Eric Herm was raised on a cotton farm near Ackerly, Texas. Leaving the farm to pursue other interests, he graduated from Abilene Christian University with a degree in broadcast journalism. After working in sports television broadcasting, Herm soon chose the life of a vagabond. He lived and worked in Colorado and Alaska, writing about his own personal adventures along life’s highway.

Traveling extensively through America, Mexico, Europe and Northern Africa, he witnessed various lifestyles, personalities, and cultures. Throughout his travels, these experiences helped open his mind to the endless possibilities of living life to the fullest. Satisfying his restless spirit, Herm returned back to the land that has been in his family for almost 90 years. He started his life as a farmer all over again.

As a naturalist, he continues to seek a more balanced relationship between his family’s farm and Mother Nature, and details the transformation of himself and his family farm in his new book Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth.

“Everything is connected. That bond is what keeps this Planet dancing round in poetic choreography. That connection is what keeps us all alive. What we do to the Earth, we do to ourselves. If we are capable of destruction, we are most certainly capable of healing.” - Eric Herm

Philip Coppens’ publishing career began at the age of 23, when he edited the legacy of the late Belgian historian Marcel Mestdagh’s research into European megaliths into a much-anticipated sequel. That same year, he also helped edit a controversial non-fiction thriller on the theft of Jan Van Eyck’s The Adoration of the Lamb, which was made into a documentary both for Flemish television and the BBC.

If there is one thing that sets Coppens apart from other writers, it is that he is often ahead of the trends. He wrote the first guide in more than four decades about Rosslyn Chapel – the only one to do so before The Da Vinci Code made that Scottish chapel world famous in 2003. He also researched the origins of the Mitchell-Hedges Crystal Skull, before the 2008 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull movie, resulting in a series of controversial articles, which came to the attention of The Washington Post.

As a journalist, he had investigative research into the Kennedy assassination submitted before a US government enquiry in 1993. Two years later, he broke the story of the existence of Chinese pyramids to an international audience. Many of the stories in the so-called “esoteric field” have at one point passed through his hands, including The Templar Revelation, the book on which The Da Vinci Code was based. In 1999, he was the principal researcher for Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince’s The Stargate Conspiracy, which investigated current politicians’ apparent obsession with ancient Egypt, thus combining his passion for politics and history. The book was dedicated to him.

He is the author of numerous books in the English language, specifically The Stone Puzzle of Rosslyn Chapel (2002), on the enigmatic Scottish chapel and its relationship with freemasonry and the Knights Templar; The Canopus Revelation (2004), on the lore of the star Canopus in ancient cultures; Land of the Gods (2007), on the prehistory of Southern Scotland and the myth of King Arthur; The New Pyramid Age (2007), detailing the most recent discoveries that have changed our understanding of pyramids; and Servants of the Grail (2009), identifying the real people encoded into the medieval Grail legends. In 2011, he published an ebook, 2012. Science or Fiction?, with Digital Journeys, which aims to bring clarity as to what 2012 is truly all about. The ebook is also the first to have incorporated video, featuring an interview-style conversation with Philip.

In the bestselling The Ancient Alien Question (2011), he addressed the question whether extra-terrestrial contact has occurred in our past. In early 2012, he published the ebook Killing Kennedy, on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, showing Oswald was not the assassin and the murder itself the result of a conspiracy. The Cryptogram of Rennes-le-Chateau (2012) is a short ebook guide to the small French village and its mysteries. He has recently completed The Lost Civilization Enigma, due for publication on October 22, 2012 and is currently working on Mysteries of the Ancient World, set for publication in the spring of 2013..

In 2009, he wrote and principally featured in Reality Entertainment’s 2012: Signs of the Times (released in US via Warner Home), providing a unique perspective on the 2012 phenomenon. He also created The Ancient Alien Question DVD (2012, released in US via Warner Home, which was also a PayPerView movie on TimeWarner, XBox360, Playstation, etc.).

Apart from English books, he has one French language bestselling book to his credit, La Quête de Saunière (2008), co-authored with André Douzet. In 2004, he also wrote De Da Vinci Code Ontcijferd, a Dutch guide to The Da Vinci Code, which saw a reprint within three weeks of publication and was a top ten bestseller in the Netherlands.

Together with Patrick Bernauw, he wrote De Paus van Satan (2010) , Philip's only novel - so far.

