Contributors to The Pearl

Abby Bales

Abby Bales is a young writer and blogger from small town Indiana. She has a serious affinity for coffee, tasteful music, and rainy days - and a small obsession with cacti. She lives with her family of eight where things are never dull. To read her insights and discover more of her work, visit her site, LadyBluebird.me.

Allison Prince

Alli Prince is an aspiring author who’s determined to show the amazing love of Christ through her works. When she’s not fighting with her characters, you can find her drawing, singing, dancing, and generally being a menace to her friends and family of twelve. Read more from Alli on https://alliprince.com/ or check out her socials to get little drops of joy!

Anna Garner

Anna Garner lives on a farm, where she draws inspiration from the beauty and complexity of God’s Creation. In her free time, you can find her developing epic adventure games, studying permaculture, and tending to the multitude of sheep, chickens, and other animals of the farm.

Brad Pauquette

Brad Pauquette is the founder and director of The Company, and the supervising editor of The Pearl. Follow him on Twitter at @bradpauquette or Instagram @bpauquette.

Celeste Ashley

Celeste Ashley teaches essay writing and literature analysis to middle schoolers (and especially relishes introducing them to poetry!). When she's not planning lessons or grading papers, Celeste enjoys strolling through used bookstores, watching movies with her family, caring for her flower garden, and organizing (anything and everything).

Drake McDonald

Drake McDonald is a storyteller. He makes videos, designs art installations, and sometimes he even writes short fiction and poetry. He is interested in the stories that connect us all.

Eliza June Sapphire

Eliza June Sapphire is a home-schooling Mama of four and an aspiring homesteader in the making. When she isn't writing, she is digging into her genealogy and family folklore, snuggled up with a good book, or researching new things to learn. She is a graduate of Liberty University and is a Certified Life Coach, which served as an inspiration for this story. You can find more about Eliza June and all the ways to get in touch with her at her blog ElizaJuneSapphire.com.

Emily Gwaltney

Emily lives in the beautiful mountains of wild and wonderful West Virginia. She is a college student studying Child Development, and she enjoys writing, reading, hiking, and working with young children.

Evie Albert

Evie is a wife and an English student living in Grove City, Ohio. She loves rainy days, curling up under blankets, and drinking tea with honey.

Iris Noth

Iris is seventeen years old and an aspiring editor and fiction author. She is currently attending college in Pennsylvania, where she is studying English and Philosophy. Besides writing, she also enjoys reading, martial arts, and being a nerd about apologetics. Iris was the runner-up in the 2022 Summer Flash Fiction Contest from the Kingdom Writers Guild.

J. Bea Wilson

Freelance editor J. Bea Wilson writes stories of triumph over disappointment from southwestern Indiana, where she lives with her husband of thirty years and their rescue chihuahua Bilbo. She is passionate about encouraging other storytellers and people with disability. For more from J. Bea, visit jbeawilson.com or find jbeawilson on Instagram and Facebook.

Jennifer Howell

When Jennifer Howell isn’t writing, she’s either running a construction company, making pork dumplings, or chasing a feral child. When Jennifer Howell is writing, she is the feral child. She can be found on Twitter @howlsmovingjenn or online at www.jenniferhowell.org.

Joe Graves

Joe Graves is President of the Ohio Writers’ Association (OWA). Joe began writing back in college when he wrote and produced short films. Over the last six years, he’s been focused on completing his first novel, and since 2020, started writing short stories. He's been published in two Ohio Writer's anthologies, The Worlds Within, and 365 Tomorrows.

Katya Keseman

K. E. Keseman, a student writer from the Pacific Northwest, has been penning poetry and fiction from a young age. Besides writing, she loves reading, making music, and gathering knowledge about the world around her. Read more of her writing and insights at abrokenaltar.com.

Kyle Peters

Kyle is an adventurer and a storyteller. He has served as an associate pastor and senior pastor over the last 16 years, as well as led wilderness trips, and facilitated inner healing work with individuals and groups in partnership with Healing Care. Find Kyle's latest book Every Bush Afire at https://a.co/d/j6NB4qv

Lindsey Backen

Lindsey Renee Backen writes books that cross genres and themes: like life, their stories weave threads of the best and worst of moments, triumphs, and traumas. Her fiction is deeply character-driven, centered around the inner worlds of the characters as they face outer challenges, confront their flaws, and make sense of their worlds. She also blogs about how people can use historical methods of living to improve their modern lives. Connect with Lindsey at LindeyReneeBacken.com.

Lindsey Hines

Lindsey Hines lives in Grove City, Ohio.

Madison Esshaki

Madison Esshaki is a fifteen year old aspiring author who lives in Michigan with her parents and eleven younger siblings. She loves musical theatre and art as well as writing. Find more from Madison at madisonesshaki.com!

Matthew Sampson

Matthew Sampson is a librarian and speculative fiction author who lives on a hill overlooking the sea in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Michael O'Donnell

Michael O'Donnell is a writer, artist, teacher, and the founder and director of Polishing Copper Studios - whose mission is to invite and equip people into discovering their passion and purpose through contemplative and creative endeavors. Through his Life/Art Workshops, retreats, and classes, Michael leads people to connect with the story of their life, and to discover the art they were created to share with the world. Michael lives in Worthington with his wife, Leanne, and their six children.

Michaylah Malone

Originally from Paris, Texas, Michaylah is a writer and graphic designer now living in Zanesville, Ohio. To read more of her work, visit MichaylahMalone.com.

Michelle Diehl

Michelle Rose Diehl is a writer, a twin, and a keen student of both the absurd and profound. She lives in Michigan with her artist sister and has been only nominally successful in avoiding becoming a crazy cat lady. While she struggles to tame the full-length fantasy novels that are her life-long ambition, her shorter works can be found on Instagram @mdiehlwriter and Amazon with her first novella entitled "The Tree-Man and the Wine".

Shelley Jewell

Shelley resides in Northern New Hampshire with her family and a plethora of pets, surrounded by mountains, meadows, and forests, where many of her stories take place. When not at her day job, she can be found writing, traipsing through the woods, climbing mountains, or enjoying spectacular sunsets. Shelley was the winner of the 2022 Summer Writing Contest from the Kingdom Writers Guild.

The Pearl Team

Thirzah

Thirzah is a full-time apprentice with the School of Kingdom Writers and the managing editor of The Pearl. Follow her at ThirzahWrites.com.