Authors L Through Z

Maddox, Sarah O. (1938 to Present)

The daughter of a Baptist minister, Sarah Maddox was born in Kentucky but grew up in Mississippi and graduated from Mississippi College in Clinton. While teaching junior high English and piano in Memphis, she met her husband, Roland Maddox. They have two children and three grandchildren. In 1992, they moved to Brentwood. Sarah has been a Women's Ministry consultant who has spoken at Christian women's retreats and conferences throughout the United States. She has contributed magazine articles to Christian publications and had a devotional published in a devotional book for women.

• A Woman's Garden of Prayer: Cultivating Intimacy with God Through Prayer (with Patricia F. Webb), 2002
• A Mother's Garden of Prayer: Cultivating a Lifestyle of Prayer for Your Children (with Patricia F. Webb), 1999

Mahand, Melinda

A Nashville native, Melinda Mahand sold her first freelance production to the Baptist Sunday School Board when she was 16. After majoring in education and meeting her husband, David, at Oklahoma Baptist University, she continued to freelance for the Sunday School Board. She has designed courses on writing for denominational publications, as well as Bible study courses.

• More Teacher Take-Out for Preschoolers, 1997
• Teacher Take-Out for Preschoolers, 1997
• Love, Laughter and Learning, 1997
• Teach-o-graph: The Birth of Jesus, 1996
• The Easter Story, 1996
• Helping and Encouraging Others, 1996
• The Ministry of Jesus, 1996

Major, Lula Fain (1915 - 2015)

 Lula Major Fain was an active volunteer in schools, PTA, 4-H Clubs, and Williamson County Library and was a long-time member of the Grassland Home Demonstration Club. History, especially family and Williamson County, has been a lifetime focus through her extensive genealogy research, compilations of family histories, and both visiting and cataloguing cemeteries in Williamson County. A charter member of Williamson County Historical Society, the Old Glory Chapter of the DAR since 1974, and the Tennessee Historical Society. She was a member of Berry’s Chapel Church of Christ. She is well known and remembered for her research and writing of the history of the War Memorial Public Library in Franklin, Tennessee.

• War Memorial Public Library: A History, 1976

Malone, Jean M. (1983 to Present)

Jean Malone has lived in Williamson County from the age of twelve. She places much of her fiction in Middle Tennessee. She majored in screenwriting and creative writing at the University of Miami, receiving a degree in Communications. Jean then returned to Franklin, worked at the Williamson county Public Library and for Ingram Books with the intention of being a librarian. In traditional literary fashion, she started to write because she loved to read. She combines several interests in her writings about animals and birds as well as events within the Christian tradition.

• No Room at the Inn: the Story of the Nativity, 2009
• Flamingos, 2009

Malone, Nancy

Nancy Malone has experienced all the joys and challenges of motherhood in her role as Mom to four children, all now teenagers. Nancy has mastered the art of managing time and household while volunteering at her church, children's schools and Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. Representing Moms everywhere, Nancy dispenses her common sense advice on everything from cooking and housekeeping to safety for young adults entering the world on their own.

• Just Ask Mom: everything she told you when you weren't listening is in this book,  2008

Mamushi, Dr. Cacanja

• Just Call Me Legion: a Spiritual Short Story, 2003

Manley, Ginger T.

Ginger Manley is a nurse psychotherapist and sex therapist who has over thirty years experience practicing and teaching in the field of sexual health. She presently is an Associate in the Department of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical School. Ms. Manley is board certified as a Psychiatric/Mental Health Diplomate of Sex Therapy. Since 2009, she has written a monthly question and answer column, "Assisted Loving", focused on the sexual concerns of older people.

• Disarmed: An Exceptional Journey, 2015
• Assisted Loving: The Journey Through Sexuality and Aging, 2013
• Gotcha Covered: A Legacy of Service and Protection: An Anthology of the Nurse's Apron Partnership, 2009

March, Kathy (1952 to Present)

Kathy enjoyed writing from her childhood growing up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She wrote fiction in grade school, was a journalist in high school; at Wells College in New York she appreciated a "writing-focused curriculum." Kathy graduated from Minnesota State University with a degree in counseling. She was first a high school counselor then began her own educational and career counseling firm. She has also been involved in church ministries for most of her adult life. With two fellow new grandmothers, she developed her book.

• My Grandmother Is Praying for Me, 2009, with Pamela Ferriss and Susan Kelton

Marshall, Park (1855 to 1946)

Park Marshall was the only man to serve as mayor of both Nashville and Franklin. Born and reared in Franklin, he was the great-grandson of two Revolutionary War soldiers. In his later years, he vividly remembered the Battle of Franklin, which took place when he was nine. He became a practicing attorney, entered politics, and was elected to the state legislature and state senate. He was also secretary to U.S. Senator William B. Bate and executive clerk of the U.S. Senate. With the exception of two years, he served continuously as mayor of Franklin from 1918 through 1939.

• History of Williamson County and Franklin, Tennessee, 1917
• A Life of William B. Bate, Citizen, Soldier, and Statesman, 1908

Mason, Patty (1960 to Present)

Patty Mason was born in Wilmington, Delaware; she now lives in Franklin, Williamson County, Tennessee after living in several locations on the East coast and in the Midwest. She is an award-winning author, speaker, Bible teacher and the founder of Liberty in Christ Ministries. For many years she has been inspiring women of all ages through her writings and her talks. Patty has reached women all over the world through Sisters on Assignment, Christian.tv, CWebTV, Light Source, and WLGT Blog Radio Live.

She is a wife and mother in love with Jesus. Everything she writes is a direct result of her love for Jesus. Her mission is to teach others how to know Him in a richer, more intimate way.

• Experiencing Joy: Strategies for Living a Joy Filled Life, 2012
• Finally Free: Breaking the Bonds of Depression Without Drugs, 2011
• Transformed by Desire: A Journey of Awakening to Life and Love, 2010
• Transformed by Desire Bible Study, 2010

Massey, Frances Magers 

After retiring from teaching English at Mt. Juliet High School in 2009, Frances Magers Massey has enjoyed participating in a plethora of volunteer work and organizations and writing.  A native of Mississippi, she graduated from Blue Mountain College in 1965. She received a Master of Education degree from the University of Memphis in 1982. Her book, Ties that Bind: A Journal of Family, Faith, Friends, and Frolics, published in September 2021, depicts segments of her life—silly single years, fulfilling family years, teaching teenagers. and tireless travels. Her writing includes an impulsive trip to Acapulco, sleeping in a room with a flying bat, riding a camel in Egypt, touring the Panama Canal and other adventures. Fran lives with her husband, Charles, in Brentwood, TN.

• Ties that Bind: A Journal of Family, Faith, Friends, and Frolics, 2021

Martin, Bryce

As a high school athlete in Kansas, Bryce Martin lettered in four sports: baseball, football, track and basketball. He served in the U.S. Marine corps as a platoon guide in Vietnam. He graduated from Cal State Bakersfield University with a BA degree in English. He is likely the only journalist to have worked for all three Kern County daily newspapers. He played baseball in the Kern County League and has contributed to many magazines as well as Jim Rome's Fishwrap site. Martin still owns the baseball Mickey Mantle signed for him in 1955.

• Kern County Sports Chronicles: Colorful Athletes of the Central Valley, 2013

Maury, Matthew Fontaine (1806 to 1873)

Matthew F. Maury was born near Fredericksburg, Virginia, but moved with his family to Williamson County as a boy. Most of his childhood was spent near Franklin, where he discovered the joys of mathematics. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1825 and became the navy's foremost meteorologist and oceanographer. Maury was the first American to chart the oceans scientifically, and in the 1850s, he aided in laying the Atlantic Cable. He resigned from the U.S. Navy to enter the services of the Confederacy, becoming commander of all coast, harbor, and river defenses. After being pardoned in 1868, he returned home, and later served as a professor of meteorology at Virginia Military Institute. His works on geography were used long after his death and his pilot charts of winds and currents were translated into French and also used by the British Board of Trade.

• Papers of Matthew Fontaine Maury, 1825-1960
• Maury's New Elements of Geography for Primary and Intermediate Classes, 1907, 1908, 1921
• Elementary Geography: Designed for Primary and Intermediate Classes. Revised and Abridged from the "First Lessons" and "World We Live In" of M.F. Maury, 1881, 1921
• Address of Com. M.F. Maury, before the Fair of the Agricultural & Mechanical Soc. Of Memphis, Tenn, 1971
• A Physical Survey of Virginia: Her Geographical Position, Its Commercial Advantages and National Importance, 1869
• Captain Maury's Letter on American Affairs, 1861
• The Physical Geography of the Sea and Its Meteorology, 1861, (edited by John Leighly), 1963
• (Maury's) Wind and Current Charts: Gales in the Atlantic, 1857
• Observations to Determine the Solar Parallax (with James Melville Gilliss), 1856
• The Physical Geography of the Sea, 1856, 1859
• Amazon, and the Atlantic Slopes of South America, 1853
• Explanations and Sailing Directions to Accompany the Wind and Current Charts, 1851, 1854, 1855
• Lieutenant Maury's Investigations of the Winds and Currents of the Sea, 1851
• On the Probable Relation between Magnetism and the Circulation of the Atmosphere, 1851

May, Bo (1944 - )

Bo May spent his youth in Tallahassee, Florida, his birthplace, and in Athens, Georgia. He studied philosophy at the University of Georgia and film at the University of Southern California. May worked for Universal Studios for two years and finally moved to Tennessee, where he films commercials. He has been a musician (saxophone and clarinet), poet, horseman, and screenwriter. Several of his screenplays have appeared on television.

• The Passion of Belle Rio, 2003

May, Bob (1947 - )

Bob grew up in Lake Jackson, Texas. He has been married fifty years. He has one son who lives with his wife and daughter in Franklin, Tennessee. Bob is the author of several illustrated children's books, and since becoming a grandpa, he is even more motivated to share stories with little readers.

• How Billy Joe Bobtail Met Texas Slim, or The Great jackrabbit Race!, illustrated by Don McQueen, 1987, 2020
• Poppa and Elizabeth: A Bobtail Romance, illustrated by Don McQueen,  1988
• The Scary Storm, with Big Bunny and Little Bunny, 2022

May, Dorna McDonald (1943 to Present)

Dorna May grew up on the McDonald Farm on Murray Lane, where her father raised thoroughbred horses. May has received both a B.F.A. and an M.F.A. in drawing and painting from the University of Georgia. She also attended Vanderbilt University, the University of Colorado, and the Harris School in Arezzo, Italy. A serious painter all of her adult life, May has worked as an illustrator and art director for print, film, and television. May has had one-woman shows in Tennessee, Illinois, Florida, California, Indiana and Georgia, and her paintings are included in private collections across the country. In various periods of her adult life, she returned to live and paint on the Murray Lane farm and then moved to a remote place in Hickman County.

• The Turtle, 2003

Mayer, Margery (1923 to Present)

Three years after the close of World War II, Margery, then twenty-five years old, went to Japan to live in Nagasaki, second city to be destroyed by an atomic bomb. She committed to teaching for three years in a girls’ school as part of the “Fellowship of Reconstruction,” a group of fifty youth under age twenty-five recruited by the Methodist Church, responding to an appeal from Japanese church leaders. The premise was that young people could best talk to the Japanese youth trying to rebuild not only their physical lives, but also their whole construct of beliefs.

This experience led Margery to a total of twenty-four years of work in Japan, as well as, administrative positions in Asia for the Asian division of several educational and global organizations. In order to share those post-war years with family and friends, she used her memories, journals and letters she had written, to reconstruct the story of that time in history.

• Repairers of the Breach: Memoirs of a Missionary, Nagasaki, 1948 to 1951, 2009

McAlindon, Harold R.

A native of Bay City, Michigan, Harold McAlindon's experience includes serving as vice president and part of the strategic planning team of HCA during its years of greatest growth. He also served as director, vice-president or CEO of several other health, finance, or business management institutions. He has received national awards for his work and has been named one of the top management speakers in America. His books have sold over four million copies, and his articles have appeared in many respected publications. He lives in Brentwood.

• The Little Book of Big Ideas, 1999

Parlay International:

• The Power of Innovation, 1994
• Innovating Quality, 1994
• Innovating Customer Satisfaction, 1994

Pocket Courses for Executives:

• Innovation, 1994
• Leadership, 1994
• Goal Setting, 1994
• Teamwork, 1994
• Creative Thinking, 1994

Great Idea Books:

• Attitudes for Success, 1994
• Innovation and Creativity, 1994
• Quality and Customer Satisfaction, 1994
• The Brain Bank: Idea Capturing System, 1994
• Management Magic, 1991

Successories:

• Think, 1988
• Quality, 1988
• Customer Care, 1988
• Innovation and Creativity, 1988

McCall, Jack H. (1961 to Present)

Jack McCall spent his childhood and youth in Franklin and was educated at Battle Ground Academy and Vanderbilt University. He entered the army for several varied years of military service after which he attended the University of Tennessee College of Law. Since 1994 he has simultaneously practiced law in Knoxville; written articles on legal, international, and military topics; taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law; and engaged in public service projects. McCall has won several awards for his writing and his public service. His book is an account of his father's World War II experience.

• Pacific Time on Target: Memoirs of a Marine Artillery Officer, 1943-1945 (editor), 2012
• Pogiebait's War, 2001
• Jurimetrics Journal of Law, Science and Technology : "The inexorable advance of technology"? American and international efforts to curb missle proliferation, 1992

McCauley, Mary Bradley (1937 to Present)

Mary Bradley McCauley, a self-described Army brat and Army wife, is the mother of six children and thirteen grandchildren. She attended school in Pennsylvania and Germany and has traveled the world. For eighteen years she was a group tour travel advisor. She moved to Franklin in 2004 to be near three of her children. She described her novel, The House of Annon, as a metaphysical and philosophical exploration of universal one-ness and the desire for personal change.

• The House of Annon, 2004

McClun, Brent

Brent McClun is a speaker, entertainer, musician, writer, composer, aspiring mountaineer, and wilderness traveler. He has worked as a youth pastor, worship leader, drama instructor, business owner and creative living specialist and consultant. He has started and sold several small businesses. Brent has been featured for his creativity in numerous magazines and television shows including People, Chef, Cooking Light, Entrepreneur, Christian Science Monitor, Kansas City Today Show, NBC Dateline and many others. He resides with his wife and two four-legged children in Franklin, Tennessee ... and he loves potatoes!

• Potato Mountain: Trail Guide to Creative Cooking, 2007

McCollum, Chris (1958 to Present)

An avid creator of stories, poems and songs, Chris McCollum finds it hard to stop writing. Born and raised in Memphis Tennessee, he has long loved in Williamson County. His book is a combination of adventure tales and morality fable, understandable on many levels.

• The Land of Nuorg, 2009

McCullough, Edward P.

Edward P. McCullough was raised in Montgomery County, Kentucky. He graduated from Mount Sterling High School in 1974 and the University of Kentucky in 1978. Early retirement in 2005 left ample time to pursue an interest in history. He moved to Williamson County in 1978.

• The Native Americans in Williamson County, Tennessee, 2011
• Early History of Montgomery County, Kentucky, 2009
• Historic Montgomery County, Kentucky, 2006

McCurrach, David

Editor, Kids' Money

• Kids' Allowances: How Much, How Often, and How Come, 2000
• The Allowance Workbook: For Kids and Their Parents

McDonough, James Lee

James Lee McDonough served as the Justin Potter Professor of History at David Lipscomb College and is the author of Shiloh and Stones River.

• Five Tragic Hours: The Battle of Franklin, co-authored with Thomas L. Connelly, 1983

McGee, Caroline (1957 to Present)

A graduate of Stratford High School in Nashville, Caroline McGee subsequently attended David Lipscomb University and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville before earning her medical degree from the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in Memphis. She received her Family Practice training in Roanoke, Virginia. Dr. McGee started a family practice, married, and began raising a family in Brentwood. Through personal experience as a mother and physician, she found a need for children's books that help children and families cope with learning and behavioral disorders. Her book deals with childhood onset bipolar disorder and is geared to ages 8 to 12. Adults have also been able to identify with the characters.

• Matt, the Moody Hermit Crab, 2002

McGeachy, Pat

Born in Atlanta, Pat McGeachy descended from a long line of Presbyterian ministers. Destined to follow in their steps, after receiving an A.B. at Davidson College, he received his B.D. and Th.M. from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and STM and STD degrees at San Francisco Theological Seminary. Most of his pastorates have been in Middle Tennessee with urban ministry as a focus. In addition to illustrating many books, he has been published widely in journals, has written two newspaper columns, worked in radio, taught, and spoken both in and outside the pulpit. He has published much of his poetry set to folk or hymn tunes. McGeachy describes himself as "a poet and preacher from Nolensville, Tennessee."

• The Songs of Pat McGeachy, His Poems from 1936–1995, 1995
• How to Stay Married, 1994
• The International Lesson Annual, 1989–1996
• The Good News Comes to Hemlock Hollow, 1982
• A Country Communion, 1980
• Meet the Presbyterians, 1978
• Help, Lord!, 1978
• Table Talk, 1976
• Light Overcomes Darkness, 1976
• Traveling Light, 1975
• The Westminster Lectionary, 1974
• A Presbyterian Congregation at Worship, 1974
• In the Beginning, 1973
• The Gospel According to Andy Capp, 1973
• Beyond the Facts, Acts, 1973
• The Church, God's Servant People, 1972
• Common Sense and the Gospel, 1969
• A Matter of Life and Death, 1966
• International Lessons for Adults, 1962
• International Lessons for Youth, 1960
• Our Inheritance of Faith, 1958

McGee, Norman and Kay

Norman McGee and his wife, Kay, live in Arrington and have been residents of Williamson County for many years. Both are lifetime residents of Middle Tennessee. As family history enthusiasts, both have been involved in genealogy.

• 1870 United States Census of Putnam County, Tennessee, 1989
• 1880 United States Census of Putnam County, Tennessee, 1989

McGraw, Marjie

Marjie McGraw grew up in Wisconsin and then moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in English. Her professional writing career began in 1980 in Nashville when she took over the column "Rising Stars in New Artists." She became editor of Country Song Roundup and wrote about country music stars for major publications, such as the Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, First, Single Styles, Savoy, Variety, Nashville Lifestyles, CD Review, and Microsoft En Carta Encyclopedia. She scripted a syndicated radio show and for eleven years wrote "Nashville Hotline." She is a contributing writer to Encyclopedia of Country Music. Her interest in music also led to travel writing. McGraw is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and the Society of Professional Journalists.

• ACCESS Nashville and Memphis, 2000
• Absolutely Alabama, 1997
• Great American Country Music Trivia Book, 1997

McGraw, Tim

Tim McGraw is an American singer, song-writer, and actor. With 11 #1 albums, 36 #1 singles, and 58 top 10 singles. He has won 3 Grammy awards, 16 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association awards, 10 American Music awards, and 3 People's Choice awards. Film high-lights include Friday Night Lights, the Oscar-winning The Blind Side, and The Shack.

• Humble & Kind, 2016

McGregor, Jim (1920 to Present)

Born into a family of cattlemen in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, Jim McGregor graduated with a degree in animal husbandry from the University of Maryland. He served as a lead B-24 bomber pilot based in England during World War II. In the late 1950s, McGregor moved to Atlanta and formed McGregor-Vantress, a cattle-breeding corporation. After his company dissolved, he worked in financial sales. In 1996 he and his wife, Phyllis, moved to Brentwood. His writing career began in the 1980s with some short pieces that he finally expanded into his first book.

• Don't Call Me Hero (with Lucas Boyd), 2003
• Grief, the Healer, 1999
• The Tao of Recovery, 1992
• I Love Me Enough to Let Me Go, 1989
• I Love You Enough to Let You Go, 1989

McInerney, Jay (1955 to Present)    

Jay McInerney was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and spent much of his childhood in Europe. He graduated from Williams College and received fellowships from Princeton and Syracuse. After living in London, Vancouver, Tokyo, and New York City, he chose Franklin for his home. His short works have appeared in many periodicals including the Village Voice and the Paris Review.

• Bacchus and Me, 2000
• Model Behavior, 1998
• The Last of the Savages, 1996
• Brightness Falls, 1992
• Story of My Life, 1988
• Bright Lights, Big City, 1984
• Ransom, 1985

McKaskie, Hayden M.    

Hayden McKaskie was the founder of the Nashville Pond Society, a water gardening and Koi club in the Southeast. He has also been the publisher of The Lily Pad, a newsletter for water gardeners and pond keepers. An executive in the computer industry, he chose Franklin as his home.

• Building Your First Pond

McKay, Graham

A graduate of Lipscomb College in Nashville, Tennessee, McKay 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 a truly unique perspective. His extensive collection of over five hundred hymn books provides a rich source of material for his numerous speaking engagements. He enjoys speaking on the history of hymns to Bible classes and at Sunday evening services. most rewarding to him is to observe teens identify with the stories and messages of the hymns allowing them to sing with a new appreciation for their importance.

• A Hymn a Day, 2003

McKelvey, Douglas Kaine    

Born in New Hampshire but raised in Texas, Douglas McKelvey was an eager reader from the first grade, an eagerness which led naturally into writing. Some early "traveling about" ended when he had the opportunity to come to Nashville to work with The Art House Foundation. He has since founded his own song publishing company (Songs Only Dogs Can Hear), married, and moved to Williamson County. His projects include songs, children's books, and Young Readers' novels. One of his projects features the artwork of Thomas Kincaid.

• Locust Pocus, 2001
• A Child's Christmas at St. Nicholas Circle, 1999
• The Angel Knew Papa and the Dog, 1996
• Cattail, Fishscale, and Snakeskin, 1994

McLaughlin, Meg

• My First Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: a touch & feel & sparkle book, adapted by Meg McLaughlin; illustrated by Jason Alexander, 2009.
• My First The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: a touch & feel & sparkle book, adapted by Meg McLaughlin; illustrated by Nick Price, 2009
• Storybook ABCs, illustrated by Tom Bannon, 2008.

