Here's a look at some of our writers
and their published works:
Diann Wilson
Diann Wilson Currently (2019 & 2020) the President of Hawaii Writers Guild. A recovering executive and author of a business book, Diann now lives on a farm in Hawaii, and is writing a humorous account of her transition from mainland to island. When she's not harvesting mac nuts, grapefruit, avocados and pomelo, she enjoys swimming, yoga, paddleboarding, golf and kayaking. Diann and her husband, Steve Hoffmann, live in the quaint town of Hawi and share their home with Oscar, Sophie, Calico and Maia - a source of constant joy and frustration (and some good writing inspiration). She is co-author of The Other Blended Learning: A Classroom-Centered Approach. Watch for her upcoming children's picture book and entertaining memoir.
Diann Wilson Currently (2019 & 2020) the President of Hawaii Writers Guild. A recovering executive and author of a business book, Diann now lives on a farm in Hawaii, and is writing a humorous account of her transition from mainland to island. When she's not harvesting mac nuts, grapefruit, avocados and pomelo, she enjoys swimming, yoga, paddleboarding, golf and kayaking. Diann and her husband, Steve Hoffmann, live in the quaint town of Hawi and share their home with Oscar, Sophie, Calico and Maia - a source of constant joy and frustration (and some good writing inspiration). She is co-author of The Other Blended Learning: A Classroom-Centered Approach. Watch for her upcoming children's picture book and entertaining memoir.
Bruce Stern
Bruce Stern (Vice President of HWG in 2018 and 2019/2020)
Bruce has spent many years in a wide variety of business and technical roles, particularly in the areas of high performance materials, operations management, and large scale business systems. He is always passionate about his undertakings and that also applies to his eclectic writing. He has just published his first novel, The Fuel Saver Conspiracy, A Peter Jones Mystery. Prior published works were scientific papers and he branched out into other genres. Current projects include a sequel to his first novel, poetry, family history, science fiction, and technical mystery. Now retired, Bruce lives full time on the Big Island with his wife Debby and enjoys the freedom to write and to volunteer in support of the local community. Bruce has been a member of the Waimea Writers Support Group for several years.
Bruce has spent many years in a wide variety of business and technical roles, particularly in the areas of high performance materials, operations management, and large scale business systems. He is always passionate about his undertakings and that also applies to his eclectic writing. He has just published his first novel, The Fuel Saver Conspiracy, A Peter Jones Mystery. Prior published works were scientific papers and he branched out into other genres. Current projects include a sequel to his first novel, poetry, family history, science fiction, and technical mystery. Now retired, Bruce lives full time on the Big Island with his wife Debby and enjoys the freedom to write and to volunteer in support of the local community. Bruce has been a member of the Waimea Writers Support Group for several years.
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Diane Revell (Secretary of HWG in 2018 and 2019/2020) Diane was well educated in California and Washington with a bachelor degree from UC Berkeley in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and a master degree from Seattle University in Software Engineering. She worked for 35 years in aerospace software development and technical management before retiring and moving from Washington State with her husband to Hawi, Hawaii. She did technical writing as part of her employment and as a member of the Society of Women Engineers, but since moving to Hawi has mainly written poems and very short stories. She has had some items published as single contributions in newspapers, but is considering compiling her current poems into a book.
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Bob Lupo (Treasurer of HWG in 2018 and 2019/2020)
Bob was born and raised in New York City, served as a combat medic in Vietnam, and enjoyed a successful 25-year career on Wall Street as a Junk Bond Analyst. Bleacher Heaven (2017), his most recent novel, weaves a gripping tale of good cops chasing bad cops in the South Bronx as the Nation gapes at the spectacle of the never-ending drama of the 7th Game of the 2016 World Series between the Yankees and the Mets. He has written two other novels: A Buffalo’s Revenge (2003), a Vietnam negative, explores the limits of a nation engaged in a struggle for freedom when the mirror reveals a fractured image. Extremities-4 (2003) is a satiric adult morality tale on the perils of being human and animal. Bob just completed Crazy Fates, his fourth work of fiction, about the dystopian 1960’s. He lives in Hakalau, Hawaii with Linda, his wife; Zinn, his yellow lab, and three cats reluctantly carrying the names Lily, Sistah Sistah, and Buddy.
Bob was born and raised in New York City, served as a combat medic in Vietnam, and enjoyed a successful 25-year career on Wall Street as a Junk Bond Analyst. Bleacher Heaven (2017), his most recent novel, weaves a gripping tale of good cops chasing bad cops in the South Bronx as the Nation gapes at the spectacle of the never-ending drama of the 7th Game of the 2016 World Series between the Yankees and the Mets. He has written two other novels: A Buffalo’s Revenge (2003), a Vietnam negative, explores the limits of a nation engaged in a struggle for freedom when the mirror reveals a fractured image. Extremities-4 (2003) is a satiric adult morality tale on the perils of being human and animal. Bob just completed Crazy Fates, his fourth work of fiction, about the dystopian 1960’s. He lives in Hakalau, Hawaii with Linda, his wife; Zinn, his yellow lab, and three cats reluctantly carrying the names Lily, Sistah Sistah, and Buddy.
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Louise Riofrio (Marketing Director 2019 & 2020)
LOUISE RIOFRIO is educated in physics and astronomy at University of California and San Francisco State University. She worked as a scientist at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, studying the Moon. Louise performed experiments with priceless lunar samples from Apollo. She is known worldwide for predicting and measuring change in the THE SPEED OF LIGHT, the subject of her first book.
