Kim Baldwin (2008 Medal Winner) is the author of five novels published by Bold Strokes Books: Hunter's Pursuit, a 2005 Golden Crown Literary Award finalist; Whitewater Rendezvous, a 2007 Golden Crown Literary Award finalist; Force of Nature; and the 2007 releases Flight Risk and Focus of Desire. Her sixth novel, co-authored with Xenia Alexiou, is the first book in the Elite Operatives Series, the intrigue/romance Lethal Affairs (July, 2008). Kim has also contributed stories to four books in the BSB Erotic Interlude Series: Stolen Moments, Lessons in Love, Extreme Passions, and Road Games. A network news journalist for twenty years before she begain writing fiction, she lives in a cabin in the north woods of Michigan and takes to the road with her laptop and camera whenever possible. You can find out more about Kim's work at her website.

Ann Bannon (2008 Medal Winner) has been called "The Queen of Lesbian Pulp Fiction" for her landmark Beebo Brinker Chronicles, a series of five original paperback novels published by Gold Medal Books about young lesbians in pre-Stonewall Greenwich Village from 1957-1962. For an entire generation of readers, these stories provided the first representation in literature of women loving women. Bannon and others helped to end the isolation and ignorance that had kept thousands of lesbians in virtual prisons, and pave the way for the new generation of lesbian writers who were to follow. With their colorful covers, their coded blurbs ("twilight," "strange," "shadows," "secret," "odd," "evil," and "warped"), and their lively, passionate heroines, Bannon's books were quickly snatched from drugstore shelves. From the shy, smoldering Laura to the buccaneering young butch, Beebo herself, the series attracted a devoted following of women hungry to find themselves and their sexuality validated. Back in the repressive Fifties and Sixties, it was literally a lifesaver for many readers. And now "The Beebo Brinker Chronicles" is a New York play presentation! Written by Kate Moira Ryan and Linda Chapman, it is following its initial success in Fall 2007 with a new off-Broadway run starting in February 2008. No one is more delighted than Ann herself at the durability and appeal of these stories from long ago. That they should have inspired such an affectionate and witty rendering in the new millennium is more than any author dare hope for, and Ann is grateful to everyone who made it possible. You can find out more about Ann's work at her website.

Alison Bechdel (2007 Medal Winner), the writer of the comic strip "Dykes To Watch Out For," has become a countercultural institution since it began in 1983. The strip is syndicated in dozens of newspapers, translated into several languages and collected in a series of award-winning books. Utne Magazine has listed DTWOF as "one of the greatest hits of the twentieth century." And Comics Journal says, "Bechdel's art distills the pleasures of Friends and The Nation; we recognize our world in it, with its sorrows and ironies." In addition to her comic strip, Bechdel has also done exclusive work for a slew of publications, including Ms., Slate, The Village Voice, The Advocate, Out, and many other newspapers, websites, comic books, and Ezines. In 2006, Houghton Mifflin published her graphic memoir, Fun Home: FamilyTragicomic. The bestselling coming-of-age tale has been called a "mesmerizing feat of familial resurrection and a rare, prime example of why graphic novels have taken over the conversation about American literature." Fun Home was named "best book of the year" by TIME magazine. Bechdel lives near Burlington, Vermont, and you can find out more about her work at her website.

Saxon Bennett (2012 Medal Winner) is a voracious reader and a compulsive writer. She is the author of Date Night Club, Back Talk, and Goldie winner Family Affair among many others. She has written thirteen novels to date and has no plans on stopping anytime soon. You can find out more about Saxon's work at her website.

Gun Brooke (2009 Medal Winner) lives in a Viking era village in Sweden together with her small, tightly knit family. In love with the English language, she writes her novels and maintains her web site full time, when she isn't working and playing with her beloved grandchildren and her dogs. A three-time Golden Crown Literary Society Award winner and shortlisted for a Lambda Literary Award for her novel Sheridan's Fate, Gun has written three contemporary romance novels (Course of Action, Coffee Sonata, and Sheridan's Fate) and also three novels in the Supreme Constellations series which takes place some three-hundred years in the future (Protector of the Realm, Rebel's Quest, and Warrior's Valor). Gun is currently editing her fourth romance, September Canvas, due to be released June 2009. She has also written several short stories for erotica and romance anthologies for Bold Strokes Books and Alyson Books. When asked where she finds all her storylines, Gun confesses that finding them is the easy part, it's choosing between the multitude of characters in her head demanding attention that's hard. You can find out more about Gun's work at her website.

Cate Culpepper (2008 Medal Winner) is the author of the Tristaine Series (The Clinic, Battle for Tristaine, Tristaine Rises, and Queens of Tristaine) about a modern-day Amazon clan and published by Bold Strokes Books. The second book in the series, Battle for Tristaine, won a 2004 Golden Crown Literary Society Award for Speculative Fiction. A Tristainian short story will appear in a 2008 romance anthology from Bold Strokes. Cate is now working on a new novel, Fireside, about the staff and residents of a domestic violence shelter. She resides in the Pacific Northwest where she supervises a transitional housing program for homeless young gay adults. You can find out more about Cate's work at her website.

Lauren Wright Douglas (2008 Medal Winner) is the author of seven books in the Caitlin Reece mystery series (A Tiger's Heart, The Always Anonymous Beast, Goblin Market, Chasing the Shadow, The Daughters of Artemis, A Rage of Maidens, and Ninth Life); two books in the Alison O'Neil series (Death At Lavender Bay, Swimming Cat Cove); a post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel, In The Blood; and a romance, Osten's Bay (written under the pen name of Zenobia N. Vole). Lauren was born in 1947 to a military family in Canada. She spent most of her adolescence in Europe before returning to Ottawa to attend University. Following that she taught high school English for several years before taking up writing. She spends her time nowadays helping animal welfare groups with grant-writing and fundraising. At the moment she is not writing any fiction, but hopes to return to it in the future. She does not maintain a website for reader contact at this time.

Sarah Dreher (2005 Medal Winner) Best known for her Stoner McTavish series, Sarah Dreher lives in Amherst, Massachusetts and is a clinical psychologist, playwright, and speaker. She has published nine books including the seven-book Stoner McTavish series, a book of five plays called Lesbian Stages, and a romance novel set in pre-Stonewall days called Solitaire and Brahms. The latest in the Stoner series garnered a Lambda Literary Award for Best Mystery. Sarah loves animals and has an eighty-pound dog, a Husky/Shepherd named Luna, who sleeps on her bed (or anywhere else she wants). Sarah likes to putter in her garden, and she spends quiet time at her cabin in the wilds of the Berkshires with the resident bear and coyotes. A new Stoner mystery called Love Murders is currently in the works. You can find out more about Sarah at her website.

Erin Dutton (2011 Medal Winner) is the author of six romance novels with Bold Strokes Books. She is eagerly anticipating the release of her seventh, Reluctant Hope, in June 2011. She has also contributed to the erotica anthology, Erotic Interludes 5: Road Games, as well as to BSB's Romantic Interludes books: Discovery and Secrets. She recently revisited one of her favorite couples from her novel A Place to Rest in the anthology Breathless: Tales of Celebration. Erin has been making up stories for as long as she can remember, and, in 2007, was given the incredible opportunity to become a published author. She enjoys the challenge of creating new characters and is proud to contribute to the community of authors who have entertained her for years. You can find out more about work at her website.

Jane Fletcher (2009 Medal Winner) is a Golden Crown Literary Society award-winning writer and has been short-listed for the Gaylactic Spectrum and Lambda awards. She is author of two ongoing sets of fantasy/romance novels: the Celaeno series (The Walls of Westernfort, Rangers at Roadsend, The Temple at Landfall, Dynasty of Rogues and Shadow of the Knife) and the Lyremouth Chronicles (The Exile and The Sorcerer, The Traitor and The Chalice, The Empress and The Acolyte, and The High Priest and the Idol, due out July 2009). Her love of fantasy began at the age of seven when she encountered Greek Mythology. This was compounded by a childhood spent clambering over every example of ancient masonry she could find (medieval castles, megalithic monuments, Roman villas). Her resolute ambition was to become an archaeologist when she grew up, so it was something of a surprise when she became a software engineer instead. Born in Greenwich, London in 1956, she now lives in south-west England where she keeps herself busy writing both computer software and fiction, although generally not at the same time. You can find out more about Jane's work at her website.

Katherine V. Forrest (2005 Medal Winner) is the internationally known author of 15 works of fiction, including the lesbian-feminist utopian trilogy that began with Daughters of the Coral Dawn and the Kate Delafield mystery series, which is a three-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award and was the very first novel in the American lesbian mystery genre. She has also written a number of romance and science fiction novels, and her romance A Curious Wine is considered a classic of American lesbian literature.. She has edited numerous anthologies, and her stories, articles, and reviews have appeared in publications worldwide. She was senior editor at Naiad Press for ten years, and continues to edit as well as teach classes in the craft of fiction. She was a recipient of the Lambda Literary Foundation's Pioneer Award and lives with her partner in San Francisco. You can find out more about her work at her website.

Catherine Friend (2010 Medal Winner) Catherine Friend farms in Minnesota with her partner of twenty-four years. The award-winning author of six children's books, two nonfiction books, and three romantic adventure novels, Catherine would rather write than wrangle sheep, but is proud she can do both. She shares her life with between fifty and one hundred sheep, three llamas, two dogs, two cats, and lots of ducks and chickens. She has a B.A. in Economics and Spanish, and a M.S. in Economics, neither of which she has used for years. She has held an impressive array of odd jobs, such as working in bookstores, packing cheese and sausage gift boxes, weeding on an organic vegetable farm, and working an assembly line packing boxes of Christmas decorations. For many years she taught writing for the Institute of Children's Literature, then worked as a freelance editor. She currently gives writing workshops, volunteers on the local library board, does chores on the farm, is afraid of geese, and wears an Elvis watch. You can find out more about Catherine's work at her website.

Jennifer Fulton (2006 Medal Winner) grew up in New Zealand and now lives in the Midwest with her partner and a menagerie of animals. Jennifer began publishing with the Naiad Press fifteen years ago and is the author of twelve novels under three pen names: Jennifer Fulton, Rose Beecham, and Grace Lennox. Her book trade experience dates back twenty years: starting out as a librarian, she became a bookstore owner, literary critic, editor, author, screenwriter, and teacher of writing. In 2005 Jennifer added two new works to her acclaimed Moon Island romance series: The Sacred Shore and Guarded Heart and also kicked off a new thriller/romance series with Dark Dreamer. As Rose Beecham, she published Grave Silence, the first in a new mystery series featuring a Colorado county Sheriff's detective, Jude Devine. Not content with four new novels, Jennifer added Chance, written as Grace Lennox. She describes this as a contemporary story of a young woman's quest for a new life as "lesbian chick-lit." No matter what pen name she uses, Jennifer's writing is always fresh, witty, and thought provoking. She says of her work, "my first aim is always to provide top notch entertainment to my readers." RCE's Yellow Rose Books and Bold Strokes Books publish Jennifer's work and you can find out more about her at her website.

Nicola Griffith (2009 Medal Winner) is a native of Yorkshire, England, where she earned her beer money teaching women's self-defense, fronting a band, and arm-wrestling in bars before discovering writing and moving to the US. Her immigration case was a fight and ended up making new law: the State Department declared it to be "in the National Interest" for her to live and work in this country. This didn't thrill the more conservative powerbrokers, and she ended up on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, where her case was used as an example of the country's declining moral standards. In 1993 a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis slowed her down a bit, and she concentrated on writing. Her novels are Ammonite (1993), Slow River (1995), The Blue Place, (1998), Stay (2002), and Always (2007). She is the co-editor of the Bending the Landscape series of original short fiction published by Overlook. Her non-fiction has appeared in a variety of print and web journals, including Out, Nature, and The Huffington Post. Her awards include the Tiptree Award, the Nebula Award, the World Fantasy Award, and the Lambda Literary Award (six times). Her latest book is a memoir, And Now We Are Going to Have a Party: Liner Notes to a Writer's Early Life. She lives in Seattle with her partner, writer Kelley Eskridge, and takes enormous delight in everything. You can find out more about Nicola's work at her website.

Ellen Hart (2005 Medal Winner) After spending twelve years as a kitchen manager at a large sorority in the Midwest, it was either do the real thing or commit murder on paper. Hence, Ellen Hart became a crime writer. Since 1989, she has penned twenty-three mysteries in two different series. Ellen is a five-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Mystery, a three-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award for Best Crime & Detective Fiction, and a two-time winner of the Golden Crown Literary Award for Best Lesbian Mystery/Adventure. Entertainment Weekly has named her one of one-hundred-and-one "movers and shakers in the gay entertainment industry." She teaches mystery writing through the The Loft Literary Center, the largest independent writing community in the nation, and lives in Minneapolis with her partner of twenty-nine years. You can find out more about her work at her website.

