Since the last issue of the GBF News, we've added an impressive array of featured authors, including:
~ Fiction ~
 Jane Green is the author of 12 best-selling novels, including “Jemima J” and her latest, “Family Pictures.” A former feature writer for the Daily Express in the U.K., Jane took a leap of faith when she left, in 1996, to freelance and work on a novel. Seven months later, there was a bidding war for her first book, “Straight Talking.” Now, Jane has graduated to more complex, character-driven novels that explore the concerns of real women’s lives, from marriage (“The Other Woman”) to motherhood (“Babyville”) to midlife crises (“Second Chance”). Both “The Beach House” and “Second Chance” spent months on The New York Times best-seller list. As well as writing a daily blog at www.janegreen.com, she contributes to various publications, both online and print, including The Huffington Post, The Sunday Times, Wowowow and Self.
 Debra Dean’s best-selling debut novel, “The Madonnas of Leningrad,” was a New York Times Editors’ Choice, a #1 Booksense Pick, a Booklist Top 10 Novel and an American Library Association Notable Book of the Year. It has been published in 20 languages. Her collection of short stories, “Confessions of a Falling Woman,” won the Paterson Fiction Prize and a Florida Book Award. Her new novel, “The Mirrored World,” is a breathtaking tale of love, madness and devotion set against the extravagance and artifice of the royal court in 18th Century St. Petersburg. A native of Seattle, Debra lives in Miami and teaches at Florida International University.
 Candice Dow is the author of eight novels, including “The Ex-Wife.” Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as a senior software engineer. It was her lifelong dream to write a novel, and after toying with the idea for more than five years, Candice made a commitment to herself to finish “Caught in the Mix,” a story she had sporadically worked on. She is a native of Baltimore, Md., and graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Johns Hopkins University. She resides in Maryland with her children and loves to travel.
 John Dufresne is the author of two short story collections, “The Way That Water Enters Stone” and “Johnny Too Bad,” two New York Times’ Notable Books of the Year – ” Louisiana Power & Light” and “Love Warps the Mind a Little” – as well as the novels “Deep in the Shade of Paradise” and “Requiem, Mass.” His latest novel, “No Regrets, Coyote” will be published in July. His books on writing, “The Lie That Tells a Truth” and “Is Life Like This?” are used in many university writing programs. John is a professor at Florida International University in Miami and a 2013 Guggenheim Fellow in Fiction.
 Kia DuPree is a former assistant editor at St. Martin’s Press whose most recent book, “Shattered,” received praise from several trade publications, including Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. She received the 2005 Fiction Honor Book Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association for her debut, the self-published novel “Robbing Peter.” Her short story, “Lost One,” was included in Essence’s best-selling 2008 anthology “HOOD 2 HOOD.” In 2010, Kia published her first book with Grand Central Publishing. Kia earned a B.A. in Mass Media Arts from Hampton University and an M.A. in English from Old Dominion University. She currently resides in Washington, D.C., with her family.
 Adam Mansbach is the author of the #1 New York Times best-seller “Go the F**k to Sleep,” which has been translated into 40 languages and is forthcoming as a feature film from Fox 2000. His novels include the California Book Award-winning “The End of the Jews” and the cult classic “Angry Black White Boy,” which has been taught at more than 80 universities. His new novel, “Rage is Back,” was Amazon.com’s January 2013 Book of the Month. Adam is the recipient of a Reed Award for his 2012 campaign video “Wake The F**k Up,” starring Samuel L. Jackson; he is also a 2012 Sundance Screenwriting Lab Fellow and the 2009-11 New Voices Professor of Fiction at Rutgers University. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, Esquire, The Believer and on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” Adam lives in Berkeley, Calif., where he co-hosts KPFA Pacifica’s “Father Figures.” He currently is adapting the children’s classic, “The Pushcart War,” for Park Pictures, and his debut thriller, “The Dead Run,” will be published by HarperCollins in September.
Jon Methven is a novelist and humorist who lives in New York City. His first novel, “This is Your Captain Speaking,” was published in June 2012, and his work has appeared in Timothy McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, The New York Times, New York magazine, Buzzfeed, The Morning News, n+1 and The Awl.
 Jason Mott is a 2009 Pushcart Prize nominee, the author of two poetry collections and his writing has been published in numerous literary journals. His debut novel, “The Returned,” will be published in September 2013. The book was optioned for a television series pilot by ABC Studios and Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment along with ABC Studios and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Emmy Award-winning director Charles McDougall (“Desperate Housewives” and “The Tudors”) will direct and Aaron Zelman (“The Killing”) penned the script. Jason has a B.F.A. in fiction and an M.F.A. in poetry from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and he currently lives in North Carolina.
 Orest Stelmach’s first novel is the thriller, “The Boy from Reactor 4.” In 2012, his short story “In Persona Christi” was published in the Mystery Writers of America anthology Vengeance. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, he washed dishes, stocked department store shelves, taught English in Japan and managed international investment portfolios. Orest earned degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of Chicago. He speaks Ukrainian, Spanish and Japanese and was born in Connecticut to Ukrainian immigrants.
~ Children's & Young Adult ~
 Maggie Stiefvater is a writer, artist, musician and author of The New York Times best-selling and award-winning Shiver trilogy (“Shiver,” “Linger” and “Forever”), “The Scorpio Races” and her latest, “The Raven Boys.” “Linger,” the second book in the Shiver trilogy, debuted at #1 on The New York Times best-seller list. “The Scorpio Races” was named a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. USA Today called Maggie “[a] master storyteller.” Maggie lives in Virginia with her husband, two kids and four dogs.
 Karen Leggett Abouraya, author of “Hands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt’s Treasured Books,” is an award-winning journalist and former news program host on WMAL Radio. A past president of the Children’s Book Guild of Washington, D.C., her reviews of children’s books and other articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, International Educator and Washington Parent. She is married to Egyptian-American Tharwat Abouraya and has traveled frequently to Egypt, especially to Alexandria – her husband’s hometown and the site of the ancient and modern libraries.
 Jessica Spotswood is the author of the teen/young adult trilogy, “The Cahill Witch Chronicles,” which so far includes “Born Wicked” and its sequel, “Star Cursed,” due in June. She grew up in a tiny, one-stoplight town in Pennsylvania, where she could be found swimming, playing clarinet, memorizing lines for the school play or, most often, with her nose in a book. Now Jessica lives in Washington, D.C., with her playwright husband and a cuddly cat named Monkey.
 Susan Stockdale is the author and illustrator of children’s picture books including “Stripes of All Types,” “Bring On the Birds” and “Fabulous Fishes.” Her books celebrate nature with exuberance and charm and have won awards from the American Library Association, Parents’ Choice and the National Science Teachers Association. Her animal imagery is now featured on puzzles, notecards and other products sold worldwide. She is currently working on a picture book about spotted animals.
S heila Turnage’s first novel for children, “Three Times Lucky,” is a Newbery Honor Award winner. She has written non-fiction for adults, “Haunted Inns of the Southeast” and “Compass American Guides: North Carolina” and one picture book, “Trout the Magnificent,” illustrated by Janet Stevens. Sheila is from eastern North Carolina.
~ Non-Fiction ~
 Kathleen Kinsolving began her writing career in 2010 with her father’s biography, “Gadfly: The Life and Times of Les Kinsolving – White House Watchdog.” Her second book, “Dogs of War,” took her 13 years to research and write. Kathleen currently teaches English at Centreville High School in Clifton, Va. When she isn’t teaching or writing, she supports a variety of canine organizations, volunteers as a puppy socializer for Guide Dogs for the Blind and is often seen in her favorite “Dog is My Co-Pilot” t-shirt.
 Charles Mauro is a local historian and the author of six books, including “The Civil War in Fairfax County: Civilians and Soldiers,” in which he gives voice to the silent majority of the participants in the Civil War: the civilians. His book, “A Southern Spy in Northern Virginia: The Civil War Album of Laura Ratcliffe,” is the story of an album that Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart gave to Laura Ratcliffe, a spy who lived in Frying Pan, now Floris, Va., during the Civil War. Chuck also has written two books about the history of Herndon, Va., where he now lives. He is a member and past president of the Historical Society of Herndon. As well, Chuck is the director and co-producer of the documentary “Mosby’s Combat Operations in Fairfax County, Va.” He is also the writer and co-producer for the movie “The Battle of Chantilly (Ox Hill)” and received the coveted Nan Netherton Heritage Award in 1999 for his historical research, writing and photography for the film.
 John Muller is a local journalist and historian whose latest book is “Frederick Douglass in Washington, D.C.: The Lion of Anacostia.” A former reporter for The Washington Times, he is a current contributor to Capital Community News, Greater Greater Washington and other Washington, D.C., area media. His writing and reporting has appeared in Washington History, The Washington Post, The Georgetowner, East of the River, The Washington Informer, Suspense Magazine and Next American City (online). He is a member of the Historical Society of Washington and a member of the planning committee for the annual D.C. Historical Studies Conference. John is a 2007 graduate of George Washington University, with a degree in public policy.
