P. J. Devlin tells stories about relationships. Her characters meet at the intersection of acceptance and rejection and their choices impel them to understand what it means to be human. Whether writing of a witch, a dwarf, an elderly woman, white and black teenagers, or a black indentured servant, Devlin's characters exist in the Philadelphia of her birth and share her love of the Wissahickon Creek. After a civilian career with the Fairfax County, VA Fire and Rescue Department, Devlin studied with Susan Shreve, Courtney Brkic and Alan Cheuse and received an MFA in Fiction from George Mason University.Her short stories have been published in print and online. WISSAHICKON SOULS, an historical novel set in the Philadelphia area in the early 19th century, is a story of love, regret and reconciliation. Claire Penniman, black and female, is an unlikely hero who rejects racial expectations. Claire's story fills a gap in American memory that marginalizes 19th century African American lives. Readers who love to enter a time and place where they walk alongside characters they get to know as friends will enjoy this novel. Though Claire's world defines a person by the color of his or her skin, Claire's destiny is to bear witness to the truth that illuminates the color of souls.A native of Philadelphia, P. J. Devlin lives in Northern Virginia. Devlin's most recently published short stories are:"The Witch" -- http://roseredreview.org/2013-autumn-pj-devlin/"The Decline and Fall" -- http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2012/12/17/art-entertainment/contemporary-fiction-art-entertainment/decline-fall.html