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THE 2025 PARTICIPATING AUTHORS

We had a great collection of twenty Workshop authors represent all sorts of genres and age groups. Everything from debut authors to new releases to long-time members with many books to peruse! Throughout the event, the authors read excerpts from  their books in the HPB Community Room (schedule found below the author list). 

J.B. Abbott (Brian Tracey) - Mystery

Brian Tracey is the past Chairman of DFWCon, Texas's premier multi-genre writing conference. He's an active member and long-serving officer of the DFW Writers’ Workshop and a member of International Thriller Writers, serving as a volunteer in several capacities for ITW's annual conference, ThrillerFest. He's published business articles and white papers, and his short stories have appeared in Suspense Magazine (written as Patrick J. McKnight). In addition to his thrillers, he also writes cozy mysteries with Jeff Ayers. He lives in Texas with his wife, two children, two cats and many rabbits who've claimed his yard as their own.

Tricia Allen - Mystery

A fan of 1940s noir, Texas history, Dallas history, and a good mystery, Tricia Allen combines all four in her series set in 1947 Dallas. In Texas Weather, prosecutor David Weather and reporter Jane Alder work a sensational murder trial while a stalker and a serial killer watch, wait, and kill. Blood, betrayal, and surprises abound. David and Jane return in A Well-Respected Dead Man, set against the backdrop of the factual April 1947 Texas City explosion. Dallas gambling mob boss Willie Peabody pays Weather a visit, then turns up dead in the Trinity river bottoms. Jane goes undercover in the mob while Weather sets out to catch the mobster's killers. Tricia is a long-time member of the DFW Writers' Workshop, Sisters in Crime, and Mystery Writers of America.

Brian Bruderer - Children's Chapter Books

Brian Bruderer was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He currently lives with his loving wife Vickie in Allen, Texas where they raised five children who have grown and are raising 14 grandchildren. Brian got his private pilot’s license at age 17. Brian started dabbling in writing in 1999. He wrote two unpublished books and got the idea for Moth and Butterfly in 2018. After finishing a first draft in 2021 Elizabeth Firmage agreed to be the illustrator. She has been instrumental in enhancing the story into what it is today. Originally the bats were to be terrifying creatures of evil. Elizabeth objected to vilifying the bats just because they are predators. That inspired the idea of having Butterfly learn about love by seeing the bond between a mama bat and her pup.

Russell C. Connor - Horror

Russell C. Connor has been writing horror since the age of five, and is the author of three short story collections, nine eNovellas, and seventeen novels. His books have won two Independent Publisher Awards and a Reader’s Favorite Award. He has been a member of the DFW Writers’ Workshop since 2006 and served as president for two years. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas with his rabid cat, demented film collection, mistress of the dark, and demonspawn daughter.

Lauren Danhof - Book Club/Contemporary Fiction

Lauren has loved telling stories since she was a small child. Hell is paved with cringeworthy poetry she wrote in high school. Lauren got her BA in English at The University of the Incarnate Word and her MA in English Literature from Texas Tech University. She lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with her patient husband, Robert, her two girls, and her two rescue kitties. She is a member of The DFW Writer’s Workshop and a founding member of the WHAM writing group. In her free time, she enjoys photography, reading, crafting, and volunteering. Lauren exists on cold brew coffee and true crime podcasts.

Helen Dent - YA Fantasy

Helen Dent’s career as a writer began at age nine, when her grandfather paid her a dollar a page for what turned into quite a lengthy story. She studied monster theory (among other things) in graduate school, taught English at a Chinese university, and toured the Scottish Hebrides in a car with a needy radiator. Now she lives in Texas with her husband, kids, a cat, and a hamster. She belongs to the DFW Writers Workshop, the Fort Worth Poetry Society, and Art House Dallas. 

Brooke Fossey - Book Club/Literary Fiction

Brooke Fossey was once an aerospace engineer with a secret clearance before she traded it all in for motherhood and writing. She’s a past president and an honorary lifetime member of DFW Writers’ Workshop. Her debut novel, The Big Finish, released in 2020 from Penguin/Berkley (US), and Piper/Pendo (DE). It was also included in the Reader’s Digest book series for Portugal, Hungary, Germany, Finland, Australia and US/Canada. When she’s not writing, you can find her in Dallas, Texas with her husband, four kids, and their dog Rufus. She still occasionally does math.

