KATHRYN CANAN
Whenever the family cabin in Montana is buried in snow, Kathryn Canan and her husband live in California with two psychotic cats. She is a freelance writer, Latin tutor, and early music teacher and performer. She has recorded CDs of medieval and Renaissance music with Briddes Roune and the New Queen’s Ha’penny Consort. Her master’s thesis on Anglo-Saxon medicine has made her one of the few experts in diseases caused by malevolent elves.
CHERIE CARLSON
Cherie Carlson has lived in Northern California for 37 years. The joys of her life are her four children and nine grandchildren, to whom she is “Ranna.” A full-time caregiver to her husband, she is also a part-time Realtor. In her spare time she is working on a homeschooling blog and a parent curriculum for homeschoolers.
MELISSA CHAMBERS
Melissa Chambers comes from a family of writers. She has taught elementary school for more than 25 years and loves teaching Writing Workshop to her wonderful third grade class. An animal lover since she was given a Banty chick at age two, she has been involved in animal rescue for 10 years. Currently working on a novel, she is also collaborating with her husband on a book of short stories about the many special-needs Chihuahuas they have known and loved.
SCOTT “ROBBY” EVANS
Scott (aka Robby) Evans is happily married and has three sons. He teaches writing at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA. His new, somewhat romantic psychological thriller, Sylvia’s Secret, was published by Port Yonder Press in 2013. It is the third in a series of “literary” murder mysteries.
NEVA J. HODGES
Neva belongs to California Writers Club Tri-Valley Branch and was membership chair for three years. She has been published in the Oakland Senior Anthology and the local newspaper for a real-life story. Currently she is writing short stories and a novel.
JULAINA KLEIST-CORWIN
Julaina is a creative writing instructor for the City of Dublin, California. She has won first place awards in short story contests and published in several anthologies by the S.F. Writers Conference and Las Positas College, and is a field supervisor for intern teachers. You can find her blogging at timetowritenow.blogspot.com or her website at julaina.homestead.com.
CHELS KNORR
Chels Knorr is an editor, writer and student. Her favorite things include traveling, walks with her dog, Goose, a competitive game of Scrabble and chocolate chip waffles. Sometimes she posts ramblings at chelsknorr.com.
DENA KOUREMETIS
Consumer journalist, author and would-be shrink Dena Kouremetis loves to examine life from a midlife perspective. She is a professional blogger for Forbes Magazine and a national Lady Boomer examiner for Examiner.com. She has authored, co-authored and contributed content to dozens of books, and loves to speak to groups about how our online presence says volumes about us. She welcomes visits to her website at www.communic8or.com.
CHARLES KUHN
Charles Kuhn is an accomplished writer in the areas of mystery, nonfiction and adventure. He has published short stories in various magazines, self-published and writes for local writers groups, including the poetry group for the local Sacramento Multiple Sclerosis Association. Mr. Kuhn and his wife reside in Citrus Heights, CA.
APRIL KUTGER
April Kutger, an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction who, when she’s not writing, volunteers as a basic skills tutor and swims on a Masters team. Christmas Eve with her three children and ten grandchildren is her favorite day of the year.
LELIA KUTGER
Lelia Torluemke Kutger Fettes was born in 1917 in St. Louis, MO, the granddaughter of German immigrants. She met Joseph Kutger when she was working as a telephone operator in Fort Dix, NJ. They married in 1942. While going through an old box of papers many decades later, she found the telegram she received telling her that her husband was missing in action. It inspired her to collaborate with her daughter about what she went through during the war.
SUZANNE LILLY
Suzanne writes lighthearted stories with a splash of suspense, a flash of the unexplained, a dash of romance and always a happy ending. Her debut novel was Shades of the Future in 2012 followed by Untellable in 2013. Her short stories have appeared in numerous places online and in print. She lives in Northern California where she reads, writes, cooks, swims and teaches elementary students. To find out more visit her author page at http://www.suzannelilly.com, her blog at http://www.teacherwriter.net, her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SuzanneLillyAuthor and follow her on Twitter @SuzanneLilly.
