Long Ridge Writers Group - Our Exceptional Instructors

Linda Hall has written 11 novels and six books of nonfiction. Her novels August Gamble and April Operation were chosen as best Christian novels in Canada by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. August Gamble was a finalist in the C. S. Lewis Award for Noteworthy Books, and Margaret’s Peace was shortlisted for the Richards Prize sponsored by the Writers Federation of New Brunswick. Margaret’s Peace was a bestseller on the Christian Marketplace Best-Seller list, compiled by the Christian Booksellers Association.

Her most recent titles include Dark Water (WaterBrook Press, 2006), Chat Room (Multnomah, 2003), and Steal Away (Multnomah, 2003), which was a Christy Award finalist, a 2004 Beacon Award winner for Best Inspirational Novel, and the Winter Rose Award winner for Best Inspirational Novel.

Ms. Hall is a contributing editor to Focus on the Family and ChristianWeek newspaper, and teaches creative writing courses at the University of New Brunswick.

Karen Hammond

Award-winning essayist and poet Karen Hammond has been published in leading national and international publications such as American Lawyer Magazine, Family Life, Family Circle, Woman’s Day, Runner’s World, Wine Spectator, Weight Watchers Magazine, Yoga Journal, Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, Miami Herald, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and many others.

Her writing interests include literary fiction, women’s issues, popular culture, health, humor, travel, and food and wine. She is the author of From Vision to Excellence (Donning, 1996), a coffee-table book commemorating the 50th anniversary of Binghamton University, where she taught writing part-time for several years.

In 2003, Ms. Hammond won the second annual Jerry Morris Master Writer Award for her article “Thanksgiving, Honestly.” She also received the 2006 Outstanding Service Article of the Year Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors for her article about the emotional challenges of aging. “There’s Still a Girl in There,” which focused on the lives of several elderly women in a Maine assisted living facility, was published in Family Circle.

Ms. Hammond teaches at workshops and retreats and is a popular speaker at national writers’ conferences.

Valerie Harms

Valerie Harms is an ardent naturalist who previously worked as a science editor at the National Audubon Society. She wrote The National Audubon Society Almanac of the Environment (Grosset/Putnam, 1994); The Inner Lover (Shambhala Publications); Frolic’s Dance (Soundprints, A Smithsonian Heritage Book); Tryin’ To Get To You: The Story of Elvis Presley (Atheneum); Stars in My Sky (Magic Circle Press); Celebration with Anaïs Nin (Magic Circle Press); and Unmasking: Ten Women in Metamorphosis (Swallow Press).

Her articles and stories have appeared in such publications as Men’s Journal, Environment, Ms., Harpers, Camera 35, Parents’ Choice, and the New York Times.

The United Nations, during “The Year of the Woman,” honored her as “one of the most remarkable women in Connecticut,” and in 2001, Ms. Harms was awarded the Pritzker Foundation Endowed Fellowship.

“After struggling along for a few years trying to get published I was getting nowhere. The Long Ridge program has helped me to become more professional and polished in my manuscript preparation. It has also shown me how to properly research an article. Since I have joined the Long Ridge program I have published two articles, and signed a book contract.”

Venita Helton

“My professional writing career began when I blew up my future mother-in-law’s kitchen with five pounds of bread flour,” says Venita Helton. Although the experience nearly ended the relationship, it taught her that calamity can be the writer’s best friend. The accidental bomb appeared in her first novel, Sapphire (HarperMonogram, 1993).

Sapphire was published by the Library of Congress Talking Books for the Blind, and later by Diamond of Great Britain. It received Romantic Times’ Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best First Historical Novel. Her second novel, Pirate’s Prize (HarperMonogram, 1994), continued the adventure-romance tradition. Other titles include Diamond (Leisure, 1998) and Spell Weaver (Leisure, 1999), written under the name Roxi Ashe.

Ms. Helton also writes short stories, articles, and plays. Her work has appeared in Romantic Times, Affaire d’Cœur, The Friend, The New Era, Mormon Village, the Historic Huntsville Review, and Old Huntsville Magazine. Her Appalachian tales, Snakes Came Down from the Mountains, won popular acclaim.

In addition to writing, Ms. Helton has taught writing seminars and judged the Georgia RWA Maggies and other writing contests. She also works as a technical writer and production manager for a defense contractor in Huntsville.

Jen Holling

Two-time RITA Award finalist Jen Holling is the author of ten historical romance novels.

Her MacDonell Witch series, My Wicked Highlander (Pocket Books, 2005), My Devilish Scotsman (Pocket Books, 2005), and My Shadow Warrior (Pocket Books, 2005), has been called a “tantalizing trilogy” by Booklist. “Each book is moving and engrossing. . . . Through her alluring characters, Holling celebrates the triumph of good over evil . . . no one should miss these fine romances.” Fresh Fiction described My Wicked Highlander as an “elegantly written book,” while Historical Romance Writers called it “exciting, enthralling, and captivating.”

Ms. Holling’s other titles include the Brides of the Bloodstone trilogy, Captured by Your Kiss (2003), Tempted by Your Touch (2002), and Tamed By Your Desire (2002), all published by Pocket Books; and Forever My Lady (HarperTorch, 2001), a Daphne du Maurier Award finalist.

Ms. Holling is a member of Romance Writers of America and Novelists Inc. She has participated in writing panels and taught writers’ workshops, and served as a judge in numerous writing contests.

Jackie Diamond Hyman

Veteran novelist Jackie Diamond Hyman has sold more than 80 novels in genres ranging from mystery and fantasy to romantic comedy and romantic suspense. Her publishers have included William Morrow, Berkley, St. Martin’s Press, DAW, Five Star, Walker, and Harlequin Books. Several of her novels have hit bestseller lists and been translated into 14 languages, including Turkish and Czech.

Ms. Hyman, who also writes under the pen names Jacqueline Diamond and Jacqueline Topaz, is a two-time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA Award, and winner of a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times.

Among her recent credits are Nine-Month Surprise (Harlequin, 2006), a Reviewer’s Choice Award winner from CataRomance.com; and Police Chief’s Lady (Harlequin, 2005), a Reviewer’s Choice Award nominee from Romantic Times Book Club. Other titles include Sheikh Surrender (Harlequin, 2004); Danger Music (Five Star, 2004); and Echoes (William Morrow, 1990).

“The books are wonderful! And my instructor isn’t a stiff English teacher—she has a sense of humor! I can do this, I really can!!!”

Tom Hyman

Tom Hyman was an articles editor at LIFE magazine and wrote articles for LIFE, The Saturday Evening Post, Argosy, Washington Post Book World, and New York Magazine. He also served as a senior editor at Atheneum, Doubleday, and G. P. Putnam’s.

He has published six novels: Jupiter’s Daughter (Viking Penguin, 1994), Prussian Blue (Viking, 1991), Seven Days to Petrograd (Viking, 1988), Riches and Honor (Viking, 1985), The Russian Woman (St. Martins, 1983), and Giant Killer (Marek, 1981).

Mr. Hyman also writes for film, and has completed a screen adaptation of his novel, Jupiter’s Daughter, for Paramount Pictures.

Donna Ippolito

Donna Ippolito has been writing, editing, and teaching others to write for more than 20 years.

From 1985 to 2001, she was editor-in-chief at FASA Corporation, a Chicago publisher that packaged best-selling science fiction and fantasy novel lines for Penguin Books and Time-Warner. These included the popular BattleTech, Shadowrun, Earthdawn, and Vor series.

Prior to that, Ms. Ippolito was an editor at the Swallow Press, a prestigious publisher of both literary and commercial titles. Writers published by Swallow include celebrated novelist Anaïs Nin; Jungian analyst Linda Leonard; futurist Robert Theobald; Zen poet Lucien Stryk; and distinguished anthropologist W. Y. Evans-Wentz. She also worked as a senior editor for Consumer Digest and was a founding editor of Black Maria, a quarterly journal of women’s writing. Today, she is a freelance editor whose clients include Powersuasions, Inc., Ohio University Press, Chicago Architecture Foundation, Publications International, and the American Library Association.

Ms. Ippolito’s own fiction and articles include stories and reviews published in Sunday Clothes, East West Journal, Small Press Review, Journal of the West, and others. She has been listed in Contemporary Authors, Encyclopedia of Short Fiction Writers, and Poets & Writers.

Kathryn Jensen

Kathryn Jensen (who also writes as Nicole Davidson and K. M. Kimball) is the author of more than 40 novels published by Avon, Silhouette, Macmillan, Scholastic, Pocket, and Ballantine. She wrote her critically acclaimed novels for Pocket Books, Sing To Me, Saigon (1994) and Couples (1995). Her romance titles for Silhouette Books, including Time and Again (1996), Angel’s Child (1997), The Twelve-Month Marriage (1997), and I Married a Prince (1997), have won her a devoted following. More recent works include Hot Pursuit (Silhouette, 2005), The Boss Man’s Fortune (Silhouette, 2004), and The Secret Prince (Silhouette, 2002).

She is a member of the Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

“It was quite exciting being published. Your writing program came at a time in my life when I was left with lots of free time and the program was truly welcome. My instructor pointed out my weaknesses, praised my strengths, and always encouraged me along the way. I know I couldn't have done it alone.”

Evelyn Kelly

Ms. Kelly has published more than 400 nonfiction articles and eight books. She has written everything from Sunday school lessons to encyclopedia entries to articles about health, fitness, and agriculture. Her credits have appeared in such publications as Parenting, Modern Maturity, Home Life, Delta Sky, Living with Children, and more than 100 other magazines.

Her most recent books include Legal Basics: A Handbook for Educators (Phi Delta Kappa, 2006); and Alzheimer’s Disease (Chelsea House, 2007); as well as Gene Therapy (2007), Obesity (2006), and Stem Cells (2006), all part of Greenwood Press’s Health and Medical Issues Today series.

Some of her other books cover education-related topics, such as Memory Enhancement for Educators (Phi Delta Kappa, 1987) and A Strategy for Tragedy (Phi Delta Kappa, 1986). Additional credits include an activities book, Weather (Ideal, 1996), and an ebook for Intellectua.com, How to Break Into Medical Writing.

Evelyn Kelly is a member of the prestigious Phi Delta Kappa Speakers’ Bureau; the National Association of Science Writers; Florida Freelance Writers Association; and the American Medical Writers Association. She received a Ph.D. in Educational Curriculum and Instruction and is a professor of education.

Diane Kirkle

Diane Kirkle, who also writes under the names Diana Kirk and Diana Hart, was voted Best Author on the Internet in the 1999 Preditors & Editors website poll. In November of 2000, she was a featured author in Writer’s Digest Publishing Successes.

Ms. Kirkle is the author of more than ten novels; a children’s book; a play, Prairie and Parlor: Mary Lucretia; and numerous short stories. Her novel, A Caduceus Is for Killing, a medical thriller, won the EPPIE, awarded by the Electronically Published Internet Connection (EPIC), for Best Thriller Novel of 2000. Another novel, Murder in Musicland, is currently under consideration for option by Samuel Goldwyn films.

Ms. Kirkle’s other titles include: Sex, Lies, and Rodeo Games (SWP Publishers, 2001); Unfriendly Persuasion (HSWF, 1999); Wyoming Wilde (HSWF, 1999); and Partners in Crime (HSWF, 2000).

Anke Kriske

Anke Kriske developed her career by spending her spare time writing, editing, and publishing in the “small press” science fiction and horror markets. She also accumulated a wide range of writing credits for stories published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Woman’s World, a hardcover western anthology titled Women of the West (Doubleday, 1990), and 100 other publications.

“I write mostly for the small press/desktop publishing market. Except for a few giants, that’s the future of publishing.” Among these small press publications are 2AM, Fagan, Haunts, and Palace Corbie. Ms. Kriske’s first novel, A Haven in Winter, was published by Jove in 1991.

“I’m really very pleased by the breadth and depth of the course as a whole—the program materials will continue to be of use long after the program is over.”

Sylvie Kurtz

Sylvie Kurtz is the author of twenty paranormal and romantic suspense novels. Her books, published by Dorchester, Harlequin, Silhouette, and others, have been translated into many languages.

Ms. Kurtz was a 2005 Romantic Times nominee for Lifetime Achievement for Series Romantic Adventure. Her first Harlequin Intrigue, One Texas Night (Harlequin, 1999), was a Romantic Times nominee for Best First Category Romance and a finalist for a Booksellers Best Award. Her Silhouette Special Edition, A Little Christmas Magic (Silhouette, 2001), was a Readers’ Choice Award Finalist and a Waldenbooks bestseller. Other credits include Remembering Red Thunder (Harlequin, 2002), a Romantic Times nominee for Best Intrigue; and Ms. Longshot (Silhouette, 2005), optioned by Twin Stars Entertainment as a possible TV movie.

Ms. Kurtz has also taught writing workshops such as How To Grow a Story Spine, How To Revise Without Getting Sick of Your Manuscript, and Layering a Story Concept, at various writers’ conferences and online.

Dolph LeMoult

Praised as “gritty, jagged and honest,” Dolph LeMoult’s series of police novels—Street Dance (Charter Putnam, 1986); Dream Street (Charter Putnam, 1988); Death Spiral (Onyx Penguin, 1990); The Killing Moon (Onyx Penguin, 1992); and Blood Tide (Onyx Penguin, 1994)—has attracted a large, loyal readership.

Moving to the nonfiction genre, Mr. LeMoult authored Rock Solid (1994), a true account of two hero policemen. A Putnam hardcover and Jove paperback, Rock Solid was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection.

Although renowned as a crime writer, Dolph LeMoult’s literary pursuits are varied. His latest work is Running Horsemen (Brown Barn Books, 2004), a nostalgic coming-of-age novel set in the early 1950s in New York City.

Louise Marley

Louise Marley has published 10 novels, a collection of short stories, and numerous short pieces of fiction and nonfiction. She writes science fiction and fantasy and everything in between, under her own name and a pen name, Toby Bishop.

Publishers Weekly has called Louise “one of feminist science fiction’s new champions”; her work has also been praised by Locus, The Seattle Times, Kirkus Reviews, and other publications.

A former classical concert and opera singer, Ms. Marley combined music with science and fantasy to create her first trilogy, The Singers of Nevya (Penguin, 1995). She later published four science fiction novels with Penguin, earning two Endeavour Awards and other award nominations, including the John W. Campbell Award, the Tiptree Award, and the Nebula Award. Her other titles include Singer in the Snow (Viking, 2007), Airs Beneath the Moon (Ace Fantasy, 2006), Airs and Graces (Ace, 2007), and Airs of Night and Sea (Ace).

“The program was very good. It was structured and presented well. And my teacher (coach) was fantastic. She gave me excellent criticisms in a nice way and pointed out my strengths as well. A friend of mine enrolled in a different writer's home study program and she's been disappointed a few times, plus she doesn't have the same teacher throughout.”

Carolyn Matthews

Carolyn Matthews’s writing credits range from poetry and children’s stories to a wide range of fiction and nonfiction; she also has eight years of concentrated technical writing and editing experience. Her work has been published in the Christian Science Monitor, Tucson American, and other newspapers and magazines, textbook supplements, and training manuals. She has written four romance novels, written and directed a play, and created a website for a citizens’ action group.

Ms. Matthews’s novels include four Silhouette Special Edition Romances written under the pseudonym of Carolyn Seabaugh. Butterfly Autumn (1986) was followed by Lean On Me and Cicada Summer, both published in 1990, and Just a Family Man (1996). She now works as a freelance editor and writes articles and literary short stories. “Stars and the Pulse of Heaven” appeared in the Fall 2002 issue of Thema.

Ms. Matthews has taught college-level writing, conducted writing workshops, and judged national writing contests. As a Laubach Literary tutor, she taught literacy to adults for nearly 20 years. As a result, she says, “You won’t find anyone who believes more deeply in one-on-one instruction than I do.”

Debby Mayne

Debby Mayne is the author of more than 300 short stories, 100 articles, 10 books, and 4 novellas.

Two of her books, Snowbound for Christmas (Barbour Publishing, 2004) and Church in the Wildwood (Barbour, 2003), have been on the Christian Booksellers Association bestseller list. Her other titles include Love’s Image (Barbour Publishing, 2005); Forever Aloha (Avalon, 2003); A New Understanding (Avalon, 2002); A New Image (Avalon, 2002); Aloha Reunion (Avalon, 2002); A New Attitude (Avalon, 2001); Lessons in Love (Avalon, 2000); and A New Beginning (Avalon, 2000).

Ms. Mayne’s work has also appeared in numerous national women’s magazines and regional parenting publications, as well as Writer’s Digest and several small newspapers. To satisfy her need to tell stories, she has written more than 300 published short stories for True Story, True Experience, True Love, and more. She formerly served as managing editor of Coping with Cancer, a nationally distributed magazine for cancer survivors.

Kelly McClymer

When Kelly McClymer decided to tackle a novel, she joined Romance Writers of America, attended their annual conferences, got an agent, and wrote two complete manuscripts. In 1999 the second manuscript, The Fairy Tale Bride, sold to Zebra Publishing and was nominated for a Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times.

The publication of her first book in 2000 was followed by the publication of six more in the Once Upon a Wedding series: The Star-Crossed Bride (2001), The Unintended Bride (2001), The Infamous Bride (2001), The Next-Best Bride (2002), The Impetuous Bride (2002), and The Twelfth Night Bride (2003). Her latest book is a young adult title, Getting to Third Date (Simon Pulse, 2006).

Ms. McClymer has served as president of Maine Romance Writers of America (MERWA) and editor of Mainely Romance, MERWA’s newsletter. She has presented programs throughout the state of Maine on subjects as diverse as creating a website, and adding texture and dimension to fiction.

“I was quite amazed when I was assigned to my mentor, a decorated writer—someone whose novels I had read. In addition to being a tough, but very fair, taskmaster, she furnished valuable guidance on marketing to magazines, and negotiating fees. She was invaluable to me in formatting my query letter.”

Kevin McColley

“Astonishing” was the word three-time Newbery Medal winner Gary Paulsen used to describe Kevin McColley’s first novel, The Walls of Pedro García (Delacorte Press, 1993).

Author Jane Resh Thomas, writing for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, called his second novel, Pecking Order (HarperCollins, 1994), “a marvel, unique in children’s fiction.” Publishers Weekly described it as “timeless.”

David Gale, then senior editor of children’s books at Simon & Schuster, described Mr. McColley’s third novel, Sun Dance (Simon & Schuster, 1995), as “an extraordinary book. Kevin McColley brings a new dimension to the young adult novel.” A Perfect Game, his fourth novel, has been sold to Simon & Schuster.

Mr. McColley’s last two novels, Praying to a Laughing God (Simon & Schuster, 1998) and The Other Side (Simon & Schuster, 2000), were both nominated for the National Book Award. He is currently working on a novel about his dog sledding experiences.

Vella Munn

Vella Munn’s passion for writing has resulted in over 40 fiction books that keep her bouncing between past and present. Her Native American historical novel, Soul of the Sacred Earth (Tor/Forge), was a finalist for the 2001 Willa Literary Award from Women Writing the West. In contrast, Touch A Wild Heart (1985), a romantic intrigue from Harlequin, was named Waldenbooks’ Intrigue of the Year.

Publishers Weekly praised Ms. Munn’s stories of Native Americans for their historical details and for Munn’s skillful portrayal of cultural struggles. Midwest Book Review called Seminole Song “a fabulous historical romance with a fast-paced story line . . . authentic historical data [is] gracefully and picturesquely woven into the plot.” Romantic Times proclaimed Daughter of the Mountain “a stirring novel . . . Munn carefully crafts characters and a plot whose realism and heroism combine, making for a powerful, exciting read.”

Cindi Myers

Cindi Myers has published hundreds of articles and short stories and more than two-dozen novels.

The romantic comedy, What Phoebe Wants (Harlequin, 2004), won the Madcap Award for Best Romantic Comedy, and her historical romance, A Willing Spirit (Berkley, 1999), written under the name Cynthia Sterling, won the Texas Gold award for Best Texas-set Historical.

Publishers Weekly called her novel, Learning Curves (Harlequin, 2005), “a superior contemporary romance” and awarded it a starred review, while Romantic Times praised My Backwards Life (Harlequin, 2005) as a story “filled with humor, sympathetic characters, and all the complications that modern life can bring.” Her short stories have appeared in Modern Secretary, The Lookout, and other publications.

Long Ridge Writers Group
91 Long Ridge Road, West Redding, Connecticut 06896
Telephone: 1-800-624-1476 ~ Fax: 203-792-8406
Email: InformationService@LongRidgeWritersGroup.com

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