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We are so excited have you join Bluegrass Writers Coalition! Reach out below and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Amethyst Drake
Amethyst Drake is a passionate storyteller. She excels at crafting delightful characters and developing complex relationships among them. Her favorite genre has always been mystery, making it a natural choice for her writing. She aims to blend her personal experiences with mental health and the moral complexities of intricate interpersonal relationships into engaging novels.
Amethyst loves reading all kinds of mysteries, suspense, and thrillers and enjoys watching classic detective and espionage dramas like "Murder, She Wrote," "Perry Mason," and "Mission: Impossible." She also loves hearing from readers! Connect by signing up for her newsletter or email amethyst@agswordsmiths.com
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Katherine Carson, a former intelligence operative turned private detective, has never been in it for the money. But when a desperate CEO offers double her usual fee to find his missing daughter, she can't refuse.
Set in Baltimore, 2009, what begins as a simple missing person inquiry transforms into a complex case of espionage, financial crime, and deep-seated grudges. For Katherine, this case strikes a personal chord, stirring up haunting memories from her own past. As unexpected connections emerge, she must confront her unresolved guilt.
Can Katherine and her team of private detectives solve the case before it's too late, or will the turmoil of her past consume her?
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Ann H. Gabhart
ANN H. GABHART has been called a storyteller. With 39 published books, the title fits. Ann wraps her stories around Kentucky historical times and settings. She’s written about Shakers in The Outsider and others, explored Appalachian history for These Healing Hills, An Appalachian Summer and Along a Storied Trail, mined family history for Angel Sister, Scent of Lilacs, and more. In her recent release, In the Shadow of the River, she dropped her characters down on a showboat on the Ohio River. For her 2024 release, Ann headed back to the Appalachian Mountains for The Song of Sourwood Mountain. Publisher’s Weekly says, “Gabhart sensitively portrays both the challenges of mountain life—poverty, harsh weather, disease—and the heart and warmth of this hardscrabble community.” Ann keeps her keyboard warm on her Kentucky farm where her dogs, Frankie and Marley, make sure she gets plenty of exercise. Find more at www.annhgabhart.com.
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The doors she thought were closed forever are starting to open up . . . just a crack
Though the century began with such promise, a few years later Mira Dean’s hopes of being a wife and mother are dashed to pieces. Her fiancé dead from tuberculosis, Mira resigns herself to being a spinster schoolteacher—until Gordon Covington shows up.
No longer the boy she knew from school, Gordon is now a preacher who is full of surprises. First, he asks Mira to come to Sourwood in Eastern Kentucky to teach at his mission school. Second, he asks her to marry him. Just like that.
With much trepidation, Mira steps out in faith into a life she never imagined, in a place filled with its own special challenges, to serve a people who just might end up becoming the family she always yearned for.
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William F Carman
Bill Carman is a hunting and fishing guide and award-winning outdoor writer. His stories have appeared in numerous outdoor magazines, and he won the national Outdoor Life Book Club short story contest. He has written three books of hunting and fishing essays and authored a true crime book, Saving Noah, set in a small town in Kentucky. His latest
book, Fishing with Daniel Boone, takes the reader on a fly fisherman’s journey to the rivers and streams of Daniel Boone’s life. Bill regularly conducts outdoor skills workshops, and he teaches outdoor writing at the Carnegie Center. He and his wife live in Lexington, Kentucky where he is teaching his grandchildren the ways of the woods. Bill can be reached at www.kentuckywildoutdoors.com.
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Fishing with Daniel Boone- Fly Fishing the Streams of an American Hero is an immersion in both the life and lore of one of America's greatest pioneers, and the quest of a modern fly fisherman to experience the streams Boone explored. Follow the author on his multi-state journey as he casts flies to hungry fish while surrounded by the woods and waters where Daniel Boone trekked, hunted, fought, and eventually died.