Kay Goodnight - Children's/Crafts

Kay Goodnight retired as an educator after twenty-nine years teaching secondary students and adults. Now she pursues her writing career full time, primarily writing fiction for children with occasional side trips into short stories and nonfiction. Her fiction includes three middle grade books Petdemonium, Mistwizzled, and Sideways Wishes and a chapter book series for young readers, The Adventures of PB and Jay. Traditional publishing credits include the Adventures in Mathopolis series, eighteen how-to books for educators, nonfiction articles, poetry, and video scripts for the educational market. Kay has also published three cross stitch pattern books. In addition to writing, Kay enjoys cross stitching, painting, and spoiling her granddaughters.

Colin Holmes - Historical Fiction/Science Fiction

Colin Holmes is a former advertising creative director who has written everything from tweets to TV. Now he writes novels, short stories, and screenplays. His debut novel Thunder Road a noir detective novel was published by CamCat Books in February 2022. His second novel, also from CamCat, is The Oxygen Farmer a sci-fi thriller released in December 2023. Holmes is an honors graduate of the UCLA Writers Program, a long-time board member of the DFW Writers Workshop, and serves as on the steering committee DFW Writers Conference. He’s a fan of baseball, barbeque, fine automobiles, and unpretentious scotch. Colin and his ever-patient wife live just west of Fort Worth, Texas.

ChristaCarol Jones - Fantasy

C.C.S. Jones is the award-winning author of Magicbound, the first in The Last Mage series, and Daughter of Ash and Myth, the debut of The Mythic Saga released in March 2025. With a background in education and curriculum design, she crafts emotionally resonant, high-stakes stories rich in immersive world-building and driven by strong female protagonists. A returning member of DFW Writers’ Workshop, first joining in 2008, she’s proud to be part of a thriving creative community once again. In addition to fantasy, she writes romance exploring the nuances of human connection and occasionally dabbles in screenplays. When not writing, she’s performing on stage, watching movies, or spending time with her family, usually with a cup of coffee in hand, where her best ideas tend to brew.

A. Lee Martinez - Fantasy/Science Fiction

A. Lee Martinez has been writing professionally for 20 years with 13 traditionally published novels, including Gil'S All Fright Diner, The Automatic Detective, Monster, and the Constance Verity trilogy. His novel Monster was adapted into the Chinese language film Monster Run, currently streaming on Netflix USA. His novels have been praised for their mix of the ordinary and the fantastical, metaphysical exploration, and comedic elements. He has been a member of the DFW Writers Workshop for over 30 years.

Sarah Mensinga - Picture Books/YA Fantasy/Fantasy

Sarah Mensinga’s debut graphic novel, Kindred Dragons, will be published by Abrams Books on October 14th and is available for preorder. She has also illustrated many books, including Flipping Forward Twisting Backwards, the Trillium Sisters series, and the New York Times bestseller, Different: A Great Thing to Be. Her short stories have appeared in comic anthologies such as Flight 4, Flight 5, and Fablewood. She’s published three indie books, and she has also worked on a variety of animated movies and TV shows, including The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Escape from Planet Earth, and The Ant Bully. Originally from Canada, Sarah now lives in Texas with her husband, three kids, and two cats.

D. Michelle O'Neal - Mystery

With thirty-five years’ experience as a Forensic Scientist, D. M. O’Neal retired from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office in Fort Worth, Texas. She served several years as a committee member for the non-profit DFW Writers’ Workshop Conference and sat as the Board President for The Samaritan House/Samaritan Villages. Through her experience gained as a single parent, drug analyst, and crime scene investigator, Ms. O’Neal shares her experiences and adventures with a twisted sense of fiction in her debut novel Shambles and the sequel, Shattered.

