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Fred Bassett has published four books of poetry, including The Old Stoic Faces the Mirror. His poems have also appeared in more than 80 journals and anthologies. His latest novel, Honey from a Lion, was published in January 2014. He holds four academic degrees, including a Ph.D. in Biblical literature from Emory University. Now retired from academia, he lives with his wife Peg in Greenwood SC, near their grandchildren.

Nancy H. Cody has written several poems and contributed to the last edition of Old Mountain Press’ Anthology, When We’re Together. Nancy also loves working on genealogy. The joy of her life is her church and family. She, and her husband, Bill, reside in Hayesville, NC.

Rachel Bronnum lives in Lawrenceville, GA. Her work has been published in Echoes Across the Blue Ridge and several Old Mountain Press Anthologies including In the Yard, Mountain Time, and The Outer Side of Life.

Stuart Burroughs works with visual art, poetry, and music. Her art hangs in many homes. and she has been a teacher. Her poems are in various anthologies including several NC Poetry Society’s books and OMP books. A collection of her poems, Beyond the Hills, is listed with Amazon.com. Stuart lives in Chapel Hill, NC, where she plays piano at several locations in town.

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Tom Davis’ publishing credits include Poets Forum, The Carolina Runner, Triathlon Today, Georgia Athlete, The Fayetteville Observer’s Saturday Extra, A Loving Voice Vol. I and II, Special Warfare., Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors, Volume 3 and Winston-Salem Writers’ POETRY IN PLAIN SIGHT program for May 2013 (poetry month). He’s authored the following books: The Life and Times of Rip Jackson, The Most Fun I Ever Had With My Clothes On, The Patrol Order; and The R-complex. Tom lives in Webster, NC.

Nancy Dillingham, Big Ivy poet, is the author of 7 volumes of poetry and short stories. Her book HOME was nominated for a SIBA award in 2012. She has collaborated on 3 anthologies of western North Carolina writers and written haiku for a book of photographs. She lives and writes in Asheville, NC.

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Dena M. Ferrari, is the author of Poems from the Hearth 2010 and Come Closer My Dearies 2013. She has written poems in many OMP anthologies. Dena’s poetry appeared in WCC of NY The Phoenix 1975. Several poems are included within anthologies by the Writers Alliance World-Wide Poets. Dena writes to leave a Living Legacy for her Grandchildren. Dena and her husband, Peter are from Vass, NC Brightest Blessings to you and yours.

Ann Fogelman, a writer of memories in prose and poetry, was born in Reading, Pa. Her work has appeared in The Noble Generation, That Thing you Do, Pets Across America, Texas Poetry Calendar, Boundless, OMP Anthologies and school publications. Ann is a member of Bay Area Writers League, Gulf Coast Poets, Poetry Society of Texas and Osher Lifetime Learning Institute at UTMB, Galveston, Tx. Ann lives in Friendswood, Tx.

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James Gibson (Northville, Michigan) combined his love of the American West and his fascination with Native American culture to write the five novels of the Anasazi Quest series, available at www.PentacleSPresS.com , as well as The Last Ride, a traditional western set outside Tucson, Arizona. Visit his blog at:

www.anasaziquest.wordpress.com.

Ralph Gillum is a retired teacher and guidance counselor who resides in Northville, Michigan. He has published in a number of journals and anthologies as well as written three books on his hobby of field trial beagles. He also enjoys assisting other writers in editing their work and relishes his monthly meetings with friend and motivator, Jim Gibson.

Marian Gowan is author of Notes from the Trunk, published by Old Mountain Press (www.oldmp.com/mariangowan.htm). Her work has appeared in several Old Mountain Press anthologies and regional publications, including Longest Hours, Silver Boomer Press, Abilene, TX. Most recently, she contributed to her writing group’s anthology, Crossings, published by Old Mountain Press and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She retired to the NC mountains from western NY in 2001.

