Hi.

I'm Beth. When it comes to my short stories, I'm Elizabeth Rich, and when I'm in novelist mode, I'm E. D. Rich.

There's this sunny young woman I met earlier this year. When I say she's sunny, I mean vibrant, creative, enthusiastic, and 100% willing to put her heart and soul into whatever it is she's doing. This person is Claire Mountcastle. She's just the best.

If you meet me in person, I might offer to knit you a hat. If you meet Claire, she will offer to revamp your whole life (in the best possible way).

In early February 2026, Claire and I met at an event called "Love at First Pitch," hosted by an independent bookstore, Ink Drinkers Anonymous, owned by Keeley Shay Malone (fun evening, and I'm hoping to get invited back to another one of Keeley's events in the future). Claire and my author tables were next to one another, and we chatted, promised to re-connect with one another, and swapped contact information. You know how this goes, in spite of the best intentions, life gets in the way, and these moments become very pleasant memories, eventually fading into the backdrops of our lives.

However, shortly after the event, we found each other on social media and did some back and forth 'likes' of each other's posts. THEN Claire did a big cool thing. She organized several authors and coordinated everything for The Indiana Authors Panel at the Pendleton Community Public Library in Pendleton, Indiana. She pulled a rabbit out of a hat.

We began corresponding regularly and then starting getting together to plan all kinds of things. For instance, I'm Gen X, and I'm completely miserable at most things social media-related. Claire is Gen Z, and with a couple taps on Instagram or TikTok (or whatever is the hot new social media outlet) can get news out to the world in a consumable and easily digestible way. I know how to use the share function on Facebook and have accidentally created a reel or two on Instagram. If you know me, you know I need help.

One of the outcomes of all of our talking and planning is The Indiana Anthology. As writers, we're always looking for somewhere for our words to find the light of day. We're looking for those kind and gentle souls who will read our work and connect with it, or maybe not connect with it. We have stories, thoughts, and images in our heads that spill out onto pages and pages of paper or bits and bytes in e-readers.

The Indiana Anthology is the vehicle for showcasing the voices and work of Indiana writers. We're getting things rolling, and we have a very clear mission. Stick with us! We're building something, I think, meaningful to readers, writers, and independent bookstores. In the mean time: Read a book. Read a book by an Indiana author. Write a book. Shop local bookstores.