Dion Mayes-Burnett has published newspaper articles, poetry, and an extensive chapter in Pharmacology for Nurses through Jones and Bartlett Learning. She has also developed some new and quirky characters for her story in the I Didn’t Quite Make It To Oz anthology by Yard Dog Press. As Alex Summers, she writes mysteries, thrillers, and suspense, including the Bone Carver thriller series with Detective James Dakota.

Dion has served as a judge in many writing contests, is one of the charter members of Rose Rock wRiters, and belongs to many other organizations. An OWFI member of over 26 years, she’s excited to be coordinating The Writing Universe conference alongside President vck this year.

Writing and creating art since the young age of five, Dion found that living all over the country fueled her love of ALL things creative. Now, she describes herself as author, professional artist, and retired RN living happily in Norman Oklahoma, with her husband, Bird (aka Chris) and her fur-children: four cats and two dogs.

Nick is a father, husband, teacher, woodturner, musician, and writer. He discovered his love for writing during a Creative Writing class in college taught by the incendiary Dr. Jim Yates. Since then, he's completed three novels and multiple short stories and won several awards in the OWFI Writing Contest, including First Place in the Historical Novel for his most recent novel. Currently, he teaches high school English in Crescent, OK, volunteers as a photographer and graphic designer at Life.Church and is the Past President for Oklahoma Writer's Federation, Inc. He lives in Guthrie, OK, with his wife, two boys, two dogs, and one cat.

As a legacy member, Christine (daughter of the late Charlotte Smith) grew up knowing you do not make plans for the first weekend in May. She has been honored to receive the “Triple Crown” of OWFI by serving as President (twice), being honored as an OWFI Lifetime Member recipient, and winning the 2023 Crème de la Crème. This year she is trying her hand at First Vice President.

When not doing all things OWFI, Christine has published two novels, Murder Goes to Church and Do-Overs, a collaborative novel, A Weekend with Effie, and has been included in various Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. And, fun fact, she has won honorable mention five times in the OWFI writing contest with her entry Meeting Grandfather.

Currently she is working on her murder mystery series, The Merry Widow, which won the 2023 Crème de la Crème. When asked why she volunteers her time to the organization, her response is longer than needed here. The Sparks Notes version is that basically OWFI has taught her about the publishing industry and even more connected her with other authors, giving all of us the much–needed help to make it in the writing process.

Myloe received her BA in Psychology and Philosophy at The University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX. She then went on to get an MSW at the University of Texas at Austin. She worked as a social worker for the State of Oklahoma Department of Human Services for ten years. She also worked with mentally ill inmates at the Mabel Basset Correctional Center for Women. She had to retire early due to health problems, but what looked like a tragedy at the time allowed her to follow her childhood dream of being an author. Before turning to fiction, she published in several professional psychological journals, including the Journal of the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Research Consortium and the Southwestern Psychological Association. She tutors college and graduate school students on the side as a way to continue to help people.

For OWFI, Myloe has tried on several hats. She previously helped OWFI as an assistant to the grant director and the shepherd chair. Currently, she serves as the second vice president and the scholarship chair.

Connor Orion has been a member of OWFI since before they built a person. Which is to say, they can't remember exactly when they joined. What they do remember is how immediately welcomed and supported they felt.

They write horror poetry and fiction under the names Nor Never and Adrean Messmer. When they aren't doing that, they're probably exploring dark forests with their puppy, (Gideon) Nav.

Dani is a member of Rose Rock wRiters, an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy, a professional editor, a total science nerd, and a big fan of taking notes. When she isn’t taking notes and sending emails for OWFI, she is running Glidewell Edits, copyediting both science and fiction. (And when she isn’t doing that, she is probably catching Pokémon.)

Dani completed her BA in professional writing and her MS in biology at the University of Oklahoma. She lives in Norman with her three dogs, four lizards, one turtle, and eleven adorable tarantulas.

Since January 2015, Vinita officially wrangles numbers for OWFI. Horrifying the majority of the OWFI members when asked, she says she prefers preparing tax returns to writing. When she finishes doing the monthly financial reports for OWFI, she says she reaches a state of euphoria even a glass of wine and a box of dark chocolate doesn’t bring her. That is one major addiction she has going on there.

In her spare time, Vinita writes romantic fanfiction for the Supernatural and Star Trek fandoms. She is published on archiveofourown.org and fanfiction.net. She blogs at eastindianinoklahoma.blogspot.com.

Vinita is active in the following writer’s groups:

• Oklahoma Writers’ Federation Inc.