 Hank Stuever is an award-winning pop culture writer for The Washington Post’s Style section, where he has worked since 1999. He became the paper’s lead TV critic in 2009. He also has been a reporter for newspapers in Albuquerque and Austin, and has twice been named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in feature writing. Stuever is the author of “Off Ramp,” an essay collection, and “Tinsel,” a non-fiction book about Christmas. He has appeared on "Today," "The View," "The Early Show," "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," MSNBC and National Public Radio. He lives in Washington, D.C. Hank will be moderating the “I Want My MTV” panel, featuring original VJs Nina Blackwood and Mark Goodman.
 Dave Ungrady is a public speaker, journalist and author of four books. Three are about athletic history at the University of Maryland, including “Born Ready: The Mixed Legacy of Len Bias” and the best-selling “Tales From the Maryland Terrapins.” Dave is a former University of Maryland athlete, in soccer and track and field. He has written for The New York Times and The Washington Post, and his broadcast work has appeared on NBC, ESPN and CNN. Dave also speaks about life skills as part of the Born Ready Project, which he developed from his book on Bias. He lives in Leesburg, Va.
~ Mystery ~
 Jennifer Harlow is the author of two mystery series – the F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad (“Mind Over Monsters” and “To Catch a Vampire”) and her newest, Midnight Magic (“What’s A Witch To Do?”). She spent her restless childhood fighting with her three brothers and scaring the heck out of herself with horror movies and books. She grew up to earn a degree at the University of Virginia, which she put to use as a radio DJ, crisis hotline volunteer, bookseller, lab assistant, wedding coordinator and government investigator. Currently, she calls Northern Virginia home, but that restless itch is ever present. In her free time, she continues to scare the beejeepers out of herself watching scary movies and opening her credit card bills.
 Larry Matthews is a former broadcast journalist whose 30+ years as a reporter, anchor, news director, producer and editor provide the background material for many of his books. “Brass Knuckles” is the second book in his Dave Haggard thriller series about a radio reporter with a taste for investigative journalism. The series takes place in Washington, D.C., where Larry worked for major radio stations, ABC Radio and National Public Radio. Larry is also the author of a memoir, “I Used To Be In Radio,” and two books of fiction, “Healing Charles,” and its sequel, “Saving Charles.” He lives in Gaithersburg, Md.
 Charles Robbins is co-author, with former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, of “The U.S. Senate,” as well as two non-fiction books with Sen. Arlen Specter. The mystery/thriller, “The Accomplice,” is his first novel. Charles began his career as a newspaper reporter, then ran press operations for two congressmen, a gubernatorial campaign, a senatorial and a presidential campaign. As a Navy officer, he wrote speeches for the Secretary of the Navy. He graduated from Princeton University, the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and the M.F.A. program at Queens University of Charlotte. He lives in Washington, D.C.
~ Special Interest ~
 Phil Edwards is the author of “Fake Science 101: A Less Than Factual Guide to Our Amazing World,” a textbook exploring science without the burden of actual information. It’s a product of the Fake Science website. In the course of running the site, Phil has tweeted with astronomers, offended biologists and learned almost nothing. In addition to “Fake Science 101,” Phil is also the co-author of “Dumbemployed,” a humor book based on the website of the same name. Completing his trilogy of Internet-born books, his e-book mashup, “Snooki In Wonderland,” became a viral hit by disgracing the legacy of Lewis Carroll. Phil graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with majors in history and English. He lives in Chicago. In addition to humor books, he also writes fiction, including a series of light-hearted mysteries.
~ Poetry ~
 Sally Keith is the author of “The Fact of the Matter” and two previous collections of poetry, “Design,” winner of the 2000 Colorado Prize for Poetry, and “Dwelling Song.” She has published poems in a variety of literary journals, including A Public Space, Black Clock, Gettysburg Review, Literary Imagination and New England Review. Recipient of a Pushcart Prize and recent fellowships at Virginia Center for Creative Arts, UCROSS Foundation and Fundación Valparaíso, Sally is a member of the M.F.A. faculty at George Mason University and lives in Washington, D.C.
 Elizabeth Winder is the author of the biography “Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953″ and one poetry collection. Her work also has appeared in the Chicago Review, the Antioch Review, American Letters, and other publications. She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and earned an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from George Mason University. She lives in Virginia Beach, Va.
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