NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Author, agency owner, professional trainer/professor, musician, and creative mind, Aaron Templer bridges marketing, leadership, and creativity creases with 20+ years of perspective and bias-breaking.

Amy Is a storyteller at heart and uses her second city improv training to entertain and share her adventures. She is also a nurse of 52 years with a 40 year career in Organ Transplantation --

Andy Becker is an award winning author whose elegant gift books inspire gardening and environmentalism.

I love my family, reading, writing, movies, traveling, and having fun with others.

Bill Blokker, Ed.D. is a passionate and informative speaker. He has an unwavering belief that the impossible is possible! He will share insights about how people overcame crushing circumstances to achieve extraordinary results.

Professional celebrity impersonators portray Jack Nicholson and Dolly Parton

Literature podcast host and writer of fiction, nonfiction, and drama.

I share 4-legged wisdom with my 2-legged audience. How to lead, love and achieve, "animal style!"

Award-winning author of Earth-friendly, climate-focused, middle grade fiction

Ms. Cui's debut novel, Groovy Girl, is about a young, feisty Filipino-American girl whose world turns topsy-turvy when her 19-year-old wunderkind sister is diagnosed with colon cancer, amid the chaos of an animated, dramatic extended family. Groovy Girl is the 2022 winner of the National Indie Excellence Award for Asian American Pacific Islander Fiction, a 2022 finalist at the American Fiction Awards for Multicultural Fiction, and was short-listed for the 2022 Hawthorne Prize, sponsored by the American Writing Awards..

Award-Winning Author & Creative Director | Former Mormon Turned Humanist | Exploring Identity and Connection

The authors have been working together to save greyhounds for over twenty years. Christine is a “Jersey Girl” turned lawyer and Carey is a West Coast poet and chess master.

Cindie is an award-winning author and retired fire service captain.

International economist; author; thought leader; relationship developer; skilled media strategist, and public speaker.

Curt Martin is a Christian author, speaker, seminar leader, and organization consultant, whose mission is to help individuals and organizations thrive as the unique masterpieces God designed.

Retired L.A. Sheriff's homicide detective, author of detective novels and true crime.

Widow, Wife, Mother of Two, Memoirist, Poet, Fiction Writer, and Professor

Diana Dempsey traded in a career in local and national television news to write fiction. An Emmy winner for her television work and a prize-winner for her fiction, Diana is a graduate of Harvard University and resides in California.

As a business advisor and trainer I serve business owners and professionals who wish to improve their outcomes and realize greater happiness. I am also an award-winning speaker and author, and podcast host.

Donna Huston Murray’s cozy mystery series features an amateur sleuth much like herself, a DIY headmaster's wife with a troubling interest in crime. The latest Gin Barnes’ FOR BETTER OR WORSE was a Finalist for the National Indie Excellence Award for mysteries, and the first two novels in the Lauren Beck mystery/crime series won Honorable Mention in genre fiction from Writer’s Digest.

In 2022, Donna became the tenth inductee into her high school’s Lifetime Achievement Award Hall of Fame. To hint that she’s still writing, the plaque reads, “…and more,” below her listed books.

When she isn’t plotting mayhem, Donna assumes she can fix anything until proven wrong, calls trash-picking recycling, and, although she should probably know better by now, adores Irish setters.

Donna and husband, Hench, live in the greater Philadelphia, PA, USA, area.

Dr. Ed Eng is an executive advisor, keynote speaker, former mayor, professor, and Amazon bestselling author. Drawing on more than four decades of leadership experience spanning Fortune 500 business, government, higher education, and public service, he helps individuals, teams, and organizations lead through change with clarity, resilience, and purpose.

Centenarian author, performer and master quilter teaches for others to remember.

After decades as a journalist covering healthcare and business ethics, Fran Hawthorne returned to her childhood passion: fiction. Her second novel, I Meant to Tell You, has won or is a finalist for seven awards.

I am an author of children's stories, poetry, and resources to help make wise decisions. I am professor emeritus at The College of St. Scholastica and have spent a career helping others access their own inner wisdom and act for the common good.

thor, INspirational Speaker

Air Force veteran and award-winning author George Hayward tells a little-known, morally conflicted story of heroism, duty, honor and obligation.

He has traveled the world and lived in Asia, Africa, and Russian during his long

Heidrun Metzler won several awards for her baking book, German Heritage Baking, Volume I.

With Sequoyah in his family, this Cherokee citizen/author spins his authentic saga from 1779 through post-Civil War Reconstruction on a turbulent historical stage.

Author. Inspirational Speaker. Poet. Creative.

AKA the "Hottie Historian," Molony invites reader-audiences to go back in time and feel what it was like to be in someone else's shoes.

career as a film and media maker and his memoirs are full of entertaining and

Jennifer Cramer-Miller is an author and speaker, focusing on stories of hope. Jennifer’s multiple-award winning memoir, Incurable Optimist: Living with Illness and Chronic Hope and her speaking topics help others move forward with resilience to find joy.

