“Patti Fralix is founder and president of the Fralix Group, Inc., a leadership development firm specializing in individual, team, and organizational excellence. Patti speaks, consults, and coaches on Leadership, Customer Service, and Managing Differences. Her passion is “Inspiring Positive Change in Work, Life, and Family.” Patti developed a personality tool, “It’s in the Sauce” that is used by many for behavioral insight, development, and team building with individuals and teams. Her weekly blog, Itsinthesauce.com, provides insight on Life, Work, and Family.

Robert Azar is a U.S.-Asia business and cultural expert with thirty-five years of executive level success. As a strategy advisor, he specializes in achieving excellence in global business development, problem resolution, and intercultural management.
At this writing, Mr. Azar is one of only 1,000 consultants in the U.S. to have earned the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation, the management consulting industry’s preeminent recognition for demonstrated achievements and excellence in client satisfaction, professional standards, and ethical business practices.

Ben Brookhart is not only a successful businessman, he’s a children’s book author. As a parent of five children, it has always been important to Ben to share positive messages with his kids. His children’s books give parents and children a good way to start conversations, whether about positive words and thoughts or exploring natural habitats.

Cherry Laska obtained her commercial, instrument, single and multi-engine land and rotorcraft pilot’s licenses. She graduated from Florida Tech with a BS in Aviation Management/Flight Technology and from the US Army Officer Basic and Flight school. She was named Distinguished Military Graduate for her class at both FIT and OBC. Cherry served as an Aviation Officer attached to a Military Intelligence Battalion. She is a certified pilot rated in both planes and helicopters. Following her military service, Cherry has held various positions with an asset management company, an educational services company, a productions and consulting company, and youth sports teams.

Annelies believes it's important to cultivate ripe and meaningful experiences for people to connect and see what's possible. You won't find her in front of a standard PowerPoint slide (very often), but you will find her facilitating catalyzing interactive workshops, restful retreats, and thought-provoking presentations exploring core essentials.

Writing personal journals for years has helped Leatha capture the happiest and most impactful moments of her life and life around her. These journals hold her collected observations of what bonds and what fractures relationships. Over the years she has collected a marvelous assortment of characters, family, and friends who add narrative to her own life. Living in the South, where many things are “not talked about,” has always encouraged Leatha Marie to unearth what might really be happening.

Cynthia (Carruthers) Luckett loves making the Bible applicable to our everyday lives. She has a BS degree in Journalism from the University of Kansas, a Master's of Community Counseling from Georgia State University, and a Diploma of Christian Counseling from the Psychological Studies Institute. After College she served nine years on the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU). Who Cares for the Caregiver? is her first book. Cynthia and her husband John have been married 32 years and live in Raleigh, NC. They have two daughters, a son-in-law, and a delightfully wonderful granddaughter!

Rufus is a native of Savannah, GA. He graduated from Savannah State University and pursued graduate degrees at the University of Florida and National Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to his wife, Cynthia, for 22 years, and they have four grown children and four grandchildren.
He is a former business owner, corporate executive, and an ordained minister of twenty years. Rufus has engaged in his passion for public speaking for over twenty-five years. He has won numerous awards for his much loved presentations. In 2015, Rufus formed a motivational speaking business called Raisin’ the Rufe Communications. His empowering presentations are always geared to energize the listener toward personal appreciation and active accomplishment.

Scott Linney is a native born, life-long resident of North Carolina. Scott previously served the citizens of North Carolina for many years as a duly-sworn law enforcement officer. Upon the completion of graduate school, he now works full-time in academia as an instructor at one of North Carolina's largest community colleges.

It’s a bit of a cliche to say that authors write what they know, but I’ve got to agree. I write what I know, and I know kids. After years of teaching kids, instructing adults to teach kids, and raising three kids of my own, I come by it naturally. I know about kids’ drama. I know about kids’ fears. I know about kids’ hopes and dreams. My experiences as a teacher, school administrator, professor, and mother from North Carolina inform, to the very fiber, the stories I write to entertain kids of all ages—and their teachers, professors, and parents as well!

David Paulus began writing for children out of his desire they learn, and live out, Godly virtues. Retired from the healthcare industry, he now leads men’s Bible studies for his church in Kingwood, TX.
David earned his degree in Psychology from the University of Mount Union where he was a hurdler in track and field. With a penchant for athletics, his past hobby of recreational tennis has morphed into playing Pickle Ball today.
Traveling and spending time with his lovely wife, two adult children, and their families defines enjoyment for David. Being a drummer and pianist ranks high as well. Bouts of mischief as a child now lend to his amusement of acting goofy with his granddaughters from whom he has learned how to blow real kisses.

Since 1989, Frank Saraco has been in the field of elementary education, from teacher to principal. Over the years, Frank has learned to relate well with students, listening to their hopes and dreams, and offering genuine support along the way. His natural storytelling ability would captivate students, and he dreamed of someday becoming a published author. In 2018, that dream became a reality with the release of The Bald and the Beautiful.
Today, Frank pens stories for children, masterfully connecting words to capture curiosity and ignite the creativity inherent in all children. While he writes in various genres, each book is filled with relatable characters that help children explore the possibilities and lessons hidden within their world.

Terri Cutshall is an extroverted introvert. She loves animals, whole heartedly considers chocolate a food group, watches cheesy rom-coms and writes about happily-ever-after. Terri was born and raised in Pennsylvania where she was surrounded by a family of story-tellers - grandparents, aunts, uncles laughing and sharing their experiences at backyard family picnics. Journaling has always been a way for her to organize her scattered thoughts on paper and writing became a way for her to better express herself. Terri is a Pharmacist who works in Clinical and Commercial Operations. When not working or writing, she enjoys time with her family, her animals or traveling. She currently lives in North Carolina with her wife, a horse, and two dogs.

Evelyn’s upbringing in rural NC as the eighth of 10 children taught her foundational lessons that propelled her up the corporate ladder as an award-winning television executive in advertising. Early on she adopted the mantra “If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right,” and she decided she could. Throughout her whole career, Evelyn always made time for mentoring, and now she is delighted to see that being paid forward.

Evelyn celebrates a warm and loving family life growing up, marrying her college sweetheart, and being blessed with two daughters and their families.

Aaron Velky is an entrepreneur, writer, high-performance coach, speaker and author from Baltimore, Maryland. He's coached several hundred athletes, mostly girls' soccer teams, to a new level of performance and success, which was the gensis of this book. He’s the CEO of Ortus Academy, a financial intelligence company that works to empower businesses with team building and financial wellness workshops, especially those with Millennials and Gen Z teams. He’s also the CEO of FrontRunner, a mastermind and retreat company that brings emotional, vulnerable, and transformational leadership training to inspire heart-led, purposeful business men and women.

And to balance it all out - he’s an athlete, reader, adrenaline junky and comic book nerd!

Emily was born in Aspen, Colorado. She attended UNC-Chapel Hill and graduated with a degree in Journalism, but creative writing has always been her passion. She resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband and son. Emily enjoys playing golf, running, kickboxing, reading, and spending time with her family.

Marilyn Hughes spent her formative years in the San Francisco Bay Area. She graduated from UC-Berkeley with an advanced degree in Elementary Education. In 1996, she was diagnosed with breast and advanced ovarian cancer. She began writing The Bird of Paradise as a life gift for her daughter. She passed away in 2012 leaving the novel unfinished – for Emily to complete.

Perrine Farque is a professional keynote speaker, author and inclusion and diversity expert who empowers leaders to leverage diversity as their competitive advantage. Perrine was nominated in the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Tech in the UK and is also a judge at the Diversity in Tech awards. Perrine drove the strategy at leading companies including Facebook for over a decade. During her career, Perrine managed many teams and worked across multi-cultural groups, and she experienced first-hand what makes teams and organisations succeed: building truly inclusive and diverse teams.

Perrine is the founder of Inspired Human, a London-based diversity and inclusion agency specialised in helping organisations grow their business through diversity.

I've always known I was destined to be a writer. The road was never easy, and it was filled with bumps, but I never shied away from the challenge. I can comfortably say I've made every mistake possible (fingers crossed) and have come through a stronger, better, and more determined writer. With over 25 science fiction and fantasy novels, my combat memoirs, a children's story, and several shorts in publication, I feel I am finally coming into my own. But I merely create. You the readers are the ones who determine my success or failure.

Rick Gardner and Mark Bell met in 2013 through a career transition networking group. They discovered they were both passionate about their hobbies, Rick about dogs and Mark about woodworking. Together they collaborate to create original cartoon dog art to support homeless pets through rescue groups, shelters, and other non-profits. For Rick, dogs bring joy, happiness, unconditional love, and a passion to capture these feelings and share them with others. Rick’s influences include James Thurber, Charles Shultz, and numerous modern day graphic artists. Together, Rick and Mark’s collaboration is called Binky and Bell. The Binky and Bell name came from Rick’s first dog, "Binky," and Mark’s last name, "Bell".

Judy loves helping clients rid themselves of physical and digital clutter and build their own trusted, personalized productivity systems. Managing space, time, and resources for maximum productivity and growing profitability are Judy’s passion. Remarkable results are possible when people understand more than just the basics of the technology tools they use. Her clients know what they have and how to find it in seconds, so they can be more productive than ever!
She enjoys time in nature with her family and friends, visiting our National Parks and traveling to warm climates. Being outside kindles warm memories and sparks excitement for what lies ahead.

Anne’s “call of home” is spending time loving on her family and friends, enjoying shared meals (pizza and beef brisket BBQ are her soul foods), watching old Hollywood movies (if they are not in black and white, they don’t qualify as “old”) while cuddled under her favorite quilt with her husband, Jim, and her two Shih Tzu puppies, Gigi and Baxter, and reading and praying nestled in the same cushioned rocker where she nursed her now-grown children as she enjoys her Father’s world in His creation.

Robin A. Hill is a positive, multifaceted, sound woman who has had decades of leadership service. Her roles include Christian School Administrator, Staff Pastor, Motivational Coach, Travel Agent/Recruiter, Zolingo’s Spice for Life Manager, Co-creator of Wellness Today Inside/Out, and Sales Executive. She currently is a national awarding-winning Sales Executive in the automotive industry.

Downtime for Robin is spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren and basking in the beauty and splendor of nature.

Connie Johnson’s love of teaching goes back to childhood when “playing school” was one of her favorite things to do. When she grew up, she taught in the classroom for years, and then she returned to school for a Masters in School Counseling. She’s been an elementary school counselor now for seven years. When she’s not dreaming up ways to impact her students, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Joan H. Footman is a former literacy tutor and coach for public schools in Newark, New Jersey. She knows the importance of literacy and reading aloud to children. She is currently serving as a minister at New Bethel Baptist Church in Rolesville, NC.

Horace McCormick Jr. lives in Harnett County, NC, and does most of his writing between Oak Island, NC, and Mexico City with his wife, Sara. He studied creative writing at East Carolina University and worked at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In addition to The Color of Water, Horace is also the author of The Devil’s Courthouse, a collection of short stories that explores African American, Native American, and Latin American experiences in the southern United States.

Jayna Duckenfield is a proud graduate of Appalachian State University where she received a BA in English Literature. Having worked with children and young adults of all ages, her favorite stories are ones where kids and teenagers play the main roles. In her spare time, you can find Jayna involved with Campus ministry programs, drinking dark roast coffee, or dancing around her living room in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jim Damron is a speaker, life coach, and the creator of Grapevine Academy, an online discovery platform to help improve the care of caregivers. Jim’s extensive career in pulmonary medicine, education, and advanced degrees in both theology and bioethics are the result of a passion for exploring the depths of weighty, complex subjects. His book Smoke Screening resulted from this passion, taking a weighty subject and applying a new twist to presenting it. Especially considering the plight of the world in recent years and the toll it has taken on caregivers, Jim's lessons offer a ray of light.

Whether teaching children of all ages, needs, and multiple cultures in private or public schools; directing learning centers in NC or HI; organizing an international tech conference for hundreds of attendees; participating in various community activities; backpacking by herself around Alaska; being an entrepreneur; modeling and acting as a Screen Actors Guild member since 1995; developing her talents as a photographer; raising a family and homeschooling her son and daughter throughout their grade school and high school education; writing books; designing the home she and her husband live in; and much more, Katherine goes all in with heart, mind, and soul. In many situations, Katherine never believed she was prepared for what came her way, but she always prevailed leaning on the heaven-sent "nudge" she has learned to depend on. With her "nudge's" guidance, she looks to the future with excitement.

