A Pennwriters member since 2003, Lisa enjoys writing literary fiction. She has provided Fortune 500 companies with her skills in creating, managing, and planning large-scale projects as well as developing and revising publications. Formerly a freelance writer for the Philadelphia Theatre Review http://www.phillytheatrereview.com/ and Features Editor for The Picolata Review http://www.picolatareview.org/, Lisa's inane musings can be read at Humna Humna blog ( www.humnahumna.blogspot.com ).

Lisa grew up in and around the entertainment industry. Her father, Frank Kastner, was an icon in Philadelphia radio. As a teen, Lisa was a dancer on Dance Party USA and Dancin' On Air. She continues her pursuit of the theatrical by appearing, on occasion, in local plays.

She holds a B.S. in Communications and a Masters in Business Administration. She resides in Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia with her cat, Minka.

Carol Silvis has been a member of Pennwriters since 1994 and is the 2005 Conference Coordinator. She has volunteered to assist for several conferences, which she believes is a great way to make new friends and to
network. Carol has published college textbooks in business and travel with HBJ, Delmar, and Thomson Learning. She also sold several stories to True Love and True Story magazines, inspirational publications, and newspapers. She has appeared twice as a guest speaker on time management/organization on Cornerstone TV, and has been interviewed on a radio program and for newspaper articles on writing and telephone techniques. She has a Master's in Adult Education and teaches full-time at a post-secondary institution and part time for Penn State University and CCAC. In addition, she gives workshops and seminars for schools, businesses, and professional organizations. She is also a member of Ligonier Valley Writers and Romance Writers of America.

Soon thereafter, Lisa's first child was born and her priorities shifted.  She started freelance catalog copywriting in 1998 and had her second child in 1999. Although her income is a fraction of what it once was, working part-time allows her to spend more time with her children and pursue fiction writing.

Lisa joined Pennwriters in 2000 and has since sold several stories to True Story magazine. Her as-yet-unpublished medieval mysteries won first and second place in the Pennwriters 2002 novel beginning contest, and one finaled in the Romance Writers of America's 2003 Daphne du Maurier Award for mystery/suspense. Lisa runs a monthly Pennwriters Area 3 meeting, handles public relations for Pennwriters events in Area 3, and is also an active member of the Mary Roberts Rinehart chapter of Sisters in Crime. She lives near Aliquippa with her husband, two sons, and two dachshunds.

Carol Silvis has been a member of Pennwriters since 1994 and is the 2005 Conference Coordinator. She has volunteered to assist for several conferences, which she believes is a great way to make new friends and to
network. Carol has published college textbooks in business and travel with HBJ, Delmar, and Thomson Learning. She also sold several stories to True Love and True Story magazines, inspirational publications, and newspapers. She has appeared twice as a guest speaker on time management/organization on Cornerstone TV, and has been interviewed on a radio program and for newspaper articles on writing and telephone techniques. She has a Master's in Adult Education and teaches full-time at a post-secondary institution and part time for Penn State University and CCAC. In addition, she gives workshops and seminars for schools, businesses, and professional organizations. She is also a member of Ligonier Valley Writers and Romance Writers of America.

Laurel Patterson has been an Area 3 member of Pennwriters since September of 2004. She is owner of Patterson Presentations, providing a variety of clients with writing, editing, speaking and training services.

Laurel has Associate degrees in Word Processing and Humanities and a CTM from Toastmasters.

Until she finds a rural home to call her own, she lives in a little town with her large Maine Coon cat, Gusto. When not earning a living, Laurel spends much of her time roller skating, hiking, and reading.

A repotted Northwestern Pennsylvanian, Dave meandered through the Midlands of South Carolina, the extreme north of western Missouri, and the western edges of northern Oregon. He now resides in Area 1 with his wife, cousin, and guard dog while his son and daughter remain planted in South Carolina.

His cranial-cradled conversations have often exploded into a mind field of word play. Words are toys in the playground of his mind.

He has been published in professional magazines and journals. His interests have changed over the years from hypnosis, photography, and schizophrenia to neuropsychology, water colors (being color-blind made for some unique renditions), computer science, program development, and creativity to more recent pursuits of criminal treatment, organizational development, therapeutic communities, and writing. He is still trying to determine who he will be when he grows up. Pennwriters became part of his life in January, 2004.

Debbie is also a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) and has attended not only numerous Pennwriters' Conferences and workshops, but also SCBWI conferences in Los Angeles, CA; New York City; the Lancaster area; and the Poconos.

Debbie has been writing since she was a teenager.  She was the office coordinator of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Association for the Blind before an automobile accident disabled her.  Although she misses being able to work, she enjoys being able to dedicate more time to her writing.

Debbie is currently working on a middle grade mystery novel.  Debbie considers Pennwriters to be a great organization to help in learning the craft of writing and in networking with other writers (both published and unpublished), agents and editors.

Annette has been a member of Pennwriters since 2004. She has had several articles and short mysteries published, one of which was named a finalist for a 2007 Derringer Award. She is working on a series of novels, the first of which is under submission in New York courtesy of the agent she signed with as a result of a Pennwriters conference. She has hosted the Bridgeville Last Thursday of the Month Lunch group since 2005.

She is also a member of Sisters in Crime and the Mystery Writers of America.

Her night job is teaching yoga in Houston PA.

She and her husband of more than 24 years live in rural Washington County with their two old cats.

Mona joined Pennwriters shortly after returning to Pennsylvania after a very long absence. She has been a member since 2005. Prior to 2005 she resided in Alaska for 37 years where she earned a degree in English and Journalism at the University of Alaska in Anchorage.

While a student, she began writing poetry, short stories, children’s stories and completed a screenplay, which made it to an agent, but was not picked up, at least not yet. Currently she is in the process of writing a novel of mystery and suspense.

She and her husband of nearly three years (Dec 04) are both retired and enjoy traveling, particularly to Alaska to visit her children and three young grandsons.

I am 50 years old, married to a wonderful wife, and I have two children in college. I am a controller by trade, my wife, Deb, is a nursing manager. Philip studies computer science at Penn State, Julie studies French and Russian at West Chester.

I began writing fiction many years ago simply for the fun of it, and still do so. I wrote five novels, rough draft, and allowed friends to read them. My first three novels described life experiences of my travels. Friends handed them over to writers, and agents, and I was persuaded to attempt to have them published. About two years ago I began the task of editing the novels to make them marketable. I found the editing to be a daunting and frustrating task. I began marketing my most recent novel, THE BLUE OCEAN’S PEACE, and quickly found an agent. The agent asked that I change the timeline of the novel by rearranging the chapters. Rather than doing so I went ahead with my second novel, THE CABIN, as I was already editing it. THE CABIN has been published and I will be marketing it, and doing signings in the near future. I look forward to working with Penn Writers and hope that I can contribute to it.

Jade Blackwater joined Pennwriters in 2006 after moving to Pennsylvania from Seattle, Washington. Jade is an independent writer and editor providing corporate, academic, and personal writing services from her home office in Chester County.

In addition to her client work Jade enjoys writing poetry, fiction, and essays. She can be found blogging independently at Arboreality, Brainripples, and AppleJade where she writes about trees and forests, art and creativity, and health and wellness, respectively.

Jade holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Her most recent client projects include assisting Dr. Nalini Nadkarni with her newest book Between Earth and Sky: Our Intimate Connections to Trees (June 2008). When Jade isn’t writing she can usually be found getting dirty in the garden or hiking the local forests.

www.brainripples.com

Bobbi wrote her first short story at the age of ten on one of those rainy summer days that try to spoil all your fun. Once that one was complete, she wrote another, and another, addicted to the sound of her own pencil scratching across the paper. Now it's the click of the keyboard that keeps stories coming, often long into the night.

Her experiences growing up as the second of six kids in rural Owego, N.Y. and the joys and challenges of raising four kids of her own, provide endless inspiration for her characters.

Her husband Mike is her biggest cheerleader and the model for the romantic heroes that show up in her work. She figures if she can't bring him riches, she can at least make him a star.

Bobbi is a Senior Staff Writer for the Purcellville Gazette Newspaper, a multi-published freelance writer and the recipient of many awards for her short stories and newspaper articles. Her work appears in several anthologies including the acclaimed Chicken Soup for the Soul and A Cup of Comfort series of books.

In May 2006 Bobbi was named an Outstanding Woman of Loudoun County, Virginia for her dedication to mentoring and inspiring writers of all ages. She is the founder and president of Community Voice Media, a small print publishing company specializing in local anthologies and the founding director of the Round Hill Writers Group in Round Hill, VA.