O'More College of Design - Publishing

Our Authors Wren Smith Anderson grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and graduated with her Bachelors in Communications from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2003. It was there that she met and married her college sweetheart. She currently teaches marketing and business at Independence High School. Wren loves to travel; however, her favorite place to be is at home in Thompson's Station with her husband, Travis, daughter, Olivia, and golden retriever, Baxter.
James Byers is a graduate of David Lipscomb College, magna cum laude, and teaches an Asian Bible class at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ where he serves as a deacon. He has been a minister in congregations in Tennessee, Georgia, and Flordia. He had a career with the State of Tennessee as a teacher in Williamson County and with the Department of Human Services. He is married to the former Marie Potter, and they have one son, Tracy Byers, who is married to the former Evie Wade. James and Marie are also proud grandparents of three grandchildren.
Nancy Gentry has been teaching children to read for twenty-seven years. During this time she has read thousands of children's stories with her students and her granddaughters. Combining this love for reading and her love for writing she decided to write her own stories that she hoped children would enjoy. Nancy lives in Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband, Earl. Their two daughters and four granddaughters also live in the city. She has a Bachelor's degree from Arkansas State University and a Master's degree in education from the University of Memphis. She currently teaches at Presbyterian Day School. She loves playing the piano, and on Sunday mornings can be found playing at her church. Nancy is an avid reader of the Civil War, and she wanted to share the events of this war with young readers. The desire to create a story that older children and teens would not only enjoy, but could use to understand this American war was a rewarding challenge that resulted in her first book, Rebel in Petticoats.
Jan Hayes spent thirty-five years teaching children's literature courses at Middle Tennessee State University. She is a storyteller of folktales, and The Split-Tongue Sparrow is her first book for children. She has written several books for teachers and administrators on positive self-concept development. Hayes serves on the O'More College of Design Board of Directors and is Professor Emeritus at MTSU.
Jack Hilliard, a native of West Tennessee, received his Bachelor's degree from Freed-Hardeman University and his Master's degree in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Memphis. He and his family have lived in three states, Bermuda, the Appalachian Mountains, and, for the last thirty-two years, Henderson, Tennessee. His wife of fifty-six years is Lola Carter Hilliard. The couple has three children, four grandchildren, and three grandchildren-in-law. Jack has preached on the radio for fourteen years, written regular newspaper articles for over seventeen years, and made several appearances on live television programs throughout his life. He has counseled on marriage, finances, and health as well as mental, physical, and spiritual problems. Jack worked for eighteen years with Freed-Hardeman University: in admissions for five years, as Director of Placement for ten years, and as Director of Church Relations. His wife, Lola, worked many of those years by his side, and the couple retired in 1994. Since retirement he has been busy with mission work, teaching, traveling, and writing.
Dr. K. Mark Hilliard earned his Doctoral Degree from Middle Tennessee State University with an emphasis in higher education and a specialization in wellness. He is currently the President and CEO of O'More College of Design; a professor of Holistic Wellness, Exploring Spirituality, Sacred Spaces, Native American Lore, Marriage and Family, and Educational Wellness; an O'More College Fellow and Scholar; and a an Oxford University Summer Research Institute Fellow and Scholar - Harris Manchester College, Oxford England. Dr. Hilliard is also a Spiritual Wellness Educator on the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina and the Missions Coordinator for a Cherokee Church in Wolfe Town. Dr. Hilliard and his wife live in Franklin, Tennessee, but he does much of his writing from a cabin in the Smoky Mountains, just outside the Cherokee Reservation.
Susie Sims Irvin has a deep affection for her hometown, Franklin, and the feeling is mutual. Southern Exposure called her "a rare treasure." A painter and poet, Mrs. Irvin has been inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame of the Society for the Written Word. Her four earlier books of poetry quickly sold out; Clouds for the Table is in its second printing.
Eric Jacobson has been studying the Civil War for nearly 25 years. Eric is the military historian at Historic Carnton Plantation in Franklin, Tennessee. He lives in Spring Hill with his wife and two children.
Graham McKay, a graduate of David Lipscomb College in Nashville, Tennessee, has served as a local minister in Hawaii, Maryland, and Tennessee and had the unique opportunity to perform missionary service in Japan. All this, coupled with a focused interest in the history of hymn music, has enabled McKay to spend several years studying why hymns were written from his truly unique perspective.
