Raphael's Village

Jeff Gardiner is a writer who lives in West Sussex, England. He is the author of contemporary novel MYOPIA, published by Crooked Cat, which explores the themes of bullying and prejudice. His collection of short stories, 'A Glimpse of the Numinous', was published by Eibonvale Press. For more information go to http://www.jeffgardiner.com or to his blog at jeffgardiner.wordpress.com/.

Candice Carnes lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico while earning her BFA in creative writing at Goddard College in Vermont (it's a heck of a commute). Her academic focus has been in experimental memoir and illness narratives. She is the winner of the 2009 Leo Love Merit Scholarship in fiction from the Taos Writers' Conference. Her work has appeared in *Adobe Walls: An Anthology of New Mexico Poetry *and the inaugural issue of *The Apeiron Review. *

Michael Robertson is a writer from the UK who feels so grateful to have found his passion. He's working on a novel and has recently started writing short stories. Any contact is welcome on: nomoreofficework@btopenworld.com

Michele Lerner has been writing professionally for more than two decades about real estate and personal finance. For fun, she writes short stories that she shares with her writers group in Washington, D.C.

Roland Allnach has enjoyed the creative process of writing for much of his life, drawing inspiration from classic authors, history, and mythology. He has to his credit numerous short story publications, including a Pushcart Prize nomination, and two award winning novels, 'Remnant' (2011 National Indie Excellence Awards, Sci-Fi; 2012 Readers Favorite, Sci-Fi) and 'Oddities & Entities' (2012 Readers Favorite, Paranormal and Horror). For more on Roland's stories and books, visit him at his website, rolandallnach.com

Susan E. Lindsey is a freelance writer, book editor and publicist, and owner of Louisville-based Savvy Communication LLC. Her work has appeared in Underwired, Calliope, and The Highlander. She is the winner of the 2011 Bluegrass Literacy Contest, and took second place in the spring 2011 Writers’ Weekly 24-Hour Short Story Contest, and the 2010 Cooking Comfort writing contest.

Deb Hockenberry has always wanted to write for children since she was a child herself. She is a graduate of The Institute of Children's Literature and is taking an ongoing worshop in writing for children at C.B.I. Clubhouse. In her spare time, Deb loves to watch movies on her DVD player. Especially, Harry Potter! She currently resides in Pennsylvania where she shares an apartment with her cat, Sasha.

Frelisa Walker won the 1989 WJBK TV2 Essay Writing Contest for her school. Since then she has graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy and she is now working on completing her studies at Long Ridge Writers Group. She resides in a suburb of Detroit where she writes short fiction and essays.

Margaret Phillips rediscovered writing when she turned fifty and loves creating stories with quirkly characters and unexpected endings. She is widely published and most recently featured in Dark Things II, an anthology of "cat crime" stories. She lives in California with her husband and two cats and works in healthcare when she is not writing.

Lucie Winborne lives in Central Florida and writes poetry with the intent of capturing a moment in time. Her work has appeared in magazines such as Abbey, The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, SheMom, Lucid Moon, and Revelry, the Orlando Sentinel, and the anthology "Chick Ink: 40 Stories of Women and Their Tattoos."

John Hansen is the teenage author of several crime fiction stories and some random pieces of poetry here and there. He is an avid reader, writer and book blogger among other things who is beginning a relationship with Trestle Press for some of his short fiction pieces. If you found this piece somewhat bearable, you may have what it takes to visit his blog, The Incessant Droning of a Bored Writer (http://incessantdroningofaboredwriter.wordpress.com/).

Amanda Heffernan is a high school student from New England. If she's not writing or studying, then she's probably drawing, rowing, or drinking tea.

Allyn Stotz is an Administrative Assistant residing in Baton Rouge, LA. She recently graduated from the Institute of Children’s Literature. Her first children’s picture book titled The Pea In Peanut Butter was released by FutureWord Publishing in June, 2011 and is available on amazon.com as well as barnesandnoble.com and other online sites. Allyn writes children’s stories to keep her vivid imagination alive and hopefully to put a smile on a child’s face. You can visit her blog at http://www.allynstotz.blogspot.com.

Salvatore T. Falco is a software quality assurance engineer who grounds himself in reality by reading and writing fiction. His love of writing began in second grade, when he got an "A" on a fictional "What I did over summer vacation" essay that was far more exciting than the truth. His non-fiction has been published by Steve Jackson Games and his creative work has appeared in PKA’s Advocate and The Absent Willow Review. Find him at his website salvatorefalco.com.

Tod graduated from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. He attended the University of San Diego School of Law, did graduate work at Bethany Bible College (addiction counseling) and lived at Shasta Abbey (a Zen Buddhist training monastery). He lives with his wife in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. He has published fiction, non-fiction and commercial music.

Stuart Leventhal is a freelance news reporter, fiction writer and poet. Newspapers include: Downingtown Ledger, Tri County Record and the Weekly Press of Philadelphia. Stu's Mystery and western short stories: Veneration Quarterly, Ultimate writer, Bracelet Charm magazine. Stuart is a featured writer on the Dana Literary Society’s Online Journal (September 2001). Stuart is also the Examiner’s Atco Restaurant Reviewer for the Philadelphia Area. Stu has a book ready! Interested agent’s contact stu102@netzero.net

Ethel Lee-Miller, a native of Long Island, New York, is a retired teacher and now writer and public speaker with over three decades of educational and counseling experience. A transplant to Tucson, Arizona, she has resumed her love affair with words through personal essays that explore the dances of relationships where love, adventures, indifference, dreams deferred, and joy are choreographed and performed. Her first book, Thinking of Miller Place: A Memoir of Summer Comfort (iUniverse 2007), explores the joy of being an identical twin. Since moving to Tucson, she is active in the Society for Southwestern Authors, is an international Women’s Writing Guild Arizona representative and continues her membership in Toastmasters International. Learn more at www.etheleemiller.com.

Tom Sheehan, retired for 20 years, remembers daily the comrades he served with in Korea in 1951, and writes poetry, novels and short stories, often about his comrades. 220 of his stories are on one site in Oregon, Rope and Wire Magazine.

Kayla Bashe is a sixteen-year-old homeschooler from New Jersey. In her free time, she enjoys acting, singing, dancing, and, of course, writing. Her most prized possession is her dog, Sparkles.

Ben wrote his first poems in Texas where he grew up. He then moved to Berkeley, Boston, Philadelphia and finally Northeast Ohio. While he has written primarily for himself, he has only written for others to read since January 2010. Ben's writings fall into three genres: love, nature, and giving voice to his search for his place in the world. The Russell Writers in Middletown, Connecticut gave birth to his joy for sharing his writings with others, and the Akron Writers Group prodded him to refine his craft.