K E Garland

K E Garland is an award-winning creative nonfiction writer and blogger based in Florida. She uses personal essays and memoir to de-marginalize women’s experiences with an intent to highlight and humanize contemporary issues. Her work has appeared in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, I'm Speaking Now: Black Women Share Their Truth in 101 Stories of Love, Courage and Hope, All the Women in My Family Sing: Women Write the World—Essays on Equality, Justice, and Freedom, and other anthologies. She’s married with two adult daughters and is an associate professor at a community college.

Jacksonville Arts & Music School

The visual art students of JAMS’ House Savage, named in honor of Harlem Renaissance sculptor and educator, Augusta, Savage, wrote, illustrated, and designed the epic tale that is the The Book of Lost Magic. Jacksonville Arts & Music School is an arts and youth leadership focused after school program whose mission is to empower the creative leaders of tomorrow.

Ebony Payne-English

Ebony Payne-English is an author, performer, playwright, and educator from Duval County, Florida.

The author of graphic novel, The Random Happenings, as well as the award winning poetry collection, Secrets of Ma’at, Ebony’s discography includes 7 albums including Bits & Pieces (2022).

Her first short film titled after her 6th studio album, Kuongoza, is the winner of Best Artistic Film at the 2021 Detroit Black Film Festival.

Angel G. Henry

Angel Henry has a passion for diversity in the field of IT with over 20 years IT experience, primarily in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries and over 15 years in the project management discipline. She has become a recognized thought-leader on the topic of the Agile Mindset which fosters an environment of innovation and productivity. 

Angel is also a sought-after trainer and speaker as well as an Adjunct Instructor in Indianapolis. Dents in the Ceiling is Angel’s first book.

Mbinguni

Mbinguni is a natural storyteller. An avid reader, she began composing her own narratives as a small child in grade school. With roots in West Africa and the Gullah-Geechee region of Georgia's barrier islands, Mbinguni began writing, Looking for Hope, as a labor of love. She has a background in education and has channeled her technical know-how into her creative passion. Looking for Hope is her debut novel. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @Mbinguni.Life.

Monica M. Brown

Monica M. Brown is a deeply accomplished and results-driven senior executive. She has worked for several Fortune 500 companies and  has received multiple awards for her contributions to the IT Industry.

Monica has also served as a mentor for multiple organizations including The Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF). She has two daughters, Keva and Madison, and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Her hobbies are golfing, shopping, traveling and writing.“Only One” is her first book. 

Jessica Lynn

Jessica Lynn is a proud HBCU graduate. She began her career teaching elementary school and worked as an educator for over a decade.

In 2014, she published, Love, Like Water in a Basket, a compilation of poetry written over the course of 13 years. Jessica began writing Kissing Frogs: The Thirteenth in 2017, after the birth of her son, Jameson. Many details are in tribute to her mentor and favorite author, Leslie Esdaile Banks, who encouraged her to keep writing during her early twenties.

Jessica is a Chicago native, now residing in Washington, DC.

Nikesha Elise Williams

Nikesha Elise Williams is a two-time Emmy award winning producer, an award-winning author, and producer and host of the Black & Published podcast. Her forthcoming book, Mardi Gras Indians, will be published by LSU Press on October 5. Nikesha’s latest novel, Beyond Bourbon Street, was awarded Best Fiction by the Black Caucus of African-American Librarians in the 2021 Self-Published eBook Literary Awards. It also received the 2020 Outstanding Book Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. She lives in Florida with her family where she is working on her next novel..