Now accepting submission for the "Tales On The Yellow Brick Road 2025" Anthology! Free to enter! Click HERE for more information.
"We Do The Work For You!"
YBR PUBLISHING'S AUTHORS
Spanning the Literary Spectrum
YBR PUBLISHING is proud to work with some of the most visionary authors, bringing their creative storytelling to life with the help of our dedicated publishing team. Whatever genre you’re into, our wide variety of authors are sure to indulge your mood and preference. Check out the authors we’ve worked with below.
GARRY RICHARDSON
Adventure Romance
Garry Richardson lives in the small town of Ridgeland, South Carolina with his lovely wife, two amazing kids, their dog Millie and cat Nova. When he’s not working, he can be found in his boat throwing a shrimp net, on a baseball field umpiring and occasionally, writing.
Garry is currently working on two novellas and a fantasy mega-novel for release in 2019/2020.
Garry's debut novel EMERALD is available in our Store
RON BAXLEY, JR.
Fantasy
Though a published author for 27 years after the precocious submission of a skit to a glossy magazine and many publications thereafter, Ron Baxley, Jr. does not come across as an elitist. From working service jobs such as frying chicken for K.F.C. at a young age to picking up pecans in his Grandma’s yard for textbook money in university, this Southern small-town author had more of a plastic “spork” than a silver spoon in his mouth. Ron’s Southern back-ground figures in his work as does his love of Oz. He received a lifetime membership from the International L. Frank Baum and All Things Oz Foundation in 2016 for his work as an author related to the Wizard of Oz, work which dates back to 1999 when the First Edition of his book “The Talking City of Oz” was published. Ron has been a special guest, guest, and visiting author at Oz festivals and cons since 2010. Ron also likes most anything related to Disney, fantasy, and science fiction which he has also published. He, in addition, helped his late father with a side satellite dish business when he was a youth and was encouraged by his father, a techie, to get interested in computers; he equates all of this with furthering his interest in science fiction. After being an educator for 15 years in various capacities away from his home-town, Ron returned there in 2015 to become a care-giver and to work as a part-time correspondent for the Orangeburg, S.C. “Times and Democrat”, eventually selling different types of Disney vacations through a travel agency on the side. He considers his Corgi, Ziggy, to be his child and even a fur-angel, and the dog figures largely in a lot of his work. For more information on Ron, see his author page.
Ron's first graphic novel is currently in the pre-formatting stage with a projected summer 2019 release!
Ron's first book with YBR Publishing, O.Z. DIGGS HIMSELF OUT, is available in our store!
HORACE MUNGIN
Poetry
Horace Mungin is 77 years old; he is a writer and poet from the period known as The Black Arts (1965 -1975) Movement. Mungin is founder of Black Forum Magazine, a once-nationally popular literary publication created during The Black Arts Movement which is now featured in a permanent exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. Mungin is the author of 13 books; his latest entitled Swing, Hard Bop, Bop & Bebop, is a resource book for jazz enthusiast. A musical revue based on the book was produced by the Music Department of Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina. Mungin’s poetry has appeared in many literary anthologies and poetry publications. His work has appeared in the New York Times and Essence Magazine. He was a columnist for the Coastal Times and the Charleston Chronicle.
Horace' first book with YBR Publishing, SWING, HARD BOP, BOP & BEBOP, is available in our Store!
GIBBES MCDOWELL
Historic Fiction
Robert "Gibbes" McDowell, Jr. is a third-generation native son of Beaufort, South Carolina. His life credits include being a History Major, Retired Financial Planner, Collegiate and Masters Pole Vault Champion, and confirmed river rat-sportsman.
Author of numerous magazine articles published in Professional Bowhunter Society, Bowhunter Magazine, Archery World, and Grey's Sporting Journal, Gibbes was also co-producer of the acclaimed documentary Sea Island Secrets for South Carolina ETV. Three of his stories are included in Janet Garrity's Fish Camps of the Sea Islands.
