Jo Donaldson currently is experimenting with writing in different genres and recently completed a young adult novel. She was an award-winning staff writer for the Cumberland Times-News. As Public Affairs Officer for the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce and Press Officer for Garrett College, she wrote press releases for newspapers and magazines. Jo is a graduate of McDaniel College. She previously wrote for the Carroll County Times, Hanover Evening Sun and an aviation magazine, Pilot’s Preflight. She is a member of the Maryland Writers Association and the Carroll County MWA chapter. Jo's website is www.kindredpens.com

Jo's entries include: "One Shoe," non-fiction; "The Ruined Shoe," humor, and "The Vet", poetry.

Jack B. Downs lives in Eldersburg, Maryland, with his wife, Jennifer, and his three sons. His first mystery novel, Buried Treasure, will debut from Apprentice House in late 2012. His short stories have appeared in Ascent Aspirations and Nuvein. He is a professor of English and Technical Writing, and conducts corporate training classes in writing and project management. He is also active in ecotourist activities in the mid-Atlantic region. Jack moderates a novel and short story critique group in Eldersburg, and is a member of the Maryland Writers Association.

Jack's entry "As the Crow Flies" is post-apocalyptic.

Andy Gerb's passion for writing fiction dates back to the first grade. He wrote his first story in crayon at age six, and hasn't stopped since. He holds a bachelor's degree from Brown University and a graduate degree from Stony Brook University. He currently lives in Maryland with his wife and their two children. He is a member of the Eldersburg critique group.

Andy's entry, "Does He Know?", is a psychological drama.

Reggie Greenberg has been writing stories, songs and poems since age five. She has been published in Washington Post Magazine, Calvary Baptist News and Maryland Pet Profiles. She is currently working on a memoir. Reggie is a member of the Eldersburg Critique Group.

Reggie's entry, "The Missing Shoe," is a fictionalized account of an actual cold case, still open in Baltimore County, MD.

Joelle Jarvis is a member of the Eldersburg Critique group and currently serves as the treasurer for the Carroll County Chapter of the Maryland Writer's Association (MWA). She has been published in the MWA quarterly, Pen in Hand. Since graduating from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Architecture, she has been working on an historical fiction trilogy set in ancient Pompeii. A website is forthcoming. She lives with her husband and four children in Carroll County, Maryland.

Joelle's entry, "Out of Place", is a satire that points an ironic finger at the human tendency to trivialize.

Kerry Peresta was born in Augsburg, Germany, and has lived all over the U.S. and overseas, compliments of a father who was career Air Force She recently moved to Reisterstown, MD with her husband after two years in Pierre, South Dakota. She attended high school in Little Rock, Arkansas and has a Bachelor of Science in Commercial Art from Arkansas State University. After a 25-year advertising career and raising four children and numerous cats, Kerry transitioned to full-time writing. She is currently employed as a Technical Writer in the Baltimore area; and is a published humor columnist. Her work has been published in newspapers, magazines, and e-zines. Most recently, her articles have been picked up by Empty Nesting Magazine Online. She has completed her first novel, and is involved in the query process. Her website is www.KerryPeresta.com

Kerry has two entries, "The Toad Lady," a satire, and "Princess", a romance.

Betsy A. Riley is the organizer/editor of this anthology. She worked over 35 years at a National Laboratory before retiring to take a Federal job in Maryland. Her non-fiction publications represent lectures presented across the U.S. and Europe, covering computer graphics, communication of new technology, etc. In 2011, she published The Comet, an illustrated fable, and Street People Tales, a narrative poetry chapbook. In 2012, her poetry has been published in Empirical Magazine, Pen in Hand, and the anthology Latitude on 2nd. She is a member of the Eldersburg critique group, the Maryland Writers Association and the Carroll County MWA chapter. Betsy's website is brws.com

Betsy's entries include: "One Left Shoe," poem; "The Glass Slipper," adult fairy tale; "The Designer Sandals," humor; "The Patent Leather Pump Predicament," YA humor; "Slot Canyon Rules," horror; and "The Glass Slipper Arrangement," fantasy

Nancy Townsend was born in New York City's Borough of Manhattan, but lived most of her life in New York State's Lower Hudson Valley. She has always shared her home with an assortment of dogs and cats, and owned and raced several harness horses. She studied Creative Writing at Empire State College, and through “Writer’s Digest” courses. She has written several romance and suspense novels and is currently working on a personal memoir and a collection of animal memoirs. She is the editor/writer of “Church Chatter,” her church's newsletter, for which she creates a Bible Word Search and Acrostic. She is retired from her work as a legal and education secretary. Nancy worked with teachers to write and produce curriculum guides for elementary and high school students. In one, she re-wrote and modernized several of Aesop's Fables. Nancy belongs to two on-line writing groups – Advanced Writing Workshop and AARP’s Writing Memoir.

Nancy's entry, "The Dog and the Nike," is a thriller.

Sara Van der Wansem was born in Mexico City. Her primary language is Spanish. She enjoys writing memoirs, short stories, and poetry. She has contributed monthly articles to a local bilingual newspaper in Moultrie, GA, where she was a successful administrator of a Migrant Head Start Center. Sara is retired and enjoys making dolls. She has a large collection of dolls and clowns. She is a member of several writing and poetry groups. Sara's education includes graduation from: Instituto Mexicano Norteamericano de Relaciones Culturales, Mexico; At Home Professions Medical Language and Transcription, Fort Collins, CO; and studies in Early Childhood Education Caregiver.

Sara's entry, "Maggie and the Shoe on the Railroad Tracks," is a fictionalized memoir.

Joshua Williams was born and lives in Central Pennsylvania. He is a full-time high school student with high aspirations of becoming an author. He enjoys writing short stories of any genre along with poetry. Whenever Joshua is not busy with school work or writing, he enjoys reading or playing video games. His contribution to the anthology will be his first published story. He has been a part of Et Cetera, the literature and art magazine at his school, as well as a member of the National Art Honor Society.

Joshua's entry, "The Shoe of Fate," is a modern fairy tale.