Her latest book, DISCOVERY: ALASKA TO HAWAII AND THE PACIFIC, is about the exploration of our Islands. Louise uses astronomy, oral history, DNA and the paths of wildlife to tell the story of the first Hawaiians from over 2000 years ago. She spent Summers in Alaska helping to rescue bald eagles. Louise enjoys swimming, bicycling and exploring strange new worlds.
LOUISE RIOFRIO is educated in physics and astronomy at University of California and San Francisco State University. She worked as a scientist at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, studying the Moon. Louise performed experiments with priceless lunar samples from Apollo. She is known worldwide for predicting and measuring change in the THE SPEED OF LIGHT, the subject of her first book.
Her latest book, DISCOVERY: ALASKA TO HAWAII AND THE PACIFIC, is about the exploration of our Islands. Louise uses astronomy, oral history, DNA and the paths of wildlife to tell the story of the first Hawaiians from over 2000 years ago. She spent Summers in Alaska helping to rescue bald eagles. Louise enjoys swimming, bicycling and exploring strange new worlds.
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Eila Algood Eila has been writing since childhood with many published works including: On The Road To Bliss, Rhapsody in Bohemia, pieces in Frida Magazine, Think Pink Anthology. Speaking her written words in public readings is a favorite experience as it gives her the opportunity to share her positive, playful personality.
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Bryan Furer Bryan is a film industry professional for over forty years. He wrote, acted, and directed homemade monster movies when he was a kid. After moving to the island of Hawaii, Bryan phased out of the daily grind of make-up and pursued his writing career. He was able to use the wealth of knowledge that he gained from the film industry in his writing and has written several scripts, some of which have been optioned. He has now written two books based on his screenplays and writes under his pen name Elias Blackthorne. Five Steps to Sheep and Passenger are both available on Amazon and in bookstores now.
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Jada Tan Rufo Jada is a former English as a Second Language teacher who spent fourteen years teaching in China, mainly in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Hainan, and Shaanxi Provinces. She stays informed about current events in China and is currently working on a children's book. Jada is also the author of Banana Girl: An Asian American Woman’s Life in China and The Zone, a historical novel that takes place in 1937 Nanjing. Jada also is a contributor to Wasabi Magazine and has a blog that chronicles her re-entry life back in the USA as well as a Facebook fan page. For the latest information regarding book events, please visit Jada’s Facebook page and her blog.
Jada Tan Rufo Jada is a former English as a Second Language teacher who spent fourteen years teaching in China, mainly in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Hainan, and Shaanxi Provinces. She stays informed about current events in China and is currently working on a children's book. Jada is also the author of Banana Girl: An Asian American Woman’s Life in China and The Zone, a historical novel that takes place in 1937 Nanjing. Jada also is a contributor to Wasabi Magazine and has a blog that chronicles her re-entry life back in the USA as well as a Facebook fan page. For the latest information regarding book events, please visit Jada’s Facebook page and her blog.
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Duncan Dempster A freelance writer who, having spent the better part of a lifetime employing words as a matter of vocational expedience, has discovered late in life the joys and challenges of juggling language in a purely avocational mode. A retired career Naval officer, he is now fully retired and deeply immersed in living the good life on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island. He is an avid believer in the power of words to evoke emotion as well as the power of emotion to inspire words. Thus he strives to use language as a tool to paint the landscapes of human relationships and feelings and to employ those feelings to flesh out and define the limits and boundaries of words. His first novel, Chapel on the Moor, was published in 2014, followed in 2019 by a sequel to Chapel entitled Where Are You? Duncan is currently the webmaster of Hawaii Writers Guild.
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Mina Apostadiro I am 22 years old and have always sought sincere self-expression and freedom in poetry. I attend the University of Hawaii at Hilo where I am actively pursuing a BSN in nursing. I indulge in poetry that takes an introspective manner. I am working on compiling a collection of poetry to publish. I have participated in spoken word events and plan to exchange spoken word art when the opportunity arises. I love connecting with other writers and journeying with new perspectives of creative voice.
Mina Apostadiro I am 22 years old and have always sought sincere self-expression and freedom in poetry. I attend the University of Hawaii at Hilo where I am actively pursuing a BSN in nursing. I indulge in poetry that takes an introspective manner. I am working on compiling a collection of poetry to publish. I have participated in spoken word events and plan to exchange spoken word art when the opportunity arises. I love connecting with other writers and journeying with new perspectives of creative voice.
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Nancy Baenziger Nancy's interests in science and creative arts offer hidden short stories and poetry plus visible 50+ bioscience research publications, from her Ph.D. thesis through now-retiree neuroscience faculty output at Washington University in St. Louis, which institution seeks to obliterate any evidence she was ever there. Living at Mauna Lani, Nancy is a health care policy journalist presenting biomedical concepts in terms understandable to a broad audience, explaining health care controversies, and offering practical solutions.
Nancy's recent publications include pain (mis)management, the Big Island Dengue outbreak, and women’s breast health controversy. Several essays/op-ed pieces are still in her in-brain incubation period. She’s read her poetry at Living Arts Gallery in Hawi and is now compiling a book. Additional pending books include several murder mystery novels.
