"I have a wonderful occupation; I dream for a living."

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Alma Alexander, the 'Duchess of Fantasy', is a scientist by education, a duchess by historical accident and an author who shares writing tips and glimpses of a writer's life, the mundane and the magic, on her Blog.

She has written three million words in more than 20 books, and her novel, "The Secrets of Jin-shei," has been published around the world in 14 languages. The heroine of her popular YA series, Worldweavers, is as American as Harry Potter is British. With her MSc in Molecular Biology, she has shone the light of science into the shadowy world of shapeshifters in the Were Chronicles.

She was born on the banks of an ancient river in a country which no longer exists, grew up in Africa, went to school in a castle in Wales, and has lived in several countries on four continents. An American man she met on the Internet asked her to marry him, promising her coffee in bed every morning. They live among the evergreens in the Pacific northwest with two cats as well as visiting deer and raccoons. She still gets her morning coffee served in bed.

Born in the Year of the Dragon, Vonnie Winslow Crist is author of award-winning short stories, poems, and books. An active member of the Horror Writers Association, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association, Society of Children's Book Writers & illustrators, and National League of American Pen Women - she taught creative writing for the Maryland State Arts Council for 10 years.

"Beneath Raven's Wing" is winner of The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival's Saturday Visiter Award and a Finalist for the Imadjinn Award. "The Enchanted Dagger" is a Compton Crook Award Finalist and Maryland Writers Association Book Award Winner. Both "Owl Light" and "The Greener Forest" are eFestival of Words Short Story Collection Award Winners. "The Greener Forest," "The Enchanted Dagger," and "Owl Light" were voted among the Top Ten books for Young Adults in the P&E Reader's Poll.

As an illustrator, she's had over 1,000 illustrations published in books, magazines, and calendars.

She is an avid JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis fan, and a firm believer in the magical world that surrounds us! A clover-hand who has found so many 4-leafed clovers she keeps them in jars, Vonnie is quite fond of Harry Potter & Hogwarts, The Hunger Games, A Song of Ice & Fire, Star Wars, Star Trek, and everything Faerie!

Biography E.E.King

E.E. King is the award winning author of, Dirk Quigby's Guide to the Afterlife. "Impish and delightful, a hilarious Zagat's guide to heaven!" - Ray Bradbury

" A fantastical, profound, hilarious and rollicking good ride through the heavens and hells of the

Afterlife! A wonderful book."--Margaret Cho

"This is the most delightful book this reviewer has read in a while.... a mixture of fact and fiction, faith and mysticism at its best."- The New York Journal of Books.

And Real Conversations With Imaginary Friends, an anthology of short fiction, "These tales are marvelously inventive, wildly funny and deeply thought provoking. I cannot recommend them highly enough." - Ray Bradbury She has been a speaker and teacher at the Ojai Writer's workshop and The San Miguel Writer's Conference, performing "literary stand-up."

Her newest novel,is Her second anthology of Shorts, Another Happy Ending and novella The Card Game is due for release December 2013.

She has contributed to Now Write! ,(with Piers Anthony, Ramsey Campbell, William Nolan, Ursula K. LeGuin, Larry Niven, Jack Ketchum and Harlan Ellison.)

She has published widely.

She is the recipient of various international writing, biology and painting grants. Her murals can be seen in Downtown Los Angeles and Spain.

She's worked with children in Bosnia, crocodiles in Mexico, frogs in Puerto Rico, egrets in Bali, mushrooms in Montana, archaeologists in Spain and planted butterfly gardens in South Central Los Angeles.

for shorts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os23ZLf_xq4&feature=g-upl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McQJ93GtrR0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymn5lNQBwSQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPfX6BZXQk8

For interview footage, watch the Connie Martinson Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHqY8pZDK-4&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2gmHN8VKUI&feature=plcp

http://dld.bz/bKATn

http://dld.bz/bKATv

Kelly A. Harmon used to write truthful, honest stories about authors and thespians, senators and statesmen, movie stars and murderers. Now she writes lies, which is infinitely more satisfying, but lacks the convenience of doorstep delivery.

She is an award-winning journalist and author, and a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. A Baltimore native, she writes the Charm City Darkness series, which includes the novels Stoned in Charm City, A Favor for a Fiend, and A Blue Collar Proposition. Her science fiction and fantasy stories can be found in many anthologies, including Triangulation: Dark Glass; Hellebore and Rue; Deep Cuts: Mayhem, Menace and Misery; and others.

For more information, visit her web site at http://kellyaharmon.com, or, find her on Facebook and Twitter: http://facebook.com/Kelly-A-Harmon1, https://twitter.com/kellyaharmon.

Past Bram Stoker Award(R) nominee James Dorr combines the charm of a gentleman born in the US South with the wiles of a near-New York City upbringing, the canniness of a one-time New England resident, and the guile of an outwardly stolid Midwesterner, or so he says. It is known that he was born in Florida, grew up in New Jersey, went to college in Massachusetts, and currently lives in Indiana where he harbors a Goth cat named Triana. He is a short story writer and poet working mainly in dark fantasy and horror with forays into science fiction and mystery, an active member of HWA and SFWA, and has previously worked as a technical writer for an academic computing center, associate editor on a city magazine, a nonfiction freelance writer, and a semi-professional Renaissance musician.

See http://jamesdorrwriter.wordpress.com for more information on James's doings, past, present, and possible future. Feel free to drop a note as the spirit moves -- he's always happy to hear readers' comments, and often will answer, so let your friends know too.

April Steenburgh lives on a homestead near the shore of Lake Ontario with a cunning little cat they found in a swamp. That cat might be a witch. They also share their homestead with various other cats who heard through the grapevine that it was a good place to be, a small herd of alpaca, two goats, a roving horde of chickens, one very friendly turkey, and a husband who crafts dreams and wild schemes into reality.

Coyote song and owl shouts are the music they write to most often, sitting inside the perfect circle of maple trees hidden in the woods near the house. All the best stories get whispered there, with every breeze, by the leaves of those old trees. April has published multiple short stories and does not intend on stopping any time soon.

When not writing, April can be found working as a librarian and English instructor.

April recently launched Faery Cat Press with fellow author Laura Anne Gilman.

Kai Miro writes dark fantasy, horror, and weird westerns. When she's not writing, Kai is riding her quarter horse, Alexandra, while discovering a new trail, playing with her pit bull and plotting the next story.

You can follow Kai at: http://albatrosspublishing.weebly.com and on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Albatross-Publishing-164100860835392/