About the book

About the Authors 

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Sam Barbee has a new collection, Apertures of Voluptuous Force (2022, Redhawk Publishing).  He has three previous poetry collections, including That Rain We Needed (2016, Press 53), a nominee for the Roanoke-Chowan Award as one of North Carolina’s best poetry collections of 2016.  A two-time Pushcart nominee, his poems recently appeared in Salvation South, Verse Virtual, Ekphrastic Review, Grand Little Things; and on-line journals Dead Mule School of Literature, and Medusa’s Kitchen.

Jenny Bates, seven poetry books, published in numerous NC and international journals. Presented at the 2023 Ecopoetics and Environmental Aesthetics Conference, London. Jenny was a judge for the Poetry in Plain Sight contest through the NC Poetry Society, 2024. Her book of poems, ESSENTIAL, Redhawk Publications 2023 has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize 2024. Her newest collection, From Soil and Soul is available through Redhawk Publications.

Donna Beal lives in Hayesville, NC. She is a graduate of Winthrop University where she majored in Philosophy and Religion. Donna was a Director and Senior Vice President with a large financial institution. Since retirement, she’s been published in numerous journals and is a member of The North Carolina Writer’s Network West and the sistaWRITE group founded by North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green.

S.G. (Sandy) Benson is a regular contributor to OMP. Her articles and stories have appeared in magazines and newspapers nationwide since 1971. She published her first book, My Mother’s Keeper: One Family’s Journey Through Dementia in 2021 and her second book, Dear Folks, a collection of her dad’s letters home during WWII, in August 2024. She lives in Warne, NC with her husband, Barry, and a couple of bossy dachshunds.

Kerri Habben Bosman is a writer living in Cape Carteret, NC. She is a graduate of Peace College and North Carolina State University. Her work has been included in the News and Observer and regularly appears in publications throughout the US and Canada.

Barbara Brooks, a retired physical therapist, is the author of three chapbooks: The Catbird Sang, A Shell to Return to The Sea, Watercolors. She is a member of The PoetFools writing group.  Her Work has been published in Remington Review, Field Guide Literary Magazine among others. She lives in Hillsborough, NC, with her dog.

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Raven Chiong began writing at age five as a pen pal to her absent mother. Her first poetry collection, Ode to the Still Small Voice-A Memoir of Listening was published by Covenant Books in early 2023. She was the Clay County Representative for NC Writers’ Network-West. Most importantly, Raven was the proud mama of four rescue dogs who found her wandering around the coral pink sands of Southern Utah.

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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., and Winston-Salem Writers’ POETRY IN PLAIN SIGHT program for 2013 and 2021. He has authored several books. Tom, a retired Special Forces soldier, has written and published his memoir, The Most Fun I Ever Had With My Clothes On: A March From Private to Colonel.

Bob Demaree is a retired educator with ties to NC, NH and PA. His work has appeared in numerous publications over the past thirty years.

Nancy Dillingham is a sixth-generation Dillingham from Dillingham in Big Ivy in western North Carolina. Her poetry collection HOME was nominated for a SIBA.  Her current publications are No Time Like the Present: A Memoir in Essays, Curves: Collected Stories, and the poetry chapbook Promise.  Her forthcoming poetry chapbook is entitled Longing.  She lives in Asheville, NC.

David Dixon is a physician, poet, and musician from Mt. Airy, North Carolina. He is the author of The Scattering of Saints (Hermit Feathers Press, 2022).

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Dena M. Ferrari is a regular contributor to OMP, her poetry is featured in Westchester Community College of NY Phoenix (1975), Writers Alliance Poets World-Wide anthologies has many of her published works. Dena’s own books, Poems From the Hearth (2010) Come Closer My Dearies (2013), Charmed Times Three (2015), and her newest book Wyld Earth Magick (2018) shows diversified writing styles, leaving a Living Legacy for her grandchildren. She and her husband, Peter live in Vass, NC.

Joanne Kennedy Frazer, a former justice and peace educator/director for faith-based entities, is published widely in journals, ezines, anthologies. Her second chapbook, Seasonings (Kelsay Press) was nominated for the Eric Hoffer Book Award.  She lives in Durham, NC.

Alan Frutchey is a former contributor to the Old Mountain Press. He is your typical “renaissance man”, loving music, art, and the outdoors. He currently lives in Woodstock, GA, and has been married fifty years. He has two undergraduate degrees and one post graduate degree and spent his career in technology. Now retired and enjoying writing and learning classical guitar. 

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Michael Gaspeny, who lives in Greensboro, NC, is the author of Flight Manual: New and Selected Poems; A Postcard from the Delta, a novel; The Tyranny of Questions, a novella in verse, and two chapbooks. He does enjoy Thanksgiving on earth, here in The Old North State.

Marian Gowan is a regular contributor to Old Mountain Press anthologies. During her sixteen years living in western NC, her work appeared in several southern publications.  She returned to western NY in 2017 to be near family.

James Gibson (Northville, Michigan),  private pilot, scuba diver, and auto industry retiree , has another auto industry-theme manuscript, To Live or Die in Panama      in progress.  His first five novels featured Native American culture in the Anasazi Quest series. His eighth novel,  To Live or Die in Taiwan was published in  2018. Anasazi Princess and Anasazi Journey are now available as E-Books on Amazon.com.

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Mary Ellen Hammond resides in Almond, NC. A former editor and publisher of outdoor adventure guidebooks, her articles, essays, and poems have appeared publications including WNC Magazine, Welcome Home, Our State Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal. In 2024 she was named an emerging poet in the NC Poetry Society's Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Mentor Series.

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Patsy Kennedy Lain continues to reside in Hubert, NC, with published works in 39 Old Mountain Press Anthologies and many in others including magazines and a local newspaper.  She has published three poetry collections, BACKROADS, FLASHBACKS, and BLENDED, one short story collection, SMORGASBORD, and six children's books, and is currently working on a seventh.  Patsy has received multiple awards and honors over the years for her writings and paintings.  She continues to paint, write and publish her works.

Brenda Kay Ledford is a native of Clay County, NC.  Her work has appeared in all of the Old Mountain Press anthologies. Ledford’s children’s picture book, Christmas in Matheson Cove, was released this year. It is the sequel to the award-winning book, The Singing Convention.  Ledford blogs at:

http://blueridgepoet.blogspot.com.

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Lyn Messsersmith is a life long rancher who lives near Alliance, NE. She has fed a lot of hungry cowboys and been one herself. Lyn has published two memoirs, three books of poetry, and two CDs with her friend Deb Nolting. She has presented her poems in Western Canada as well as the United States.

Celia Miles is a native of Jackson County and lives in Asheville. A retired community college instructor, she writes in various genres as a niche-less author. Her twelfth novel is due out this fall. website: www.celiamiles.com

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Karen O’Leary is a freelance writer from West Fargo, ND. She has published poetry, short stories, and articles in a variety of venues including, Haikuniverse, Frogpond, Setu, Shot Glass Journal, and Quill & Parchment. Her work has appeared in several Old Mountain Press anthologies. Karen edited an international online journal called Whispers http://whispersinthewind333.blogspot.com/ for 5  ½ years. She enjoys sharing the gift of words. 

Martha O’Quinn has been a contributor to the anthologies for many years. It has been one of many highlights in her life. She has also been privileged to have her poetry and non-fiction prose published in a number of publications in the mountains of North Carolina.  Martha enjoys her six great-grandchildren and lives near her daughter in Loganville, Georgia.

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Michael Potts is Professor of Philosophy at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He has three novels and three collections of poetry published as well as individual poems, short stories, and creative nonfiction. He lives with his wife, Karen, and six cats in Coats, North Carolina

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Mary Ricketson’s poems reflect the healing power of nature.  Published collections: I Hear the River Call My Name, Hanging Dog Creek, Shade and Shelter, Mississippi: The Story of Luke and Marian, Keeping in Place, Lira, Poems of a Woodland Woman, Precious the Mule, and Stutters, A Book of Hope.  She won first place, 2011 Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest 75th anniversary national poetry contest.  She is a mental health therapist in private practice in Murphy NC.

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Paul Sherman has been axed from many jobs and might hold the record. He would love to be published in Guiness Book, but he’s too lazy to submit. He hopes he’s not on the chopping block in his current tractor position; it’s a pain in the fat rump to find a good job. His home is in the Pisgah Forest next to a rock creek descending Mt. Mitchell.

Rishan Singh is a published writer. He has been published in the OMP anthology series many times previously. He is the recipient of an essay award from the eThekwini Municipality. His longer pieces of work include prose, plays, short stories, flash fiction and longer stories. He can be reached at: rishansingh18@gmail.com.

Lois Greene Stone, writer and poet, has been syndicated worldwide. Poetry and personal essays have been included in hard & softcover book anthologies. Collections of her personal items/ photos/ memorabilia are in major museums including twelve different divisions of The Smithsonian. The Smithsonian selected only her photo to represent all teens from the 1950's; a large showcase in its National Museum of American History featured her photo. hand-designed clothing, and her costume sketches. ‘Girlhood’ exhibit opened 10-2020 and began touring Jan. 2023.

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Barbara Ledford Wright lives in Shelby, NC. A retired teacher  that loves the art of quilting. Her prose has been published in 54 Old Mountain Press Anthology Series,including other journals and anthologies. She stays fit at the gym each day,and these experiences may be included in her stories.