Introduce Yourself!

[Aidana WillowRaven]

I want to get to know all of you better naturally, but many of you may not know each other, and you never know who could use who's services or want who's book... right? Let's try to keep to bios though, Ok? We can chat individually with people we know and meet by clicking on their profile.

So let the introductions begin!

Me first... most of you are at least familiar with me and what I do, but here goes with my bio:

Aidana WillowRaven, mother of three, trained in Fine Art, Studio Design and 2D Animation at Norfolk State and Old Dominion universities.

In her freshman year, her art placed second in a nation-wide college competition hosted by the Stockley Gardens Fall Arts Festival. First place went to a sixth year grad student.

She started designing book covers and illustrating professionally in 2007, and her first published work was a children’s book, The Adventures of Katie-Bear: Fun Days at School, which won The Author’s Lounge’s Reader’s Choice Best Children’s Cover Illustration for May 2008.

Her portfolio of covers and illustrations for books has grown since to include more children’s books and book cover designs for novels. It now contains over thirty finished published works.

Living Our Bliss: An Introduction to Sun Food was the most recent cover to win an award from Divine Revolution Magazine's Cover Design Contest in June 2008.

Her company, WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus, has grown to include not only children’s book covers and illustrations, but also novel dust jackets (such as the one Aidana created for Midnight Hours, a newly released mystery/suspense), literary agent services, and pre-submission manuscript editing services.

Thus far, she has either designed covers, illustrated books, or negotiated contacts with such publishers as Living Waters Publishing, 4RV Publishing, and Steel Waves Publishing just to name a few.

Anyone interested in her work can view samples on her website:

www.WillowRavenIllustration.com

[Sabriena Williams]

Hello Everyone My name is Sabriena Williams and I am the author of An Inspirational Touch: Embracing the Touch from God and Soon to be released " Wait on the Lord, I say Wait". I have attached my bio so you can find out more about me.

[Kim Smith]

Kim hails from the northwest corner of Mississippi just below the stateline from Memphis TN. She calls it the sunny side of Memphis. She lives there with her husband, tiny dog Tinkerbell, and college age kids.

She is also the owner of VideoVision Entertainment, a video/photography company since 1992. Weddings and portraiture is the specialty of her company but you may find them at sporting events, and theater events.

Kim Smith is the author of Avenging Angel, a cozy mystery coming soon from Enspiren Press. She has written numerous short stories which have graced the pages of Mouthfull of Bullets, and Gryphonwood. She has also had many published online at places such as, Long Story Short, MystericalE, and FlashFictionOnline.

you can find her website at: http://www.mkimsmith.com and she also blogs with three other mystery/suspense writers at : http://www.murderby4.blogspot.com

[Linda Goodman]

Greetings! My name is Linda Goodman and I am a performing writer (storyteller) and a Virginia Appalachian Mountain native of Melungeon descent. I have been published in the Chicken Soup and Stories for the Heart Series. My book, Daughters of the Appalachians, is available through Overmountain Press. I am honored to be a part of this group.

[Oleksiy Maksymenko]

Happy to be on one board with you guys!
My name is Oleksiy Maksymenko and I am a photographer from Toronto, Canada. I mostly specialize in Beauty, Fashion, Glamour and Creative fine art photography, but as well cover such subjects as still life, lifestyle, travel and conceptual photography.

Most of my works are available for licensing as stock photography, and many of them have already been licensed for book and magazine covers, for commercial and editorial usage and web sites.

In addition to photography I am a 3D artist and use my skills to create conceptual 3D illustrations and combine photography works with digital 3D environment.

I am open for assignment works and ready to help you turn creative ideas into life.

Please visit my web site to see my portfolio and find out more about me: Oleksiy Maksymenko Creative Photography

[Mark Wandrey]

Greetings everyone,

I'm a fiction writer specializing in sci-fi and fantasy. I have over thirty years of experience with one novel published and a hand full of short stories. I was raised in the Pacific Northwest and moved to the midwest nearly twenty years ago. After a breif (3 years) stay in Texas, I've settled in Springfield KY, though I currently work weekdays in Nashville TN. Looking forward to being part of the community.

Mark

[Brian L Porter]

I'm a multi-published award-winning author, writing dark psychological and crime thrillers. My novel 'The Nemesis Cell', and novella 'Avenue of the Dead' were published in 2007 by Stonehedge Publishing, The Nemesis Cell recently achieved 6th place in the Preditors & Editors Annual Readers Awards (Mystery Novel).

A new, dark psychological thriller 'A Study in Red - The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper' was released by DoubleDragon Press in January 2008, and is selling very well in paperback, with the cover design having been awarded The Authors Lounge May 2008 Best Cover Illustration Award. Two collections of my short stories were also released last year, 'The Voice of Anton Bouchard' by Stonehedge Publishing, and 'Murder, Mayhem and Mexico' by Eternal Press, which came 9th in the antholigies category in the Preditors & Editors Readers Awards.

My next paperback release will be 'Pestilence' due out in August, followed by 'Purple Death' coming in the Summer of 2008 from Steel Waves Publishing, soon to be followed by paperback editions of 'Glastonbury', The Nemesis Cell and Avenue of the Dead, from the same publisher.

Under another name I also have eight children's books due for publication by 4RV Publishing between now and 2010. Look out for 'Alistair the Alligator', 'Harry Porter's Dog tales (6 book series), and Wolf!

