Jennifer - Senior Editor

Since the age of eight, I knew my life would revolve around the written word, partly because I couldn't do math or science, but mostly because my passions were reading and telling stories. I majored in American Literature in college, and studied creative writing in tutorials with a talented English professor, then continued my graduate studies with an MFA in Creative Writing. My professional life began in book publishing at Simon and Schuster, and continued with editing, writing and teaching in many facets throughout the years while I raised three boys, my other passion in life. I was fortunate enough to study at two prestigious programs, Sarah Lawrence and Skidmore College, where my writing was enriched by the incredible teaching of some of the most respected and talented contemporary writers--Rick Moody, Mary Gordon, Marilynn Robinson, Jay McInerney, Andrea Barrett, Daryl Pinckney, Howard Norman, Linsey Abrams, and Edna O'Brien--to name a few. Another home for me has been the writer's groups I have belonged to over the past twenty years, where I have found support, friendship, and incentive to complete two novels. My writing has been published by Simon and Schuster, various commercial and literary magazines, as well as newspapers, and educational publishers. Helping other writers polish their work brings me fulfillment, and there's nothing better than having a career that feeds your soul.

Kathryn - Senior Editor

When I was 13, I sat in history class and watched my friend read my first novel (85 pages), with tears streaming down her cheeks. I knew in that moment what I wanted to do with my life - not make people cry, but move them with my words. The passion for writing ran in my blood; my grandfather used to type on rolls of butcher paper because he didn't have time to change the pages. I studied English and history at the University of California, Riverside, where I graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude. While studying for my master's exams, I wrote my first novel by hand in two weeks. I am mostly a self-taught author, though I learned an invaluable lesson in the one creative writing class I took at UCR, when the professor suggested I might be a very good writer if only I could think of plot. That's where my zeal for history came in. I have since had eight novels published (by Pinnacle/ Berkely-Jove/ Simon & Schuster), including my first - The Dakotas: At the Wind's Edge - which was banned in North Dakota. My fifth, Too Deep For Tears-into which I poured every bit of my soul and emotion-was a 7-week New York Times bestseller. I had a short story published in an anthology of poems, essays, and short stories by Maya Angelou, Barbara Kingsolver, Joyce Carole Oates, Amy Tan, et al. At U.C. Riverside's 40th Anniversary, I was named one of 40 Alumni Who Have Made a Difference (out of 38,000 graduates). It was the greatest honor I could have asked for. I've won many awards for my fiction, but I most prize letters from fans who have responded emotionally.
My third passion, teaching and editing, has given me great joy over the years. Whether editing fiction or nonfiction, or teaching a creative writing or journalism class, I love the interaction with clients and students. I enjoy showing them how they can improve their work. I especially take pleasure in the one-on-one interaction of mentoring/coaching writers with works in progress. I love sharing what I have learned, and find I never stop learning myself.

Linda - Editor

I have always enjoyed writing, and one day I had a revelation: I enjoy editing other peoples’ prose even more than writing my own! Helping authors communicate effectively, making sure that a manuscript is error free and professional-looking, increasing the chances of a novel being accepted by a publisher—this is what I like to do. As an editor, I think of myself as an ally to help authors achieve the four C’s: Clarity, Coherence, Consistency, and Correctness. As a fresh pair of eyes—trained eyes—I spot the places where prose may need a little polishing, and I make revisions, suggestions, and queries as appropriate to achieve that goal.
My eye for detail and appreciation of logic were honed during my years as a software engineer, when I wrote and tested computer programs in the telecommunications industry. Much of what I know about writing nonfiction and fiction I learned in the MFA Creative Writing Program at Florida International University, where I won an award for my short fiction. I went on to become a freelance writer and publish hundreds of articles in magazines and newspapers including the Miami Herald and the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. Later I undertook an extensive training program and earned a Specialized Certificate in Copyediting from the University of California San Diego Extension. Since then I have edited numerous manuscripts, both fiction and nonfiction. I’m an active member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, the Florida Publishers Association, and the Florida Writers Association, as well as secretary of the Writers’ Network of South Florida.

Naomi - Senior Editor

My parents introduced me to the beauty and wonder of words through the books of Dr. Seuss. Since first cracking open his books at a young age, I have been interested in the power of words, poems, and stories. I wrote my first play, which was staged in Honolulu, when I was a teenager. At Bard College, I studied Literature and Philosophy, and after traveling in Europe, majored in English at the University of Hawaii. As a student, I contributed articles to Honolulu Weekly and several inflight magazines for the local airlines. The year after graduating, I accepted a fellowship to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where I studied with some of the best writers in the country, and graduated with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing. My work has been published in various journals, including Arts and Letters and TinFish Journal, and the anthology Century of the Tiger: One Hundred Years of Korean Culture in America. A chapbook of my poems, Radiant Field, was published in 2004. I am currently expanding it into a full-length book, whose subject is the strange light cast by the prism of memory and language. My professional editing career began at MANOA: A Pacific Journal of International Writing, where I specialized in editing works translated into English from other languages. I have been editing professionally for ten years, helping writers hone their books for publication in a wide range of fields. I believe in the words of the Englishman William Hazlitt: "Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own."