Branch Officers and Chairs

Elected Officers

President, Robbi Sommers Bryant, is the author of her newest book, Dream, 2nd place winner in the Los Angeles Book Festival Best in Genre. Her novel, The Beauutiful Evil, has won the BAIPA Award for Best in Genre as well as Honorary Mention in the Los Angeles Book Festival in fiction and was a top finalist in the Kindle Book Review Contest.

She is the author of one novella, four novels,five books of short stories and a book of poetry. Robbi has had articles published in magazines such as Redbook and Reader’s Digest. Besides  her  writing, she is also part of the web team for the Redwood Writers website, a professional editor, specializing in Tempo Editing, and a creativity coach. www.robbibryant.com

Robbi is also an active member of the Bay Area Independent Book Publishers Association.

Email: president@redwoodwriters.org

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Vice President, Sandy Baker,  writes children’s gardening books, teen poetry, and co-authored the thriller The Tehran Triangle with Tom Reed. She chaired the Redwood Writers “Next Step” conference in 2012. Sandy is giving NaNoWriMo a shot for the first time when she will attempt to write the sequel thriller The Tehran Revenge—just for the challenge and discipline of it. She’s also a member of the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association. Get to know her better at www.sandybakerwriter.com and her blog at http://writersandy.wordpress.com/.                                                                         

 Vice President, Amanda McTigue,

Secretary, Malena Elijumaily,      

Email: secretary@redwoodwriters.org

 

Treasurer, Karen McAuliff, 

Email: treasurer@redwoodwriters.org 

Board Members

Representative to CWC Central Board, Elaine Webster, writes fiction, non-fiction, memoir and poetry. She represents Redwood Writers on the CWC Central Board and The NorCal Group http://www.cwcnorcalwriters.org/ where she is Secretary and Web Editor. She has published two non-fiction works, Jesse’s Tale, about life with an adopted greyhound, and Heartfelt, a caregivers guide for those helping a loved one through open-heart surgery. Elaine is a staff writer for Greener Living Today http://www.greenerlivingtoday.com/. Her memoir, Balanced on the Edge of the Crowd, is in its final phases towards publication. You can friend Elaine on her Facebook Page,  connect with her on Linkedin or view her Author’s Website.

Email: cwcrepresentative@redwoodwriters.org

 

Membership Chair, Amrita Skye Blaine, writes memoir and fiction, developing themes of spirituality, aging, coming of age, disability, and how we sustain ourselves through life’s left-turns. In 2003 she received an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University. Her essays have been published in Catalyst, Crone Chronicles, and In Context magazines. She serves as a real estate agent in Sonoma County.

 

Email: membership@redwoodwriters.org

 

Publicity Chair, Michelle Wing, is a writer and poet who spent much of her adult life in Seattle, Osaka, Kyoto and San Francisco, but now lives in the country in northern Sonoma County with her partner Sabrina, her faithful dog Ripley, and a houseful of other animals. She has been published previously in the Gay & Lesbian Review, Sinister Wisdom, and Sonoma County Women’s Voices, and is employed as the senior staff writer for the Calistoga Tribune in Napa Valley. Michelle uses her creative voice in her volunteer work at the Sonoma County YWCA, where she co-facilitates writing and art workshops for survivors of domestic violence. She can also be found online writing about life from a Zen perspective, at www.rrzbeginnersmind.blogspot.com.

Email: publicity@redwoodwriters.org

Newsletter Editor, Susan Littlefield, is a construction defect paralegal in a small lively law firm, but her first love is creative writing. When she is not busy in the legal arena, she likes to take the “what if” situations of her life and weave words into thrilling stories she hopes will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Susan has published short stories in two Vintage Voices anthologies, Adventures for the Average Woman magazine, and won first place in the Words for Dollars writing contest in 2008.  She is currently revising her first novel.

Email: editor@redwoodwriters.org

Past President, Linda Loveland Reid, published her first novel Touch of Magenta in 2009. Her short stories also are published in anthologies 95% Naked and Vintage Voices: Cent’Anni. She is a graduate of Sonoma State University (cum laude in History and Art History), a theater director, and figurative oil painter. Professionally, she founded a family insurance business in Santa Rosa. Linda is winner of the 2008 Redwood Writers short fiction contest.

