In this section, we're pleased to shine the spotlight on eight new members who have signed up in 2021!
Jordan Barnes
Meet Jordan Barnes
Jordan Barnes joined Hawaii Writers Guild in August 2021. He lives in Kailua, HI.
How did you find out about Hawaii Writers Guild? What made you decide to join?
I joined the Hawaii Writers Guild last year shortly after I decided to pursue writing full time. I had heard about it prior to applying from some fellow authors and knew it would be a wonderful opportunity to meet so many talented authors.
When did you start to write? Start to think of yourself as “a writer”?
Before I ever considered myself a writer, I considered myself a reader, which dates back to my childhood when my parents allowed us boys to stay up past our bedtime, but only if we were reading. My love for literature was further discovered when my addiction(s) led me to experience a period of homelessness. I soon found my possessions and entertainment limited to what I could carry and often read to occupy my mind and as a form of escape. I always wondered if I had the chops to share my truths, so that set the seed.
Years after I got sober (8/29/11), I decided to share my story but didn’t know where to start. I started the arduous process of self-teaching oneself a new craft, and two years later, self-published my memoir after passing on an offer to publish. One Hit Away was surprisingly well-received, and that’s when I discovered the power of sharing my experience, strength and hope with others. After careful consideration, my wife and I decided I should explore the possibility of being a full-time writer, and shortly after quitting my job, I finally understood what they meant when they say, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
Do you have any published work/s to date?
I do! My debut, self-published book, One Hit Away: A Memoir of Recovery, was the winner of 2020’s “Best Book of the Year” Award from Indies Today, as well as a finalist in both the National Indie Excellence Awards and the Independent Author Network awards. I also have a non-fiction reader magnet called “Rules to Die By: A Heroin Addict’s Take on Life in Long-Term Recovery”, available for free at www.JordanPBarnes.com/rulestodieby and a book on the way.
Tell us about any writing projects you are working on.
My second book/first novel, Bridgetown: A Harm Reduction Novel drops March 6th, 2022. It’s currently on preorder and is also a finalist in this year’s Indies Today book awards. Here’s the description:
Harm reductionist Harley Hammond manages a dedicated team at the Bridgeworks Syringe Access Program in the heart of Portland, Oregon. Known as a pillar of compassion and hope, she fights for the rights and well-being of people who use drugs.
When a torrent of fentanyl-laced heroin floods a city already crippled by the failed War on Drugs, overdose preventions are overwhelmed and the Bridgeworks team rushes to put life-saving supplies into the hands of those who need them the most. As fatal overdoses skyrocket, stigma, blame and fear further fuel an already volatile public health crisis. Risking her position and incarceration, Harley turns to dealers and unsanctioned risk reduction tactics in an attempt to not only “meet people where they’re at,” but ensure no one else gets left behind.
I’m also currently drafting my third book, which is to be set in a mental heath institution. The concept so far is how patients navigate reentry into society after a not guilty by reason of insanity plea. I am fortunate that one of my beta readers is a case worker at a hospital in Washington and has offered to be a contributor to the story, offering insight and expertise. So far, it looks to be another fantastic learning opportunity for me.
Is there anything else you would like the Guild members to know about you or your writing?
I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and growing with this community, and highly suggest exploring the author community on the Clubhouse App for writing sprints, networking and a Masterclass in all things writing. Clubs like Writers on the Storm, The Author Conference, and Author Arena Writing have really helped me stay connected and inspired during lockdown and motivated me to grow as an author and person. I’m also available to share what I can if anyone has questions or concerns about a loved one struggling with substance use disorder. While not a counselor, I learned a lot during my stay at Sand Island Treatment Center and am always willing to point people in the right direction. Recovery, like writing, is something I am very passionate about and I’m always available to be in service any way that I can. Mahalo for the opportunity to share.
##
Meet Zack Ehrmann (and friend)!
Zack joined Hawaii Writers Guild in the fall of 2021. He lives on the island of Maui.
How did you find out about Hawaii Writers Guild? What made you decide to join?
At the time I’d been working to improve my writing over the past year or so, and really felt the need to engage with a community of folks to learn from. Although writing is a solitary and insular activity for me, it’s also extremely helpful to have the eyes and experience of others to draw upon.
When did you start to write? Start to think of yourself as “a writer”?