  • Treasurer, since January 2015

  • Assistant Treasurer, May 2014 – December 2014

  • Member, since 2011

• Green Country Ruff Riters, an affiliate of OWFI

  • President, since October 2015

  • Reporter to OWFI, October 2013 – September 2018

  • Delegate to OWFI, since October 2013

• Oklahoma Romance Writers Guild, an affiliate of OWFI

  • Treasurer, since May 2019

  • Member and co-founder since May 2019

• Oklahoma Romance Writers of America

  • Treasurer, since January 2019

  • International Digital Awards, Inspirational Category Coordinator, since 2019

  • National Reader’s Choice Awards, Inspirational Category Coordinator, since 2016

  • Member, since November 2011

• Romance Writers of America

  • Member, since November 2011

• American Christian Writers

  • Member, since April 2011

Vivian has been a member of OWFI since 2002 and the OWFI Grant Director since 2012. She was honored as the Lifetime Member in 2013. She founded Pen and Keyboard Writers in Edmond as an OWFI affiliate in 2003 and was the president until 2011. Since her move to Hydro, Oklahoma, she began the Invite to Write group, a combination in-person and Zoom meeting.

She often presents workshops and sessions at conferences around the nation, including the Alaska Writers Conference and the OWFI conference. As a former English and writing teacher, she finds the teacher in her continues to erupt. She has held workshops for different groups and for OWFI affiliates.

Vivian is the president/CEO of 4RV Publishing as well as a published author and editor. Her books include several young adult, children’s books, and novels, many which are award winners. The 4RV site is http://4rvpublishing.com .

Wayne is an astronomer by training. After 40 years working with children as the director of the planetarium in Science Museum Oklahoma, he decided to focus his energies in a new direction. He retired from the museum to become a full-time writer, concentrating mostly on books for children. He has five published books and three more in the works, to be released soon. He is the Non-Fiction Imprint editor and the Tweens & Teens for 4RV Publishing and the Proof-Copy editor for the company.

Wayne writes a monthly astronomy column for the Oklahoman, continuously published since 1984, and has also published a dozen astronomy and science articles and science fiction short stories in various national publications. He has published five children’s books with three more being illustrated by the publisher. Wayne offers editing services to novice authors.

Wayne has been involved with the creation of three organizations, including creating the Bylaws of the organizations.

Wayne also hunts ghosts with a paranormal investigation team, Insight Paranormal. This team is the Oklahoma affiliate of The Atlantic Paranormal Society, better known as TAPS.

Has passion, will travel.

Originally a Texas girl, Aleasha thrives on adventure. She’s lived in two countries, visited six others, and can’t wait to use her passport again! Adventure at home looks like rooms overflowing with fur babies and boys, nightly Dishwasher Tetris tournaments, and the occasional “What’s That Smell” championship that occurs when the laundry baskets are overflowing. She currently provides creative and administrative services through her company, Studio Promessa, offering office assistance and mentoring, event planning, graphic and web design, technology, crafty creations, photography, writing, and editing solutions. 

Aleasha first stepped into OWFI through the side door, volunteering as a Contest Category Chair before becoming a member-at-large. The next year, she took on the role of 2nd Vice President, then moved up to 1st VP/Contest Coordinator. For the next three years, she collaborated with her fellow officers to streamline and modernize the annual writing contest, breathing new life into tradition. Next, she took up the reigns of conference coordinator, applying her love for event planning to the annual gathering of writers, agents, editors and other industry professionals. When Covid brought challenges to public meet-ups, she introduced OWFI’s first virtual conference, accepting the Presidential gavel on livestream. She served double duty acting as Technology Director during her reign as President, and again as Past President. In 2023, she went down in history for finally being at a loss for words when presented with the Honorary Lifetime Member award. Sorry if you missed it; that may never be repeated. Now, with Technology Director as her sole focus, she hopes to be able to channel her energies on taming the tech needs of our organization.

When she’s not chasing chaos at home, or speakers, volunteers, & technical errors for OWFI, Aleasha is still running after adventure—occasionally by plane, train or automobile— but most often between the covers of a great story. Visit her at The Nutthouse Diaries, and inspire her to share her stories more often!

Ariel is an avid reader and nonpublished writer who enjoys writing in various genres and has a passion for making lists. She is a board/dice game enthusiast, an occasional book-review blogger, a God-fearing wife & mama, a gardening novice, and a PC game player. 

Ariel is a freelance photographer and graphic designer. She can be found on various social media outlets as MandarinBlues. She is currently a Member at Large.