Bella lynn Thompson
Nonfiction
Bella Lynn Thompson is an author, licensed clinical psychologist, senior adjunct professor, and mother of two. She has presented numerous educational lectures and cared for clients for well over a decade. In Sudden Widow, A True Story of Love, Grief, Recovery, and How Badly It Can Suck! Bella recounts her happiest and most trying times, and through her book manages to evoke emotions of heartbreak, humor, and hope.
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Sandy Tritt
Author/Editor
Sandy Tritt is a writer, ghostwriter, editor and speaker. The founder and CEO of Inspiration for Writers, Inc., an international editing and critiquing service for aspiring writers, she has edited hundreds of manuscripts (fiction, nonfiction, and plays), and ghostwritten dozens more. The author of several books, including From Laundry to Love and The PLAIN ENGLISH Writer’s Workbook, her short stories have received many awards and have appeared in various literary magazines. She is a past president of West Virginia Writers, Inc., the state’s largest writing organization, and past president of the Ohio Valley Literary Group. She was the recipient of the 2002 Artsbridge Arts Award for Writing and the West Virginia Writers’ 2008 J.U.G. (Just Uncommonly Good) Award for mentoring writers. Sandy taught creative writing for the Jackson County Board of Education and has given workshops at the Connecticut Fiction Fest (Meriden, Connecticut), West Virginia Writers Conference (Cedar Lakes, West Virginia), the Alabama Writers Conclave (Auburn, Alabama), the Appalachian Writers Association (Bristol, Tennessee), the Writer’s Project Runway (Leesburg, Virginia), the Lewisburg Literary Festival, and for the West Virginia Division of Culture and History (Charleston, West Virginia)—among many local and regional workshops. Invite her to speak at your conference or workshop.
WWW.InspirationForWriters.com provides encouragement, writing craft tips, and inspiring success stories. Additionally, Inspiration for Writers, Inc., publishes a weekly blog article at http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ and a somewhat-monthly e-newsletter. IFW will provide a free sample edit (500 words) of a completed fiction or nonfiction manuscript over 20,000 words or a 30-minute complimentary consultation. See the website for more information or contact Sandy at IFWeditors@gmail.com.
Sandy loves giving workshops. Invite her to speak at your conference or workshop.
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The Twenty Year War Authors
Non-fiction, Photo Journalist, Army Rangers
Dan Blakeley served in 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, deploying six times in support of the Global War on Terror. He graduated from Appalachian State University with his bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees. He started the school’s solar-powered racing team that designed and built two solar-powered race cars, competing in five international races. Dan’s transition from military to civilian was not easy. Over the years he has seen firsthand a trend in the veteran community which paralleled his own experiences. “It’s a lack of understanding the skills veterans bring to the table, our proven leadership, our commitment to teammates, our unwavering desire to increase potential and be our best,” Dan said recently. Dan’s passion for veteran success and telling their stories was the inspiration for his first book, The Twenty-Year War. Dan is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of United Valor, a company focused on telling the untold stories of war through all media formats.
Tom Amenta was born in Chicago, IL, and grew up in the area before enlisting, against his family’s wishes, into the United States Army on his 18th birthday. Following his five years as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, including two combat tours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Tom earned his degree in political science from the University of Illinois. Tom spent the next eight years as the COO of the veteran lifestyle apparel company Ranger Up. He pioneered the veteran lifestyle apparel category and helped grow Ranger Up into the premier company in the space. At Ranger Up, he passionately advocated for veterans’ causes in many spaces, including lobbying Senate service committees. Later, he helped produce and starred in the only fully veteran-produced Hollywood movie, Range 15. He is a passionate advocate for veteran entrepreneurship and assisting veterans in transition, which led him to author his first book, The Twenty-Year War. Tom is the Chief Development Officer of United Valor.