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Catherine Becker Catherine is an Associate Professor at the University of Hawaii, Hilo, teaching courses in sustainability, leadership, interpersonal, family, and organizational communication. All of her published works explore ways that communication contributes to the transformation of individuals, systems, and cultures. It crosses methodological and disciplinary lines, creates new connections, paradigms, and possibilities. She is a black-market adoptee of Irish-Scottish descent raised in working-class Buffalo with a background in Native American and Hawaiian Studies. Her original parents met scuba diving, conceiving her under the ocean. She understands the vital interface between stories, identity, and reality. She is the author of Mana Cards: The Power of Hawaiian Wisdom, a collection of symbols, stories, and teachings designed to expand consciousness while perpetuating reverence for Hawaii. She is of currently writing a memoir, Moving Between the Lines: A Black Market Baby, A Motorcycle, A Quest for Real Across the American Landscape and Beyond.
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Dale Belvin These channeled Writings are shared from a place of love. The gifts I share come from a place deep within my heart, handed down from generation to generation through a long lineage of hands healers. This has allowed me to start to remember who I am and to rediscover what my true purpose is in this lifetime. That purpose is to love myself and others more today then I did yesterday. To share that wisdom through the simple gesture of the holding hands and to create and allow space for these writings to flow through effortlessly. I have been sharing this form of writing for over 30 years. The writings are shared with the intention to inspire a stronger heart connection. Love is who we are, Life is what we do with it. May your journey be filled with love.
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Donna Beumler Donna is the author of the legal thriller Criminal/Lawyer. Her credentials for writing such a novel include being a retired superior court judge, and a former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. Plus, she has a very vivid imagination. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she holds a bachelor’s degree in English from UC Berkeley and a law degree from McGeorge School of Law-University of the Pacific. Donna spent many years living and working in southeastern Arizona – in a community bordering the Republic of Mexico — before moving to the island of Hawaii.
Patty Bigelow
Patty Bigelow Patty is a long time resident of Hawaii, currently living near Waimea on the Big Island. She retired after a long career playing piano professionally. She wrote a musical play which was presented and well received at Parker School in 2001 and in 2002. The original title was "The Gift of Christmas" which she has since changed to "Christmas Makes Me Crazy," about a mother trying to stay sane while putting Christmas together for her family. The mother experiences a dream, both humorous and serious, of the Nativity which helps her regain her perspective. Patty is now working on converting the play to a choral production with a narration. Also in the works is another musical about the Cycles of Life. Patty is enjoying the input and camaraderie of the wonderful and talented group of writers in the Waimea area.
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Donald J. Bingle Random true facts about Don: He once successfully limboed under a pole nineteen inches off the ground. He has written short stories about killer bunnies, civil war soldiers, detectives, Renaissance Faire orcs, giant battling robots, demons, cats, werewolves, time travelers, ghosts, time-traveling ghosts, spies, barbarians, a husband accused of murdering his wife, dogs, horses, gamers, soldiers, Neanderthals, commuters, kender, Victorian adventurers, lawyers, and serial killers. Of those subjects, he has occasional contact in real life only with dogs, cats, gamers, lawyers, and commuters (unless some of those are, unknown to him, really time travelers, ghosts, demons, serial killers, spies, or murder suspects). He’s had six books and more than fifty short stories published. These days he couldn’t crawl under a pole nineteen inches off the ground. Point your web browser here to learn a whole lot more about Don.
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Richard Bodien Richard is a writer, painter, poet, translator and musician. In the 1960’s, his high school band was Nirvana, and he later formed Mycology on Vashon Island in the 80’s. After a lifetime in corporations, he moved to Hawi and started an art gallery that eventually became a world class destination for ukulele. His professional work spanned business research, technical writing, marketing, advertising, branding, and ghostwriting. At university, he studied classical Chinese language and literature. He printed small letterpress pamphlets in Chicago, presented cello and poetry performances with composer Scott Roller in Texas, and studied Buddhism in India. His work has been published internationally, recorded by the Outer Circle Orchestra, and performed by the Taos Dance Theatre at the Taos Poetry Circus. He is a former director of The Literary Center in Seattle, and hosted many well received poetry events in Chicago, Austin, and Seattle. His poetry and translations are available on Amazon.
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Mark M. Brown Mark is the author of Outward Bound Lessons to Live a Life of Leadership: To Serve, to Strive, and Not To Yield. He worked as an Outward Bound wilderness instructor, course director, and senior facilitator for more than 20 years. Mark is a certified professional coach and earned a master’s degree in business/entrepreneurship. He designed some of the first corporate leadership development programs that Outward Bound offered, blending Outward Bound with organizational change. Mark currently lives in Waimea and continues his work as a master coach, consultant and facilitator, helping people and organizations successfully navigate the rapid changes of our modern world. When he’s not working he’s disappearing down a trail, fishing with his son, or paddling a canoe somewhere. The wilderness always calls! |
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Laura Burkhart Laura’s first book of poetry, Venus Rising (Hagios Press) was short-listed for two Saskatchewan Book Awards. A limited-edition hand bound poetry collection, Watermarks (Wild Sage Press), is now available in a second edition. Laura is currently completing a murder mystery set on O`ahu, and working on another poetry collection. Her background includes psychology, adult education and community, organizational and international development. She has worked in Canada, the US, Asia, South America and the Middle East. She holds an MFA in fiction and poetry from Vermont College. In 2004 Laura moved from Canada to North Kohala on the Big Island, where she works, writes, swims, and is a happy member of The Inkwells writers group. You can reach Laura here.
