Authors on Fire

After studying journalism at Texas A&M University, Jody was a television news reporter and anchor in Bryan-College Station Texas; Charleston South Carolina; and San Antonio Texas. In addition to writing, her other passion is advocating for people with special needs. She met her son, Marius, while reporting on Romania’s orphanages post-communism and saw firsthand the effects of the lack of nurturing and nutrition on the young orphans. For several years Jody served on the board of directors of North Texas Special Needs Assistance Partners (SNAP), a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities live the fullest lives possible in their communities. Jody lives near Fort Worth with her husband. The Lives of Diamond Bessie is her first novel.
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Mikael Carlson is an award-winning political fiction author, including a silver medal from Readers' Favorite and National Indie Excellence, American Fiction, Lyra, and Global E-book Awards. He was named one of the ‘50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading’ by The Authors Show in 2018.
Mikael is a former U.S. Army Paratrooper and retired Army National Guardsman. He conducted over 50 airborne operations following the completion of jump school at Fort Benning in 1998, and trained on several occasions with the British Airborne, earning British Parachutist wings. Mikael participated in several international jump competitions and traveled to Arnhem for an anniversary jump celebrating the Allied sacrifice during Operation Market Garden in World War II.
He graduated with a Master of Arts in American History in 2010 and a B.S. in International Business from Marist College in 1996. An avid traveler and unabashed political junkie, you can find him at www.mikaelcarlson.com.
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Pete grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, before joining the Army out of high school. After a couple enlisted years, he switched gears and decided to go the officer route. He graduated from West Point four years later and subsequently spent five years as an Army Transportation Officer. He eventually moved back to Green Bay with his wife and first child to pursue life in the corporate world. The next several years turned out to be quite life changing.
Pete was blessed with two more children during that time, but those wonderful events were sandwiched between the losses of his mom, brother-in-law, and dad. Those deaths served as a catalyst toward an awakening of sorts. A lot of growth and healing led to a need to do something he was passionate about, something that resonated deeply, something that spoke to his soul. Writing had been nothing more than a pipe dream for a long time, but it suddenly became the thing that called to him the most.
So, he quit his job and moved to Costa Rica with his wife and three children in January 2020 to pursue that dream. It wasn't the smoothest of starts to his writing career, however. Pete's mother-in-law passed away unexpectedly just three weeks later, and that was then followed by the world shutting down. But through it all, he finally managed to complete his first book (Journey to Elani).
He's now in Florida and his passion for writing and world creation is as high as ever. He has already begun work on his next writing project, in the genre that drew him to want to write. The Return of Abaddon, the first book in his epic fantasy series, The Scars of Hiraeth, was released in March of 2022 and won First Place in the Firebird Book Awards in three categories (Fantasy, Magical Realism, and Metaphysical Fantasy).
Look for the second book, A Surprising Ally, late in the year.
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My goal as an author is to encourage and entertain my readers. In 2011, I began writing nonfiction, but my fictional writing started in 2016 while facilitating a novel-writing class with my students. The voices wouldn't stop talking! Vivid characters and their dialogue exploded, and writing their stories was my only relief. My psychiatrist friend assured me, "Kelda, you aren't crazy for hearing voices; you're a writer." That's all the confirmation I needed.
I grew up a military kid, and after many more moves, my husband and I made our home in south Louisiana. Our community has been a fantastic place to raise our children and allow our lives to be deeply rooted. We have four children and all the adventures parenting offers. My passions for young people began early, and I have always had the opportunity to work with children of all ages, from the very young to the young at heart. My background is in elementary education with a masters in elementary counseling. Faith and education are genuinely my driving forces.
We have homeschooled our children through graduation, and I have the privilege to influence other families and encourage their decisions to homeschool their children. For the past decade, I have worked weekly with students, tutoring a variety of subjects. I tutor a lot of math, literally hours and hours of algebra! Maybe writing is my brain's attempt to compensate and regain territory claimed by logic, fractions, and variables. I do tell "math world" stories to help explain complicated math rules and remind them not to break the rules. Through church, community involvement, and teaching, I am entrusted with mentoring the next generation. I may not have birthed them, but I claim them as my own.
