Member Blog Post

Atkins, Kathryn

Kathryn Atkins ABOUT KATHRYN Kathryn Atkins is a native Californian. She attended UC Berkeley for a BS in Marketing and an MBA. After a long corporate career, she changed gears, opened a business writing firm, Writing World, and then began writing fiction. She joined the Long Beach chapter of the non-profit 501(c)(3) California Writers Club in 2008 and became VP, then President, and won the Jack London Award in 2011. Atkins now serves on both the branch and state board of directors for the club, which was founded in 1909.Her non-fiction work has appeared in the Orange County Register, OC Metro Magazine, the Huffington Post, Thrive Global, Life Hack, and more recently in the National Business Post. Many of her poems, essays, and short stories have been captured and published by Outskirts Press in “Giving My Self to the Wind,” 2017, and “My Piano Hands, A Flash Memoir Collection,” 2020. Besides writing, the author enjoys playing the piano, attending writing club meetings, doing yoga, flamenco dancing, and reading.Her first novel, “Deathlist,” is expected to be out in early 2022, followed by a nonfiction book about coffee.To see some of her work and catch up with her on social, please visit www.kathrynatkins.com, and writingworld.biz, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Search for:

Wing, Thomas M.

Thomas M. Wing ABOUT THOMAS  A 1984 Naval Academy graduate, Thomas M. Wing retired after serving 32 years as a Navy Surface Warfare officer. He’s now a full-time writer of nautical fiction, both historical and modern. He has completed two novels and has begun work on a third. Unable to constrain himself to a single time period, his first novel is set during the American Revolution, his second in modern times, and his third during World War II. Tom lives in San Diego with his wife and daughter, two cats, and a dog. He spends whatever time he can on the water in sail boats or a kayak. In his diverse career, he has: taught Coast Guard licensing courses at all levels; held licenses himself for Master of Vessels up to 1600GT; Second Mate, Unlimited Tonnage; and Master of Sailing Vessels up to 50GT; all of these were endorsed for Upon Oceans. He also held a ticket as an Able Seaman, Unlimited. He founded and served as Executive Director for the Continental Navy Foundation, which conducted experiential education at sea for young people 13-17 years of age. He also commanded the Foundation’s tall ship, brigantine Megan D. Finally, he served as an engineer in Navy civilian service, and is a part time consultant. His Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/ThomasMWingWriter/. Search for:

Pronin, Barbara L

Barbara L Pronin ABOUT BARBARA A former journalist and news editor, Barbara Pronin is the author of six adult mysteries – three as Barbara Pronin and three as Barbara Nickolae – and two non-fiction books as well as hundreds of magazine articles and executive speeches. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and a graduate of CSULA, she began writing stories at the age of eight, but took turns as an actress, a probation officer, and a substitute teacher before settling down in front of her computer full-time. A contributing editor to a national real estate magazine, when she isn’t writing, Barbara loves music, gourmet cooking, Dodgers baseball, and rediscovering the world through the eyes of her grandchildren. Although mysteries have been her forte – “The Miner’s Canary” will be published in late 2022 – the Orange County resident is currently at work on a World War II historical novel that has her sitting on the edge of her own seat. IG @writerbobbi   Search for:

Caffrey, Dot

Dot Caffrey ABOUT DOT Born and raised in New York, mostly on Long Island not “The City”, Dot Caffrey moved to California after high school and now describes herself as a ‘Californian by choice not chance’. She did a three-year stint in the Navy before going to college and getting a Microbiology/Medical Technologist degree.Her father told her she was a storyteller from the time she began talking (which was at a very young age). But, it wasn’t until a few years ago that she decided to take her passion for writing and her love for all things magical or mythical seriously and start writing fantasy novels.Now retired from her day job, she hopes to fill her time with more writing as well as her hobbies of creating and wearing costumes (cosplay), playing video games (though, she admits she is not very good at it), watching NHL hockey and, of course, hanging out with her friends and many cats.https://www.dotcaffrey.comhttps://www.facebook.com/DotCaffreyFantasyAuthor Search for:

Silverman, Nancy Cole

Nancy Cole Silverman ABOUT NANCY Nancy Cole Silverman spent nearly twenty-five years in news and talk radio, beginning her career in college on the talent side as one of the first female voices on the air. Later on the business side in Los Angeles, she retired as one of two female general managers in the nation’s second-largest radio market. After a successful career in the radio industry, Silverman retired to write fiction. Her short stories and crime-focused novels—the Carol Childs and Misty Dawn Mysteries are both Los Angeles-based. Her newest series begins with THE NAVIGATOR’S DAUGHTER, debuts with Level Best Books in December 2022, and takes a more international approach. Silverman lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a thoroughly pampered standard poodle. Search for:

