Author Spotlight

Kris Abel-Helwig

Kris Abel-Helwig

A twenty-one year breast cancer survivor, Kris writes young adult novels with clever protagonists and quirky casts of characters inspired by dreams and the high school experiences of herself and her three sons.

more about Kris

Rachel Aukes

Like most writers, I've always loved reading. Couple that with a brain that's constantly daydreaming, the desire to create stories is an intrinsic part of my spirit...

more about Rachel

Bi Ayers

People are interested in your story so, pen your thoughts and keep on writing...

more about Bi

Marilyn Baszczynski

Living in a rural space informs much of what I write about. It feels like a liminal space. This contributes to my belief that we are all connected to each other in our emotional landscapes,...

more about Marilyn

Hallie Baur

...I admire the works of Pamela Des Barres, Margaret Atwood, and Stephen King; all three have shaped my writing style. Pamela Des Barres writes in a truthful, relatable way. I enjoy that she hasn't led a "traditional" life...

more about Hallie

Kelsey Bigelow

No one is going to take you seriously unless you take you seriously. So you must always first believe in yourself, write because you want to write, and stay true to who you are. Chances are, there will be moments...

more about Kelsey

William Bortz

Growing up, I didn't have anyone to talk to about what I was experiencing or feeling. Books, poetry, and music quickly became a way for me to understand the world around me...

more about William

Stephen Brayton

What’s your genre? Mystery and horror Are you published? Indie press What inspired you to become a writer? I’ve been an avid reader since I was a child. At some […]

more about Stephen

Paul Brooke

...In terms of poetry, Gary Snyder was an inspiration early as he understood the complexities of the natural world and he integrated a Zen philosophy, which I found intriguing...

more about Paul

Crise/Busch Co-Authors

Jeff, Amanda, and Josh are the family of authors that writes, and rides, together.

more about Crise/Busch
KarenDowning

Karen Downing

Write the first draft with your heart and the second with your mind. By embracing the mess and frustration of revision, your will craft a piece of writing others may be interested in reading...

more about Karen

Gary Eller

Read, read, read...all the writers you love...

more about Gary

Shannon Evans

I started writing as a little girl and just never stopped!

more about Shannon

Joe Geha

A teacher in college recognized something in me and encouraged it. That "something" I consider to be a gift as well as an obligation...

more about Joe
Doug Gentile

Douglas Gentile

Great writing is not about writing—it's about rewriting. And more rewriting. And yet more...

more about Douglas

Tom Geraty

Writing, alongside acting and music, is simply (or at times not so simply) a way for me to reveal the extraordinary in the ordinary. I find that all forms of creative expression provide me a direct link to the deepest and most profound places in my heart.

more about Tom

David Gonzalez

David Gonzalez is a storyteller, playwright, and performer who got his start in the field of Music Therapy, where he earned undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate degrees.

more about David

Jackie Haley

Don't quit. Keep going and set realistic goals for yourself. Get help from people that have the experience and can support you.

more about Jackie

Ann Hanigan Kotz

A published historical fiction author, Ann grew up a farm girl in Iowa. That experience is often the lens through which she views life.

more about Ann

Stephanie Hansen

I woke up during a thunderstorm one December evening and told myself a story to fall back asleep. For days afterward, I couldn't get that story out of my head so I started writing what would become the opening scene in my first book...

more about Stephanie
Olivia Hill

Olivia Hill

Olivia Hill is an indie-published playwright and short story author. What inspired you to become a writer? It was my desperation to be heard. I began as a young girl […]

more about Olivia

Anna Jinja

Writing isn’t just about making money; it’s about expression, exploration, and growth. The stories you tell have value.

more about Anna

Patricia Kimle

Research can draw you down lots of rabbit holes, and if you are inclined, like me, to keep digging,...

more about Patricia

Linea King

...It's OK to have a love/hate relationship with writing...

more about Linea
Deb Kline

Deb Kline

Never let the fact that you have no idea what you are doing stop you. Find those who have done what you want to do in the way that you want to do it and ask for help. Honor those who say no, or do not respond, and go with the yes people...

