Ruth W. Crocker is an author, editor, and playwright, and survived a career in healthcare management. Her essays have appeared in The Gettysburg Review, Grace Magazine, O-Dark-Thirty, T.A.P.S. Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post, anthologies, trade magazines, The Day newspaper, and elsewhere. Writing honors include a notable essay in Best American Essays, a Pushcart Prize nomination, and First Prize in the Saturday Evening Post’s “Tribute to the Troops” essay contest. Her memoir, Those Who Remain: Remembrance and Reunion After War, received the Benjamin Franklin Award, a Silver Medal from the Military Writers Society of America, and was presented to President Obama at the White House in 2014. Her book, People of Yellowstone, received Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Award in 2017. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Bennington College and a PhD from the University of Connecticut. Presently, she is Managing Editor at Elm Grove Press and Interim Secretary for the MWSA board of directors. She is also a frequent speaker on the subjects of writing, editing, and memoir. She lives in Mystic, CT. Visit her website at: www.ruthwcrocker.com.
Annette Langlois Grunseth
Annette Langlois Grunseth, Green Bay, WI, is retired from a 40-year career in healthcare marketing and PR. Her book Combat and Campus: Writing Through War (Elm Grove Press) received a Gold Medal from MWSA in 2022. Her poetry book, Becoming Trans-Parent, One Family’s Journey of Gender Transition, (Finishing Line Press) was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She received the Hal Gruetzmacher Poetry Prize in Wisconsin. Her work has been recognized by the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets and the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters (University of Wisconsin). She has been published in Amethyst Review, The Poetry Box, Poetry of Presence II, Silver Birch Press, and other journals. She finds inspiration for writing while biking trails or paddling her kayak. Learn more at www.annettegrunseth.com.
Rob Lofthouse
From Marine Corps Corporal to award-winning author: meet Rob Lofthouse! Rob went on to a successful international 40-year career in information technology retiring as a Vice President of Operations. But his story doesn't end there. Rob is an author of five biographies and historical books. He's a sought-after speaker, bestselling and award-winning author (including a prestigious 2022 MWSA Bronze Medal!). A South Dakota Fallen Hero’s Bridge Dedication was recently named after the war hero he wrote about in this book. He is a coach, editor, and book reviewer who empowers other writers. Rob's passion for service continues as a dedicated volunteer with several patriotic organizations in the Kansas City area (Vietnam Veteran’s Association Chapter 75 Treasurer; SAR Henry Leavenworth Chapter Treasurer; and General Chair of the George Washington Birthday Celebration.) He's also actively involved with the Military Writer's Society of America serving this past year as an Ambassador and The William “Rev. Bill” McDonald Scholarship Chair, and is a member of the Kansas Author's Club. Living between the rivers in Kansas City with his wife, Rob's story is one of dedication, leadership, and love for both history and helping others.
James Rosone
James Rosone's military career began in 1996 with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, evolving to the U.S. Air Force as a Linguist Debriefer after 9/11. During his 556-day Iraq deployment, he conducted over 2,200 hours of high-value target interrogations, earning recognition for his counterterrorism efforts and the lives he saved through his efforts. Post-military, James worked as a contractor in Iraq with DynCorp and Triple Canopy on the WPPS contract with the State Department before leaving Iraq to take a new role with US CENTCOM. James was then recruited to work on a SOCOM task order, positioning him at the US European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, as the Command's newly appointed Identity Operations Manager. In this role, James worked to establish the Global Identity Intelligence program, a critical program in identifying and preventing KSTs and extremist persons from entering the US and Allied Nations.
Academically, James holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin, an MBA from Saint Leo University, and an MSc from the University of Oxford. His academic experiences include internships with Congressman Paul Ryan and Governor of Wisconsin Scott McCallum.
In 2015, struggling with PTSD after leaving the intelligence world behind, James discovered writing therapy. This coping mechanism transformed into a new career, and in 2017, he became a full-time author with his wife Miranda. Collaborating with his wife, James has co-authored 34 books, selling over a million copies worldwide. Their works were often inspired by James's military and wartime experience coupled with his extensive foreign travel. They have given him and his wife an expansive breadth of experience to draw upon in their storytelling. Their works have been translated into multiple languages, from German and French to Hindi and Japanese. The couple consistently ranks among Amazon's Top-100 Kindle Unlimited authors in the Thriller and Science Fiction genres they write. James and Miranda now advocate writing therapy to help others overcome trauma and PTSD. They mentor aspiring veteran authors, continuing their service through the power of the pen.