I have always felt drawn to it in some way, and come from a family of extremely talented, professional writers as well. My dad was an outstanding professional writer and editor, my mom worked for the newspapers, and both my siblings work in advertising, copy, and social media. If I ever come to think of myself as a writer, I will be sure to send along an update.
Do you have any published work/s to date?
Nope, no published works.
Tell us about any writing projects you are working on.
Just trying to better myself – working on short stories, structure, et. al.
Is there anything else you would like the Guild members to know about you or your writing?
I appreciate the opportunity to take part in the weekly critique group on Saturdays and have met many fine individuals and writers over these past few months.
##
Ann Montague
Meet Ann Montague
Anne joined Hawaii Writers Guild in February 2022. She lives in Charleston, W.V.
How did you find out about Hawaii Writers Guild? What made you decide to join?
I did an online search for a good writers’ group in a location not in West Virginia, where I am now.
When did you start to write? Start to think of yourself as “a writer”?
In the early 1970s. Yes, I do think of myself as “a writer.”
Do you have any published work/s to date?
Yes, poetry, articles in academic journals, and many newspaper articles from press releases I’ve written about the American Rosie Project. [See the feature story about this project elsewhere in this issue—editor.]
Tell us about any writing projects you are working on.
Short stories and case studies of the women I refer to as “Rosie the Riveters”. I’m also writing about the adventures of developing a social movement called The American Rosie Movement. I
am planning to write my autobiography in a series of pieces, starting in about two years.
Is there anything else you would like the Guild members to know about you or your writing?
It changes with my goals. I don’t like fiction unless it has a purpose. I like real-life human stories. I will need co-authors to write all that needs to be written for the American Rosie Project. Referrals to co-authors are welcome.
##
Anne joined Hawaii Writers Guild in February 2022. She lives in Charleston, W.V.
How did you find out about Hawaii Writers Guild? What made you decide to join?
I did an online search for a good writers’ group in a location not in West Virginia, where I am now.
When did you start to write? Start to think of yourself as “a writer”?
In the early 1970s. Yes, I do think of myself as “a writer.”
Do you have any published work/s to date?
Yes, poetry, articles in academic journals, and many newspaper articles from press releases I’ve written about the American Rosie Project. [See the feature story about this project elsewhere in this issue—editor.]
Tell us about any writing projects you are working on.
Short stories and case studies of the women I refer to as “Rosie the Riveters”. I’m also writing about the adventures of developing a social movement called The American Rosie Movement. I
am planning to write my autobiography in a series of pieces, starting in about two years.
Is there anything else you would like the Guild members to know about you or your writing?
It changes with my goals. I don’t like fiction unless it has a purpose. I like real-life human stories. I will need co-authors to write all that needs to be written for the American Rosie Project. Referrals to co-authors are welcome.
##
Melina
Meet Keawe Melina Patrick
(Call me Melina!)
Melina joined Hawaii Writers Guild in February 2022.
She lives in Kea’au, HI and Virginia Beach, VA.
How did you find out about Hawaii Writers Guild? What made you decide to join?
I found HWG both online and on Facebook, and I wanted to join a group with a connection to my home.
When did you start to write? Start to think of yourself as “a writer”?
I’m a geologist by training, and I’ve done professional writing for my job. But I didn’t start writing fiction until a few years ago. My bonfire passion for writing almost immediately flared into an uncontrollable forest fire.
Do you have any published work/s to date?
I write short stories. My story “Splinter” was published last year in The Vampire Connoisseur. The anthology received no publicity, and I’m thrilled that most of the Amazon reviews mention “Splinter” by title, along with several other excellent stories.
Tell us about any writing projects you are working on.
My WIP is an approximately 10,000-word piece about magic gone awry in a small town. The original witch has moved into the Provenance of Equity, leaving a remnant of magic to consume and torture the town, almost to extinction.
Is there anything else you would like the Guild members to know about you or your writing?
I’ve beta read a few novels, but I love rooting through short pieces, especially in the horror, mystery, or fantasy genres. Being a critique group member is incredibly helpful for a new writer. At first, I had to toughen up, but before long, I realized that criticism is almost always right in one context or another, and if someone has an issue with a sentence or passage, then I’m not conveying what I want to say.
##
Zach Royer
Meet Zach Royer
Zach joined Hawaii Writers Guild in February 2022. He lives in Kailua-Kona.
