Meet the local authors of the ICAN Book Extravaganza
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JoEllen Claypool is the author of eight books and contributing author to four more. Besides writing, she is a public speaker, book coach, editor, and is the cofounder of ICAN (Idaho Creative Authors Network). This group consists of four women who facilitate writing events to bring information and encouragement to new authors as well as seasoned authors. She lives in Idaho and is the wife of a country preacher, mother to seven and as of February of 2022 will be the grandmother to seventeen.
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Jylene Morgan is a retired educator. She is passionate about the importance of reading aloud to children from top quality children’s books. Jylene wrote about her life experiences captivating audiences by telling the tales of her family’s adventures. The first several books are written about funny exchanges that occur when human and wild animals’ lives come together.
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Writing Romance with Humor, Suspense and Inspiration... Writing Language-based Children’s Books that Educate, Inspire and give Hope.
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As a late bloomer, I started writing at age 36, and with practice and encouragement, I started writing romantic fiction and became a member and officer of a writer’s group.
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My story writing really took off when I discovered the pines, firs and rocky knolls of Northeast Oregon. My husband enjoyed panning for gold in the creeks, but I fell in love with the mining ghost towns and the history surrounding those areas. Three of my magazine articles based on ghost towns in Northeast Oregon, and the history of the Chinese miners who followed the white man to the mines, were published nationally. I’ve written books with gold mining or boom town settings, including a time travel series back to 1870 in Cracker Creek, which is now called Bourne, Oregon.
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In 2007, Black Lyon Publishing published my first book and then three others. With help from other writers, I learned to self-publish the rest of my manuscripts and have since become a publisher, and a leader and speaker for the Idaho Creative Authors Network.
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I graduated from college and taught speech and language classes to K-12 students. I loved teaching idioms, sayings, expressions and proverbs that are important for language deficient students to learn. My first children’s book deals with the phrase, THE BIG GUY UPSTAIRS (title). My husband has Multiple Sclerosis and over the last decade we’ve seen firsthand that when unwelcome change comes along there is always something to be thankful for. I wanted people to know this, that there is hope in silver linings. My latest children’s book is called BIJU SILVER LINING.
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Louise F. Karther is a retired educator whose many years of experience included four years teaching first graders in Port Orford, Oregon. Besides teaching elementary children, she has also taught children with special needs at both the elementary and middle school levels. In addition, she has served as a curriculum coordinator, an elementary school principal, a Director of Special Education, and as a college professor. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Oregon University, both a Master’s Degree and a PhD from the University of Oregon.
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Debby L Wynkoop has always loved exploring the land and the history of Idaho. Upon completing a 34-year career teaching Idaho kids along with a 25-year stint performing southern gospel music, she istaking her “road not taken,” weaving stories and composing poetry. She makes her home in Southwest Idaho with husband, Dave Johnson, and their cat, Sugar.
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Teresa Nickell is an author, inspirational speaker, mentor, and volunteer with Prison Fellowship and recovery centers. She is a master storyteller who connects to her audience with a humble, candid, gritty style that makes her easily relatable. Her speaking and writing are direct and authentic; they offer a hope-filled approach to very difficult subject matter. www.TeresaNickell.com
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Christian author, husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, Danney Clark is a third generation Idahoan. He completed a forty-year career as a self-employed insurance agent and retired in 2013 to write and publish books. He is currently working on his nineteenth book, The Ancient Fisherman, while working part time as a medical courier.
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The term he has chosen to use to identify his works is “Christian Fiction” which simply means everyday circumstances for everyday people as seen from a Christian perspective. He hopes that his followers will gain something eternal from his works.
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Nadine Wilcox Givens was privileged to be a Pan Am stewardess in the late 1960s. She retired from the airline when she married Steve Givens in January of 1970. A year and a half later, the allure of country living, with which they had both grown up and wanted to provide for their children, led them to Idaho.
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Volunteering at their five children’s schools, along with various church and civic responsibilities, kept the author connected to the community during the next twelve years, and enhanced her enjoyment of being a full-time mom.
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The author and her husband currently own and operate Givens Hot Springs, a property homesteaded and developed into a business by Steve’s pioneer great-grandparents in 1881.
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One of Bonnie Kloster's greatest joys, was teaching children to read and write. She loves writing the best books for small children. After 34+ years, she is more than qualified to write the best books to teach children to read. Being passionate about encouraging literacy, led her to write simple stories for kids. The kids picture books she creates, include interesting stories for kids to read.
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Since Bonnie is a retired public school teacher, she includes many short stories for Kindergarten kids. She discovered that the best way to teach any concept was through stories. Here, you can read fun short stories with good morals and values. She was one of the first teachers to embrace writing across the curriculum, linking a new concept to something they could relate to..
John Anthony
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John Anthony is a retired Real Estate Development Manager and a lifelong student of history. This book is a product of that passion. He lives on Camano Island in the state of Washington with his wife of over 50 years, Melinda, and their little brown dog, Scout.
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Mark Faulkner lives in southern Idaho. He’s been passionately pointing others to the saving power of a relationship with Jesus Christ since 1993 when he committed his life to his Savior. He began a love and passion for writing after reading stories about fly fishing by Ernest Hemingway while he was in high school. But Mark has loved the outdoors since he was a young child. His father mentored him in how to fish and camp, but more importantly, how to love and respect the land and others who enjoy it.
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Happily married with two adult children, Mark is a very grateful husband and father. The testimony he and his wife have from being lifted from the despair and hopelessness of a broken marriage to a new life of love, joy, and redemption, is evidence of the power, love, and grace of their Everlasting Father.
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Ministering through his writing to people who are going through the same challenges he has gone through has been the calling God has placed on Mark's heart to offer hope and encouragement that with God nothing shall be impossible.
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My first book came out in 1999 which was the Journal of George H. Faull so It's been around a while. My second book was on my great, great, great grandfathers mission to the Hawaiian Islands. My third book and probably the one book I've written that is really personal to me is Memories of the USS Mississippi which is about my father's experience in WWII. All three books have had their own journey for me. One of the questions I'm asked is, are you going to write any more books. My answer is yes. I think you always have a story in mind. I've never stopped writing and have always wrote in a personal journal. I even wrote a small newspaper/flyer for Boise County in the 90's before I started writing any books. Yes, I think I'll keep on writing. Thank you. John Kent.
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Irene Hill writes small town crime thrillers and mysteries because its the best use she could find for her overactive imagination. Irene grew up in Idaho and lived in Wyoming for several years. She was raised around real life cowboys, and tough ranch women. She enjoys taking long soul cleansing horseback rides, attending rodeos, and playing softball. Her varied career background, combined with personal interests, has given her first hand knowledge of the less than savory parts of society.
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Diana Kilpatrick (aka Diana Weinberger) has led a varied, adventurous life, from her days with Youth With A Mission and Mercy Ships to her never-dull career as a court reporter and her work in prison ministry. When she isn’t traveling for work or for speaking engagements, Diana devotes her free time to her writing and her family
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Marsha Hood, now a retired school teacher, lives in the small town of Kuna, Idaho. She is married and has three grown children and five grand kids. A graduate of Boise State University, she received her degree in elementary education. She has spent her career teaching preschool, Kindergarten, music, P.E. and first grade. After teaching thirty-five years, she has decided to use her retirement time to pursue her love of writing and art.
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In 1979 when Marsha moved to Kuna, the population was around 1,500. Being able to raise her family in a small rural town was a rare gift. Kids could walk to the park, to their friends, neighbors and the local grocery store. Everyone knew everyone else, and it was a wonderful place to grow up. But now, the kids are grown and enjoying life on their own. The town has also grown but is still a wonderful place to live. Bob (husband) and Marsha still live in Kuna and enjoy a great country lifestyle.
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As a teacher for thirty-five years, Marsha has seen the many struggles that children and families go through. Unfortunately, even in today’s society, these devastating issues, along with many others, still thrive. God has given us all a choice. Whoever we are, we can choose a life of victory. The Bible states in John 16:33, ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ You can choose to be a victim or choose to have victory in Christ Jesus.
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A native Idahoan with Cherokee heritage, Sherry Briscoe writes paranormal suspense mysteries and urban fantasy. Her childhood heroes were Alfred Hitchcock and Edgar Allan Poe, and she insists that episodes of The Twilight Zone made perfectly fine bedtime stories.
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With degrees in Journalism, Photography, and Adult Education, Sherry covers all her passions of creativity and teaching others. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, who keeps her well stocked in chai tea lattes and lemon drop martinis, and her Burmese cat, who shares her popcorn, pizzas and even an occasional beer.
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Sherry is a world traveler, US Army Veteran, and active member of her writing community.
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She’s the founder of the Idaho Screenwriters Association, an active board member of the Idaho Writers Guild, Romance Writers of America, and professional speaker and workshop facilitator. Follow sherry for news and specials at www.sherrybriscoe.com
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Kristina Eby Bean lives in Idaho along with her husband, Jim, and their schnauzer named Tootsie. She is a licensed ordained minister and spent time as a law enforcement community chaplain, ministered to outlaw motorcycle gangs for eight years with her husband and was involved in prison ministry for nine years. Between the two of them, they have four adult children and seven grandchildren.
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The reason she wrote Now That I’m Saved…What in the World Are They Talking About! is because of lack of knowledge in the Christian Believer. This is based on the questions that she asked over the years and ended up doing her own research for the answers. The things that she has found, she wrote down for you in order to help with your walk with the Lord. There is always hope. Never give up. You can start a new life today. Never give up!
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For Kristina, today she is set free from the bondages that were created in her young life. She is always eager to learn something new from the Holy Spirit. Her compassion is to help just one more person. She enjoys mentoring new believers. Kristina teaches from this book to new believers and believers who need a deeper walk with the Lord.
