Category: Author’s Answer

Brooke Randel is a writer, editor and associate creative director in Chicago. Her memoir ALSO HERE is forthcoming from Tortoise Books. Her writing has been published in Hippocampus, Hypertext Magazine, Jewish Fiction, SmokeLong Quarterly, and elsewhere. She is a prose editor for Chestnut Review. The granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, she writes on issues of memory, trauma, family and history.

Mary E. McKnight is an avid observer of people, a teacher of young children, a co-owner of an herb garden (Split Stone Farm LLC), a painter, and a lover of cats. She lives for kindness, creativity, and her amazing daughter. Her writing is the creative expression that feeds her soul, and she enjoys writing in a variety of genres. If she wasn’t her, she would probably be the Lorax. She lives in Ellicott City, Maryland, with her partner and their tortie, Abbey Rhodes.

Nancy Christie has been making up stories since she learned how to write, and she plans to continue as long as her fingers can work the keyboard. She’s the award-winning author of six books including Reinventing Rita, her most recent book and first novel. Nancy is the host of the Living the Writing Life podcast and founder of the annual “Celebrate Short Fiction” Day, and is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and the Florida Writers Association.

Lance LoRusso, is a law enforcement officer turned attorney and author. In his fiction writing, he creates stories of engaging and realistic police cases that feature true-to-life characters, whether they are street cops, detectives, chiefs, or the criminals they pursue. Lance’s non-fiction books are written to educate public safety about legal issues as well as critical incident and media response. He’s the author of Hunting of Men, a fictional detective book featuring Detective Johnny Till.

Minette Norman is an award-winning author, speaker, leadership consultant, and former Silicon Valley software executive who spent decades leading global teams. 

Keynote speaker, best-selling author, communications expert, Podcast host & Emmy award-winning journalist. Liz Brunner’s television career spanned 28 years. Along with co-anchoring the #1 rated 6pm newscast at ABC-TV in Boston, she conducted exclusive one-on-one interviews with prominent figures: professional athletes, global political leaders including President Barack Obama & cultural icons such as Oprah Winfrey. In 2013, Liz embarked upon her next chapter as CEO and Founder of Brunner Communications helping people find their authentic voice, tell their story and lead with presence. Liz is also the host of the award-winning podcast, “Live Your Best Life with Liz Brunner,” guiding guests to share their stories of re-creation. In 2023, Liz’s highly acclaimed book, Dare To Own You, was a winner in the “memoir” category from Book Excellence Awards. And in the Feathered Quill Book Awards, placed Silver/ 2nd Place category for “Self-Help” and Finalist in the “memoir/ biography” category.

My name is Cheryl Tyler, I am a Black American Woman. I was fortunate to have lived my dream at the age most just find a job to bring home a paycheck to take care of their family. I am now living my ideas, other things I wanted to do in life. I became a US Secret Service Agent, retired and started my own security logistics consulting company. I love traveling domestically and internationally, learning about other cultures and eating really good food. I recently wrote my first book and had an unbelievable first book signing in my 60’s .

David W. Berner is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, author, and teacher.

He is the best-selling, award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, short stories, and poetry. His work includes the novels A Well-Respected Man, The Islander, Night Radio, Sandman, and Rainbow Man, and the nonfiction books Accidental Lessons, Any Road Will Take You There, Walks with Sam, The Consequence of Stars, and Daylight Saving Time. He has won an Eric Hoffer Book Award, Book Excellence Award, NYC Big Book Award, National Association of Independent Writers and Editors Award for Literary Fiction, and the Book of the Year Award from the Chicago Writers Association. He’s also been recognized by the Paris Book Festival, the London Book Festival, The Society of Midland Authors, the Hawthorne Prize, the Royal Dragonfly Awards, and the Readers’ Choice Awards.

Kristin Tenor finds inspiration in life’s quiet details and believes in their power to illuminate the extraordinary. She is the author of the flash fiction chapbook, This Is How They Mourn, which won Thirty West Publishing House’s 8th Wavelengths Chapbook Contest. Her fiction has appeared in Best Microfiction 2024, Wigleaf, Bending Genres, X-R-A-Y, 100 Word Story, and various other literary journals and anthologies. Kristin’s work has been nominated for Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, and the Pushcart Prize as well as longlisted for the Wigleaf Top 50. She currently serves as a contributing editor at Story.

Roger Marum, PhD, is a seasoned clinical psychologist with fifty years of experience treating clients. Currently based in Vermont, Roger has a thriving private psychotherapy practice with offices in Middlebury and North Ferrisburgh.