Meet the Authors

 Mandy Leigh is a mom of four and a jack of all trades.  She is a writer by passion and a woman with a vision.  Her friends and family think she’s a professional juggler, just ask anyone who knows her.  She prides herself on speaking fluently in the native language of her heartbeats…Kiddism.  She loves doing crafts with her kiddos and spending time with family.  One of her favorite crafts to do is painting rocks.  Her granddaddy taught her about “pet” rocks.  She was cool before it was cool.  Mandy Leigh’s lucky number is seven.  She doesn’t have a favorite color.  She loves too many to have a favorite.  Toss those crayons up in the air. Grab one or seven and draw a beautiful picture of the first thing that comes to mind.  There’s no limit to creativity.  

Alexandra Grace is eleven years old.  She was born and raised in Madison, AL. She goes by the nickname Lulee given to her when she was a baby.  She enjoys reading all types of books including books about random facts. She loves to play with her bearded dragon Mimmo, who enjoys being sung to as he eats his kale. She is a fashionista with her own sense of style.

 Brynlea Hope is 7 years old. She was born and raised in Madison, AL.  She goes by her nickname Bryn or just Brynlea.  She enjoys cuddling with our fifteen year old cat Lizzie.  She has a huge, caring heart and loves to help others. She loves to sing and dance.

Lulee and Bryn have an older sister they adore named Sadie who is married to James. They have an older brother Tyler who they love to ride bikes with, build forts with, indoor snowball fights and all sorts of fun stuff.

They both enjoy hanging out with family and friends, doing arts and crafts, and spa time that includes facials and nail art.  They look forward to relaxing before bed by snuggling up on the couch and doing nightly devotionals with the family and getting a special bedtime song sang to them.

 Van Andrews was born in Buffalo, New York and raised in Florida. He now resides in Madison, Al. Van has enjoyed drawing at a young age from abstract art to superheroes. His senior year in high school, he took World Literature and it opened the realm of writing for him. He got lost within the ink as it fell to paper and enjoyed creating a world of words. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served 4 years as an Aviation Ordnance Systems Technician. Van is married to his wonderful wife and they have 4 children together: Sadie, Tyler, Lulee and Brynlea…The 3 being his bonus daughters. 

 Tracy Kushwaha has been writing stories since she was a child.  Writing for children has been her lifelong dream.  She feels blessed to be able to inspire a new generation of young readers. She enjoys the way a good book carries its reader on an adventure.  This sense of adventure is evident in her first series, Harriet the Brave.  Tracy enjoys small town life, in the Midwest, with her husband and daughter. 

  Trista Lawrence is from Fort Walton Beach, Florida and currently resides in a small town near Huntsville, Alabama with her children.  She prides herself on being a mother and entrepreneur.  When she’s not writing, she’s enjoying time with her family, friends, and doing what she loves to do most, her passion, photography.  She’s always looking for ways to help others and to put a smile on their face. 

 Lois Lunsford is a retired pre-K & K teacher. Gleaning tid-bits of information from teachers and kids alike she walked away with a wealth of knowledge that she applies in her books. The best part about being a teacher was the time spent with the children; learning, playing, reading, talking and mostly laughing. Lois lives in the country, in Galt, California on 5 acres with her husband, Joe, 3 cute doggies, and 2 funny chickens. They enjoy their adult daughter, Annsley, aka Angela. 

 Bernadette Kloth, aka, SMILEY KLOTH, is a native Floridian, who was born in West Palm Beach, but now resides on the west coast of Florida.  She loves writing poetry and short stories but publishing a children’s book has always been on her bucket list.  She has been blessed with 4 grown children, 4 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.  She is very enthusiastic about gardening, nature, and wildlife.  

 Jennifer was born and raised in Central Florida. She has a passion for dancing, reading, writing, and education. She graduated from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Australian Studies. She studied abroad for a semester at the University of Sydney, which intrigued her interest in Australian Studies. After graduating college, she taught elementary school for ten years in Florida before relocating with her family to North Alabama. She currently resides in North Alabama with her husband, twin sons, and two dogs. Jennifer is a Kindergarten teacher at a local elementary school, and is proud to also be a new author. 

 Patricia Ryerson Bartosik grew up running barefoot through the farm fields of central Ohio. After graduating with honors from The Ohio State University, she spent two years in Germany where she acquired her life long passion for exploring this amazing planet. She is a former English, German, and ESL teacher, a world traveler, and the mother of four adult humans and one very dutiful rescue dachshund. When she and her husband are not riding elephants in Africa or camels in Morocco, they live a quiet life in a small town south of St. Louis. The author will be donating all her royalties to dachshund rescue efforts. 

 Madeline L. Stout started writing when she was a little girl and completed her first full-length novel at the age of 15. Mostly, she loves creating fantasy worlds filled with beautiful creatures and strong heroines. When her husband insists she takes a break from writing, she enjoys reading and gaming. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of Fantasia Divinity, which she started to give back to the writing community and to help spread great stories. She is the author of The Moon Princess and the children’s fantasy series, Once Upon a Unicorn. In addition to her writing, Madeline also enjoys art. You can find her occasionally at various conventions in the Georgia/Tennessee area where she features books, comic books, and artwork. Visit her website to check out her latest projects: madelinelstout.com. 

 Rachelle Layne loves to inspire and create. As a fifth-grade teacher and a mother, it is her passion to inspire children to be the best they can be. She tries to do this by leading by example and writing stories that teach important lessons about kindness. In addition to creating rhyming children’s books, she loves to create art, even the edible kind! She enjoys baking and decorating cakes for her family and friends. She lives in a small farming town with her husband, Brian, two daughters, Kaylee and Cassie, and their adorable puppy, Zumi. 

 Jolie C. Cowan aka J.Cowan was born and raised in Alabama. She is a rodeo wife, daughter, sister, aunt, and lover of all things Snoopy.  In her spare time she enjoys reading, amateur photography, true crime tv shows, LSU football and spending time with her family and friends. She currently lives in Athens, Alabama with her husband Greg, her three dogs (Petey, Ruger and John) and their horse named Belle. 

Cheyenne has a creative spirit with an interest in many things, making her a collector of hobbies, she enjoys writing, photography, art, baking, and traveling. Cheyenne hopes that with everything she creates - whether a story, painting, or delicious treat - she is spreading joy and happiness to others. Cheyenne lives with her husband and two cats in lower Alabama. One of her cats, Ollie, is featured on the cover and inside the story! Enjoying life and going on many adventures is very important to this household and they hope they can inspire others to do the same.