Maggie Clark’s life began in Kenansville, NC, at a time when the population was a booming five hundred people, give or take a few. Her parents owned the Duplin Times weekly newspaper, where she and her dog Happy hung out. After graduating from Meredith College in Raleigh, NC, she married and went to work as a secretary. She wrote about funny incidents that happened at work. In Green Lake, Wisconsin, Maggie discovered that she could make people laugh whenever she put pencil to paper. While writing a personal column for a weekly newspaper, she gained a broad audience who looked forward to reading whatever she came up with each week. Even after she left the newspaper, she continued writing stories, illustrating them with the little mouse named Hugh she had created in Wisconsin. Hugh always has something fresh to say and is not averse to creating a little chaos. Some folks think Hugh is Maggie's alter ego. Maggie thinks they might be right. Maggie is also a fine art artist working in pen and ink and various art media.

Mark Hunziker is an internationally respected teacher, coach, consultant, and author. His innovative work in team building and personal development draws from the profound insights of Jungian Personality Type. Mark is the author of "Depth Typology," co-author of the influential Building Blocks of Personality Type, co-editor of the on-line journal Personality Type in Depth, principal developer of the Integrated Problem-Solving ™ training system, and has served as Health and Wellness Interest Area Consultant to the Association for Psychological Type International. He is a certified personality type Master Practitioner, and has trained fellow type professionals and presented before many business and professional organizations. Mark is quietly passionate about his family and friends, about good music of all kinds, local politics, experiencing the natural world, and the importance of depth typology.

Mary K.D. D'Rozario is a biotechnology professional with more than 20 years of experience in clinical research and product development. Her desk is in a 16-foot Airstream travel trailer located somewhere in America. Besides being able to craft slightly acerbic, on-point, witty turns of phrase, Mary has taken up art, creating warm and engaging water colors.

Mary enjoyed an 18-year career with the Walt Disney Company as an executive in marketing and a general manager coaching teams of 8 to 800. Since 2001, she has been President of On-Purpose Partners, LLC, a coaching, facilitation, and consulting firm. She specializes in brand and marketing development, customer service training and consulting, the design and facilitation of planning retreats, workshops, and personal and executive coaching. She is a national speaker and the published author of Wholehearted Purpose and Facilitation Made Easy and has co-authored business articles in Meetings & Conventions, Training Magazine, Successful Meetings, HR Innovator, and Inspired Women Magazine.com.

Norman Wood is an avid environmentalist and nature and animal lover. He enjoys time spent outdoors. His career path was in the corporate world. He’s a speaker, author, and executive and brand consultant. In recent years, he has enjoyed working with folks who need a little help in life. Bible study, meditation, and yoga are important parts of his day.

Randy Hartwell has been creating and sharing stories for many years and has now published his first children's book: THE LITTLE SEED: A PARABLE. In his spare time, Randy enjoys reading, watching college football, and doing jobs around the house.

Tiffany Alexy started her investing career by purchasing a four-bedroom condo at the age of 21. She lived in one bedroom and rented out the other three. She used that property cash flow as a launchpad for her mini real estate empire. She also started a successful real estate brokerage business—all in her twenties!

W. Thomas Burns is an avid sports enthusiast, who at the tender age of ten began caddying at the local golf course and thus began his life-long passion for the game of golf. After graduating from high school in 1967, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where after four months of training, he spent the nineteenth year of his life in the mountains and jungles of Vietnam. In 1970, he was medically retired from the Marine Corps, a twenty-year-old sergeant E-5. The author is now retired and living with his wife, Stella, in the beautiful state of North Carolina. He is also the author of A Merry Country Christmas with Family and Friends.

Throughout her life, Carmen McLean has had a passion to encourage women and see them grow into their full potential. As a certified Life Coach, her desire is to guide women to claim their role as chosen daughters just as she has. As she continues to overcome life's hurdles and challenges, she grows ever stronger day by day. In the sharing of her experiences, Carmen teaches others to press forward to become whole and influential women in their own lives. Carmen is a daughter of a praying woman and a single mother of a beautiful daughter.

Pregent brings to attention more than thirty uncommon citizens from the Berkshire area of Western Massachusetts in this series of brief vignettes. These people have shaped their immediate landscape and even affected the world beyond. Some represent businesses going back a hundred years to the times of the famed Mohawk Trail, some representing elected service to their community or state, and some adding to the colorful flavor of this area. This is a book written with respect and pride, sharing glimpses of Sunday dinners and local sports and above all, relishing the stories of a few of the interesting people who make a community a true community in the Berkshires. Pregent also wrote The Boys of St Joe’s ’65 in the Vietnam War. For over thirty-five years, until his retirement, he worked in the human resources field serving as an international vice-president for the Evenflo/Spalding and ConAgra companies.

Ken McFeeters has been an Independent Insurance Agency owner since 1981. Born in Montreal, Canada, he has resided in Birmingham, Alabama, since 1971. Ken drew inspiration for Hannah and the Cajun Navy after his trip delivering relief supplies for victims of the catastrophic flooding in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area.

Patricia A. DeWitt, MS, MPH is a native of Tabor City, North Carolina, now living in Connecticut. She grew up in the Iron Hill community of Tabor City and is the fifth child of twelve children. She is a 1966 graduate and salutatorian of Douglass High School and a past president and secretary of the National Tabor City/Douglass High Alumni Association, Inc. In 2007, she was awarded the Yale-New Haven Hospital Dream Builder Award for exemplifying unity, community, and respect for the uniqueness of others. She attributes this accomplishment to following the example instilled by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She attended the famous "I have a Dream" march in Washington, D.C., in 1963 as a high school sophomore.

Dr. Kevin Snyder is a professional speaker, author and entrepreneur with a passion for teaching others about success and achieving desired goals. Kevin has spoken for over 500,000 people through 1,150+ audiences in all 50 states and several countries. His audiences range from students to corporate groups and associations. He also has formed a coaching company for serious aspiring speakers who desire to start a successful speaking business.

J. D. Kiff was born on the very far south side of Chicago, the fifth of ten children in a working-class family. She began life as a student of India and worked as an in-house international investment manager for many years. In more recent years, she lived and worked in China, teaching university classes in English and Economics. Having lived in India and China for extended periods, she knows a lot about living in worlds strange to her. Through it all, she has written stories, always aspiring to be a true writer.

Elijah Jones, son of a schoolteacher, discovered his passion for writing early in life. He has two books under his belt, including Hannah and the Cajun Navy. He currently writes a bi-weekly column for his local newspaper, The Pine Belt News, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. For 2020, he was awarded First Place in Editorial Writing by the Mississippi Press Association.

Paul was born in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii to Salvation Army Officer parents serving the migrant workers in the sugar cane and pineapple fields. His parents were transferred often, so Paul attended eleven different schools in seven different cities. Later, he attended the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated in 1965. He left the Regular Navy in 1975 after three Aircraft Carrier tours in Vietnam, flying over 100 combat and combat support missions. He remained in the Navy Reserves until his retirement in 1992. As a civilian Paul worked in marketing and business development for major architect, engineering, and construction companies.

Claudia G. Lindsey, the daughter of a Methodist minister, learned to love Bible stories at an early age and became a lifelong student of the Bible. While she was attending Southwestern Bible College in Waxahachie, Texas, she met her future husband, who was studying for the ministry. They spent a number of years in active ministry. Her husband was an evangelist and then a pastor, while she had a teaching ministry. In later years, Claudia managed a family-owned art store in New Bern, North Carolina. She now lives in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where she continues to write.

Never without a pen and paper, Brianna Morales is the spouse of a Raleigh Police Officer and mother of a toddler obsessed with lights and sirens. She came up with this story while singing "The Wheels on the Bus" to her toddler as police officers drove by on her way to daycare. While she is a Technical Recruiter and mom by day, she writes voraciously at night about whatever is flying through her mind at the time. With her debut book in the series "Big Careers for Tiny Dears," she seeks to educate and empower the next generation of helpers. Jamie Rimphanli, illustrator, is a native Californian. Her art skills started as a kid drawing Garfield cartoons and watching her father create charcoal drawings. When she grew up, she found her passion in helping people in underserved communities find careers. During the COVID pandemic, she found an escape from the heaviness by regaining her love of art. She finds a special joy in doggy portraits and is thrilled to have illustrated her first children’s book for her friend Brianna Morales, a highlight in her life accomplishments.

Vidya Raman is a motivational speaker and a Maxwell Leadership certified coach. She is passionate about people, communication, and leadership and has over 25 years of experience working in Financial Services in various capacities from programmer to senior leadership. Until she discovered her personal power, she was in an epic struggle for relevance in the corporate world. She spent the last decade of her corporate career as a senior leader and officer in Fortune 500 companies. A career with its fair share of challenges and struggles has armed Vidya with tools and techniques as well as the experience and insights to cultivate a teachable strategy that she uses to inspire, empower, and educate individuals and audiences to live up to their potential. Her mission is to help corporate employees develop an owner's mindset to scale new heights in success and satisfaction. She offers warm, passionate, and relatable keynotes and workshops to her corporate clients and to professional organizations across the country. Her topics cover personal growth strategies, relationship building, leadership skills, women empowerment, and finding joy and meaning at work. She has shared her S.H.I.F.T. framework with a broad range of audiences whose testimonials speak to the value and impact of this approach. Vidya is an empty nester these days and loves traveling with her husband of 34 years. Walking in her neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a good book in her ear and socializing with friends are among her favorite pastimes.

Jessica Jackson, a female Realtor from North Carolina with a passion for education and the arts is determined to share her creative and heart-warming stories to the world.

Sean Albertson has been a leader in customer experience for 20+ years across the telecommunications and financial services industries. A keynote speaker, trainer, coach, and consultant, Sean helps companies increase customer loyalty by reducing customer effort. His ROCKS strategy has helped companies identify, analyze, evaluate, and prioritize their most important customer challenges and transform their customer experiences from hard to easy.
Sean is the founder and Chief Experience Officer of CX4ROCKS. He lives in Castle Rock, CO, with his wife and three boys. The beauty of the Rocky Mountains is his inspiration to help you and your organization reach the summit of success and remove rocks from your customer's journey.

David is a native of Overland Park, Kansas, although he has lived in Texas most of his life. He has been practicing law since 1994 and has extensive real estate and estate-planning experience. David stopped taking on probate clients years ago, devoting his practice instead to keeping clients out of probate. An expert troubleshooter by nature, David takes please in solving the thorniest of problems.

Sinclair is a self-described nature-loving psychotherapist originally from Engelhard, North Carolina. Sinclair has been in love with nature since she was a little girl and has been a nature photographer since she was 14 years old. Sinclair’s passion for nature and nature photography inspired a collection of beautiful pictures and life lessons that Sinclair is ready to share with the world. Due to her personal experience with and professional understanding of anxiety and emotional trauma, Sinclair feels that she is comfortable and confident enough to share her stories with the world.

Fran Holler Twisdale has a lifetime pull toward Bible study and prayer all the way back to Sunday School and Bible School as a child. A person of many talents, Fran is an accomplished organist, a crafter of unique fine jewelry, and a gifted water color artist. In her professional years as a dentist, she spent part of her practice working in nursing homes. In the midst of these visits, conversation often turned to life's heavy burdens and that led to requests for prayer. From those experiences, Fran wrote words of comfort, which became her gift to her patients. Her book, Prayerway to Heaven, provides further words of comfort and reflection in poetic prayer form from her decades-long prayer journey. Fran’s own watercolor paintings provide a lovely accompaniment to the prayers she has written. Fran and her husband live in North Carolina and have three grown children.

Cheryl Martin is the second oldest of seven children. Her mother was always her biggest inspiration, instilling in Cheryl from an early age that she could accomplish anything by setting her mind to it and not accepting the word no. Cheryl recently transitioned from a long career in human resources to her new profession of retirement, where her focus is to relax, enjoy life, laugh often, and spend time with family and friends. It was the love of murder mysteries with strong, focused, and determined female characters that inspired Cheryl to write her own mystery book.  Originally from Buffalo, New York.  Cheryl has lived in North Carolina for over thirty years.  When traveling to Buffalo to visit family, Cheryl makes it a point to eat hot dogs and pizza from her favorite restaurants. 

Roy Edwards was born in Arkansas and raised in rural Louisiana. He was one of 12 students in his high school graduating class. Roy worked his way through college, graduating from Northwestern State College in Louisiana. After a brief stint working for Shell Oil as a draftsman, Roy joined the United States Marine Corps in October 1961 and was trained to become a jet fighter pilot. Roy flew approximately 300 combat missions during two tours in Chu Lai, Vietnam (1965-66 and 1969-70), earning 17 air medals, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the individual award of the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He commanded two aviation squadrons and a Marine Aircraft Group. He served 28 years as a jet pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps, retiring as a Colonel, and was awarded the Legion of Merit for his long-serving contributions to the Corps. Upon retirement from the USMC, Col. Edwards went on to work as a safety consultant with his wife in their own business for 23 years. He and his wife reside in North Carolina. They have three adult children and four grandchildren.