McLellan, Elaine Hansen (1940 to Present)

As a member of a large family, a person of many interests, and one with practical knowledge of farming and rural life, Elaine McLellan realized she could take the serious, scholarly work of her brother, Charles E Hansen, The Technology of Love, and render some of his ideas in a form accessible not only to the general public but also to children. Although she lived in Colorado much of her early life, she placed her book in Rudderville, Williamson County her home since 1984. Elaine McLellan is accomplished in business, music, writing and especially the arts of homemaking and log home building.

• Gimpy's Secret…it's what's missing, 2010

McMurray, William J. (1842 to 1905)    

William J. McMurray enlisted in the Twentieth Tennessee Regiment in 1861, eventually reaching the rank of first lieutenant. This regiment fought in every major engagement of the Army of Tennessee and suffered severe casualties. McMurray lost his left arm in the Battle of Atlanta. After the war, he returned to Williamson County and began the practice of medicine in 1869. In 1874 he was appointed to the Board of Health in Nashville and became vice-president of the Nashville Medical Society. A longtime member of the Tennessee Historical Society, he devoted much time to the causes of Confederate veterans.

• History of the Twentieth Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, 1904

Meaders, Jim (1949 to Present)    

Although born in Birmingham, Alabama, Jim Meaders spent his childhood and adolescence in Lakeland, Florida, He became an artist, beginning study at the Ringling School of Art and then graduating from Florida Southern College. He earned an M.F.A. in Visual Studies which included a semester of study in Europe, from Clemson University in South Carolina and went on to teach art on the university level in South Carolina, Georgia, and West Virginia. He finally came to the art department of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. He also writes both fiction and poetry. His first published novel is fiction based on his own adolescence in Lakeland.

• Minds Against Wicked Things, 2013
• Hitchhikers In Each Other's Mind, 2012
• Signals From Passionate Minds, 2011
• The Summer of my Fourteenth Year, 2010

Meyer, J. C.

J. C. Meyer was born in Lawrence, Kansas, the son of a Lutheran minister who moved every seven years. J. C. was raised in Michigan, schooled in Wisconsin and Illinois, and after teaching for nine years and earning a Masters degree in composition and conducting, became a music writer/producer in Nashville, where he currently lives. He won awards in the American Song Festival in the gospel and pop categories, and wrote and produced hundreds of musical commercials for radio, TV, and convention themes. Working among musicians, singers, arrangers, and studio engineers made him aware of the unique talents and skills that everyone has in some capacity. Knowing some miss their calling, or ignore their creative side, he felt lead to write about his observations. Light a Creative Fire encourages readers to find or rediscover creative pursuits that have been bestowed on them by the Creator. J. C. currently writes a blog that presents a spiritual outlook on everyday life, called playdavidsharp.com, and welcomes subscribers to his bi-weekly musings.

Light a Creative Fire, 2020

Miller, Dan (1947 to Present)    

Born in Buffalo, New York, Dan Miller grew up in the farmlands of Ohio. At Ohio State University, he earned a Master's Degree in psychology. From that vantage point, he became an entrepreneur, then a life coach, and finally a writer. He began to write as a means to expand his center of influence, a means to relay his message to more people. He has worked on content for several websites, Sunday School curriculum, and magazines, as well as books. His own life experience and hearing those of other people were the inspiration for him to begin these books.

• 48 Days to the Work You Love, 2005
• 48 Days to the Work You Love, workbook and audio CDs
• 48 Days to Creative Income, workbook and audio CDs

Miller, Nancy Amelia Greer (1902 to 2002)

Born in Thompson's Station, Nancy Amelia Miller attended Franklin schools and Ward-Belmont before receiving her undergraduate and M.A. degrees from Peabody College. She taught and was later director of learning resources at Eastern Kentucky University until her retirement in 1973.

• Homespun Tales, (compiled and edited by Sue Berry and Martha Fuqua), 1989

Mitchamore, Pat    

For thirteen years, Pat Mitchamore was executive director/producer of the Mr. Jack Daniel's Original Silver Cornet Band and was special promotions director for the Jack Daniel's Distillery. She is considered the foremost historian on the distillery. A resident of Brentwood, she has also worked with the James Bear Foundation.

• Postcards from Jack Daniel's: The Spirit of Tennessee Cookbook (co-author), 1995
• Miss Mary Bobo's Boardinghouse Cookbook, 1994
• Tennessee Legend with a Pictorial of Old Bottles and Jugs
• Jack Daniel's Old Time Barbecue Cookbook
• Jack Daniel's Hometown Celebration Cookbook, 1990
• Jack Daniel's The Spirit of Tennessee Cookbook

Monk, Donny    

Donny Monk, a native of Louisiana, has a degree in music from Louisiana State University and has done additional study at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. He has made his home in Williamson County. He has worked as a writer and arranger of music and as a session vocalist.

• Silent Night, a Mouse Tale (co-author, Betsy Hernandez), 1992

Moody, Susan Sims (1970 to Present)    

Susan Sims Moody was born in Memphis and raised in Southaven, Mississippi. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a B.A. in Communications. Her mystery novel is set in a fictitious town in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Susan currently resides in Thompson's Station.

• Flatlands, 2003

Moore, Catherine (1966 to Present )    

Catherine Moore's work has appeared in Grey Sparrow, Tahoma Literary Review, Southeast Review, and in anthologies most recently by Pankhearst Press. Her poems have garnered First Place prizes with both the Mississippi and Alabama State Poetry Society contests. She is the winner of the Southeast Review's 2014 Gearheart Poetry Prize and was nominated to "The Best Small Fictions of 2015." Her chapbook "Story" is available with Finishing Line Press.

• Ulla! Ulla!, 2017
• Story, 2015

Moore, Rodney J. (1967 to Present)    

Rodney was born in Crestline, Ohio and raised in Goheenville, Pennsylvania. He divides his time now between Thompson's Station, Tennessee and Asheville, North Carolina. With degrees in Communications and Journalism, Rodney has held several editorial and communications positions with national publications, as well as with media/broadcasting companies. He now writes full time.

• The Bun Also Rises: an Inspiring True Story of Bravery, Bull-headedness, Branding, and Yes, Buns, 2007
• Design Secrets: Layout, 2004

Moore-Slater, Carole W.

• Dana Doesn't Like Guns Anymore, illustrated by Leslie Morales, 1987.

Moorehead, Cleatus    

Cleatus Moorehead, a former resident of Brentwood, was born in Arkansas City, Kansas, graduated from Midwestern University, and has an M.A. from Tennessee State University. For many years she taught kindergarten at Scales Elementary and later served for several years as a Gifted Consultant for the Williamson County school system.

• Creative Pathways: A Curriculum Guide for the Talented and Very Able Child, (editor and co-author), 1983
• WEE Learn: A Curriculum Guide for Five-Year-Olds (with others), 1995
• Math Made Fun for Young Children, 1981
• If I Were…, 1979

Morgan, Marshall (1908 to 1967)    

Descended from Williamson County pioneers, Marshall Morgan was born in New Orleans but grew up in Franklin and later attended Tulane University. Before he was 30, he had written an account of the Battle of Franklin. In the early years of his writing, he was recipient of the Southern Poetry Award. During World War II he served in both combat intelligence and combat correspondence for Star and Stripes. An authority on the Civil War, he was published in Harper's, Sewanee Review, and other periodicals. He also wrote radio dramas depicting southern history that were produced on Nashville radio stations. Morgan wrote for both the Nashville Banner and the Tennessean, and for many years he wrote a local history column "Here Today…" for the Review Appeal.

• The Battle of Franklin, 1936

Morris, Shelly Gail    

A year's life in Franklin inspired a whole book of short stories. Shelly Morris grew up in Georgia but spent a wonderful year in Franklin in 1995. Then she moved to Napierville, Illinois, near Chicago. In addition to her collections, she has short stories published in journals.

• Ordinary Women, Not, 2003
• The Wondrous Ways of Women, 2001

Moses, Timothy J. (1968 to Present)    

Timothy Moses spent his early years in the Grassland community. His family moved to Rochester, Minnesota, where his father was a research scientist for the Mayo Clinic. When Dr. Moses became head of Vanderbilt's cancer research program, Moses finished high school at Battle Ground Academy. His talents with computers enabled him to start a successful computer business while still an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt, and he has continued to be a leader in that field.

• Lawyer's Guide to Marketing on the Internet (with Greg Suskind), 1996

Moseley, Stephen

Stephen Moseley is the co-founder and vice president of CoolPeopleCare, Inc. As a communications consultant and design professional focusing on the work of nonprofits, Stephen has worked to build brands through meaningful connections while empowering hard-working organizations to control their message and mission through the creative and efficient use of technology.

• New Day Revolution: How to Save the World in 24 Hours, with Sam Davidson, 2007

Mosley, Ernest E    

Ernest E Mosley was born in Texarkana, Arkansas, and received his B.A. degree from Ouachita Baptist College and his master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been a pastor at various Baptist churches in Arkansas, Louisiana, Hawaii, and Australia, and has been a supervisor in the Church Administration Department of the Baptist Sunday School Board. He edited The Baptist Program from 1987 to 1993. He was executive vice-president of the Southern Baptist Convention's executive committee from 1987 to April, 1998. He has held many leadership positions in church and community service organizations.

• Basics for New Baptists, 1990
• Basics for New Baptists, Youth Edition, 1990
• Priorities in Ministry, 1978
• Leadership Profiles from Bible Personalities, 1975
• The Up Side of Down: Helps for Hospital Patients, 1974
• Vocational Guidance in a Church (co-author), 1974
• Called to Joy: A Design for Pastoral Ministries, 1973
• The Deacon Family Ministry Plan, 1973

Mudigonda, Ashwin 1981 to Present)    

Ashwin Mudigonda was born in Hyderabad, India ; he grew up in Madras, India. His interest in writing began during his college days when looking for reasons to procrastinate from studying. He discovered Stephen King, Peter Benchely, Michael Crichton, Robin Cook and other American authors. After that he was hooked on reading, then not long after he began to develop ideas for short stories which led him into writing.

The turning point in his writing occurred when he won a national level short story writing competition. After reading his firs Salman Rushdie novel, he was drawn to literary works from Indian authors. Nearly ten years after writing his first short story, he wrote a first novel.

His professional studies took him in the direction of electrical engineering where he received a Master's Degree. He works as a robotics engineer with androids designing software and hardware for performing complex chores.

Mudigonda lives in Franklin, Tennessee.

• Kamappan's Revenge, 2011, ebook

Mullins, Barbara S., Ed. D.

Barbara Mullins is a native of Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  After graduating from high school, she earned a B. A. in English and Psychology and an M. A. in Counselor Education from Western Kentucky University, and later earned a Doctoral Degree in Educational Administration from Tennessee State University. Barbara realized she had a love for writing while in college and began writing poetry and essays. Her long-time goal was to write a book when she retired. After thirty years with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, she retired in 2016 and began writing her first book, Be Kind and Play Nice.   Her career as an educator was significant to the content of her book which discourages bullying and other inappropriate behaviors.  Barbara resides in Franklin.

• Be Kind and Play Nice, 2020

Nally, Susan Ward (1947 - )

Susan Ward Nally was born in Louisville, Kentucky. She graduated from John Overton High School in Nashville in 1965 and Western Kentucky University in 1969. She taught school in Kentucky and was a substitute teacher in the Williamson County school system. Nally has done contract work for the Tennessee Baptist Convention and Lifeway Christian Resources. She has tutored at the Tennessee Baptist Children's Home and has participated in several mission trips to Honduras. Nally lives in Brentwood.

• How to Say Yes! To All the Best Choices (and Really Mean It), 1994
• How to Stay Cool When Things Are Tough (and Really Like It), 1994
• How to Feel Most Excellent! About Who You Are (and Really Enjoy It) (co-author), 1994

Napier, Kim

•  Squandered Gifts: A White Grandma's Journey into African America, 2007

Nash, Nola

Originally from south Louisiana, Nola Nash now makes her home in Brentwood, Tennessee, with her three children. Growing up in Baton Rouge, she spent long hours onstage or backstage in the local community theaters, and writing stories. Her biggest inspiration was the city of New Orleans that gave her at an early age a love of magic, mystery, and history. 

 Nola has a Masters degree in education, which means, when she isn’t writing, Nola is teaching middle school English and co-directing the school plays and musicals. If the weather is warm enough, she’s out on her deck tending her garden and suburban wildlife that hang out there. 

• Crescent City Moon, 2019

Nash, Randall Boyd

Nash, a graduate of the University of Tennessee, is retired after a 38-year career in telecommunications and information technology. He and his wife, Thelma, reside in Fairview, Tennessee - within easy driving distance of their two sons and daughters-in-law, and their three grandchildren.

• 21 Months a Soldier: a Memoir, 2017

Natchez Trace Parkway Association

• Building the Natchez Trace Parkway (Images of America), 2012

Nelson, Shawn-Michelle (1971 - )

With a base formed by a literary family—parents who are poets and songwriters, Shawn-Michelle began writing almost naturally. Her childhood and youth in Malibu, California, deeply shaped her sensibilities. Then she attended Belmont University in Nashville and majored in journalism. She is the author, journalist and illustrator of more than 100 published works, including feature articles, record reviews, poetry compilations, self-help and children's books. Nelson has written several books about the spiritual journey in which she strives to speak straight to the soul. She founded her own publishing company, Mornin' Light Media, in 2004.

• Hope, 2004

Netterville, John T, Sr. (1930 - )

John T. Netterville Sr. was born in 1930 and attended David Lipscomb University, George Peabody College, Cornell University, the University of Mississippi, and Vanderbilt University. He was a science teacher in public and private schools and a chemistry professor at David Lipscomb University. From 1980 to 1984 he served as superintendent of the Williamson County School System. Later, he taught chemistry and physics at Brentwood High School and was a part-time guest professor at David Lipscomb before retirement.

• World of Chemistry-Essentials, 1993
• Laboratory Manual for World of Chemistry, 1991
• World of Chemistry, 1991, 2nd ed. 1996
• Chemistry, Impact on Society, 1988
• La chimica, l'uomo e la società : le basi della chimica, 1976, 1983
• Chemistry and the Environment, 1973
• Laboratory Manual for Chemistry, Man, and Society, 1972
• Chemistry, Man, and Society, 1972
• Laboratory Manual for Chemistry, a Brief Introduction, 1970
• Chemistry, a Brief Introduction, 1969

Next Generation Heritage Foundation

• A Taste of Historic Franklin, 2009

Nichols, Nancy

Nancy Nichols is an author, motivational speaker and successful businesswoman whose life's quest has been to understand the winning attitudes and behavior that will attract the Right man. Secrets of the Ultimate Husband Hunter is the pinnacle of her experiences, research and her passion to help women maximize their ability to find, connect with (even marry) the love of their life.

• Secrets of the Ultimate Husband Hunter: How to Attract men, Enjoy Dating and Recognize the Love of Your Life, 2008.

Nightingale, Pamela

Pamela Nightingale has had a love for animals, nature, art, and classical music from an early age. She studied Royal Conservatory of Music and taught piano lessons in Franklin, Tennessee, for several years. Bowie Park Stables is where she keeps her horse, Montana. Bowie Nature Park, in Fairview Tennessee, is the sanctuary where you can find her riding on the Loblolly trails on a sunny day. This is where her inspiration and butterfly dreams come true. Pamela has a focus on gifting her books to children, classrooms, hospitals, and libraries to encourage a love for reading.

She grew up In Calgary, Alberta Canada. Her family moved to Franklin Tennessee around the same time the Predators hockey team and Titans came to Nashville.  Pamela has a bubble gum pink craft room where she creates children’s books and works on her many projects.  She loves painting, decorating, and traveling and is happiest at the stable with her horse or spending time with her family and King Charles puppy. (photo by K. Blair Photography)

• Montana's New Day, based on the true story of a horse named "Montana," illustrations by Christa Clopton, 2021

Nix, Don

Born and reared in Memphis, Don Nix left high school in 1955 and spent the next 20 years as a blues and rock and roll musician. He has written and produced with Stack Records. His autobiography includes recipes of some of the artists who were part of his life on the road. An amateur photographer, he has published two calendars featuring photographs of those musicians. He lived several years in Franklin before finding a remote farm farther south.

• Road Stories and Recipes, 1997

Nolensville Historical Society

• Nolensville Historical Society Journal No. 2, 2006
• Nolensville Historical Society Journal No. 3, 2007
• Nolensville Historical Society Journal No. 4, 2008
• Nolensville Historical Society Journal No. 5, 2009
• Nolensville Historical Society Journal No. 6, 2010

Norman, Naomi

A teacher by profession and artist by disposition, Naomi feels that teaching and creating are equally important in her life. When not drawing, painting, or sewing, or tending to business, Naomi loves to teach. Over the years, her wonderful designs have received national recognition. 

• Picture Perfect Patchwork from Piecemaker Keepsakes, 1993

Norris, Dorry Baird  

Dorry Baird Norris, a native of Suffern, New York, used her degree from Cornell School of Home Economics to raise a family of five children, after which she became director of the Consumer Opportunity Program. In this capacity she became interested in using herbs as a means of developing better food and then in growing and cooking with herbs. She published Wine and Herbs in conjunction with the New York Cayuga Trail. She has published several pamphlets and a quarterly newsletter entitled Sage Advice. In 1993 she moved her extensive herb garden to Williamson County.

• Sage Cottage Herb Garden Cookbook, 1995
• Wine and Herbs, 1991
• The Sage Cottage Herb Garden Book: Celebrations, Recipes, and Herb Gardening Tips for Every Month of the Year, 1991

Northern, George A. (1931 - )  

George Northern was the eleventh child of Thomas and Charlotte Berry Northern in the Grassland area of Williamson County. His mother's roots go back to the Berry's Chapel area. Much of his early career was served in the Williamson County school system where he was guidance counselor at Natchez High School for many years and then the first principal of Scales School. His interest in history has led him to teach, record, and create much of the important educational history of the county. As a lifelong member of Greater Pleasant View Baptist Church, he was naturally chosen to co-author its history.

• From Whence We Came: The History of Greater Pleasant View Baptist Church. 1894 to 1999 (with Katie Kinnard White), 1999

Norwood, Ben  

A native of Dallas, Texas, Ben Norwood studied at Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas where he had a double major in English and Portuguese and a minor in French. He also studied as a Gulbenkian Foundation Fellow at the University of Lisbon. His linguistic training has served him well in his work for American Airlines in International Security and International Flight Service. His volume of poems includes one inspired by a spot he found while cycling in West Williamson County. The book contains poems written over his lifetime, many of which have been previously published.

• Plenum, 1999

Nowak, Barbara  

Barbara Nowak is a native of New Jersey and lived in Washington, D.C. and southern California before moving to Franklin. She received a bachelor's degree in political science from Beaver College in Glenside, Pennsylvania. She worked in public relations and as an independent special events consultant. Nowak became interested in cooking after her marriage to Paul, a lawyer and songwriter. She has written newspaper columns for the Tennessean, including a review of restaurants and a how-to for home sellers. With her sister, she has developed a weekly radio show, "Taste of Nashville...With the Saucy Sisters." She has also been a regular guest on many local and national radio and TV productions.

• The Saucy Sisters Guide to Wine: What Every Girl Should Know Before She Uncorks, 2004
• Insider's Guide to the Best Places to Eat in Nashville (with Beverly Wichman), 1997
• Cook It Right! The Comprehensive Source for Substitutions, Equivalents and Cooking Tips, 1979
• The Everything Wine Book: from Chardonnay to Zinfandel, all you need to make the perfect choice, 1997

— O —

O'Brien, Maureen, Illustrator

Born in 1962 and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1989, where I lived until moving to historic Franklin in 2008. I am inspired by the beauty of Tennessee as reference material for my artwork and my illustration work - and love living in historic Franklin. I majored in illustration and design, receiving a BFA at Kendall College of Art & Design/Ferris State University in Michigan, and MFA at the Hartford Art School/University of Hartford in Connecticut. I work out of my home studio in historic Franklin, providing Illustration and design for corporate, editorial and advertising clients, specializing in stylized realism/humorous & conceptual as well as children's books & magazines in a variety of traditional, digital & mixed media. Clients include Kellogg Co., Nestle Foods, Herman Miller, and numerous Book Publishers, like Charlesbridge, Kregel & Baker Books. I also teach as an adjunct professor of illustration, graphic design & studio art foundations at local universities and art colleges. My work has been featured in art shows, galleries and publications nationwide, with awards and recognition from Society of Illustrators NYC, Steelcase Fine Art Exhibit and Society of Illustrators LA. Locally I have exhibited in the WCPLTN grid row, Vanderbilt University Sarratt Art Center, The Nashville Airport showcase, Franklin Art Crawl, Many local Nashville/Franklin group shows, such as Athens Paper ‘Show-Off’art show, Marathon Village illustrator showcase, SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) Mid-South Region Conference portfolio group showcase, to name a few.

• You See a Zoo, I See ... , with Michael Downs, 2022
• Willy the Panther Cat, with Jean Simmons, 2014
• Babba and I Went Hunting today, a Kregel Kidzone Imprint, with Stacy Barton, 2006, 2012
• "Bear Baby," "Koala Kid," and "Little Chick,"  Boardbook series - Dalmatian Press, 2001
• Once Upon a Time in Bethlehem, Dove award winning Children's Musical for WORD Pub/entertainment, 2000

Oden, Sue Barton

Sue Oden grew up in Oak Hill in Davidson County and was part of the first class of Belmont College. She and her husband, John, moved to their farm in Thompson's Station in 1970 and reared their two children near the place where John's ancestors had settled in 1813. Interested in family history since she was a teenager, Oden has researched her family and her neighbors' families for many years. To share her findings, she began writing a column for a local paper. She has also been actively involved in community projects. These two interests merged as she wrote and published History of Thompson's Station as a county Bicentennial project and as a fund-raiser for the community park.

• Hold Us Not Boastful: History of Thompson's Station, Tennessee, and Its People, 1997
• Third Annual Williamson County Public Library History Lecture Series: Communities and How They Grew, 2001, with Rick Warwick and E. C. Wallace, Sr., ("Thompson's Station, Tennessee," by Sue Barton Oden)

Ogilvie, Anita Rodgers

In 1992, Walter and Anita Ogilvie purchased the farm and home in College Grove that was to become Peacock Hill Country Inn. The business has since closed, but Anita left us with this wonderful cookbook to enjoy.

