After majoring in Communication at Orange Coast College, Carolyn Burns Bass was bitten by the publishing bug when she was assistant editor of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine.   Several years later, Bass left CCM to pursue freelance writing. Through the years she has written cover features, personality profiles, music reviews and food reviews. Bass wrote two self-published books: Kalligraphia--the Art of Beautiful Handwriting and Write from the Heart, a guidebook for writing memoirs. Carolyn has written two novels which are yet unpublished. Her most recent novel, THE SWORD SWALLOWER'S DAUGHTER, is an upmarket coming-of-age tale set in racially diverse Southern California in 1968. THE NEXUS, Carolyn's first novel is a time travel odyssey of a 21st century woman into 12th century England, where she meets a battle-weary Knight Templar on a quest to confront a corrupt earl and quell a Saxon uprising. Elements of magic realism draw the couple together where they discover the secret to THE NEXUS. In addition to fiction, Carolyn writes travel features for the Riverside Press-Enterprise newspaper and publishes a travel blog called INLAND TRAVELER. Her personal blog is called Ovations. You can learn more about her at: www.CarolynBurnsBass.com.

Writer's Digest 2002 Writing Competition Honorable mention: "The Price of His Sorrow, The Cost of His Vows," Genre Short Story.

Writer's Digest 2002 Writing Competition Honorable Mention: "Write from the Heart," Article Category.

Microsoft Great Moments at Work Writing Contest 2004 Top 50 Award for Essay: "Two Passions Under One Roof."