Karrie Balwochus
Home page: http://pages.prodigy.net/kbalwochus/
Karrie Balwochus is a Southern California native who relocated to Beaumont, Texas in 1991. She earned degrees in Accounting and Business Management, and worked in various professions, most recent of which was as secretary for the Department of English and Foreign Languages at Lamar University. In 1998 she left corporate America to attend her family and pursue a full time writing career.
She has been a member of the medieval recreation group, Society for Creative Anachronism since 1991 and is an avid researcher of history. Her interests include Ancient, Medieval, and Celtic history, along with Gaelic and Anglo-Saxon Languages, as well as Native American history and languages. She loves reading historicals, science fiction, fantasy, and romance.
Growing up, Karrie was an equestrian, competing and training horses in dressage and three day eventing. This led to her extensive research in the role of the horse in war and medieval life. One of her primary goals is to again own horses.
Karrie joined the Golden Triangle Writers Guild in 1998 and has since been an active member. She has served as president, secretary, the editor of the Guild newsletter, Scene and Sequel, and is now the current treasurer as well as the webmaster for the Guild's internet site. A former student of renowned teacher, Rita Gallagher, Karrie is now represented by literary agent, Cherry Weiner.
Diana Dominguez
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/boudicca_1960/
I'm known by many of my e-mail friends as The Gypsy Scholar/aka Diana from Texas/aka Diana Dominguez. Why, you may ask? Well, okay, I'll tell you -- but I warn you, I just love to talk and talk!
I am a teacher and a writer. I consider myself a perpetual student: of life, of humanity, of universal themes and symbols. I believe we create our own myths constantly, and that, basically, we are all the same.
I call myself the Gypsy Scholar, because I really hail from all over. Although born in Stamford, Connecticut, I've lived all over the United States and Mexico for most of my 38 years. The nomadic gene is strong in my family -- my ancestors came from Spain, Italy, France, and Argentina. I am the scholar because of my background in literature, mythology, writing, and teaching.
Ever since I can remember I have been fascinated by storytelling and literature. Shortly after graduating from college at UT Austin, I headed for the Big Apple and worked as a Public Relations assistant for a multi-national company -- never believing in my wildest dreams that I would end up a teacher -- the one thing I NEVER wanted to be -- too traditional! Eventually, PR burned me out, and I went back to school to get my Master's Degree in literature, which, in turn, led to a teaching post at the University where I got my degree, which then led to a teaching degree/certificate to teach English at a Texas high school. I reveled in my role as educator, mentor, storyteller, mythmaker, and cultural/spiritual guide to my ever-changing, ever-constant, ever-frustrating, ever-magical, ever-fascinating brood of seniors (17-18 years olds). I feel it is what I was born to do -- but only after I had experienced the magical life I've led. I now teach college freshmen, and the passion is still there. My goal is to teach at both the college and high school levels in some fashion, passing my zest for literature, love, and life onto the next generations for years to come.
Besides my "kids", my all-consuming passion is writing. I wrote my first short story at the age of 10, and have since published poetry, short stories, essays, articles, and even owned and published a local general human interest magazine for a couple of years. Writing, like my Celtic heritage and literature, runs in my veins. I am now in the process of writing a major novel, in search of a Ph.D. in Celtic/Medieval Literature, and intent on satisfying my insatiable appetite for life, love, happiness, and spirit in the world.
Lisa Paitz Spindler
Home page: http://www.applewarrior.com/lps
Karrie suggested I write my bio, so here I am, world. What would you like to know? My zodiac sign? (Leo) Favorite color? (Green) Since you’ve read at least some of the articles on this site, then you’re probably hoping I’m some kind of writing genius. Unfortunately, no. I’m not even published. Kind of a bummer, I know, but I’m hoping it’s a temporary condition.
Seriously though, I’m a bibliophile. I adore books. Reading them, writing them. Looking at them sitting so straight on my shelf. I'm even sometimes mistaken for a Borders employee. (What? Do you think they have the market on the caffienated geek girl look?) Like so many writers, I’ve been writing stories for as long as I can remember and can't imagine my life without writing. (Even if I'm never published. Really.) I'm a member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and a frequent contributor to the Eyes of the Wolf e-mail list for writers. I'm also a member of three RWA chapters -- From the Heart Romance Writers (FTHRW), Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal and Washington Romance Writers (WRW) -- as well as the Women's National Book Association.
I've completed a science fiction/fantasy story called the RIVER OF STARS, which won runner-up in the Golden Triangle Writers Guild conference contest a couple years ago and is now under consideration by several publishers. Currently I'm working on the sequel called REMEMBRANCER and a short story titled VAN RIGGS ISLAND.
I work for a trade association as a web designer/developer and I'm the FTHRW webmaster. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in Communication. An enthusiast of Celtic history, I'm specifically interested in Irish and Scottish anthropology and linguistics. I'm also an enthusiast of the myths of the King Arthur and the Holy Grail, which led to my current interest in Joseph Campbell and the hero myth quest.
Since I mentioned books, some of my favorite authors include Catherine Asaro, Diana Gabaldon, Kay Kenyon, Laura Kinsale, Patricia Keneally Morrison, Lois MacMaster Bujold, Mary Jo Putney, Anne Rice, Sharon Shinn and Joan D. Vinge. I won't mention my zillions of favorite nonfiction Celtic books by Anne Ross, Miranda Green, Séamus Ó Catháin and Joseph Falaky Nagy. Oh wait, I just did. By the way, did I mention that I'm a bibliophile?
Please check out my Amazon bookshop for more reading favorites.