• Peacock Pantry: Favorite Recipes from Peacock Hill Country Inn, 2002

Oldham, Bethenia McLemore (1867 - )

A brief autobiography and more lengthy diary entries published in the Williamson County Historical Society Journal 2001 tell the story of Bethenia McLemore's childhood and teenage years in Franklin. She was part of a large family which took part in the town's activities—school, church, and visits to friends and relatives. Oden wrote a book of biographies of major men in the state.

• Tennessee and Tennesseans, 1901

Oldham, Robert K.  

An internationally recognized cancer specialist, Dr. Oldham founded the Biological Therapy Institute (BTI) in Franklin in 1984. Prior to founding BTI, he initiated the National Cancer Institute's Biological Response Modifier Program and established Vanderbilt University's Oncology Division. He is the author of three books and more than 400 scientific papers.

• The Cure, 1991
• Principles of Cancer Biotherapy, 1987, 2nd ed. 1991, 3rd ed. 1998
• Bio-Ethics, 1992

Olds, J. Howard

The Reverend Dr. J. Howard Olds is Senior Pastor of the Brentwood United Methodist Church, one of the largest United Methodist churches in the nation. Dr. Olds pastored his first church at age eighteen, beginning a life of service to local congregations in Kentucky and Tennessee. He has inspired countless people through his weekly sermons, his motivational Faith Breaks radio and television spots, and in his previous book Faith Breaks: Thoughts on Making it a Good Day.

• Led to Follow: Leadership Lessons from an Improbable Pastor and a Reluctant CEO, with Cal Turner, Jr., 2008

O'Neil, Donna

Donna O'Neil is an author, editor and transplanted New Englander now living in Franklin, Tennessee. Her book, “Frankie the Pencil Goes Exploring,” was inspired by a Franklin Fire Department pencil that sat in Donna O’Neil’s pen cup on her desk.

• Frankie the Pencil Goes Exploring, 2014

O'Neill, Jennifer

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jennifer O'Neill moved with her family to Connecticut and New York where her stellar career began. Well known for her acting credits, Jennifer is also an accomplished author. With a broad range of successes in modeling, movies, and TV, Jennifer had ample material for her life story which launched her writing career. While living in Williamson County, she began Jennifer O'Neill Ministries which has prompted many speaking engagements. She continues to live in the Nashville area where she raises, trains, and shows champion jumping horses.

• A Winter of Wonders, 2007
• A Late Spring Frost, 2007
• A Fall Together, 2006
• You're Not Alone, 2005
• From Fallen to Forgiven, 2004
• Surviving Myself, 1999

O'Neill, Suzannah  

Suzannah O'Neill moved to Williamson County in 1952 and spent her adolescence in Franklin. She graduated from Vanderbilt University and Peabody College as a special education major. She served as a Pan-American flight attendant on military transport charters during the Vietnamese conflict. O'Neill married Franklin attorney Ed Silva and began to write.

• Innismere, 1991
• Return to Innismere, 1991

Oosting, Kenneth W (1936 - )  

Born and reared in Muskegon, Michigan, Dr. Oosting received a B.A. at the University of Michigan, an M.A. at Central Michigan University, and a Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota. He was a teacher and administrator at several colleges and Academic Dean for ten years at Milligan College near Johnson City, Tennessee. He founded a consulting firm, which works with Christian colleges and universities around the country. In 1996 he helped establish Williamson Christian College of which he became president and professor.

• Strategic Planning for Private Higher Education (with others), 1997
• The Christian's Guide to Effective Personal Management, 1997, 2003

O'Toole, Jack  

Jack O'Toole grew up in Michigan and worked for General Motors for nineteen years before joining Saturn in 1984. As part of the "Team of 99" who created the model for the Saturn Corporation, he traveled widely. He was vice president-at-large and a senior consultant for the company. He retired in 1996. O'Toole has written many articles for research journals.

• Forming the Future: Lessons from the Saturn Corporation, 1996

O'Rourke, Dennis  

Dennis O'Rourke is a two-time BMI Award winner and composer of the number one country music hit, Honky Tonk Moon. After attending the University of Massachusetts, the Boston-born entertainer joined the Merchant Marine, sailing to the Far East. In 1974, O'Rourke went to Ireland and worked as a book reviewer. Returning to America, he began performing music full-time. O'Rourke then relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, to work in the music business. He now performs with Irish entertainers and that is how he conceived the idea for his book. O'Rourke resides in Fairview, Tennessee.

• Clean Cabbage in the Bucket and Other Tales From the Irish Music Trenches, 2007

Owen, Donna K.

• Where Did All the Money Go?, 2007

Owen, Jane Bowman (1879 - 1978)  

Between 1935 and 1953, Jane Owen published 900 interviews of Williamson County residents. Her choices of person covered every geographical part and social element of the county. The publication of her work, now arranged in alphabetical order, is a great boon to Williamson County historians. Jane Owen was born, educated, and lived her married life in Williamson County. She taught both elementary and high school, wrote for two newspapers—The Williamson County News and The Review-Appeal, and worked in the offices of the Franklin Funeral Home and Farm Bureau. With this rooted but varied experience, she depicted the citizens of the county with an appreciative and encompassing point of view.    

• Who's Who in Williamson County: Volume 1, A-E, (edited by Rick Warwick), 2003

Ramirez, Leonardo

Leonardo Ramirez is a writer whose joy first comes from being a husband and a dad and enjoying life with his family. Then it's off to karate where he trains and teaches as a 2nd Degree Black Belt along with his family at the American Karate Academy. His first published work released as a graphic novel titled, Haven. Leonardo has appeared GMX (Geek Media Expo), Nashville Comic-Con, Southern Festival of Books, and hosted an event right here at the Williamson County Library.

His work made one of the top ten best new releases for 2010 by Gelati's Scoop and has been featured on Comics About Girls by a Girl Podcast as well as The Columbia Herald, Playstation Comics, Megacomics Weekly and many others. View Leonardo Ramirez's website.

• Haven, 2010

Ramsey, Dave

Dave Ramsey graduated from Antioch High School and attended University of Tennessee–Knoxville. Returning to Nashville, he entered the real estate business but after phenomenal success, found himself at rock bottom, a victim of the changing climate in real estate and banking. Ramsey's book, syndicated radio show, and Financial Peace University seminars share the lessons he learned as he dealt with this experience, both financially and spiritually.

• The Legacy Journey: A Radical View of Biblical Wealth and Generosity, 2014
• Smart Money, Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation To Win With Money, 2014
• Entreleadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom From the Trenches, 2011
• Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide To Money: The Handbook of Financial Peace University, 2011
• How to Have More Than Enough, 2009
• The Total Money Makeover, 2003, 2007
• 48 Days to the Work You Love (with Dan Miller), 2007
• Battle of the Chores: Junior Discovers Debt, 2005
• A Special Thank You: Junior Discovers Integrity, 2005
• The Money Answer Book, 2005
• Big Birthday Surprise: Junior Discovers Giving, 2004
• The Super Red Racer: Junior Discovers Work, 2003
• My Fantastic Field Trip: Junior Discovers Work, 2003
• Careless At The Carnival: Junior Discovers Saving, 2003
• Financial Peace Revisited, 2002
• Priceless, 2001
• More Than Enough, 1999
• Financial Peace Planner: A Step-By-Step Guide To Restoring Your Family's Financial Health,1998
• Financial Peace, 1992, 1995

Ray, Christie Jones 

Christie Jones Ray is a former teacher who began writing a blog in 2011, sharing stories of her handmade mouse, named after her four-foot-tall great grandmother. Her grandson had so many adventures with the toy mouse that her husband encouraged her to write a children's book. It took much convincing, but by summer's end, she had written the text that would become material for a series of books about Eliza the Mouse at Granny's House. She is a self-taught artist who only began drawing and working with watercolors in the Fall of 2011, at the age of fifty. She lives in Franklin Tennessee with her husband.

• Eliza Visits Martha's Vineyard, 2014

Ray, Margaret Green

After years of private practice, Margaret Green Ray (Nannie) has gone public with her favorite recipes. From presidents to paupers, taste buds have been tantalized by her culinary delights. We appreciate this grand gesture on her part and know that you too will enjoy her efforts.

• Fountain Favorites 5 Points Drugstore, 1988

Redick, W Paul (1911 - 2002)

W. Paul Redick, a native of Camden, was a graduate of Cumberland University, Peabody College, and Vanderbilt University. He is best known as headmaster of Battle Ground Academy from 1950 through 1968. Redick served as teacher, coach, and intramural director at Castle Heights Military Academy and as Tennessee state director of special schools. From 1936 to 1960, he served as director at Camp Hy-Lake in the Cumberland Mountain area.

• They Preached Me a Sermon, 1984
• It Happened at Hy-Lake, 1972

Reed, Alison Touster  

Alison Touster Reed was born in Nashville and moved to Williamson County as a child. She received her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Master of Arts (M.A.) degrees from Vanderbilt University, and she was founding editor of the Cumberland Poetry Review. Reed has been published in more than 100 magazines, and critics favorably received her poetry books.

• Bid Me Welcome, 1978
• The First Movement, 1976

Reese, Andrew  

Andrew Reese was born in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His interest in writing began with his father who was a popular writer of articles and stories about antique cars. After receiving a civil engineering degree from Cornell University in 1975, he obtained a masters degrees in water resources and business from Colorado State University and Boston University respectively. His technical articles, some of which are considered classics, culminated in a bestselling textbook called Municipal Stormwater Management. In 2006 he began a nonprofit organization called The Freedom Resource. It supports the "Sozo" model of emotional healing which is spreading as a network among first responders around the world. He is a popular speaker in his technical field and in the area of inner healing. He lives in Burwood.

• Freedom Tools, 2008
• Municipal Stormwater Management, 1996, 2003 (2nd edition)

Reeser, Joyce (1940 - Present)  

Born and raised in Illinois, Joyce Reeser was interested in writing in her youth, but she waited until she had plenty of interesting life experience before producing her published book. As an adult in Illinois, she owned a bridal shop for more than a decade. Involved in many aspects of the brides' weddings she experienced many situations, both beautiful and comic. Now living in Franklin she is involved with a family owned decorating and upholstery business, though she still consults for friends' weddings. Her memories of the brides, their mothers and the grooms at her bridal shop are vivid. The more humorous of these are gathered into her book.

• The Gown, the Veil, the Tux, and the Tales, 2009

Reny, Anna

Anna began writing stories when she was 13 years old, but her interest began while attending Page Middle School. She had an assignment to write "the next big movie," a personal interest story of one's own creation, so, she went to work writing my favorite fantasy story about dragons. She has also been involved in theater where she was once an actress in both plays and musicals. She is also an animal lover and has volunteered at the local animal shelter to help animals find loving and caring homes. 

• Dragon TaiL, 2013
• The Dragon of Legend is Reborn, 2013

Reid, John (1784 - 1816)  

Major John Reid was a Virginia native, but he moved to Tennessee in 1807. He settled in Franklin in 1809, where he practiced law. Reid served as Andrew Jackson's military secretary throughout the Indian wars and at the Battle of New Orleans. He had written only the first four chapters of The Life of Andrew Jackson when he died. Major Reid's friend, John Henry Eaton, completed the volume. The book appeared from a Philadelphia publisher with both names on the title page.

• The Life of Andrew Jackson (with John Henry Eaton), 1817

Reynolds, Richard Samuel (1893 - )  

Richard Samuel Reynolds was born in 1893 to Hendley and Lena Taylor Reynolds, in Franklin, Tennessee. He studied at the Institute, the old Ninth District Public School, under Miss Mabel Johnson. He then attended Battle Ground Academy. After embarking on his career as an engineer, he built a dormitory for Middle Tennessee Teachers' College (now Middle Tennessee State University) in Murfreesboro.

• The Engineer Reports: We Would Be Building with Stone, Brick and Steel; and a Way of Life as an Engineer Finds It, 1972

Rhoda, Nancy

Nancy Rhoda grew up sifting through century-old diaries at her family's summer home in the mountains of California. The early allure of pictures and stories eventually led her to The Tennessean in Nashville, where she began working in 1974 as the newspaper's first woman photojournalist. During her 25-plus years there, her honors included a 1981 nomination for the Pulitzer Prize in Public Service for the team series on the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan. That same year, she became the first female photojournalist to win a Nieman Fellowship to Harvard. Her retirement from The Tennessean coincided with the founding of The Land Trust for Tennessee. Remembering that her father had put their property in a land trust decades earlier, she instinctively undertook the mission, and has been promoting it through her photographs ever since. 

• Home to Us: Six Stories of Saving the Land, photographed by Nancy Rhoda; written by Varina Willse, 2012

Rhodes, Constance (1971 - Present)  

From a childhood in Brighton, Michigan, and college years in Dallas, Texas, Constance Rhodes moved to Nashville in 1993 hoping to land a record deal. Instead, she found herself working for Sparrow Records as marketing director until her personal experience with disordered eating and chronic dieting led her to establish Finding Balance, an organization to help others resolve the problems of eating disorders and lifestyle management. As part of her work, she has written a practical book on the subject as well as continuing to write and speak nationally about the life-changing freedom of true self-acceptance. Rhodes lives in Franklin with her husband and son.

• Life Inside the Thin Cage, 2003

Rhodes, Kathy Hardy  

Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, Kathy Rhodes is a sixth-generation Mississippian, who moved to Franklin in 1988. Her works have appeared in magazines, newspapers, and literary anthologies, including Simon & Schuster's Chocolate for a Woman's Soul II and all three editions of Our Voices. She is the creator and editor of the e-zine Muscadine Lines: A Southern Journal, a Place for Emerging and Established Writers to Publish Their Works. Her first book is a collection of 50 personal essays.

• Pink Butterbeans, Stories from the heart of a Southern woman, 2005
• Gathering: Writers of Williamson County, ed., 2009
• Muscadine Lines: A Southern Anthology, 2006

Rieke, Thomas C. (1935 - Present)  

Thomas C. Rieke, a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was a United Methodist pastor for more than thirty-five years and served four different churches in Ohio from 1959 to 1972. He then lived in Williamson County for more than ten years while serving the United Methodist Church and other organizations in the area of finance and stewardship. He has written numerous articles on the subject. Rieke moved to Oakland, California, to head his own firm, the Network for Charitable Giving.

• The Generosity Option: Planning Options for Contemporary Disciples, 2002
• Funds for the Future of the Church, 1999
• VISION/30, 1998
• Generous People in Action, 1993
• Strengthening Our Congregation's Stewardship, 1981
• How to Give Away Your Debts and Other Experiences in Stewardship, 1980
• The Circuit Rider, 1979
• Opportunities in Stewardship for Concerned Christians in a Local Church (with John C. Espic), 1975

Riley, Jeanne C.

Jeannie C. Riley is an American country music and gospel singer. She is best known for her 1968 country and pop hit "Harper Valley PTA", which missed by one week simultaneously becoming the Billboard Country and Pop number-one hit. (Wikipedia)

• From Harper Valley to the Mountain Top, with Jamie Buckingham, 1981

Riley, Tom  

Tom Riley grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on the campus of the Potter Children's Home where his father was superintendent. He attended college at David Lipscomb University and then became a minister, serving churches in several places before coming to Franklin in 1994 as the senior minister of the Fourth Avenue Church of Christ. He has also been an adjunct teacher of Bible at Lipscomb. On submitting several topics to Covenant Publishers, he was encouraged to write on baptism, resulting in his first book. The more recent book is intended to assist small prayer groups and includes both text and space for journaling.

• Praying with Jesus: Experiencing New Depths in Prayer (with Tom Cook), 2001
• Dying to Live Again: the Grace of Baptism, 2000

Ring, Charlene S.

• Harpeth Presbyterian Church, 1811-2011, published 20ll

Ritt, Demetrius B. 

• How Long Do Hugs Last?, 2023

Ritter, Helma

Helma grew up in Stuttgart, Germany, and started cooking with her father a a young child. She married Walter Ritter, who was stationed in Vietnam with the U.S. Army when she was teaching German at the University of Saigon. They were married in Savannah, Georgia and have since lived in Washington, Nebraska, Oregon, North Carolina and Virginia before moving to Nashville. Helma opened her restaurant, Helma's Soupkettle, on Union Street in Nashville.

• Helma's International Favorites: 100 Recipes as shown on TV Noon Shows, with Judy Sliger, 1983.

Rizzo, Ann Marie (1947 - Present)  

Ann Marie Rizzo is a native of Buffalo, New York, where she studied political science at Ithaca College. She obtained her Ph.D. from Syracuse University. Rizzo was director of the Institute for Public Management at Florida International University in Miami. In 1988 she moved to Franklin and became professor of public administration at Tennessee State University. She has published numerous articles in professional journals.

• The Integration of Women in Management, 1991
• Innovations in Teaching Public Affairs and Administration, 1981

Roberson, Susan McDonald (1953 - Present)  

Susan McDonald Roberson was born in Nashville where she graduated from Glencliff High School and David Lipscomb University. She became a self-employed accountant and has lived in Brentwood since 1986. Roberson has an active interest in genealogy and family history.

• The Martin-Barnhill Families (with Louise Lynch), 1985
• The Stephenson Family: Past and Present, 1984

Roberts, Linda

A former columnist and Talent Executive with NBC, CBS and USA networks, Roberts completed a 35 year run in the entertainment world. Retired, she now lives in Franklin, Tennessee, enjoying her family: 10 grandchildren, 4 greats, 2 doodles and a Chihuahua. She is a public speaker on Endometrial Cancer and an Instructor on how to make a living in Hollywood. 

• Poems From My Heart, 2023

Roberts, Patti

Patti Roberts is the former Mrs. Richard Roberts. A recording and concert artist, she appeared for several years on the Oral Roberts primetime TV specials as well as the regular weekly telecast. She has recently recorded a new album for WORD, Winter to Spring. She and her two daughters, Christi and Juli, now make their home in Franklin, Tennessee.

• Ashes to Gold, with Sherry Andrews, 1983

Robertson, Tommy G. (1939 - Present)  

“I Am Not Nothin’….” is Robertson’s first novel, released in 2017. He is best known for his extensive work in television production as an award winning journalist, broadcast executive, producer, writer, and director of film and television projects.

Robertson’s films and television programs have been honored with more than 100 National and International awards including the Peabody, multiple Emmy’s, The National Achievement in Children’s Television Award along with numerous top honors from major film & television festivals. He recently received lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Television Arts and Science.

Robertson's programs have been seen on ABC, NBC, HBO, Showtime, TNN, The Disney Channel, PBS, A & E, the History Channel, Nickelodeon, TNN, and in Worldwide Syndication. Among the positions he has held are: Executive Producer AVCO Broadcasting Films, News Director WLW-TV & Radio Cincinnati, Executive Producer “America the Young Experience” distributed by MGM, Executive Producer of the highly acclaimed and long running “Young Peoples Specials” produced in association with the NBC Stations Division, Vice-President of Special Programs Multimedia Entertainment in NYC, and President of Grayson Communications in Brentwood Tennessee. As a writer, producer, and director he has provided production services to major cable and broadcast networks with scores of national credits for prime time documentaries, drama’s, daily music-variety series, specials, cable series, and mini-series.

He has served as a Consultant and Panelist for the National Endowment for the Humanities - Board of Distinguished Judges for the New York Film and Television Festival – on the Board of the Tennessee Screenwriters Association – and has appeared as a speaker and panelist at the NAB, NATPE, A.C.T, and a number of university symposiums. Robertson and his wife Memorie live in Brentwood, Tennessee.

• I Am Not Nothin' :The Serpent Handler's Daughter, 2017

Robinson, Betty Jean Rhodes

Betty Jean Rhodes Robinson grew up in Straight Creek, Kentucky, on the Kentucky side of the Cumberland Gap. Music was an important part of life there. After high school, she went to Washington D.C. where she worked as a typist at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the last days of Herbert Hoover. She and her husband built a home in Brentwood during the 1970s. Betty Jean began to write music and in 1973 was Billboard's choice for female country songwriter of the year. Robinson developed her own television program, "Up on Melody Mountain," seen on the Trinity Broadcasting Network which is shown around the world on twenty-seven satellites. She has sung in Israel, Haiti, and Jamaica, and given performances on Indian reservations and in prisons. Some of her gospel songs have been translated into several languages; her work may be found in Chinese, Korean, and Spanish hymnbooks. Her book describes her life.

• Up on Melody Mountain, 1997

Robinson, James Eugene  

James Robinson is an award-winning songwriter, singer, producer, musician, counselor and speaker. Born in the small Tennessee town of Camden, James wrote and performed his first songs when he was in high school. While attending Memphis State University, he formed the band that would eventually move to Los Angeles and become a successful draw throughout Southern California, performing his original songs. James returned to Nashville to concentrate on writing full-time. In 1991 he was signed as a writer with Warner-Chappell Music, one of the world's largest music publishing companies. His songs have been recorded on projects surpassing sales of ten million units worldwide. Drawing from his own experience as a counselor in the field of alcohol and addiction treatment, James is committed to working with churches, Christian organizations, treatment centers, schools, and correctional facilities to provide education and guidance, helping to restore the fullness of spiritual life and health God desires for all. James lives in Franklin.

• Coming Home to a Place Called Hope-A Journey for the Wounded Soul, 2009
• The Flower of Grass, 2008
• Coming Home to a Place Called Hope-A Companion Guide for Your Personal Journey to Hope, 2008
• Prodigal Song: A Memoir, 2003

Rogers, Lauren  

• Skyler and the Sea, illustrated by Sarah Keaggy, 2012

Roley, Scott (1952 - Present)  

A minister of Christ Community Church who lives in the HardBargain section of Franklin, Scott Roley has long been interested in leading Christians to understanding and action concerning the poor and how their lives play out in affluent America. He grew up in suburban Washington D.C. As a sixth-grade child, he had encounters with both Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy. From these national leaders he became interested in helping those in need. Although he started his adult life as a musician, he felt the pull of the church and social justice. In 1989 he came to Christ Community Church as a youth pastor. Over the years his understanding and interest have grown, leading him eventually to write his book.

