Authors

Kumaresh Thoppe is an author, enterprise IT leader, and creator of the Professional Enlightenment Program (PEP) Career Framework. With over 30 years of leadership experience, he combines practical corporate insights with expertise in counselling, psychotherapy, and mindfulness to help professionals build meaningful and sustainable careers. An MBA, PMP, SAFe Agilist, and IICA Qualified Independent Director, Kumaresh believes that lasting success comes from strong foundations, continuous learning, and inner clarity. Through his books, he shares practical wisdom that transforms everyday work into extraordinary career growth.

Katherine Walker is a novelist, herbalist, and the creative mind behind The Grounded Pen. Deeply rooted in a love for the natural world, she crafts stories and journals that invite readers to slow down and connect with the earth.

As a novelist, Katherine writes atmospheric, cozy fantasy filled with rich world-building, magical botany, and gentle hearts. Her immersive fantasy series begins with her debut novel, The Mushroom Keeper’s Heart, and continues through captivating sequels including Legacy of the White Trillium, Faltering at Shaling Henge, and The Toxins of Mallowsweet. When she isn't weaving tales of troll herbalists and ancient forests, she creates practical, mindful wellness tools like The Grounded Pen Essential Oil Journal to help beginners bring the grounding magic of plants into their everyday lives.

She lives and writes in a quiet Southern town, surrounded by her beloved pets and a steady supply of herbal tea.

I am Rudolf Ruder, son of Holocaust survivors and author of The Long Journey to Cleveland. In this memoir, I share my parents’ remarkable journey through war, persecution, survival, and ultimately love. Using family memories, historical archives, camp records, and survivor testimonies, I wrote this book to honor their resilience and preserve their story so future generations never forget the lessons of the Holocaust.

     Mark Sprowles is a writer and lifelong reader living in the heart of Ohio with his incomparable wife and their energetic and opinionated Cocker Spaniel. When he's not enjoying the company of his children and grandchildren, Mark finds peace and inspiration in their secluded cabin nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

     An avid lover of science fiction and fantasy books from an early age, Mark has always had an insatiable curiosity for the world, especially in areas like history, politics, and the physical sciences. His deep fascination with these subjects is often reflected in his writing, where complex ideas about the universe and human nature intertwine with rich storytelling. As an IT professional by trade, he has a tendency to mingle fantasy and technology whenever possible.

     Beyond his writing, Mark spends his time hiking, fishing, chopping firewood, and riding the wife’s Honda Rancher on the logging trails near their cabin.

Sterling Elliott Blake is an inspirational memoir author and engineer who overcame a childhood of neglect, violence, and hardship in California. His book, Memoirs of A Flower Child, is a heartfelt story of childhood trauma, recovery, and resilience that inspires readers to find hope beyond adversity.

Eric Kinney is the CEO and Co-Founder of Scurry, a Silicon Valley stablecoin banking platform for emerging markets and author of the Scurry Fraud Book Series. With over three decades of experience in financial services, including traditional banking, wealth technology, and fintech, he specializes in operations, risk management, compliance, and financial crimes prevention. Kinney served as a board-appointed Bank Secrecy Act Officer (BSAO) for four fintech companies, was the seventh employee at LendingClub, and was a co-founder of AssetFort. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and a former Department of Justice witness in a major fintech case, possessing deep expertise in anti-money laundering controls and startups in the Silicon Valley . He holds Bachelor's degrees in Communication and Economics from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and a Global Executive MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. Beyond his professional work, Eric has travelled the world, lived in Mexico and Spain for 2 years and is an accomplished endurance athlete, competing in long-distance running and open-water marathon swimming. Scurry (Fraud Squad) is his debut novel.