Please visit my websites at www.freewebs.com/brianlp and www.freewebs.com/astudyinred or www.glastonburythenovel.webs.com
I also act as poetry editor for Balderdash Literary Journal from Stargazer Publishing, and I'm a Science fiction Conceptual Consultant for Stonehedge Publishing. I enjoy studying the history of crime and studying forensics to enable me to present believable fiction.
I live with my wife, two step-daughters, and 4 rescue dogs, in northern England, and I'm a member of The American Authors Association and The Military Writers Society of America, and The Whitechapel Society 1888.
Website:
www.freewebs.com/brianlp

[David Lee Jones]

David Lee Jones currently bartends in Lexington, SC in the United States of America. He is currently seeking publication of his first novel MoriaVaratu, a science fiction thriller that takes place on two different planets at two different periods of time. The original novel has a sequel, The War of the Third Awakening, that David is currently half way through writing.

In his free time Mr. Jones devotes his efforts to several ongoing writing projects including the Toothie Series, the Bartender Guy and the Wizard War.

David is a 40 year old divorced father of two residing in the Southern US. You can contact Mr. Jones at the following email address.

[e-mail]

Samples of written work available upon email requests.

http://www.wingsandaleoflexington.com/wingsassests/61bartender.JPG

[Tina Roberts]

Hi, My name is Tina Marie and I write Inspirational Historical Romance. I am glad to be part of this fun group. I live in East Tennessee, near the Great Smoky Mountains and most of my stories are based here. I am 45 years old, been married to my own hero for 29 years, I have 1 son and 2 grandchildren.
I have a publisher interested in my work, but I am doing revisions before I submit my final manuscript for consideration. I love to read, write and paint.
I suffer from severe Fibromyalgia, which causes me to spend entire days in bed at times...other times I do okay. I suffer from blood clotting disorders and a type of cancer that may not "kill" me, but it is not curable either. I believe that God has a purpose for my life and that is to 'WRITE"...so I write and write and writer.... LOL
I look forward to getting to know each of you. And please don't think that I posted about my illness to gain pity....I just have obsticles, as we all do, to overcome...but we shall all overcome!

[Sue Miller]

Sue Miller ARTIST/ILLUSTRATOR
www.suemillerart.com
I am a professional artist. my work is licensed to several companies..
Pacific Trading
The Fairy Society
Peter Stone Jewelers
Heaven and Earth Designs
Stab and Stash
Up Your Art
Tate and Company
I also own an ART teaching business and teach drawing and painting in my home studio for the past 17 years.
I also own The magic Palette Art Studio and I have a unique on line gift shop featuring many gift products with my art work on them. www.suemillerart.com
You can e-mail me at [e-mail]

[Darwin Phillips]

Greetings: Although I have been working on two seperate Books, one (a work of Fiction) the other (an Auotbiography) since 1995 Ugh!!! I am a first timer, and I have all of the insecurities that come w/ the territory. I have always loved to read and prefer History and Fiction, my first love however is music, so I started writing songs initially. I find when I write songs I become very political, I would like to write something that might deal w/ the finer side of man but for some reason I turn to everything that's wrong w/ my world, perhaps the primal scream of one that keeps leaving only to come back in a different form, yes I believe that there is more to dejavu than we really wish to accept. I am very proud of my CD "Storm Brewin Outside" as it is a compilation of 10 songs that I have written over the years, you can go to www.sotocam.biz for more info. I am also published in a book of Poems, The Colors Of Life by Franz/ thru Poetry.com on page one, a work titled "How do you fare America" which really inspired me to finish my books and get them published, I thank you all so much for the information and advice and I feel that I will now finish both works and maybe continue w/ some new ideas. It is great to find so many communities sharing the same interest and profiting as well, very cool !!!

[Fifi Leigh]

i was born in scotland, raised in wva and now reside in california with cat and goldfish.
i have a ba in social science from uci, mba from wu and graphic diploma from platt.
i am a graphic designer, novelist and photographer with no job connections.
i finally self-published my first novel on lulu.com, doing the whole book myself--what a big headache that was. and now i am trying to draw a graphic novel--double the headache.
i am a vegetarian, against animal testing and into animal rights.
my novels tend to have sociological content because of my education.
i am single, with pets.

[Marla Fair]

For the sake of simplicity I am going to quote from my website bio -

Born and bred in southwestern Ohio, I attended the University of
Cincinnati & Edison State Community College majoring in Fine
Arts and minoring in History. At a young age I dreamed of being a
comic book artist. This started a love of illustrative art which is
with me to this day. First concentrating on pastels and pen & ink,
I now work in the new and exciting medium of colored pencils. I
had the privilege of studying with two nationally known artists -
Janie Gildow and Ann Kullberg. Under the tutelage of these two
gracious ladies I gained experience in this relatively new medium
and developed my own style, which pays homage to both of theirs.

I teach classes in colored pencil on a drop-in basis at the Hayner
Cultural Center in Troy, OH. For information please email me
or call the center at 937.339.9457 I work in graphite, pastel, and
pen & ink as well. Mostly a realistic artist, I have stretched out
doing contemporary pieces for David Fair Designs & Winans
Candies employing gel & acrylics.

Other interests? I have many. I am a member of the Troy
Historical Society of Miami County, OH where I get to indulge
my keen interest in my Irish heritage and genealogy. I am the
founder of ‘Gallimaufry, a Writer’s Group’ also out of Miami
County. Currently I am publishing my own work. My interests are
fantasy and historicals. I also have great fun writing fan-fiction and
creating fan art based on a variety of shows from my childhood
including Daniel Boone, the Young Rebels, Robin of Sherwood &
the Golden Age 'Teen' and 'New Titans' comic books.

I am currently employed at the Piqua Historical Area in Piqua,
OH as an Interpretive Guide, and lead the tours at the Johnston
Farm House which was the home of John Johnston, Indian agent
to the Miami, Shawnee, Wyandot and Seneca tribes of Ohio
(among others) from 1809 – 1829. The house was built 1811 –
1815.

Marla

PS Here's a sample of my work