Author Interviews

My writing comes from varied experiences as an immigrant, a person with a hidden disability trying to fit into a neurotypical world, the child of Holocaust survivors, and someone with a deep spiritual life who loves the natural world of lakes and mountains, trees and forests, sun, rain, and snow. I’m an active member of SCBWI and the Adirondack Center for Writing, as well as several critique groups. I’ve taken courses from the Children’s Book Academy, Lyrical Language Lab with Renee LaTulippe, Picture Book Magic (Susanna Hill), and Writing in Rhyme (Angie Karcher).

Gil Stafford has been a professional athlete, teacher, coach, university president, and Episcopal priest. Now he’s a full-time writer, having published four books.

I’m CarrieAnn! I am 34 years old, and I have a weird cat named Jude and two beautiful nieces that fill my life with love. I have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and currently work as an advocate for the unsheltered community in Minneapolis. In my spare time, I like to Diamond paint, watch Star Trek TNG, and be in nature.

Working in niche publishing in 2005, Ekta has written and edited about everything from healthcare to home improvement to Hindi films. A writing contest judge for the Florida Writers Association and the Saturday Writers chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild, Ekta conducts writing workshops and also hosts Biblio Breakdown, where she examines books and offers writing exercises. She blogs original fiction, book reviews, and all things writing and editing at The Write Edge (http://thewriteedge.wordpress.com). Her holiday novella, The Truth About Elves, and her fairy tale for grownups, In the Heart of the Linden Wood, are both available now from Atmosphere Press.

A native South Carolinian, Samantha didn’t go too far from home. When she’s not arguing with the characters over the plot, she’s baking, exercising, or Netflixing with her two rescue dogs and husband.

Jillian Arena lives in Jupiter, FL, with her husband, children, and countless pets. When she’s not writing stories, digging her toes in the sand, or hanging out with her family, she spends her time running her holistic coaching practice and empowering amazing humans from all walks of life to dream big and take life by the horns. Her experiences doing deep inner work with others have shaped her heart-centered writing style and all of the characters she has developed.

Karen McLain was born in the Chicagoland area in the early eighties. As the youngest child of three children to a single mother, life could be rough at times. The family moved to western Pennsylvania in the mid-nineties and things got a bit easier for them. After a tragic loss, Karen shut herself off from the world for many years in order to figure things out and deal with her illnesses. Searching for ways to vent a creative passion, Karen was inspired by internet content to create The Mayari Chronicles.

Justin O’Donnell holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Western Connecticut State University. He spent his childhood immersed in online roleplay, playing football, and reading history. When not reading or writing, Justin competes as a bodybuilder and dreams up ways to spin speculative tales about ancient empires, mythological horrors, and apocalyptic hellscapes. Justin currently lives in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, with his wife, daughter, and mischievous Siberian husky.