Fran Heckrotte (2011 Medal Winner) lives in the Sunny South with her husband, three dogs, Boris, Sophie and Skipper, three koi, several goldfish and a yard full of moles and occasional snakes. A few of her life experiences include living in Alaska for three years, goldpanning, bull riding, scuba diving, flying, training gaited horses, and motorcycling. After spending five years in law enforcement, she switched to construction and eventually real estate. She now owns a small property management company. Her hobbies include water gardening, landscaping, photography, and skiing in Montreal. She credits her best friend for encouraging her writing. Fran loves interacting with readers and authors.You can find out more about work at her website.

Peggy J. Herring (2004 Medal Winner) lives on 7 acres in south Texas with her cockatiel, hermit crabs, 2 wooden cats and several chickens. When she isn't writing, Peggy enjoys traveling. She is the author of Once More With Feeling, Love's Harvest, Hot Check, A Moment's Indiscretion, Those Who Wait, To Have and to Hold, Calm Before the Storm, The Comfort of Strangers, Beyond All Reason, Distant Thunder, White Lace and Promises, Midnight Rain, and Shelter From the Storm. Her next romance is titled All That Glitters and should be released in the fall of 2007. Her current project is a romance titled Forsaking All Others to be released in 2008. You can contact Peggy through Bella Books, her publisher.

Gerri Hill (2007 Medal Winner) has published multiple works, including Lambda finalists Gulf Breeze and Artist's Dream, and GCLS finalist Hunter's Way. She is published by Bella Books, and has three titles, The Target, The Cottage, and In the Name of the Father - a sequel to Hunter's Way - scheduled for release in 2007. She began writing lesbian romance as a way to amuse herself while snowed in one winter in the mountains of Colorado, and hasn't looked back. Her first published work came in 2000 with One Summer Night. Hill's love of nature and of being outdoors usually makes its way into her stories as her characters often find themselves in beautiful natural settings. When she isn't writing, Hill and her longtime partner, Diane, can be found at their home in East Texas, where their vegetable garden, orchard, and five acres of woods keep them busy. They share their lives with two labs, Max and Zack, and an assortment of furry felines. You can find out more about her work at her website.

Jennifer L. Jordan (2008 Medal Winner) is the author of the Lambda Literary Award-nominated Kristin Ashe Mystery Series published by Spinsters Ink (A Safe Place to Sleep, Existing Solutions, Commitment to Die, Unbearable Losses, Disorderly Attachments, and Selective Memory). Her seventh in the series, If No One is Looking, will be released in fall 2008. Self-employed since the age of twenty-one as a marketing consultant, Jennifer has taught thousands of women how to start and run their own small businesses. She is an avid snowboarder and Nordic skier who divides her time between Denver and Winter Park, Colorado. You can read excerpts from each of her lesbian mysteries and find out more about Jennifer's work at her website.

Karin Kallmaker (2004 Medal Winner) is the author of more than twenty romances and fantasy-science fiction novels, and recently expanded her repertoire to include explicit erotica. As Karin says, "Nice Girls Do." Her works include the award-winning Just Like That, Maybe Next Time, and Sugar, as well as numerous other Lambda Award and Golden Crown Literary Award finalists. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies from publishers such as Alyson, Circlet, Haworth, and Regal Crest Enterprises. She began her writing career with the venerable Naiad Press and continues with Bella Books. She and her partner are the mothers of two and live in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is descended from Lady Godiva, a fact which she'll share with anyone who will listen. She likes her Internet fast, her iPod loud, and her chocolate real. You can find out more about her work at her website.