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Kerri Mai Habben lives in Raleigh, NC where she works as a writer and local historian. A graduate of Peace College and North Carolina State University, her work has appeared in literary journals, The News and Observer, and other publications throughout the United States and Canada. She has recently compiled a decade of essays into a collection she is seeking to publish.

Karen Hammond has been writing for her children for years, and now that she has an empty nest, has decided to submit some of her work for publication. Her latest book <Birdie Told Me> has been submitted to the Christian Writer’s Guild for their Operation First Novel Contest. Karen lives in Falls Church, Virginia with her husband David Daniels.

Robert Hewett lives in Louisville, KY and writes in several genres including Children; Romance; Old West Romance/Adventure; Humor and Skits. He has been named Poet of the Month on several worldwide sites and Poet of the year on:

www.publishingwithpassion.com, a poetry forum. You can find some of his writings at roberthewettsr.hubpages.com (no www or http://)

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Arnie Johanson is a retired philosophy professor from Minnesota, now residing in Durham, NC. His poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, and he has published two chapbooks, A Man and A Horse and Coffee, Songs & Snakes: sonnets for Grandma.

David "Buzz" Jones, D.D., LL.D, is a freelance writer that has chosen the spiritual genre. He has 30 years in the Baptist ministry. David is from Hartsville, SC, but makes his home in Henrietta, NC. He has self-published two booklets, which can be read on his website at: www.BuzzWrites.com David is a weekly columnist in his local newspaper, and all his articles and poems are also on the website.

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K. D. Kennedy Jr. has published four (4) books of poetry, short stories, and essays: Our Place In Time, Waiting Out In The Yard, For Rhyme Of Reason, and Progenitors: A Kennedy Genealogy. He has also published works in over twenty anthologies and periodicals. He has served as Chairman of the following: The Board of Trustees of Barton College, the North Carolina Board of Ethics, the North Carolina Theater, and the Building Committee of the Duke Power Performing Arts Center.

Nita Hallford Killebrew first wrote and published a neighborhood newspaper, Pine Valley News, at age 10, and has enjoyed writing and editing ever since. During 2014, Nita served as a judge for the National Council of Teachers of English Literary Magazine Competition. She lives in Lilburn, GA, and currently edits the Newsline, a publication for educators.

Jo Koster teaches English and Medieval Studies at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, where she spends way too much time on administrivia. Her most recent work for Old Mountain Press appeared in When We’re Together. Her budding career as a percussionist ended, sadly, shortly after the date memorialized in her poem.

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Blanche L. Ledford’s work has appeared in Mother’s Little Helper, Happy Feet, The Nature of Things, Waiting With Santa, and other Old Mountain Press anthologies. She received the Paul Green Award from North Carolina Society of Historians for her book, Planting by the Signs, and Simplicity. Blanche lives in Hayesville, NC.

K. A. Lewis is living her dream of being a writer. A painter and photographer, she graduated from the Corcoran School of Art in 1986, and since then has worked in jewelry and custom framing. She has written science fiction, fantasy, and poetry since 2010, and this is her third published work. Katy and her husband live with five demanding cats in a little house stuffed with books, in Falls Church, VA.

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Al Manning is a retired Naval Officer, and a retired college instructor. He is on the Board of Trustees for the North Carolina Writers’ Network, and is network representative for Chatham & Lee Counties. Al lives in Pittsboro, NC.

Celia Miles, retired English instructor, has several novels in print, including a new mystery, The Body at Wrapp’s Mill. A native of Jackson County, she lives and writes in Asheville, NC. For a complete listing of Celia’s books visit her website: www.celiamiles.com

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Beverly Ohler’s life has been focused on the theater, teaching, designing, producing festivals, creating art in one form or another. Growing up in the Northeast, her adult life has primarily been spent on the campus of Warren Wilson College, Asheville, NC, where she is a member of the Theater Department. She has written four books, is published in magazines and anthologies, and lives in Black Mountain.

