Tonya Alston has authored seven books since 2014: Seasons Change Nothing Stays the Same, The Gift, Breaking Up is Hard to Do, After the Baptism, Innocent Evil (2 versions), Amazing Grace, a novel, and Crystals and Gems. The New York Native relocated to Baltimore, Maryland where she was initially inspired to write her first book. Working with others inspired her to become a certified life coach. Through the vehicle of writing, she has had the opportunity to share her life's stories to give inspiration for learning and healing to others.

Wilma Brockington-Parker is the communications officer for the Black Writers Guild of Maryland , author of Cinnamon Girl Blues, Office Politics, and Been There, Done That: Lessons Learned on Love and Life from Women 55 and Better and a freelance book reviewer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Critics have described her fiction works as having a great mix of drama, suspense and romance and her characters as realistic and well developed. She has been featured at area festivals, panel discussions, and book signings.

As a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas’ Executive and Professional Coaching Program and a certified professional coach (International Coach Federation), Brockington-Parker has coached writers, executives and others to help them develop strategies and actions for realizing success. She also earned a M.S. in Management and a MBA from the University of Maryland University College. Visit her website for more information.

Rosa L. Griffin is the author of a short story fiction collection entitled Attraction: Sexy Tales of Good, Bad, and Ugly Relationships. In 2003, Rosa received honorable mention in a Writers’ Digest Magazine contest for “Life-Box,” a short story in the collection. She maintains a blog at https://nervikularose.wordpress.com. She can be contacted at rosalgriffin@nervikularose.com. Rosa is working on a yet untitled second collection of short stories.

She is a graduate of Eastern Senior High School, a former all-girls school in Baltimore. Rosa earned A.A. degrees in Human Resource Management and Secretarial Science at Baltimore City Community College.

Rosa is a past secretary for the Black Writers’ Guild of Maryland which she served from 2010 to 2017. She also conducted a workshop entitled, Copyright Basics at four BWG meetings

Deliah "Dee" Lawrence is a Maryland-based attorney, author, blogger and romance workshop facilitator who writes romantic suspense novels as well as poetry and short stories. Her debut novel, Gotta Let It Go, set in Baltimore, won the 2011 Finalist Next Generation Indie Book Award in the multi-cultural fiction category. Dee's short stories have been featured in the Creatures, Crimes and Creativity 2013 and 2014 anthologies.

When Dee isn't writing, you can find her reading a book, indulging in her addiction to investigative discovery shows or painting her yet-to-be exhibited oil artworks of landscapes, portraits or whatever else comes to her creative mind. Constantly on the go, Dee is also an active member of the Maryland Writers' Association, Black Writers' Guild of Maryland, Sisters in Crime and Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. She’s currently working on Gotta Get It Back (a sequel to her first book), scheduled for release in spring 2018.

Claudette Lewis Bard is a recently published author and her book is entitled Negro Island Light. It tells the tale of an African American woman who has been laid off from her marketing position at a Washington, DC. area bank. The novel chronicles how Eugenia Watts sets out to deal with such a life-changing event and how she learns things about herself in an unlikely place and from several undiscovered ancestral family members. And during her self-discovery, she encounters a true gentleman.

Claudette Lewis Bard's love for writing goes back several decades to her first year of college while enrolled in a remedial English 101 class. She's written several short stories, taken creative writing courses, written a successful grant, and interviewed several family members recording their views of being an African American in 20th century America.

Renee McDonald is an author, Software Developer and native Baltimorean. Her book, No Peace for Kimberly, offers a perception of Baltimore 1968 through the eyes of 14-year old Kimberly. Her writings portray young woman as strong and compassionate despite the worlds around them. Ms. McDonald's character is evident in all her main characters as she struggled through challenging situations as a young adult. She is currently working on a fantasy series of books that follow alien sisters as they defend their heritage against Extraterrestrial adversaries.

As the owner of Nicholson & Fisher Publishing, Ms. McDonald will launch an e-commerce website and app which will place self-published authors in front of readers in a manner different than other sites. Compassionate about helping the self-published author, as they are routinely looked over by agents and publishers, Ms. McDonald is using her experience to ensure the success of this venture.

Walk through African American history with my characters as they face tough challenges and overcome harsh conditions. Rejoice with them as they spiritually transcend all that besets them. There are no miracles in my two books, only faith and determination. When readers finish More Than A Slave: The Life of Katherine Ferguson (published by Moody Press of Chicago) they often want to know more about the Fulani girl, who is introduced in chapter two. Her full story, and the story of her sister, is told in my most recent novel, aptly titled The Fulani Girls. Based on more than 20 years of writing experience.