• God's Neighborhood, 2004

Rone, James K., M.D.

Dr. Rone is a writer and private-practice endocrinologist in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He is a former military physician and has been awarded fellowship in both the American College of Physicians and the American College of Endocrinology. Thyroid disease -- in particular hypothyroidism -- has been his focus of clinical interest for nearly twenty years, and he is a thyroid patient himself, giving him a unique empathy for those struggling with thyroid disorders. He live with his wife Susan on their farm outside Nashville.

• The Thyroid Paradox: how to get the best care for hypothyroidism, 2007

Ross, Mary Waller  

Mary Waller Ross lives in Marlow Heights, Maryland, but was born in Hubbard, Texas. She taught school in Franklin, Tennessee, and Moultrie, Georgia, before becoming a newspaper and radio reporter. She has written poetry most of her life.

• Essence Is Not of Time, 1984
• April and October: Collected Poems, 1981

Ross, Susie Margaret

A writer and a poet, Susie is not sure that she has a theory of writing, but if she does, it is that what the reader brings to a piece of writing is equally as important as what the writer brings.

• Separate Caves for Sleep, 2018 (Part 2 is Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law)
• Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, 2011 

Ross, Tim (1954 - Present)  

As an Iowa farm boy, Tim Ross decided in the fifth grade that he wanted to be a weatherman. After majoring in meteorology at Texas A&M, he worked as a weatherman in Dallas and Oklahoma City. He started writing short nonsense rhymes to make the weather report interesting. His audience, as well as a professional writing friend, encouraged him. The result is a series of rhyming verse books on weather with a work kit for each book to help elementary school classes enjoy the subject of weather. In 1999, he moved to Franklin to be a meteorologist, first for Fox 17 television and later for WSMV. He has often visited schools to read his books and talk about weather.

• Bruce the Goose and the Blueberry Juice, 2007
• High Flying Frequency Fluctuation, 2007
• Please Don't Bug Me, 2007
• A Thump, a Bump and a Dump, 2007
• Bucky Saves the Day, 2007
• A Sunday Surprise... Is Our Minister Sinister?, 2003
• Dr. Merlin McMasters' Weather Disaster, 2003
• Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Twister, 2000
• Brewster, the Rain-Makin' Rooster, 1999

Rowan, Mary Anne

Mary Anne Rowan is a native of Austin, Texas, and a lifelong lover of horses, dogs, and reading. A mother of four, former school teacher, now retired, she lives in Thompsons Station, Tennessee.

• A Shadow Man: An Average Ordinary Guy, 2023
• The Adventures of Sir Jacob and Sir Brandon, 2021
• Ned Nasturtium Goes to School, 2020

Rowell, Ed  

Growing up in western New Mexico, Rowell worked on ranches, construction crews, and guided big game hunters in the Gila wilderness before serving in the air force. He then earned a B.A. at William Jewell College in Missouri and an M.Div. from Midwestern Baptist Seminary in Kansas City. His career has included being a pastor, writing for both secular and Christian publications, speaking for conferences and retreats, and editing both printed books and an audio resource for preachers. Rowell moved to Franklin to serve as a teaching pastor for The Peoples Church.

• Go the Distance: 21 Habits and Attitudes of Those Who Finish Well, 2002
• Preaching with Spiritual Passion,1998

Rubin, Laurence  

Laurence Rubin, a native of Connecticut, lives in the Grassland area. He taught mathematics and computer programming at Nashville State Technical Institute. The book he co-authored is intended for second-year technology students. It contains many examples of basic language computer programs and includes exercises for various technologies.

• Programming in basic for Technology Students (with Darrell Abney), 1986

Rucker, Corneille McCarn (1897 - 1989)  

Corneille McCarn Rucker was born in East Nashville and grew up there and in Hawaii where her father was attorney general. While attending Vanderbilt University, she was the first woman to publish in The Fugitive, the poetry journal published by the famed Fugitive poets. Throughout her lifetime she continued to write at her home near Charlottesville, Virginia. Every Christmas for more than 50 years she sent a Christmas poem to her friends. Rucker lived several of her last years in Franklin.

• Christmas Is Love, 1987

 Saffell, Hilmur L.

• How to Start on a Shoestring and Make a Profit with Hydroponics, 3rd Rev., 1994

Sanders, Max (1945 - Present)    

Max Sanders has used a variety of experiences in his life to inform and inspire the direction he wishes to go with his writing. With a minister father who served churches in several states, Max grew up moving from state to state in the American Southeast. A stint in the military took him to Germany for four years during which he traveled throughout Europe. He had a liberal arts education and graduated from Appalachian State University in North Carolina. His working career was with insurance companies as a safety consultant specializing in property and fire protection.

During his consulting years, his interests in music, the arts, and literature were developing and at his retirement they began to flower into creative work. His daughter's childhood imagination led him to writing his first book and he hopes his books will encourage a sense of wonder and give children confidence to be themselves.

• Hippy the Happy Hippo, 2009
• Max's Cloud Critters, 2009

Sanders, Phillip D. (1951 - Present)

Phillip D. Sanders, from Shawnee, Oklahoma, graduated with a B.A. from Oklahoma Christian College and an M.A.R. from Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis. He came to the Concord Road Church of Christ in 1995. During his years of pastoring, he has found time to work in radio, including research for a nationwide program, "In Search of the Lord's Way," to write for periodicals, and to conduct seminars on marriage and parenting. His first book is sold out and is being revised for reissue, and his second book has been used as a textbook for a college class in hermeneutics. He is presently a candidate for doctor of ministry. His latest work, Adrift, is being published soon by Gospel Advocate Press.

• The Evangelism Handbook, 1995
• Let All the Earth Keep Silence, 1989
• You Don't Have to Worry, 1981

Sappington, John (1778 - 1858)    

Born in Maryland, Dr. John Sappington moved to Nashville and later to Franklin. He was one of the commissioners who laid out the town of Franklin in 1799. A physician by profession, Sappington practiced in Franklin until 1817, when he and his family moved to Missouri. There he became a leading advocate for the use of quinine in the treatment of malaria. He manufactured Dr. Sappington's Anti-Fever Pills, which were used all over the South and West for malarial symptoms. Sappington wrote the first medical book, cited below, ever published west of the Mississippi River. It was released in Arrow Rock, Missouri, in 1844.

• The Theory and Treatment of Fevers, 1844

Sardon, Sonya

Sonya Sardon was born in Detroit, Michigan. She received a bachelor of arts in English and a bachelor of music in voice performance from the University of Michigan. A trained classical singer, the author knows all about overcoming stage fright. She was a member and soloist of the Brazeal Dennard Chorale of Detroit and the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers of Los Angeles, performing nationally and internationally in various concert halls. Her career has also led her to sing in a few recording sessions one of them for the movie Rosewood.  Now a resident of Nashville, Tennessee, where she lives with her husband and three sons, Mrs. Sardon has been able to do solo work for local churches and perform as a chorus member with the Nashville Opera.

• Young Warren Sings! Overcoming the Fear of Stage Fright, 2004

Satinoff, Evan

Evan Satinoff is a diehard baseball and Tampa Bay Rays fan and a former college and professional baseball player, who enjoys sharing his love of the game with family, friends, and the teams he coaches. He resides in Nolensville, Tennessee, with his wife, Meg, and children, Ella, Jack, and William.

We Believe: a Small-Town's Journey to the Little League World Series, 2023.

Sava, Scott Christian (1968 - )

With a beginning in New York State, childhood in Florida, high school in California, and a degree in illustration from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, Scott Sava went into the world with creative ideas. Once out of school and married, he lived in Los Angeles where he worked in animation for movies and television from his own studio which prospered. The Disney company asked that he write a pilot for an animated television show that he had created; with this project, he discovered his talent for and pleasure in writing. Writing screen plays led to writing children's stories in book form.

Living in Franklin, Scott continues writing books and creating films, often testing his work on his twin boys before sending it further afield. He sometimes shares authorship, sometimes illustrates his own work, and produces children's books with a variety of characters and plots as well as his ongoing Dreamland series.

• Cameron and His Dinosaurs (with Andres Silva Bianco), 2009
• Gary the Pirate (with Tracy Bishop), 2009
• My Grandparents Are Secret Agents (with Juan Saavedra Mourgues and Christian Gonzoles Valdez), 2009
• Dreamland Chronicles, Book Three, 2009
• Dreamland Chronicles, Book Two, 2008
• Dreamland Chronicles, Book One, 2008
• Ed's Terrestrials, 2008
• Hyperactive, 2008
• Pet Robots, 2008
• Dreamland Chronicles, Book One, 2008
• The Lab: Hey...Test THIS, 2005
• Teddy Bear Dreams (with Donna Lynn Sava), 2002

Savarda, Cindy

Cindy Savarda is a mother, grandmother and matriarch to a large, extended family. Cindy is a licensed massage therapist, professional photographer and author. She gains inspiration from the characters in her book, Breath, Heron and the Preying Mantis. Cindy resides in Franklin, Tennessee with her husband, George and cat, Puck.

• Breath, 2012

Savo, Amanda 

Amanda devotes her time to illustrating for children. She live in Franklin, Tennessee with her husband and two amazing boys.

• I Love My Hair (Illustrator, Anne Matheson, author), 2015
• Breath (Illustrator), 2012

Sawyer, J. Scott (1963 - )

A native of Franklin and now living in College Grove, Scott Sawyer first began writing while attending Franklin High School. He continued writing in college where he majored in English and Psychology. He has written short stories drawing on his life in Middle Tennessee. Four of his stories are published in Our Voices, a Williamson County literary review. He has published a book of stories and poetry; one of his short stories developed into a novel.

• Random Stories, 2008
• Remembering the Summer of the Pink Flamingoes, 2010

Scales, Tamara Noland

• Historic Franklin Coloring Book, 1996

Schenck, Dr. Robert D. 

• The Joyous Words of Dr. Bob, 2020

Schlimm, John (1971 - )

A native of St. Mary's in western Pennsylvania, John Schlimm is a communications and public relations graduate of Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. A college assignment that led to his positive communication with Barbara Bush was the beginning of his collecting autographs. His book includes projects for teachers to use with all grade levels. A portion of the profits benefits as soon as possible. After working in Washington, D.C, as a publicist and as producer of the radio show "Enterprising Women," Schlimm came to Nashville to work with a local publicity firm. He has written a monthly column called "The Book Collector" for Autograph Collector magazine and has collaborated on children's books.

• Corresponding with History: The Art and Benefits of Collecting Autographs, 1997

Schneider, Carl G., Major General, USAF (Ret.)

Maj. Gen. Carl Schneider joined the Army Air Force and then the USAF where he served over a loyal, thirty-two year career, flying combat missions in Korea and Vietnam. Upon retiring, he started several successful businesses. He served on the founding board of the Joe Foss Institute and currently serves on the advisory board of the Veterans Heritage Project, among others, and volunteers to improve veteran education and welfare. He is very active in assisting several academic institutions specifically helping veterans enroll in college. He is a member of numerous military and fraternal organizations and has been inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame and the Arizona Veteran's Hall of Fame. Currently, he is the president of the Veteran's Resource Group located in Tennessee. General Schneider lives with his wife, Carole, near Nashville, Tennessee.

• Little House on the High Plains, 2016
• Jet Pioneer: A Fighter Pilot's Memoir, 2016

Schott, Linda

Born and reared in Little Rock, Arkansas, Linda Schott met her husband at David Lipscomb University, where he later taught. He has served as minister of a Nashville church. In addition to her role as minister's wife and mother of two, Schott has taught third grade at Crockett Elementary School and art at Edmundson Elementary. She has spoken to women's groups at retreats and seminars. She has written poetry, painted, and published articles in both religious and educational periodicals.

• Theodore and the Town That Cried, 1999
• I Stand Amazed, 1992
• Going Through the Motions, 1991
• How to Triumph Over Trivia, 1989
• Spiritual Aerobics, 1987

Schrauger, Brian

When his young son, Taylor, was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Brian Schrauger knew that he would stay close to the boy through all the experience. Schrauger had grown up in Michigan, lived eighteen years in Dallas Texas, and moved with his family to Williamson County in 1997. Taylor was born in Texas but lived the last part of his life here. His father wrote both to commemorate his son and to help and inspire others in the same situation.

• Walking Taylor Home, 2001

Schultz, Carrie    

Carrie is happily married and resides with her family in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Her daughter and grandson live with her, and she is still learning to share her son, who inspired this story when he made an innocent observation. Carrie graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2010 and is currently attending Lipscomb University for her master's degree. She is a licensed teacher and moonlights as a special education assistant and a substitute teacher.

• V.I.P. Stepkid, 2013

Schut, Jennie   

Jennie Schut is an award-winning artist and a teacher in oils and encaustics, a wax-based medium, in her home studio. She is founder of Fly Forward, an organization that aids creative and spiritual exploration, awakening, and flourishing through educational materials, small groups, retreats, workshops, individual art instruction and creative direction, and leadership training. Since 2006, Jennie has conducted groups and retreats based on material from her book, Waking Up Grey: An Exploration of Creative Awakening.  She has released a 2nd edition.  She holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Middle Tennessee State University and a Spiritual Direction Certificate from Selah Center for Spiritual Formation. Jennie has four daughters.

• Waking Up Grey: an Exploration of Creative Awakening, 2008

Scobey, James E.

Class of 1855, Franklin College, near Nashville, Tennessee.

• Franklin College and Its Influences, 1906

Seabrook, Lochlainn (pseudonym)

• Abraham Lincoln: The Southern View, 2009
• Carnton Plantation Ghost Stories, 2009
• Encyclopedia of the Battle of Franklin, 2012
• Everything you were taught about the Civil War was Wrong, Ask A Southerner, 2010
• Nathan Bedford Forrest, Southern Hero, American Patriot, 2010

Sedberry, James Hamilton (1863 - 1931)    

James Hamilton Sedberry came to Thompson's Station as a young man from Godwin Station in Maury County. He was a merchant, farmer, and grain dealer and an ardent member of the Thompson's Station Church of Christ. In 1905, he published the early science fiction novel cited below. It foretold a 21st-century war between Asians and Europeans in which a "super bomb" was used.

• Under the Flag of the Cross, 1905

Seigenthaler, John (1927 - Present)    

John Seigenthaler was born and reared in Nashville. He began his journalism career as a cub reporter at the Tennessean in 1949 and continued with the newspaper until his retirement as editor and publisher in December, 1991. In the early 1960s he became an assistant to Attorney General Robert Kennedy in the United States Justice Department before returning to the Tennessean. He has been affiliated with USA. Today and with Vanderbilt University's Freedom Forum, dedicated to the First Amendment. He lived in Williamson County for several years.

• James K. Polk, 2002
• The Year of the Scandal Called Watergate, 1974
• An Honorable Profession: A Tribute to Robert F. Kennedy
• A Search for Justice (with contributions from James Squires, John Hemphill, and Frank Ritter), 1971

Sexton, Jessa R.

Jessa R. Sexton, hailing from Spring Hill, Tennessee, is Executive Editor for O'More Publishing as well as an assistant professor in the Liberal Arts Department at O'More College of Design. She has her BA in Education with English licensure and her MEd with an emphasis in English. A writer, she has four publications including two children's book and two educational texts. She has spoken in education classes at Harding University, at the UT Selmer educator development meetings, and for Art: Up Close and Personal by the Arts Council of Williamson County. Sexton currently lies with her family in Franklin, Tennessee, and enjoys literature, writing, tea and conversation, walks with her family, and photography.

• With Your Fresh Thoughts, 2012
• Abbey Leix Anthology: O'More Articles on the Art and Design of Education, edited by Rosemary Hilliard, Jenifer Lowry, and Jessa R. Sexton, vol. 1, 2010. 
• Rose-Pie, by Jessa Rose Sexton ; illustrated by Anastasia Morozova, 2011
• Abbey Leix Anthology: O'More Articles on the Art and Design of Education, edited by Rosemary Hilliard, Jenifer Lowry, and Jessa R. Sexton, and illustrated by Bruce Bazaire, vol. 2, 2010. 
• Hear and be heard : public speaking and communication skills, 2008
• Educational Wellness: a wholistic approach to the art and science of teaching and learning, with Dr. K. Mark Hilliard, 2008

Shamblin, Gwen    

Born to a godly but reserved family, Gwen Shamblin learned early to turn to God in her loneliness. She holds a Master's degree in dietetics from University of Tennessee – Knoxville. As a registered dietician teaching at the University of Memphis but struggling with her own weight, she began studying the eating habits of thin people and became convinced that the key lay in eating only until she was full. Through prayer she gradually realized that spiritual hunger is often mistaken for physical hunger. She began her Weigh Down program in 1992. Her book has brought national media attention to the program.

• Out of Egypt: Inspirations for Conquering Life's Strongholds,2000
• Rise Above: God Can Set You Free From Your Weight Problems Forever, 2000
• Exodus: Daily Devotional, 1998
• The Weigh Down Diet, 1997

Shand, Jennifer    

Jennifer Shand was born in Virginia and studied Early Childhood Development at James Madison University. Thoughout her life, she has worked with children and feels that this experience contributes to her ability to write for young children. Shand resides in Franklin, Tennessee

• Why Do Rainbows Have So Many Colors?, 2015
• Why Do Tractors Have Such Big Tires?, 2015
• Why Do Computers Know So Much?, 2015
• Why Do Feet Get So Stinky?, 2015
• Why Do Camels Have Long Eyelashes?, 2014
• Why Do Bush Babies Have Huge Eyes?, 2014
• Why Do Sea Turtles Look Like They Are Crying?, 2014
• Why Do Pigs Roll Around In the Mud?, 2015

Shandor, Cindi

• Fairview's Finest (cookbook), 1982
• Falcon's Favorites, 1986

Shands, Katie

Katie Shands began writing professionally as a broadcast journalist, but left the workforce to raise her four children. She rediscovered her passion for creative writing and worked on her first novel in spurts while dinner cooked, kids napped, and laundry washed. She makes her home in Franklin, Tennessee with her husband, children, and a lifetime collection of books. Katie won the library's Janice Keck Literary award in 2017. www.katieshands.com

• Finding Franklin, A Novel, 2018

Sharp, Timothy    

Born while his father was at Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, Tim Sharp grew up in his father's pastorates in Kentucky and West Virginia. He attended Belmont College and Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville. He taught music in Indiana and at King's College in New York. He and his wife, Jane, moved to Franklin in 1990 when he began his music publishing business in Nashville. Sharp has been coordinator of church music studies at Belmont University. In addition to writing a monthly column for Choral Journal, he has made frequent contributions to other publications. Sharp has written the program notes for twelve different CDs by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.

• Precision Conducting: The Seven Disciplines of the Masterful Conductor, 1996
• Up Front! Becoming the Complete Choral Conductor, 1993

Sheffield, Clarence (1917 - )    

Born and reared in rural southern Alabama, Clarence Sheffield was destined to become an observant educator and a talented gardener. He had his first advanced education at Daphne State Teachers College on Mobile Bay and some experience in teaching before World War II. Called up to serve in the army, he became a sergeant fighting under MacArthur in the Philippines. Thereafter, he was able to use his educational opportunities to earn his B.A. at MTSU and a Master's degree from Peabody with further graduate courses to his credit. He spent his life as a teacher and principal in elementary schools in Georgia, Alabama, and mostly in Tennessee near Chattanooga. His book is a memory and comment on his long and observant life.

• The Wonder of It All: An Old Soldier Remembers, 2005

Shelton, Bill (Originator)

• Wheeler Dealers (a very educational book/software program in economics/investing -- contains one 5 1/4 inch floppy disk programmed for the Commodore 64 and an "Economics and Investing booklet."

Sheridan, Jay

Jay Sheridan is a freelance writer for national publications, is founder of Sheridan Public Relations in downtown Franklin where he lives.

• Historic Franklin Tennessee, essay editor, 2009

Sheridan, Marybeth

Marybeth was born in Oakland, CA, and currently resides in Tampa, FL, with her husband and three children. She has been a successful entrepreneur since 1992 and is pursuing her dream as a writer, while being a full-time mom and an unofficial nurse. Marybeth is the founder and vice president of EBAN, INC., which is a nonprofit organization, founded in May 2005. The inspiration behind this book is her beautiful daughter, Samantha, who was born with EB (Epidermolysis Bullosa). 

• Unconditional ~ Uncensored, 2010

Sherwin, Holly Landes (1958 - )

Holly Sherwin is an award-winning writer and nature photographer from Franklin. She is an avid canoeist and naturalist who spent twelve years as a canoe guide and outdoor educator in Southwest Florida before moving to Tennessee with her husband, Lanny. She is an American Canoe Association certified flatwater canoe instructor and participated in the Finlandia Clean Water Challenge marathon race, paddling five days and 150 miles of the Hudson River on a surf ski. She still leads canoe excursions into the Everglades and is an active member of the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association. Holly, an active outdoor writer with numerous publishing credits, is a field reporter and writer for PBS's award-winning TV show, "Tennessee's Wildside."

• Canoeing in Tennessee, 1996

Shirley, Howard (1965 to Present)    

Howard Shirley was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Florence, Alabama. His dramatic work has been influenced by his experience as a writer for his high school newspaper and at Vanderbilt University where he studied playwriting, directing, and set design. A former advertising copywriter, he writes monologues and short dramatic sketches," all intended to introduce messages on a variety of topics." He also writes young adult and middle-grade novels.

• Acts for God: 38 Dramatic Sketches for Contemporary Services, 2005

Shoap, Shoshonna

Shoshonna has a bachelor's degree in leadership and management. She is currently pursing her master's degree in Human Resources and Management, has worked in the sheriff's office for many years, and serves as a School Resource Officer (SRO). 

In her words, Shoshonna is "mother to an amazing son, wife for 17 years, and a proud School Resource Officer. I also love animals, drawing, painting, hiking, and reading a good book. I strive daily to make a difference in the lives around me. I believe that true success is measured in the legacy you leave behind."

