Diane Ashley is a “town girl” born and raised in central Mississippi. She has been employed for more than 20 years by the Mississippi House of Representatives, where she currently serves as Deputy Assistant Clerk. When Diane took over the care of her mother, after the sudden death of her father, she rediscovered a thirst for writing and was led to a class taught by best-selling author, Aaron McCarver. Santa’s Prayer is her first published work. It's a novella in a collection titled A Connecticut Christmas, and it's available to preorder from Christianbooks.
Contact Diane here.
Beverly Porter grew up in the lush green valleys of western Oregon. For nearly thirty years she has enjoyed life “southern-style” in her adopted state, Mississippi, with her minister husband. A professional educator, Bev has taught on the elementary, secondary, and college levels, including ten years in academic administration. She enjoys writing Christian living articles for denominational magazines, personal memoirs, and poetry. Her first venture into writing historical fiction is a WIP based on the life of her husband’s ninth great grandmother. In addition to writing, Bev’s special interests include genealogical research, sharing experiences with other parents of children with atresia/microtia, and Cavalier King Charles spaniels.
Ginger Vaughan wrote her first short story in fourth grade. Through the years, her love of storytelling continued to grow, as did her love for books. She dreamed of being a “real” writer but believed such a goal was too far out of her reach. When she gave her life to Christ, she realized the characters in her stories needed the same thing she needed—God. She devoted her writing to God’s glory and watched as doors opened, moving her closer and closer towards her goal of becoming a real, published writer. She joined American Christian Fiction Writers as well as the Bards of Faith, a local Christian fiction critique group headed by editor and author, Aaron McCarver. In 2007, she was a finalist in the Women’s Fiction category of the ACFW Genesis contest with her novel entitled Jamison Family Values.
Rhonda Gibson and her husband, James live in the beautiful state of New Mexico. They have two grown children and one grandbaby. God has blessed Rhonda with four published romance books at this time:  One historical novel a Heartsong Presents titled, To Trust An Outlaw and three contemporary romantic novellas from Barbour, Love Of A Lifetime from Scraps Of Love, Stealing Home from The Bachelor Club, and Stuck on You, from A CONNECTICUT CHRISTMAS coming out in September 2008. She has also contributed to two non-fiction book titled, Prays and Promises Of the Armed Forces and coming in September 2007 365 Daily Devotions for Mother’s Of Preschoolers. To Trust An Outlaw was voted favorite Historical Romance for 2007 by the readers of the Heartsong Presents book club. Recently this book became a finalist in the Book Of The Year contest hosted by the American Christian Fiction Writers organization. You can pick up her books in any Christian bookstore, Hastings, Waldenbooks, pretty much anywhere books are sold and online at www.cbd.com, www.amazon.com, or contact Rhonda at rgib2001@yahoo.com. Rhonda enjoys speaking to writers groups and women’s groups about various topics.  Visit her at her website and her blogspot
Bards of Faith
Aaron McCarver is a transplanted Mississippian who was raised in the mountains near Dunlap, Tennessee. After receiving his MA in English from Mississippi College in 1990, he began working at the college where he earned his bachelor's degree in Christian education, Wesley College, in Florence, Mississippi. He continues to teach English there full-time and at Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, part-time. After meeting his favorite author, Gilbert Morris, at a convention in 1991, he began to edit several of Gilbert's books, working for Bethany House Publishers, Fleming H. Revell, and Tyndale House Publishers. This lead to their collaborating on a historical series for Bethany House Publishers, The Spirit of Appalachia. Aaron felt blessed when the first title in the series, Over the Misty Mountains, appeared on the Christian best-seller list. Four other titles followed in the series. After teaching two continuing education courses at Mississippi College on writing a Christian novel, Aaron suggested to several of the students who showed promise that they form a writers' group, the Bards of Faith. Aaron now edits for two divisions of Barbour Publishing, the adult fiction line and the Heartsong Presents series. He and fellow "bard," Diane Ashley, have just signed a contract with Barbour to collaborate on a book for the Heartsong line, tentatively titled Under the Tulip Poplar.
Janet Lee Barton and her husband Dan now live in Oklahoma after his retirement from the National Weather Service. She is published with Barbour Publishing and with their Heartsong Presents line. She’s had ten novels published with Barbour publishing…four historical and six contemporary. She’s written five novellas for Barbour--the lastest one will be out this Christmas. She is currently working on the second novel in a series of three historical romances set in Arkansas for Heartsong Romance. They will be out in 2009. She was voted one of Heartsong Romance’s favorite new authors for 2001 and had one of the 10 top Heartsong Favorite Historical books in 2005. In 2006, she was a finalist in the short historical Book of the Year contest of ACFW for A Place Called Home and it was picked for one of Barbour Publishing’s first audio books. For 2007, she was voted as one of the top 10 favorite Heartsong Presents Authors. She met the Bards of Faith at an ACFW meeting in Nashville and has considered them dear friends ever since. She feels honored to be called A Bard of Faith along with them.
Lorraine Beatty is a multi-published, best selling author for Silhouette Special Editions. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, she and husband Joe have two grown sons and five grandchildren. Lorraine started writing in Junior High and has written for trade books, newspapers and company newsletters. Lorraine has lived in various regions of the country as well as Germany. She is a member of RWA, PAN, ACFW and a charter member of Mississippi Romance Writers.


Sylvia Barnes, retired as a manager from BellSouth (now AT&T), has since owned a gift shop/tearoom and worked as a court clerk/deputy city clerk. A member of the ACFW, yet unpublished, she has written many poems before writing her first novel which initiated her entrance into Aaron McCarver’s Christian writers’ group nine years ago. Since then she has written several more novels and novellas. Sylvia has taught Sunday school most of her adult life. She lives in the country and is married with two children, three grandchildren, five cats, three dogs, and numerous moles and armadillos.
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