It takes a true Daring Female to be a writer, to express herself, to commit to working hard, and to figuring out the endless maze of the publishing world. Some of the Daring Female writers featured here have succeeded in getting their work published - CONGRATULATIONS to all of them! - and some are still working on it. But all of their personal stories are inspiring and their writing is as diverse as they are. Take a look and let their stories be the motivation you need to start writing!

• Monica Bielanko - "The Girl Who"
• RoseMarie London - "The Woodworker from Long Island"
• Liz and Mary Clare - "To the Ends of the Earth"
• Caryn Rose - "chasing the myth"
• NancyKay Shapiro - "What Love Means to You People"
• Jackie Kessler - "Hey, Charles - Your Slip is Showing"
• Julie Ann Shapiro - "Hats on a Bench"
• Monica Jackson - "Mr. Right Now"
• Clea Simon - "Mew is for Murder"

Nichelle Stephens is a blogger, writer, performer, and producer of Chicks and Giggles, a comedy show for women that she founded in New York City. She is currently working on a book about cupcakes based on a blog she writes with a few friends. Click the arrow below to check out my interview with Nichelle.

Lisa Hammond quit her job managing a construction company to create Femail Creations, a catalogue that sells products made by women. She is a mom, an entrepreneur, an author, and someone who genuinely cares about the women she works with and helps to empower.

Divorced, 4 kids, $7,000 in the bank, no job. This is where Patty Brisben found herself back in 1993. While most of us would want to climb into bed and cry our eyes out in that situation, Patty dared herself to define her own destiny and start a company. Today, Pure Romance is a $53 million company and Patty continues to be an incredible example of a truly Daring Female. This is one interview you don’t want to miss!

Jane Roberts is the co-founder of the 34 Million Friends project. 34 Million Friends is designed to raise the $34 million that was lost when the Bush Administration withdrew its support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The idea is to get 34 million Americans to donate one dollar; so far the project has raised $2.7. Jane is so refreshing and inspiring - you don’t want to miss her interview!

Fran Capo has done more things in her life than many of us will do in our lifetimes! She holds the Guinness Record for being the Fastest Talking Female in the world, has written nine books and held book signings at the top of a mountain and 12,000 below sea level, performs as a comedienne, actress, voice-over and motivational speaker, and has taken on numerous other adventures. She lives with incredible passion, excitement, and appetite for adventure and I bet that if you read her interview you’ll be on your way to planning your next adventure in no time.

After you spend an hour with Jen Bilik you want to go out – no, run out - and do something creative, interesting, and unique, to follow your curiosities and explore them, to be quirkier, funnier, smarter, more inventive. She created and runs a kick-ass company called Knock Knock, which produces some incredibly unique, smart, and quirky products (hmm, those words tend to come up a lot when talking about Jen). Click the arrow to read my interview with Jen!

Sgt. Marikay Satriano is a U.S. Army Reservist and a school teacher in civilian life. In 2005, while serving in Amman, Jordan, and then visiting Baghdad, she identified approximately 60 Iraqi children as potential candidates for heart surgery. Under her leadership, the Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Center, which is part of the Civic Assistance Command in the Green Zone in Baghdad, transported these children and their fathers by bus to Amman, Jordan, where they received medical evaluations by a Jordanian pediatric cardiologist. Four children with life-threatening congenital heart defects were selected for specialized surgery in the U.S. All four were successfully operated on at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, in New York City. None of them would have survived without the surgery.

A computer-programmer turned creator of one of the hippest and most popular online communities for crafters, Craftster.org, Leah is a Daring Female whose creative juices never stop flowing. She is a part-owner of a super-cool store called Mag Pie (it sells hip handmade goods from independent designers) and is working on her first craft book. Read her interview and get ready to take on your next craft project!

Talk about a creative Daring Female! Between making art, writing a feature craft column, working on her novel, promoting her books, and oh, being a loving wife and a busy mother, Kathy misses out on only one thing - sleep! Click the arrow to read an inspiring interview where she shares her inspirations, biggest risks, and advice for Daring Females on a creative mission!

From rocket scientist to the founder of a successful national magazine dedicated to the single life. Sounds like a daring move? It was, and Mary's persistence in overcoming the obstacles and challenges on her way to success is sure to inspire you on your Daring Female path.

How do you give up your secure and well-paid job at a prestigious law firm to become a writer? By being a genuine Daring Female, trusting your instincts, and knowing that you have to take risks to follow your dreams.