5/18/2017

Cumberland University Arts Academy instructor, bestselling author and songwriter, Thornton Cline (left in picture), recently inked a contract with major literary agent, Paul Shepherd. Shepherd, president and CEO of Shepherd Literary Services of Franklin, Tenn., represents authors on Simon and Schuster, Abingdon Press, Thomas Nelson (Harper Collins), AMG Publishing and other major book publishers. He is a 30-year veteran in the field of book publishing and has represented Waldenbooks, Ingram, Crown, Lifeway, Random House and RH Boyd Publishing. Some of Shepherd’s clients are hit legendary artist, Lee Greenwood; award-winning YA author Jenny Cote; popular national radio host, Jack Watts; and bestselling author, David Teems.

Thornton Cline is a Dove and Grammy-Award-nominated songwriter and two-time “Songwriter of the Year” winner for his hit song, “Love is the Reason” as recorded by Engelbert Humperdinck and Gloria Gaynor. Cline has had over 150 of his 1,000 published songs recorded by major and independent recording artists. Thornton Cline is this year’s winner of the Maxy Literary Award for “Children’s Book of the Year for 2017” for his book, “Perfectly Precious Poohlicious” with author, Mary Elizabeth Jackson and illustrator, Alice Antimie. Several of his children’s books have soared to number one on the Amazon book charts. Cline is the author of 11 children’s books, four adult non-fiction books, and two adult fiction books. Thornton Cline is a graduate with a B.M.E. from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, a M.S. from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, with additional graduate studies from University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music.