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Janet Carpenter Janet, author/educator/hermit, has been a writer wandering all her life. Currently, she’s “wandering what she’s doing”... A literary nomad, she has traveled through the genres of drama, fiction, prose, and poetry; frequently visiting the realms of short stories, plays, poems, TV and screenplays, journaling, and song lyrics. Perhaps best known for her quirky comedic twists, she is unafraid to explore the darker side of the spirit world in Hawaiian myths, legends, and ghost stories from her own experience. In real life, she develops curriculum and is a part-time “educational commando” for Hawai'i Community College, teaching classes in order to support her writing journeys.
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Cheryl Ann Farrell Cheryl Ann grew up in Colorado and lived in Los Angeles for 15 years before heading to Kauai. She has lived on Kauai for nearly 20 years teaching at the Community College as well as teaching online for other schools. She is also a Writing Tutor for Colorado State University-Global campus. Armed with a Bachelors in English and an MBA she became a copy writer for financial institutions in Los Angeles. She has dabbled in writing with short stories, poetry, humorous essays, and creating advertising copy. Photography is another creative avenue for Cheryl Ann. As she heads into retirement from teaching, she wants to combine both creative talents into a book. Being able to brainstorm with like-minded people and network within a writing community brought her to the Writers Guild.
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Joy Fisher. In her 20s, Joy lucked into a job with the Las Vegas SUN. She loved journalism. But the Second Wave of the women’s movement swept her away and, in a delirium of idealism, she became a lawyer so she could change the world. She didn’t. Although she continued to practice law, the itch to write never left, and she scratched it wherever she could: writing poetry at the Women’s Writer’s Center in Cazenovia, New York for a year; in a writing group in Salzburg, Austria, as she struggled to learn the art of playwriting; and at the University of Victoria in British Columbia where she eventually got a BFA in Creative Writing, specializing in personal essays and playwriting. Now she’s found the Hawaii Writers Guild and feels like she’s finally home.
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Michael Foley Michael Foley was born in London, England. He has worked as a stagehand and school teacher. His writing includes free lance research, poetry and memoir. His work has been published in Sightlines Journal of British Theatre Technicians, Resurgence magazine, Methuen’s Anthology of Theatre Verse and small press publications such as Trillium, Lookout and Fireweed. His poetry is collected in Watching the Egg Dance in the Pan and most recently, Hair of the Barista, available on Amazon. A second chapbook of poems written in Malaga, titled Beauty It Turns Out, is forthcoming; as is a larger collection of poems set in Hawaiʻi, One Good Ear. A memoir from his year as a stagehand in Stratford-Upon-Avon with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, titled Tales From the Wings, continues to be a work in progress. He is a member of Na Kupuna O Kohala hula halau.
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Virginia Fortner Virginia Fortner, following an urge to express herself since she began to print, has published essays, poetry, fiction, and children’s stories, and one dissertation. Mostly retired, she met with Montana Writers after being part of Kansas City Writers for many years. Now she puts pen to paper with Hawi folks to write essays, articles, memoirs, poems, and fiction. She recently tried a 10-minute play. Virginia is presently co-writing a surfboard shaper’s adventurers, a German showgirl’s life, and a thriller set in Thailand. That leaves a little time for her memoirs revisiting “1949ers” as her family pulled a trailer house across 26 states. vfortner.wordpress.com describes more wanderlust as she taught ESL in China, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia. Her novel, At the Edge, is at North Kohola Library, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com.
Virginia Fortner Virginia Fortner, following an urge to express herself since she began to print, has published essays, poetry, fiction, and children’s stories, and one dissertation. Mostly retired, she met with Montana Writers after being part of Kansas City Writers for many years. Now she puts pen to paper with Hawi folks to write essays, articles, memoirs, poems, and fiction. She recently tried a 10-minute play. Virginia is presently co-writing a surfboard shaper’s adventurers, a German showgirl’s life, and a thriller set in Thailand. That leaves a little time for her memoirs revisiting “1949ers” as her family pulled a trailer house across 26 states. vfortner.wordpress.com describes more wanderlust as she taught ESL in China, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia. Her novel, At the Edge, is at North Kohola Library, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com.
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Steven S. Foster After I completed four years with the Air Force, in 1970, I yearned to be a writer. So, I worked as a welder at night, to support my family and continued my education. In 1976, I earned a BA degree in communications at Biola College. This led to a stint in a smoke-filled newspaper office. Then, I served as a writer at Campus Crusade and published numerous magazine articles. Later, I worked at a non-profit counseling agency and gave presentations in schools. Finally, I settled into a career in customer service where I fine-tuned the art of studying people and behavior. Now retired, I reside in upcountry Waimea, Hawaii with my wife, Sandi of 50 years. I recently published my first novel, Spirit of an Eagle, which can be found on Amazon right here.
Steven S. Foster After I completed four years with the Air Force, in 1970, I yearned to be a writer. So, I worked as a welder at night, to support my family and continued my education. In 1976, I earned a BA degree in communications at Biola College. This led to a stint in a smoke-filled newspaper office. Then, I served as a writer at Campus Crusade and published numerous magazine articles. Later, I worked at a non-profit counseling agency and gave presentations in schools. Finally, I settled into a career in customer service where I fine-tuned the art of studying people and behavior. Now retired, I reside in upcountry Waimea, Hawaii with my wife, Sandi of 50 years. I recently published my first novel, Spirit of an Eagle, which can be found on Amazon right here.