Lori L. Lake (2007 Medal Winner) is the author of six novels, two collections of short stories, and the editor of two anthologies including the Lambda Literary Award Finalist The Milk of Human Kindness: Lesbian Authors Write About Mothers & Daughters. Her latest offering, Snow Moon Rising, won the 2007 Golden Crown Literary Award in General/Dramatic Fiction as well as the 2007 Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award. She has been the recipient of nine Stonewall Society Literary Awards, and her suspense thriller, Have Gun We'll Travel (2005), was a 2006 Golden Crown Literary Award Finalist. Lori lived in the Twin Cities for 26 years but is now located in Portland, Oregon. She teaches fiction-writing courses, coaches aspiring writers, and presents seminars and workshops on writing topics such as character building, plot, the writing process, the writing life, mystery structure, and form and structure in the modern novel. She's currently at work on her next novel. When she's not working at her computer, you can find her either at the local movie house or curled up in a chair reading. For more information about her work, see her website.

Lee Lynch (2007 Medal Winner) started writing lesbian fiction and non-fiction in the 1960s when she was a frequent contributor to "The Ladder," the only lesbian publication at the time. Since then she has published thirteen books, her stories have appeared in a number of anthologies, and she has written reviews and feature articles for The Lambda Book Report and many other publications. Her syndicated column, "The Amazon Trail," has been running in papers across the country since 1986. She lives on the Oregon Coast where she earns a living as a researcher. In 2006 she was inducted into the Saints and Sinners Literary Hall of Fame in New Orleans, and her novel Sweet Creek, from Bold Strokes Books, was named one of the top ten fiction books of the year by the Q Syndicate. You can find out more about Lee at her publisher's website.

KG MacGregor (2012 Medal Winner) is working on her second dozen books with Bella, all for the lesbian romance audience. Now a member of the Board of the Trustees for the Lambda Literary Foundation, she credits the launch of her writing career in 2002 to the Xenaverse, a community of writers, readers, artists, & enterprisers that sprang from a devotion to Xena:Warrior Princess fanfiction. In 2011, the Xena community's Royal Academy of Bards honored her with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Her sixth Bella book, Out of Love, won the 2007 Lambda Literary Award and a Golden Crown Award in Romance. She's also collected Goldies for four other titles (Without Warning, from the Shaken Series; Secrets So Deep; Worth Every Step; and Photographs of Claudia), and was honored to give the keynote address at the 2011 GCLS annual convention. A former media research consultant, she divides her time between Palm Springs, CA, and her native North Carolina mountains. You can find out more about KG's work at her website.

Val McDermid (2008 Medal Winner), recently described in the British national press as a "bloodthirsty lesbian," was born and raised in a mining community in Fife, Scotland. She went on to confound her teachers by winning a place at Oxford University to read English. After graduating, she became an award-winning journalist, working mostly in national newspapers. She ended up as Northern Bureau Chief of a national Sunday tabloid. Her first novel, Report for Murder was published in 1987 and introduced lesbian journalist Lindsay Gordon. She has written a further five Lindsay Gordon novels, the latest of which, Hostage to Murder, was published in the US by Bywater Books in 2005. She has also published six novels featuring PI Kate Brannigan, five novels featuring profiler Tony Hill and police officer Carol Jordan, four standalone novels, a non-fiction book about real women PIs in the US and the UK (A Suitable Job for a Woman, Poisoned Pen Press) and a collection of short stories (Stranded, Amble Press) She also contributes regularly to BBC radio and various newspapers and magazines. Her books have been translated into 37 languages and she is the top-selling British author in Germany (apart from JK Rowling…). She has won many awards including the Gold Dagger, the Los Angeles Times Book Award, the Anthony, the Icon of Scotland, the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, the Portico Prize for Fiction, the French Grand Prix des Romans d'Aventure and most recently, the Stonewall Writer of the Year. (Stonewall is the UK's key GLBT campaigning organisation). Several of her books have been New York Times Notable Books of the Year and she is a Literary Saint in the Saints & Sinners Hall of Fame. Her Tony Hill novels have been adapted for the internationally successful TV series, "Wire in the Blood," now in its sixth season. Work is about to begin on a TV adaptation of her standalone novel, A Place of Execution. Val divides her time between city life in Manchester and village life on the breathtakingly beautiful Northumberland coast. She shares her life with her son and her wife. Yes, they can get married in the UK! You can find out more about Val's work at her website.

Gill McKnight (2012 Medal Winner) is the author of the Garoul werewolf series, which will probably run longer than she will. She also writes standalone romantic comedies with lighthearted twists. She works as an IT contractor and travels between the UK for work, Ireland for family, and Greece for sanity. You can find out more about Gill's work at website.

Claire McNab (2006 Medal Winner) Transplanted from Australia to Los Angeles, Claire McNab continues to be one of the top detective novelists in the genre. Her sixteen-novel Carol Ashton series, six-novel Denise Cleever series, and the new three-novel Kylie Kendall series, as well as two romance novels, certainly make her one of the most prolific writers around. Couple this with a writer with a keen sense of what's topical, an ability to make characters real, a knowledge of investigative methods and procedure, and excellent writing skills, and you've got the promise of a good mystery. Claire's newest series is set in Los Angeles and involves a transplanted Aussie who inherits her dad's private-eye business. For those of us who are a little klutzy, Kylie is a refreshing change from all those other PI's who know what they're doing and always look great doing it. Here's a PI that we can get behind! We might even know her. Alyson publishes the Kylie Kendall series. Bella Books publishes the Carol Ashton and Denise Cleever series. New mystery novels and romances are in the works, and you can find out more about her work at her website.

Marijane Meaker (2007 Medal Winner) arrived in New York City, fresh out of the University of Missouri, in 1949. She could not find a literary agent to represent her and so became an agent herself by having stationery with her name. She had to invent pseudonyms to be her clients: Vin Packer, Ann Aldrich, Laura Winston (who wrote slicks), Edgar and Mamie Stone (confession writers). All were Marijane Meaker. After Packer and Aldrich were successful enough for Marijane to abandon her agency, she free-lanced for many years. Her acquaintance with children's writer Louise Fitzhugh inspired her to write her first young adult novel, Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack, and to choose a new pseudonym: M.E. Kerr. She also wrote adult novels under her own name, her most successful being Shockproof Sydney Slate, which Fox plans to turn into a movie. She was born in Auburn, New York, and now lives in East Hampton, New York. You can learn more about Marijane and the work she's done under all her pen names at her website.

Lesléa Newman (2009 Medal Winner) was born in 1955 in Brooklyn, New York, and is the author of over fifty pioneering books of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Her works for children focus on lesbian and gay families, and the works for adults deal with lesbian identity, Jewish identity, and the intersection and collision between the two. Other topics Ms. Newman explores include AIDS, eating disorders, butch/femme relationships, and sexual abuse. Her books include the ground-breaking Heather Has Two Mommies (the first children's book to portray lesbian families in a positive way), Writing From The Heart, In Every Laugh a Tear, The Femme Mystique, Still Life with Buddy, Fat Chance, and Out of the Closet and Nothing to Wear. Her award-winning short storyA Letter To Harvey Milk has been made into a film and adapted for the stage. She has received many literary awards including Poetry Fellowships from the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Highlights for Children Fiction Writing Award, the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, and two Pushcart Prize Nominations. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists. Lesléa is a popular guest lecturer, and has spoken on college campuses across the US. She is currently a faculty member of the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing program at the University of Southern Maine and has recently been named the Poet Laureate of Northampton, Massachusetts. Upcoming books include a poetry collection entitled Nobody's Mother, a novel entitled The Reluctant Daughter, the picture book, Little Miss Tutu, and the first board books for kids with two moms and two dads entitled Mommy, Mama, and Me, and Daddy, Papa, and Me. You can find out more about Lesléa's work at her website.

Sheila Ortiz-Taylor (2006 Medal Winner) Sheila Ortiz Taylor is a "pioneer" writer selected for her versatility and outstanding work. Faultline (1982) was the first novel ever to feature an out lesbian Chicana sleuth. Along with Southbound (1990) and Spring Forward, Fall Back (1985), all published by Naiad, these three novels are probably the funniest books you'll ever read. Naiad also published her book of poetry, Slow Dancing at Miss Polly's. In addition, University of New Mexico Press published a novel, Coachella (1996) and a memoir, Imaginary Parents (1998). Sheila's newest book, OutRageous (2006) from Spinsters Ink is the fourth in the Benbow Series. In addition to writing, Sheila and her partner have been in the vanguard fighting for our civil rights. They sued a retirement community in Florida for admission a few years back and won. A mystery featuring an older sleuth, Assisted Living, will be published by Spinsters Ink in 2007. When you select a book written by Sheila Ortiz Taylor, you never know what it will be about, or what type a story you'll get, but you know that it'll be well written and entertaining! Sheila is a poet, essayist, teacher, and now retired as professor emerita from Florida State University. You can find out more about her work at her website.

Radclyffe (2004 Medal Winner) is the author of more than two dozen lesbian romances and novels of intrigue and of multiple erotica anthologies. Her short fiction appears in the Erotic Interlude series (ed. with Stacia Seaman), and selections in multiple anthologies including Call of the Dark and The Perfect Valentine (Bella Books), Best Lesbian Erotica 2006 and 2007, After Midnight (Cleis), First-Timers and Ultimate Undies: Erotic Stories About Lingerie and Underwear (Alyson), and Sex and Candy and Naughty Spanking Stories 2 from Pretty Things Press. She is the recipient of the 2003 and 2004 Alice B. Readers' award, a 2005 Golden Crown Literary Society Award winner in both the romance category (Fated Love) and the mystery/adventure/action category (Justice in the Shadows), 2006 GCLS finalist for romance (Distant Shores, Silent Thunder) and winner for mystery (Justice Served), and a 2006 Lambda Literary award winner for romance (Distant Shores, Silent Thunder) and erotica (Erotic Interludes 2: Stolen Moments ed. with Stacia Seaman). A retired surgeon, she is the president of Bold Strokes Books, a publishing company offering acclaimed lesbian-themed general and genre fiction. She lives in New York State with her partner, Lee. You can find out more about her work at her website.

JM Redmann (2010 Medal Winner) J.M. Redmann has written five novels, all featuring New Orleans private detective Michele 'Micky' Knight. Her most recent is Death of a Dying Man, published by Bold Strokes Books. It takes her characters through Hurricane Katrina, an event Redmann experienced in real life. Two previous books, Lost Daughters and The Intersection of Law and Desire were originally published by W.W. Norton. Her third book, The Intersection of Law and Desire won a Lambda Literary Award, as well as being an Editor's Choice of the San Francisco Chronicle and featured on NPR's Fresh Air. Lost Daughters and Deaths of Jocasta were also finalists for Lambda Literary Awards. Her books have been translated into German, Spanish, Dutch, and Norwegian. She lives in New Orleans, just at the edge of the flooded area. You can find out more about JM's work at her website.

Jane Rule (2007 Medal Winner) was born in New Jersey, March 28, 1931 and died November 27, 2007. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mills College in 1952. She did graduate work at University College, London, England and Stanford University. She taught at Concord Academy in Massachusetts from 1954 through 1956 where she met Helen Sonthoff with whom she lived until Ms. Sonthoff's death in 2000. They moved to Vancouver, B.C. in 1956 and taught at the University of British Columbia until they retired to Galiano Island in 1976. Ms. Rule published 13 books, including 7 novels, 3 collections of short stories, a collection of essays, the critical work, Lesbian Images, and her final collection, Loving The Difficult, which was published posthumously. Her novel Desert of the Heart was made into the film "Desert Hearts." Several documentary films have been made about her and her work, including "Fiction and Other Truths." Her work has been translated into French, German, Dutch, Italian, and Spanish. She received an honorary degree from the University of British Columbia and holds both the Order of British Columbia and the Order of Canada. Among many awards during her illustrious career, she won the 2007 Golden Crown Literary Trailblazer Award, which she accepted before her passing, and the 2008 Lambda Literary Award for Nonfiction, which was awarded posthumously.

Joanna Russ (2008 Medal Winner) is the author of numerous works of science fiction, fantasy, and literary criticism. Though best known for the satirical utopian novel, The Female Man (1975), many of her early published works were short horror fiction, and her short fiction has been anthologized in scores of collections. She was first noticed in the science fiction world upon publication of the novel Picnic On Paradise (1968). Generally regarded as one of the leading 20th Century feminist science fiction scholars and writers, she has also written significant nonfiction works such as the essay collection Magic Mommas, Trembling Sisters, Puritans & Perverts: Essays on Sex & Pornography, the book-length study of modern feminism, What Are We Fighting For?: Sex, Race, Class, and the Future of Feminism, and the (unfortunately) still-relevant sarcastic guidebook, How To Suppress Women's Writing, which explains how women and minorities are prevented from producing written works. A playwright, essayist, and short story writer, she has won the Locus Poll Award, the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, and the SF Chronicle Award. She has been nominated multiple times for Hugo and Nebula Awards and won the 1972 Nebula for her short story "When It Changed" and the 1983 Hugo for her novella "Souls." Her latest book is The Country You have Never Seen: Essays and Reviews (2007). She does not maintain a website for reader contact at this time.

