Ember and Vine Nonfiction

A reflective examination of life's most transformative moments 

This nonfiction collection brings together award-winning voices across literature and film as they reflect on the pivotal moments that reshaped their lives. 

Edited by Julie Cantrell and Janyre Tromp, these thought-provoking essays span personal, cultural, and spiritual terrain, tracing how true transformation takes root and matures over time to shift one's perspective. 

Honest, vulnerable, and deeply human, each piece looks beyond the initial (sometimes traumatic) event to examine the lessons learned and the wisdom gained. 

By sharing their experiences, each author portrays how a single catalyst can grow into a deeper sense of identity, purpose, connection, and hope. 

Through an introspective lens of truth and courage, these writers invite you to pause, to reflect on the turning points in your own story, and to consider what is still growing and changing within you. 

Essays Written By: 

A.E. Abbington

Linda-Marie Barrett 

Antonia Deignan 

Dana Shane Kennedy 

Julie Klein (Judges' Choice) 

Frank Larrabaster 

Karen Ott Mayer 

Naz Pankey (Judges' Choice) 

Stacey Powells 

J. R. Scalf 

Sandra Sharp 

Deborah Svec-Carstens 

Janyre Tromp

Jane Ann Valentine (Judges' Runner-Up) 

Vicki VanArsdale 

Rick Wilson (Judges' Runner-Up)

Sharon Wise