Authors M-O

~M. J. Padgett, ~Marilyn Borga, ~Mesu Andrews, ~Michelle Levigne, ~Morenike Euba Oyenusi, ~Nancy Ellen Hird, ~Naomi Musch, Natalie Totire Brinly

M. J. Padgett

Author M. J. Padgett shares about the development and themes behind her latest fantasy book on Heart-Soul-Mind.org

Genre: Fantasy

Heart-Soul-Mind Article: Hope in the Darkness with M. J. Padgett

Series and Books:

About the Author

M. J. Padgett is first and foremost a mom. Her free-spirited kindergartener has quite the vivid imagination, and her antics sometimes find their way into her mommy’s work. She is a lover of all things chocolate, a Grimm and Dickens addict, a self-proclaimed smarty-pants, and an introvert to the core. 

Writing is her true passion (after raising her daughter, of course), and she writes as often as possible. One of her favorite things about writing is creating a world where people can escape reality for a little while, maybe even walk away feeling hopeful about the real world around them. When it comes to reading, she loves a book that can make her forget where she is no matter the genre. If she can get lost and feel like the characters are her real friends, she’s a happy reader.

Connect with M. J. Padgett

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Marilyn Borga

Author Marilyn Borga shares about her first book, Forever Kozy, on Heart-Soul-Mind.org

Genre: Christian Fiction

Book: Forever Kozy

Heart-Soul-Mind Article: Welcome Wednesday: Learning from the Past with Marilyn Borga

About the Author: Marilyn Borga is blessed to live in her Ohio hometown with her husband, Joel. Together they have spent over four decades rescuing and remodeling old houses there. They also grow and sell Christmas trees. Reading, writing, gardening, and cooking are some of her hobbies. She cherishes time spent with friends and family and especially enjoys celebrating and writing about her Hungarian heritage. In her writing, she strives to honor God with the realization that “only what’s done for Christ will last.” Forever Kozy is her first novel.

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Mesu Andrews

Biblical Fiction and Christy Award-Winning author Mesu Andrews shares about her latest book, Isaiah’s Legacy.

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Series and Books

Heart-Soul-Mind Article: A Prodigal Hope

About the Author

MESU ANDREWS is the Christy Award-winning author of Isaiah’s Daughter (Book #1) and you can find more info about Isaiah’s Legacy (the conclusion of Hephzibah’s story) on her website. She’s received numerous accolades for her other novels including Of Fire and Lions and Love Amid the Ashes. Her deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for readers. Andrews lives in North Carolina with her husband Roy and enjoys spending time with her tribe of grandchildren. For more information, visit www.mesuandrews.com.

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Michelle Levigne

Genre: Fantasy

Neighborlee fantasy series: Confessions of a Lost Kid, Semi-Pseudo-Superheroes, Virtually London

Heart-Soul-Mind Article: Appreciating the Fun and Wonder of Life

About the Author:

On the road to publication, Michelle fell into fandom in college and has 40+ stories in various science fiction and fantasy universes. She has a bunch of interesting degrees in theater, English, film/communication, and writing. Even better, she has over 100 books and novellas with multiple small presses in science fiction and fantasy, YA, suspense, women’s fiction, and sub-genres of romance.

Her official launch into publishing came with winning first place in the Writers of the Future contest in 1990. She was a finalist in the EPIC Awards competition multiple times, winning with Lorien in 2006 and The Meruk Episodes, I-V, in 2010, and was a finalist in the Realm Awards competition, in conjunction with the Realm Makers convention.

Her training includes the Institute for Children’s Literature; proofreading at an advertising agency; and working at a community newspaper. She is a self-described tea snob and freelance edits for a living (MichelleLevigne@gmail.com for info/rates), but only enough to give her time to write. Her newest “crimes against the literary world” (as she puts it) consists of being a co-managing editor at Mt. Zion Ridge Press and launching the publishing co-op, Ye Olde Dragon Books. Be afraid … be very afraid. 

Connect with Michelle

Newsletter: Want to learn about upcoming books, book launch parties, inside information, and cover reveals? Go to Michelle’s website or blog to sign up. 

You can also find Michelle at:

Look for Michelle’s Goodreads groups:

  • Guardians of Neighborlee
  • Voyages of the AFV Defender

Other Books and Series by Michelle Levigne:

Fantasy

  • The Hunt: 5-book YA fantasy series
  • Faxinor: 4 books and growing
  • Wildvine: 14 books when all released
  • Zygradon: 5-book Arthurian fantasy series

Steampunk

  • Guardians of the Time Stream: 4-book series

Romance

  • The Match Girls: Humorous inspirational romance series starting with A Match (Not) Made in Heaven
  • Tabor Heights: 20-book inspirational small-town romance series.
  • For Sale: Wedding Dress. Never Used: inspirational romance

Biblical Fiction

  • Sarai’s Journey: A 2-book series

Suspense

  • Quarry Hall: 11-book women’s fiction/suspense series
  • Killing His Alter-Ego: contemporary romance/suspense, taking place in fandom.

Children’s Books

  • Crooked Creek: Fun Fables About Critters and Kids: Children’s short stories.

