In the Hollow

Nancy Hartney writes about the Deep South. Her roots dig into the piney woods that she rode through on horseback, the sweat-soaked tobacco fields, and hardscrabble farms. Coming of age during the Vietnam War, enmeshed in the Women’s Movement, and the Civil Rights struggles, she has a rich and complex history from which her tales spring. Her tales chronicle a time past that is poignant, beautiful, and brutal. Her readers stare into the eyes of her people as they struggle to live, grasp for understanding, and do they best they know how. Born in Georgia, she is a true daughter of the South, currently living in Arkansas.

Heyo! My name is Emma Unger, I also go by my nickname, Lys. I’m originally from a small town in Missouri called Mexico, but I now live in Springfield, where I graduated from Missouri State University with a degree in Graphic Design. I have a love for cats and Broadway musicals. In my free time, I enjoy exploring new design ideas and finding inspiration in everyday life.

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Feel free to contact me about working together!

Caleb Thoms is a 22 (23 on Dec. 23rd) year old author from Buffalo, New York. He primarily writes poetry, but enjoys storytelling of all kinds! Outside of writing, Caleb enjoys playing games of all kinds, such as Minecraft, Fortnite, Pokemon Trading Card Game, and Magic the Gathering! He also works as the Community Manager for Lunar Eclipse Studios, a group that makes Minecraft Datapacks/Mods, and manages their latest project, a Survival server called Lunarite SMP! Though, he is gradually broadening his horizons, with sights set on becoming an Attorney specializing in Contract Law, while also dabbling in psychology, theology, current events, and public speaking!

You can discover more about Caleb on Instagram, Tiktok and Threads as @caleb.thoms, on Substack as @calebthoms, or on Discord as Surzy!"

Darrell Lacey was born and raised in Pittsburg, Kansas. He is a U.S. Army veteran who was stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina and served one year in South Korea.

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Brothers of the State is Darrell's debut novel. He wrote it based on his own childhood experiences with his brothers. He wrote it during his down time at work over the course of three years. He hopes that his story, while an older one, will shed light on the abuses that have taken place in the foster care system. He also hopes that it will show those that have been through similar situations that there is hope, and that these experiences don’t define you.

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Darrell hopes to use this book as an opportunity to take classes and continue his education. He is currently working on writing his next novel and a compilation of short stories.

Rochelle Wisoff-Fields is an award-winning artist and author with numerous published short stories and several books to her name. Her own struggles with, and ultimate victory over, clinical depression and anorexia nervosa as an adult inspired her to write Last Dance with Annie. By telling a fictionalized story of a middle-aged woman’s battle, she hopes to bring her struggles and those of others to light. 

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Rochelle's books include her historical trilogy, Please Say Kaddish for Me, From Silt and Ashes, and As One Must, One Can. Her short stories have been published in several anthologies. More of her illustrations are included in her own short story anthology This, That and Sometimes the Other.

She studied painting and lithography at the Kansas City Art Institute. Her preferred media are pencil, pen and ink, and watercolor. She has painted most of her book covers and created illustrations for A Stone for the Journey, the coffee table companion volume to her historical trilogy. 

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Rochelle and her husband Jan Fields, a retired Navy Chief, live in Belton, Missouri. They raised three sons. Rochelle enjoys painting, sketching, and swimming. Her weekly blog challenge “Friday Fictioneers” has a worldwide following. 

Hello! My name is Lia Wu. I'm half-Chinese, wholly ADHD, and hopelessly nerdy. I taught middle and high school English for three years, then was called crazy when I told my students I missed writing essays and that I was going back to graduate school to get my doctorate. They're probably right, but shhhhh... Born in Kansas and raised in Missouri, I earned my BA in Texas and my MA in Colorado and am now currently living in Arkansas where I'm aiming to earn my PhD in English with a focused study in Rhetoric and Composition and an emphasis in World Literatures and Cultures (which is just a really fancy way of saying that I'm like a Pokemon trainer - gotta study 'em all!) Reading and writing is my passion and I'm excited everyday to share that passion with the people around me.  

Maria graduated from Missouri State University with a BFA with a dual emphasis in Graphic Design & Illustration. During her internship at Brick City Design Studio, she created the book cover design for Last Dance With Annie, written by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Maria works across both physical and digital media, with a diverse portfolio that includes everything from children’s book illustrations to logo design and branding. She’s passionate about bringing ideas to life and is always excited to connect with others on creative projects.

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Commissions are currently closed, but I'm always excited to hear about creative opportunities!

Linda Laughlin spent her early childhood in eastern Oklahoma and her adult life in the historical town of Fort Smith, Arkansas. Her first career was as a stay-at-home mom and her second was in banking. Now with your help, she is hoping for a third career as an
author.

