Stephanie Simpson is a retired psychotherapist living in southern Maine with her husband and ornery cat. She worked with military veterans and adult survivors of trauma for two decades in outpatient mental health clinics and in private practice. Later she trained as a master gardener in Maryland and Massachusetts, specializing in native plants and medicinal herbs. She owns a garden consultation business, Lake Gardengirl. Her happy places are The Scottish Borders and Northumberland, England, where her ancestors roamed with the Fraser clan as Border Reivers. The Alchemy From Antiquity is her first novel. She is currently working on the sequel.

E.L. Ambrico is a writing warrior inspired by the written word and she delights in mentoring aspiring novelists. Her thriving blog, wordytips.com, is devoted to budding authors and writers and spans over thirty-six countries on five continents. She is a chocolate lover and exercise enthusiast, and has a soft spot for fantasy, romance, and sci-fi. She is the mom of two sons, works as an editorial assistant at Newsday, and lives on Long Island with her husband, their four beautiful cats, and their sweet dog.

Writer and filmmaker Sophie Sartain is the co-director and producer of the documentary Seeing Allred, which premiered at Sundance and is on Netflix. Among Sartain’s credits is her ITVS-funded film Mimi and Dona, named one of the best TV shows of the year by The New York Times. Her documentary Buried Under Years of Dust is currently playing in film festivals and will be broadcast on PBS in early 2027. Sartain is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and New Day Films. She’s Next is her first book.

Dr. Ralph V. Clayman is a Distinguished Professor of Urology and Dean (emeritus) at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. He completed his undergraduate degree at Grinnell College and medical school at the University of California, San Diego. His general surgery internship, training in urology, and first academic post were all completed at the University of Minnesota. During that time, he co-founded the Endourology Society with Drs. Smith, Badlani, and Segura.

Christopher Kuhlmey was born on the North Side of Chicago and spent many years immersed in the spiritual world of San Diego, California. He holds a BA in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica, a PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Ryokan College, and has also submerged himself in the worlds of meditation and plant medicine.

Michelle is a memoirist and storyteller whose work explores healing, identity, and the quiet strength found in faith. Her writing is rooted in vulnerability, truth-telling, and the belief that our stories can lead us toward freedom. With a heart for helping others heal, she weaves spiritual insight and lived experience into reflections on resilience, purpose, and the transformative power of God’s love. Michelle lives in Washington State with her husband and son, whose presence continues to shape her journey.

Nadine K. Thompson is an author, educator and NLP coach. Her journey as an ESL teacher started in 2006 in Japan. She has subsequently lived in England and China. She published her first book, Encounters, in 2020.

Sean Esson’s childhood, filled with saving the world in epic video games and long days with friends establishing reasons they could use all their different toys at the same time, fueled his overactive imagination and built an unabashed love for telling stories, making it clear that being a writer was the only thing he wanted to do. He’s been chasing the dream ever since.

Debbie McNulty is the debut author of The Final Girl: Surviving Church and Childhood. A survivor of childhood trauma, she has a passion for helping others like herself. She has been featured in two anthologies, True Stories: The Narrative Project, volumes seven and eight. Debbie has always called Wisconsin home and enjoys time with her family and dogs. A lifelong creative, she enjoys nature, piles of books, and crafting.

Christine discovered her love of writing at sixty and has created a dark debut novel. A lifelong fan of horror movies and the works of Stephen King and James Herbert, she brings a sense of unease and imagination to her fiction. She lives in Leicestershire with her husband and nine cats and enjoys spending time with her family, including three wonderful grandchildren. Christine is a proud member of the Lutterworth Writers Group, where she continues to improve her writing skills.