MARLENE RATLEDGE BUCHANAN

lives enthusiastically as a woman, wife, mother, and teacher. She is a multi-award-winning author of Southern humor, cozy mysteries, and not-socozy police procedural books, and has also written an educational book, Tips, Tricks, and Techniques, to help people learn and remember more easily. Marlene is quick to say that she planned to marry someone old and rich but only got old. However, on her first date with Snell, her husband, she knew he was the one for her, to the point that she proposed. After his refusal, Marlene considered getting him pregnant. They are the parents of a beautiful oliveskinned son. James suffered a lack of oxygen during delivery, resulting in him having special needs. She refers to James ' condition as a special gift. After 34 years in public education, Marlene retired in 2007. In the classroom, she earned the nickname " Ms. Rat," which led her students to collect rat figurines and other rat-themed collectibles over the years. As a Southern Humorist, Marlene has entertained readers with her observations about life through her column, Hey Y ' all, published in the Gwinnett Citizen in Georgia since 2015. Marlene returns to share her yearly summertime sweet getaway hangout with her writing buddies at the Southeastern Writers Association conference, with her delightful story,“ The Great Escape,” in her unique commentary column,“ Anything Goes with Mama Marlene.”

LADY AMB. DR.( HC)

RANDI D. WARD

is our editor-in-chief extraordinaire! At 76, she has been a“ mother” to hundreds of children during her 37 years as a Georgia Language Arts educator. Her teaching journey has taken her to Cairo, Egypt, where she started several language schools teaching ESOL. Randi is also an African animal advocate and environmentalist. She is an honorary president of World Peace Forest( Africa) and the USA Regional Director for Africa Nomads Conservation. Her passion for life and humanity has earned her many awards and honors. Randi recently received the IAOTP Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into their Hall of Fame. Her life ' s philosophy is“ Believe! Don ' t dream big; dream bigger! The sky is the limit, so reach for the stars!” Randi has traveled to 60 countries on four continents. From one of her destinations came her memoir, Because I Believed In Me- My Egyptian Fantasy Came True, which encapsulates her view of what life is all about. Today, Randi is a master editor, visionary book consultant, and Co-Owner of RM Infinite. By the way, as a mother and forever teacher, she is making sure I am“ crossing my t ' s and dotting my i’ s”… Ha, Ha, Ha!

ANN PAPAYOTI is the founder of SkyView Coaching and hosts a weekly podcast, Soul CPR Healing Out Loud, on the Bold Brave TV Network. She is also an international life, leadership, and relationship coach, speaker, writer, educator, and co-author of The Gift of Shift, an intimate self-help book. Ann is an Expert Contributor for YourTango Media and has been featured in MSN, Google, Yahoo, and Apple News. She has spoken at conferences, summits, and commemorations, both live and online, throughout North America. Ann captivates, educates, and inspires thousands by sharing her personal experiences of loss, transition, and triumph, and she helps them attain their personal and professional goals. Known among her friends as the go-to girl if you are experiencing problems, Ann could have started her own‘ Dear Annie’ column decades ago. Little did she know then that listening with empathy was an invaluable, innate skill that would become the foundation of her life’ s work. Ann’ s

remarkable life journey and passion for family love are hallmark examples. Ann returns with excellent and insightful advice to help“ Longing for Peace, Not Politics” navigate family gatherings to focus on family love and their uniqueness, and to help“ Summered Out” share the loving boundaries that best protect her metime while still contributing to the well-being of her family and loved ones, in her advice column,“ Dear Annie.”

6 | Inspirations for Better Living • July 2026