Authors
TRUDY ADAMS has a degree in English and began working with teenagers while completing a course in youth studies. Trudy is the youngest of six and lives in NSW. Judging Meghan is her second novel and is being launched at the event. Desolate Beauty was shortlisted in the Australian Christian Book of the Year Award.
David Malcolm Bennett is a Christian researcher and writer based in Brisbane who has the gift of doing quality historical research and presenting it in a readable form. His books include The Altar Call: Its Origins and Present Usage (his MTh thesis, awarded with merit) in 2000 and The Origins of Left Behind Eschatology (his PhD thesis) in 2010. His latest book is The Sinner’s Prayer: Its Origins and Dangers, published by Even Before Publishing. He is also the editor of The Letters of William and Catherine Booth of Salvation Army fame and of The Diary and Reminiscences of Catherine Booth.
Stacey grew up in Brisbane, Queensland. Despite no family history of breast cancer she was diagnosed with the disease in 2007 at just 28 years of age.
Stacey is married with two young children who were only 3 yrs and 5 weeks old at the time of her diagnosis.
Throughout her illness Stacey used writing as a release from the raw emotions she faced. She likened this stage of her life to climbing a difficult and challenging mountain and has crafted her thoughts, fears and experiences to create an intimate story about her journey and the faith that carried her through.
Paul Clark is the author of 8 published titles including a collection of Puppet and Drama books and the Car Park Parable series. He is the father of two children and believes in the power of story to engage and transform hearts, especially for the gospel. A writer and performer he has performed to tours of over 7000 children. He is quickly making a name for himself as an innovative writer who is finding new ways to tell the old, old story. In his spare time he pastor's a church in North Qld and is passionate about helping others to find their gifts and grow in them.
Rose Dee earned a Bachelor of Arts from James Cook University and has a background in training and administration. Her inspiration comes from the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for young women. Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband and son. Visit Rose on www.rosedee.com
Amanda Deed grew up in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne in a Christian home, and found faith at an early age. She has followed her passion to serve the Lord through music and literature since her teen years. Now married, with three children, Amanda enjoys the variety of being a mother, finance administrator, musician and historical romance writer. Her debut novel, The Game, won the 2010 CALEB Prize for fiction. For more information go to www.amandadeed.com.au
Janelle G Dyer lives with her husband Greg, in the regional city of Toowoomba, Australia. She has two adult children, Gregg and Koren.
She has worked as a chaplain in state and private education. She has written many plays and short stories.
Anne Hamilton, a longtime writer and mathematician, has a number of publications to her name. Anne has a trilogy of short books about how maths integrates with God’s great creation called The Singing Silence, The Winging Word and The Listening Land. She has just had published her 27 year project a young adult fantasy, Many-Coloured Realm.
Andrew Lansdown’s poems and stories have been widely published and have won many literary awards. His most recent books are: a collection of poetry, Fontanelle (Five Islands Press); a collection of short stories, The Dispossessed (Interactive Press); three fantasy novels, With My Knife, Dragonfox and The Red Dragon (Omnibus Books/ Scholastic Australia); and two poetry chapbooks, Little Matters: a gathering of 89 haiku & senryu and Consolations: 48 tanka (Picaro Press). His website address is: www.andrewlansdown.com.
Ken Legg is founder and pastor of New Beginnings Christian Church on the Gold Coast of Australia. He and his wife Marianne have been involved in church planting and pastoral and Bible teaching ministry since 1974. They have two daughters and 4 grandchildren.
Ken has a passion to share the gospel of grace with the Body of Christ and to help believers discover their new creation identity.
Laura draws her inspiration from all corners of Australia where she has lived and travelled. She has a passion for a good story that will inspire and challenge. Laura O'Connell is married with one adult son. She lives in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, Frank. African Hearts was shortlisted in the 2011 Caleb Prize.
Carol lives with her husband, Neil, in Wollongong, New South Wales. After their two children, Tammy and Adam, started school, Carol returned to study in and completed a PhD at Wollongong University in 1986. She is now a Psychologist in private practice. Carol enjoys gardening, bushwalking, spending time with her four grandchildren and researching her family history. This novel is the first in a new series of novels about her Australian ancestors. For more information about Carol’s books and her other interests she can be contacted on her website: www.carolpreston.com.au
Illustrator of the Car Park Parables.
Elva Schroeder and her husband, Jim, with their two small children, were missionaries in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea from 1966. Jim was headmaster of a mission school with around 200 students while Elva taught the prep class and took the Meris Club for women each Wednesday. Of a Sunday they took services in the surrounding villages and saw many folk come to faith in Jesus.
On their return to Australia they have been involved in various churches in the country towns where Jim was sent as a teacher. During this time Elva wrote and published five books as well as preparing material for the Kids Pages of the Challenge newspaper.
They now live in a retirement village where they participate in a weekly Christian service as well as being active in their local Baptist church. They also enjoy being able to relate to their four grandchildren.
Paula Vince lives in Mount Barker, South Australia, with her husband and three children. She enjoys her simple lifestyle of writing and educating her children at home.
Paula values her faith, family and fiction. She believes nothing has more power to delight and inspire people than a good story with lovable characters.
Cover design artists:
Sarah Rowan Dahl (A Design of Gold, Back to Resolution)
Greenslade Creations (Ellenvale Gold)
Anthology authors:
authors of Even Before You Were Born: A Christian reflection on pregnancy
authors of Armour Bearer (coming soon)
authors of All Creation Sings, Psalms book Volume 1