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David Fouts Blank paper has always had an effect on me. I want to write on it. I was raised in Indiana never traveling further than 40 miles from home until I joined the army in 1969. I was trained as an infantry/combat medic but was ever so fortunate to be sent to the Korean DMZ. My wife Linda and I moved to Alaska where we spent 26 great years. My three children, Henry, Monica, Cara were happily raised in the North country. I worked on a salmon seiner two years, 12 years in the Bush living in isolated Yupik Eskimo villages. And 12 years on the coast in some real beautiful country. All the time I was feeding the writing bug with what little excess time I had. In 03 we moved to Hawaii. My wife died in 2011.
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Peter Georgas Peter Georgas grew up in Waseca, a small town in southern Minnesota where his father owned the Crystal Café and Candy Kitchen. He earned a BA in Journalism from the University of Minnesota. After graduating, he went on active duty for two years as an enlisted man aboard a destroyer, the Floyd B. Parks. His experiences during the Korean War served as inspiration for his first published book, Dark Blues, the story of a young destroyer sailor during the Korean war. Following a decade in advertising, he joined the staff of Walker Art Center in Minneapolis as the museum’s first full time publicist. Later, along with his family, he moved to Austria, where he was Director of the Salzburg Seminar. He and his wife now live in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis.
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Jim Gibbons From a beatnik hippie poet of the Sixties, to a high school teacher and newspaper columnist in the Eighties and Nineties, Jim Gibbons emerged in the 21st Century with enough flashbacks of the good old days for a book or two. His most recent essays can be read in the Anderson Valley Advertiser out of Boonville, California (theava.com). Thanks to the HWG, he hopes to have his first book in 47 years out real soon. Matter of fact, Flashbacks: A Memoir was just published. See it here.
Jim Gibbons From a beatnik hippie poet of the Sixties, to a high school teacher and newspaper columnist in the Eighties and Nineties, Jim Gibbons emerged in the 21st Century with enough flashbacks of the good old days for a book or two. His most recent essays can be read in the Anderson Valley Advertiser out of Boonville, California (theava.com). Thanks to the HWG, he hopes to have his first book in 47 years out real soon. Matter of fact, Flashbacks: A Memoir was just published. See it here.
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Amy Elizabeth Gordon Amy Elizabeth is a passionate communicator, weaving words in a poetic resonance of grit and grace. In a consistent fashion, her brave voice comes through in her poetry, prose and creative non-fiction. Watch for the upcoming publication of her teaching memoir. She is a resident of Hawai'i where she is active in the practices of hula, land stewardship, paddling, outdoor yoga, and olelo Hawai'i. This connection to a sense of place and natural great beauty helps to resource her mothering, coaching, and loving. She values the support of other writers, near and far. They remind her, though it has all been said before, it hasn’t been said in her voice. Amy Elizabeth has recently published Moonshot, a fascinating memoir subtitled "aim high, dive deep, live an extraordinary life." It's available from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats.
Linda Heath
Linda Heath After growing up in small Ohio town, Linda earned a B.S. from Ohio State University, followed by a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Northwestern University, then spent five freezing years teaching at the University of Minnesota. She spent the next 33 years teaching at Loyola University Chicago. Along the way she married and raised a son and a daughter, retiring in 2017 to move to Hawaii with her new husband, Bob Lupo. Linda published over 50 articles in journals and co-edited 5 volumes on Social Psychological Applications to Social Issues. Her research focused on reactions to crime and causes of criminal behavior. Her most recent research examined the role of social media in the Arab Spring uprising in Tunisia. Now she is turning to memoir and light-hearted fiction writing.
Dawn Hurwitz. A Puna, Big Island resident since 1989. Originally from Chicago where I was an avante garde clothing and costume designer during the 80’s. Have operated two businesses here; a metaphysical bookstore cafe called "huna ohana" in Pahoa in the 90’s, and Mac Assistance a mobile tech help service in the 00’s. Now I do my best to write it all down before it escapes the short term banks. My first memoir is at the end of it’s first draft. In 2017, published author, professional script reader, and teacher Adam Sydney and I organized the Puna Writer’s Workshops at the “Stables” in Hawaiian Shores. Our aspiring writers meet weekly to hone craft, give and receive constructive feedback, and support. Currently we host two different types of groups; Entry, folks who need to brush up or learn the art of narrative storytelling; and Ongoing, folks working on projects.
Tamara Hynd
Tamara Hynd Born and raised in northern British Columbia, Canada, Tamara studied English at the University of Victoria and completed her Marketing and Sales Diploma with Scholarship from Langara College in 1995. Her sense of adventure and love of travel took her across the globe, providing fuel for her writing as she scribbled notes along the way. She began her journalism career in 2012 and has worked for the Nelson Star, The Free Press, Elk Valley Herald, and Coast Mountain News. Her story of two men surviving a grizzly bear attack in the East Kootenay town of Fernie was published in the Calgary Herald and Vancouver Sun, and many other media outlets. Tamara is currently working on her first novel and lives in the small North Kohala town of Kapa'au on the Big Island of Hawaii. You can contact Tamara at tamara.hynd@hotmail.com.