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Carol June Franks
As a recently retired teacher, I'm very excited to begin a new adventure as a children's book author. Even as a child, I always loved writing. However, I didn't "become a writer" until I participated in the Louisville Writing Project's Summer Institute. Those four weeks impacted my teaching more than any other professional development. I learned about myself as a writer, I learned to share ideas with fellow teachers, and I learned how to write along with my students. When I asked my students to write a certain genre, I tried it out alongside them. I shared my ideas, my thinking, my struggles, and let them give me feedback. Thus, I modeled a writing process of brainstorming, drafting, sharing, revising, editing and publishing. Overall, I learned to become a better writing teacher by writing with my students.
My 25 years as an educator included middle school science and language arts teacher, middle school literacy coach, literacy consultant at the Kentucky Department of Education, and middle school reading interventionist.
Because I am a teacher at heart, I want to do more than simply write children's books. I want to incorporate ideas that parents and teachers can use to strengthen children's reading and writing ability. My experience as a writing teacher and a reading interventionist helps me do just that. I am a firm believer that picture books are a perfect venue for improving reading and writing for students of all ages.
I live in smalltown Bagdad, Kentucky, with my husband, Ken, and our two dogs, Duke and Winnie. Our son, Kenny, works in the world of tech and lives too far away to suit me in California.
When I'm not writing, I can be found gardening, reading, hiking with friends, walking with Duke and Winnie, being at my church, hanging out with my family and friends, cleaning old cemetery headstones, and learning new hobbies. There is just so much God has given me to enjoy!
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Enjoy the thrill of a sled ride down Unrue Street! Jump on your sled and soon feel giant snowflakes against your face and the rattle of your sled bouncing up and over the bumps on the icy path. Let the story’s rhyme and repetition engage you in a cadence that moves you along as the main character in the story.
On a snow-lit night
filled with laughter and snowball fights
and neighborhood kids bundled tight,
take your sled for a ride
down Unrue Street.
Hiruni’s illustrations, vividly created in brilliant watercolor, give readers a nostalgic experience with snowy nighttime scenes. Her whimsical style brings the story to life and catches the eye of readers of all ages.
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Catherine, aka Cathy Perkins
Catherine Perkins (she/her), semi-retired Thoroughbred trainer, part-time zero-turn mower operator, horse crossing guard, stand-up comedian and full time poet, is the author of "Udder Uproar," Accents Publishing 2024. "Udder Uproar" is a small collection of entertaining, often humorous, sometimes bawdy or risqué poetry.
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Udder Uproar is Cathy Perkins's debut collection of humorous poems. Courageous, bawdy at times, but always unapologetic, the poems in this book surprise and entertain the reader with their mixture of frankness and vulnerability.
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Chris Helvey
Chris Helvey is an award winning short-story writer, a poet, and a novelist. The author of more than a dozen novels and multiple short-story collections, Chris’ latest novel, Revolution, was recently released by Wings ePress, and is available in both paperback and e-book formats on Amazon. A founding member of the Bluegrass Writers Coalition, he is also editor-in-chief and publisher of Trajectory Journal.
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A realistic, honest, and exquisitely detailed look at a revolt of an oppressed people in a small Latin American country, Revolution pulls no punches and takes no prisoners. It's a novel you won't want to put down and one you'll never forget.
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Virginia Smith
Virginia Smith is the bestselling author of more than fifty novels (and counting!), two illustrated children’s books, and many articles and short stories. An avid reader with eclectic tastes in fiction, Ginny writes in a variety of styles, from lighthearted relationship stories to breath-snatching suspense. Her books have been named finalists in many international awards. Two of her novels have received a Holt Medallion Award of Merit. The first book in the highly successful Goose Creek series, The Most Famous Illegal Goose Creek Parade, was Library Journal’s top pick of the month, and a finalist for the prestigious Bookseller’s Best Award.
In addition to writing, Ginny is an inspirational speaker and frequent presenter at schools and conferences. Her speaking ability, groomed through years of presenting dry material to bored corporate employees, has been described as entertaining, energetic, and informative. “She keeps her audience enthralled through her high-energy presentation,” according to Amy Barkman, director of Voice Of Joy Ministries.
