Devidasi B. Dillard-Wright graduated from Emory University in 1999 and went on to receive the Master of Divinity degree in the Candler School of Theology, also at Emory. She served as a minister to rural Methodist congregations in Georgia while attending seminary. She studied philosophy and theology at Drew University in Madison New Jersey and eventually wrote a dissertation on French phenomenologist, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, which was published as Ark of the Possible: The Animal World in Merleau-Ponty. Other publications in academic journals followed, which concentrated on philosophy of mind, animal studies, and environmental ethics. One of her academic chapters can be found in Experiencing Animal Minds: An Anthology of Animal-Human Encounters, edited by Julie Smith and Robert Mitchell.

Dr. Dillard-Wright took a turn towards Indian philosophy and religion and began publishing books on meditation, including, The Boundless Life Challenge, A Mindful Day, A Mindful Morning, A Mindful Evening, Meditation for Multitaskers, 5-Minute Mindfulness, and The Everything Guide to Meditation for Healthy Living. She converted to Hinduism and wrote At Ganapati's Feet: Daily Life with the Elephant-Headed Deity, which includes some autobiographical material about her spiritual journey. She founded the Anahata Chakra Satsanga (Heart Chakra Society) as an outgrowth of her study of the teachings of Swami Satyananda Saraswati and Shree Maa of Kamakhya, who now run the Devi Mandir in Yuba City, CA.

Devidasi is currently Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of South Carolina, Aiken. She lives in Augusta, Georgia with her wife, Jessica, and her three children, Atticus, Oscar, and Tallulah.

www.anahatachakrasatsanga.org

@DBDillardWright

writepage (at) gmail (dot) com

PAULA MUNIER is a literary agent and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, and was recently named the Dog Writers Association of America’s Dogwise Book of the Year. The second, BLIND SEARCH, pubbed in November 2019. The third, THE HIDING PLACE, will debut in March 2021.

Paula was inspired to write the series by the hero working dogs she met through Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescues, Newfoundland/retriever mix Bear, Great Pyrenees/Australian cattle dog mix Bliss, and Malinois mix Blondie, and a lifelong passion for crime fiction.

Paula also written three popular books on writing: PLOT PERFECT, THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO BEGINNINGS, and WRITING WITH QUIET HANDS, as well as the acclaimed memoir FIXING FREDDIE: A True Story of a Boy, a Mom, and a Very, Very Bad Beagle, and HAPPIER EVERY DAY: Simple ways to bring more peace, contentment and joy into your life.

She lives in New England with her family, her three rescue dogs, and a rescue torbie tabby named Ursula.

Heidi E. Spear is an author, writer/editor, workshop presenter, and Kripalu Yoga teacher who was R&R Retreat faculty at Kripalu from 2008–2015, and from 2013–2015 was also the meditation and relaxation specialist at The UltraWellness Center founded by Dr. Mark Hyman. Currently, Heidi writes for 1440 Multiversity near Santa Cruz, California, and guides businesses and individuals in meditation, yoga breaks, and Ayurvedic lifestyle practices for stress management and mindful leadership. You can visit her website at: www.HeidiSpear.com