Quite the athlete, Gibbes was featured on WCSC TV Channel 5 out of Charleston with sports clips of him doing interview and trick shooting. He was pole vault coach for Beaufort High School with five State titles (boys and girls) and has volunteered with Wild Turkey Foundation Women in the Outdoors as archery instructor and trick shooter, as well as Ducks Unlimited's Green Wing Youth Program.
While working on two other novels, in his free time you can find him shooting wild hogs with bow and arrows, tending to his fish camp, researching his story lines, and telling tall tales to anyone who wants to listen.
Gibbes is currently working on his second book, an action/suspense novel for fall 2019 release.
Gibbes' debut novel, DRIFTWOOD UNMASKED, is available in our Store!
Period Family Drama
Jon Bebbington was born in Morristown, New Jersey, and raised in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from UCLA and two master's degrees from the University of Colorado. Early in his career he worked for a nonprofit legal organization and later as an engineer. He has traveled the globe pursuing his many interests including sailing, rock climbing, scuba diving and family history in the US and England.
The author lives in South Carolina with his three rescued dogs Andy, Darla, and Emma. He is currently at work on his next novel.
_JPG.jpg)
Historical Coloring Book
Loreen Ridge-Husum of Pelzer, SC, and brother-in-law Edward Husum of Tallahassie, FL, have created a new coloring book showcasing the history of their birth home, The Canal Zone! This coloring book, entitled "...Where in the World Is...The Canal Zone" is tentatively the first in a new series of coloring books for 1st through 3rd graders!
ANNELL ST. CHARLES
TALES ON THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD 2023 AUTHORS
In 2022 we decided to launch a new project: our first annual anthology! We invited current YBR authors, author friends, and the public to to submit short stories and/or poetry for consideration without any cost to participate! We not only received many great submissions, the anthology received a 5-Star Award and review from Readers' Favorite, LLC, the largest international review company in the world! This page is dedicated to these participating authors, and welcome them all to the YBR family!
RON BAXLEY, JR.
Ron Baxley, Jr., of Barnwell, South Carolina, is a prolific award-winning fantasy and “Oz universe” author and has been published for 31 years. An experienced former educator, Ron, who is a current caregiver for a relative, also works as a freelancer for multiple newspapers in S.C. and Georgia. Additionally, he also works as a travel specialist and as a full-time author. Also, for 13 years, he has been invited as an author to and has attended Oz festivals throughout the country, as well as a guest author at various conventions. During much of that time, Ron’s Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Ziggy, was able to travel with him to events. In fact, Ziggy, who was adopted from a shelter at one year old, will be 11 this December and serves as Ron’s emotional support dog. Also, in whole or in part, the zig-zagging Ziggy has inspired many of Ron’s books. By the way, Ron, who has strong faith in God, does his best to be BOTH a good man and a good wizard. He is, of course, not a bad witch; if he were, he would be caught dead in the rain!
Ron has published many Oz novels dating back to the First Edition of "The Talking City of Oz" in 1999. He joined YBR Publishing as an author in 2017 and saw his Oz-themed novel, “O.Z. Diggs Himself Out”, published in March 2018, which became the first of his interconnected Oz-universe books exclusive to YBR. His books with YBR in chronological order are: the children’s book “Goldey Goosey of Oz”; the graphic novel “Ziggy Zig-Zags the Light and Dark Fantastic”; and the novels “O.Z. Diggs Himself Out” and “O.Z. Doesn’t Diggs G.C.C. at Emerald City”. The sequel graphic novel “Ziggy Zig-Zags the Light: The Ice Queen Hateth” is projected for 2024, and the next “O.Z. Diggs VII” novel for 2024.
SCOTT BLANKE
Scott Brian Blanke is a retired Mayo Clinic surgeon whose interest in the continuing saga of The Wizard of Oz began as a child and now, as an adult, he reads the stories to his children and now grandchildren. His personal collection of Oz titles numbers in the hundreds and he is a member of several Wizard of Oz clubs.
His novel, ‘Oscar Diggs, The Wizard of Oz’ was published in December by Black rose Writing. It is available on Amazon.
