Growing up in Richardson, Texas, Jessica Simpson would go to concerts and think, Someday, I want to do exactly that! Well, her someday finally arrived, but it wasn t without a few bumps along the way. When she was beat out for a spot on The New Mickey Mouse Club by Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, twelve-year-old Jessica wanted to give up, but her family encouraged her to keep going. Jessica was discovered two years later. From gold albums to dream weddings to hit reality TV shows and movie roles, Jessica is living the celebrity fairy-tale life. But life hasn t always been easy. When her marriage to longtime boyfriend and singer Nick Lachey ended in divorce after only three years, Jessica had to regroup and press on. Her strong faith in God and her close-knit family have kept her grounded and focused. Jessica continues to touch lives everywhere she goes.
Michelle Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and book author, earning top honors from the Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Sunday and Features Editors, and the Hoosier State Press Association. Since graduating with a journalism degree from Indiana University in 1991, Michelle has worked as a newspaper reporter for a daily newspaper in Southern Indiana for five years; has acted as a stringer for the Associated Press in Indiana; has written full time for a worldwide ministry's website and magazine with 550,000 circulation; has authored 43 books and has written hundreds of freelance articles for newspapers, websites and magazines such as The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Today's Christian Woman, CBN.com and Writer's Digest.
Michelle's Christian Living book, Living the Love Chapter earned her the title of "Writer of the Year" in 2001 at the Write-to-Publish Conference in Wheaton, Illinois. And, her picture book, Conversations On the Ark earned her the "Barnes & Noble Texas Author of the Month" honor in May 2003. Also, in 2009,Michelle's picture book text for, "Mama's Belly" was selected as a top 12 finalist in the national ABC Picture Book Contest. Michelle has also served as a judge in "Writer's Digest Annual International Self-Published Book Awards" for five years and judged the Tweener Time International Chapter Book Competition sponsored by Tweener Ministries, Bethel College and Baker Trittin Press. Also, Michelle has ghostwritten books and articles for some of today's most effective and popular ministers.
In addition to writing, Michelle shares her knowledge of the publishing world at prestigious writers' conferences and workshops around the nation. She has spoken at the Pike's Peak Writers' Conference, the Glorieta Christian Writers' Conference, the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers' Conference, the North Texas Christian Writers' Conference, the Delaware Christian Writers' Conference, the Quad Cities Christian Writers' Conference, the Midwest Writers' Workshop at Ball State University, Write-by-the-Lake Writers' Workshop and Retreat at the University of Wisconsin and the Write-to-Publish Conference at Wheaton College to name a few. She also taught an accredited course, "Writing For Children," at Taylor University Fort Wayne (IN) during the fall of 2006. From speaking about writing in educational settings and writers' conferences to teaching the Word of God in churches, at women's retreats and luncheons--Michelle travels across the United States encouraging others. Over the past few years, she has spoken to a 10,000-member church, Living Word Bible Church in Mesa, Arizona, as well as the Fellowship Prayer Breakfast at the Black Historical Cultural Center in Amarillo, Texas, to highlight a few.
Because of her inspirational nature, Michelle has been a featured guest on several TV programs including: "God Answers Prayer" in Santa Fe, NM; "At Home Live" in Fort Worth, TX; and "The Harvest Show" in South Bend, IN, on LeSea Network. She has also made several appearances on the Greenwood, IN, TBN affiliate. And, she's been the guest on many prestigious radio programs across the United States including, "Healthy, Wealthy, WOW reality radio," "Water Through the Word" and "Kingdom Keys with Keith Gray."
Michelle resides in Bedford, IN., with her husband, Jeff (who was also her high school sweetheart), their two teenage daughters, Abby and Ally, and their three miniature dachshunds, Maddie, Miller and Mollie.