Karen O’Leary is a writer and editor from West Fargo, ND. She has published poetry, short stories, and articles in a variety of venues including, Frogpond, A Hundred Gourds, Haiku Pix, Sharpening the Green Pencil 2014, Now This: Contemporary Poems of Beginnings, Renewals and Firsts, Creative Inspirations, and Poems of the World. She currently edits an online poetry journal called Whispers. www.whispersinthewind333.blogspot.com

Martha O’Quinn writes poetry and non-fiction. She is a regular contributor to OMP anthologies. Her work was also published in three anthologies edited by Celia Miles and Nancy Dillingham. Other regional publication recognized her submissions both in print and online. She is one of six authors who collectively created Crossings, a poetry and prose anthology published by Old Mountain Press. Martha and her husband reside in Hendersonville, NC.

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Patricia Podlipec taught first grade for over two decades. After retirement she and her husband moved to Hendersonville NC where she started writing poetry. Her work has been published in several anthologies and a few poems have won honorable mentions. Recently she has been writing children’s poetry. Two of those poems won honorable mentions and were published by the North Carolina Poetry Society in their awards anthologies, Pinesong for 2012 and 2014.

Michael Potts is Professor of Philosophy at Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC. He has two novels published by WordCrafts Press, End of Summer and Unpardonable Sin, two published short stories, and two poetry chapbooks, From Field to Thicket and Hiding from the Reaper and Other Horror Poems. He lives in Linden, NC.

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Cindy Rickey’s poetry credits include MetroNY; the NY Times blog; Blueline; Avocet, Journal of Nature Poetry; Avocet Weekly; Emerald Coast Review; Kakalak; Red Fez; Poetry Pacific; The Mountaineer; Miller’s Pond Poetry Magazine; On Your Mark; Sacred Visions; and a poetry book, A Year in the Life of an Unemployed Poet. She was a winner of the NYC Office of Cultural Affairs Poetweet contest. Cindy recently moved from the NYC suburbs to a Waynesville, NC, mountaintop.

Dwight Roth is a retired elementary school teacher of 29 years, who grew up in the mountains of Southwestern Pennsylvania. He enjoys writing, poetry, and painting. He is a member of the Indian Trail Cultural Arts poetry readers club, and has had poems published on Kym Gordon Moore’s Tea and Poetry Blog Spot, in Common Ground Magazine, and in recent OMP Anthologies. He and wife Ruth live near Monroe, NC.

Carmen Ruggero. Fiction writer and poet. Co-authored a poetry anthology: Shaken & Stirred, and short story collection Kaleidoscope, published by BeWrite Books. Adventure Books of Seattle published her short story collection: Eighty-six eggs. Joined Bewildering Stories as an author and review editor. In 2011, she became part of a writers group organized by her hometown newspaper, where she was also a contributing author. Carmen lives in Crawfordsville, IN.

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Dr. Lynn Veach Sadler, native North Carolinian and former college president, has published 5+ books and 72 articles, edited 22 books/proceedings and three national journals, and publishes a newspaper column. In creative writing, she has published 10 poetry chapbooks and 4 full-length collections, 100+ short stories, 4 novels, a novella, and a short story collection (another forthcoming) and written 41 plays. As Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet 2013-2015, she mentors student and adult poets.

Marian Kaplun Shapiro is the author of a professional book, Second Childhood (Norton, 1988),a poetry book, Players In The Dream, Dreamers In The Play (Plain View Press, 2007) and two chapbooks: Your Third Wish, (Finishing Line, 2007); and The End Of The World, Announced On Wednesday (Pudding House, 2007). A Quaker and a psychologist, her poetry often embeds the topics of peace and violence by addressing one within the context of the other. A resident of Lexington, PA, she was named Senior Poet Laureate of Massachusetts in 2006, in 2008, in 2010, 2011, and 2014. She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2012.