• Mrs. Selfe's Zoo School of Art, 2020
• Tristan Tackles True Friendship, 2021

Shockey, Peter    

Nolensville author Peter Shockey is a screenwriter and an inspirational author. Raised in Bethesda, Maryland, he majored in film at the University of Maryland and then interned at PBS with an emphasis in special effects. He then spent twelve years with an internationally syndicated television graphics company, based in Nashville, Tennessee. While there he developed his trademark style of special light effects to depict spiritual phenomena which Guideposts magazine featured as an article called "Heavenly Visions for Earthly Eyes." These effects, and his interest in spiritual phenomena, led to writing and producing several documentaries for Discovery's TLC. He received a New York Film Festival Award for Life After Life. Shockey's Doubleday book, Reflections of Heaven, is an outgrowth of the television documentaries Life After Life, Angel Stories, and Miracles Are Real. However, the book includes material which he thinks is better rendered in print than on the television screen.

• His Miraculous Ways, 2000 or 2001
• Reflections of Heaven, 1999

Shockey, Stowe Dailey

Stowe Dailey Shockey is a gifted singer and songwriter, having written music with Garth Brooks, Shenandoah, and many others in the Nashville music community. Her album, Angel Chants, was the inspirational sound track of Angel Stories, featured on The Learning Channel. She is also a volunteer music therapist for Alive Hospice. Together, with her husband Peter, she has co-authored five books. She lives outside of the Nashville area with her husband and two daughters.

• Flying High: a true story of shared inspiration, with Calvin Lehew, 2011
• Journey of Light, with Peter Shockey, 2007

Silvera, Carroll

Carroll Silvera lives in Tennessee, surrounded by gently rolling hills, whitewashed fences, and the softness of Southern comfort. Widely traveled, she loves history, geography, and architecture. An avid gardener, she is awestruck by the beauty of nature and the world’s diversity. She is the author of five books.

• Every Nine Seconds, 2015
• What Doesn't Kill You, 2015
• Ancestralbonz: The Prescotts, 2015
• Ancestralbonz: Montana, 2015
• Ancestralbonz: The Civil War, 2015

Simmons, Jean    

Jean Simmons lives in Franklin, TN with her husband, son and cat Willy. She worked as a nurse for 25 years including service as an Air Force Officer, and earned a Master’s Degree from Vanderbilt University. Presently she has left nursing to pursue other projects including her first book written last year, "Willy the Panther Cat " a recipient of the Janice Keck Literary Award in the children's book category. Jean is an avid animal lover and volunteers regularly at the Williamson County Animal Shelter. Her son Ryan and cat Willy (who was a stray) are prominently featured in her new story. She hopes to raise awareness concerning rescue animals and shelters with her new book as well as delight young readers with an imaginative story.

• Willy the Panther Cat, (Maureen O'Brien, illustrator), 2014

Simms, Steve    

Though Steve Simms started life in Jackson, his family moved frequently, and most of them now live in Williamson County. He has a degree in education from University of Tennessee–Martin and a Master of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary. He worked in sales and as a part-time pastor before developing his current business, Attitude Lifter Enterprises. He has spoken to groups on self-improvement, personal selling power, and professional development and has written for magazines, including Top Performance.

• Your Sperm Won: Experiencing Your Value as a Championship Human Being, 1997
• Mindrobics: How to Be Happy for the Rest of Your Life, 1995

Simpson-Giles, Candace (1953 - )    

Simpson-Giles grew up in Nashville, graduated from Dupont High School, and entered a lifetime of daily and eventful experience–work, marriage, childbearing, divorce, work, child rearing, re-marriage, widowhood, work–which prepared her well for later having her own business, a public relations and advertising firm. She moved to Franklin in 1998. She was requested to write her book as part of the Gentle Manners series, a Rutledge Hill project by several authors.

• How to Be a Lady: a Contemporary Guide to Common Courtesy, 2001

Singlaub, Major General John K., U.S. Army (Ret.)

Maj. Gen. John K. Singlaub saw combat in three wars and received numerous decoration, including the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf clusters, the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, two French Croix de Guerre, the Netherlands' Order of Orange Nassau, and other decorations from the British, Chinese, and Korean governments.

• Hazardous Duty: An American Soldier in the Twentieth Century, with Malcolm McConnell, 1991

Sircy, Allen

Allen Sircy was born in Nashville, Tennessee but spent much of his childhood bouncing around Antioch, Carthage and Brentwood. After spending several years working behind the scenes in mixed martial arts, Allen published his first book, Legends of Tennessee MMA Volume 1 in 2019. After a trip to Savannah, Georgia, he became intrigued by the paranormal. Curious as to how historical events correlates with haunted places, Allen began researching local history and eventually established the Southern Ghost Stories podcast and book series.

• Legends of Tennessee MMA Volume 1, 2019
• Southern Ghost Stories: Historical Hauntings, 2019 
• Southern Ghost Stories: Ghosts of Gallatin, 2019 
• Southern Ghost Stories: Haunted Hotels, 2020
• Southern Ghost Stories: Murfreesboro, Spirits of Stones River, 2020
• Southern Ghost Stories: Franklin, Tennessee, 2021

Skelton, Eugene (1914 - 2000)    

Dr. Skelton's lively interest in history led him to write with a variety of historical settings. He was born and raised in McKenney, Texas, and went to Baylor University for a B.A. and Southwestern Baptist Seminary for his M.A. and Ph.D. After five years as a military chaplain during World War II, he served as pastor in various western churches for 35 years, and went to Nashville to work for the Baptist Sunday School Board. While writing several books on Sunday school administration, he also was interested in children's literature and wrote over 200 stories for Adventure, a Baptist children's publication—stories which led him to work on longer children's works. His ideas usually grew from visits to historic settings which he then amplified with research. In the last years of his life, he lived in Brentwood and wrote with the Wordsmiths.

• A Walk in the Light,1980
• The Ten Largest Southern Baptist Sunday Schools, 1978
• Where Action Is,1976
• Meet the Prophets, 1970

Sladek, Nancy (1943 - )    

Nancy Sladek was born in the Oak Park area of Chicago and remained there for her education, marriage, and first six years of teaching. Since 1976, she has lived in Williamson County. While teaching at Scales Elementary School, she wrote units for use with upper elementary grades in the work cited below. With Barbara Depp, she also co-authored The Guide to the Scales Nature Trail. Sladek enjoyed teaching writing to her fifth-graders and encouraging students with special talent.

• Creative Pathways: A Curriculum Guide for the Talented and Very Able Child (with others), 1983

Slater, Carole Webb Moore (1948 - )    

Carole Moore Slater was originally from Nashville, but she has lived in Franklin for many years. She has been project coordinator for the Tennessee Disability Information and Referral Office, a statewide information service housed in Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. Her book, Dana Doesn't Like Guns Anymore, is the winner of two awards: "Kind Writers Make Kind Readers" and "A Book Can Develop Empathy." She has also written essays and articles.

• A Guide For Parents & Teachers: Supplement to Dana Doesn't Like Guns Anymore, 1996
• Dana Doesn't Like Guns Anymore, 1989, 1992
• Letters from the Heart, 1943-1946, 2013

Sloan, W. Keith    

Keith Sloan was born in Iowa, educated at the University of Michigan, and spent fifty years in the insurance business.

• Scammed! The Frankel Victims, 2005

Slonecker, William    

A pediatrician for forty-three years, William Slonecker began his higher education at Trevecca Nazarene College and Vanderbilt University. He received his M.D. from the University of Tennessee in 1958. During his years of practice, he served on the staff of six Nashville hospitals. He was on the Board of Trustees and Chief of Staff of Southern Hills Medical Center, instructor in pediatrics at Vanderbilt Medical Center, and on the Board of Directors of the Baptist Health Care Group. In 1972, he founded the Christian Counseling Services to be a support system for families. Slonecker helped the State of Tennessee develop guidelines for licensing day care centers. He has lived in Brentwood. One of his children collaborated with him on this book.

• Parenting Principles, 2001

Smith, Barbara

During her West Virginia childhood, Barbara Smith discovered the joys of good cooking from her Italian stepmother. As an adult, she developed a wide repertory of recipes for her catering business, which over its thirteen years grew from small church events to occasions for several hundred people. She and her husband moved to Franklin in 1994. Within a month her son, Michael W Smith, asked her to help with a festive dinner when he launched a new record. From that occasion grew her cookbook, filled with family stories as well as recipes.

• Cooking with Smitty's Mom (with Michael W Smith), 1999
• Food That Says Welcome (Introduction by Michael W. Smith), 2006

Smith, Betty Hunter (1891 - 1969)    

Betty Hunter Smith was a native of Paris, Tennessee, and moved to Franklin in 1919 shortly after she married local lawyer and judge, Wallace Smith. She was active in the Methodist Church and in many civic enterprises, particularly those dealing with history. A charter member and active leader of the Allied Arts Club, she created many of its programs. In addition to the books she published, Smith wrote articles for newspapers and journals and plays for several local organizations.

• A Door to Happy Land, 1968
• Flood-Gates: A Book of Verse, 1931

Smith, Inge Meyring (1923  Present)

Inge Meyring Smith began her career in education sixty years ago with the establishment of a private kindergarten in Franklin, Tennessee. Her lifelong passion for teaching is rooted in her father's conviction: "your possessions can be lost, but what you have in your mind can never be taken from you." Smith, an adopted daughter of the South, left Nazi Germany at fifteen with her parents. She was educated in New York City schools. In her mid-life she returned to school at Peabody College for Teachers, today Vanderbilt University. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education, an M.A. in Early Childhood Education, and an EdS in Elementary Education.

  –Born For America: the Life of Inge Meyring Smith, with Pam Horne, 2012

Smith, Karen Barron

• Christmas Dream, 2013

Smith, Michael W.

Born and educated in the small West Virginia town of Kenova, Michael W Smith made up songs from the age of five, but originally wanted to be a professional baseball player. After a year and a half of trying college and other routes, he came to Nashville hoping to begin a career as a songwriter and musician. He has written songs for Amy Grant and other performers and has performed his own creations. Smith has lived in Franklin since 1988. He has been actively involved with local youth and with "Compassion Kids," sponsoring aid for Ecuadorian children.

• Price of Fredom, 2002
• I Will Be Your Friend: the Value of Friendship for a Lifetime, 2001
• Worship (with Wendy Lee Nentwig), 2001
• Old Enough to Know: What Teenagers Need to Know About Life and Relationships, 2000
• This Is your Time: Make Every Moment Count (with Gary Thomas), 2000
• Michael W Smith/Live the Life, 1999
• Where's Whitney? (with Debbie Smith), 1999
• Your Place in This World: Discovering God's Will for the Life in Front of You (with Michael Nolan), 1998
• It's Time to Be Bold, 1997
• Friends Are Friends Forever: And Other Encouragement from God's Word, 1997
• En Edad Para Saber/Old Enough to Know (with Fritz Ridenour), 1996
• Change Your World, 1993
• Old Enough to Know, 1987
• Lambs Among Wolves (with Bob Briner)

Smith, Princella

Princella Smith is a Regional Emmy-nominated director, producer, author, and media personality. Princella formerly served as a political strategist having worked as a Communications Director on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC and for several high profile elected officials and political figures. Her political media experience includes numerous features on various national outlets as a political commentator and more prominently as a prime time speaker at the 2004 Republican National Convention in Madison Square Garden in New York City. At the time, Princella was two months shy of her 21st birthday and was also afforded the opportunity to be the Official Greeter for President and Mrs. George W. & Laura Bush and Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. In 2016, Princella shifted her focus from politics to impacting culture through the arts by developing projects that unite Americans. She is the creator and co-author of the Beauty for Ashes (BFA) Book Series about survivors and first responders of the Oklahoma City Bombing including a children’s book titled The Firefighter’s Hands and a memoir of a survivor titled Mother Goose. Volume three of the series titled Walk In The Light, highlights the heroics of Raymond Washburn, a blind, Native American man who rescued 5 people from the bombed out rubble using his sense of direction. Walk In The Light is set to release in Spring of 2022. Princella wrote, produced, and directed an Oklahoma City Bombing-themed Public Service Announcement (PSA) titled “The World Watched” on behalf of Survive First, an organization promoting PTSD treatment in first responders. The PSA garnered Princella a 2020 Boston / New England Regional Emmy nomination for “Best Director” and a Communicator Award of Distinction from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. Princella received a B.A. in Political Science from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas. She studied for a master’s degree in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security and received a Certificate in Cyber Terrorism Studies from the Lauder School of Government, since renamed Reichman University, a private research college in Herzliya, Israel.

• Beauty for Ashes (series)
  • Mother Goose, 2020
• The Firefighter's Hands, 2020

Smith, Reid

• Majestic Middle Tennessee, 1975

Smith, Scott   

After growing up in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina, Scotty Smith studied religion at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, thinking that he would teach, but finding himself called to youth ministry. In 1979 he came to Nashville where he served at First Presbyterian Church. In 1981, he helped organize Christ Presbyterian Church on Old Hickory Boulevard, Nashville, and in 1986 he founded its daughter church, Christ Community Church in Franklin, where he remains senior pastor.

• Reign of Grace: the Delights and Demands of God's Love, 2003
• Objects of His Affection, 2001
• Speechless: Living in Awe of God's Disruptive Grace (with Steven Curtis Chapman), 1999
• Unveiled Hope: Eternal Encouragement from the Book of Revelation (with Michael Card), 1997

Smith, Wallace Joseph (1890 - 1979)    

Judge Wallace Smith, a native of Nolensville, lived in Franklin for most of his adult life and served the city both as alderman and as mayor. He received his law degree from Cumberland University, practiced law in Franklin, and served in France during World War I. He served 34 years on the bench of Tennessee's various courts, including periodically the Supreme Court. He was twice called out of retirement to heavy assignments. Smith wrote two volumes providing annotated instructions to juries in civil and criminal cases in Tennessee.

• Tennessee Jury Instructions, Criminal Cases, 1965
• Tennessee Jury Instructions, Civil Cases, 1963

Southall, Augustus Bates (1925 - )    

Bates Southall kept the notes of his World War II service, his imprisonment and escape, well preserved in a box at his home for fifty years. Until drafted at eighteen, he lived in Thompson Station, attending Burwood Elementary School and Spring Hill High School. Returning from war, he studied classes on banking and real estate and entered the practical world of business with various positions in insurance, government administration, University of Maryland poultry department, and finally was Claims Manager and Assistant Vice-President of Caroom and Black. He had made notes on his war experience but considered it of interest only to his children whom he thought would read his material after his death. When his wife read his notes on his army life in Italy and France and his capture and internment in Germany and Poland. She encouraged him to tell her the story and served has his typist for the book.

• Luck of the Deuce: a Story of Divine Intervention, with Betty Southall, 2009

Spahr, Robert    

Robert (Bob) Spahr is a retired American History teacher who spent 35 years teaching in Florida. He has had an interest in the American Civil war since he was a teenager in Ohio. While researching this book he discovered an ancestor from Ohio that fought at the Battle of Franklin that has been called the bloodiest 5 hours of the American Civil War and the Gettysburg of the west. Bob enjoys writing Christian fiction.

• Confederate Time Tunnel, 2012

Spain, Melvin and Edie    

Both natives of Middle Tennessee and graduates of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the Spains acquired experience and developed their ideas about money from the community of Williamson County. In 1978 Melvin Spain bought an accounting practice in Franklin where the couple chose to live. This firm became Spain and Higginbotham, located on the Square in Franklin. Edie had business experience in retail and also taught design. In 1993 they began working together as volunteers for Crown Financial ministries, a financial advisory entity which operates on the small group model. They became interested in how money creates stress at any level of financial status. Their book is an outgrowth of a desire to aid people in dealing with this type of stress.

• At the Heart of Money, 2004

Spain, Robert H. (1925 - )    

Bishop Robert H. Spain was born in Loretto in 1925. He studied pre-med at the University of Tennessee and then attended the University of North Alabama, Scarritt College, and Vanderbilt University. His pastorates have included United Methodist congregations in Livingston, Lebanon, Belle Meade, and Brentwood. As a United Methodist bishop, his jurisdictions included Kentucky and South Carolina. Bishop Spain's church appointments have included the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, the General Council on Ministries, and the General Board of Publications, and in retirement as Chaplain of the United Methodist Publishing House. A revered speaker and minister, he has continued to live in Brentwood.

• Getting Ready to Preach, 1996
• How to Stay Alive as Long as You Live: Practical Guides for Christian Living, 1993

Special Collections Department of Williamson County Public Library

• Excellent Citizens and Notable Partings: a further look at the popular series, "Portrait of an Excellent Citizen," published in The Review-Appeal, 1966-1968, in Franklin, Tennessee. Compiled and edited by Marcia P. Fraser and Ashleigh M. Florida, 2020

Speece, Melinda Franklin

When the idea for a book to commemorate Brentwood academy's founding forty years ago, the question of who would write the text was an immediate concern. One person became the obvious choice. First as a student and then as a faculty member, Melinda Franklin Speece displays a keen understanding of the school's history and mission. She know the people and the traditions, and her writing conveys the heart of Brentwood academy with energy and passion.

Melinda Franklin Speece first came to Brentwood Academy as a seventh grader in the fall of 1984 and graduated as a member of the class of 1990. After receiving her B.A. in English and her M.S. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, she returned to Nashville to teach English -- first at Antioch High School and then at Brentwood Academy from 1999 to 2003. She and her husband Lincoln have three children, Halina, Jameson, and Hudson.

• Brentwood academy at Forty Years, edited by Cynthia Tripp, 2010

Speer, Michael L. ( - 2021)

A native of Missouri, Michael Speer earned a Master's degree in religious education from the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. His denominational work has included fifteen years with the Stewardship Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville during which he published many training materials and four books connected with his work. He has also been a certified financial planner with American Express. Speer and his wife have reared two daughters, one of whom, Melinda Mahand, is a Williamson County writer.

• Financial Fitness for the Single Person, 1986
• Financial Planning for Newlyweds, 1984
• Put Your Best Foot Forward: A Guide for Men on How to Dress, 1975
• A Complete Guide to the Christian's Budget, 1973

Stafford, Clay    

Clay Stafford has worked for Universal Studios, PBS, and other screen production companies prior to making his home in Williamson County. His career as a screen, stage, and literary writer, film and book editor, music composer and arranger, film/TV/stage producer, director, and actor has garnered him several national awards and foreign distribution of his work. He has earned Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Master in Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degrees and taught at several universities. His short stories, essays, and poems have been regularly published in national literary journals, and he has reviewed books, plays, and films for a worldwide print and media audience. He moved to Franklin in 1995. The list below includes selected examples of his credits.

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, condensed and retold by Clay Stafford, 2003
• The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, condensed and adapted by Clay Stafford, 2003
• The Georgia Performer's Directory, 1995
• The Tennessee Performer's Directory, 1995
• How to Win Auditions: An Actor's Guide to Success (script), 1994
• Boston: Esquire Magazine Travel Series (video script), 1991
• California: Esquire Magazine Travel Series (video script), 1991
• Florida: Esquire Magazine Travel Series (video script), 1991
• New York: Esquire Magazine Travel Series (video script), 1991
• Patterns of Power (script), 1990
• The Awards Catalogue, 1989
• Marine Inboard Diesel Engine Maintenance (script), 1989
• Marine Inboard Gasoline Engine Maintenance (script), 1989
• Michael (script), 1989
• Tell Me Why: From Kitty Hawk to the Moon (script), 1989
• Know Business Like Show Business, 1986

Steed, Tim (1957 - )    

Tim Steed's early background served him well in his profession as a standup comic and corporate advisor. He grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee and joined the army immediately after high school. When his army stint was over, he tried a variety of jobs and took college level classes where he discovered the joys of acting. With a theatre goal in mind, he majored in acting and speech at the University of Tennessee. Steed worked first in Orlando, Florida, then in Nashville, Tennessee in comedy, theatre production, writing and hosting television shows. He toured high schools and colleges as a speaker. Corporations engaged him as a corporate motivational speaker and trainer. In his presentations he uses his comedic talents to bring understanding and solutions to goal seeking situations.

• My Vow of Silence: the Roughest Three Minutes of My Life, 2007

Steele, Genevieve Lewis (1888 - 1968)    

Miss Genevieve" was a lifelong resident of Williamson County, who was described upon her death as its "finest citizen." She graduated from the Tennessee Female College in 1905 and moved to Franklin in 1919. After the death of her husband in 1927, she supported her four sons by teaching and working as a secretary at the Tennessee Highway Department. Her single book of poetry, published by her sons after her death, was a great favorite of county residents.

• The Harpeth Hills, 1973

Steele, Mary Q.

Mrs. Steele is well known for her children's books, including Journey Outside, a runner-up for the 1970 Newbery Medal, and Big Blue Island, which won the 1966 Aurianne Award and which like all of her books until Journey Outside, she wrote under the pen name Wilson Gage. The Living Year is her personal testament to nature and her first book for adults. Mary Steele also wrote many children's books under the name Wilson Gage.

• The Living Year: An Almanac for My Survivors, 1972
• The Fifth Day, ed., 1978

As Wilson Gage

• Mrs. Gaddy and the Ghost, illus. by Marylin Hafner, 1979
• Squash Pie,  illus. by Glen Rounds, 1976
• Down in the Boondocks, illus. by Glen Rounds, 1977
• Mike's Toads, illus. by Glen Rounds, 1970
• The Ghost of Five Owl Farm, illus. by Paul Galdone, 1966
• Big Blue Island, illus. by Glen Rounds, 1964
• Dan and Miranda, illus. by Glen Rounds, 1962
• A Wild Goose Tale, illus. by Glen Rounds, 1961
• The Secret of Fiery Gorge, illus. by Mary Stevens, 1960
• The Secret of Crossbone Hill, illus. by Mary Stevens, 1959

Steele, William O. (1917 - 1979)    

William Owen Steele, the second writer inducted into the Williamson County Authors' Hall of Fame, was born in Williamson County, the descendant of pioneer families. He graduated from Franklin High School and Cumberland University before serving in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. After the war, he and his wife, Mary Govan (daughter of Christine Noble Govan), moved to her hometown, Chattanooga, where he did graduate work at the University of Chattanooga. He lived the rest of his life on Signal Mountain. His more than 40 books were historical, both fiction and nonfiction, and mostly directed to the young reader. His books won many literary awards, including a Newbury Honorable Mention and the Thomas Alva Edison Award.