Philip has also contributed to, or been acknowledged in, the following publications or productions:

• Pre-Atlantis (Dutch title), co-author with Marcel Mestdagh (1994)
• The Templar Revelation, by Lynn Picknett & Clive Prince (1997)
• The Stargate Conspiracy, by Lynn Picknett & Clive Prince (1999)
• Saunière's Model and the Secret of Rennes-le-Château, by André Douzet (2001)
• EGYPT: "Image of Heaven" - Het Sterrenbeeld van Horus (Dutch title), with Wim Zitman (2006; Dutch edition 2000)
• The Dan Brown Companion, by Simon Cox (2006)
• Rosslyn Revealed, by Alan Butler & John Ritchie (2006)
• The Cygnus Mystery, by Andrew Collins (2006)
• An A to Z of King Arthur and the Holy Grail, by Simon Cox & Mark Oxbrow (2007)
• Darklore (Volumes 1-5), compiled and edited by Greg Taylor (2007-10)
• Unearthing Ancient America, compiled and edited by Frank Joseph (2009)
• Ancient Code - The Book. Are You Ready for the REAL 2012? (2009)
• Beneath the Pyramids, by Andrew Collins (2009)
• PARANOIA: The Conspiracy Reader, Volume 1, by Joan d'Arc and Al Hidell (2010)
• Ancient Aliens: Season One (2010), Season Two (2010), Season Three (2011) and Season Four (2012)
• The Lost Empire of Atlantis by Gavin Menzies (2011)
• Exposed, Uncovered, & Declassified: Lost Civilizations & Secrets of the Past, by Kirsten Dalley and Michael Pye (editors) (2011)

Apart from books, Philip also devotes a lot of attention to essays and feature articles, which have appeared in magazines and anthologies on all continents. His articles have appeared in Fortean Times, NEXUS, Hera, Fenix, Mysterien, New Dawn, Atlantis Rising, Ancient American, Paranoia Magazine, Legendary Times, etc. and have a large and dedicated following on the internet. He holds the record as having most articles published in NEXUS, a magazine published in more than ten languages, with newsstand distribution in Australia, Great Britain, the United States, Italy, France and many other European countries, bringing to the world exciting new discoveries, such as the existence of pyramids in China and Bosnia and controversial articles on the state of modern archaeology and Egyptology, as well as political scandals, ranging from the corridors of the CIA to the Vatican.

In 1995, he established Frontier Magazine (formerly Frontier 2000) together with Herman Hegge, a newsstand magazine in the Netherlands and Belgium. Since 1995, Frontier Sciences Foundation has grown to incorporate, amongst others, Frontier Bookshop and Frontier Publishing, as well as hosting the annual Frontier Symposium and Frontier Award. In 2008, he organized the Histories & Mysteries Conference in Edinburgh, which included the first ever public display of the Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull, receiving blanket media coverage for the event from the UK press (newspapers, television and radio).

Since 1995, he has lectured on the subject in the United States, Great-Britain, France, Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands. He has been extensively interviewed for radio and television, including The History Channel (US) with shows such as Civilization Lost and America's Book of Secrets, Coast to Coast AM (US), Belgium's Kanaal 2 and VRT news, Voyager (RaiDue – Italy), Edge Media TV (UK), etc. He is one of the key contributors and interviewees for The History Channel’s most popular television series Ancient Aliens, for the fourth season running.

All of these books, articles and appearances have made him a household name in the field of alternative science, where he holds a unique position, as he is considered to be a believer by the skeptics, and a skeptic by the believers – a testament to his investigative knack.

Together with his wife, Kathleen McGowan, he hosts a weekly radio show The Spirit Revolution on BBS Radio and leads the successful Sacred France tours, as well as The Writer's Grail seminars.

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist and Affiliate of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. He’s the author of the bestselling Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom (with Rick Mendius, M.D.; Foreword by Dan Siegel, M.D. and Preface by Jack Kornfield, Ph.D.), published in 21 languages, and Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time (New Harbinger, 2011). He is the founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom, he's taught at Oxford, Stanford, and Harvard, and in meditation centers in Europe, North America, and Australia.

The companion to his bestselling book, Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time (New Harbinger, Nov 2011), presents over 50 quick yet profoundly powerful simple practices to change the neurocircuitry in our brains to lead to greater happiness, love and wisdom. As an expert in neuroscience and positive psychology, Dr. Hanson guides the reader through the contemplative practices and offers additional material for deeper understanding of the exercise.