Tamara Hynd Born and raised in northern British Columbia, Canada, Tamara studied English at the University of Victoria and completed her Marketing and Sales Diploma with Scholarship from Langara College in 1995. Her sense of adventure and love of travel took her across the globe, providing fuel for her writing as she scribbled notes along the way. She began her journalism career in 2012 and has worked for the Nelson Star, The Free Press, Elk Valley Herald, and Coast Mountain News. Her story of two men surviving a grizzly bear attack in the East Kootenay town of Fernie was published in the Calgary Herald and Vancouver Sun, and many other media outlets. Tamara is currently working on her first novel and lives in the small North Kohala town of Kapa'au on the Big Island of Hawaii. You can contact Tamara at tamara.hynd@hotmail.com.
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Sabrina Ito Sabrina Ito lives in Honolulu, HI with her husband, Victor, and her son, Xander. An International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle School French and English teacher in Kailua, Oahu, Sabrina also enjoys writing, cooking, spending time with family, and is at her happiest in or near the ocean. A ‘sometimes poet’ for close to a decade now, Sabrina’s poems have appeared in many national publications, such as Bamboo Ridge, Clarion Magazine, Slipstream Press, Coachella Review and The Cossack Review.
Sabrina Ito Sabrina Ito lives in Honolulu, HI with her husband, Victor, and her son, Xander. An International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle School French and English teacher in Kailua, Oahu, Sabrina also enjoys writing, cooking, spending time with family, and is at her happiest in or near the ocean. A ‘sometimes poet’ for close to a decade now, Sabrina’s poems have appeared in many national publications, such as Bamboo Ridge, Clarion Magazine, Slipstream Press, Coachella Review and The Cossack Review.
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Cecilia Johansen After the death of her husband Charles Kanewa in Los Angeles in 2003, Cecilia met his cousin a year later at a Hawaiʻi Marines Reunion in Las Vegas. She fell in love with the handsome virile cowboy and after four months, she took a leap of faith and moved to Hawaiʻi to marry Bernard Johansen and live in the lush up-country of Waimea on Hawaiʻi Island. They were only married for five years before his untimely death. Stories from the lives of the two cousins growing up in Kapaʻahu, Puna District, and extensive research have led to her first novel, The Canoe Maker's Son. As of February, 2020, Cece’s second novel, Kimsey Rise a Family of Farmers is complete and in the editing stage.
Cecilia Johansen After the death of her husband Charles Kanewa in Los Angeles in 2003, Cecilia met his cousin a year later at a Hawaiʻi Marines Reunion in Las Vegas. She fell in love with the handsome virile cowboy and after four months, she took a leap of faith and moved to Hawaiʻi to marry Bernard Johansen and live in the lush up-country of Waimea on Hawaiʻi Island. They were only married for five years before his untimely death. Stories from the lives of the two cousins growing up in Kapaʻahu, Puna District, and extensive research have led to her first novel, The Canoe Maker's Son. As of February, 2020, Cece’s second novel, Kimsey Rise a Family of Farmers is complete and in the editing stage.
Johnson Kahili Aloha, My name is Johnson Kahili. I’ve had the pleasure of calling Hilo, Hawaii my life-long home. By trade, I am a commercial driver. By passion, a moonlit author. Nearly a year ago, I triumphed over procrastination and wrote the most awful short story. After hundreds of videos on writing, a pallet of Pepsi Cola and a few patient readers, I was able to twist the tale into chapter one of a 95k word fantasy novel. I am currently editing the book, while educating myself on the publishing process. I have another novel in the works (About 12k words so far). In addition, I have written a number of original songs and short stories.
Johnson Kahili Aloha, My name is Johnson Kahili. I’ve had the pleasure of calling Hilo, Hawaii my life-long home. By trade, I am a commercial driver. By passion, a moonlit author. Nearly a year ago, I triumphed over procrastination and wrote the most awful short story. After hundreds of videos on writing, a pallet of Pepsi Cola and a few patient readers, I was able to twist the tale into chapter one of a 95k word fantasy novel. I am currently editing the book, while educating myself on the publishing process. I have another novel in the works (About 12k words so far). In addition, I have written a number of original songs and short stories.
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Mark Kelly Mark became hooked on science after Neil Armstrong took an epic stroll one Sunday morning in July 1969. He later served as a submarine officer based in Scotland and New England. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Bryant University, and Swinburne University. After leaving the Navy, he spent two decades teaching college physics and astronomy. Reading and writing mind-bending science fiction is his passion. His debut novel, Mauna Kea Rising, was released in 2019. As a flight instructor, he has also published a column on flying among the Hawaiian Islands.
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Don Kennedy Don Kennedy is a resident of Makaha Valley on Oahu, Hawaii. He was a long time Nevada resident of Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Reno. Kennedy was born and raised in Wisconsin and is a graduate of Concordia College in Milwaukee. A radio and television on air personality for a decade, Kennedy also worked for many publications as a reporter, editor and publisher in Nevada. His next career was as a Casino Resort Marketing executive in seven states: Nevada, California, Oregon, New Mexico, Louisiana, Indiana and Oklahoma. Kennedy is the author of the 2019 book Kids Say The Darndest Things To Santa Claus, which chronicles his 25 years as a volunteer Santa Claus for hospitals, shelters, military bases, boys & girls clubs, churches, schools and more.
Kennedy enjoys reading, music and travel.
Don Kennedy Don Kennedy is a resident of Makaha Valley on Oahu, Hawaii. He was a long time Nevada resident of Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Reno. Kennedy was born and raised in Wisconsin and is a graduate of Concordia College in Milwaukee. A radio and television on air personality for a decade, Kennedy also worked for many publications as a reporter, editor and publisher in Nevada. His next career was as a Casino Resort Marketing executive in seven states: Nevada, California, Oregon, New Mexico, Louisiana, Indiana and Oklahoma. Kennedy is the author of the 2019 book Kids Say The Darndest Things To Santa Claus, which chronicles his 25 years as a volunteer Santa Claus for hospitals, shelters, military bases, boys & girls clubs, churches, schools and more.
Kennedy enjoys reading, music and travel.
Helena Kim I am a Korean-American poet and fiction writer. My poems have been published in Global City Review and other publications and my novel, The Long Season of Rain, published for both adult and young adult, was nominated for National Book Award in Juvenile literature in 1996, and was translated in seven languages. Currently I am completing a poetry collection, Exiled in Light, and working on a creative non-fiction, In Search of a Korean Shaman. .
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Zoë Loos Zoë Malia Ozoa Loos is a recent graduate of Saint Mary's College of California's MFA program in Creative Nonfiction Writing. She is from Honolulu, Hawaiʻi and her writing centers around growing up in Hawaiʻi as a mixed-race, pansexual woman. Her writing constantly explores how she connects to not only herself and others but also the environment as well. She is also heavily influenced by her undergraduate degrees in Environmental Studies and Ethnic Studies which she also received at Saint Mary's College of California. Her hope is to use writing and the written word as a form of self-expression and a way of connecting people to each other and the environment. The universe is beautifully intertwined and we are all a part of that.
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Donna Maltz. Donna was born and raised in the suburbs of New Jersey. After graduating from Evergreen State College Organic Farm Program in 1982, she found herself on a soul-searching journey to Alaska. Here, Donna founded the first natural foods bakery and café in the state, which she ran with her husband for 37 years. In this time, she pioneered a variety of ethical eco-businesses and wrote the marketing materials. In 1992, she self-published Yummy Wilderness Wonders, an activity book for Nature and food lovers. In her new book, Living Like the Future Matters~ The Evolution of A Soil to Soul Entrepreneur, Donna shares her adventurous story. Donna lives on the Big Island of Hawaii with her husband and a bevy of beautiful animals and plants. She is a life and business coach, and she and her husband offer healing retreats at their upcountry farmstead where every day begins and ends in Nature.
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T. J. Michaels USA Today and New York Times bestseller, T.J. Michaels, is also an award-winning author of several romance genres, including paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi and urban fantasy romance.
No matter the genre T.J. is penning, her favorite thing to do is build worlds. To take you somewhere extraordinary. To transport you to a place where you can close your eyes and slip into your fantasy...
Learn more about Carol McMillan
Carol McMillan, Ph.D. Carol taught fourth grade in Oakland, California for three years; lived with free-ranging rhesus monkeys on Cayo Santiago; worked as an archeologist at Mesa Verde National Park; spent four months camping across the southern half of Africa with an entomology expedition; and taught social and natural sciences at Wenatchee Valley College in Omak for thirty years before retiring to Bellingham, Washington in 2010. She had the privilege of helping start the Colville Tribes’ Language Preservation Program and working with them to coordinate their classes for college credit. Carol has traveled in twenty-three countries on five continents. She has had poetry, short stories, and articles published in anthologies and academic journals. Her book, Red Water, White Walls, chronicles her two-week rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. Carol currently lives with her three cats in Kamuela, Hawai’i.
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Pamela O'Shaughnessy. Pamela, a Mountain View, Hawaii writer, has published novels, short stories, and poems. Writing with her sister Mary under the name "Perri O'Shaughnessy", she has co-authored twelve legal thriller/mystery novels mostly chronicling the adventures of Nina Reilly, a storefront lawyer in Lake Tahoe, California. "Perri's" short stories, collected in the book "Sinister Shorts" were originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Pam has also published two books of poetry and a poetry anthology. She is currently attempting to write a novel about the Kilauea eruption. Pam had a previous career as a California lawyer. Her recent interests include mowing foot-high grass in the rain, eradicating waiwi, exterminating little fire ants, and returning to Volcanoes National Park asap.
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Amy Patterson Amy Campbell Patterson was born and raised along the shores of Lake Michigan. She wrote professional legal briefs for nearly twenty years before electing to write personal stories instead. In 2012, the author adopted the daughter she had always dreamed of.
One year later, she was inspired to move her large family of eight to Hawaii, with not much more than the shirts on their backs. Her book, Dreaming of a Daughter, details those two life-changing experiences...and explains to readers how they, too, can make their wildest dreams come true.
One year later, she was inspired to move her large family of eight to Hawaii, with not much more than the shirts on their backs. Her book, Dreaming of a Daughter, details those two life-changing experiences...and explains to readers how they, too, can make their wildest dreams come true.
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Linda Petrucelli For most of her adult life, Linda Petrucelli has lived on islands—Taiwan, Manhattan and Hawaii. Her story, “Figure Eight on the Waves,” won first place in the WOW! Women on Writing Fall ’18 Flash Fiction Contest. Read an interview about her story here. Her poetry and fiction appear in the Spring 2019 issue of KYSO Flash. Another flash, “Should You Chance Upon An Ahinahina in Bloom” is scheduled to appear in Flash Fiction Magazine. Linda writes from her home in Hawi on the Big Island. She posts her flash fiction at jackrabbitfiction.com.