• The Magic Amulet, 1979
• Talking Bones: Secrets of Indian Burial Mounds, 1978
• The War Party, 1978
• The Cherokee Crown of Tannassy, 1977
• The Man with the Silver Eyes, 1976
• The Lone Hunt, 1976
• The Eye in the Forest (with Mary Q. Steele), 1975
• Henry Woodward of Carolina, Surgeon, Trader, Indian Chief, 1972
• Triple Trouble for Hound Dog Zip, 1972
• The Wilderness Tattoo, 1972
• Hound Dog Zip to the Rescue, 1970
• The Old Wilderness Road: An American Journey, 1968
• Tomahawk Border, 1966
• Trail Through Danger, 1965
• The No-Name Man of the Mountain, 1964
• WAYAH of the Real People, 1964
• The Year of the Bloody Sevens, 1963
• Westward Adventure: The True Stories of Six Pioneers, 1962
• The Spooky Thing, 1960
• The Far Frontier, 1959
• Andy Jackson's Water Well, 1959
• The Perilous Road, 1958, 1990
• Daniel Boone's Echo, 1957
• Flaming Arrows, 1957,1990
• Davy Crockett's Earthquake, 1956
• We Were There with the Pony Express, 1956
• The Lone Hunt, 1956
• DeSoto, Child of the Sun: the Search for Gold, 1956
• We Were There on the Oregon Trail, 1955
• Tomahawks and Trouble, 1955
• Winter Danger, 1954, 1990
• Francis Marion: Young Swamp Fox, 1954, 1962
• The Story of Leif Ericson, 1954
• The Story of Daniel Boone, 1953
• John Sevier: Pioneer Boy, 1953
• Wilderness Journey, 1953
• Over-Mountain Boy, 1952
• The Buffalo Knife, 1952, 1990
• The Golden Root, 1951

Steiner, Theresa Victoria

• The Secret Castle, illustrated by Tori Wheeler

Stensvaag, John-Mark (1947 - Present)

Born and educated in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Stensvaag majored in political science and history at Augsburg College and received a J.D. degree from Harvard University. In 1979 he began teaching at the Vanderbilt University School of Law and in 1987 began teaching at the University of Iowa College of Law. Beginning in his student days, Stensvaag was interested in environmental law and later taught several courses related to the environment. At Vanderbilt in 1985, he received the Paul J. Hartman Award for Excellence in Teaching. At that time he lived in Cottonwood of Franklin. At Iowa in 1989 and in 2002 he received the Collegiate Teaching Award.

• Materials on Environmental Law, 1999
• Hazardous Waste: Law and Practice, 1986, 1998
• Clean Air Act 1990 amendments, 1990

Stephens, William M. (1925 - Present)

   A native of Chattanooga and a former resident of Brentwood, William Stephens has owned a Brentwood law firm representing the elderly and disabled. His articles and photographs have appeared in numerous national publications, including the Smithsonian and National Geographic. One of his latest books deals with his spiritual history since 1969 when a near-death experience changed his life. He has been a follower of Avatar Meher Baba for years; he and his wife have visited India many times because of this connection.

• Souls on Fire, 1998
• Footprints in the Sand, 1997
• Southern Seashores, 1968
• Science Beneath the Sea: The Story of Oceanography, 1966
• Our World Underwater, 1962
• Children's Books:
•  Life in a Tide Pool, 1975
•  Islands, 1974
•  A Day in the Life of a Sandy Beach, 1973
•  Life in the Open Sea, 1972
•  Come with Me to the Edge of the Sea, 1972
•  Hermit Crab Lives in a Shell, 1969
•  Life Cycle Series, all with Peggy Stephens, 1968–73
•  Flamingo: Bird of Flame, 1972
•  Sea Turtle Swims in the Ocean, 1971
•  Killer Whale: Mammal of the Sea, 1971
•  Seahorse: Fish in Armor, 1969
•  Octopus Lives in the Ocean, 1968

Stevens, Craig A.    

Craig Stevens co-authored the Geronimo Stone series and the Linked Management Models and paints covers for books as an accomplished artist in oils and acrylics. Mr. Stevens combines adventure stories with very practical business and management advice.

• Geronimo Stone, Vol. 1, His Music, His Love, and the Mobile of Excellent Management, 2006 e-book

Stith, Ferdinando (deceased, dates unknown)    

Dr. Ferdinando Stith, a Williamson County physician with whom Dr. John Sappington had become acquainted in college and during his residency in Franklin, is listed on the title page of The Theory and Treatment of Fevers as a collaborator in its authorship. In the 1830s he was president pro tem of the Tennessee Medical Association. It is believed that Sappington spent the winter of 1843 to 1844 in Franklin, reviewing revisions to the book with Stith.

• The Theory and Treatment of Fevers, 1844

Stofel, Robert (1962 - )

In addition to his education at Franklin High School and Middle Tennessee State University, Stofel credits "those madcap characters who graced the door and took time to give us southern oral-history" at the auto parts store his father managed. He worked in the small business world of Franklin for a while, then became youth pastor of New Hope Community Church in Brentwood. Three years of social work in inner city Nashville was eventually followed by ministry in a non-denominational church in Decatur Alabama. During graduate work at Gordon-Conwell Theological seminary, he began to write and has published both short stories and inspirational essays.

• God, How Much Longer: Finding Strength for the Journey, 2005
• God, Are We There Yet?: Learning to Trust God's Direction for Your Life, 2004
• Survival Notes for Teens: Inspiration for the Emotional Journey, 2004
• Survival Notes for Graduates: Inspiration for the Ultimate Journey, 2004

Stone, Lynda    

Stone's cookbook is an outgrowth of years of baking and experience in the restaurant business. She was interested in cooking from her childhood and began a catering business of rolls and breads from her Franklin home in 1986. At first only her family of a husband and three girls were involved. When the business grew, she expanded, first to a section of the old Huff's grocery in Brentwood and then to the H.G. Hill shopping center on Franklin Road. In October 2003, she received the Williamson County Small Business Award. At the request of customers, Lynda undertook the project of creating this cookbook of her own and her employees' recipes.

• Memories in the Making, 2004

Summerlin, Cathy M.  (1953 - ) and Summerlin, Vernon S (1943 - )    

 A native of Johnson City, Cathy Summerlin attended schools in East Tennessee and has been associated with Vanderbilt University both as a student and as a registered nurse. When she married Vernon Summerlin, they shared a goal of becoming travel writers. She is a regular travel contributor to the Nashville Tennessean. Vernon Summerlin was born in Luverne, Alabama, graduated from the University of Montevallo, and spent twenty-one years in medical research, including research at the Mayo Clinic. He was editor of The Tennessee Angler magazine for five years. Both are past presidents of the Tennessee Outdoors Writers Association and Vernon is past president of the Southeast Outdoor Press Association. They have written for the National Geographic Traveler as well as numerous newspaper articles. Together they have won more than forty awards for books, photography, radio, TV, and newspaper and magazine articles. They live in rural Williamson County near the Leipers Fork community.

• Traveling Florida, 2002
• Tennessee Outdoorsmen Cookbook (with Jimmy Holt), 2002
• The Compleat Tennessee Angler (with Doug Markham), 1999
• Highroad Guide to Tennessee Mountains,1999
• Traveling Tennessee: A Complete Tour Guide to the Volunteer State, 1999
• Traveling the Southern Highlands, 1997
• Traveling the Trace, 1995
• Two Dozen Fishin' Holes: A Guide to Middle Tennessee, 1992

Surber, Shawn-Michelle

• Hope, 2004

Swift, Grace (1949 - )    

Grace Swift was born in Franklin, Tennessee and grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana where she attended Arsenal Technical School. Swift returned to Franklin in 2001 and has been here ever since.

Grace's interest in teaching children to be bilingual stemmed from the realization that her granddaughter, Jessica, who was bilingual at the age of two, lost her bilingual skill when she went to school.

During Swift's involvement in the Title I Program in the Rush Henrietta School District of Rochester, New York, she took a creative writing course which sparked her interest in writing books for children. She continued her research and writing in Jacksonville, Florida while volunteering at WTEB, Jacksonville Educator Broadcasting, affiliate of Trinity Broadcasting Network. For twenty years, as an author and speaker, she has inspired people with her writing.

She has traveled the United States, the Virgin Islands and Canada. She has dedicated over thirty years to research in childhood education. Her books are the result of her interest in teaching children bilingual skills.

• The SonShip Series, 2007
• The 3 Dimensional Prayer Book, 2007
• 3-D Prayers for Kids (Oracion 3-D para Ninos)
• Joseph's Coat of Many Colors (La Tunica de Muchos Colores de Jose)
• Noah's Animals (Los Animales de Noe)
• O' Father Where Art Thou?, 2015

Sylva, John Paul    

John Paul Sylva moved to Franklin from Charlottesville, Va, in 2008 and became a member of Hiram No. 7. Sylva had some journalism experience when he was in the U.S. Navy, but he admits he had no idea what he was getting into when he volunteered to write the book. “I figured since I was editor in chief of my college yearbook, surely I could put some kind of pamphlet together,” Sylva said of his agreeing to take on the project. “I had envisioned a 60-page color magazine similar to a program you get at football games. But others (members) said they didn’t want a magazine, they wanted a hardcover book. “I thought, well, I don’t know anything about the Lodge and not much about the area, but I’ll do what I can.” Complete with color and old black and white photographs, the book delves not only into the history of the building itself, but also includes a full section on Freemasonry in Colonial America and its introduction in Tennessee. One section lists all the Lodge’s worshipful masters with short biographies.

• A History of Hiram Lodge No. 7: Bicentennial of Freemasonry in Franklin, Tenn, 2014

Talbott, Frederick E.

Frederick Talbott grew up in Petersburg, Virginia, listening to storytellers. He earned degrees in journalism at Florida Southern and the University of South Carolina and received his law degree from the latter. He has been an award-winning journalist for newspapers and magazines. He taught humor to White House speechwriters and wrote for "Saturday Night Live." Talbott became professor for the practice of management at the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt. He has spoken widely on motivation, communication, and leadership—and the use of comedy in all these areas. He came to Williamson County in 1993.

• Churchill on Courage: Timeless Wisdom for Persevering, 1996
• Shakespeare on Leadership: Timeless Wisdom for Daily Challenges, 1994

Taulman, James E (1937 - )

Jim Taulman has written over 1,000 articles, as well as lyrics for a dozen anthems during his 25-year career as a pastor. He was also an editor at both the Baptist Sunday School Board in Nashville for 13 years, and at the Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, where he edited Baptist History and Heritage. Since 1999, he has edited Tennessee Baptist History. Since 2003, Jim has operated Familystories-4-U to help interested persons publish their family story and history. Jim was born in Glencoe, Oklahoma, grew up in Tulsa, and resides in Franklin.

• My Word: Tall Tales by a Taulman, 2005
• Never Tell anyone Anything You Can Get Them to discover for Themselves, 1990
• Comprender y Aconsejar, 1989
• Help! I Need an Idea, 1987
• Encouragers: The Sunday School Worker's Counseling Ministry, 1986

Thadamouse, Professor

Professor Thadamouse began writing when he was just a mouse-pup in the 3rd grade. When not writing, he enjoys trail running, spending time with friends, and toasted swiss-cheese on rye (with a dill pickle). He currently lives in the hollow of a Great Oak Tree in the little town of Franklin, where he continues to read, and write, and seek adventures!
 
 Around the doorway to his home there appears a glowing, ring of magic. Anytime Professor Thadamouse leaves his home, the magic transforms him into a man, so that he can walk about his little town and enjoy spending time with his neighbors and friends. And whenever he steps back through the magical door to his home, he changes back into his wonderful, mouse self.

• The First Franklin Christmas Tree, illustrated by Claudie Bergeron, 2021
• The First Franklin Christmas Tree Coloring Book, illustrated by Claudie C. Bergeron, 2021

Terry, Irene Phelps  

Irene Terry grew up in the Mississippi Delta, and as a young girl moved to Nitta Yuma, a cotton plantation near Oxford, Mississippi, that had been in her family since her ancestors traded jewels to the Native Americans for it. She was educated at Belhaven College in Jackson. For years she opened her home to Ole Miss students and faculty. Her interests include southern culture, music, dance, antiques, and helping people. She moved to Brentwood and opened an antique shop in Franklin.

• Faulkner, Ghosts and Local Folks: Conversations at the Compson House, 1987

Thach, Sharon V. (1946 - )  

A native of Colorado, Sharon Thach lived in many areas and attended Southern Illinois University and other schools before receiving her doctorate from Michigan State University. She taught at Michigan State University and at Cleveland State University. She then became a professor in the School of Business of Tennessee State University. A specialist in supply chain in international marketing, she has published numerous articles and monographs in journals. Her books spring from her studies in linguistics. When not on her extensive travels, she has been living in Franklin.

• Grammar of Kpelle, 1981
• Dictionary of Kpelle, 1981

Thessin, Margie Gould  

Margie Gould Thessin researched and developed the Carnton Plantation ghost tour and with Rene Evans the downtown Franklin, Tennessee ghost tour. She has a B.A. in history and a J.D. but finds she prefers leading walking tours and writing ghost books to practicing law. She lives in historic Franklin, Tennessee with her husband and three children.

• Lizzie's War, 2012
•  Ghosts of Franklin: Tennessee's Most Haunted Town, 2008
• View from the Porch: A Collection of Recipes from Friends of Carnton, compiler and editor, 2008

Thiele, W Edward (1930 - )  

A lifelong songwriter since third grade, Ed Thiele began writing verse in Texas. In high school he studied journalism and was a sports editor in college. In adulthood he devoted his writing to Christian ministry. He served as pastor for churches in Texas and Mississippi for thirty-four years. He accepted a position as seminary professor in New Orleans where he remained until becoming the Executive Director of Seminary Extension in Nashville, Tennessee. In his retirement he is active in church and community.

• Fruitful Discipleship, 1994
• Christ Is Lord, 1990

Thoman, Lauren

Lauren Thoman lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, two children, and a rotating number of dogs and fish. Her pop culture writing has appeared in numerous online outlets including Parade, Vulture, and Collider. When she's not writing, she's probably on the hunt for tacos or coffee, or buried underneath a pile of dogs.

• I'll Stop the World: a novel, 2023

Thomas, Deborah E (1953 - )  

One of those Renaissance people of many skills and interests, Deborah Thomas has lived in many parts of the United States as a wife of a naval engineer and has pursued many interests in both education and the arts. Her interest in children's literature grew from her experience of home schooling her two children, both now successful attorneys. She has also followed her interest in watercolors and embroidery. The subject matter for her book grew from toy bears she was making first for friends, then as a sort of cottage industry. When she began to think up stories about the bears, she shifted her focus into writing. She now lives in Franklin and expects to bring out a series.

• The Bramble Thicket, 2004

Thomsett, Michael C.

Michael Thomsett worked in the accounting profession for 10 years and then decided to leave and pursue a career as a journalist and freelance writer.  He has been writing professionally since 1978 and has published over 100 books with major national publishers, including Wiley, Pearson, Palgrave Macmillan, Amacom, DeGruyter and McFarland; more than 500 articles; and several peer-reviewed journal articles. He also is a frequent public speaker at trade shows and conventions, and has contributed hundreds of articles to blogs. He has lived in Thompson's Station since 2008. Works written while residing in Williamson County include the following:

• Slavery and Racism in American Politics, 1776-1876
• The Amazing Put 2019, DeGruyter
• Bloomberg Visual Guide to
• Candlestick Charting 2012, Wiley
• Candlestick Charting 2018. DeGruyter
• The Complete Options Strategist 2018, Palgrave Macmillan
  The Digital Banking Resolution 2019, DeGruyter
• The German Resistance to Hitler 1997; McFarland;
  2007, 2nd edition; 2016, 3rd ed., Crux Publishing
• Getting Started in Advanced Options 2014, Wiley
• Getting Started in Options 1989, Wiley; 2010, 8th edition; 2013, 9th (illustrated) edition; 2008, China Youth (China) 2019, 10th ed. (DeGruyter)
• Getting Started in Real Estate Investing 1994, Wiley; 2009, 3rd edition; 2000, China Financial Publishing (China)
• Getting Started in Stock Analysis 2015, Wiley
• Getting Started in Stock Investing and Trading 2011, Wiley 2013, 2nd ed.
• Heresy in the Roman Church 2011, McFarland
• The Inquisition: A History 2010, McFarland
• Investing in Energy 2014, Palgrave Macmillan
• Little Black Book of Project Management 2009, 3rd edition; 2009, Saerowoon Jean (Korea)
• Making Money with Option Strategies 2016, Career Press
• Manager’s Pocket Calculator 2010, Amacom
• Mastering Fundamental Analysis 1998, Dearborn; 2000, Wrightbooks (Australia, New Zealand); 2008, China Youth (China);  2008, JWS (Hong Kong)
• Mastering Online Investing 2000, Dearborn
• Mastering Technical Analysis 1999, Dearborn; 2000, Wrightbooks (Australia, New Zealand); 2001, Hegnar Media (Norway)
• The Mathematics of Options 2017, Palgrave Macmillan
• Options for Risk-Free Portfolios 2013, Palgrave Macmillan
• Options for Swing Trading 2013, Palgrave Macmillan
• Options Trading Body of Knowledge 2009, Financial Times/Prentice Hall
• Options Trading for the Conservative Investor 2005, FT Press; 2010, 2nd edition; 2011, Chinese Simplified Edition, Pearson Education Asia (China)
• Options Trading for the
   Institutional Investor 2014, FT Press
• Profiting from Technical Analysis
  and Candlestick Indicators 2015, FT Press
• Put Option Strategies 2010, Financial Times/Prentice Hall
• Slavery and Racism in America, 1776-1876, 2019, McFarland
• A Speaker’s Treasury of Quotations 2009, McFarland
• Stock Investor’s Pocket Calculator 2007, Amacom; 2009, Computer Press (Czech Republic); 2011, Vision Books (India)
• Stock Market Math 2018, DeGruyter
• Style Guide for Business Writing, 2018, De Gruyter
• A Technical Approach to Trend Analysis 2016, FT Press
• Trading with Candlesticks 2011, Financial Times/Prentice Hall
• War and Conflict Quotations 1997, McFarland; 2008, 2nd edition
• Winning with Futures 2009, Amacom; 2011, Vision Books (India
• Winning with Options 2008, Amacom; 2011, Vision Books (India)
• Winning with Stocks 2008, Amacom; 2011, Vision Books (India)

Thompson, Daly, Jr.

Daly Thompson, Jr. served as a Methodist and Untied Methodist minister in the Middle and West Tennessee Conferences of the United Methodist Church for seventy years from the age of 16 to 85 years of age. His appointments included Clifton and Neptune Methodist Churches and the Kingston Springs Circuit in Cheatham County, and the Hustburg and Plant Charge in Humphries County. He also served the Historic Mullins Church in Memphis as associate pastor and was the founding pastor of Wesleyan Hills United Methodist Church in Memphis, and as senior pastor of Saint John's United Methodist Church in Memphis. After returning to Nashville, he serve the Historic Johnson's Chapel United Methodist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee for thirty years until 2016 when he retired. He was also the co-founder of the Center for Personal Growth a counseling center in Memphis with Dr. Brooks Ramsey.

• Stories I love to Tell and More! [no publication date]

Thompson, Jerry

Jerry Thompson is an award-winning columnist at The Tennessean in Nashville, Tennessee. a reporter for more than twenty-five years, he has covered everything from police and court beats and state and local politics to two national presidential campaigns. He lives on a farm near Springfield, Tennessee, with his wife, Linda, and their five children. 

• My Life in the Klan, 1988
• Rooster Bingo, 1987

Thompson, Patti Roberts  

Patti Roberts is a recording and concert artist who appeared for several years on the Oral Roberts television specials, as well as the regular weekly telecast. She was married to Richard Roberts, the son of Oral Roberts, but later married John Thompson. She and her two daughters lived in Franklin during the 1980s.

• Dance of the Broken Heart: A Family Love Story (with co-author John Thompson), 1986
• Ashes to Gold (with co-author Sherry Andrews), 1983

Thorndike, Jonathan (1959 - )  

Dr. Thorndike has taught interdisciplinary courses on literature and history in the expanding Belmont University Honors Program. Originally from Michigan, he was teaching persuasive and research writing in Wisconsin when he began assigning research work on Supreme Court cases. This work led to his interest in the first case, 1965, in which the Supreme Court took up the evolution versus creationism issue. The Great Decisions series, in which his book is published, is designed to present law cases in layman's language so that the general public can easily understand the arguments on and import of the subject.

• Teapot Dome Scandal Trial, 2001
• Epperson vs. Arkansas: the Evolution vs. Creationism Debate, 1999

Tidwell, Ryan Walker 

This is Ryan's first book, along with his grandmother, Beth McLemore Brock (see Brock, Beth McLemore), but you never know where this well lead. He is a student at Blackman Middle School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He is also active in C.A.P.E. (Challenged Athletes Playing Equally), supports Tucker's House, a non-profit, and participates in the Rutherford County, Tennessee, Special Olympics thru school. He is always busy.

• My Name is Ryan -- I am just like you, but different, 2019

Toalston, Art  

Born and reared in Alliance, Ohio, near Akron, Art Toalston majored in speech and journalism at Bowling Green State University and taught those subjects in high school for two years before entering journalism. After a few years of general work, he became Mississippi's first full-time religion writer and worked in that capacity for the Jackson Daily News for more than five years. Following a year and a half at a Baptist seminary, he became news coordinator for the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board in Richmond. He later became editor of the Baptist Press, the news service for the entire denomination.

• Lamp unto My Feet: A Verse-a-Day Devotional, 1997

Towery, Twyman  

Born in Fayetteville and reared both there and in Chattanooga where he also attended the university, Twyman Towery started out in business psychology. Then, he earned a Master's degree in medical and hospital administration. He taught at Tulane in New Orleans, where he earned a doctorate in organizational psychology, working with the faculties of both Tulane and the University of New Orleans. After teaching and working in the corporate hospital world, he came to Brentwood in 1986. He has developed Towery Communications, an organizational consultant firm. He has spoken frequently and put out a newsletter, The Towery Report and also worked in the area of mediation.

