Authors

Shannon Pate was born and raised in San Diego, California. Not only does “sunny” describe her hometown, but it also encompasses her entire attitude toward life in general. Shannon’s passion for writing began at an early age. As a child she wrote books in her free time and told stories to anyone who would listen. Her love for creativity and the arts spilled over into her adolescence and she got involved in community theater and singing in her church worship band. In her adulthood, Shannon graduated from San Diego State University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and has an established career in event management. She continues to hone her writing skills by writing Young Adult Fiction and Children’s books, and in her spare time enjoys wine tasting and snuggling with her Pomeranian, Meeko.

Steve Carey-Walton grew up in San Francisco and studied journalism at San Diego State University. For the last ten years, he has lived in South Korea, where he works as a writer and editor. Where The Butterflies Sleep is his first book-length publication. His short stories have appeared in online literary journals.

Katherine Finstuen grew up in Washington state before relocating to California in 2002 where she earned her M.A. in English Literature and Composition at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. Though two short stories were published there during her time as a student, she has since devoted her life to reading copiously, walking vigorously, and creating offbeat cross-stitch slowly — all while teaching high school English. Recently, however, she devoted more time to writing, producing “Those Who Can’t Do” along with her beloved sister-in-law.

Jessica Lyman Finstuen grew up in rural Montana until moving to less rural Montana and then onto Wales, Oregon, California and finally settling in Washington State. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Art from Montana State University in 1999 and has enjoyed creating her whole life. Teaching special education has been her focus for the last 14 years while raising two kids with the author’s brother, hiking, gardening, and enjoying the Pacific Northwest. The opportunity to collaborate with her creative and wonderful sister-in-law sparked her artistic side and this book has been a fulfilling collaboration.

I was born on December 20^th in the year 1956 at Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, South Dakota, and not far from the steely gaze of Presidents Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt carved into the side of Mount Rushmore. On the first day of Elementary School, I was introduced to my fellow classmates as “The American.” After living in England for three years I returned to the states with a Cockney accent and the realization that my father was an angry alcoholic because of me. Oh yeah, I also learned that in America I was just a little nigger who talked funny. With the “Turbulent Sixties,” the Psychedelic Seventies, as the backdrop to my childhood and young adulthood, I would go on to father three children before I was twenty and serve in the United States Air Force. The Eighties would bring in the Reagan era for the rest of the country and for me an opportunity to star in a local production of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in The Sun.” That led to an audition at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, where I was put on the road to a promising acting career, derailed before it ever got started by a vicious crack addiction. The nineties would take me on a merry tour of crack houses and prisons in three different states, which would last into the first three years of the 21^st Century. The American is the recounting of the journey that is my life. I hope you enjoy it. My name is Anthony Belcher.

Hanna Abi Akl is the author of poetry books, novels, essays and short stories. He discovered his fascination for language through books and was deeply captivated by the words of others which he at times found to be mystic. This set him on a lifelong exploratory journey of the wonders of language and everything it represents which led to the publication of some poetry collections and novels. Intrigued by human life, cognition, emotion and behavior, Hanna writes extensively about every aspect of being “human”, from snapshots of mundane daily lives to open-ended philosophical musings. The main inspirations to his work remain however music, paintings and of course, words. His work is featured in literary journals and magazines.

Hannah Klumb is the author of The Suicide Bridge and The Pierced Silence which is the first installment in the Guardians of Ginero series. She is currently studying at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point to earn a degree in English in creative writing. However, she decided to follow her heart before waiting to complete her studies and wrote The Suicide Bridge at a Starbucks. She has lived her entire life in central Wisconsin, but would love to see the birthplaces of famous authors around the world.

Red, White & Betrayal is A.J. Wood’s first novel though he has written a children’s book and had several articles published in various business journals. A.J. strives to achieve his passion: balancing experience and creativity to enable great storytelling. He has traveled and lived overseas and enjoys exploring the boundaries of myriad situations possible in the ex-pat universe. A.J. lives in California, is married, and has two children and two step-children. When not writing, A.J. coaches almost every youth sport with a focus on basketball. The best gift he can give to his children, A.J. believes, is an interest in reading, and he is working hard to make sure that his kids share his passion and appreciate every day in a world of boundless curiosity. He hopes you enjoy Red, White & Betrayal and look forward to his future novels.

Melanie Moyer is a debut author and veteran ghostwriter. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh where she studied Creative Writing, Religious Studies, Folklore, and Russian History. She regularly co-hosts a horror pop culture podcast called Splatter Chatter with a friend, serves as a guest on the animation podcast Overly Animated, and regularly contributes pop culture pieces to Just About Write. She’s currently working on her next project, refining her amateur pizzaiolo skills, and wondering if it’s too late to pursue her childhood dream of being an Egyptologist.

Jeff Easley is an avid outdoor sports and recreation enthusiast, traveler, writer, environmentalist, and lawyer. Jeff brings an intriguing perspective to his writing; melding experiences with various cultures and law into imaginative novels and short stories. Jeff’s latest novel, “Illusion of Splendor,” is an epic, sophisticated, international espionage thriller – the story of an African fisherman recruited by British intelligence to infiltrate a terrorist cell planning an attack in Europe.