Members

Our (Shuswap) Lake of Talents! Last updated April 20th, 2013

Our pool of talents from across the Shuswap includes writers, authors and poets - published and unpublished, famous and infamous, esteemed and not so steemed....

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    EXECUTIVE   2009- 2012

President - Shirley DeKelver

Vice-President - Judith Benson

Secretary - Joyce Adrian-Sotski

Treasurer and Website - Carol Mikkelsen

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    MEMBERSHIP   - we are in the process of writing up our bio's and having our mug   shots done and these are being posted as our procastinating members ever so slowly get them into our webmaster.  If you really want to see what has been posted thus far   scroll way down and see our bevy of beauties

Members

Gordon Allen
Lorri Aulis
Donna, Benn
Judith Benson
Joanell Clarke
Stephanie Morin-Davis
Shirley DeKelver
JoAnn Dionne
Joanne Freenstra
Ken, Forscutt
Mona Houle
Kay Johnston
Carol Mikkelsen
Wendy Nutall
Mary Nyland
Sharlee Plett
Dorothy Rolin
Chris Schon
Cathy Sosnowsky
Lynne Stonier-Newman
Joyce Adrian-Sotski
Marion Williams

Shuswap Writers' Group 2011 - 2012

Back row - left to right. Dorothy Rolin, Lani Caputi, Judith Benson, Dick Quaife, Shirley DeKelver, Carol Mikkelsen
Front row - Ellen Davies, Donna Benn, David Docherty
Members not pictured - Joyce Adrain-Sotski, Barbara Alexander, Leslie Blaikie, JoAnn Dionne, Ken Forscutt, Jeanne Hill, Kay Johnston, Stephanie Morin-Davis, Mary Nyland, Chris Schon, Maureen Sebeck, Marion Williams, Ed Zolia
Photo by David Norman Docherty- fine art & commercial photographer www.davidnormanphotgraphy.ca

Shirley DeKelver

Shirley was born in Calgary where she spent over 42 years working as a paralegal in corporate law firms. In 2004 she received a diploma from the Institute of Children's Literature in Writing for children and teenagers and in Marketing Children's books. In 2007 she and her husband retired and moved to White Lake BC. She joined the Shuswap Writers Group. Shirley is an avid reader and photographer and has a deep appreciation for animals and nature.
Shirley had her first book published The Trouble with Mandy - published by Solstice Publishing Ltd.,2012, and is available in soft cover and ebook. The book is geared for ages 0f 10 to 15 years old. Check out Shirley's web site www.shirleydekelver.com To purchase the paperback, please go to the following website: https://www.createspace.com/3907794

Carol Mikkelsen

Carol's Salmon Arm roots go back two generations. Special times in her life are her family, her garden, dragon boating, cycling, hiking, golfing and Zumba! All these things have inspired her to write creative non-fiction and poetry. Carol has been a member of the Shuswap Writers Group for 9 years.
Carol is working on her bucket list of places to go and places to see. The adventures are developing into many journals that one day will become a story or two.
Carol is the maker and keeper of the groups website. So if there is any horrible bloopers like, horror of horror's spelling mistakes it will be she who is now named at fault.

Dorothy Rolin

Dorothy writes both fiction and non-fiction short stories. Her passion to preserve the documentation of her family history has led her to a deeper appreciation of all pioneers who came before us. Dorothy's garden on Foothill Road continues to inspire her writing and creative artwork. She has been a member of the Shuswap Writers Group since day one.
Dorothy was instrumental in compiling and publishing her family's history book.

Marion Williams

Marion is a world traveller, editor, and published writer. She has written many short stories and a novel entitled "Master Of The Sinai". She volunteers her time as a pianist at various senior lodges and tutors students in English as a second language (ESL). Marion was helpful in editing many stories in our Anthology IV. She has written a collection of her wonderful short stories which was just published, "a collection of short stories for all ages". Marion now has a blog going and it will be posted on this site for anyone who wishes to read some of her delightful stories.

