Samantha Bell
Samantha used oils to paint the scenes in Cathy's Animal Garden, a picture book about two boys who dodge wild animals while searching for their baseball.

Peggie Brott
Peggie is the author of "Saying Goodbye," a story about a family getting ready for deployment, in Military Life: Stories and poems for children.

Alison Buckholtz
Alison is the author of "The Good Day," a story about a young boy's view of what makes a good day while his dad is deployed, in Military Life: Stories and poems for children.

Nina Victor Crittenden
Nina painted the watercolor paintings in Cedric and the Dragon, a picture book about a kind prince who fails at dragon-slaying school but saves his kingdom.

Judy Hissong
Judy wrote the poem "Best Friends" in Military Life: Stories and poems for children based on a real-life friendship that has survived her many moves.

Tim Hoppey
Tim is a New York City firefighter and the author of The Good Fire Helmet, a story about believing in yourself and finding courage in everyday life.

Jennifer Jesseph
Jennifer wrote the shape poem "Holding Mom's Kite" in Military Life: Stories and poems for children, a collection of original stories and
poems about military life.

Charlene Kochensparger
Charlene is the author of "Mama's Been Called Up," a story about a young girl's response when her mom is called to deploy, in Military Life: Stories and poems for children.

Julie LaBelle
Julie wrote the activities in My Dad's Deployment and My Mom's Deployment, activity books for young children whose parent is deployed, and the poem "Just Like You!" in Military Life: Stories and poems for children.

Lori McElrath-Eslick
Lori painted the oil paintings in The Good
Fire Helmet, a story about a young boy who finds courage when he needs
it most.

Karen Pavlicin
Karen is the author of Surviving Deployment and Life After Deployment; the poem "Love Letters" in Military Life: Stories and poems for children; the children's novel Perch, Mrs. Sackets, and Crow's Nest; and the Circle of Catholic Women journals.

Donna Portelli
Donna wrote the poem "My Space," a celebration of each child making her own space an extra special place, in Military Life: Stories and poems for children.

Mary Redman
Mary is the author of The Wishing Tree, a picture book about a girl's unique way of helping her dad when he deploys.

Jessica Redmond
Jessica is the author of
A Year of Absence, the true stories of six women whose husbands deployed to Iraq at the start of the war.

Rachel Robertson
Rachel is the author of Deployment Journal for Kids, Deployment
Journal for Spouses, and Deployment Journal for Parents.

Cindy Shaw
Cindy wrote "It's Five O'Clock," a poem honoring the American flag, in Military Life: Stories and poems for children.

Deborah Tainsh
Deborah is the author of Heart of a Hawk, her family's journey after the death of their son, and Surviving the Folded Flag, a collection of Gold Star families' stories.

Michelle Tonsmeire
Michelle wrote the poem "My Daddy Jumps Today," a fun look at what it's like to go airborne, in Military Life: Stories and poems for children.