Gwenda Huff Johnson is from the hills of Eastern Kentucky. She grew up amazed by stories told by her father and grandfather. Now, she tells stories about growing up in Appalachia on a small tobacco farm with eight siblings. Her parents taught their nine children to be proud, appreciate their heritage and focus on the good. Gwenda is a country girl who loves the outdoors and her Appalachian home. She takes pride in her roots. Her family, friends, and faith are most important to her. Gwenda’s stories are picturesque. She uses the five senses to help the audience travel along with her to places that are real and to places created in her vivid imagination. Although her major focus is on life in Appalachia, she also tells children stories, ghost stories, and healing stories. Most, but not all, of her stories are based on true events.. She enjoys writing about real Appalachian people who are not on the pages of history books. She is presently working on collections that include Strong Appalachian Women, The Iconic Tobacco Barn, Bullying, and Abuse. She has listened, watched and learned from the great storytellers of yesterday and today. Her style of storytelling is akin to that of Pam Holcomb and Shelia Kay Adams. The greatest influence on her writing was her wonderful friend, Garry Barker. Gwenda has been a county Extension Agent 36 years and, upon retirement, will tell about the challenges and rewards of working with the public in Eastern Kentucky.