When I'm not writing, I listen to audiobooks and watch movies, so many movies! Audiobooks allow me to learn and experience words while my hands are busy. I've always sewn and done handwork. Knitting, quilting, and crochet are my current crafts of choice while playing great music in the background like a soundtrack. Writing is a compulsion that occurs amid the chaos of life and dogs and constant interruptions.
Life is filled with opportunities to love. Be embraced!
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Larry Freeland was born in Canton, Ohio.  Since his father was an officer with the United States Air Force he grew up on many Air Force bases across this country.   After graduating from High School at Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico, he attended the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.  He graduated in 1968 with a degree in mathematics and a concentration in finance. He joined the U.S. Army and served one tour in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division as an Infantry Officer and a CH-47 helicopter pilot.  He is the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal, with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star, and various other military service medals.
Upon release from active duty in 1973, Larry returned to civilian life and pursued a career in the Financial Industry.  During his professional career, he continued his education earning graduate degrees in Management and Banking.  He worked for 29 years in the banking business with Trust Company of Georgia, Citizen and Southern Corporation, now Bank of America, and Wachovia, now Wells Fargo.  After retiring from banking he worked as an independent financial consultant for 3 years in the Atlanta area and then worked as an instructor for 6 years with Lanier Technical College in their Management and Leadership Development Program.
Larry is now retired and lives in North Georgia with his wife Linda, a retired school teacher.  They stay involved in various activities, most notably those associated with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Veterans related organizations.  They also enjoy traveling together and spending as much time as possible with their two daughters, three grandsons, and two granddaughters.
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Deanie Humphrys-Dunne is a multi-award winning children’s author of eight books : My Life at Sweetbrier–A Life Changed by Horses, Charlie the Horse, Charlene the Star, Charlene the Star and Hattie’s Heroes, Charlene the Star and Bentley Bulldog, A Tractor Named Wilbur and  Un Tractor Llamado Wilbur and Wilbur’s new Home. Many of her fictional books are beautifully illustrated by Holly Humphrys-Bajaj who also designed Deanie’s covers. Wilbur’s new Home is wonderfully jointly illustrated by Wanda L. Urabazo and Holly Humphrys-Bajaj. The series of Charlene the Star books is told by the animal characters.
Deanie’s writing has earned the coveted Mom’s Choice Awards for My Life at Sweetbrier and A Tractor Named Wilbur. Charlene the Star and Hattie’s Heroes won the Reserve Champion Winnie Award at the Equus Film Festival in Children’s Fiction. In that same contest, My Life at Sweetbrier won the Winnie Award in Equine English Biography. Other accolades include the Feathered Quill Silver Medal, Readers Favorites silver medals, and New Apple Solo (Gold) Medal, among others.
Deanie believes the message that perseverance is the key to accomplishing amazing things and has made it her mission to share this message, one that can benefit every child. Through her inspiring, real life and fictional works, children learn that anything is possible when they refuse to give up on their dreams.  Deanie knows from her own life experience that we can attain much more than we ever imagined possible by never quitting.
Deanie’s stories remind readers that tenacity is the key to success. She shares proof that obstacles can be overcome. With the goal of being a positive role model for generations of children, Deanie loves to write entertaining stories that emphasize values that build self-esteem and confidence in young readers. She works tirelessly to create stories that appeal to children in an engaging manner.
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Dr. Arlene McCain is a board-certified family physician who is committed to partnering with individuals as they discern personal motivations for healthy change and passionately supports their inspired progress towards a thriving life. She has a whole health perspective that honors body, mind, and spirit. Arlene earned a Bachelor of Science in biology and minor in theology from Georgetown University. She graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School and served as chief resident at EVMS-Portsmouth Family Medicine. She became one of the first nationally board-certified health and wellness coaches (NBC-HWC) in the nation. Using holistic therapies, she holds space for spiritual transformation. As a result of her dedication to these diverse modalities, she creates a safe and sacred space in which health and healing can emerge.
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