An authority on self-directed neuroplasticity, Dr. Hanson’s work has been featured on the BBC, NPR, Consumer Reports Health, and U.S. News and World Report. He edits the Wise Brain Bulletin, and his weekly e-newsletter - Just One Thing – has over 26,000 subscribers, and also appears on Huffington Post, Psychology Today, and other major websites. He has several audio programs with Sounds True, and his first book was Mother Nurture: A Mother's Guide to Health in Body, Mind, and Intimate Relationships (Penguin, 2002).

A summa cum laude graduate of UCLA, Dr. Hanson is a trustee of Saybrook University. He also served on the board of Spirit Rock Meditation Center for nine years, and was President of the Board of FamilyWorks, a community agency. He began meditating in 1974, trained in several traditions, and leads a weekly meditation gathering in San Rafael, CA. He enjoys rock-climbing and taking a break from emails. He and his wife have two adult children.

Helena Matheopoulos was born in Athens and has lived in London most of her life.

She was educated at Pierce College, the American school in Athens, holds a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree in Mediaeval History from University College, London and is fluent in six languages.

Upon graduation she began her journalistic career as Fashion Editor of The Tatler (3 years) and The Daily Express (2 years) before joining the Arts Page of The Evening News with a weekly column dedicated to interviews with famous personalities in the Arts. She was also a regular contributor to The Sunday Times, Gramophone and Opera Now and a regular columnist for the Saturday magazine of The Times for a year (1992-93). Currently she is International Editor-at-Large of Greek Vogue.

Her first book, MAESTRO: ENCOUNTERS WITH CONDUCTORS OF TODAY, published in Britain (Hutchinsons) and the US (Harper & Row), was named "Music Book of the Year 1983" by the magazine Stereo Review.

It was followed by BRAVO: TODAY'S TENORS, BARITONES AND BASSES DISCUSS THEIR ROLES, published in both countries (by Weidenfeld and Harper & Row respectively) and translated into several languages, including Chinese. It was also chosen as THE book offered as The 1986 Season Prize to the winner of the weekly interval quiz of the hugely popular Saturday radio relay of Metropolitan Opera performances, "Live from the Met."

DIVA: TODAY'S SOPRANOS AND MEZZOS DISCUSS THEIR ART (Gollancz, 1991) had three hardback editions within a year and two paperback editions in the UK as well as the US and was followed by a second volume on the same subject: DIVA: THE NEW GENERATION (Little, Brown)

In 1996 she published a biography of King Juan Carlos of Spain, JUAN CARLOS I: A KING FOR TODAY, with His Majesty's collaboration This was followed by a biography of Placido Domingo: PLACIDO DOMINGO: MY ROLES IN OPERA (Little Brown, 2000), which has been published in eight countries including, of course, the US (Baskerville Publishers).

In autumn 2011 “Fashion Designers at the Opera” (an illustrated coffee table volume), is being published by Thames & Hudson in both the UK and the US .

Parallel to her writing activities, Helena Matheopoulos was Artistic Advisor to the Athens Megaron from its opening in 1991 to the end of 1995.

From 1996-2004, she was Special Adviser for Vocal Projects of London's Philharmonia Orchestra and, after making it Resident at the Athens Megaron, also Director of its Athens Residency.

Since 2000, she has also been a regular speaker at several venues in the US and the UK on subjects related to her books, (e.g., “Callas, the Sacred Flame”, “Greek Gods, Myths and Heroes at the Opera”, “The Art of the Tenor”, The Search for Don Giovanni”, “The Rise and Rise of the American Diva”, “The Art of Placido Domingo” etc).

In autumn 2011, she was invited to speak at the Cheltenham Literary Festival, following which she has been invited to the Oxford Literary Festival in March 2012 and the Buxton Music festival in July 2012.

In 2005, she became Artistic Administrator of Apollonian Enterprises, a company specializing in the organization of musical Events, including, in 2005, a concert titled “Greece at the Opera” at the Teatro dal Verme in Milan with 6 soloists and the Orchestra of La Scala, which was repeated in 2006 at London’s, Cadogan Hall with the Royal Philharmonic.

A Brief Biography of Scott Tips, JD - Editor of Health Freedom News - President and Legal Counsel for NHF

Born and reared in Texas, Scott Tips moved to California when he was 21.  It was there that he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of California at Los Angeles, while working at three jobs in order to put himself through school.

Having read an article about how another student had lived and studied in France very inexpensively, Scott then packed his bags and, knowing but three words of French, went to Paris to study French and history at the Sorbonne (Paris I & Paris IV).  After one school year there, he then returned to the United States, where he spent the Summer building houses to earn money for law school.

