Member Blog Post

Chrysteen Braun ABOUT CHRYSTEEN Chrysteen Braun is a native Californian, born and raised in Long Beach. She wrote her first novel when she was twelve, and while she can’t recall what it was about, she always thought she could become a writer.Because she was a rowdy teenager, her parents sent her on Chapman College’s World Campus Afloat after graduating high school, hoping she’d come back “a better person.” (It worked) She also worked for Capital Records in Hollywood, ordering all the Beatles Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album covers, and after reading the words to the songs, said “This will never sell.” When she still couldn’t decide what she wanted to pursue as a career, she went to work for her family’s construction business.Almost fifty years later, as a licensed flooring and general contractor, she and her husband Larry retired from remodeling and interior design, leaving their business to their daughter to carry on as Chrysteen’s parents had.In the early 1980’s Chrysteen wanted to write, and joined an Orange County, Ca. writer’s group with then unknown author Elizabeth George, and wrote a novel but tucked it away when business and family life took over. She did however, not totally abandon her writing interest as she published numerous articles about remodeling and interior design in her local newspapers. Now that she’s retired, she’s reinvented herself and started writing again.They have a second home in Lake Arrowhead, California, where Chrysteen opened a store, aptly called At The Cabin. The mountains have been the inspiration for her “Cabin” novels.Chrysteen currently lives in Coto de Caza, Ca., (near Mission Viejo) with her husband Larry, “who is the wind beneath my wings.” Search for:

Kathy Porter ABOUT KATHY Kathy Porter grew up in Endicott, New York, the birthplace of IBM and only a short distance from where one of her favorite TV series creators, Rod Serling, was raised. Kathy’s lifelong interest in science fiction ignited when her father, a science teacher, showed her craters on the moon and taught her about the constellations. She grew up watching science fiction movies and TV shows. Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles was her first delve into a science fiction novel, and she has been hooked ever since.”I think I was born telling stories,” Kathy explained during a recent interview. “As second to the oldest of seven children, the girls all slept in one bedroom. I loved making up bedtime stories with an eerie edge to frighten my sisters: tales about fairies, leprechauns, and aliens.”In September of 1961, reports of Barney and Betty Hill’s alien abduction claims took the media by storm. Kathy has been fascinated by their story of science fiction turned reality and “are we alone?””The concept of the Gray Guardians Series initially came to me in a dream that lingered in my mind for hours. Finally I told my husband about it over coffee and explained to him that if it were a book, I would love to read it. He said, ‘If you want to read it, you have to write it.’ With his encouragement and support, Earth’s Ultimate Conflict came to fruition. That’s how the Gray Guardians Series began.”Science fiction fans of all ages are applauding the appearance of this bold new voice for the genre.The Gray Guardians Series:Earth’s Ultimate ConflictEscape From NuurThe Journey, the third stand-alone novel in the series, will be released 2021 Search for:

Darlene Quinn ABOUT DARLENE Darlene Quinn is an international award-winning author and journalist from Long Beach, California. Her Web Series of novels, have garnered acclaim and have created an avid international fan base.Quinn finished Buddy Ebsen’s incomplete manuscript for a Barnaby Jones novel, Sizzling Cold Case, which was released in January 2007. In addition, she has published articles in both “Innkeeping World” and “Savvy Magazine,” highlighting the business knowledge she gained during her time at Bullock’s Department Stores and the Bullocks Wilshire Specialty Department Stores.Prior to being an author, Quinn was a public school teacher, a self-improvement and modeling instructor, and a private contractor for various department stores and hospitals.Darlene is a frequent staff member at the Southern California Writers Conference and has spoken at many philanthropic groups, fundraisers, social, aspiring-writers groups, business and book clubs. She has inspired, informed and motivated audiences to action and success. Darlene has the keen ability to deliver her message with clarity, conviction and passion.She has two children, John and Jodie, and lives with her artistic husband, Jack, in Long Beach, California.Visit Darlene’s website https://darlenequinn.net/ and make sure you sign up for her newsletter!Connect with Darlene:https://www.facebook.com/darlenequinn1https://twitter.com/DarleneQuinnhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/darlenequinn/https://www.youtube.com/user/DarleneQuinnhttps://www.pinterest.com/darlenequinn/ Search for:

Russ Thompson ABOUT RUSS I’m a retired educator who taught reading and served as a high-school principal in Los Angeles. I write easy-to-read novels for teens who are reluctant readers. Search for:

Sulan Dun ABOUT SULAN Sulan is a former high school math and science teacher. While home with her first baby, she taught herself computer programming. Her first foray into self publishing was a shareware game she wrote for her toddler to mash a handful of keys to make pictures of her toddler’s stuffed animals pop up. Someone in Montana sent her $5 for her game. Sulan used the $5 to buy a pen and vowed to sign one day at Microsoft as a software developer. And five years later, she did it!But eventually, working full time with four kids under the age of six was just too much and so she quit to stay home with them. While home with her kids, she started FunBasedLearning.com, a free educational games website which has had over 51 million page views. Sulan also wrote two screenplays, one of which was hip pocketed by a WGA signatory agent. If you know anyone interesting in making her feature length action adventure comedy, let her know!Screenplay title: Brawlers, Inc.Logline: A TV wrestling show’s optimistic recruiter and worrywart lawyer must help the show avoid cancellation by going to wartime Iraq to find and legally bring back an enemy combatant brawler for the show’s wrestlers to fight.Sulan has also been writing science fiction short stories and earned two honorable mentions in the Writers of the Future contest. The winning short stories are based on her novel in progress.If you wish to follow her, you can find her at:Twitter: @SulanDunFacebook: http://facebook.com/funbasedlearningYouTube: at https://www.youtube.com/user/SulanDunGames website: http://FunBasedLearning.com Search for:

Susan Elaine Courtright ABOUT SUSAN Susan, aka seshirley , is a multi-faceted writer of screen- and teleplays, guest author, newspaper columnist, ghostwriter and author of fiction and non-fiction. She currently has three major film projects in development, is finishing a short detective story, and two mystery novels, one combines history and time-travel. One story is a cold case set in America and Germany (where she served as a criminologist) – one is set in Southeast England. She also has a YA book, Nate’s New Normal, being serialized on her website: seshirley.wordpress.com. Susan is a UCLA Bruin and is engaged in mentor programs for CommStudies and Womens’ Studies. Search for:

Mike Sharp ABOUT MIKE Retired from Lucky Stores, later Albertson’s in 2001 after 32 years. Four years Navy, 1964 to 1968. 23 years 300th Army Band (reserves) 1978 to 2002.I’ve written short stories, liner note, manuals, songs and poetry. It’s been my pastime for sixty years. I’m currently focused on screenwriting and enjoying it very much. I still practice my trombone every day and am looking forward to being able to play in public again soon. Search for:

Renee Bourque ABOUT RENEE Renee began her writing career by winning a poetry prize in the 5th grade. Part of the prize was spending a week working one-on-one with poet A.J. Hovde at Eastern Washington University. She finished high school at the University of Washington at 15 focusing on comparative literature. In her early 20s, she wrote her first book about the history and theory of the Picturesque landscape architecture design style which was sponsored by Doris Buffet, the sister of Warren Buffet. The switch to non-fiction began here.For over 20 years Renee’s writing was related to her work as Founder and Principal of Bright Star Grant Consultants, Inc and as consultant to 149 global university, government and non-profit clients. She wrote for widely divergent audiences and purposes: hundreds of grant proposals, some up to 1000 pages, with an 80% success rate; Reports to the Department of Justice and Congress; and as a monthly correspondent for the national publication The Fund Book to name a few. Most of her work, aside from grants and reports, was related to organizational development, funding strategy, program innovation and working on the ground with humanitarian projects.Renee is co-author with Susan Howlett of the best selling book Getting Funded: The Complete Guide to Grant Proposals 5th and 6th editions, a silver place winner of the international Axiom Award for business books. Until two years ago, she was a Senior Lecturer in Non-Profit Management at the top ranked Daniel J Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, Graduate School, University of Washington. Her most recent focus is writing Travel in Dangerous Places, a memoir of overcoming and resilience in 14 countries that answers “What happens when good intentions go wrong?” and the sequel More Travel in Dangerous Places. Search for:

Ananya Ridenour ABOUT ANANYA Ananya is part of a husband and wife team that are partners both in life and writing. Their relationship and writing has evolved to become what it is today, a collaboration of support, ideas, and dreams. They challenge each other to create, to dream, to be more than they have become as individuals. Ananya and Brett support each other’s endeavors and to that end, are passionate to help each other as a whole. While supporting and challenging each other to grow, both Ananya and Brett maintain their individuality and zest for life. Ananya’s other passions include traveling, archaeology, and jigsaw puzzles. Brett loves video gaming, sewing, cooking, and movies. Ananya and Brett have agreed, that they want to share their experience and passion with others. They want to give back to the community and have made a commitment to help others with their program, Storyteller’s Ethos, in which they will donate a portion of their proceeds from their novels, to various charities that enhance the advancement and passions of others. Ananya and Brett have three children, two dogs, and the occasional squirrel that likes to run along the fence.For more information please visit www.ananyaandbrett.com Search for: