Lori Closter

Lori Closter is a wife, mom, and grammy who loves to share her faith through stories. With degrees from Cornell (BA) and Temple Universities (MA), she published several stories and served as writer/assistant producer on an award-winning educational film series for National Geographic. More recently, her inspirational Young Adult novel Topping the Willow and its accompanying screenplay Breaking Joy won IAN Book of the Year finalist for the book, and Kairos Prize finalist and Best Script for the 2026 Purpose Film Fest. The movie Breaking Joy was shot in Columbus, GA in Spring 2026, produced by Justen Overlander and directed by Alexandra Boylan, and is now in post-production. A lifelong Northeasterner, Lori now lives in coastal NC where she is enjoying warmer weather and working on a sequel.