Michael Irving Phillips was born in Jamaica and left home for Howard University in the US where he received MA (Education) and BS (Chemistry) degrees. Books includes ":A Jamaica Poor No More", "Boycott Money And Save Your Soul – Launching The Goodwill Revolution", "Leave the Rat Race To The Rats" and "Poems for Husbands and Other Underdogs" All books strive for cultural improvement from "the rat race" through the Goodwill Revolution.

He has kept abreast of Jamaican and the rest of the Caribbean by his one-man production of Hot Calaloo, a newsletter about Caribbean news and views. From April 1992 to December 1999, it was published monthly and was transferred to the web at hotcalaloo.com until 2020.

K. R. Raye is an award-winning author and screenwriter. The Colors Trilogy is her Amazon-bestselling, New Adult book series. USA Today writes about The Colors of Friendship (Book One of the Colors Trilogy), "I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Its well-written with very realistic, strong characters. The storyline, with both suspense and romance, keeps you intrigued and you're left wanting more in the end."

KR is a member of the Black Writers' Guild of Maryland, Maryland Writers' Association, and one of the Book Divas on Tour. She loves attending book clubs, libraries, writing and film festivals, and has been featured in a number of panel discussions, interviews, and workshops. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two sons.

VM Roberts began writing as a hobby at age ten. Her passion for becoming a published writer grew over the years. In 2010, her dream came true with the release of her first book, Memoirs of A Girl From Suffolk.

A multi-genre author, her published portfolio comprises women's fiction, young adult, children's books, political thrillers, and crime suspense titles. Her two-book memoirs set highlight traumatic, life-altering moments during her early years. Roberts' writing goals include penning a third book in her memoirs and a Western.

A Suffolk, Virginia native, she resided in Trenton, New Jersey, for ten years. Eventually settling in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she called it home away from home for 30 years. Roberts holds a BA in Journalism, an MBA in Health Administration, and an MPH in Epidemiology.

Odessa Rose received her B.A. in English from Coppin State University and her M.A. in Literature from the University of Maryland at College Park. Her award-winning first novel, Water In A Broken Glass, captured the #6 spot on the On-Demand Best Seller list, is ranked #17 on Accredited Online Colleges’ 20 Essential Novels For African-American Women list, is included in The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Multiethnic American Literature, Ethnic American Literature: An Encyclopedia for Students, and Black Like Us: A Century of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual African American Fiction. Water In A Broken Glass was also adapted into an award-winning feature film. Rose’s second novel, In the Mirror received the African American Expo Award for Fiction. Her third novel, Kizmic’s Journey was published to rave reviews. Rose is a member of the Black Writers Guild of Maryland. She resides in her hometown of Baltimore with her husband and their three children.

Michelle Smith is a published author with a blog, Your Spiritual Garden, a relationship column on Black Refer.com and a publishing company, Angels Here To Help.

She is a certified angel card reader and shares a weekly angel card reading on her blog. She is a 2015 alumnae of Listen To Your Mother, Baltimore. She was recently published in the anthology Mom For The Holidays, and self published a book in April 2016 - My Life As A Mermaid.

She is the mom of two adult children. A long time resident of Baltimore, MD, she will always be a New Yorker at heart and a Bermudian in spirit.

She is currently working on a book of short stories regarding her personal experiences with angelic interventions.

Shermell Ward has owned her Business Ward Traveling Notary Public for seven years and Star The Love Officiant for under five years! Leaving Corporate America has been liberating for Ms. Ward. In addition, Ms. Ward is an Motivational Speaker, Published Author who had book signings at Barnes & Nobles and private venue events. Her focus is to uplift the community and has hosted Free Baltimore Community Events including Community Stripez Cookout, Community Baby-shower, and serving free pizzas, waters, and resource bags to our downtown Baltimore homeless communities.

Ms. Ward obtained her Masters in Management in 2011 and Dual Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management and Marketing in 2009, she continues to strive for awareness in the community by speaking at various events empowering women to learn, leave their past behind, and focus on their future. Her hobbies are writing, reading, exercising, traveling, and continually gaining new profound knowledge, spiritual growth, and rebirths.

The Back Side of the Sport of Kings, is about life on the "Back Side" of the sport of thoroughbred horse racing in America. The "Back Side" or the barn or stable area, is where the thoroughbred horses, the Stars or Equestrian Athletes of the sport of racing are housed. The Back Side is the part of the sport of thoroughbred horse racing that the general public rarely get to see. As with my other books, American Apartheid and No Land, No Mule, No Freedom, American Apartheid, the Saga Continues, I provide the reader with the opinionated perspective of an African American, regarding historical events that make facts and information about the black Americans who make their living working with thoroughbred horses, an interesting subject. This book provides historical data on a lifestyle that started in slavery and has survived and moved on to the next millennium.