 

Author Book Launch, Jeane Slone

Committee Chairs

Speaker Coordinator, Linda C. McCabe, has been a member of Redwood Writers for over ten years and served on the board of directors as Membership Chair, Treasurer, Vice-President and President.  Her writing credits include: opinion-editorials in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat and Los Angeles Times,  submission in several Vintage Voices, a master’s thesis from Sonoma State University and she is actively pursuing publication of an epic historical fantasy series based on the legends of Charlemagne.  She is an avid reader of blogs regarding the rapid evolution of the publishing industry and loves networking with other writers.  You can schmooze with her in person at the meetings or connect with her online through Facebook, her literary blog or her website.

Email: speakercoord@redwoodwriters.org

Anthology 2013 Editor, John Abbott,  is a writer, editor and marketing consultant based in Petaluma , CA . His fiction has appeared in Frisko, Fence and the “Vintage Voices: Anthology of California Writers” the pastfour years. He is currently working on a book about Lord Byron’s Italian mistresses. Email: john@johnabbottcommunications.com

Web Editors, Kate Farrell and Robbi Sommers Bryant

Kate Farrell earned a Masters degree from UC-Berkeley; taught language arts in high schools, colleges, and universities; founded the Word Weaving storytelling project in collaboration with the California Department of Education with a grant from the Zellerbach Family Fund and published numerous educational materials.

She is founder of Wisdom Has a Voice memoir project and editor of the anthology, Wisdom Has a Voice: Every Daughter’s Memories of Mother, 2011, and currently co-editing another anthology, Times They Were A-Changing: Women Remember the 60s & 70s.

She is a member of Redwood Branch (CWC), Story Circle Network, and National Association of Memoir Writers, and Vice-President, Women’s National Book Association-SF Chapter.

Email: webeditor@redwoodwriters.org

Social Media Manager,  Natalie Moon-Wainwright, writes memoir, fiction, has written a children’s book, blogs at The Calistoga Blogger and writes sermons. She is an ordained minister who preaches all over northern California. She lives in Calistoga and is choir director and music leader in her husband David’s church when she’s home on a Sunday. Natalie works part-time as a social media manager, making this position with Redwood Writers a good fit. She also raises chickens and sings as much as possible. Her two nearly grown children, Helen and Ian, are currently living at home, but may fly the nest at any moment. Visit her at: www.calistogablogger.com

Email: socialmedia@redwoodwriters.org

Salon, Sher Garmand, has been living the writer’s life—with gratitude and gusto—for the past twenty-two years. She stayed home to raise her daughter. As her child grew and flourished, so did her manuscript—page by page and year by year. Sher’s memoir, “Gifts From An Unseen Hand” is the engaging story of her plunge into a sacred journey. Sher also has a B.A. in Psychology from San Francisco State University. Now the Redwood Writers Salon Chair, she has been a member of Redwood Writers since November 2009. .

Email: salon@redwoodwriters.org

Redwood Writers Library Open Mic, Tami Casias, traded in writing for local newspapers for fiction. Her first young adult novel “Crystal Bound” follows a girl who inherits powers on her 16th birthday that compel her to help others. She is currently finishing  both the sequel and a novel for women “My Affair With Mickey.” She earned her BA in journalism from San Jose State University.

Email: rwlibrary@redwoodwriters.org

Historian:  OPEN

Note: The wonderful Redwood officers, board members, and chairs of committee on this page are those who serve all year long. Other chairs serve for key events and activities and will appear on this website with their special functions from time to time. Our thanks to all!

Elected Officers:
President:Robbi Sommers Bryant
Vice Presidents: Sandy Baker
Secretary: Malena Elijumaily
Treasurer: Karen McAuliff

Board Members: CWC Rep: Elaine Webster, Membership Chair: Skye Blaine, Publicity Chair, Michelle Wing, Newsletter Editor: Susan Littlefield, Past President: Linda Loveland Reid, Author Book Launch: Jeane Slone, Book Festival Chair: David Ramirez, Members At Large: Kent Sorenson, Sharon Hamilton