“Checkered Fences” is Alma Hudon’sfirst novel. She was encouraged to write by her high school teacher, Mr. Walker. He saw much potential in her and encouraged her to continue writing. At each high school reunion, he would ask, “Are you writing?” Hudson enjoys writing urban stories that affect the lives of everyday people.

Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant are best friends who are as different as they come-Donna’s a married city dweller who loves camping and sports, Virginia is single in the suburbs and thinks roughing it is a hotel w/o 24 hour room service.

Lutishia Lovely is an actor, motivational speaker and former radio personality and talk show host. Her foray into the written word began as a child and turned professional when after pitching a stageplay idea to a writer friend, was given the life-changing suggestion to “write it yourself”.

Roby is the NYT bestselling author of the acclaimed novels A Deep Dark Secret, The Best of Everything, One in a Million, Sin No More, Love and Lies, Changing Faces, The Best-Kept Secret, Too Much of a Good Thing, A Taste of Reality, It’s a Thin Line, Casting the First Stone, Here and Now, and Behind Closed Doors.

Terra Little lives in Missouri with her teenage daughter. Downtime will usually find her reading, writing, or a combination of both, and surfing the web. She drinks entirely too much Coca-Cola and she’s a rerun junkie. She makes a mean meatloaf and her pot roast has been known to make somebody want to slap their mama.

Nicole S. Rouse developed a passion for writing at a young age. Nicole graduated from Temple University, with a Bachelor of Science in Early and Elementary Education. Happily Ever Now (Urban Christian, 2007) is her debut novel and has ranked consistently on the Top 25 Christian Independent Publishers Best Sellers list.

Denise Turney is the author of the books Long Walk Up, Portia, Love Has Many Faces, Spiral and Love Pour Over Me (due out early 2010). Denise is also the host of popular radio show Off The Shelf, the founder of Book Lovers Haven Network and the editor of the Book Lover Haven Newsletter.

Gwynne Forster is a national best-selling author of 40 works of fiction, including her latest mainstream novel, A CHANGE HAD TO COME. Gwynne is author of 33 romance novels and novellas, of which the latest novels are WHAT MATTERS MOST and FINDING MR. RIGHT. She has won numerous awards for fiction writing.

There were the vendors who lined a city block with real trees, and the closer it got to December 24th the prices would drop exponentially. My widowed mother would wait until Christmas Eve to buy a six-foot tree for as little as a dollar, and my brothers and sisters would spend hours decorating it.

Ms. Byrd has been featured in many national publications, including Today’s Black Woman, Upscale, and Heart and Soul. She has also won local awards for screenwriting. For the future, she looks forward to continue creating characters that make people smile, laugh, and fall in love.