Rogers, Jen

Jen Rogers ABOUT JEN Southern California based freelance writer and blogger Jen Rogers (JenRogers33) is an avid camper and outdoor enthusiast who likes nothing more than grabbing her tent, escaping into the remote wilderness, and completely unplugging from the world around her while enveloped in the beauty of nature. Her entire life, Jen has been surrounded by photographers and writers starting with her paternal grandfather who was a true adventurer in every sense of the word and a story-teller extraordinaire. Her uncle was a professional nature photographer and her brother a film director. What is truly unique about Jen is her ability to tell a story coupled with her beautiful photography. She not only provides you with her practical travel tips, things to do and trip itineraries, but her blog is full of stories about her unique travel adventures, her hilarious mishaps and her childhood. Her stories will make you laugh, gasp and cry as they transport you to another world reading them. Website: www.JenRogers33.com IG: @JenRogers33 Search for:

Nannini, Marcus A.

Marcus A. Nannini ABOUT MARCUS Mr. Nannini began his writing career when he published his own newspaper in the sixth grade and charged 25 cents per school quarter for the privilege of reading the only hand-written copy of each edition. The newspaper was a modest success.During his undergraduate years, he was a paid newspaper reporter and worked three semesters as the Research Assistant to journalism professor Richard Stocks Carlson, Ph.D. Nannini’s newspaper reporting paid for his senior year of undergrad.Nannini is a life-long history buff with a particular interest in World War II and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He once discovered an error in his fifth-grade history book concerning the attack, which the publisher subsequently corrected as a result. His first novel, Chameleons, An Untold World War II Story, was well received and awarded “Best Thriller.”Nannini’s second work, Left for Dead at Nijmegen, the True Story of an American Paratrooper (Casemate Publishers, Oxford, UK, and Philadelphia, PA) received plaudits from around the world, has been placed into the United States National Archives, and was named 2019 Nonfiction Book of the Year. Sir Charles, Prince of Wales, owns a copy.Nannini’s third work, Midnight Flight to Nuremberg, the Capture of the Nazi who put Adolph Hitler into Power, will be released in the UK and EU on September 30, 2021, by Pen & Sword Books (United Kingdom) and January 2022 in the USA and Canada.Nannini is presently working on the biography of a penniless Italian immigrant who rose to be a Captain of Industry and International Philanthropist. The anticipated publication date is Second Quarter, 2023.Nannini’s Mystery/Thriller Series commencing with Nine Men Down, The Silent Invasion of Oahu, followed by Geographic Treachery, The Shah’s Revenge; is set to begin publication in the First Quarter, 2023. Search for:

Walker, Karen Sue

Karen Sue Walker ABOUT KAREN Karen Sue Walker writes cozy mysteries, allowing her to spend time researching murder methods, baking, and playing with her rescue dog, Kit. She has published the four-book Bridal Shop Mysteries and the first in the Haunted Tearoom Mystery Series with more to come soon. Karen also assists other authors in their publishing journey with coaching, marketing guidance, and newsletter writing. Search for:

Casas, Ann Yvonne

Ann Yvonne Casas ABOUT ANN Ann Casas writes in order to satisfy that creative muse that won’t stay quiet when present yet remains elusive until challenged by the author’s life experiences. She writes memoirs, children’s stories, poetry and books that are a product of her personal journey. She enjoys sharing what she has encountered and learned. A former educator, her stories, poems and short novels have been published on Amazon.com and also Barnes and Noble.com. She also enjoys traveling. She lives in Southern CA with her husband Steve and son Zachary. Please visit her author’s website https://wordpress.com/view/anncasasauthorwordpress.com.Also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ann.casas.3 and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/annyvonnecasas/ Search for:

Butler, Thomas D

Thomas D Butler ABOUT THOMAS Thomas Butler is an author and educator in Santa Ana, California.A graduate of CSULB, he has taught English at the high school level since 2005. He is an active member of several writers groups and associations, and has designed courses and curriculum to help support young writers.Thomas’s first novel, Some Experience Preferred, a humorous crime thriller, was published in 2019 and was well received by critics and readers. Described by one critic as, “easily the best book I’ve reviewed in a year,” Some Experience Preferred was a strong debut from an indie publisher.His second full length publication, Two Guns 1 Mile, a collection of historical short fiction set around the real-life ghost town of Two Guns, Arizona, launched in May of 2021. Nominated for the Indie Author Project 2021 Awards, and has been accepted into the California State Library system.Currently, he has two other crime thrillers looking for a publishing home, and is seeking representation to that end.Thomas can be followed on his website (thomasbutlerbooks.com), or on Twitter (@ThomasDButler). Search for: