Velda Brotherton

Bio: Velda is a native of Arkansas, and lives in the Ozarks with her husband. They have two children, three grandchildren and a great-grandchild. She has been writing nonfiction and fiction since 1985 and has 12 books in print, six of which are historical romance. Fourteen of her short stories are featured in regional anthologies. Her historical columns have appeared in local newspapers since 1990. She conducts workshops, speaks at conferences and is co-chair of a successful critique group founded in 1986. She received 3 merit awards from the Arkansas Press Association; her biography Fly With the Mourning Dove was a finalist in the 2008 WILLA Literary awards for creative nonfiction; in 2010 she was given a Distinguished Citizen Award for her efforts to preserve Ozark history. She and her husband have visited all the locales in which her books are set. She is convinced that the spirits speak to her and guide her toward the creativity that sparks her writing. That was particularly true of Wolf Song during a trip to the Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale, Wyoming. The couple visit many historical sites where she picks up the vibes from out of the past and weaves stories around those special auras. She's been known to sit on a stone in a cemetery and carry on a long conversation with the spirits gathered there.