Ann Allen Shockley (2006 Medal Winner) Ann Allen Shockley is an academic librarian of note. As a librarian, she long ago noted a gap in black fiction with regard to black lesbians. Her response was to write the novel Loving Her (1974), and a book of short stories, The Black and White of It (1980). Subsequently, she added a second novel, Say Jesus and Come To Me (1982). Naiad reissued all three books in 1987. Of Ann's work, Alice Walker (The Color Purple) wrote: "In its exploration of a daring subject boldly shared, I think [Loving Her] enables us to see and understand, perhaps for the first time, the choices certain women have made about how they will live their lives… [I]t offers the reader an opportunity to develop a new way of seeing and caring." A young black male reviewer's reaction wasn't quite so positive: "This bullshit should not be encouraged!" That too, says it all. Ann also wrote Living Black American Authors: A Biographical Directory (with Sue P. Chandler), A Handbook of Black Librarianship (with E.J.Josey), and edited Afro-American Women Writers 1746-1933: An Anthology & Critical Guide. Her short stories have appeared in Essence, African Americana Review, Negro Digest, Black World, Feminary, Sinister Wisdom, Azalea, New Letters, Freedomways, and more. Ann's latest novel, Celebrating Hotchclaw, was published in 2005 by A & M Books. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and can be reached in care of her publisher.

Kate Sweeney (2010 Medal Winner) Kate Sweeney was the 2007 recipient of the Golden Crown Literary Society award for Debut Author for She Waits, the first in the Kate Ryan Mystery series. The series also includes A Nice Clean Murder, The Trouble with Murder (a 2008 Golden Crown Award Winner for Mystery), Who'll Be Dead for Christmas, and the latest in the series, Of Course, It's Murder. Other novels include The O'Malley Legacy, Away from the Dawn, Survive the Dawn, and Residual Moon, a 2008 Golden Crown Award Winner for Speculative Fiction. Born in Chicago, Kate now resides in Villa Park, Illinois, where she works as an office manager - no glamour there, folks; it pays the bills. Humor is deeply embedded in Kate's DNA. She sincerely hopes you will see this when you read her novels, short stories, and other works. You can find out more about 's work at her website.

Therese Szymanski (2008 Medal Winner) is an award-winning playwright whose works have been shortlisted for Lammies, Goldies, a Spectrum, and made the 2004 Publishing Triangle list of notable lesbian books. She's written eight Brett Higgins Motor City Thrillers (When the Dancing Stops, When the Dead Speak, When Some Body Disappears, When Evil Changes Face, When the Corpse Lies, When First We Practice, When Good Girls Go Bad, and When It's All Relative) and the latest book in the First Chronicles of Shawn Donnelly, It's All Smoke & Mirrors (2007). She has edited the erotic anthologies Back to Basics, Call of the Dark, and Wild Nights, and co-edited Fantasy: Untrue Stories of Lesbian Passion and A Perfect Valentine with Barbara Johnson. In addition to a few dozen published short stories and essays, she has novellas in Once Upon a Dyke; Stake Through the Heart; Bell, Book and Dyke; and Tall in the Saddle. She's a seasoned writer with two decades' experience writing for nonprofit, advertising, marketing, and journalistic purposes. A second-generation American, she comes from Detroit and currently lives in D.C. You can find out more about Therese's work at her website.

Ali Vali (2011 Medal Winner) is the author of eight books published by Bold Strokes Books. The Devil Series includes The Devil Inside, The Devil Unleashed, Deal With The Devil, and the recently released The Devil Be Damned. Her stand-alone novels are Carly's Sound, Second Season, Blue Skies, and the Lambda Literary Award Finalist Calling the Dead. Ali has also contributed to numerous anthologies, her latest short story appearing in Breathless: Tales of Celebration. Ali is originally from Cuba and now lives outside New Orleans with her partner of twenty-six years. When she isn't writing she works in the non-profit sector. You can find all of Ali's works and other information about her on the Bold Strokes Books website or at her blogsite.