Scott then moved to Berkeley, California, where he attended the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall).  At Boalt Hall, he was accepted onto the California Law Review, where he became its Managing Editor and helped to bring that journal back on schedule.  After three years of study, Scott obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from Boalt Hall and then quickly took and passed the California Bar Exam.

A California-licensed attorney, he has specialized in food-and-drug law and trademark law, but also engages in business litigation, general business law, and nonprofit organizations, with an international clientele.  Since 1989, Scott has been the General Counsel for the National Health Federation, the World's oldest health-freedom organization for consumers, as well as the Editor In Chief of its magazine, Health Freedom News.  In 2007, he became NHF President, and has been a frequent speaker for the organization and for health freedom on several continents.

A legal columnist, Scott writes a monthly column for Whole Foods Magazine called "Legal Tips," a column he started many years ago.  Currently, he is primarily occupied with health-freedom issues arising from national governments’ and such international organizations as the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s attempts to limit individual freedom of choice in health matters.  In that capacity, he has compiled, edited, and published a book on the subject entitled Codex Alimentarius - Global Food Imperialism. He also attends Codex meetings worldwide and has attended more Codex meetings than any other health-freedom activist.

Lamont Wood has been a freelance writer for nearly three decades, largely covering the high-tech industry. He has sold more than 500 articles to various magazines ranging from Scientific American to trade journals in Hong Kong, and has written more than eight books. He also is a history buff, and has written for history magazines.

William Buhlman, Author of, Adventures Beyond the Body and The Secret of the Soul.

William is an expert in numerous but simple Astral Projection and Out of Body (OBE) techniques from the shamanistic to the modern.

Follow William William Buhlman is America's leading expert on out-of-body experiences. The author's four decades of extensive personal out-of-body explorations give him a unique and thought provoking insight into this subject. His first book, Adventures beyond the Body chronicles his personal spiritual journey of self-discovery through out-of-body travel, and provides the reader with the preparation and techniques that can be used for their own adventure.

During the last ten years he has conducted an international out-of-body experience survey that includes over 18,000 participants from forty-two countries. The provocative results of this survey are presented in his book, The Secret of the Soul. This cutting edge book explores the unique opportunities for personal growth and profound spiritual awakenings that are experienced during out-of-body travel.

Over the past two decades William has developed a proven, effective system to experience safe, self initiated out-of-body adventures. He conducts an in-depth workshop with the Monroe Institute titled, Out-of-Body Exploration Intensive. This unique workshop provides the steps, intention and techniques designed for controlled out-of-body exploration. Each participant will experience a comprehensive array of proven OBE methods including the target technique, inner motion, visualization, chakra and energy body activation. In addition, hypnotic, shamanic and early morning methods will be practiced.

As a certified hypnotherapist, William incorporates various methods in his workshops to explore the profound nature of out-of-body experiences and the benefits of accelerated personal development. Through lectures, workshops and his books the author teaches the preparation and techniques of astral projection and spiritual exploration.

The author brings a refreshing look to how we can use out-of-body experiences to explore our spiritual identity and enhance our intellectual and physical lives. William is best known for his ability to teach people how to have profound spiritual adventures through the use of out-of-body experiences. In addition, he has developed an extensive series of audio and video programs that are designed to expand awareness and assist in the exploration of consciousness. William has appeared on numerous television and radio shows worldwide. William's books are currently available in ten languages.

Mike Harris has over thirty years experience in manufacturing, finance and technology development. A participant in domestic and international start-ups, acquisitions and mergers, Mr. Harris founded Harris Technical Sales Inc. that became Motorola’s vendor of choice, placing over $1.2 billion of capital equipment worldwide. As Chairman of the Board of Eclipse Technology, improvements in logistics decreased Motorola downtime by 60% and decreased mean time between failures by 90%. As Chairman and CEO of TFG Acquisition Corporation, he drove an additional $300 million of value to Motorola shareholders. Mr. Harris then became the Arizona Managing Director of AMT Capital Partners LLC.

In 2006 Mr. Harris accepted a position with Support Resources International (SRI). Within 14 months, as President/COO, SRI’s annual revenue grew from $10.4 million to $27 million, transforming a $3 million loss to a $4.5 million profit. After four years of applied physics at the University of Arizona and two years of economics at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Mr. Harris received an MBA in Finance from Pepperdine University, Malibu, California. From 1995 to 2000, Mr. Harris served as a technical advisor to the Committee on Science and Technology of the U.S. Congress.