Ashley Smith

Since March 12, 2005, Ashley Smith, 27, has been known around the world as the single mother who persuaded Brian Nichols, Atlanta’s courtroom gunman, to surrender to police. After a deadly rampage at the city’s Fulton County Courthouse, Nichols forced his way into Ashley’s apartment and held her hostage for more than seven hours. Ashley believes that God led her through those dark hours with Nichols and that she is called to use the highly publicized experience to help people everywhere find their purpose. A native of Augusta, Georgia, Ashley lives with her family and six-year-old daughter, Paige, and is active in her church. Ashley will devote some of the royalties she earns from this book to create a memorial that will serve as a permanent tribute to the victims. Stacy Mattingly is coauthor of Prisoners of Hope: The Story of Our Captivity and Freedom in Afghanistan with American aid workers Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer. She also coauthored two books with Ruth Graham: In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart and Legacy of Love. Stacy is a native of Atlanta.