Ginny loves to introduce readers to the her home state of Kentucky (where the grass really is green, not blue!), and enjoys setting some of her books there. But she also loves to travel, and makes it a point to visit the settings of her stories. A strong believer that research makes a story better, some of her favorite experiences have been scuba diving in Cozumel, Mexico (Into the Deep), working in a zoo (The Zookeeper’s Daughter), learning pottery (The Amish Widower), and cruising the Pacific northwest (the Seattle Brides series). She even enjoys the stuff others might find boring, like reading excavation reports about ancient ruins (The Last Drop of Oil, Raised for a Purpose, and The Woman Warrior.)
Ginny lives in central Kentucky with a barky Maltese named Max.
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When Rylee unearths a dusty box of old cases, her boss, Thomas Stackhouse, tells her to throw it away. Before pitching the files, Rylee examines them, and she’s shocked to learn that her mother’s best friend from high school was convicted of murder twenty-five years ago. Rylee realizes that the woman might be innocent. Now she needs to prove it.
The heartfelt and heart-racing novel from Annie’s will soon be an action-packed movie! Go to GuiltySecretsMovie.com to see the movie trailer, exclusive interviews and more!
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J.C. Van Horn
A young writer from Lexington, Kentucky. Finalist for the 2024 KY Visions Short Story Contest.
Jana Gillham
Books and music make me happy—so I try to make others happy with books and music. I claim Kentucky as home, but the first third of my life took place in the Philippines, a time and place rich with cultural experiences, travel and all kinds of story prompts. This served well for a two-decade corporate career at Lexmark International in communications and training, ‘til I just had to get out and follow the call of my heart! Since 2022, and perhaps in the third third of my life? I hope to be a voice for good and put positive, beautiful content into this old world. So far that includes three books, a weekly Substack newsletter (Soul Matters) and four albums with my beloved friends of Rahab’s Rope Band. Not afraid of a crowd—if you need a speaker, singer, reader or retreat leader, reach out!
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Nobody had planned to spend their holiday like this...
In mountainous West Virginia, a crippling blizzard in the dead of night leaves a small band of Christmas travelers forced to seek shelter in an abandoned restaurant. Emergency services are shut down. Power is out. Complete strangers, they wait out the storm together sharing resources and stories. The long cold hours drag by. Then something unimaginable happens. Christmas offers yet another miracle.
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Jan Schiffer
Jan has enjoyed journaling since she was a youngster in northwest Ohio. Her passion for researching the details of a story has heightened her desire to create more layers of interest in her debut manuscript.
Years of working in the classroom setting, among children with multiple behavioral issues, has prepared her with a plethora of unique information for her current manuscript. She resides in her country home on a cliff above the Kentucky River in central Kentucky, and surrounded by her husband, dog, cat and nature.
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In 1954, Jan Schiffer's life began in the quiet confines of an unwed mother's home in Columbus, Ohio. Sixty-three years later, she found herself standing in the very room where her story began, a room filled with echoes of the past and whispers of a life unknown. Finding the Rest of Me is the poignant and compelling tale of her journey to uncover her roots and discover her true identity.
This book is more than a personal adoption story; it's a captivating exploration of the Friends Rescue Home, a unique haven for unwed mothers in Columbus, Ohio. This heartwarming narrative delves into the home's rich history and fascinating evolution, shedding light on a little-known aspect of the past. With meticulous research and heartfelt prose, a vivid picture is composed of this remarkable institution and the women who found shelter within its walls.
Finding the Rest of Me is a unique and illuminating read, offering a rare glimpse into a hidden chapter of history and a woman's unwavering quest to find her place in the world.
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J Schlenker
J. Schlenker, a late-blooming author, lives with her husband, Chris, out in the splendid center of nowhere in the foothills of Appalachia in Kentucky, where the only thing to disturb her writing is croaking frogs and the occasional sounds of hay being cut in the fields.
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2018 Bronze Winner in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, Semi-Finalist in the 2018 William Faulkner––William Wisdom Writing Contest, 5-Star Readers' Favorite, IHIBRP Reviews Recommended Read
In 1968, at 109 years old, Sally is the oldest and sole African American resident of the old folks home where Alice tends to the elderly. Curiously, Alice shares the same last name as Sally, sparking a connection that transcends time and circumstance. Drawn to Sally's quiet wisdom and haunting past, Alice spends her evenings at Sally's bedside, eagerly absorbing the stories of a lifetime shaped by struggle and resilience.
As Sally's tales weave a tapestry of history and heritage, Alice finds herself compelled to document them in a journal, each entry unveiling layers of profound revelation. Decades later, after Alice's passing, her granddaughter Michelle stumbles upon the journals in the attic of her grandmother's house, along with a faded photograph bearing the name "Sally Ann Barnes, 1858 to 1969."
With each turn of the page, Michelle is transported back in time, delving into Sally's world with a fervor born of familial connection and shared ancestry. When the journals abruptly end, despite her initial confusion about her grandmother's fascination with Sally, Michelle embarks on a quest for understanding. Michelle's journey reveals the profound impact Sally's life had on Alice, prompting her to question the complexities of race, identity, and legacy that echo through generations.
From the dusty attics of memory to the corridors of history, Sally is a poignant exploration of identity, legacy, and the enduring power of storytelling. Inspired by the life of Sally Ann Barnes, whom the author met in 1961. Sally's resilience echoes through the ages.
This captivating tale invites readers to unearth the secrets of the past and embrace the richness of the human experience.
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Jocelyne Waddle
I grew up in the ancient region of Languedoc in southern France, where the air whispers tales of dangerous mermaids, bold outlaws, and proud women. And so, despite pursuing a future in international law, my enthusiasm for literature flourished, and I devoured Spanish, British, German, and Italian novels.
In my twenties, I embarked on an exciting journey for the love of a handsome Kentuckian gentleman. This romance took me across the Atlantic, where I embraced an unfamiliar life and changed my career path.
I obtained a BA in English, another in Secondary Education, a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Foreign Policy, and an M. Ed specializing in Teaching Gifted and Talented students. As a distinguished educator, I wrote educational papers contributing to the academic community. Over time, my interests lead me to explore new passions in gardening and botany.
I recently published articles on floriography, poisonous flora, and heirloom roses. With its examples of resilience, beauty in unexpected places, and the ever-present threat of invasive plants, I was inspired to write my first historical mystery novel, Death Comes At First Light.
When I am not writing, you can find me in my backyard, where I once nurtured two wonderful daughters. Now, I find joy in my grandchildren’s curiosity, rediscovering the world through their eyes.
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Death Comes At First Light
(to be released April 2025)
~~~
Do you believe in second chances, or are some wounds too deep to heal?
When a body is discovered in a room adjacent to hers at the Grand Hotel in Dover, Lady Aurora, a widow still reeling from years of abuse, is caught in a series of events that derail her plans for independence. Her newfound freedom is further threatened by the presence of her childhood friend, Viscount Beaulieu, and a chance encounter with the Earl of Sommerset and his cousin, Pauline, who have hidden ties to her late husband.
Evidence linking Aurora to the murder and the disappearance of Pauline and Beaulieu forces her to reluctantly join forces with the mysterious earl as they chase after a cryptic notebook that holds the key to both her husband’s death and the murder at the hotel, revealing a chilling connection. To clear her name and rescue her friend, Aurora must navigate societal norms, personal allegiances, and the complexities of her own heart.
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Leslie Gulvas
Leslie Gulvas is a writer who prefers to be defined by actions rather than adjectives. She is a collector of experiences, a former research scientist, and a retired science teacher. An eclectic author she writes in multiple genres. Under her own name, she has multiple published creative nonfiction articles and fictional stories in anthologies. Using pseudonyms to protect the innocent, she has produced the Carnival Charlatan urban fantasy series as Skeeter Enright and as Lee Gull wrote the Native American thriller Off the Reservation. Her contemporary, gothic horror novel was a finalist for the 2024 Claymore Award.
Connect on BlueSky: @gulvas.bsky.social
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A person’s background should not preclude justice in America, but that is not always the case. Michael Yazzie’s story shows how difficult it can be to walk between two cultures, even though they are only separated by a few miles of dusty road.
When he’s with his family in the Navajo Lands, looking white isn’t a problem for half-Navajo Michael Yazzie. It is why his aunt sends him to the city to look for a missing relative. Arriving in Phoenix, he finds that his cousin is in jail for murder. Seeing an easy conviction, the police aren’t willing to search for evidence beyond his cousin’s skin color. Dealing with the legal system and culture of Phoenix is difficult for Michael, so he has to seek help from a public defender. Matters become more complicated when Michael realizes the lawyer is the white father who abandoned him as a child.
To bring his cousin home, Michael has to track the real murderer in an unfamiliar urban wilderness. He is forced to form alliances with the father he doesn't trust, a news reporter he doesn't understand, and a transvestite street person who may have motivations of her own. Together they deal with an over-worked police force and a cunning serial killer.
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Paul Stansbury
Paul Stansbury is a lifelong native of Kentucky. He is the author of the four volume Inversion short speculative fiction collection; and Down by the Creek – Ripples and Reflections. Over one hundred of his speculative fiction stories have been published in a variety of print anthologies and in a variety of online publications. His poetry has appeared in several print anthologies and in a variety of online publications as well. He is a Kentucky Monthly Penned winner. His short play, Nana Toby was selected for the inaugural Union Commonwealth University Festival of New Plays. He is Scheduling Coordinator for The Jeanne Penn Lane Celebration of Kentucky Writers. He is the owner of Sheppard Press. Now retired, he lives in Danville, Kentucky.
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Another Infusion of Speculative Fiction is speculative fiction for the inquisitive mind. In the fourth volume of his Inversion Series, Author Paul Stansbury invites you to experience again a world where the rules as you know them do not always apply. INVERSION means turning upside down or inside out, reversal of a normal order or relation. What better title for a collection of speculative fiction stories? When you ask, “What if?” the result is not your ordinary story.
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Richard C Stuecker
Ric Stuecker is a writer and poet living in Louisville, Kentucky with his wife, Barbara, of over 50 years.
He holds an A.B. in English from Duke University, an M.Ed,from Spalding University and an MFA in creative writing from the Bluegrass Writers Studio at Eastern Kentucky University.
A Pushcart Prize nominee, he has published two collections of poems with Kelsay Books (The Uncertainty Principle and Ghostlier Demarcations}, a collection of essays on conscious aging with John Hunt Publishing (Vibrant Emeritus: The Elder in the Twenty-First Century) and two novels with Next Chapter Publishing (The North Pole Letters and Coasting America}.
Ric is a certified presentation skills coach, a certified life coach, and he has keynoted, hosted, and presented numerous state, regional and national conferences. He has mentored successful poets, fiction, and creative non-fiction authors and has taught creative writing at Francis Parker School, Saint Xavier High School, and Indiana University Southeast.
Ric and Barbara often travel to visit family in Lucca, Italy and Cape Cod. Mostly they dote on their beautiful grandchildren: Lucy, Sylvia, Marley and Dane.
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Early one December morning, sisters Naomi and Jude wake up to an unusual noise echoing through their Victorian home. Rushing downstairs, they discover a mysterious envelope lying in front of the fireplace.
The letter is from an elf called Rylkin, and will lead them into the heart of the North Pole's secrets and adventures. Among others, they meet Billybags, a crafty trickster; Jons the brave Ranger; Beejee the magical storyteller; Haggars the inventive genius and Merry Belle, who safeguards the legends and songs of old.
Full of holiday charm and the spirit of the season, Richard C. Stuecker's THE NORTH POLE LETTERS is a journey into the magic of Christmas that will fill your heart with joy.
