President—Deb Sutton
Deb Sutton wrote her first book while in high school and promptly experienced her first rejection. Her school librarian, Mr. D, told her—kindly—that it lacked originality. This motivated her to not only learn the craft but to expand her horizons. She is a self-published author of the novel, Broken Sidewalks, and has several entries in the Well Versed 2015 Anthology. Her screenplay of Broken Sidewalks won Honorable Mention in the 80th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. Deb is a veteran of the Air Force and has a degree in psychology from Truman University and an MSW from the University of Missouri. She’s currently a social worker for the Children’s Division and is involved in her local United Methodist Church.
Vice President—Lisa Adams Lloyd
Lisa Adams-Lloyd is an artist and writer of full length fiction with a professional background in Psychology and Education. Sitting in meditation under the sun in company of her husband, 2 children and 3 dogs is her favorite inspiration. You will find her there with pencil and notebook in hand.
Treasurer—Randy Bisig
Randy Bisig is a retired nuclear utility supervisor who has been imagining new stories for most of his life. He didn’t catch the bug to self-publish until he took an adult education class in 2016. Randy has self-published two science fiction novels and is working on his first sword-n-sorcery fantasy novel.
Secretary—Barbara Leonhard
Barbara Leonhard is an internationally known prize-winning poet and Pushcart nominee. She is especially indebted to Well Versed 2021 and Spillwords Press for past honors. Her debut poetry collection, Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir (Experiments in Fiction, 2022), which is about her relationship with her mother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, is a best seller on the Amazon. Her first book was Discoveries in Academic Writing (Heinle ELT, 2002). Barbara is also Editor for MasticadoresUSA. You can follow her on WordPress at extraordinarysunshineweaver.blog.
Administrative Assistant—Lachlan Smith
L L Smith: small-town living and music binging. Self published four books deep and counting. He’s ready to share some laughs, gasps, and tears with reader folk from all walks of life!
Membership Chair—Anne Gifford
Anne has been a writer for years in academic research and curriculum as well as sharing her experiences as an ICU nurse and interfaith hospital chaplain. She’s published in Physician magazine, Fort Worth Star Telegram, and Thanks for the Memories – an Anthology. Her doctoral dissertation on “Family Reunification and Reentry” is the basis of her current work and writing under a US Dept. of Justice grant in the TX prison system. Now semi-retired, Anne is working on two novels; often deciding which one to tackle depending on the mood or character she is in when she sits down.
Marketing/Social Committee Chair—Sharon Feltman
Sharon Feltman is a poet and award-winning visual artist living in mid-Missouri. She draws inspiration from the natural world and our human struggle to balance mind/body/spirit in the face of our own hubris. In between long hikes she dabbles in screen writing and is working on a historical fiction YA novel. Sharon has a Master’s in Public Administration and worked as a lobbyist for social justice issues, spearheading several progressive advances in Missouri before retiring to garden, write and travel. Sharon’s work has been published in Interpretations, several volumes of Well Versed anthology, Anti-Heroin Chic, Masticadores USA and Silver Birch Press. Her non-fiction piece, The Honey Tree, took first place among non-fiction submissions to Well Versed 2023. Her latest poetry collection, Random Seed, can be found at independent bookshops across the mid-west as well as on Amazon.