• The Wisdom of Wolves: Nature's Way to Organizational Success, 2000
• The Power of Eagles: Nature's Way to Individual Accomplishment, 2000
• The Male Code: Rules Men Live and Love By, 1992

Trafton, Jennifer

Jennifer Trafton got the idea for The Rise and Fall of mount Majestic while backpacking alone across Great Britain. Walking along the top of some large, strangely shaped, grass-covered mounds, she imagined that someone was sleeping underneath. Years later, that picture in her head, along with the picture of a girl losing her hat in a forest, got tangled together into a story. Jennifer lives in Franklin, Tennessee. This is her first book.

• The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Professor Barnabas Quill, Historian of the Island at the Center of Everything, illustrated by Brett Helquist, 2010

Tran, Kaylon Bruner

Kaylon Bruner-Tran holds a PhD in reproductive pathology and is an active medical research scientist with a laboratory at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. She is best known for her studies examining the relationship between environmental toxicant exposure and development of endometriosis and diseases associated with prematurity. She is particularly interested in how such exposures may lead to disease and dysfunction across generations. Kaylon has always loved writing and has published numerous scientific papers as well as several non-fiction essays. When her sons were little, she was annoyed that so many cartoons included an evil scientist. In response, she started making up stories about good scientists to tell them at bedtime. Now she is weaving the personal and professional struggles of good scientists into novels for adults.

• Time Intertwined: Book 1 of the Agent Orange Trilogy, 2021
• Lives Intertwined: Book 2 of the Agent Orange Trilogy, 2021
• Darkness and Light Intertwined: Book 3 of the Agent Orange Trilogy, 2022

Travis, Vicky

As a freelance journalist, Travis's work has appeared in books, university publications, and periodicals. Travis spent a decade writing about Nolensville in her column published in the Tennessean.

Nolensville (Images of America), with Beth Lothers, 2019

Tubb, Kristin O'Donnell (1971 - )  

Kristin Tubb was born and raised in Athens, Tennessee. In elementary school, she won a reading competition in which the prize was a telephone interview with Madeline L'Engle, of A Wrinkle in Time fame. Tubb was hooked into writing and began entering contests soon thereafter; she had a piece entitled "How I Would Improve My School" printed in the local newspaper after winning in her age bracket. Tubb received a Bachelor of Communication and Master of Arts from Auburn University. After teaching public speaking classes at Auburn, she moved to Nashville where she wrote grants and did special event fundraising for Nashville's Table and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She then became the Director of Marketing for PureSafety, an online training company. Tubb became a full-time freelance writer in 2002, writing for The Tennessean and for children's magazines such as Spider, Cricket and Highlights for Children. She also works with Dalmatian Press, crafting activity books for their licensed characters. Tubb lives in Franklin.

• Selling Hope, 2010
• Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different, 2008
• Freedom from Cruel and Unusual Punishment, 2005
• Powderpuff Girls Spiral Activity Book, 2004

Tucker, Tanya

Tanya Tucker is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. Over the years, Tanya  matured into adulthood without losing her audience. During the course of her career, she has counted a streak of top-10 and top-40 hits.

•  Nickel Dreams: My Life, with Patsi Bale Cox, 1997

Turk, A.  

A. Turk was born in 1954, in Brooklyn, New York, and he grew up on Long Island. He earned a BA from George Washington University, an MBA from the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Business, and a JD from Vanderbilt School of Law. He was licensed to practice law in Tennessee in 1980. In 1983 he also was licensed, but never practiced, in New York because of a promise he made to his mother. A. Turk for more than thirty years was a prominent Nashville attorney and a veteran of fighting courtroom battles. He garnered national media attention in 1994 when he won a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision, which held that 2 Live Crew's parody of Roy Orbison's song "Pretty Woman" did not require a copyright license. With the support of NBC, HBO, Time Warner, Mad Magazine, and others, A. Turk won this landmark case preserving the right of commercial parody under the Fair Use Doctrine. A. Turk recently retired to begin his second career as an author of courtroom dramas based upon his personal experiences. First Do No Harm is A. Turk’s debut novel, where he introduces his fictitious alter ego, Benjamin Davis. The Benjamin Davis Book Series will explore and address the same legal issues and moral dilemmas that A. Turk faced during his legal career. A. Turk has been married to his wife Lisa for 33 years and they have two adult children, Jessica and Ben, as well as three pugs. A. Turk currently splits his time between Nashville, Aspen, and Highland Beach.

• Second Degree, 2014
• First Do No Harm, 2013

Turnbow, Tony L. 

Tony Turnbow practices law in Franklin, Tennessee. With a Bachelor of Arts and a concentration in southern U.S. history from Vanderbilt University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Tennessee College of Law, he has continued to use his training to explore unpublished primary sources about the Natchez Trace. Apart from authoring books and journal articles, Mr. Turnbow represented the Natchez Trace Parkway Association on the Tennessee War of 1812 Bicentennial commission, and he was the recipient of the Tennessee Society U.S. Daughters of 1812 "Spirit of 1812" award. He enjoys telling the stories of the old Natchez Trace.

• Hardened to Hickory, 2018
• Fighting Devil's Backbone, 2021

Turner, Cal Jr.

Cal Turner, Jr., is Chairman of the Cal Family Foundation and the retired CEO, Chairman, and President of Dollar General Corporation. Raised as "the boss' son," Mr. Turner made leadership of Dollar General his own by adopting a clear mission to serve other through his work. Committed to community development and theological education, he is active in supporting programs at Duke Divinity School and Vanderbilt Divinity School, including the Cal Turner Program for Moral Leadership in the Professions at Vanderbilt University.

Cal Jr. grew up in a Scottsville, Kentucky, household where business and family were one. After graduating Vanderbilt University, he served for three years as an officer in the United States Navy before beginning his career at Dollar General. He served as CEO for 37 years, and during his tenure, the number of DG stores rose from 150, with sales of $40 million, to more than 6,000, with sales in excess of $6 billion. Turner has served on the boards of companies like Shoney's and First American, and of educational, civic and charitable organizations including Vanderbilt and Fisk universities, and has been president of the board of governors of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. His many awards include the Presidential Award for Private Sector Initiatives (presented by Ronald Reagan) and the Vanderbilt Distinguished Alumnus Award. A committed lifelong Methodist, Turner was inducted in 2001 into the Fellows of the Society of John Wesley by the Tennessee Conference of the UMC. 

• Led to Follow: Leadership Lessons from an Improbable Pastor and a Reluctant CEO, with J. Howard Olds, 2008

Turner, James K. 

This Janice Keck Literary Award winning author is a storyteller, traveler, historian and author. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, a seventh-generation Tennessean, and a board member (past and present) of historical organizations and properties. he resides in Franklin, Tennessee with his two children, Ella and Caldwell.

• The Battlefield Guide to Life: War Stories and Life Lessons from Julius Caesar to Sergeant York, 2018

Turner, Lamont  

Lamont Turner is a Franklin, Tennessee, native who graduated from Vanderbilt University in three years with Blue-Gray All-Star, Dean's List, and All-Academic SEC honors. After being released from the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent, he started a career as a medical device sales representative. After almost ten years in the industry, he chose to take a step back for a retrospective look at his UNDERDOg journey so that he could share it with others through this book.

• Winning Beyond the Scoreboard as the UNDERDOg: the Final Score is What Counts, 2011

Tyska, Tasha (1969 - )  

Tasha Alexander, pseudonym Tasha Tyska,a former resident of Franklin, now lives in Chicago. In South Bend, Indiana, this daughter of philosophy professors grew up "completely surrounded by books." Tyska earned a B.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame in 1992 and lived in Wyoming and Connecticut before moving to Tennessee in 2004. Tyska's degree included a concentration in Medieval Studies in which she focused on history and literature.

• Tears of Pearl, 2009
• A Fatal Waltz, 2008
• Elizabeth: the Golden Age, 2007
• A Poisoned Season, 2007
• And Only to Deceive, 2005

Tyson, W Stan (1930 - )  

Born in Davidson County, W Stan Tyson moved to Williamson County in 1975 after he retired from a 24-year career in the U.S. Army with the rank of colonel. He has been a substitute teacher and served as the manager of the Lynwood Utility District. Tyson has taken part in community life in a number of positions: a member of the Franklin Kiwanis Club, for twelve years a member of the Williamson County Board of Zoning Appeals, and for six years a member of the County Commission, representing the ninth District, a Veterans Service Officer for the county, and a Highway Commissioner for the NW District.

• Catch the Spirit: A Sesquicentennial History of Bethlehem United Methodist Church, 1848 to 1997, 1997
• Those Were the Glory Years: A History of West End High School 1937 to 1954, 1996

—V—

Vaden, Evelyn Cutler (1920 - )  

Evelyn Cutler Vaden was born in Lockport, Illinois. She married Leonard Wilson Vaden of Franklin and moved to Williamson County in 1945. She has worked with the United Church Women of Franklin and Williamson County, and she has been active in church and family events, gardening, and participating in the College Grove Senior Citizens Center. Vaden has given generously of her writing talents to help others write their life stories.

• Corn Bread & Sweet Milk, An Autobiography (as related by J. Glenn Brown, co-author), 1998
• History of Epworth United Methodist Church, 1984

VanLiere, Donna (1966 - )  

VanLiere came into writing by means of radio and theater. Born and reared in northeastern Ohio, she took part in high school and college plays and speech teams. At Cedarville University, she majored in broadcasting and theater. Married and living in Middle Tennessee, she continued in broadcasting but found herself being asked to write a variety of documents: productions for charity events, sketches for conferences, musicals, a hospital annual report, computer software instructions. One day she realized that she was an accomplished professional writer, so she decided to choose her own genre—stories. Her second book won the Silver Angel Award and her third was made into a television movie for the 2002 Christmas season.

• The Christmas Light, 2014
• The Good Dream, 2012
• The Christmas Note, 2011
• The Christmas Journey, 2010
• The Christmas Secret, 2009
• The Christmas Promise, 2007
• The Angels of Morgan Hill, 2006
• The Christmas Hope, 2005
• High Calling: the Courageous Life and Faith of the Space Shuttle Commander Rick Husband (with Evelyn Husband), 2004
• The Christmas Blessing, 2003
• The Christmas Shoes, 2001
• Sheltering Trees: the Power, Promise, and Refuge of Friendship, 2001
• They Walked with Him, 2001

Van Wyck, Robert W.

The author, in celebration of 100 years since Amundsen reached the South Pole, and 50 years since the authors trip to the Antarctic, wrote this book as a Bio-historical-travelogue to document conditions at that time. More than 70 photos document travel across the U.S, Hawaii, the Canton Island, Fiji Islands, New Zealand and then to the Antarctic Continent. With more than 50 years of experience in the nuclear field, he went as a member of a nine man team toi review the safety of the nuclear power reactor beginning its operation to provide power for the McMurdo Station. Interesting facts about the Antarctic, a summary of the the nuclear power plant, since removed entirely from the Continent, and Vignettes of special interest are included

• A Once In A Lifetime Opportunity: A Trip To the Antarctic and Back, 2014

VeerajaR  

VeerajaR is an admired poet and a well-published scientist. Her poetry is well received in state-wide readouts. She is a coauthor of the devotional titled "Resurrection Reflections" and has poetry published in anthologies including "Filtered Through Time." VeerajaR believes her passion for reading and writing, the thirst for knowledge of the unknown and the mystery of God's creations inevitably led to her career in scientific research. The deeper she delved into scientific quest the more convinced she was of the greatness of God. She has traveled across the world, lived and taught in SriLanka (formerly Ceylon), Nigeria, and has been a faculty at medical schools in the U.S, including Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. Currently, a consultant scientific editor and living in Middle Tennessee, with her children and husband of 27 years, VeerajaR continues to muse, write and paint in 'awe' of God's gifts - life and nature around us!

• Beyond Loving, 2018
• Joy Of Being, 2013
• Filtered Through Time Anthology, 2012
• Resurrection Reflections, 2009

Venable, Rita Wood (1954 - )  

Rita Wood Venable was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but now makes Williamson County her home. Venable has always had a love for reading and while pursuing a career in Wildlife Management, she discovered she liked writing about wildlife and biology. Venable has written numerous articles for wildlife publications such as American Butterflies and American Gardener. Butterflies of Tennessee is her first book.

• Butterflies of Tennessee, 2014

Vetters, Kurt M.

• Confederate Winter, 2015

Vissepo, Jean-Michael

• Mi Orgullo Puerto Rican Cuisine, [2006]

Vraciu, Bob

Bob Vraciu was with HCA and HealthTrust, Inc. for fifteen years, much of which involved close work with Clayton McWhorter. He served as vice president of strategic planning and research, president of the Center for Health Studies, and vice president of strategic planning and marketing. Following Columbia/HCA's purchase of HealthTrust in 1995, Vraciu became a clinical professor of health-care management with the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. He currently serves as a business strategy consultant. Vraciu earned his Ph.D. from the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University, an M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor's in mathematics from the University of California, Davis. For the five years before joining HCA, he taught health-care financial management in the program of health-care administration at the University of Michigan. Bob Vraciu resides in Brentwood, Tennessee, with his wife, Jeannie. They have three children: Paul, Brian, and Julie.

• Leadership to Win: A biography of R. Clayton McWhorter, 2003

Waldrop, C. Sybil (1928 - )  

C. Sybil Waldrop, a native of Louisiana, was a former manager of the preschool curriculum section of the Baptist Sunday School Board. She received her Bachelors in Arts (B.A.) degree from Centenary College, an Masters of Engineering (M.E.) and Doctorate (Ph.D.) in education from the University of North Texas, and has done further graduate study at Scarritt College in Nashville. She has taught in the public schools of Texas and New Mexico and at Southeastern College, North Texas State University, and Eastern Kentucky University. She has written numerous articles for professional periodicals both religious and secular.

• Teaching Preschoolers the Bible, 1991
• Getting Good at Being You, 1989, 2001
• Guiding Your Child Toward God, 1985
• Understanding Today's Preschoolers, 1982

Walker, Arthur L.  

Arthur L. Walker was born in Alabama and received his B.A. degree from Samford University, his M.Div. at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He taught at Samford, where he was also dean of students and vice president of student affairs, at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he was dean of students and director of ministry training, and at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. From 1978 to 1993 he was executive director or treasurer of the Southern Baptist Convention, Southern Baptist Commission of American Baptist Theological Seminaries, and the Association of Southern Baptist Colleges and Schools.

• Southern Baptist Trusteeship, 1993
• By Their Fruits, 1982
• Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists, IV (contributor), 1982
• Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists, III (contributor), 1971   

Wallace, Ennis

Ennis Wallace was born on the upper water shed of Flat Creek near the northwest corner of his 4th great grandfather's house Revolutionary War land grant. At the age of four, he moved to his present home. Here, he grew to manhood. He attended Flat Creek and Bethesda School and church at Edward's Grove. He is an Air Force Veteran of the Korean War. After his discharge from the U.S.A.F., he became employed by Avco in Nashville as an aircraft and aerospace toolmaker. He is married to the former Allean Harper of Arrington and they are the parents of two sons, Ennis Core, Jr. and Kenneth Lee, and the grandparents of a grandson, Ennis Cor, III (Corey). They purchased the family farm from their parents. He served as Magistrate for twelve years on the Williamson County Quarterly Court. He is past Worshipful Master of Owen Hill Lodge #172 F&AM. 

• Flat Creek: Its Land and its People, 1986. Contributors: Marjorie Eady Redmond, Martha Ann Hazelwood, and JoAnn Petty.
• Third Annual Williamson County Public Library History Lecture Series: Communities and How They Grew, 2001, with Rick Warwick and Sue Barton Oden, (Lecture - "Flat Creek: Its Land and Its People," by E.C. Wallace, Sr.)

Wall, Paula S. (1954 - )  

Paula Wall was born in Clarksville, Tennessee, but grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. She majored in environmental science at Austin Peay State University. She worked as an environmentalist, but eventually became a full-time humorist with a nationally syndicated column for Universal Press. She was named "Humor Columnist of the Year" in 1997 by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and was a semi-finalist for the 1999 Thurber Award. Her books have been translated into four languages. If I Were a Man, I'd Marry Me stayed on the (Humor) Best Sellers List for twenty-seven weeks. She and the "Sweetie" of her column own land in Fernvale.

• The Wilde Women, 2007
• The Rock Orchard, 2005
• If I Were a Man, I'd Marry Me, 1999
• My Love Is Free (But the Rest of Me Don't Come Cheap), 1997

Waller, Mary Webb  

Mary Webb Waller was raised in Cookeville as one of nine siblings. She attended the Putnam County public schools and graduated from David Lipscomb University. She taught in the school systems in Putnam and Williamson Counties before becoming a social worker in 1945. She has lived in Brentwood.

• Walking Softly, 1994

Walter, Judith Burton  

Judith Burton-Walter resides in Franklin, TN. She was educated at St. Mary's of Notre Dame and the University of Tennessee. As a practicing counselor she published articles in professional journals, and for six years wrote a weekly newsletter for parents. After her retirement, she wrote a column for Mature Lifestyles of Tennessee. She has had poetry and creative non-fiction published by Muscadine Lines, an online journal for Southern Writers. A short story by Ms. Walter is included in an anthology titled Filtered Through Time, which looks at the Civil War through the prism of the 21st century. Her novel, Fleeing the Nest, is a humorous story of escapism for boomers "on the run" from family. Jenny's Dilemma is her second novel.

• Fleeing the Nest, 2013
• Points to Ponder, 2018
• Jenny's Dilemma, 2023

Ware, Scott

Scott Ware worked at his family business for several years until they sold it. Since then he has been a teacher and investor in Franklin, Tennessee, where he lives with his two wonderful daughters. Impromptu bedtime stories became short stories. 

• 40 Tall Tabloid Tales and 4 Super Short Stories, 2005
• Changing Faces for Fun and Profit: a Novel, 2006

Warwick, Richard (1947 - )  

Born in Anderson County, Rick Warwick moved to Williamson County in 1970 and became librarian at Hillsboro School. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, he has been editor of the Williamson County Historical Society's annual journal for several years. He coordinated and wrote many of the Williamson County entries in the Bicentennial Tennessee Encyclopedia. He has undertaken a four-volume work of Who's Who in Williamson County based on interviews conducted by Jane Owen between 1936 and 1953. Warwick has unselfishly shared his growing knowledge of the county's history with all who seek it. He has also taken as a project the documentation of Williamson County's "material culture"—its furniture, samplers, paintings, and other items—and has organized exhibits to share his findings.

• Williamson County Historical Society Journal , no. 51, 2020
• Rural Scenes of Williamson County, 2018
• A Walk Down West Main Street, 2018
• North and East of Franklin's Public Square: A Pictorial Tour, 2019
• Barns of Williamson County, Tennessee, with Caneta Skelley, 2019
• Who's Who In Williamson County (with Derry Carlisle and Jane Bowman Owen), 2015, 2003
• Portraits of Williamson County, (editor), 2010
• Historic Franklin Tennessee,  essay author, 2009
• Williamson County & The Civil War As Seen Through The Female Experience, 2008
• Williamson County Civil War Veterans: Their Reunions and Photographs, (compiler), 2007
• Wish You Were Here: A Postcard Tour of Franklin and Williamson County, 2007
• Williamson County: The Civil War Years Revealed Through Letters, Diaries and Memoirs, 2006
• Freedom and Work in the Reconstruction Era: The Freedmen's Bureau Labor Contracts of Williamson County, Tennessee, 2006
• Williamson County: More Than A Good Place to Live, 2005
• Triune: Two Centuries At The Crossroads, 2004
• Meet Me at Chapman's Pie Wagon, photography by Joe Hendricks, Jr., 2002
• Williamson County: Out There in the First District, 2001
• Williamson County Historical Society Journal, no. 32, 2001
• Third Annual Williamson County Public Library History Lecture Series: Communities and How They Grew, 2001, with Sue Barton Oden and E. C. Wallace, Sr., (Lecture - "Western Williamson County and How it Grew," by Rick Warwick)
• Williamson County in Black and White, (editor and compiler), 2000
• Leiper's Fork: Our Family Album, 2000
• Williamson County in Black and White, 1999
• Historical Markers of Williamson County, Tennessee-A Pictorial Guide, 1999
• Leiper's Fork & Surrounding Communities, 1999
• Letters to Laura, (with Sadye Tune Wilson and Nancy Tune Fitzgerald), 1997
• Hillsboro School, 100 Years, 1891 to 1991, 1991
• A Century of Chairmakers in Williamson County, 1850–1950, 1989
• Franklin: A Photographic Recollection Volume 2, 1989

Watkins, Kate Sullivan (1967 - )  

Kate Sullivan Watkins was reared on a farm in Williamson County. She graduated from Franklin High School and David Lipscomb University. Before having her own children, she taught elementary school. She has been an author and freelance creator of activity pages with Dalmatian Press of Brentwood, which publishes children's materials. She and her husband Larry have been contributing editors to the magazine Nashville Christian Family.Her book A Craving for Life describes her eleven-year struggle with bulimia.

• Dooley the Dinosaur, 1997
• The Ugly Duckling (retold), 1997
• A Craving for Life, 1995

Weakley, Mary Ann  

Weakley grew up on a farm in the plains of Central Illinois, the youngest of five children and only girl born to her Irish father and Polish mother. With an adventurous spirit, she begged her parents permission to attend a Catholic boarding high school in historic Nauvoo, Illinois; a decision that took her far from the safe environment of her family and small town life. That choice changed the course of her life. After graduating from the Catholic high school, she entered the Benedictine convent of the Sisters who taught her. Convent life was peaceful, but strict. After twenty happy years, her blissful life was shattered; she left the community and began the process of survival on the outside. A few years out of the convent, Weakley married and lived in Sleepy Hollow, IL. She later moved with her husband to Tennessee where she built a successful interior design business. A latent desire to write became a passion fulfilled when joining writing groups. When friends learned she had been a nun for twenty years in Illinois—a secret she usually held close—their interest and curiosity encouraged her to expand her personal essays into a memoir. Details of those twenty years—why she entered the convent, what convent life was like, why she left it, and how she met her husband and decided to marry are in her first book—Monastery to Matrimony, A Woman’s Journey. Weakley, a widow now, writes and lives in The Villages, Florida with her faithful cat, Sammie.

