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Sheila Lowe is a court-qualified forensic handwriting expert with more forty years of experience in the
field. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and is the author of
several
published books including Handwriting of the Famous & Infamous, and The Complete
Idiot’s Guide to Handwriting Analysis, as well as Sheila Lowe’s Handwriting
Analyzer software. Her new mystery novel, Poison Pen, received a starred review
in
Publishers Weekly and introduces forensic handwriting expert, Claudia Rose, who
uses her handwriting analysis skills to help solve crimes.
As a handwriting expert, Sheila is often seen in the media analyzing celebrities,
presidential candidates, and people in high-profile criminal cases. She provides services
to corporate clients, mental health professionals, attorneys, private investigators and
staffing agencies, and many others.
Julie
Hyzy's
first experience
with food included flipping burgers and chopping onions at a
neighborhood hot dog stand. She traded that experience for a job as a
singing waitress at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour -- but gave that up when
she started college (and because she couldn't carry a tune).
Over the years, she's acted in community theater productions,
appeared in television commercials, and crashed a previously all-male
fraternity to become one of the first female brothers in Loyola
University's Chapter of Delta Sigma Pi. Julie had dreams
of becoming a writer, but family, friends, and frat brothers convinced
her otherwise. Having held positions as junior officer at a downtown
bank, office manager at an architectural firm, and financial advisor at
a prestigious wealth management company, she realizes that the business
degree was probably a good choice -- but fiction is truly her passion.
Now, with some well-earned life
experience behind her, she's delighted to finally be able to make
writing a priority in her life.
She is the author of the White House Chef series, featuring STATE OF
THE ONION, HAIL TO THE CHEF, and EGGSECUTIVE ORDERS. She also writes the
new Manor House Mystery series - the first book, GRACE UNDER PRESSURE,
is a new release.
Writer/Producer/Director Jack Olesker
has a career that
spans over three decades. During those more than thirty years, writing,
producing and directing are the only fields of endeavor in which he has
ever been involved.
His professional career was launched in
1976 when his only copy of his first manuscript – sent unsolicited and
in a shirt box – was plucked from the slush pile by G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Film rights for the novel, NO PLACE LIKE HOME, were purchased by Sherry
Lansing during her tenure at MGM. (Lansing would go on to become
Hollywood’s longest serving studio head, at Paramount Motion Pictures,
producing films that include THE ACCUSED, FATAL ATTRACTION and
TITANIC.) The novel became a best seller.
In
ensuing years Olesker published five more novels -- THE SIEGE OF
SUPERPORT, BEYOND FOREVER, THE YOUNG DRAGONS, CONFESSIONAL and CAST ON,
BET’S OFF. His novels were published by Putnam, Signet, New American
Library, Pocket and Dorchester. His screenplay, based upon his novel
CONFESSIONAL, was purchased by Yale Wexler Productions. Interestingly,
his novels embrace the spectrum of various genres, including horror,
police procedurals, suspense and a historical saga.
In 1977 he moved to Los Angeles and
wrote over 100 commercials, also serving as an editor at ENTREPRENEUR
Magazine. In 1982 he began his career in episodic television by writing
for the children’s series, THE LITTLES. Soon after he took a staff
position at DIC Entertainment where he created, wrote and story-edited
such children’s series as THE CARE BEARS, SUPER MARIO BROTHERS,
HEATHCLIFF THE CAT, POPPLES, INSPECTOR GADGET and many others.
As an independent writer in 1992, he
created the series bible for Saban Entertainment’s internationally
successful MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS. He also created and wrote
thirty-seven episodes of THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HE-MAN. Olesker captured
the Billboard Magazine Best Educational Video for writing KIDS HAVE
RIGHTS, TOO and he also created the IT’S OKAY TO SAY NO TO DRUGS video.
In
2007 his screenplay for NINJA KNIGHTS: WHEN WARRIOR WORLDS COLLIDE, was
purchased by KEN Creative Studios, an India-based animation studio that
secured Olesker’s services as studio president. Serving as CEO of his
own production company, 24/7 Productions, in November and December of
2009 he Executive Produced and Produced two documentaries in the Bahamas
– JUNKANOO! and EMPOWERMENT: THE AMAZING GRACE. In July of 2010 he will
be producing and directing THE POWER OF 100 BLACK MEN for PBS.
Olesker’s 24/7 Productions has acquired the rights to develop a
television series based upon the iconic children’s magazine JACK & JILL
and is in a strategic alignment with WNIT Public Television to develop
the series. He has written the pilot episode and series bible for
that project.
A frequent lecturer, he has appeared
before The American Society of Journalists and Authors and in 2009 was
the keynote speaker at the prestigious River Bend Film Festival. In all
Jack Olesker has written over one thousand episodes of television,
eighteen films and published six novels.
C. Hope Clark
(Hope) founded and serves as editor of
www.FundsforWriters.com
, a well-known writer's reference that reaches 35,000 readers weekly
with grants, markets and motivational editorials that generate
stacks of thank-you notes from readers. Writer's Digest voted FundsforWriters one of its 101 Best Web Sites for Writers for the
past nine years.