Jane Shlensky, a veteran English teacher, holds an MFA in creative writing from UNC-Greensboro. Her recent poetry has appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies, including The Dead Mule, Pinesong, Writer’s Digest, KAKALAK 2013 and 2014, two Old Mountain Press anthologies, Southern Poetry Anthology: North Carolina and Poetry Market 2015.

Rishan Singh is a prize-winning South African poet, essayist, writer, biologist and a qualified English Language instructor. His writing has been widely published in numerous journals, books and collections. His first professional poetry publication was in the Afrikaans language. Since the early 2000's, his writing has received attention from the academic, government and public sectors. He has been profiled in Who’s Who in the World (USA), and most recently, awarded an eThekwini Municipality Library Award.

D. A. Spruzen grew up near London, U.K., earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte, and teaches writing in Northern Virginia. In another life she was Manager of Publications for a defense contractor. Her work has appeared in many publications, and she is currently seeking representation for The Blitz Business, a novel set in WWII England. The first two novels of a trilogy, Not One of Us and Lily Takes the Field, and Crossroads: Two Novellas, are available in paperback and e-book formats. Her poetry chapbook, Long in the Tooth, was published by Finishing Line Press in July 2013.

Sheri Stanley is an artist, graphics artist and illustrator. She is also a song writer and does book illustrations, too. She has been published in several on-line venues and magazines. She enjoys golf, reading, jogging, playing the piano and spending much treasured time with her family in the Pacific Northwest, United States. www.poetryandbeyond.net

Mary Louise Stark has written poems all her life, publishing locally in her schools and college, winning a contest here and there but concentrating more on drama as her field of study and then later on storytelling. Her poetry is a personal treasure and poetry of others a real joy. She loves it in a very real sense and does not know what she would do without its enrichment to her life. Mary is a true "ruralist" and lives on a large track in Walton County, GA.

Tonya Staufer found her way back to writing a few years ago. She is a real estate investment broker by day and a writer by night. She and her husband call Saluda, NC home. Her stories have appeared in Spirit of the Smokies, A Long Story Short, Western NC Woman, Moonshine Review, and numerous anthologies.

Wendy S. Stephens lives in Transylvania County, NC, which she considers magical and inspiring and the best place to live! An avid traveler, she writes travel blogs as well as short stories featuring friends and family in favorite trip locations. Her poetry is often inspired by her travel. Her work has appeared in Women’s Spaces Women’s Places, Waiting For Santa, Mountain Writings, and When We’re Together.

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Elizabeth B. Watson, at the end of the bios and this anthology again, is pleased to make the deadline. Her poems and stories have been published many times by Old Mountain Press and other anthologies. Unexpectedly this fall, she left two poems in France. One praises our fantastic Road Scholar leader and another rated our river boat cruise *****’s to please the purser. Now we’re back in Greenville with happy memories of France and Christmas in New England.

Barbara Ledford Wright received her B.S. Ed. degree from Gardner Webb University in K-9 grades, and holds additional degrees in art, and language arts. She frequently contributes to the OMP anthology series. Her work has been published in several magazines and anthologies. Barbara lives in Shelby, NC.

Evelyne Weeks is a writer of both poetry and prose. Her work has been published in The Hollins Critic, Appalachian Heritage, and Out of the Rough: Women’s Poems of Survival and Celebration. The Battle is a collection of poems about her childhood in the mountains of Virginia. Today she lives in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where she has taught English at Winthrop University since 1989.

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C Pleasants York: Christmas is a legacy of customs for C. Pleasants York of Sanford, NC. Her Grandmother Pleasants was a Moravian with love feasts, beeswax candles, and a hand-made Moravian star on the porch. Grandfather Pleasants was a Quaker, and her parents were Methodists. She was a Baptist in high school, and she and her husband raised their three children in the Presbyterian Church. The family has traveled to 26 countries, collecting Christmas customs along the way.

Joseph Youngblood lives and works in Fayetteville, NC with his family. He writes about topics that have meaning for him. His work has appeared in several prior anthologies.