D. Bryant Simmons, an award-winning author and Chicago native, is also the publishing force behind Bravebird Books. As a writer, her focus is on realistic fiction that straddles the line between art and social commentary. She is currently hard at work on The Morrow Girls Series, a family saga that spans three generations of women. Simmons manages to incorporate meaty topics such as domestic violence into her fiction without sacrificing entertainment value.In January of 2014, she published How to Knock a Bravebird from Her Perch, which won a gold medal in the 2014 IPPY Awards. When asked about writing her debut novel she said, "I wasn't as interested in the cuts and bruises as how the violence affects a person's mind."