Scott lives in La Crosse, Wisconsin with his author wife. He has three grown children and trips to visit them make up a large part of his life, though that may be just an excuse to try out new restaurants and wines. When not writing, Scott enjoys gardening, specializing in exotic garlic, and amateur photography, particularly taking photos of his grandchildren.
JERRY BRIDGES
Jerry Bridges is the author of ‘“INTO THE LAIR”, a sci-fi fantasy epic novel that was a decade in the writing and is the first book in the “Taming the Chaos” series. His novel is available on the YBR Publishing website store.
Jerry is a proud graduate of LSU School of Horticulture and has been a practicing horticulturist for most of forty years. He began his practice in Baton Rouge, but when that city experienced 48 percent unemployment, he moved back to his ancestral home of Columbia, SC. After many years there, he followed work to Beaufort, SC.
An avid gamer, his writing is based around the magic system found in one of his favorite Role-Playing Games. Jerry reads constantly, accompanied by his dog beside him and his cat on his lap. He is a proud husband to Vickie for 37 years and father of four incredible children. A committed Christian, he is an active member of his church choir.
JENNIFER BURNS
Jennifer Burns is a writer, artist, poet and varied creative type. She enjoys writing poetry, prose, short stories, and scripts. Often her poetry comes to her in the form of lyrics or song and is influenced by personal life events. In her spare time, she enjoys what she calls “creature making”, which is sculpting strange monsters and cryptids then hand painting them. A full moon will almost never cease to hypnotize her and create a frenzy of lit candles and moon bathing. She has a deep love for oddities, horror, gothic decor, October, and vintage toys. Jenn is inspired by the beauty found in scars and the ability to rise above while expressing the pain.
JACK GANNON
While Jack usually writes with co-author Cyndi Williams-Barnier, receiving 5-star awards for three of their joint novels, and one 5-star award for his solo Christmas book, “I Walked In Santa’s Boots”, which was the book that launched YBR Publishing. They have eight other books together, and after a few planning sessions he is at work on the next two in their “Task Force” series.
Jack’s career was in print media, starting as a carrier for The Beaufort Gazette before a summer job as an intern reporter. He later returned to the Gazette as the mailroom supervisor, working his way up in the Circulation Department to Circulation System Manager for both the Gazette and The Island Packet. After 23 years in management, Jack entered retirement.
From 1993 to 2016, Jack also appeared as Santa Claus for Beaufort, SC, and the surrounding areas of upper Beaufort County. Although he retired from the couple dozen-plus major events he anchored in Beaufort County every year as St. Nick, he continued to appear at a couple smaller events in neighboring Jasper County for children’s events as well as Toys For Tots. Jack was given a Toys For Tots pin from attending US Marines for his years helping to gather toys for needy children. His “Santa’s Boots” book showcases his over two decades of major event appearances. He finally hung up his Red Coat after 30 years.
FRANK W. HOWARD
Frank was born in Montgomery, Alabama. At 18 years old, he enlisted in the US Navy where he served as a hospital corpsman and recruiter for a total of 12 years.
In 1980 he met and married Mona Lanier. They have 3 sons and 4 grandchildren. They have been married over 42 years.
Frank has worked in several trades. He enjoys church, song leading and guitar. He currently resides in Guyton, Ga.
Mona and he are moving back to Beaufort, SC soon to retire.
JAMES W. KRYCH
James Walter (J.W.) Krych had his first novel, From Neptune to Earth, published as a collaborative work between him and David Cuciz, a member of the Swiss Army at the time. The Flight to Oz Book I: Arrival was his first-ever Science Fiction/Fantasy story based on the characters and world of L. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz series. The Flight to Oz Book II: Anusha of Oz is a direct sequel to Book I and includes a new Original Character with Asperger's Syndrome. This Point in Time is the first book based on his Flight to Oz universe and deals with the Holocaust and forgiveness. Book III Odyssey in Oz continues the series and is split into three acts with Act 1 titled “1530.” Act 2 is titled “The Enchantress.”