• Monastery to Matrimony: A Woman's Journey, 2014

Weimer, Heidi R.

• You're My Little Love Bug, 2004

Wellington, Sam  

Franklin resident Sam Wellington was a member of The Fabulous Four Guys, a country group that, prior to its retirement in 1999, was for thirty-two years a member of the Grand Ole Opry. After service in the Navy, Wellington worked as a newspaper reporter and as a radio and TV newscaster in the early 1960s. The Fabulous Four Guys moved to Nashville in 1967.

• In the Beginning…There Was the Men's Room, 2008
• Who Wants to Be a Country Music Star?: The Right Way - The Wrong Way And the Nashville Way to Launch And Maintain a Music Career!, 2005

Wells, Ed  

Ed Wells was born and reared in Moline, Illinois, on the banks of the Mississippi River. He graduated from the University of Illinois. After taking an accounting job, he found that the life of numbers was not for him. He accepted a commission in the Air Force, embarking on a career that found him living in many parts of the world. He retired after twenty years and came to Williamson County in 1977 to accept a management position. He founded his own company and began to write.

• Lethal Cargo, 2000

Wells, William W. 

William W Wells was born in Nashville and is a graduate of Vanderbilt University. After serving in World War II, he was recalled to active duty during the Korean War and served for two years as a fighter pilot. His book cited below is a collection of more than 180 letters that Wells wrote home to his family while he was taking fighter pilot training in England. He was an escort for Joseph Kennedy Jr.'s secret mission when Kennedy's plane exploded.

• Letters from an Airman—World War II, 1992

White, Edward K., III  

• Popo and Gigi's Adventures of Tom the Cat and Big Red: Red Slider Is Set Free in Frog Pond (with Pamela L. White), 2012

White, Katie Kinnard  

Katie Kinnard White not only was born, reared, and educated in Williamson County, but also reared her own family here. She attended Tennessee State University, majoring in biology, and earned a Ph.D. at Walden University in science education. After ten years in the public schools of Middle Tennessee, she became professor of biological sciences at Tennessee State University. In addition to church history, she has written science laboratory manuals and a history of her collegiate sorority. Her church is on the site of the old Sunnyside School near the Grassland community.

• From Whence We Came: the History of Greater Pleasant View Baptist Church 1894-1999 (with George Northern), 1999
• The Legacy Continues... (with Ann Lawrence-Brown, Evelyn Hood, and Lillie Wilkes), 1994
• Biophysical Science Laboratory Manual (with other members of the faculty), 1978, 1981, 1989
• Learning About Living Things for the Elementary School (with Alfred Aubry and Tillman Jackson), 1966
• Learning About Our Physical World for the Elementary School (with Alfred Aubry and Tillman Jackson), 1966

White, Pamela L.  

• Popo and Gigi's Adventures of Tom the Cat and Big Red: Red Slider Is Set Free in Frog Pond (with Edward K. White,III), 2012

Wibking, Tim (1955 - )  

After growing up in Clarksville, Tim Wibking studied in Switzerland and at Murray State University before graduating from Austin Peay State University. After receiving his degree from University of Tennessee Law School, he served in the army JAG in Germany. Later, he served as legal counsel for the Tennessee School Boards Association. Struggles with childcare led Wibking and his wife, Dr. Janet Dittus, to decide that he would stay at home with their son, Ben, for his early years. His latest book relates experiences of father and son. Wibking has written freelance articles on parenting and a weekly newspaper column recounting his activities with Ben and Ben's adopted sister from China, Gabby. Wibking's writing is included in Our Voices, 1997 and 1998.

• A Boy for All Seasons, 1996
• The Public Education Law Handbook, 1989

Williams, Fleming, Jr.  

When Fleming Williams took over the Williamson County Sheriff's Department in 1970, he had been in the oil business. He was drafted into service when friends circulated a petition and then convinced him to run. Once in office, with help from friends in state and federal law enforcement and several courses in law enforcement, Williams quickly learned the legal system and proceeded to make major changes in Williamson County. Using his own case records and case photos, Williams tells readers, in his own words, about the Williamson County he was hired to tame in his book, "A Tennessee Sheriff, Williamson County cases from 1970 to 1990."

• A Tennessee Sheriff: Williamson County Cases 1970-1990, 2013

Williams, Louise

In 1989, Louise Williams, at age 82, has written her second book - her first book, THE LIFE OF LOUISE, was an autobiography covering 77 years of her life. ME-MAW'S 2¢ WORTH IS A COLLECTION OF MANY THINGS: Her philosophy, unsolicited advice and opinions, and a message to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. It is also an account of the last years of her husband's (Walter) life as an Alzheimer patient. One chapter reveals her "love life." another is filled with cute sayings entitles, "Out of the Mouths of Babes." The book contains numerous letters written to the Ashland City Times and The Tennessean - also a variety of poems and other articles. 

• Me-Maw's 2¢ Worth, 1989

Williamson County Arts Council

• Williamson County Celebrates The Written Word, 1993
• Williamson County Celebrates The Written Word, 1994
• Williamson County Celebrates The Written Word, 1996
• Williamson County Celebrates The Written Word, 1997

Williamson County Bicentennial Committee

• Portraits in Time, 1999

Williamson County Master Gardeners  

• Fresh From Our Kitchen: Cooking With the Williamson County Master Gardeners, 2005

Williamson, Dani

Dani Williamson. MSN, FNP, is a Family Nurse Practitioner who is the founder of Integrative Family Medicine, her thriving practice located in Franklin, Tennessee. For decades, Dani suffered from chronic gut issues and autoimmune disease. It wasn't until graduating from Vanderbilt and working in a naturally minded medical practice that her boss asked her a few life-changing questions: "Dani, what are you eating? Don't you know your diet controls your symptoms?" From that moment on, Dani has been on a tireless pursuit to transform her patients' lives through her six steps to healing: eat well, sleep well, move well, poop well, de-stress well, and commune well. Today, Dani sees hundreds of patients every month in her clinic. Find her on Instagram at Dani Williamson Wellness, as well as her weekly health show on YouTube and Facebook at Dani Williamson Wellness. Her private Facebook community (Inside Out - Healing from Within) has over 10,000 members.

• Wild & Well: Dani's Six Commonsense Steps to Radical Healing, 2022

Wills, Ridley, II  

Ridley Wills II is the great-great-grandson of William Giles Harding, owner of Belle Meade Mansion in Nashville, and a great-grandson of Judge Howell E Jackson, owner of West Meade. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, he majored in history and has taught Nashville history to the public since 1985. He is the son of Jesse Wills, poet and president of the National Life and Accident Insurance Company. Wills is a member of a number of historical organizations and lives at Meeting of the Waters, the Williamson County home of Nicholas Perkins.

• Heritage, Highballs and Hijinks: Colorful Characters I Have Known, 2010
• Yours to Count On: A Biography of Nashville Banker Extraordinaire, 2007
• Tennessee Governors at Home: Executive Residences of Tennessee's First Families, 1999
• Old Enough to Die, 1996
• Touring Tennessee: A Postcard Panorama, 1898–1955, 1996
• A Brief History of the YMCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, 1996
• A Walking Tour of Mount Olivet Cemetery, 1993
• The History of Belle Meade: Mansion, Plantation, & Stud, 1991
• Belle Meade Bloodlines, 1816 to 1904, 1990

Willse, Varina

A native Tennessean and a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Willse began her writing career in New York, first at Conde Nast Women's Sports & Fitness and then at Harper's Bazaar. At Oxford University in England, she completed a Master's Degree in Modern Literature, returning to Tennessee in 2002. For six years she taught English at The Ensworth School in Nashville and wrote for a regional magazine. In 2008, the birth of the twin daughters and the idea for this book changed everything for her. She became a full-time mom, a part-time teacher, and an "in-between-time writer. Home to Us is her first book -- a fitting project for someone who grew up on a Robertson County farm, as happy exploring in the woods as holing up in her room to write poetry.

• Home to Us: Six Stories of Saving the Land, written by Varina Willse; photographed by Nancy Rhoda, 2012

Wilson, Etta Grissim  

Etta Wilson was born in Lebanon, and spent her early years in Wilson County. Her degrees are from the University of Tennessee, the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Virginia, and Peabody's School of Library Science. She has been editor of A Closer Look, a review publication for Christian books and media, and also children's book review editor for BookPage. She owned March Media, which published Tennessee Trailblazers, a collection of stories about famous characters in Tennessee history. This book has been adopted for use in elementary classes across Tennessee. In addition to the books listed below, she has written the text for about a dozen "smaller books."

• The Story of Easter, 1997
• The Bible Encyclopedia, 1994    
• The Bible Dictionary, 1993
• The Bible Atlas, 1993
• Music in the Night, 1993
• The Value of Excellence, 1991

Wilson, Jack Case  

Jack Case Wilson is a fifth-generation native of Mississippi. He received his B.A. degree from the University of Mississippi and an M.A. in classical archeology. He attended Vanderbilt University Law School and is a title attorney. While in Oxford, he wrote the work cited below, a history of Oxford, Mississippi. Wilson later moved to Brentwood.

• Faulkners, Fortune and Flames, 1984

Windrow, John Edwin (1899 - )  

Dr. John Windrow was born in Eagleville in 1899. He attended Middle Tennessee State Normal before he became a student a Peabody College in 1923. His association with Dr. Leland Crabb began when Dr. Crabb piloted Dr. Windrow through his Ph.D. program. Dr. Windrow held many positions at Peabody during his fifty-five year association with that school, including director of the Peabody Demonstration School, editor of The Peabody Reflector, managing editor of the Peabody Journal of Education, and college archivist and historian. For many years he and Dr. Crabb worked together and shared a suite of offices. He and his wife, the former Elizabeth Grigsby, are buried in the Triune Cemetery, and his obituary states that he was at one time a resident of Franklin.

• Peabody and Alfred Leland Crabb: the Story of Peabody as Reflected in Selected Writings of Alfred Leland Crabb (editor), 1977
• John Berrien Lindsey: Educator, Physician, Social Philosopher, 1938
• Life and Works of John Berrien Lindsey, 1937
• Collins D. Elliott and the Nashville Female Academy, 1935

Wolfe, Bill  

Bill Wolfe has been director of radio ministries for United Methodist Communications in Nashville and the executive producer/director for the daily "Passages" radio program. He is a native of Bristol and received his B.A. degree from King's College and his master of Christian education degree from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Virginia. Wolfe has produced numerous films and videotapes, as well as radio and television spots and programs. He has directed projects for the United Methodist Board of Discipleship and was responsible for customizing film programs for local churches and regional groups throughout the country. Wolfe has written many articles and pamphlets in the areas of broadcasting, youth ministry, and recreation. He was selected for the first Who's Who in Religion (1975), as well as the 1992 edition and the 1998–99 edition of Who's Who in Media and Communications. He has lived in Williamson County since 1971.

• Inviting Youth, 1988
• The Yearbook: Untold Stories (with co-author Janita Williams), 1983
• Leader's Guide for The Yearbook (with co-author Martha Wolfe), 1983
• The Basic Encyclopedia for Youth Ministry (with Dennis Benson), 1981
•  Music You Wear, 1975

Womack, Steven  

This Nashville native has been a lifetime writer. When an undergraduate at Tulane University, he had an unpublished novel accepted as his honors thesis. He has written screenplays and mysteries and contributes essays and short stories to various venues. Womack has been active in writers' organizations, speaking frequently on writers' panels and at book fairs. He has taught screen writing at Watkins Film School and has often been guest instructor for writers' or screenwriters' workshops. For several years, he led a writers' workshop at the Tennessee State Prison. He came to Franklin in 2002.

• The True Crime Files of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (with Stephen Hines), 2001
• Dirty Money, 2000
• Murder Manual, 1998
• Chain of Fools,1996
• Way Past Dead, 1995
• Torch Town Boogie, 1993
• Dead Folks Blues, 1993
• The Software Bomb, 1993
• Smash Cut, 1991
• Murphy's Fault, 1990

Wood, David E.

David E. Wood, a native of Waynesboro, Georgia, spent forty-seven years in the field of education. His association with Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee, includes his years as a student, from 1950-1954, and as a faculty member from 1959-1961; he presently serves on the BGA Board of Trustees. For fifteen years, 1961-1976, he was associated with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Vanderbilt University, serving the last twelve years as director. From 1976-2006, he was an administrator at five independent school in Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Mississippi, serving as headmaster at four of them. He and his wife Margie are retired and live in Franklin, Their son David, a graduate of The Smith Kindergarten, lives in Atlanta, and daughter, Margaret, resides in Frankfort, Kentucky.

• The Crooked Tree, illustrated by Ben Johnson, 2010

Woodruff, Joseph 

Joseph "Woody" Woodruff earned BA and Law degrees from the University of Alabama. While he was an undergraduate and law student at Alabama, the Crimson Tide son three national championships. He writes an e-mail newsletter during football season and practiced law in Nashville, Tennessee, as a partner in the law firm of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP. He is now a judge of the Twenty-First Circuit Court, which presides over Hickman, Lewis, Perry and Williamson counties in Tennessee.

• Historic Photos of University of Alabama Football, 2009

Worley, Karla (1956 - )  

Influences on Karla Worley's childhood in Dallas, Texas, led directly to the talents she uses as an adult. Her father and grandfather were Southern Baptist ministers; her mother was a costume designer for several Dallas theater companies. In elementary school Karla began writing poetry and songs and staging her own private plays. At Baylor University she majored in Musical Theater and English. As an adult and wife of a minister, she has combined her interests in God, music, and theater to produce many works for her church and the public at large. She writes songs, dramatic productions, and books. She has received three Dove Awards for songwriting from the Gospel Music Association.

• Traveling Together: Women, Friendship, and the Journey of Faith, 2003
• Growing Weary Doing Good: Encouragement for Exhausted Women, 2001, rev. 2003
• Glimpses of Christ in Everyday Lives, 1998
• When the Glass Slipper Doesn't Fit (with Claire Coninger), 1992, updated 2003

Wornell, Rick

• The Two-Toed Toad on the Road, 2014

Wright, C.E. (Chloe)

Whether in her state of Tennessee or around the world, C.E. Wright wants one thing out of life: joy. So, she pursues it. Through long walks on the beach or sitting in a comfortable recliner, C.E. writes fantasy and magic from her heart. She has been writing from a young age and does not plan on stopping soon. When not at her university studying English, Creative Writing, and languages, she plays classical piano and hones her art skills.

• Petrichor (Head in the Clouds series), 2023
• Kalder (Head in the Clouds series), 2023

Wyatt, Margaret Early (1903 - 2001)  

Margaret Early Wyatt was born in Nashville, three and one-half miles from the city square. In 1927 she married Hubert Wyatt, and for many years the couple raised trotting horses and lived in Wyatt Hall, an antebellum home north of Franklin. In 1992 she published her autobiography in a limited edition.

• Nothing Happens by Chance: Reflections, 1992

Wysocky, Lisa  

Energetic and full of interests, Lisa Wysocky chose horse training as her first profession. Twice she has made her home in Fairview. When an injury stopped her successful career, she turned to writing. After several years in journalism, she opened her own public relations firm which attracts clients from a wide variety of activities from music and medicine to thoroughbreds and non-profit organizations. Even so, she has taken time to write. She has become a regularly featured guest on Jones Radio Networks' syndicated overnight show and authored a celebrity lifestyles column for Ag Features.

• Hidden Girl: The True Story of a Modern-Day Child Slave, 2015
• From Slave to Citizen: The Shyima Hall Story, 2014
• Therapy Horse Selection: A My Horse, My Partner Book, 2014
• Walking on Eggshells, 2014
• The Magnum Equation: A Cat Enright Equestrian Mystery, 2013
• Horseback: A Memoir of My Early Life With Horses, 2012
• Two Foot Fred: How My Life Has Come Full Circle, 2012
• The Opium Equation; A Cat Enright Mystery, 2011
• Success Talks: 101 Positive Things To Tell Yourself, 2019
• Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had, 2008
• Horse Country: A Celebration of Country Music and the Love of Horses, 2008
• My Horse, My Partner: Teamwork on the Ground, 2007
• Success Within: How to Create the Greatest Moments of Your Life, 2005
• The Power of Horses, 2002
• The Opium Equation, 2002  

— Y —

Yates, W C. (1903 - 1992)  

W. C. Yates was born and lived all his life in Williamson County. He joined the faculty of Franklin High School in 1925 as science teacher and coach and later served as principal and teacher of vocational agriculture. From 1960 to 1968, he served as superintendent of the county school system. He also served 15 years as director of the Williamson County Chamber of Commerce. In 1991 he published Tales of a Tennessee Yeoman, a compilation of local history and autobiography. Yates was also a poet and published two books of verse.

• Tales of a Tennessee Yeoman, 1991
• Old Time Soliloquy
• Dark and Foggy Night

Youmans, John Barlow (1893 - 1979)  

An active physician, teacher, researcher, and author, John Youmans went to the University of Wisconsin and received an M.D. at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In 1927, he went to Vanderbilt University as an Assistant Professor of Medicine. During World War II, he served as the Head of the Armed Forces Nutritional Services in the Office of the Surgeon General, a position which led him to conduct nutritional surveys worldwide in such places as China, Iran, Europe, Korea, and also Middle Tennessee. In some of these surveys, he was a co-author with Williamson County's William Darby. In 1950, Youmans became Dean of Vanderbilt Medical School. The Youmans family lived at Travelers Rest until after World War II. Dr. Youmans was a great horseman and foxhunter. After the war, he moved to a farm on Old Natchez Trace where he lived and kept his horses for many years.

• Nutritional Deficiencies, Diagnosis and Treatment (assisted by E White Patton), 1941, 1943, Spanish edition 1943
• Essentials of the Diagnostic Examination, 1940

Young, William E.  

William E Young was born in Georgia and earned a B.A. degree from Mercer University and an M.R.E. degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. He served as adjunct professor at Golden Gate Theological Seminary and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Until his retirement in 1992, he worked with the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention as church business consultant, director of field services in administration, and manager of the Preschool and Children's Section, Discipleship Training Program. He also served as president of the Southern Baptist Religious Education Association. Young was given an Excellence in Ministry to Children award and elected to the board of directors of the International Network of Children's Ministry in 1994.

• Heroes of Missions, 1993
• Training Brotherhood Leaders: A Manual for Conducting Brotherhood Leadership Conferences, 1987
• Jesus, Lord and Saviour, 1984
• Developing Your Children's Church Training Program, 1977
• Moses: God's Helper, 1976
• The Effective Church User, 1972

Yrigoyen, Mike

A graduate of San Jose State University, Mike has held various management positions in operations for semiconductor companies. He has recently answered God's call to become a licensed evangelist and to write. Mike is active in his itinerate ministry of prayer and teaching, as well as in his local church. Having lived most of their lives in the Bay Area of California, Mike and his wife, Janet, currently reside in Franklin, Tennessee, where they enjoy time with their two children, Lisa and Daniel.

• The Cross and the Word, 2005

— Z —

Zach, Cheryl Byrd  

Native Tennessean Cheryl Zach's experience in teaching led to her interest in writing about teenage issues, a subject that has given her great success. She lived in several states and Europe before returning to live in Williamson County. Over the years, her subject matter expanded from the Young Adult category to include children's books and non-fiction. She has received numerous awards for her works, and some of her books have been translated into several languages. Zach has been a member of several writers' organizations, as well as being the Regional Advisor Chairperson for all national regions of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She has spoken and written extensively on writing for children. In recent years she and her daughter Michelle Place have collaborated on several romances.

• Widow in Scarlet, 2003
• Lady in Waiting, 2002
• Shadow Self, 2000
• Silent Tears, 1999
• Secret Admirer, 1999
• Carrie's Gold, 1997

Mind Over Matter, a series:

• The Mummy's Footsteps, 1997
• Phantom of the Roxy, 1997
• Curse of the Idol's Eye, 1997
• The Gypsy's Warning, 1997
• Family Secrets (Dear Diary series), 1996
• Kissing Caroline, 1996

Southern Angels series:

• Hearts Divided, 1995
• Winds of Betrayal, 1995
• A Dream of Freedom, 1995
• Runaway (Dear Diary series), 1995
• Here Comes the Martian Mushroom, 1994
• Paradise, 1994
• Looking Out for Lacey, 1992
• Benny and the No-Good Teacher, 1992
• Benny and the Crazy Contest, 1991
• Los Angeles, 1989

Smith vs. Smith series:

• Oh Brother, 1988
• Stealing the Scene, 1988
• Tug of War, 1988
• More Than Friends, 1989
• Surprise, Surprise, 1989
• Waiting for Amanda, 1985
• Fortune's Child, 1985
• The Frog Princess, 1984
• Twice a Fool, 1984

As Jennifer Cole: Sisters series:

• Three's a Crowd, 1986
• Star Quality, 1987
• Too Many Cooks, 1987
• Mollie in Love, 1987

As Jamie Suzanne: Sweet Valley Twins series:

• Second Best, 1988
• The Class Trip, 1988
• Left Behind, 1988
• Jessica, the Rock Star, 1989
• The Christmas Ghost, 1989

As Nicole Byrd (pen name of Cheryl Zach and Michelle Place:

• Beauty in Black, 2004
• Widow in Scarlet, 2003
• Lady in Waiting, 2002
• Dear Impostor, 2001
• Robert's Lady, 2000

Zeigler, Gavin  

George Gavin Zeigler grew up in Franklin, Tennessee, a small farming town in the outskirts of Nashville, where he began his training under the direction of the late Bunn Gray. Mr. Zeigler did his undergraduate work in Art History at Fordham University in New York City. He works out of his studio on Shelter Island, New York.

• A Thirty Year Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture, 2013

Zeigler, Sandy

• Flashback: Celebrating 35 Years of Heritage Balls, with Marilyn Lehew, 2008
• Combat Boots by the Door: World War II from a Child's Point of View, 2022