How did you find out about Hawaii Writers Guild? What made you decide to join?
I am publishing a book for a local author and she mentioned being a member of the Hawaii Writers Guild. After visiting the HWG website I decided to join to be a part of a bigger writing community here in Hawaii.
When did you start to write? Start to think of yourself as “a writer”?
I first began to write/blog in 2011 after moving to Kona to provide my website viewers with more content while they shopped my products. One of my blog posts was picked up by a publisher in California and I became a published author in 2012.
Do you have any published work/s to date?
Yes, I have five published books to date. Pyramid Rising: Planetary Acupuncture to Combat Climate Change (2012); Hawai’i Vortex Field Guide (2014); Kona Haunted Hele Guidebook (2015); Maui Vortex Field Guide (2019); and The Hilo After Dark Guidebook (2021).
Tell us about any writing projects you are working on.
I am almost ready to release my sixth book, Night of the Nightmarchers, my first book in the juvenile fiction genre.
Is there anything else you would like the Guild members to know about you or your writing?
I started KRG Publishing to help local writers with the book publishing process. I offer self-publishing services like editing and formatting, as well as full independent publishing services, and currently have published books for three other authors. I work closely with Kona Stories bookstore in Keauhou to promote my services and I spend a few hours each Saturday at their store where I meet and talk with other local writers. To date, I have published nine paperbacks of other writers, three e-books and have authored numerous blog posts across half a dozen websites. I am currently working on publishing a book for fellow HWG member Tessa Rice, set to release in March 2022.
##
Zach joined Hawaii Writers Guild in February 2022. He lives in Kailua-Kona.
How did you find out about Hawaii Writers Guild? What made you decide to join?
I am publishing a book for a local author and she mentioned being a member of the Hawaii Writers Guild. After visiting the HWG website I decided to join to be a part of a bigger writing community here in Hawaii.
When did you start to write? Start to think of yourself as “a writer”?
I first began to write/blog in 2011 after moving to Kona to provide my website viewers with more content while they shopped my products. One of my blog posts was picked up by a publisher in California and I became a published author in 2012.
Do you have any published work/s to date?
Yes, I have five published books to date. Pyramid Rising: Planetary Acupuncture to Combat Climate Change (2012); Hawai’i Vortex Field Guide (2014); Kona Haunted Hele Guidebook (2015); Maui Vortex Field Guide (2019); and The Hilo After Dark Guidebook (2021).
Tell us about any writing projects you are working on.
I am almost ready to release my sixth book, Night of the Nightmarchers, my first book in the juvenile fiction genre.
Is there anything else you would like the Guild members to know about you or your writing?
I started KRG Publishing to help local writers with the book publishing process. I offer self-publishing services like editing and formatting, as well as full independent publishing services, and currently have published books for three other authors. I work closely with Kona Stories bookstore in Keauhou to promote my services and I spend a few hours each Saturday at their store where I meet and talk with other local writers. To date, I have published nine paperbacks of other writers, three e-books and have authored numerous blog posts across half a dozen websites. I am currently working on publishing a book for fellow HWG member Tessa Rice, set to release in March 2022.
##
Shanon Sidell
Meet Shanon Sidell!
Shanon joined Hawaii Writers Guild in November 2021.
She lives in South Kohala, on Hawaii Island.
How did you find out about Hawaii Writers Guild? What made you decide to join?
I heard about it from some HWG members who were in a writers support group I had joined.
When did you start to write? Start to think of yourself as “a writer”?
I don’t think of myself as a writer, but I do write. In college I worked as a theatre and arts reviewer for a local newspaper and the public radio station in Alaska. Sometime after moving to Hawaii in 1996, I had a health column called “The Dr. Is In” for the newspaper.I began writing daily in 2021, spanning many genres.
Do you have any published work/s to date?
Yes! I have some pieces in Latitudes, Hawaii Writers Guild’s Literary Review, third edition, 2022.
Tell us about any writing projects you are working on.
My memoir delivers the heartening story of a hilariously dysfunctional family life that most closely resembles a DSM-5 and Saturday Night Live mash-up.
##
Dan Sockle
Meet Dan Sockle!
Dan joined Hawaii Writers Guild in December 2021. He lives in Vancouver, WA.
How did you find out about Hawaii Writers Guild? What made you decide to join?
This past November, while visiting the Christmas Fair and community celebration at the Marriott/King Kamehameha in Kailua-Kona, I stopped to meet and visit with Carol and Johnson at the Hawaii Writers Guild table. As a longtime admirer of the “Aloha Spirit,” which influenced my “America’s Jihad” book and website, HWG seemed like a natural fit.
When did you start to write? Start to think of yourself as “a writer”?
I served in the Army from 1970-1992, in communications intelligence and criminal investigations, both of which required a great deal of report-writing – which always put emphasis on objective/evidentiary facts, but also valued analysis/opinion, so long as separated as such. After serving in the first Gulf War (Operation “Desert Storm”) and later, as a contractor in Kirkuk and Baghdad, I came back home motivated to educate others on the importance of separating religion from culture, especially Islam from Islamism. Ultimately, after reaching out to local Muslim Americans, this led to the concept of “America’s Jihad.” Dipping back into my experience as a criminal investigator, I deferred to each contributing author actually writing his or her chapter instead of interviews and my interpretation of their words and experiences.
Do you have any published work/s to date?
America’s Jihad – Joining humanity’s struggle with Jihadists, the Far Left, the Far Right, and other Extremists since 9/11; originally self-published through CreateSpace (Amazon) in 2015, Second Edition by AYWN Publications in 2017.
Tell us about any writing projects you are working on.
Periodically writing articles for the website: America's "Jihad" – America's Struggle with "Jihadists," the "Far Left," the "Far Right," and other "Extremists" (americasjihad.com)
Is there anything else you would like the Guild members to know about you or your writing?
I am most frustrated by and passionate about today’s harmful and divisive rhetoric – particularly the hypocrisy found in the relentless mis- and dis-information (aka: Psychological Operations) being perpetrated by the two major political tribes and a complicit media. Where is the genuine transparency and accountability both “sides” long for in both the public and private sectors of our country and culture? Who and what to trust? Americans, of any political persuasion, have been relegated to a relentless sense of helplessness – and hopelessness. Through community involvement and service, I intend to do my part to improve communications and collaborative problem-solving.
##
Circe Olson Woessner
Meet Circe Olson Woessner!
Circe joined Hawaii Writers Guild in November 2021. She lives in Pearl City on Oahu.
How did you find out about Hawaii Writers Guild? What made you decide to join?
Because I am new to Hawaii, I’d hoped to meet some local writers to hang out with, maybe to get coffee, grab a bite and meet somewhere to collaborate and share our work.
When did you start to write? Start to think of yourself as “a writer”?
I’ve been writing since I was about 12 years old. I have every journal/diary I ever wrote and many of my original stories and artwork. I guess my first serious thought of writing happened when I was 16, sitting in creative writing class at the University of Maryland in Munich, Germany. Until then I’d never written and read my work out loud for an audience. (Unless you count my parents as audience.) I think a writer has to write every day, whether or not anyone reads it—that is true for my father, both of my sons, and me. We are writers and writing is what we do.
Do you have any published work/s to date?
Some friends and I have just launched a quarterly zine, Circa. The second issue will be out April 1, 2022. [See our feature story about this project elsewhere in this issue--Editor.]
I have co-edited about 16-17 books—mostly anthologies—over the past five years, co-authored two books of essays with my dad in 2020-2021 and created two children’s books in 2021. I just published six or seven volumes of my on-line comics. The series is called Circinkt.To the Point. My Way. I photograph doll families to create stories for the comic. I’m getting lots of material from the pandemic and the Navy water crisis.
Tell us about any writing projects you are working on.
Currently I am working on a third book of essays with my dad, editing a book called E Pluribus Unum: GRAICE Under Pressure. Gender, Religion, Race, Identity, Culture and Ethnicity in the Military/Family; working on two additional anthologies and writing a children’s chapter book titled Mr. Wonderful and Wooftastic.
Is there anything else you would like the Guild members to know about you or your writing?
I write casual thoughtful essays that (hopefully) appeal to a wide audience. I try to avoid writing hugely slanted pieces, because my goal is to find common ground and encourage dialogue. Lecturing someone rarely inspires thoughtful conversation. I don’t always succeed in this, but I do try. I’m looking forward to testing out Wooftastic on my fellow Guild members. It’s a first for me and I’m trying to channel Beverly Cleary or Robert McClosky.
##
