Kate Matthews

I work full-time in the fields of orthopedic research and medical writing and am a co-author of nine peer-reviewed medical journal publications and four book chapters. I’ve ghostwritten several medical manuscripts (all published) and have substantively edited many more; I am a board-certified editor in the life sciences. Other published work includes a short story (WWII romantic fiction) in Grit and a travel article in German Life.

Tom Mayer

T. Milton Mayer Is an award winning author. He's a fromer Major in The United States Air Force and a retired Head & Neck Surgeon. He has written five works of fiction and one non-fiction book. He and his wife divide their time between Greater Cincinnati and Naples, Florida.

Patricia Mcanulty

I am a retired Airline Pilot of American Airlines. I write mainly science fiction and published a novel on Amazon called The Beginning. It can be found on Amazon by writing Pat McAnulty on the search line. I am currently combining a revised version of that manuscript with two others into one book. I am also working on a memoir about my flying career.

Robert McCarthy

Jeanne Meeks

Jeanne Meeks is an outdoors woman, an author, a late-bloomer, and a cheerleader for women who try. She was inspired to write when tragedy struck while backpacking across the Grand Canyon in 2007. Rim to Rim, was nominated for Best First Novel at Love is Murder, a Chicago writers convention. Four additional novels soon followed. In another lifetime, Jeanne and her husband, Bob, formed a security surveillance company. She was recognized as the Illinois Small-Business Person of the Year. She has been the township Tax Collector, President of the Chamber of Commerce, and on the boards of a local bank and a hospital. After twenty-eight years in business a British corporation bought the business, and Jeanne and Bob retired early. To escape Illinois weather, Jeanne winters in Florida. Days in Fort Myers are filled with tennis, golf, pickleball, book discussion and writing groups, and volunteering. Jeanne comes from a family of ten, has two sons, loves wildflowers, kayaking, camping, reading, and gardening, and occasionally has fits of baking. She adores her five grandchildren and two great-granddaughters but doesn’t see them often enough. Now Jeanne is Membership VP for Gulf Coast Writers Association, the golf league president, and is trying to hatch a novel for boys, ages 10-12. Life is an adventure. Check out her website at www.JeanneMeeks.com.

Laura Mercury

Laura Mercury grew up in Bay City, Michigan before attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After graduation, Laura began a career in finance and has called many cities home, including Moscow, London, Frankfurt, New York, and Chicago. She speaks four languages. Today, Laura lives in southwest Florida, where she teaches high school math, plays tennis and pickleball, and is putting the finishing touches on her thriller, How to Murder Your Man's Mistress. Laura has one daughter; she studies applied math at Harvard University.

Beth Meyer

Julie

Julie Moore has spent much of her adult life serving her country in the U.S. Army. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Julie and her husband now reside in Southwest Florida. She has two children, Kate and Adam, and two grandchildren. While serving in the military, Julie completed her master’s degree in Performance Improvement and received a certification as a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma.

Michael Nelson

I'm retired twice, first from the Air Force and then as a college professor. I'm not sure yet if writing is a third career or just something I enjoy - as I used to tell my students, if you're not making money at it then it might just be a hobby. I write mostly science fiction but I've also written a few short stories that can be classified as fiction, mystery, and/or just downright ridiculous.

Alice Oldford

Paul Anthony Petruzzi

Paul Anthony grew up in mid-twentieth-century Brooklyn surrounded by the cultural influences of his grandparents, who had emigrated from Italy at the turn of the century. This cultural background provided the inspiration and perspective for many of his characters, poems, and stories. Recent publications include: Brooklyn 4, New York: Lyrical Voices (copr Paul Anthony Publishing, LLC, November 2024) is a collection of narrative poems based on the experiences of early twentieth-century emigrants who arrived in America with little more than hope. "The Shooting Gallery" from this collection received a Bronze Award (Genre: Poem, Unpublished) from the Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Awards 2022. Sorrow: the legacy of cio-cio-san (copr Paul Anthony Publishing, LLC, July 2021) a lyric novella that chronicles the journey of Sorrow, son of Madama Butterfly and Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton, from the motherless toddler at the end of the opera through adulthood. "Sorrow" received a Gold Award (Genre: General Catch-All, Published) from the Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Awards 2022. Minimum Wage: Brianna received Third Place (Genre: Poetry) from the Gulf Coast Writers Association Writing Contest 2022. “on the morrow” was published in “Storm Stories: Hurricane Ian.” (copr Gulf Coast Writers Association, September 2023) Paul Anthony earned a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) in Literary Studies/Humanities from Drew University in Madison, NJ; and a Master of Arts (MA) in English Literature from Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ.

Amy Pontius

Amy Pontius is a former educator residing in southwest Florida and summering in northern Vermont. She is the author of the children's book Molly the Mockingbird. Her work has been published in Kaleidoscope™ Reflections on Women’s Journeys: In My Shoes; Voices of Cleveland: A Bicentennial Anthology of Poems; and Bacopa Literary Review (TBA). Her writing has also been recognized and published online by Press 53, Florida Weekly, Gulf Coast Writers Association, and Kaleidoscope WoJo.

Jan & Avery Porter

Malaina Purdon

Malaina Mote graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2015 with her bachelor’s degree in communications, concentration public relations. Since graduating, Malaina has held various roles within the nonprofit sector, including positions in community outreach, relationship building, education, program management, strategy, fundraising, and development. Currently, she is the Director of Development at Lee Health Foundation. She deeply believes in giving back to the community and inspiring others. In her spare time, she volunteers as a board member for the Florida Gulf Coast University Alumni Association and Our Mother’s Home, and she is vice chair of the City of Bonita Springs Outreach Committee. Recently, she concluded her term as a community board member of the Newspress-SWFL/Naples Daily News and a branch member of the Resilient Lee Housing Branch. She is a published author of a children’s book, Lavender, What Are You?, that sold copies in Italy, the UK, Canada, and the USA. She has been recognized by Gulfshore Business 40 Under 40 2021 and was awarded FGCU’s Soaring Eagle Award. When she is not busy in any of her positions, Malaina enjoys writing, doing anything creative, reading, spending time with her husband and watching her son make goals on the soccer field or plays on the football field.

Amie Raterman

Virginia Read