Non-fiction

  • Do Yourself a Favor: Tips and Quips on the Writing Life: a book of writing advice.

Science Fiction

  • The Commonwealth Universe: 25 books and growing
  • AFV Defender: a 2-book (so far) science fiction adventure series
  • Future Magic: a 2-book series

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Morenike Euba Oyenusi

Genre: Children’s Chapter Books

Book: Chasing Butterflies in the Sunlight

Heart-Soul-Mind Article: Multi-National Joy

About the Author

Morenike Euba Oyenusi is a Nigerian-American lawyer, author, and graduate of the University of London and Jesus College, Cambridge. She writes children’s fiction and poetry when she is not at her day job as a Senior Assistant County Solicitor representing Howard County, Maryland. Her first book, “Chasing Butterflies in the Sunlight”, was published in 2020 by Paradise Restored Publishing, an independent press set up by Ms. Oyenusi. Paradise Restored also offers editing services for authors; its ultimate goal is to publish a wide variety of good literature and inspirational non-fiction for children and adults.

Raised by loving and supportive parents who believed in her and her brother, Ms. Oyenusi was surrounded as a child by art, music, culture, and her mother’s voluminous library of books in which she immersed herself from a young age. From her mother, she acquired a deep love for and attachment to books.

Ms. Oyenusi is widely-traveled, and loves reading, good food, the theatre, movies, and London, not necessarily in that order. She lived in Nigeria and England, moving to the United States in 1995. She is married to her husband, Tunji and they have three adorable children.

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Nancy Ellen Hird

Nancy Ellen Hird shares about her middle grade mystery novels at Heart-Soul-Mind.org

Genre: Middle Grade Mystery

Books: My Edinburgh Series

Heart-Soul-Mind Article: Adventures in Edinburgh

About the Author

Nancy Ellen Hird has always loved telling stories. She even wrote them in French. (Her French professor said the stories were charming, but her French not so much.) She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and in drama as well as elementary and secondary teaching credentials. She has taught seventh grade, preschool and sixth grade Sunday school. The juvenile mystery series –from My Edinburgh Files grew out of her frequent trips to Scotland with her husband and his college-age theater students.

Connect with Nancy

Find out more about Nancy Ellen Hird and the mystery novels at:   www.nancyellenhird.com and follow her on Facebook at Nancy Ellen Hird.

Read her book reviews of other great books for kids on Books 4 Christian Kids, https://nancyellenhird.wordpress.com/.

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Naomi Musch

Award-winning Historical Fiction Author Naomi Musch

Genre: Historical Fiction

Books and Series:

Heart-Soul-Mind Article: Giving and Receiving Grace

About the Author

Naomi Musch is an award-winning, multi-published author whose heart beats hardest for historical fiction set in America’s by-gone days. Her novel Mist O’er the Voyageur was a 2019 Selah Awards finalist, Book of the Year finalist, and NE Minnesota Book Awards finalist. She believes a perfect day is spent working on a novel, roaming about the farm, snacking out of the garden, relaxing in her vintage camper, and loving on her passel of grandchildren. The Black Rose is her thirteenth book.

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Natalie Totire Brinley

Genre: Children’s Picture Books

Books: Cindy Mutt (coming soon), God’s Mighty Raptors, God’s Spooky Night Creatures, Who Made the Owls?, Mighty Raptors Coloring Book, God’s Leaping Wonders

Heart-Soul-Mind Article: Truth-Filled Picture Books

About the Author

Natalie’s goal is not to become a best seller or to primarily make money, but to write books with excellence, truth, honesty, and integrity.

Natalie Totire Brinley has been a member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and the DuPage Art League in Wheaton, IL where her paintings won several merit awards.
She graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a degree in Educational Ministries in 1998, and has since then taught children in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and worked with poor children in various mission trips. Working with children has inspired her not only to write children’s books, but also become an advocate for teaching children correct values through the media. Some of the proceeds from book sales goes to helping fund mission trips and those in need.


Natalie has become a partner with other children’s book authors, whereas she illustrated “Elijah Teaches His Friends the ABCs” “Meet the Darlin Dujeezeys” both by Pat Brannon (another advocate who passed away in March, 2020) and “William Martin in Baker Woods” by Karen Cox Gray, and “Good Can Come From There” by Rosemary Calkins, one of the coordinators of the DuPage Writer’s Group. She also illustrated “Baby’s First Book.” series, clean,funny, gag books by engineer, Stephen Goss, also found on Amazon.


Natalie also has a number of her own books, both fiction and nonfiction. She is now working on a series of animal books that speak of and give glory to God as their Creator. “God’s Mighty Raptors” and “God’s Spooky Night Creatures” were published in 2015, followed by variations, such as the read-aloud “Who Made the Owls?…” and “Mighty Raptors Coloring Book”. Natalie is currently working on “God’s Leaping Wonders”, a book about frogs and toads. For more information, log into her website: www.couragelit.com.


Natalie went to Singapore to attend Media Associate’s International to learn more about the international needs for Christian literature. Natalie also presented her books and video at Midwest Creation Fellowship.

Connect with Natalie

To reach out to Natalie and learn about her illustration services, check out her website at www.couragelit.com.