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Tessa Rice. Hi, I'm Tessa Rice. I'm in my thirties (34) and I have Asperger's Syndrome. I'm currently working at the Kailua-Kona Safeway store. I was born and raised in Hawaii, still there, never lived anywhere else. I graduated from West Hawaii Community College, have attended several writer's groups and workshops in Kona. I have never been published, but I look forward to meeting people who will help me get my books out in the world. I enjoy writing science fiction novels, mostly dystopian and superhero, and I have a trilogy called Eternus currently in the works.
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Heather Rivera Heather S. Friedman Rivera, RN, JD, PhD obtained her Ph.D. in Parapsychic Science in 2011, her Doctorate in Law in 2002 and is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist specializing in Past-life Regression. Heather is also a retired Registered Nurse. She is the author of eight books and counting, contributing author in seven books, and author of numerous articles. Heather writes non-fiction, fiction, and books for young readers. She serves as an editor for the International Journal of Regression Therapy. She holds a creative writing specialization certificate from Wesleyan University. Heather has been featured in print, radio, and web television. Heather holds workshops on writing and past life regression. She lives in Hawaii with her husband, a puggle, and a bratty cat. Her superpower is bionic hearing. See her website here.
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Karen Sellers K. Ka`imilani Leota Sellers received her BA from the University of Hawai`i, Hilo, in English Literature, a minor in Cultural Anthropology, and a Teaching Certificate for Secondary Education. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Eastern Kentucky University. Her work is published in a variety of anthologies, including poetry in Yellow Medicine Review, Hawai`i Review, Napantla An Anthology for Queer Poets of Color, The Chaffin Journal, and a few Lexington Poetry Month anthologies. She was recognized as a CNF Finalist for Center for Women’s Writing, Penelope Niven Award for Creative Nonfiction, 2019. Most recently, she was recognized as a BGWS Emerging Writer Award Winner for Creative Nonfiction, summer 2020.
Linda Ulleseit Linda Ulleseit, Women Writing the West’s Marketing Director and a founding member of Paper Lantern Writers, was born and raised in Saratoga, California. She has an MFA in writing from Lindenwood University. Linda wrote two short fantasy stories in anthologies as well as a series of young adult flying horse books before delving into her true love—historical fiction. She is the author of Under the Almond Trees, which was a semifinalist in the Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Contest, and The Aloha Spirit, to be released in August, 2020. Linda believes in the unspoken power of women living ordinary lives. Her books are the stories of women in her family who were extraordinary but unsung. She recently retired from teaching elementary school and now enjoys writing full time.
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Mahealani Wendt Mahealani was born and raised in rural Lawai on the island of Kaua`i and currently resides in Wailuanui, East Maui. She is a long-time political activist and retired as Executive Director of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, a public interest lawfirm, after 32 years of service. She has published poetry and short stories in many literary magazines and anthologies, including UCLA Indigenous Peoples' Journal of Law, Culture & Resistance; Mānoa; Literary Arts Hawai`i; Bamboo Ridge; in several volumes of`Ōiwi: A Native Hawaiian Journal; Kaimana; Hawai`i Review; O`ahu Review; Many Mountains Moving; and Aotearoa-based Whetu Moana, edited by Robert Sullivan and Albert Wendt. Her book of poetry “Uluhaimalama,” was published by Kuleana `Oiwi Press in 2007. Over the past thirty years, Mahealani has been guest instructor at many high school and college classrooms and was a regular featured speaker at an annual Hawai`i "Poetry in the Schools" event. Since retiring and moving to Maui, she has continued to write and publish poetry and short stories.
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Tamara Williams Tamara is a poet and spoken word artist who hails from Guyana, the only English- Caribbean country in South America. This army wife and mother of three holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Communication Studies, and has a professional background in media production, marketing, voice acting and public relations. Her poetry is centered on inspiring and motivating people. She has produced a spoken word album titled ‘V Woman’ and other singles which were available in the Guyanese market. She is currently working on publishing the V Woman collection in book form. Apart from writing, she enjoys cooking, painting, and dancing. Above those, spending family time with her husband Tyrone and children Divine, Zion and Essa is precious to her.
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Wendy Wilson Born and raised in the suburbs of New York city, Wendy left the flatlands of Long Island for the mountains of Appalachia in the 80s. There she settled on a small farm and raised a variety of children, goats, sheep and pigs. She has worked in a library for most of her adult life and now, in retirement, has turned her love of reading books into a love of writing them. In December 2018 she won 2nd place in the online magazine Beneath the Rainbow’s Christmas contest with the short story “Wishes Can Come True.” “To Be or Not,” a story based on her published novel “Eternal Diet," was accepted into the “Hellfires Crossroads 7” anthology.
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Greer Woodward Greer writes science fiction and fantasy poetry. Her work is in Star*Line, Illumen, Scifaikuest, Lupine Lunes and Zen of the Dead. She holds a doctorate in Educational Theatre from New York University and was a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. She wrote lyrics for Theatreworks/USA's Sherlock Holmes and the Red-Headed League and contributed to the Off-Broadway musical revues Pets! and That's Life!, an Outer Critics Circle Awards nominee for Best Off-Broadway Musical. Please see her comic poems "Demon Lovers" and "Crater Conundrum Pizza," 2015 SFPA Contest Dwarf Form Third Place winner. Greer is currently the Vice President of Hawaii Writers Guild.
