2024 Officers

C.A. (Candy) Simonson,  2024 President, has served the Guild as past Treasurer (2012-2013), Director-at-Large (2014, 2022), Vice-President (2016-2017, 2020-2021, 2023), and Secretary (2018-2019). She was the newsletter editor from 2012-2020, helped transition the SWG website from Yahoo to WordPress, and is the interim Webmaster.

Candy writes inspirational Christian fiction and nonfiction. Her award-winning short stories and essays have been published in seven anthologies, with over 800 articles appearing in national print and online magazines. In the style of Laura Ingalls Wilder meets Jan Karon, her YA trilogy is based on true events. Love’s Journey Home was published in 2013, Love Looks Back, and Love’s Amazing Grace (2015). Other books include A Quick Read anthology (short stories-2016),  Thoughts for Evening Time (five-minute devotions -2017), All Beautiful Creatures (an ABC primer/coloring book-2017), Food Hacks, Hints and Helps, (food tips- 2018), RUNAWAY, a Novel (2019), and Finding Your Superpowers (a children’s activity and coloring book – 2019), God Help Me (an interactive devotional journal -2020); The Chosen One: Mary’s Story (2021); Rock Band Roadie (2022) plus many short stories and several personal books.  Now retired from a career in teaching computer applications, she devotes her time to writing and assisting other authors with editing, formatting books and designing book covers, and websites.

Candy also serves on the Behind the Pages Conference Board of Directors (2019-2023) as Registration Coordinator. She has been a member of the Springfield Writers’ Guild since 2011. She lives in the beautiful Ozark countryside with her husband, Tim. See more  http://casimonson.com

Lynn Combs, Vice-President,  grew up as a Navy brat, following her father’s career across three continents. This unique life experience has fed her imagination from a very young age. She was always conjuring up stories and filling them with unique, colorful characters, exotic locations, and one zany situation after another. As a child, she loved reading and hearing stories, especially folktales from all the different places where she lived and traveled.

Monica lives in southwest Missouri with her son. She has been an active member of the Springfield Writers Guild since mid-2020 serving the Guild as Secretary (2022-2023) and Newsletter Editor. She is also an active member of the Between the Pages Conference Board of Directors as secretary. She holds a bachelor’s degree with concentrated studies in education, psychology, and theatre arts. Her short stories have won multiple awards. She has a fantasy trilogy and a cozy mystery series in the works, with many more ideas bubbling around in her imagination just waiting to be released.

Besides writing she has a real passion for working with the at-risk youth in her community. Her favorite place to write is the beach, with her toes in the cool wet sand, the warm sun on her face, and breathing in the fresh salty sea air. Her goal is to someday leave her current nine-to-five job and transition into a full-time author and speaker role. She also hopes to find a final forever home near the ocean. You can follow her writing journey at http://lynncombs.com

Ruth Hunter, (aka Sage Hunter) joins the Springfield Writers Guild Board of Directors as secretary in 2024.

Graphic designer, teacher, and author, Ruth Hunter, holds an Associate Degree in Graphic Design from Ozarks Technical Community College. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Writing from Drury University and a Master’s degree with a double major in Education and English from Missouri State University.

Working as a graphic artist, Ruth has designed book covers and illustrations for several authors. As a teacher, she has worked with Art, English, and Special Education. Her writing has been published in educational periodicals, magazines, and newspapers. Her debut inspirational suspense book, Vengeance is Mine, was published in 2023 and is available on Amazon, or Barnes and Noble, under the pen name Sage Hunter. She is currently ghostwriting a legacy book and has had great success with her episodic stories on Kindle Vella. See more at sagehunter.com

Jaime Cole (aka Ann Stang) joins the Springfield Writers Guild Board of Directors as treasurer for 2024. Jaime has been a member of the Guild since 2017. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Studies from Evangel University. Cole writes Christian cozy mysteries and children’s stories.

Since 2016, she has self-published 12 books: Just a Cozy Murder in the Woods, Christmas on the Lam, Rewriting Christmas: A Hopeful Tale, Three Can Keep a Secret if Two of Them Are Dead, Oh What a Tangled Death We Weave, 25 Miles to Empty, My Crazy Blind Date Blog, Undercover Faux Fiancée, Bait 4 a Trap, Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees, The Great Cookie Caper and Other Stories, and Stories for the Beach, a collection of award-winning short stories, many inspired by the SWG contests.

She’s been using the Kindle Vella platform to write her books since it began in 2021. Currently, she’s working on a new cozy mystery series and a second volume about the adventures of Franky, a little red dachshund inspired by the doxies who keep her company while she writes. Find her books here.

Chris Keller, Director-at-Large

Chris Keller returns for a second term as Director at Large with the Springfield Writers’ Guild Board of Directors in 2024 after serving as President (2020-2021) and Vice President (2018-2019).  He also serves on the Between the Pages Writers’ Conference Board of Directors for a fourth consecutive year (2020-2023) as Master of Ceremonies.

Professionally, Chris is a Social Science instructor at Pleasant Hope High School where he has written and designed curriculum for eight classes. Chris earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Social Science Education at Southwest Baptist University.  While working toward his degrees, he served as the sports and managing editor of the Omnibus, SBU’s student newspaper.  He received multiple awards for his writing from the Missouri College Media Association and was an MCMA Journalist of the Year finalist in 1990.  He also received the MCMA Advisor of the Year Award in 2007.

Transitioning to a career in broadcasting after college, Chris became the news/sports director and station manager at Missouri radio stations KBFL, KHST, KRLK, and KYOO where he received the Missouri Broadcasters Association’s Excellence in Sports Broadcasting Award in 1993.  In 2000, Chris returned to SBU where he served on staff in multiple departments.

Chris is currently working on two novels (science fiction and romance), a children’s book, and four songs he hopes to include in his books.

The Appointed Offices of SWG:

Tim Straus, Cooperative Marketing Program Director, Antim “Tim” Straus, author of The Geoffrey Wines Series (Camp David Conspiracy; Disorder-A Novel) spent a career in new food product development and lives in Missouri with his wife of over 40 years.

Straus holds two U.S. Patents and is also the author of an offbeat take on creation entitled How Mrs. God and I Created the Universe—A Humorous Retelling. A stage play version is under development.

He also co-edited the trade book An Integrated Approach to New Food Product Development.
ww.AntimStraus.com 

Nick Weyland, Mentor Coordinator, is now retired from the U.S. Dept. of Justice and Homeland Security throughout Los Angeles and Orange County, CA. His position as Supervisory Special Agent, and then Section Chief for Immigration Enforcement gave Nick much knowledge and writing material. He took those experiences and wound them into two published novels: The Keepers of the Castle, and When Knights Wore Shining Armor. Nick lives with his wife, Beverly, and two dogs, Holly and Gweny, in Springfield, Missouri. Nick has been the Mentor Coordinator during the critique hour for many years. His books can be obtained by emailing Nick.