Charles Robinson is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and has a passion to teach others about Native American ways. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Indian Education Association and travels to reservations and Native communities to meet with tribal leaders regarding the challenges facing Native people in the 21st Century. Charles is a Northern Traditional powwow dancer and currently serves on the Board of Advisors for Eagles Wings Ministry, Board of Trustees for New Hope Academy, and the Board of Directors for Empty Hands Fellowship. Charles has a strong awareness for the importance of cultural identity within various people groups. He has played professional basketball in Europe and traveled extensively while living there. He has also spent time in Jamaica, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Canada. He grew up in Texas and Oklahoma and has worked a variety of jobs, including as a wrangler on a horse ranch, rodeo cowboy, song writer, tour manager, booking agent, poet, public speaker, missionary, painter, preacher, teacher, coach, as well as working in sales, real estate, retail, marketing, public relations, and more. Charles has worked with various country singers including Glen Campbell, Steve Wariner, Bryan White, and South 65. Charles and his wife, Siouxsan, share Native American cultural presentations in schools, corporate events, camps, and churches. They have six children, Lakota, Dante, and Nanaiya, Imaiya, Aianli, and Rosie reside in Franklin, Tennessee.
Jessa Rose Sexton has been writing as long as she can remember. In the 4^th grade, her poem on lightning was printed in her elementary school's literary publication. Currently a professor at O'More College of Design in Franklin, Tennessee, Jessa shares her ongoing love of the written word by teaching composition and literature courses. Jessa and her husband, Jay, met at Harding University in Arkansas where she earned her B.A. in English with teacher licensure and her M.Ed. with English emphasis. They married in 2004 and moved back to Jessa's hometown, Spring Hill, Tennessee, in 2006. Since then, the couple has settled quite comfortably in Downtown Franklin, where they hope to live for years to come. Her other interests include shopping for a great deal; making up songs to entertain her baby, Jack; taking walks with Jay, Jack, and her elderly dog; playing fetch with her active cat; petting her reserved cat; eating a meal prepared for her in love; teaching and interacting with her students; and writing books, poems, and music.

*Illustrators* Melinda Dabbs, born and raised in the hills of East Tennessee, is growing quite fond of the "little nest" she has made with her husband in Music City. She especially likes seeing the giraffes at the zoo on her drive home every day. She enjoys eating Thai food and gelato, listening to her husband's band, and playing with ponies. In addition to working in the Office of Admissions at O'More College of Design, Melinda is hoping to break into the world of illustrating.
Bobby Dawson, originally from Cumberland, Maryland, now resides in Franklin, Tennessee. Aside from illustrating children's books, Bobby works as a freelance graphic designer. Bobby has degrees in Music Theatre and Visual Communication from Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia, and O'More College of Design in Franklin, respectively.
Jennifer Savage, currently a Visual Communications student at O'More College of Design, has had a love for art that has grown throughout the years. By entering many art competitions, she has gained experience in the field and awards for her work. She was named Artist of the Year from her graduating class at Marshall County High School. While working to complete her final years of college, she is also sharing her talent with the community with freelance work such as murals, paintings, drawings, and illustrations.
Jayne Williams was born and grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. She graduated in 1981 from the University of Tennessee with a BS in Interior Design. Following graduation, Jayne and her husband, Scott Williams, another Oak Ridger, moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. While living in Virginia, the Williams welcomed the first of 3 sons, and Jayne worked as a commercial interior designer. In early 1986, the Williams returned to Tennessee settling in Nashville, where she freelanced in commercial interiors. In Tennessee, Jayne's family grew by two (sons), and she retired from design to focus on her active and growing family, all the while maintaining her activity and interest in the pursuit of drawing and painting. The Williams have also made their home in Arab, AL, and Franklin, Pulaski and Columbia, TN, before coming back in 2005 to live in Franklin, TN. Jayne continues to draw and paint commissioned works, as well as for her personal enjoyment, primarily in the mediums of watercolor, Prismacolor pencils, acrylics, oil, and pastels. She has painted portraits, murals, landscapes, still life, and has illustrated several children's books.
Matt Williams, son to Scott and Jayne Williams, is currently a studio art major at Belmont University. Art has been a part of his life since his days as a baby, sitting across the table, doodling upside down reproductions of his mother's work. To this day he continues to grow and work on his craft. The driving force behind his artistic pursuits is a deep underlying passion for creation and expression.