PAULA MUNIER
Paula Munier is a writer, teacher and content strategist who’s authored or co-authored a number of books, including the acclaimed memoir Fixing Freddie: A True Story about a Boy, a Mom, and the Very, Very Bad Beagle Who Saved Them and 5-Minute Mindfulness: Simple Daily Shortcuts to Transform Your Life. She lives in New England with her ex-husband, a relationship best described by her Facebook status: It’s Complicated.
MARSHA PORTER
Marsha Porter mastered the art of the 500-word essay when such compositions were the punishment du jour at her parochial grade school. She has since published over 200 articles and an annual movie review guide. Her short stories have won numerous awards.
CHRISTINA RICHTER
Christina and her husband Mark have been married 26 years and live in Northern California. Her two daughters are off to college but they still love to surprise her with special Christmas presents. Christina is a writer; her current project is the history of the Roseville Fiddyment family, a gold rush era story that continues to this day.
MARGARET H. SCANLON
Margaret is a longtime resident of Hamburg, New York.
JACK SKILLICORN
Jack Skillicorn was born in 1933 in Watsonville, California where he grew up, worked and attended Monterey Peninsula College. He studied, played football, dropped out and joined the USAF during the Korean conflict for 4 years, then out 4 years, then returned to the USAF during the Vietnam conflict, and then back to college for a BS in Accounting. Jack was first published in the California County journal of the County Supervisor’s Association of California with an article called, “Who said you could run a county like a Business?” In retirement he began writing family stories for grandchildren and family.
JUDY STEVENS
Judy Stevens enjoys blowing the dumb blonde stereotype out of the water with a masters degree in education, and as the mom of five, Judy voices her opinion whenever possible. Writing is a passion. She started writing with an eye to the future and authoring a parenting book.
ILLIA THOMPSON
Illia Thompson, a graduate of Antioch College in Ohio, teaches memoir writing throughout the Monterery Peninsula and presents private journaling workshops. She received Honorable Mention in Writer’s Digest Poetry Contests and has been published in poetry magazines. Her books include Gracious Seasons, about her journey through the last year of her husband’s cancer, as well as Heartframes, collected poetry. Her most recent book, Along the Memoir Way, holds poems followed by blank pages, a workbook for memories. She resides in Carmel Valley, California.
NORMA JEAN THORNTON
Her baby sister called her Nonie, her great granddaughter calls her GumGum. Norma Jean Thornton, aka Noniedoodles and Granny-GumGum, is a rhyming, art-doodling, writing granny from Rio Linda, California, with four cats. She has self-published two books through lulu.com: Nonie’s 1st Big Bottom Girls’ Rio Linda CookBook and Doodles & Rhymes: Noniedoodles, Volumes 1, 2 & 3. As Granny-GumGum, Norma also writes children’s truth-based animal stories, a variety of fun rhymes, and as The-Granny, is working with her cat, The-Windy, on Nosie Rosie’s Diary: The True “Tails” of a Very Special Kitty. Norma Jean writes mainly nonfiction-Heinz-57-stuff, dabbling in everyday humor and more rhymes…then there’s this rare, serious, emotional true story, “Love Never Dies.” You can reach her at [email protected].
PAM WALTERS
Pam Walters spent 25 years as an ad agency copywriter
. Since then, she’s self-published Become The Person You Were Created To Be and The Out Of Work Coloring Book. Pam lives in Carmel, CA.
JERRY WHITE
After a career in the military and in real estate, Jerry now teaches in the Earth Science department of a community college.
TERI WILSON
Teri Wilson grew up as an only child and could often be found with her head in a book, lost in a world of romance and exotic places. As an adult, her love of books has led her to her dream career—writing for Harlequin Love Inspired and HQN. When Teri isn’t traveling or writing, she enjoys knitting, painting and dancing, although she still hasn’t quite mastered the tango. Teri lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her family and four sweet dogs, and loves to hear from readers! Visit her at www.teriwilson.net and be sure to look for her next book, Unleashing Mr. Darcy, coming from Harlequin HQN in January 2014.
A KISS UNDER THE MISTLETOE
ISBN: 978-1-4603-2105-8
© 2013 by Jennifer Basye Sander
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