Meet Our Team

Founder and Director:

Marybeth Whalen has been married to Curt for 19 years. They have six children and regularly answer the questions: “Are they all yours?” “Are they all from the same marriage?” “Are there any twins?” and “How do you do it?” (Answers are as following: yes, yes, no and we have no idea!) When not chasing children or trying to schedule a date with her husband, Marybeth enjoys writing, reading and serving as co-director of She Reads, where she does her part to share fantastic fiction with other women who love a great story. She is the author of The Mailbox,  She Makes It Look Easy, and The Guest Book due out in July 2012.

Her favorite quote: “The best time to plan a book is while you’re doing the dishes.” – Agatha Christie

Director and All-Around Smarty Pants:

Ariel Lawhon writes, reads, and lives in Texas with her husband and four young sons. She has a penchant for adrenaline-infused madness such as rock climbing (don’t ask), running marathons (bad for the knees), and jumping off bridges (not recommended) – as if raising four boys were not adventure enough.  Her first novel, Eye of the God, revolves around the legendary curse of the Hope Diamond. When not immersed in a book, changing a diaper, or rescuing her dog from the death-grip of a toddler, you can find Ariel at her local bookstore hiding in the stacks with a cup of over-priced coffee or right here chatting about books.

Her favorite quote: “I only write when I feel like it; and I feel like it at 9 am every morning.” -Henry Miller

Online Book Club Leader:

Laura Polk has a passion for bringing women closer to Christ during the most harried part of their lives: motherhood.  She is a regular blogger at Moms Together on facebook, Co-founder of a website for tweens (www.samiesisters.com), and blogs regularly on her website “Contemplations of a Crispy Mom” at www.laurapolk.com . She is currently working on a women’s fiction novel and lives with her husband and three children in eastern North Carolina.

 

Book Club Columnist:

Melissa Hambrick is a former entertainment industry PR exec, a full-time stay-at-home mom of two boys and a part-time volunteer for any school function that she didn’t scrunch down in her seat far enough to avoid.  Having written for numerous publications, including Home Life and Today’s Christian Woman, and with chapter one of what is sure to be a bestselling novel stored in her laptop for the last year and a half, she blogs at WordMom.com less frequently than she probably should.  Her book club, which she lovingly dubs ‘overachievers anonymous,’ actually has a strange preference for books they don’t really love, which they find leads to much more interesting conversation.