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Shannon McRoberts
Shannon McRoberts is a Creative Deconstructionist reimagining life around her one work at a time. At her core, the USA Today Best-Selling author, award-winning poet, and artist is a lover of all things fantasy. She works to weave myths and lore into the fantastical tomes she pens. Shannon finds time to write from her home in Kentucky when she's not busy gaming, herding cats, making art, or being a mother.
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Are you more than just your DNA? Are you really you without your memories?
Zarra believed, after she tore down Genetic Corp X, she would finally be free. With the company dismantled and everyone who knew the truth about Zarra out of the way, she couldn't fathom any problems sinking into anonymity. Not wanting to waste of second of freedom, Zarra disappeared with her new identity. Everything seemed to go according to her plan; so, why do assassins keep showing up on her doorstep?
After being injured in a brutal skirmish, Miranda Roseland spent the last ten years of her life stuck in a hazy memory of blood and snow. Now she finds herself released from her nightmare with a fresh chance at life. But instead of taking her well earned retirement from military life, Miranda learns the owner of Psi Corp X, her father's employer, needs someone with her particular set of skills. The job is simple: covertly follow a global security threat and keep tabs on them. Finding herself itching to get back into action, Miranda agrees to an all expense paid year-long contract with Psi Corp X. She doesn't realize, until after she starts investigating her target, this simple job may end up costing her father everything.
Join Miranda in a race against the clock as she searches for the secrets of Psi Corp X while trying to end the threat against her father. Scroll up and purchase your copy today to read the sequel to the book others have compared to Blade Runner!
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Stephen M. Vest
Stephen M. Vest is the editor and publisher of Kentucky Monthly, a Governor Award in the Arts (Media) honoree. Founded in 1998, Kentucky Monthly has more than 100,000 readers.
He is the author of the upcoming biography, The Life and Times of Dog’s Best Friend; Unexpected Inheritance, a memoir about being raised by older parents and a hard-to-please grandmother; two collections of columns and the publisher of the 2012 anthology Kentucky’s Twelve Days of Christmas.
Vest holds degrees from the University of Louisville and Murray State University (MFA). His work has appeared in The Journal of Kentucky Studies.
A frequent speaker, Vest teaches communications at Campbellsville University feature writing at Eastern Kentucky University and English at Midway University.
He and his wife, Kay, have four grown children.
They live in Frankfort.
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Although the saying “Dog is man’s best friend,” is well known, the man who originally coined the phrase is less celebrated in modern times. However, in the late 1800s, George Graham Vest was a distinguished attorney and politician widely admired for his skills in oration and debate.
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Susan Harris Howell
As a psychologist on faculty at a small university in Kentucky, I have loved teaching and mentoring young adults for over thirty years. The Spirit of Vanderlaan draws on that career to capture the camaraderie and warmth between a psychology professor and the assortment of personalities which inhabit her office.
I have published extensively in my professional areas of expertise – psychology and equality between women and men. My first book, Buried Talents, was published by InterVarsity Press and was named a winner in their 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards.
My husband and I have two grown children, a daughter-in-law, one adorable grandson, and an incorrigible beagle named Doc. While Doc doesn't understand a word I say, he fully supports my books and the messages they convey.
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When beloved professor, Samantha Hayes, learns that her favorite four students live in as many of her old dorm rooms, she wonders how it happened and for what purpose. As she and her student entourage explore the possibilities, they uncover a death years ago and what appears to be the ghost of the dearly departed. All of this stirs up Samantha's long-held fear that she was responsible for that death, challenging all she thought she knew about herself and the work she holds dear. They must figure out what happened before Samantha gets fired for "dabbling in the paranormal."
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Tiffany Amber Stockton
Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of talking entirely too much and possessing an active imagination. Today, she has honed those skills to become an award-winning author and speaker with a passion for literacy and helping others find their identity. She loves to share life-changing ideas and inspiration with everyone she meets.
She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Kentucky. They have 2 children, 3 cats, and 1 dog.
Tiffany has over 24 books published so far with more on the horizon. To date, more than 400,000 copies of her books are in print.
