While completing requirements for her journalism certificate, Janice wrote a number of stories not only for the Paradise Valley Community College Puma Press but also for other local publications including the Desert Botanical Garden Sonoran Quarterly, Phoenix Republic and The Catholic Sun.  After receiving her journalism certificate, Janice continues to write, read, take photos, attend classes and broaden her writing opportunities.

Janice used her time as an editor with the Puma Press to improve her writing skills, obtain interviewing techniques, take on copyediting assignments, advance her photographic skills, learn to blog and interact with and learn from everyone she interviewed as well as students, faculty and staff.

Janice’s goals in writing as a journalist include informing, entertaining and educating the public about people, books, programs, establishments and resources available to them.

An avid reader since elementary school, Janice also began to read and review books when she saw a call for “Great Book Reviewers” in a newsletter written by Jerry Simmons.  In response to this call, Janice received books from Paula Krapf and Penny Sansevieri at Author Marketing Experts, Inc. to review.  Her interest in books includes both fiction and non-fiction written by new and well-established authors.

To learn more about Janice and read some of her clips, please visit her ePortfolio at http://eport.maricopa.edu/published/j/semmel/jsemmel/home/1/.

For ten years Stuart was senior vice president of College Central Network, a New York-based company that provides Web-based tools to approximately 500 college and university career services across the country. Prior to serving in that position he worked in urban planning, public affairs and consulting with government agencies and non-profit organizations. He has a BA in political science and a MBA from Rutgers University-New Brunswick and a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

In addition to writing,reading, and travel, Stuart is an avid automobile enthusiast and historian and enjoys watching baseball, football and college basketball.  He and his wife Carol live in central New Jersey.

Stuart can be reached at www.EducatedQuest.com

Joy remembers wanting to be a writer as soon as she learned to put pencil to paper. As a child, she used to write stories about animals and even made her own books from folded pieces of paper for her family. Later, while still in high school, she wrote an episode for Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, a television show popular at the time. Even though she was only seventeen, she managed to obtain an agent from Samuel French, Inc. and her script made it all the way to Hollywood. “That rejection letter is still one of my most prized possessions.”

Joy’s dream of becoming a writer was put on hold for the next few – make that many – years as life and other situations [school, marriage, divorce, remarriage, starting a business] took precedence. Now that life has settled down, she has found that the urge to write won’t let her be and she has once again put her pencil to paper.

Joy’s first journey back into publication took the shape of a health newsletter for Baby Boomers that she started in 1997 with a friend. It wasn’t a success. “I think we were ahead of our time. Boomers weren’t ready to look at their health back then.” But that didn’t stop her. Her next venture was online and Joy published several medical and health-related articles, even having her own monthly health column at one point. She eventually branched out into print magazines.

But making up stories has always been her first love. She wanted to write fiction. “I started playing a game of ‘what-if’ one day with an idea that had been rolling around my mind and the seeds for Second Chance started to sprout.” Joy drew on her own emotional experience as a second wife and stepmother while giving Sara, the protagonist, her voice. “Writing novels is what I want to do and I’m already one third of the way through my next book as well as collaborating with a co-author on another two.”

Joy shares her Arizona home with her husband of twenty-six years and their two dogs and three cats. “My ideal life would be sitting at my computer, drinking coffee and weaving tales.”

For more information, visit her at www.joycollins.com.

Norm graduated many moons ago from Sir George Williams University (now known as Concordia University) in Montreal, Canada, as well as the Université de Montréal, (Faculté de Droit) Faculty of Law.

For over thirty- five years Norm practiced as a Civil Law Title Attorney, until one day he realized he was no longer having fun practising his profession. One of Norm’s friends cleverly advised him he should retire. As his friend pointed out, he wouldn’t be retiring from life but rather from his profession.
Norm heeded his friend’s advice and pursued book reviewing as a hobby, transferring and applying his many skills he had perfected during his years in the legal profession.

Today, Norm reviews books that will make you think and that are related to business ethics, sports, internet, Judaica, Canadiana, adventure, historical adventure, travel adventure, contemporary topics, politics, photography, music, and many more-fiction and non-fiction.

In addition to contributing reviews and author interviews to his own site, Bookpleasures.com, Norm also contributes to several online sites including Amazon, where he is ranked among the top 700 reviewers out of thousands who review for this site. He also contributes to Americanchronicle.com and Searchwarp.com, where he is also ranked among the top reviewers.

In addition to his regular reviews, Norm also offers a Priority, Fast Tract and Quick Review Service. You can find out more about this service by  Clicking Here.

John H. Manhold is a retired professor, world lecturer and consultant. He is the author of 6 textbooks in medicine, dentistry, and psychology, a lexicon in 4 languages, and award-winning novels. He also served as a science editor for J.B.Lippincott Publishing Company for several years. More information may be obtained at www.johnhmanhold.com/

A staunch proponent of networking, Susan Haley, a multi-published author sees herself “more in a helpful role” than just that of a fellow writer. She is the Facilitator of the Sarasota Chapter of the Florida Writers Association, and serves as a columnist for The Florida Writer Magazine and the ‘hot’ new website for women, Fabulously 40. She is the Poetry Editor for The Infinite Writer E-zine, and a regular contributor to the Fox and Quill Newsletter, and the book reviewer and copy editor for Pepper Tree Publishing LLC.

An avid lover of books and the craft of writing, Susan, with the help of Jerry Simmons and Penny Sansevieri, was recently given the opportunity to write book reviews for AME Marketing Experts headquartered in San Diego, California. “I love books and attempt to write thoughtful and fair reviews that are a bit apart from the norm,” she says.

Herself, the author of two books and several published articles on publishing and networking, she presents a workshop on “The Power Of Networking – Four Principles” at Writers Conferences and Writers Groups. She’s on the founding team of “Authors Helping Authors”, and a regular contributor to retired Times-Warner Executive, Jerry Simmons’ newsletter “Tips For Writers”. The Audio Book of  RAINY DAY PEOPLE – A Novel was honored as Finalist in the 2008 Indie Excellence National Book Awards and recognized at the 2008 Los Angeles Book ExpoAmerica. Susan is an activist for the Environment and ALL life. She is an award-winning poet and the author and content designer of www.sucarha.com , a thought provoking website in its eighth year of existence.

Her heartfelt novel of triumph over tragedy, RAINY DAY PEOPLE – A Novel, and an inspirational book of poetry and essays, FIBERS IN THE WEB are available on Amazon.com, BBOTW.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and can be ordered through your local bookstore. She prefers to keep her own site non-commercial. Susan is a widow with two grown sons, and lives and works in Sarasota, Florida.

Click here to visit her web site!