About Us

Jeff is a documentary filmmaker whose work has appeared on the National Geographic Channel and many other platforms. His most recent film premiered on KET in May 2020. A lifelong writer, he has recently become more focused on writing and submitting short fiction. He has joined the Lexington Writer's Room Board in order to engage more fully with the Lexington writing community, collaborate with a diverse group of creative people, serve other writers hoping to better their craft, and hopefully write a decent story or two along the way. His personal cry for help can be found at: www.jeffhoagland.com

Pam is a native Hoosier who moved from Indianapolis to Lexington with her husband Chris in 2016. She’s the author of several short stories and is currently working on her first young adult novel. Pam has more than thirty years of accounting experience in banking and non-profit industries. She served on the board of directors for the Burris Foundation and Camptown, a youth wilderness ministry.

Gwenda is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels. Among others, they include the Lois Lane and Cirque American trilogies, and the first official Stranger Things novel, Suspicious Minds. Gwenda worked in Kentucky state government for many years, serving in a variety of roles, including assistant communications director of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. She also co-founded the #Creators4Comics charitable auction with Kami Garcia and Sam Humphries, which raised nearly $400,000 for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation to benefit comics shops and independent bookstores hit hard by COVID, for which the three received Comic-Con's 2020 Humanitarian Award. Visit her online at www.gwendabond.com or @gwenda on X.

Fiona is a Brit who has found herself in Lexington for a little over twenty years after prolonged adventures in Japan and the Midwest. After escaping from teaching and academia, she became a writer. Since then, she has written more than a dozen nonfiction books, including three Kentucky histories, a number of middle grade readers, and a couple of quirky movie cookbooks co-written with husband Nic. She has also written for the BBC, Culture, Atlas Obscura, and many other outlets on topics ranging from Morris Dancing to tracking Bigfoot, primate conservation to cheese. When not writing about things that fascinate her, Fiona enjoys wrestling with new recipes, her jungle of a garden, and her ferocious Boston terrier. She can frequently be found daydreaming about her next travel adventure or trying to learn Icelandic. Twitter: @fionayoungbrown Website: www.fionayoungbrown.com

Simon is a Lexington native and fiction writer. He holds an English Degree and Creative Writing certificate from Sewanee. He finds writing an immensely rewarding experience. He has worked at a publishing house in Washington D.C. where he learned more about the industry from inside. Currently he manages the Friends Book Cellar, a nonprofit that donates significantly to the Lexington Public Library system. Outside of work and writing, he is a rare book collector.

Heather has been involved in Lexington’s literary community since attending the School for the Creative and Performing Arts, and has since taught writing workshops for all ages. An inveterate newshound and copy editor with nearly two decades of experience, she’s worked at the Lexington Herald-Leader, WUKY, and the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues. When Heather isn’t working as a communications consultant specializing in rural policy, she’s working on her first novel and a book of poetry. She’s also a Jeopardy! loser and has written several trivia books.

Lisa is the author of over fifteen nonfiction books, the spy shop mystery series, and many short fiction and nonfiction pieces. Lisa has more than thirty years of experience in leadership and organization development and human resources management. Visit her online at www.lisahaneberg.com, or https://www.facebook.com/MysteryandMirth/

Z is a resident of Lexington and a University of Kentucky Graduate with degrees in English and Psychology. They worked for years as a bookseller at a local bookstore. They are currently the Adult Programming and Outreach Director at the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning. In addition, they are the associate director of the Wildacres Writing Retreat & Workshop and a board member of the LGBTQ+ nonprofit pop-up bookshop Read with Pride. They delight in cultivating supportive environments for writers.

Alison is a lifelong reader and writer and sometime editor and educator. A native of western Pennsylvania, she lived in France for thirteen years prior to landing in Lexington in 2006. She has participated in Lexington’s literary community since 2009 via her work as a bookseller at the Morris book shop and Brier Books. Visit her online at medium.com/@alithinks.

John recently finished his first novel after years of study at the Appalachian Writers Workshop and has been a featured poet at many Kentucky reading series. He’s been working on one stop motion film for 12 years and has written over 50 songs. His modesty precludes him from mentioning his numerous accolades. He has created several murals and hundreds of paintings. He is a printmaker and graphic designer, creating posters for Wilco and Holler Poets Series, book covers for Larkspur Press, logos for North Lime Coffee & Donuts and Distilled In Kentucky With Silas House, mostly under the auspices of his business, Homegrown Press, now located in Luigart Gallery. Instagram @homegrownpress, www.homegrownpress.com

Sam (he/they/she) is a queer southern writer, educator, racial reconciliation co-facilitator, and nonprofit communications professional. Sam was born in coastal Georgia and raised in Southern Illinois, and their extended family is rooted in Appalachian Kentucky. He earned his MFA in fiction writing from the University of Mississippi. In addition to writing his own fiction, Sam also teaches creative writing at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington, Kentucky.

Darlene began her career as a staff writer and editor for The Boston Globe and The Los Angeles Times. She was also an attorney in Los Angeles, where she represented journalists, screenwriters and musicians. An accomplished equestrian, her books on horsemanship were published by Houghton Mifflin. She was international news director for The Polo Channel and executive editor for the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington. A Boston native, she is a developmental editor and writing coach in Lexington, which she considers her adopted hometown.

Jason Sizemore is the editor/publisher of the award-winning Apex Magazine and Apex Book Company (dark fiction). Stoker Award and three-time Hugo Award nominee as editor. Jason's short fiction has appeared in over a dozen genre zines and anthologies. X: @apexmag.

Ashley is the author of more than thirty books for children and teens. She’s written for numerous educational publishers, including Fountas & Pinnell, ABDO, Saddleback, Tommy Nelson (HarperCollins), and more. She writes sweet romantic comedies as Ash Keller and has three published series to date. Ashley is also a Kentucky lawyer. Prior to transitioning to a full-time writing career, she practiced law with the Department of Public Advocacy, specializing in juvenile justice. Visit her online at www.ashkeller.com and www.ashleystormbooks.com.