In addition to having published two romantic suspense novels, Linda has written a bi-weekly column on regional authors for the Times Record
newspaper. 

Linda is quoted as saying, “I am embarking on writing a series of books for the young and the young at heart. I hope you enjoy reading my Lessons With Wise Old Owl series!”

Kayla Branstetter is a published writer and an award-winning artist from Missouri. While growing up she split her time between rural Missouri and the suburbs of Denver. With her feet in two worlds, she became adept at connecting with people from diverse backgrounds. She has a passion for breaking through barriers to achieve gender equality and amplifying marginalized voices. She is currently working on a nonfiction book where women tell their stories about abortion, birth, and infertility.

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Kayla is also an educator. She is currently a professor of English at Crowder College. In her previous work as a high school teacher, she mentored and championed teens, helping them find their voices. She envisions a world where barriers to education and medical care are eliminated for all people. Comprehensive education that engages youth in seeing different points of view builds empathy. Empathy is the key to reducing harassment and assault.

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She holds a MALS degree in Art, Literature, and Culture from the University of Denver.

"My goal as an artist is to create a personal expression fueled by my love of nature. My primary focus is on light and shadow and how it affects the scene I am trying to capture. Passages of rich color contrasted by toned down areas emphasize the effect of light in my work."

   Originally from rural Arkansas, Sandra has always loved the colors and patterns of the landscape from the rugged majesty of her birth state to Michigan's diverse environment. A representational oil painter and avid plein air artist, she believes in the importance of working in the chaos of the outdoors as well as the controlled environment of the studio.  
   Sandra studied Fine Art and Commercial Art at Wayne County and Henry Ford Community Colleges and worked as a Graphic Designer for the Library Network. An award-winning artist, her paintings have appeared in numerous juried and solo exhibits, museum shows, galleries and plein air events throughout Michigan with several pieces in private and corporate collections. She actively participates in several art organizations. She is past President and former Plein Air Chairman of Ann Arbor Women Artists, an Associate Member of Oil Painters of America, Signature Member of the Great Lakes Plein Air Painters Association and Vice President of the Saline Painters Guild. 

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Sandra is not currently accepting commissions, but would greatly appreciate your support by checking out her work!

I've arrived as a student from a diversified background of corporate retail experience (manufacturing, couture fashion to thrift store) to self-employment in retail and services (gourmet vegan cooking, restaurant ownership and management, recipe development, property management, carpentry, and landscape).

Currently, I am on a dual course as both master and Ph.D. student at the University of Arkansas, working on charting the rise and demise of 20th-century folk painters, specifically Daisy Cook of Republic, Missouri. My work shifts how historians think about the Ozarks and rural America through the efforts of these so-called "Grandma Moses of the Ozarks" artists, their promoters, and their importance in re-visioning a historic, national heritage.

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Higher education is my retirement plan: grad school will take me to places I have never been and allow me the opportunity to research, teach, and inspire the next generations.

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Away from academia, I share a passion for art and gardening with my husband. We founded Kiele Gardens, where we specialize in growing Missouri native wildflowers and grow, grind, and bottle Kiele V Spice chili powder. When we have finished travelling the world, we will still be busy feeding the local pollinators and creating exciting food for our friends.

Ryan Stone is the author of the story collection Best Road Yet (Press 53). His work has appeared in The Wisconsin Review, The Madison Review, Whiskey Island, The South Carolina Review, The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, and many others. His forthcoming collection, Tying up the Replacement and Other Stories, will be published by Ozark Hollow Press in 2025. He is originally from Licking, MO and earned his MFA in Fiction from the University of Missouri - St. Louis in  2004. He now lives in Phoenix, AZ where he is the Director of Creative Writing at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix, Arizona.

Brian Francis O'Dea is a writer living above a woodshop in Fayetteville, AR. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, he earned his BA from the University of Arkansas, with a hyper-practical double major in English (Creative Writing) and Classical Studies (Latin). He thinks life is absurd but beautiful. His debut creative nonfiction collection, Vine to Vine, is forthcoming with Ozark Hollow Press, and his fiction work has appeared in Monkeybicycle, Maudlin House, and the Fictional Café. 

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He is open to being contacted, especially for press or praise, but will accept softly-worded constructive criticism as well.

Shane White is an Assistant Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resource Communication and Education at the University of Florida. With a deep passion for environmental conservation and storytelling, Shane specializes in blending film, photography, and writing to explore and communicate the intricate relationships between humans and the natural world.

His academic journey includes a PhD in Agricultural and Natural Resource Communication, focusing on environmental conservation. Shane’s ambition is to use his expertise to contribute meaningfully to environmental stewardship and the global conversation on sustainability.