2025 Writers Block Party Participants

James R. Callan

     After a successful career in mathematics and computer science receiving grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA and being listed in Who’s Who in Computer Science and Two Thousand Notable Americans, James R. Callan turned to his first love—writing. He has had four non-fiction books published and has been included in a number of anthologies. He now concentrates on his favorite genre, mystery/suspense.

     His books have won a number of awards, including two Readers’ Favorite awards and the top award from the East Texas Writers Association. His eighteenth book releases in October 2025. Callan and his wife split their time between homes in northeast Texas and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Stephen and Mary Weller

     Stephen and Mary Weller live in Texas. They enjoy spending time in bookstores, participating in fan conventions and attending concerts. They have three sons, one daughter and two cats. They’d have more, but Stephen is holding firm refusing to house anymore of those fuzzy little cuties. They, being Stephen and Mary, not the cats, began publishing books in 2019. Mary enjoys the summer heat and Stephen thrives in the fall. Spring is alright, but neither of them like the winter. It is just too cold.

Liz Sanders

     Liz Sanders writes Christian Mystery/Romance. She is a member of the Northeast Texas Writers Organization (NETWO), East Texas Writers Association (ETWA) and American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). In 2002, Mrs. Sanders graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M University – Commerce with a B.A. in English. She holds ESL certification and is published in multiple genres: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Mrs. Sanders also narrates audiobooks on Audible.com and formats books using KDP/Amazon.

Jean Pamplin

     Jean Pamplin—aka L.J. Pamplin—writes fiction and non-fiction titles. She is a business owner, founder of Northeast Texas Writers Organization and the Franklin County Arts Alliance. She is involved with various other creative endeavors. God and family are her most important assets.

Cal Davis

     Cal Davis created and wrote stories when he was a teenager. He just didn’t like reading at school, because there was always an exam. Reading should be for fun, right? After college (and a lot of reading!), he enjoyed a couple of overseas tours in the Air Force and ended up teaching middle school. A few years later, he took a position in the housing industry, working on 30-years for retirement.

     Cal had a rough publishing start which made him swear he would never write again, but with lots of help, he is now doing (after his regular job) what he loves: writing and telling stories with purpose for children. He wrote the picture books I’m Just a Crow and Look, Look, Look What I Did! to show children to be the person they were created to be and not cave to peer pressure. His award-winning books, The Jediran Quest and The Mines of Jedira, of the Journeys of Braven Series gives examples of leadership and character-building for young teens. Many of his books grant Accelerated Reading (AR) points for primary and middle schoolers. He enjoys helping other authors in their pursuit of the literary world and still believes “Reading Should be Fun! Many more books in the works, so keep an eye out. You can catch up with him from his website www.caldavisauthor.com, email at caldavisauthor@gmail.com, or follow him on Facebook.com/caldavisauthor.

Wendy Hinote Lanier

     Wendy Hinote Lanier is a former elementary teacher, award-winning author, Texan, and certified speaker who writes and speaks for children and adults. She has written more than 50 traditionally published books for a variety of publishers. Her most recent books include Pawsitive Inspirations: 90 Devotions for Kids and Dog Lovers, (co-authored with Michelle Medlock Adams, Iron Stream Media, 2024) an Illumination Enduring LightGold Medal winner, The Dog That Gave My Brother Words (End Game Press,2023) a Writers’ League of Texas Discovery Prize Award and Christopher Award winner, and Too Many Pigs in the Pool (Sleeping Bear Press, 2022) a Moonbeam Gold Medal and Selah Award winner.

Wayne Adams

     Wayne Adams is originally from the Longview, Texas area. He served in the Army from 1972-1986. In 1989 he began working as a Correctional Officer at Southern Correctional Institute in Troy, North Carolina. He retired on January 1,2014. In 2019, he returned to Texas shortly after his wife, Claudia, passed away.

Wayne has written four fictional books and three poetry books that were published by a company in Maryland that has gone out of business. He has written a new book titled The Odyssey of Amanda Iron Bear. It is fiction, but is based on a real-world silent crisis. That crisis is the disappearances of thousands of indigenous women in both the United States and Canada. The setting of the book is on an actual reservation in northeastern Montana called the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.

Chad Nicholas 

     Chad Nicholas is a horror, mystery and thriller author, but if he’s being completely honest what he loves writing the most are unique stories with crazy plot twists, which can all be seen in his debut horror novel Nightmare, as well as his second novel, a crime thriller titled Shade, and his third novel, a slasher epic titled The Animal. When he is not writing, Chad spends his time studying for his mechanical engineering degree, watching movies, and reading comic books. Chad was also ranked #1 in the world on the Teen Titan challenge map from Batman: Arkham Knight, a fact he is very proud of.

     If you are reading this, it means Chad has finished writing his first slasher novel, The Animal, and is now working on his next book, a detective novel that he’s been working on for a long time, and one that he cannot wait for all of you to finally read. It’s going to be a special one.

Chrystal Gilkey

     A Texas girl born and raised, Chrystal Gilkey resides in Arkansas with her husband, three children, and two cats. Chrystal writes to encourage and strengthen people’s faith in God. She enjoys playing the piano and gardening. One day, she dreams of owning a pet minipig. Connect with her at chrystaljgilkey.com or find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn @chrystaljgilkey

Dana Wayne 

     Dana Wayne fulfilled a lifelong dream to become a published author at the age of sixty-six with the release of her first book, Secrets of The Heart. She has self-published seven highly regarded and award-winning novels and a cookbook. Among her works, there are many awards including several international awards such as the prestigious Best Indie Book Award, Bronze Medal from Readers Favorite, 2024 Semi-Finalist Kindle e-book award and the International Impact Book Award along with several state awards among others.

     A strong advocate for new writers, she started a podcast in 2020 called A Writers Life, where she shares her experiences and provides tips on writing, inspiration, and education.

     A sought-after speaker and a frequent guest on various writing blogs, she’s a die-hard romantic whose heart-warming stories are filled with strong women, second chances, and happily ever after. When she isn’t writing or spending time with family, she is an avid crafter, especially Christmas-related items, her favorite being tabletop Christmas trees, a craft she learned from her mother.

Nick Rucker

     Author, musician and veteran, Nick Rucker is a U.S. Army veteran, country musician, and prolific author with a passion for storytelling. His books, including Timecap, The Last Relic, The Last Rider of Flint Hills and Chronos Gate, take readers on thrilling journeys filled with adventure, history, and mystery. Beyond writing, Nick has built a successful music career, with his songs available on all streaming platforms. Drawing from his military service and personal experiences, he crafts compelling narratives that captivate audiences. His dedication to storytelling continues to inspire and entertain.