Beau Simmons has been a professional photographer since 2009. He grew up just outside Joshua Tree National Park. An adventurer, Beau grew up working on and racing motorcycles as a child. He made a name for himself at 21 on the fashion photography scene working with clients including Marc Jacobs, 7 For All Mankind, Guess Jeans, and Converse. He was a go-to photographer for such agencies as Elite Models, IMG, and Ford Models. Beau captures his work exclusively on film using the lost art of medium format film photography, feeling it gives a classic look and feel to his work. The fashion scene began to grind on Beau. Being a cowboy is in his blood. In this spirit, he decided to pursue his passion for capturing classic Americana and the wonder of the American landscape. Through this cross-country journey, he was introduced to the veteran non-profit Heroes and Horses, a group that uses equine therapy to help veterans cope with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. His commitment to telling an authentic story about American veterans is on full display in his first feature photo book, The Twenty-Year War, which he created with two former Army Rangers, one of whom is his childhood friend, Dan Blakeley. Beau is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of United Valor.
For More Information https://twentyyearwar.com/
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Simon Van der Velde
Thriller Writer
Simon Van der Velde was born and educated in Newcastle upon Tyne where he trained and practiced as a lawyer. Writing, however, was always the real passion, and Simon has now left the legal profession in order to concentrate on his writing.
Since completing a creative writing M.A. (with distinction) at University of Northumbria in 2011, his work has won and been short-listed for numerous awards including; The Yeovil Literary Prize, (twice), The Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal, The Wasafiri New Writing Prize, The Luke Bitmead Bursary, The Frome Short Story Prize, The Writers’ and Artists’ Short Story Prize, The Harry Bowling Prize, The Henshaw Press Short Story Competition and The National Association of Writers’ Groups Open Competition.
Simon is the founder and chair of Gosforth Writers Group and author of the widely acclaimed, Amazon bestseller, Backstories, ‘the stand-out most original book of the year’ in 2021. His literary crime novel, The Silent Brother(Northodox Press, 2022), has recently been longlisted for the UK’s premier crime-writing prize, the Crime Writers’ Association GOLD Dagger, 2023. Simon is currently working on both Backstories II, due for publication this summer, and his follow-up crime novel, Dogwood.
Having traveled throughout Europe and South America, Simon now lives in Newcastle upon Tyne with his wife, labradoodle, and two tyrannical children.
For more information or to contact the author visit https://www.simonvandervelde.com/
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Diana Pishner Walker
Family Histories, History, Headline Kids, Non-Fiction, West Virginia Authors/Illustrators
Diana Pishner Walker was born in Clarksburg, WV and is the daughter of the late Louis and Anna Allessio Pishner. She attended Notre Dame High School in Clarksburg, WV and graduated in 1977. She attended Fairmont State College, Fairmont WV and was a “Fast ForWord” computer aide at East Dale Elementary School. Currently, Diana is part of the Headline Kids School Show program and visits schools, libraries, and speaks to groups across the United States.
Diana resides in Fairmont, WV with her husband Mark and their three children Curt, Courtney, Chris and his wife Ashley. They have two grandsons Ashton Louis and Austin Maddox.
Diana’s Italian roots run deep. Her maternal grandparents were from San Giovani in Fiore, Province of Cosenza, Italy. Her paternal grandparents were from Caulonia, Reggio Calabria Italy.
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J. Warren weaver
Author, Screenplay Writer
Born into the beauty of the Colorado mountains, J. Warren has always had a love for nature's beauty and the solitude of the middle of nowhere. Inspired to write at a young age, J. has committed his life to the pursuit of telling immersive and compelling stories in a number of mediums.
After attending film school in Denver, Colorado, J. threw the dice and made his way to Los Angeles where he learned the hard truths of rejection and the silver lining of criticism. After years spent writing spec scripts for movies and television, J. heard the calling of the great outdoors and returned to his roots, the place that had given birth to his dream of writing.