Hope's dozen
ebooks are rapid sellers ranging from Grants for the Serious
Writer to Short & Sweet; Markets for Fillers. Hope has published in
magazines like Writer's Digest, The Writer Magazine, ByLine
Magazine, Next Step Magazine, College Bound Teen, TURF Magazine, and
Landscape Management. The Shy Writer is a nonfiction paperback she
penned to aid writers like her who have difficulty appearing in
public. Published in 2004, it continues to readily sell and was
rereleased as a second edition in Fall 2007.
After 25 years as a
manager with the federal sector, she requested an early retirement
in her forties to write full time and manage FundsforWriters,
marrying her knowledge of grants and her love of writing.
She lives in
Chapin, South Carolina on the banks of Lake Murray, has completed the first
novel of an agricultural mystery series, and has
recently signed with an agent. She is married to a
recently retired federal agent who inspires her love of mystery
writing.
Linda S Clare
grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and taught
art as well as elementary school in public and private schools. She has
published four books, including her debut novel The Fence My Father
Built (Abingdon Press 2099).
She has won several fiction awards,
teaches college writing classes and works as a mentor and editor. Her
husband of thirty-two years and their four adult children, including a
set of twins, live in Eugene, Oregon, along with five wayward cats,
Oliver, Xena Warrior Kitty Paladine, Melchior and Mamma Mia!
Mike Lawson
was raised in Pueblo, Colorado with a passel of brothers and one sister,
then attended Seattle University and got a degree in engineering. After
college, he went to work for the U.S. Navy as
a nuclear engineer and spent about thirty years working for the Navy’s
nuclear power program. He spent some time in Washington D.C., but most
of his career was at a large naval shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. At
the shipyard he managed a number of
different organizations related to overhauling nuclear powered
submarines, cruisers, and aircraft carriers. He ended his career as a
member of the government’s Senior Executive Service and as the top
civilian at the shipyard responsible for navy reactor plant work on the
west coast. The influence of his former career on his writing is
discussed briefly in the “Behind the Books” section of
his Web site.
So how’d he go from nuclear engineering to writing? The short answer
is he likes to write, it’s fun for him, so he tried his hand at it. He
tells people if you
want to be a writer you need some talent, a lot of persistence, and a
whole lot of luck – probably more luck than talent. In 2004, he got very
lucky: a fantastic agent liked THE INSIDE RING (2005) and got him a
two-book deal with a publisher. THE SECOND PERIMETER came out
in 2006. His third book, HOUSE RULES came out in June 2008.
Simon
Rose was born in Derbyshire, England. He
graduated from university with a degree in history and has lived
in Canada since 1990. He is also a graduate of the Institute of
Children's Literature of West Redding, CT. Simon and his two
children, dog and cat live in Calgary in Western Canada.
Simon’s first novel for middle grade readers, The Alchemist’s
Portrait, was published in 2003 followed by The Sorcerer’s
Letterbox in 2004, The Clone Conspiracy in 2005, The Emerald
Curse in 2006, The Heretic’s Tomb in 2007 and The Doomsday Mask
in 2009. A seventh novel for middle grades, The Time Camera,
will be published in spring 2011, along with The Insistence of
Memory, a novel for young adults. Simon is also a contributing
author to The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction Volume
One, has written several books for younger readers with
Weigl Educational Publishers,
has a regular column
‘Simon Says’
with the
National Writing for Children Center
and works as a writer for
Dark Roasted Blend
online magazine.
Simon offers a wide variety of presentations, workshops and
author in residence programs for
schools and libraries,
covering such topics as the writing process, editing and
revision, where ideas come from and how writers turn them into
stories, character development, historical fiction and
historical research, story structure, the publishing world and
more. He also offers
virtual author visits
by video using Skype.
He works as a creative writing instructor for
home school students throughout the year and at summer camps
each July and August, is an instructor for adults with
Chinook Learning Services,
University of Calgary
and at the
National Writing for Children Center,
and offers a variety of online workshops for both children and
adults.
Brett
Battles was born and raised in southern California.
His parents, avid readers, instilled the love of books in him early on.
Though he still makes California his home, he has traveled extensively
to such destinations as Ho Chi Minh City, Berlin, Singapore, London,
Paris, and Bangkok, all of which play parts in his current and upcoming
Jonathan Quinn thrillers. Quinn, also known as "The Cleaner",
has
been compared countless times to James Bond, a smooth and slick
international sensation. The paperback edition of his latest novel,
SHADOW OF BETRAYAL, released May 25.
A
journalist by profession, she’s interviewed former First
Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos, Apollo 13 astronaut
James Lovell, actress Marlo Thomas and other celebrities. A
workshop facilitator, lecturer and book editor, she’s
had a full-length play produced in Hollywood and fiction
published in Watchword, Iconoclast, Anthology, Berkeley
Fiction Review and other literary magazines. She invites
authors to ask questions via her Q & A blog,
Growing Great
Writers From the Ground Up. She can also be contacted by
the following venues:
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