his writing projects, he has remained active in business while he has maintained a close relationship with his beloved Virginia Tech through alumni activities and annual work with the scholarship program for deserving students from Southwest Virginia.
Joe Tennis
Joe Tennis is the author of nine books, including “Southwest Virginia Crossroads,” “Virginia Rail Trails” and “Along Virginia’s Route 58.” He has released three ghost-tale collections; two pictorial histories; and a children’s book based on the Lost State of Franklin in Tennessee. He has won more than 20 awards for his work at the Bristol Herald Courier since 1993. He has also written for Appalachian Voice, Coastal Virginia Magazine, Carolina Mountain Life, Lake Anna Magazine, Hampton Roads Magazine, and Route 66 Magazine.
Joe Tennis is the author of nine books, including “Southwest Virginia Crossroads,” “Virginia Rail Trails” and “Along Virginia’s Route 58.” He has released three ghost-tale collections; two pictorial histories; and a children’s book based on the Lost State of Franklin in Tennessee. He has won more than 20 awards for his work at the Bristol Herald Courier since 1993. He has also written for Appalachian Voice, Coastal Virginia Magazine, Carolina Mountain Life, Lake Anna Magazine, Hampton Roads Magazine, and Route 66 Magazine.
Tonia Viles
Tonia A. Viles is an American fantasy author whose work explores elemental magic, interwoven histories, and the resilience of family—both born and chosen. She is the creator of the Grandel Isle series, a world known for its rich symbolism, ecological themes, and mythic depth.
Based in Saltville, Virginia, Viles draws inspiration from the natural world and the storytelling traditions of Appalachia. When she isn’t writing, she cultivates community among readers and fellow authors, offering insights into worldbuilding, creative ritual, and the craft of mythic storytelling.
Tonia A. Viles is an American fantasy author whose work explores elemental magic, interwoven histories, and the resilience of family—both born and chosen. She is the creator of the Grandel Isle series, a world known for its rich symbolism, ecological themes, and mythic depth.
Based in Saltville, Virginia, Viles draws inspiration from the natural world and the storytelling traditions of Appalachia. When she isn’t writing, she cultivates community among readers and fellow authors, offering insights into worldbuilding, creative ritual, and the craft of mythic storytelling.