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She is a cowgirl at heart. She enjoys camping, fly fishing, hunting and gardening and her new-found love of writing. Two more books will be coming out in 2020. The Bethlehem Ranch and Dear Ole Sweet Rabbit which are both Christian books.​
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Jim Bean is married to Kristina Eby Bean (author of “Now That I’m Saved...What in the World are They Talking About!) with seven grandchildren. Jim retired from Operating Engineers Local 3 when he was 55 in 1995. He was radically saved at a Revival Camp Tent meeting in Victor, Montana. They sold everything and moved to California, where they both graduated from Bible College and each became an ordained licensed minister in 1999. He was a Community Chaplain for Sacramento Law Enforcement, spent eight years in United in Christ Motorcycle Ministry working with outlaw gangs, and nine years working in prison ministry. He was asked to be, for a short time, associate pastor for World Inner Cities Ministries before moving to Idaho. Currently, he is active in his home church. Jim is a cowboy at heart and has a deep love for the Lord, the old west, and his story telling.
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Chris currently lives and works in western Idaho. He writes full(ish) time, and consults with other local authors and businesses on the side. When not working, he spends time with his wife and two daughters, and his group of table-top and card-gamer friends. He enjoys hunting and fishing, collecting swords and armor, and striving to improve his barbeque techniques. He regularly volunteers with the Micron Foundation, helping with the Science Bowl at both the Middle and High School levels. He donates to school and public libraries, enabling book purchases and special programs that support other artists. Chris has recently begun sponsoring local youth sports teams, and hopes to expand on that in the future. Influenced heavily in his youth by the works of Jack London, Lloyd Alexander, Stephen R. Donaldson, Isaac Asimov, and Louis L'Amour, Chris still consumes above average amounts of Science Fiction and Fantasy. His favorite author is currently (and for the foreseeable future) Jim Butcher.
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Kimbre is a homeschooling mom, an ICAN Director, a self-taught tech who enjoys helping others, and a newly published author.
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In 2015 she learned how to put together website from site generators, like Wix or Sitebuilder, and began her career as a virtual assistant.
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Kimbre Christopher was born and raised in Idaho and enjoys the peace of country living. Her husband and family of four boys guarantees that there is never a dull moment. As a homeschooling mom, she has learned to make the most of every opportunity when it comes to teachable moments. Kimbre has been perceptive to teachable moments when it comes to her clients as well. Having been a virtual assistant over the last six years, Kimbre has moved from setting up websites and managing them, to answering questions on maneuvering through online tasks. Her behind-the-scenes presence has helped many to be up front and personal with their own online presence
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Retired teacher David Larson inherited his grandfather’s love of hunting, fishing, and his talent for telling tales. David and his wife, Nancy, live on ten acres near Wilder, Idaho where they raise a large garden, a few steers, and enjoy their five grandchildren, to whom this book is dedicated.
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Tracey Olson Mason was born and raised in Boise, Idaho. She graduated from Meridian High School and was married one year later. The next 26 years, she spent raising, loving, and homeschooling their five children. Throughout the years, she opened her heart and home 14 times to other people that needed a place to live in their journey of life. Tracey believes ever since winning an outstanding story writing award in the 3rd grade, she has been observing life stories and holding them in her heart to write about later.
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The past 9 years, she has been working full time in the medical field and has a passion to help people but dreams of the day when she can spend more time writing those stories and playing with her five busy grandsons and two new grandchildren on the way.
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She is happily married to her hilarious husband, Mark, and together they love sharing family, friends, and as many adventures in life as they can possibly take in.
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Tracey’s life journey had many years of heartache and loss which gave her a desire to encourage others through writing her personal story. She has a vision to share how God makes all things beautiful in his time. She believes that regardless if life has you planning a funeral instead of a future, signing divorce papers instead of planning an anniversary getaway, leaving a son at rehab instead of college, or even having an empty checkbook, empty refrigerator, or empty pillowcase beside you, God will reveal that in every dark circumstance in life there is a hidden treasure waiting to be found.
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Tracey strongly agrees with the famous English author, Rudyard Kipling when he said that “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” Even the Bible tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue. She has a passion to use words to encourage others and bring them hope in the Lord.
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Tracey collects old phones, loves to read, has published work in photography, won some awards in writing, and has recently begun a new journey of being an author and speaker.
Maya Lee
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Author of poetry book "These Tattered Wings"
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Rebekah Isert (pronounced "eyes-hurt") chose to become a writer rather than an optometrist. She enjoys writing, watching martial arts movies, and reading whatever sounds interesting. She loves to write fantasy, and also whatever story captures her imagination. She currently lives in the western United States, but given her propensity to travel, could realistically turn up anywhere, anytime. She is the author of Whitney-nominated Wednesday’s Book, and Oak and Ivy.
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Rebekah can be found on Facebook and Instagram under @rebekahisertauthor.