Jennifer grew up in Wisconsin and moved to California in 2001. Two years prior, she started using a wheelchair and is an advocate for people with disabilities.

Hello! I'm Jessica Mann, award-winning writer and naturalist, weaving together science, emotion, and mythology into engaging stories that entertain and inspire. I write realistic animal fiction for teens/YA and adults that let readers “see” through the eyes of wild birds and animals. I’m available for talks, interviews, podcasts, and book clubs to talk with your groups about my award-winning book UPLIFT, the fascinating truth behind bird and animal minds and emotions, animal culture, and more!

Joanne Greene, author of By Accident: A Memoir of Letting Go, has used her voice on San Francisco radio and television, webinars, and podcasts, to explore the issues of our time with playful irreverence, candor, and compassion. In her podcast, In This Story…with Joanne Greene, she shares observations from her animated life.

John has received three national book awards for his works of fiction and non-fiction.

Judie Dziezak empowers professional women to amplify their presence, especially in male-dominated fields, so they can be recognized as the powerhouse they truly are. She shares thought-provoking insights for unlocking the door to one's inner power.

Lya Badgley is an award-winning novelist whose internationally inspired literary fiction blends history, atmosphere, and moral complexity. She currently divides her time between writing and exploring life abroad.

Maggie Smith is a Wisconsin novelist, podcaster, blogger, and editor. Her debut novel, published in March 2022, won the 16th Annual Juror’s Choice Award from NIEA, the 2022 PenCraft First Place Award for Women’s Fiction, and is one of the Women’s National Book Association’s 2022 Great Group Reads

I am an executive coach who helps high-performing leaders lead more effectively under pressure—without burning themselves or their teams out in the process.

Maria Baltazzi empowers individuals to explore what truly makes them happier through her eight critically acclaimed Happiness Essentials. Her practical advice and unique approach combine camera phone photography and journaling prompts to inspire audiences and readers with invaluable guidance.

Marva infuses positive energy with her current, real-world perspective gained through her career as a sales, leadership, executive and employee engagement, and marketing leader, from startups to blue chip brands, including IBM, Amazon, Splunk, and Twilio

educational stories.

I am passionate about helping people find the best versions of themselves!

I began my writing career mid-life following years of travel, observation and experiences. I'm a people person, and that has translated into what I do best: characterization!

Full time epic fantasy author.

Michele's colorful experiences from her fifteen+ year career in the entertainment industry inspired her to write THE RISE AND FALL OF DANI TRUEHART trilogy.

Michelle Layer Rahal is an Indie award-winning author, writing coach, and inspirational speaker. She is passionate about spiritual formation and leads women, students, and the homeless in weekly Bible studies and annual retreats. Michelle lives in the Washington, DC area with her fun-loving husband, Greg.

Neill McKee is an award-winning creative writer based in Albuquerque New Mexico. He has traveled the world and lived in Asia, Africa, and Russian during his long career as a film and media maker and his memoirs are full of entertaining and educational stories.

Nick Holmberg won NIEA's 2021 Best New Fiction category for his novel The Emergent. He uses elements of several genres and storytelling modes to engage and challenge the reader on perspective and social issues.

Nora D'Ecclesis presents seminars on the topic of "The Paths To Spirituality" from the zen perspective. Her experience includes small companies, non-profits, and retreat seminars on zoom or in person in the USA and UK.

Pamela Hamilton is a producer, public relations consultant, and author of the multi-award-winning historical novel, Lady Be Good. Her career has encompassed the fields of broadcast journalism, filmmaking, and publishing.

Author of African American Fiction, and Historical Fiction, through vivid and captivating storytelling! Often evoking a tapestry of emotions, nostalgia, and new insights, the reader is journeyed into the richness and complexity of the human spirit.

Advocate for ending the stigma surrounding mental illness after supporting my wife through several years of acute psychosis.

From 2017 through 2020, Patrick Riccards served on the coaching staff for the West Windsor-Plainsboro (NJ) Wildcats Cheer team, working with WWP’s Junior Pee Wee, Pee Wee, and Junior Varsity squads. His PW squad took second place at YCADA Globals and his JV squad earned a top 10 finish at Pop Warner Natio

Ric Keller served eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives. Today, Congressman Keller is an award-winning author, keynote speaker, and attorney. He speaks on the topics of civility in the workplace, leading with humor, networking for introverts, and how to build a happy life.

I work with organizations who want to improve their performance and team dynamics. I am also an award-winning speaker and expert negotiations trainer.

Award-winning author Sarah V. Barnes, Ph.D. is both a historian and a horsewoman. She lives in Boulder, CO

Professional singer turned novelist. Her debut novel, The Postmaster's Daughter,set in East Tennessee, is a literary fiction performance that shows Mabry’s ear for character details and her ability to weave a murder plot that keeps the reader’s interest to the very last page.

Oral Historian, Writing Workshops in Prisons, Documentary Photographer

I am a writer and public speaker, helping lost and confused women navigate their grief for the first time. My debut memoir is a look at the rawness of grief and my second book focuses on the commitment to healing.