Biographies The "D's"

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Debbie Legare
I am 43 years old with a 21 year old daughter. I have been married to my soul mate for 24 years in December. I am also a licensed Master Nail Technician in Maryland and have been inducted to the Who's Who of Independent Women Contractors for 2001. I have two passions in life besides my family and they are Nails and Writing.

I have spent most of my life writing short stores and poetry. In high school I was able to make a money by writing poems for students needing to continue their romances. My first paid jobs.

I have been published several times in national trade magazines like NailPro and Salon as well as several online magazines for subjects ranging from acupuncture for pregnancy to writing hints and all the A-Z in between.I spent two years using my journalism degree being a journalist for the Severna Park Voice and then spent a year working for the Maryland Gazette/Capitol (oldest printed paper in country) as an Assistant Editor and working writer. My recent hot topic for the Gazette was my journey through weight loss surgery that drew over 800 emails from readers. The article can still be read at http://www.hometownglenburnie.com/news/mdgazette/2008/07/12-26

I am currently writing a Scottish time travel romance novel and have recently started to rewrite many of my old poetry for possible publication.

 I have been able to take my writing dreams seriously, thanks to a supportive hubby, daughter and many special friends like Momwriters.

I am happy to be a part of Momwriters and hope to share and learn.
I can be reached at: gypsyscribe@yahoo.com

DEB PETERS
I'm a forty-two year old mother of two who loves a good mystery. I started my writing in 1996, when my Composition instructor asked me why writing wasn’t my career. I decided to give a children’s mystery a shot and subsequently came up with the M.S.C. Collection of children’s mysteries. I sent two of the finished mysteries to be critiqued and was told that it was ready for market. I became disabled in 1997 and didn’t pick my writing back up until 2000. I won a writing contest for two stories I wrote in 2004 and used the money to self-publish two of my books by the end of that year. In 2004 and 2005, I took at home courses for a Bachelor's in Children’s and Adult Literature. I met an illustrator in 2004 and we started a comic strip in Pennsylvania. Someone recommended me for Marquis Whose Who of American Women in January of 2005 and subsequently I was placed in the 2006 Edition. I won an award for persistence in June of 2005 at the Christian Writer’s Conference held in Columbus that year. In 2006 I self-published another book and got a Doctorate degree in Creative Writing. In 2007, I had self published another book and won two Editor’s Choice Awards for two poems I wrote. In 2008, I have already achieved: Best of Best Poems, 2 Fellowship awards, Ambassadorship award, and Poet of the Year: Poetry Society, Montclair’s Who’s Who of Professionals, Montclair’s Who’s Who of Executives and Professionals, and Madison’s Who’s Who of Who’s Who. I have published two more books in the last two weeks.
Some people ask me what genre I write in and since I do not have one, it is hard to answer without a long explanation. I have written children’s fiction ranging from picture books, mysteries, and chapter books. I have written and am working on adult fiction ranging from medical thrillers, fantasy, based on a true story, romance, and echo thrillers. I have written and am working on a few non-fiction books all being medical related. I am working on a few non-fiction books that are related to things I have learned in my past.
When I became disabled, my father got me a computer program called Dragon Dictate/Voice Direct Professional. It took forever it seemed for the computer to recognize my voice, but when it did, and then I wrote. I started teaching myself how to write and type with my left hand, and then I wrote more. Over the years, even though I have struggled with pain and health issues, I still came up with to this day 300 story ideas and growing. I have been asked how and my answer always is “With passion and imagination, I will not stop writing”.
I had twenty years medical and the last seven writing, but I have a family history of a passion for teaching math and English, painting, drama, and writing. My mother used to write when she was younger. My sister writes inspiration poems and loves researching genealogy. My great aunt taught math and my grandfather taught drama and English and loves to paint.
Some people have told me my books for YA and up are a lot like Dan Brown, but mine are still different, because mine are mostly dialog.

Deborah Gaines
Wish me luck! After 15 years as an editorial executive for companies like Hearst, iVillage and the New York Convention & Visitors Bureau, I've just launched my own company, Content Partners, Inc. (www.contentpartnersinc.com), from my home in NJ. Content Partners was formed to meet the needs of the growing number of companies who outsource their editorial projects, from newsletters and other custom publications to Web sites, media kits, corporate and employee communications, proposals, presentations and brochures. In addition to uncompromising editorial quality-including in-house proofreading and copyediting services-we offer turnkey services through a network of affiliated designers, production and technical people. If you'd like to become an affiliate (together we can rule the world!), or for more information, please email info@contentpartnersinc.com.

Dell Smith
Dell, who lives on an acre of southwestern desert, tells us she starts her day staring at a blank screen and praying for guidance. Among laundry, cleaning, and meal preparation, she writes devotions, stories and poems, and works on her BookChallenge2000 novella. Her stories have appeared in Beanie Baby Stories, Devotions for Kids #3, Motivational Moments for Writers and Speakers and Hearing Hearts.

Delmetria L. Millener
My name is Delmetria L. Millener and I have over 15 years writing and editing experience in various genres. I write an advice column, My 2 Sen¢e, for various print and online publications, I've been published in Minority Opportunity News and Eclipse newspaper and magazine, respectively, I write everything, but my forte is alternative healthcare management. Other topics I write include traditional wellness and education columns and book reviews. I also write lots of commercial copy such as speeches advertorial, marketing topics and news scripts. My clients include ABC News, Inc., and DART, Dallas's Area Rapid Transit. I also have extensive technical writing experience. My freelance work flows into other areas where I am forced to put on my editor's eye and function as an academic and, my favorite, a literary manuscript editor.

Personal projects include a children's series, comic strip collaboration, ghostwriting, inspirational articles, and I have a mainstream fiction novel in progress. I have also been published online.

As an adult, still trying to get used to Dallas, Texas after twelve years, I'm being molded into a passionate adult writer, on my way to blossoming into a powerful, seasoned legend in the not so distant future. Solitude, reading, writing and I clutch each other as best friends, and pessimism tries to visit every now and again. Yet voices on my phone, and company at my door, dictate that I'm full of energy, ambition, certainty and strength. When that happens, I welcome the camaraderie into my life, as needed extra spice. Nostalgia and I also favor each other as friends. She, along with her aunt, my muse, visits me often in an effort to remind me of my yearning for how life "used to be" and they help me pen my latest writing project. In the meantime, I am a 30-something-year old writer who remembers being a 10-year old writer who expects to become a 90-year old literary legend. I thank God daily for my family, patience, sanity, intelligence and the gift of creativity that defines me as a writer.

But until fame and fortune surrenders to me, I am defined, a dreamer. My past has led me down a winding trail of roles where each hat, I wore to perfection-or what I thought was perfection. From singing, and performing professionally as a modern dancer to tackling my passion as a full time freelance writer, I know I'm on a trail headed for success. So far, that trail is a clear path that guides me as a mother of three, daughter, sister, lover and friend through my craft as a writer, but not necessarily in that order.
Contact me at: editorseye@yahoo.com

Denise Turney
Author of Portia.
Freelance writer and novelist. Has been writing for more than 20 years. Member of The International Women's Writing Guild and The Philadelphia Writer's Organization. Single mom to an eight year old son. Online at: http://www.chistell.com
Email me at: RCampb3422@aol.com

Denise Vitola
My name is Denise Vitola, and of all the shifting roles I've played in my life--daughter, sister, rebellious teen, wife, mother, homemaker, waitress, single mother, wife again--only one has defined me: writer. I am a writer. And thanks to this wonderful group, Momwriters, I am at last experiencing the tremendous satisfaction of seeing my name and my words in print.

I am also blessed to be the mother of three terrific kids, Zachary, Cody, and Chelsea, and soulmate to a great guy, Ely (hence my screen name, ElysGrl). Our messy, noisy household includes the world's most affectionate dog, Buffy, the world's most standoffish cat, Cloudy, and a cageful of very nervous finches.

My other passions include (but are not limited to) feng shui, parenting issues, religious pursuits, vegetarianism, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Among my favorite authors are Stephen King, Anne Rivers Siddons, Nancy Thayer, Dean Koontz, and Anne Lamott, just to name a few.

It's my dream to make a living writing novels someday, but at the moment it's a joy simply to have a few things published on the internet.

You can check out my feng shui site at BellaOnline.com or e-mail me at ElysGrl@aol.com

Dionna Sanchez
Dionna Sanchez is Editor/Publisher of Emphasis Newsletter For Moms. Emphasis came out of the desire to encourage moms not just as women, but also as individual ladies with their own hopes and dreams. We all want to be the best for our husbands and children...create the coziest home environment, never be stressed, etc...but you can't do that if you neglect who you are as a person. So, Emphasis tries to refresh your heart and mind with articles geared to both worlds - your mothering - and your womanhood.

Dionna is the wife of Eliseo and stepmom of Garrett. Proud mom of precious girls Kamica and Kayla Shaye. She enjoys reading, writing (of course), music, decorating, shopping, and encouraging people.

Dionna's articles have been printed and reprinted in Christian Parenting Today, Creative Homemaking, Her Corner, Seeds Of Knowledge, MOPS newsletter, Bear's Place, Caring At Home, A Mom's Love, Mom's Coffee Break, The Pennypincher Ezine and Family First. To contact Dionna write her at: emphasis@micron.net

Dina April
Dina April is a writer, astrologer and teacher living in the NW suburbs of Chicago. She's primarily been home with her kids, Zach (9.5) and Samantha (7), for the past 9.5 years. Prior to that, she worked for many years in advertising, public relations and cable television. Dina's personal essays and feature articles have appeared in The Chicago Tribune, Conscious Choice, The Monthly Aspectarian, and the Mountain Astrologer. She is currently preparing a workshop for a Chicagoland astrology conference entitled "Unmasking the Soul" and is hoping to present the information in a number of different venues. She is also working on her first book which is a chronicle of her puppy's (Macintosh) first year.

Donna M. Snow
Donna M. Snow is a single WAHM to six kids ages 5 years old to 16 years old and CEO of http://www.snowwrite.com/, a small business consulting and web development firm. Ms. Snow wears many professional hats and all of them provide her with the opportunity to do what she loves most, create. She is the business columnist for http://www.momsnetwork.com/ "Connecting at Home", a national print newspaper with a circulation of 90,000 and growing. As Editor-in-Chief of http://www.hersmallbusiness.com she provides ongoing training sessions for women in business. Ms. Snow writes from over 16 years of experience in the small business industry and has been told repeatedly that her writing inspires, motivates and educates. Recently, she has had the opportunity to launch a site for single parents who are entrepreneurs http://www.singleparentpreneur.com and hopes to reach men and women who are solo parents and want to be home to raise their children. When she is not working on one of her many projects you can find her enjoying a movie with her kids or outside in the California sun working on her garden.

Donna M. Snow, CEO
Snow Write Productions

Drue Ann Hargis-Ramirez
Drue Ann Hargis-Ramirez (who decided to write under a combination of her maiden and married names to appease the two grown men in her life-spouse and father) fell in love with books and the written word as a pre-teen. Her teachers encouraged her to write through participation on the high school paper for which she eventually became Editor-in-Chief. For several years she got distracted with a full-time secretarial job and marriage, but after her second son was born in 1999, she could no longer quiet the words and stories running through her head and began to put words onto paper again.

When she is not working her day job, or hopping from one activity to another with her two sons and husband, she spends her 'free' time writing. She is currently working on a contemporary romance novel and several children's stories and poems. Her children inspire much of her writing, and her parents are her staunchest supporters, critiquing all her work. She resides in sunny Southern California and hopes that one day she can become a full-time writer. Her work can be found in several online markets, including Wee Ones E-Magazine, The Altruistic Web, The Einkwell, and The Poet's Garth. You can reach Drue at bunuelita@aol.com

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