Meet Our Team

Earline Connolly is the Principal and Author at Cypress & Pine Publishing. Earline was born in Savannah, Georgia but has been in Texas long enough to be called a native. Earline is married and the mother of Maegan Connolly, Art Director and Illustrator. She is a graduate of The Art Institute of Dallas and co-labored with the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) and the Belo Corporation on the A World of Difference Multicultural Awareness Campaign. She oversees the day-to-day activities of Cypress & Pine Publishing, including writing, editing, art directing, and managing the business. She believes if we educate our children at an early age about the injustices of our history that they will recognize the importance of not repeating these injustices in their future. Earline is the Author of Annie’s Quilt Story, Officer Burke, and E.J and His Amazing Extraordinary, Exceptional, Ever-Expanding Afro, Black-Eyed Susan and the Field of Wildflowers, and several other children’s books to come.

Meet Earline

Maegan Connolly is the ultimate art geek and she is all things art and design. She is a native Texan and the daughter of Earline Connolly, Author. Maegan is a graduate of the Young Women’s Leadership Academy where she received a perfect score of 5 out of 5 in her AP 3D Art Class during her Senior year under the tutelage of Amber Bailey. Along with top honors from the Texas Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) competition from the Texas Art Education Association. Maegan is a graphic designer and an aspiring animator. She serves as Art Director, Cover Design, Illustrator, and Graphic Designer for Cypress & Pine Publishing. She illustrated the book Annie’s Quilt Story and co-illustrated Officer Burke and E.J. and His Amazing Extraordinary, Exceptional, Ever-Expanding Afro. She enjoys gaming and anything hands-on creative and plays the ukulele and crochets in her spare time.

Meet Maegan

Karen Deibert is a native Texan and mother of three. Karen is a retired career educator who graduated from East Texas State University with a Bachelor’s degree in English, Spanish, Secondary Education and studied Black Literature under Dr. J. Mason Brewer. She went on to become certified in ESL and Bilingual Education at Texas Wesleyan University and then continued her studies at Texas Women’s University for her Elementary and Early Childhood Certification. She also received her Special Education Certification from Tarleton State University. Karen is acting Editor-in-Chief for Cypress & Pine Publishing.

Meet Karen

Jenny Cypher serves as Office Manager and Graphic Designer at Cypress & Pine Publishing, along with overseeing Social Media and Desktop Publishing. Jenny is also an illustrator and aspiring writer, collaborating with Earline Connolly on a unique collection of journals, including a Science Journal for kids. Jenny is a married mother of two adult children, living in Texas with her family for over 25 years. She was raised in New Hampshire and attended college at Syracuse University and the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, majoring in Fashion Illustration. At this time, Jenny committed her life to Jesus Christ, which changed the course of her college education toward Biblical studies and finally to a major in Elementary Education. Following college, Jenny chose a corporate career, serving in various administrative roles. After taking time to raise and home educate both of her children, Jenny returned to the workforce and now brings her years of experience to Cypress & Pine Publishing. Jenny believes that readers of all generations can be inspired by quality literature that combines visual creativity with compelling storytelling. In her spare time, Jenny enjoys trail biking, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Meet Jenny

Ren’e Higdon believes the world will be dark without art. She lives for all things creative. Ren’e was born and raised in northern Colorado and resides in Texas with her husband Davin. She is a graphic designer, logo designer, and branding designer. Ren’e has served as Social Media Coordinator as well as co-illustrator of Cypress & Pine Publishing’s book, Officer Burke. She loves the diversity in culture and storytelling. She enjoys modeling, music, and partaking in a variety of creative outlets in her spare time. Her love for children helps inspire her passion for illustrating children’s books.

Meet Ren’e

Our company is ever-expanding, and as the business expands so will our team. Maybe you could be the next member of our Cypress & Pine team family! For more information, please call or office or email contact@cypressandpinepublishing.com.

Please go to the Manuscript tab for more information.