Our Critique Editors

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Jack Adler has been a fulltime freelance writer since 1974, drawing upon his previous business experience for his writing specialties: travel, health, recreation and leisure articles. A fulltime job as feature editor of Travel Weekly helped lead Jack to becoming a columnist, on a freelance basis, for the travel section of the Los Angeles Times for 15 years; he wrote two columns: Consumer Report and Bargain Corner.

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John DeChancie is the author of two dozen books, both fiction and nonfiction. His novels in the science fiction and fantasy genres have been attracting a wide readership for more than fifteen years, and over a million copies of his books have seen print, many in foreign languages. His humorous fantasy series, beginning with Castle Perilous, became a best seller for Berkley/Ace. John’s novel Witchblade: Talons was republished by iBooks (Simon and Shuster), and the entire Castle Perilous series and the Starrigger trilogy were recently published in translation in Russia.

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Kathie Giorgio’s writing credits include stories in Fiction International, Dos Passos Review, Ars Medica, The Pedestal, Bayou, Eclipse, Potomac Review, Arabesques Review, Hurricane Review, Oyez Review, Jabberwock Review, Karamu Review, Reed Magazine, The Binnacle, Zuzu’s Petals Quarterly, Licking River Review, Thema, Bellowing Ark, Hiss Quarterly, Midway Journal, The Externalist, in the premier issue of SLAB and in the premier issue of Broken Bridge Review and in an online and audio anthology by Susurrus Press titled, “I Am This Meat.”

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Michael Giorgio got his start in writing working in what many consider a dead, or at least a lost, art: Radio Drama. His first work won a national scriptwriting contest and a love of writing was born. Since then, he has had over a dozen audio scripts produced in Newark, Los Angeles, Akron, San Francisco, and Tennessee.

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Gloria Kempton has two passions: writing and working with writers. As the daughter of a successful freelance writer, she understood from an early age how to arrange the elements of an effective story so as to connect with readers: an action-filled plot, characters the reader will remember, a setting that enhances the plot, conflict that challenges the protagonist, tension-filled dialogue.

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During high school and college, Steve Mertz regularly scandalized his “literary, well-intentioned” creative writing teachers with “thud and blunder melodramas.” Throughout military service, travel, and a wide variety of jobs, his goal remained to become a publishing, full-time freelance professional. “It was never a question for me of if, but always when. His first national sale was to a mystery magazine, and his first novel, a detective thriller entitled Some Die Hard, was published under the pseudonym of Stephen Brett.

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Rita Robinson, author of 11 books, is an award-winning journalist with more than 1,500 published magazine articles and short stories on four continents. Although her books are nonfiction, her work includes several published adult and children’s short fiction stories. Her books include Grand Old Hotels of Southern and Central California; Survivors of Suicide; When Your Parents Need You; The Palm: A Guide to Your Hidden Potential; and more!

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Jordan E. Rosenfeld has been writing for the better part of 20 years. She holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from the Hutchins School and an MFA in Creative Writing and Literature from the Bennington Writing Seminars. Jordan has taught private writing workshops at a wide range of institutions including the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Gavilan College, the California Writer’s Club, and at conferences such as East of Eden and Mendocino Writers’ Conferences.

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Betty Jo Schuler has written for all ages—children, teens, and adults—and has had twenty books published, including five romance novels. She has also written nonfiction for children, as well as articles for U.S. Kids and Jack And Jill, and ‘Teen. Here nonfiction for adults has appeared in such magazines as Woman’s Day, First, and Reader’s Digest. A former elementary teacher with a BS and MA in Education, it’s no surprise that she likes teaching others to write for young people.

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Joe has taught for Writer’s Digest since 2005, having also taught English Composition at the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, where he also tutors writing students online. He earned an MA in English and a Master of Education at Xavier University, where one of his areas of specialization was tutoring writers. He also holds a BA in Drama from Kenyon College and is currently a PhD student at Indiana University studying Theatre.

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While most of Karlyn’s publishing success has been in the field of romance, she enjoys writing in other genres, including science fiction, horror and humor. Her published literary stories include “From the Halls of Montezuma to Manhattan,” which was nominated for the Pushcart Literary prize. Karlyn is a member of Romance Writers of America and Toastmasters, and has received numerous awards for her humorous speeches. She has taught story writing at Otero Junior College in Colorado and in the community education program at the University of California Riverside.

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The writing career of romance novelist Terri Valentine is truly a Cinderella story. An avid reader all of her life, she began writing her first historical romance in the summer of 1985 on an old Smith-Corona manual typewriter. To date, she has ten romance novels and a Christmas short story in publication. Sweet Paradise was nominated for Best Romance Adventure by Romantic Times and Louisiana Caress received a coveted K.I.S.S (Knight in Shining Silver) Award from Romantic Times. At present she is under contract for two more historicals, and she is currently working on a high-concept romantic novel that her agent anxiously awaits. She has also written a screenplay that is in production rewrites.

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Carolyn Walker began writing at age ten, has been a published journalist, columnist and author for more than twenty-five years, and has worked independently as an editor. She also received her Master of Fine Arts in Writing in and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Carolyn’s journalism has won awards from the Suburban Newspapers of America, the Michigan Press Association, the Better Newspapers Association, and the Association for Retarded Citizens. She teaches writing at the college and university level.

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