more about Deb

Charles Kniker

Know you rarely get it right the first time. Discover a time and method that helps you revisit what you have written.

more about Charles

Hank Kohler

I’m a storyteller not a scientist. So many others know much more about our land, waters and living things, but I would guess I’m their equal when it comes to appreciation and concern.

more about Hank

Claire Kruesel

Craft your life to support the best way you write. I've learned that when inspiration visits, I need to have prepared for its arrival.

more about Claire
Jennifer Knox

Jennifer L. Knox

Jennifer is a published poet, the author of five collections of poetry. She believes firmly in writing with a pencil on paper, because "it connects the hemispheres of your brain and exercises areas that are affected by trauma."

more about Jennifer

Beth M. Howard

Beth M. Howard is an author, blogger, and radio commentator who firmly believes that the world needs more pie.

more about Beth
Dennis Maulsby

Dennis Maulsby

Dennis is a published poet and Sci-Fi/fantasy writer. A military vet, he has been writing for over thirty years and believes that creativity is the key to helping all veterans […]

more about Dennis

Ana McCracken

Perhaps the impetus to become a writer began when my mother taught me to write thank you notes? Maybe it was the 20-years of writing letters to my pen-pal, Lisa?...

more about Ana
Clara McKenna

Clara McKenna

I have a passion for details. As reading historical fiction is as close to time travel as we'll get, colorful, factual details are what draws a reader in and lets them experience both a time and a place...

more about Clara

Tom Montgomery Fate

There are two things you need to be a writer: passion and patience. These two words share the same Latin root...

more about Tom

Kim Mosiman

...Someone who doesn't even know you yet will pick up your book and it will turn their world upside down because you took the time...

more about Kim

Mikesch Muecke

Fundamentally writing is about the sharing of compelling, riveting, awesome stories that captivate readers and transport them into an imaginary space full of (sensory) reality...

more about Mikesch

Eva Newcastle

I admire any successful author who can develop a marketable template and craft a bestseller year after year.

more about Eva

Charlie R. North

During my first year of high school, I found the magic of poetry. It works as the thread that stitches together emotion, experience, time, and place, connecting the writer with the reader...

more about Charlie
PamRiney-Kehrberg

Pamela Riney-Kehrberg

If you want to be a good writer, you need to read widely. You also need to keep at the writing constantly, and be willing to do lots of editing...

more about Pamela

Moriah Rose

...I love to tell a good fantasy story but it's also important to me that the action is realistic. Outside of writing I'm also a practitioner of a martial arts called Hapkido...

more about Moriah

Steve Semken | Ice Cube Press

I founded Ice Cube Press in 1991 to use the literary arts to better understand how to live in the Midwest.

more about Steve

Dawn Terpstra

As a family growing up on a teacher’s salary, entertainment for the week was found at the public library on Saturday mornings. I would stock up, checking out as many books as I was allowed, and then spend hours lost in the lush imaginations and language of storytellers.

more about Dawn
Miles Tritle

Miles Tritle

What you read will inevitably affect what you write. This can be both a blessing and a curse to an author trying to find their voice.

more about Miles

Pat Underwood

My cousin, a gifted English teacher and writer, gave me one of his collections of free verse years ago that at first I didn’t understand. After rereading it several times and soaking in the meaning, I learned how stunning poetry can be...

more about Pat
T.Waldmann-Williams

T. Waldmann-Williams, PhD

I am inspired to write because I know all change begins with new questions.

more about T.
Maggie Westvold

Maggie Westvold

Read a lot of other's poetry. Read all the how-to books you can find. Write, write, write. Daily challenges are wonderful for the muse!

more about Maggie

Denise Williams

My best advice to new and established authors is a reminder that the only thing a first draft needs to be is written. It's so easy to get hung up on making something perfect and it's so easy to stop when we realize our first draft isn't perfect...

more about Denise

Would you like to be featured in our Author Spotlight?

Pitch Us!