Carolyn Rae - Romantic Suspense

Carolyn Rae follows her passion, writing romantic suspense where bullets are flying, people are dying, and lovers are resisting attraction until they can escape the danger following them. As a teenager, Carolyn Rae told stories to kids she babysat. On a long road trip, she entertained her younger sister with stories. She is the author of Romancing the Gold, from MuseItUp and Searching for Love, from The Wild Rose Press. Her romantic suspense Double Jeopardy will be published by The Wild Rose Press. Carolyn Rae has a master’s degree in home economics and as a researcher for a mincemeat company, she met her neighbors with samples of mincemeat pies. In Texas she taught and supervised inmates at a federal prison and lives with her husband in Hurst, TX.

LeAnn Robinson - Romance/Fantasy/SciFi

LeAnn Robinson has been writing since she was in the first grade, and she sold her first book to a schoolmate for ten cents when she was in the third grade. She loves up-beat science fiction and appreciates writers who get their military facts straight. LeAnn spent her first few years in the military enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where she worked on the radar systems of fighter-interceptor aircraft. Following that, she used her G.I. Bill to put herself through college, signing up for the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and getting her commission upon graduation. She majored in Geography, a multi-faceted discipline that gave her insight into cultures, governments, climates, and landforms. She served in both the Signal Corps and the Ordnance Corps and was stationed in the U.S. and Korea. During her career, she deployed to Saudi Arabia for Desert Shield/Storm, to Somalia for Operation Restore Hope and to Kuwait and Afghanistan for OIF/OEF. She now lives in Little Elm, Texas, just a little north of Dallas, where she studies astronomy, biology and anthropology, and anything else that can inform her creation of aliens and their worlds.

Matthew Rollins - Tween & Adult Fantasy

Matthew Rollins is the current VP of Programs for DFW Writers' Workshop, and the award-winning author of Steelwing, Steelwing: Friend or Foe, Dangers to Society, and forthcoming fantasy and science fiction books for adult and young readers. He spent his formative years in Loveland, Colorado, developing a life-long love for skiing and the Denver Broncos. He graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota - look it up, it's a real place! Matthew now resides in the Dallas, Texas area with his wife and daughter, coaches volleyball, and is hard at work on the next story.

J. Benjamin Sanders, Jr. - Mystery

J. Benjamin Sanders, Jr. is a freelance writer in Richardson, Texas and a Marine Corps Vet. He lives with his wife, Rosemary, a pair of loving Airedales called Fiona and Angus Og, as well as a rescued feral cat he calls Loki. He’s a longtime member of the DFW Writers' Workshop, rubbing elbows with several noted authors. An eclectic reader with a special life-long love of pulp fiction and thirties noir. His Texas Noir novel, Mexicanos Hustle, was released July of 2024 by Fawkes Press.

Ron Soule - Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure

Born on a military base, Ron started life as a Navy brat. The seventh of twelve children, he bounced around the United States as his fighter pilot father was reassigned. He earned a BA in English and an MS in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington. He published two middle grade novels: The Heart of Magic, A Magical Mystery, which has been described as Nancy Drew with a touch of magic, and Escape from the Emerald City, which transports three kids to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Ron and his wife live in Fort Worth, Texas, near their two children and five grandchildren. Working down his bucket list, he has explored Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park, Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano, England’s Stonehenge, Italy’s Roman Colosseum, and Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway. He still needs to see the Northern Lights.

B.J. Sloan - Upmarket Fiction

Newsprint in her blood and staining her fingers novelist B.J. Sloan, uses life experience for her latest work, The Forgotten Son which was featured in Lonestar Literary Texas Books Preview. Texas native B.J. and husband Steve enjoy farm life surrounded by a menagerie of animals including a boss cow named Zulu. Her second book, The Unfavored Children's Club, comes out September 9, 2025!

Shawn Warner - Young Adult

Shawn is the author of best selling YA Action/Adventure Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor  and The Langley Irregulars series origin story, First Mission: Homeland Insecurity. Like the adventures he writes, Shawn's life has been a thrilling tale of being a paratrooper, sky diver, scuba diver, pediatric therapist, engineer, martial artist, and bungee jumper. The most exciting adventure is being a devoted husband for 30 years and father to two amazing children.

The 2025 author reading schedule: