Melanie Sue Bowles
Melanie Sue Bowles, along with her husband, Jim, is the founder of Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary, now located in Mena, Arkansas, one of the longest existing, privately run sanctuaries for horses in the United States. Over 150 abused, neglected, elderly, and unwanted horses have come there to live out their lives in peace and safety. Melanie has these words etched on her heart: “The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose.”

Terrance Zepke
Award-winning writer and travel photographer Terrance Zepke remains fascinated with the history and folklore of the Carolinas. She can’t decide which Carolina she prefers so she lives part-time in each. She has a master's degree from the University of South Carolina and has lived in England, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Tennessee, and has traveled all over the world, writing and photographing for numerous magazines and newspapers.

Marie Harrison
Marie Harrison is a Master Gardener and director of District I of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. She writes gardening columns for a number of newspapers and other publications and also teaches gardening at her local university and community college. Along with lecturing frequently at garden clubs and seminars, she often judges at flower shows. She was an English teacher in Mississippi and Florida for thirty years. She lives with her Amiable Spouse in the midst of her lovely garden near the Gulf Coast in Valparaiso, Florida.

Anne Ake
Award-winning author Anne E. Ake has written five previous books for adult and young adult audiences, as well as numerous magazine articles on the arts, people, and nature. She has edited an arts magazine and published a children’s magazine. Her photography has appeared in local and regional publications.

Lee Gramling
Lee Gramling is a fifth-generation Floridian who lives in Gainesville. He is an admirer of the late Louis L'Amour and was inspired by the tales of the Florida frontier he heard from his grandparents. He teaches at Central Florida Community College in Ocala and for St. Leo College’s Distance Learning Center.

Peter M. Dunbar
Peter M. Dunbar is a partner in the law firm of Pennington, Moore, Wilkinson, Bell & Dunbar, P.A., in Tallahassee, Florida. Mr. Dunbar is also an adjunct professor at Florida State University College of Law and he has taught and lectured on associations and the law governing multi-family living since 1974. He is a member of the Florida Bar and an honors graduate from the College of Law at Florida State University.