Re-inspired to create, J. went back to his original love, the novel, and is proud to present his debut novel, To Kill A Ghost. If you'd like to join J. along his journey please subscribe to his newsletter via jwarrenweaver.com
For more information or to contact the author visit https://www.jwarrenweaver.com
Sandra Warren
Author
Sandra Warren is a writer with publications in multiple genres including children's, gifted education, military biography, screenplay, nonfiction and historical fiction. She grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and attended South High School, the subject of a nonfiction book, We Bought A WWII Bomber: The Untold Story Of A Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & The Blue Ridge Parkway, which was awarded the 2017 Outstanding Michigan History Publication in the Private Printing category, from the Historical Society of Michigan, and declared a Finalist in the 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She Started It All is a companion middle-grade historical fiction based on the We Bought A WWII Bomber book.
Obsessed By A Promise, her latest historical fiction was declared a Finalist in the Ebook category in the 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Sandra is married, the mother of three daughters who have blessed her with six grandchildren. She lives and writes from a log cabin in the North Carolina Mountains.
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OBSESSED BY A PROMISE available here https://amzn.to/3n6hc7u
She Started It All - MG historical fiction of We Bought A WWII Bomber https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cOkam-SV0o&t=6s
We Bought a WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of a Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & The
Blue Ridge Parkway! Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUmxqhIpadI
Spivey's Christmas Web! Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWxu-vSpuRI
Mary Theresa (Terry) Webb
Author of Middle grade historical fiction and adult non-fiction
Writing under the brand name Historical Fiction 4 US Terry’smiddle-gradee historical fiction books, the Louie Lighthouse 5 volume series, Costly Freedom, and Thaddeus Stevens, an Inconvenient Hero make historical events and persons come alive through fast-moving adventures of male protagonists. Dr. Webb combines her background as a secondary school teacher with a master’s degree in education and her expertise as a marriage and family counselor to develop characters kids can relate to. She often gives programs dressed in period costume.
Dr. Webb pens her non-fiction books based on thirty years in her profession as a pastoral/addiction counselor and prevention specialist, peace activist, and seed planter. Never one to shy away from controversial topics, her books and blogs challenge both culture and complacency, During her life, she has led missionary training teams in Eastern Europe and African countries. Her passion about issues of peace, justice, addiction recovery, and Christian values infuse her books, newspapers, and magazine articles. Some notable titles are: Imagine Pittsburgh When, Memories and Miracles, Who’s Calling? Ministry Discernment, Disasters and Restoration, Tree of Life, and Healing Hope for Bruised Souls.
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Jeffrey Weber
Humor, Self Help
Jeffrey Weber has been a widely-recognized music industry professional for almost forty years. He has produced over 190 CDs with releases on just about every major label as well as a host of independent labels. Along the way, his projects have yielded two Grammys, seven Grammy nominations, at least seventeen top ten albums, two number-one albums and an assortment of other honors.
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Beth Kallman Werner
Author
Author Connections (AC) has been serving a global roster of clients since 2010, including publishers,
authors, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. AC is devoted to editing and marketing excellent
content for discerning readers. Beth is Advisor to the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (NGIBA), a
Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and Author Connections has earned the coveted Seal of Excellence from the Association of Independent Authors (AiA). In 2018, Beth published a literary nonfiction collection of short stories called Real Women’s Stories. Her own book, Travels of an Independent Woman, is scheduled for Summer 2021.
For more information visit www.authorconnections.com
Rachelle Wilfong
Headline Kids, Education, Fiction, West Virginia Authors/Illustrators
Award winning author, Rachelle Wilfong, is a mother of four and has three grandchildren. Her previous books, Growing Up Lilly Roo and Skittley Scat Halloween Cat, are both Gold Mom’s Choice Award Winners. Growing Up Lilly Roo also received a Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award. Rachelle, along with Lilly Roo, visits schools much of the year to share her books with kids of all ages. She is an entrepreneur and a lover of the outdoors and has worked professionally as a behavioral consultant, restaurant owner, and has experience with a teen club and child care center. She is the current owner of Sawmill Campground in Burnsville, West Virginia.
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