Brandon Cesmat was described by The Sacramento Poetry Center as “a man with a vision of how music can be the tendril wrapped around poetry.” His book Driven into the Shade includes a CD of his songs and poems. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing from San Diego State University, and has been featured in Writers Who Play showcases in Austin, Atlanta and New York. Even during football season, he leads worship at Ridgeview Church in his hometown of Valley Center, California. Visit Brandon's faculty page, and read more about him and his work at: www.csusm.edu/profe.

Carol Forbes earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in visual arts from Rutgers University and the Master of Fine Arts in Film from Columbia University. She has work in many occupations within the film industry, has written screenplays and television pilots, and has been honored with several screenwriting fellowships. She recently moved from Los Angeles to New Jersey.

Charlie Gregg, at 19 years of age, opened a coffee house where young people could search for answers to life's deepest questions. Since then, he has earned degrees in Communication and Marriage and Family Therapy, pastored two churches, served in many venues as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and taught in three universities. His rich experience provides his counseling students with skills based upon his unique insights.

Ken Kuhlken earned BA and MA degrees in English at San Diego State University and an MFA degree in Fiction Writing at the University of Iowa. He is the author of novels, short stories, feature stories and book reviews. His stories have been honored with Pushcart Prize nominations, a National Endowment for the Arts Literature fellowship, as a finalist for PENs Ernest Hemingway Award for the best first published novel, as a finalist for the Shamus best novel award, and as the recipient of the Private Eye Writers of America/St. Martin’s Press Best First PI Novel Award. He has taught in the MFA program at the University of Arizona and in graduate and undergraduate programs at San Diego State University; California State University, Chico; University of San Diego; Christian Heritage College; and Azusa Pacific University. Ken teaches writing and literature at Perelandra College. Visit Ken at: www.kenkuhlken.net

Pam Fox Kuhlken graduated with a BA degree in English and a minor in Philosophy from Pepperdine University. She earned a Master in Poetics degree from New College of California and the Master of Theology degree from Bethel Seminary. At the University of California, Riverside, she earned the PhD in Comparative Literature, winning awards for her teaching and graduating with highest honors. She has published poems, articles and reviews in literary magazines, journals and newspapers. Her book, What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls and Why Do They Matter, with world renowned scholar of Old Testament Studies David Noel Freedman, is rapidly becoming the standard as a lay person’s introduction to the scrolls. Pam teaches literature and writing at Perelandra College.

Steven Saint earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism from Northwestern University and has been writing articles for newspapers and magazines for the past 20 years. He has worked as an award-winning daily newspaper reporter in Colorado and editor of five community newspapers in San Diego. His freelance work has appeared in more than 40 publications including Time Magazine, the Denver Post, Contemporary Christian Music and Intervarsity's U Magazine. Steve teaches magazine writing.

Erin Smith holds a PhD in English and Dance from Birkbeck College, University of London. She is currently writing a book based on her research on eighteenth century social dance entitled Dancing with Jane: Social Dance in Jane Austen’s Literature. She also teaches for Bryant & Stratton College, writes for Casa Magazine and The Magazine of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and enjoys reading, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer re-runs, dancing, and playing the clarinet.

Gary Swaim, a playwright, poet, and writer of short fiction, received his A.B. in English from the University of California, Riverside and the Ph. D. in Comparative Literature (with a minor in philosophy) from the University of Redlands in cooperation with the Claremont Graduate University. He also completed a postdoctoral M.Ed. in Counseling Education with the University of North Texas and served as a therapist in private practice for ten years. Go to Gary's web site: www.garyswaim.com