Florencia Robertson is a working mom and wife who finds joy amidst the demands of her multidimensional life. She holds a Doctorate of Clinical Sciences and has worked almost two decades as an occupational therapist in clinical, academic, and leadership roles. Writing, one of her creative outlets, is where she uses her unique tone to share anecdotal and fictional experiences of a working mom. There are always similarities in how professional moms live. Sharing these experiences can empower those who read or listen. After all, she can’t be the only one who’s left the house wearing shoes from two different pairs.

Her mother, Faythe Daniels, a high school counselor, is just like London in wanting to help others. Faythe loves coaching basketball and being creative.

London Daniels is a young girl who has a heart for helping others. In 2020, a tumor was found under the skin on the right side of London’s face. This is due to a diagnosis she’s had since birth called Neurofibromatosis Type 1. She began going through a great deal of testing to monitor and take preventative measures. In 2022, London began treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital where she needed to undergo even more testing. During this time, London started an advice show where she talked about her experiences during her many treatments. She also discussed topics like how to take medicine, what it's like to get blood work done, and even how to be kind. Through all she has gone through, London still thinks of others. She wanted to expand her reach to more children and decided to write a book about something she was initially nervous about—undergoing an MRI---but now has the courage to share with and empower other kids who need to do the same thing. London loves to read, sing, and learn new things. She is the #1 fan of the color pink and never takes no for an answer! She says she might write more books!

The Rev. Dr. Robert W. Lee is a pastor and public theologian. Dr. Lee is a graduate of Appalachian State University, Duke University, and Pacific School of Religion. He is the author of five books, and has preached in churches and cathedrals across the world from Los Angeles to Paris. He has also served churches varying in size and location all across North Carolina. Dr. Lee's work often intersects with the public square. In July of 2020 he testified before the United States Congress Subcommittee on Federal Lands, in 2021 he offered a prayer at the Inaugural Prayer Service for President Joe Biden and Vice-President Harris. Rob has subsequently written devotionals for President and Dr. Biden. In 2024 he offered the invocation at national 4th of July celebration held at the White House. Additionally he is recognized for his preaching and social witness as a member of the Morehouse College Board of Preachers. He is married to Stephanie and they are the proud parents of two daughters, Athena and Phoenix. They have two dogs, Maggie and Frank. In his spare time Rob is an avid autograph collector.

The Rev. Melissa Collier Gepford is the Intergenerational Discipleship Coordinator of the Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church, in which she helps congregations establish healthy kids and youth ministries. She grew up in East Texas and graduated from Perkins School of Theology. As an ordained United Methodist deacon, she connects church people to the world. Melissa is a writer, speaker, and most recently, the creator of Dandelion Marketplace. She enjoys drinking good coffee, working out, and testing her semi-green thumb. Melissa and her husband Bill enjoy dancing when they can and love playing with their son, Finnegan.

Greg Banks became a teacher to help strengthen opportunities for urban youth. In his more than 20 years in K12 education, he has served as a teacher, administrator, and researcher in public, exam, and private schools. During this time, he has contributed to school improvement efforts as department chair, teacher-leader, and as a creator of professional development. Dr. Banks completed his PhD in Chemistry while remaining in the classroom full time. His doctoral work focused on how teachers enact their beliefs in their classroom practices and the impacts of professional development on these beliefs and practices over time. He is currently working on a pilot study with Eddo Learning and the Einstein Project investigating how AI tools can help teachers adopt new science curricula more quickly and effectively. It was this work that uncovered the need to better support developers in understanding the classroom so that effective tech tools could be developed. Dr. Banks is a husband and father, and lives in the Boston area.

Josue Fagundes, born and raised in North Carolina, has always enjoyed writing in the science fiction genre, dating all the way back to when he first starting writing during his free time after school. He has always found joy in writing post apocalyptic zombie themed stories. He loves to expand the details in the universe of his writing and leave hints as to what could happen next.