As a born-again Christian since the age of seven, Tiffany is no stranger to heartache, betrayal, and traveling desolate roads. Her faith in Christ has often sustained her through difficult experiences. Although people have failed her, God never has. With her tagline (Broken Promises Restored), she seeks to share that with others through her writing.
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Claude Buchanan is turning 80. Ida Buchanan wants her husband to have an 80th birthday he’ll never forget. His one request is for all their children and grandchildren to be there for the party. They have four sons, and each one has a daughter—the heroines in each of the novellas. The cousins all share the last name of Buchanan.All four young women left Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the last few years—for reasons specific to each—and moved to another area or state. For that reason, they don’t want to return for the party. But because they love their grandparents, they do. Returning home forces each young woman to deal with what caused her to leave in the first place, and in each case, opens the door to true love.The birthday party takes place in Granddaddy and Granny Buchanan’s barn on Christmas Eve, and each of the four novellas end that same day, just prior to the party, which is featured in the epilogue accompanying the last book in the series.
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James Wells
James B. Wells is a retired Criminology and Criminal Justice Professor in the School of Justice Studies in the College of Justice, Safety, and Military Science at Eastern Kentucky University. A former carpenter, soldier, and correctional officer in a super-maximum-security prison and later as a researcher/planner assisting architects in prison design, he has multiple degrees, including an M.S. in Criminal Justice, a Ph.D. in Research, and an MFA in Creative Writing. He’s authored or co-authored over sixty-five books, chapters, articles, and essays, as well as over a hundred and fifty research reports for various local, state, and federal agencies. Recent essays from his research and memoir work appear in Collateral Journal, About Place Journal, Wild Roof Journal, Military Experience and the Arts, The Wrath-Bearing Tree, Shift, and Proud to be: Writing by American Warriors. His investigative memoir about his father's still CIA-classified death in Vietnam in 1965, titled Because: A CIA Coverup and a Son’s Odyssey to Find the Father He Never Knew, will be released on Father's Day, June 15, 2025. Links to publications, presentations, trailers, social media, blog, and other information can be found at https://jamesbwells.com. James enjoys spending much of his leisure time with his spouse on their Lexington, Kentucky farm located on the palisades of the Kentucky River, where he is an organic gardener and beekeeper.
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Because is published by Milspeak Books and will be available for preorder in January, 2025. It will be released Father's Day, June 15, 2025.
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Beth Dotson Brown
Beth Dotson Brown has visited with a king in Ghana, listened to the dreams of mothers in Guatemala and made friends with the monarchs in Kentucky. Beth is an award-winning feature writer, short story author, essayist and debut novelist. She is the author of Yes! I Am Catholic and contributor to A Cup of Comfort for Breast Cancer Survivors, Scenes from the Common Wealth, and The Bandana Book. Heartland Plays published her collection of one-act plays, Mothers, Daughters and the Spaces in Between. Her short stories have been published in literary magazines and aired on the BBC World Service Short Story Programme. Beth earned her journalism degree at Ball State University. Besides writing, she also works with nonprofit organizations and mentors writers. Beth is a member of the Author’s Guild and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. She lives in a small Kentucky town where she enjoys family, friends and cooking from the goodness of the garden.
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Ava Winston likes her life of routine in Lexington, Kentucky. Each day she goes to the place she’s worked for 20 years then returns home. On Sundays, she cooks a meal with a fabulous dessert for her 25-year-old daughter, Juniper. It’s a little boring, but as Ava nears fifty-five, she deserves a bit of ease. Then a tornado blows it away. Ava is safe in the basement but when she emerges, only one corner of her home stands. The loss causes her to see the world through new eyes.
Ava wants to seize the opportunity to find the owners of a wedding album and a suitcase that landed on her lawn during the storm. Yet, Juniper urges Ava to rebuild, her employer doesn’t want Ava to quit and her ex-husband invites Ava back into his life. Following her instincts deepens the tension with her daughter and pushes Ava to face her fears. Rooted in Sunrise is a story of finding resilience within the strength of family and friends.
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