Starting in 1988, James served in the US Military, retiring as a CW2 in 2011. As a Warrant Officer, he was first assigned to the Joint Force Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, preparing for natural and/or man-made disasters. After relocating to South Carolina, he became a member of the 218th MEB and finished his last two years of service on active-duty orders as the Brigade S-6 IT Signal Warrant Officer for the CCMRF, the CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives) Consequence Management Response Force, Mission, where circumstances would have had to be terribly bad in order to be called up. He and his wife, Lori, and their two special-needs boys live in the Charleston, SC, area.
JC SULZENKO
This Canadian poet’s work has won awards and appeared in anthologies and journals in print and online, either under her own name or her pseudonym, A. Garnett Weiss.
In 2022, her work featured in releases from Public Poetry (Houston), Hidden Brooks Press, Poetry Superhighway, and at the Puppets Up! International Festival in Almonte, Ontario.
In July 2021, Aeolus House released Bricolage, A Gathering of Centos, a finalist for the 2022 Fred Kerner Award from the Canadian Authors Association.
Point Petre Publishing issued her debut collection, South Shore Suite…POEMS in 2017.
JC has written books for children and families and a play about dementia. She co-authored two poetry chapbooks with Carol A. Stephen, Slant of Light and Breathing Mutable Air. In the US, Silver Birch Press and The Light Ekphrastic carry her poems.
She has offered workshops through the Ottawa International Writers Festival, the Ottawa Public Library, and many school boards and Alzheimer societies, among others. She selected for the online journal Bywords and founded and curated Poetry Quarter in the Glebe Report. She serves on the Executive Committee of The Ontario Poetry Society.
JOHN T. WAYNE
John T. Wayne, the American Civil War and Historical Western author, is the grandson of legendary actor John Wayne (“The Duke”). Growing up attending schools all over the state of Missouri, John learned the true history of the US Civil War. John is a chip off the old block, believing in God, individual responsibility, and the idea of a free America (following in true Ronald Reagan fashion, “A True American”).
John began writing his stories in 1985 while attending the University of Oregon. He left Oregon after daughter Kimberly passed and returned home to Missouri. After 30 years of marriage together with Donna, there are incredible stories of traveling together to share.
These days, John is on the road a lot with speaking engagements and book signings. Traveling about 50,000 miles a year and attending between 50 to 75 western festivals and book signings every year.
John has written and published seven western novels telling the story of “The Gaslight Boys”: “Ol Slantface”, “Blood Once Spilled”, “Captain Grimes”, “Peace In The Valley”, “Catfish John”, “Showdown At Scatter Creek”, and “The Treasure Del Diablo”.
John has signed on with YBR Publishing for his autobiography “An American Heritage” planned for fall 2023, plus a new western series to follow.
CYNDI WILLIAMS-BARNIER
I grew up in what was once the small town of Beaufort, S.C., with a population of approximately 6,300 in the early 1960s. Our small town now has a grandiose population of nearly 13,000, and the county 191,000! Things sure have changed!
After graduating from Beaufort High School, I went on to the University of S.C.-Beaufort studying Advanced Composition. From there I worked for S.C. Probation, Parole, and Pardons. After a 20-year career with the Beaufort County Emergency Management Division, I entered retirement. About the same time, we moved to our retirement house in Ridgeland, S.C.
In retirement I caught up with my dear friend Jack Gannon from Beaufort High School, where we often talked about writing books and were even planning out our storyline and characters for a book that we wanted to write. As fate would have it, we lost touch with each other after graduation. Fast forward some 32 years, we reconnected and finally began writing the book we talked about so long ago. To date we’ve written nine books in total with more to come!
In 2016, Jack and I formed an LLC called YBR Publishing. Not long after, my husband Bill signed on as our Chief Editor and Staff Manager. To date, we have published 29 books for clients (including the one in your hands now), with many more to come.
When not working on client’s books, I can be found with my “lap warmer” cat, “Scooter”.