JoAnn Dionne

JoAnn has lived in Japan, Mexico, China and, more recently, Hong Kong- her home of five years where she worked for a time as an editor at Oxford University Press. JoAnn has written about her time in China in her book Little Emperors a year with the future of china. Currently, she lives in Victoria, British Columbia, but grew up in Salmon Arm.
JoAnn will be in India for a year and we hope to see another book soon keep updated on her blog she is developing, check out her website

Little Emperors a year with the future of China

When JoAnn arrived in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, she came prepared to live and teach elementary school in a communist country. She found many things in the world's oldest country as it was throwing itself headlong into the future along with her students who would live in that future. JoAnn provides a funny, often poignant glimpse of a nation undergoing rapid transformation. Find out more about Joann www.joanndionne.com

Kay Johnston

Kay was born and raised in the Lake District of England. In 1969 she came to Canada on a one year teacher exchange. Kay has a BA in English Literature and a Masters in counselling psychology. Her careers have included being a teacher, counsellor, senior manager with a crown corporation, working as a consultant with the Attorney General and Ministry of Education...But the best was being a rancher.
Kay is working on another book that is close to her heart and love of the First Nations People.
Her love of the First Nations People, their culture and Music is reflected in her first book

SPIRIT OF THE POWWOW that combines her writing and photography. Her other passion is wildlife.

Spirit Of The Powwow

by Kay Johnston & Gloria Nahanee published by Hancock House 2003. Available in Hard and Soft cover.
The 144 pages of photography and text detail every component of powwow. Meet the Nahanee family & learn about the dances, history, regalia, judging and etiquette. Smell the powwow ground. Walk tall in the Grand Entry. Mix with dancers, drummers and singers and listen to them speak to you.
A book designed to build a bridge between cultures.
Contact Kay Johnston @ www.spiritofpowwow.ca

Chris Schon

Having grown up in four languages, he can't spell in any of them, writing with prolific epistolary bent from age eight or nine. Professionally, literature has been very much part of his life. Serious writing as both a therapeutic end and in order to simply keep track of his many interests dates from the past two decades. This love affair with words keeps him young.

Donna Benn

Donna has always enjoyed writing but delayed doing so while raising a family, working and helping operate her and her husband's business. Finally, twenty years ago, she began to write, selling screenplay and articles on people,with disabilities and camping. She wrote several short stories. After a few years break, she is now working on a novel and back in a painting and art group. Her passions have always been people, why they do what they do and how they connect with others. That whole topic is related to writing and is the reason why she writes. Donna has 9 of her short stories The Eye And All Of Us at www.amazon.com/kindle

Ken Forscutt

Ken at his book launch and signing. Salmon Arm BC

Ken was born in Winnipeg Manitoba. He completed his flying training in Brandon Manitoba, graduated, then received his wings and license in 1967. His flying career has taken him to many locations in Canada'a North. Ken has documented his adventures, in both prose and poetry. He receives great support from his friends and pilots who have been part of this journey. After 12 years of research, and documentation Ken has completed his first novel.

Judith Benson

Judith taught elementary school for twenty-five years and now enjoys life as a transplanted retiree in Salmon Arm. She keeps busy writing for children and participating in the writing, reading, choral, environmental and proliteracy in the community. Judith's latest writing projects are a Young Adults historical novel and stories of three teens who time travel into Shuswap's history. She has been an active member of Shuswap Writers' Group and Shuswap Association Of Writers for four years.

Joyce Adrian Sotski

Joyce freelances as a multimedia developer. She builds web sites and other interactive projects for both internet and CD ROM delivery; Her background includes an extensive 25 year career as a graphic artist in the printing industry. In her personal life she calls herself mother, wife, sister, cousin, aunt and a friend to many. She has a passion for the arts and enjoys working as a fine artist in various mediums, digitally, as well as in oils, watercolours, graphite -- and words. Joyce's favourite hobbies are reading and hiking. Friday afternoons in the summer you will find her climbing a little mountain or following a babbling brook with friends. See her web site http://www.adria.ca/ or visit Joyce's other site http:http://intheshuswap.ca

Cathy Sosnowsky

Cathy grew up and studied in Vancouver, BC, and went on to teach at UBC and Langara College. Her specialty was English literature, but she was also instrumental in establishing courses in Film Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies.
After losing her teenage son in a freak accident, Cathy turned to the writing of poetry and to the support of the international bereavement group, The Compassionate Friends. She has presented poems from her collection Holding On:Poems For Alex at international conferences and on CBC radio. Her short stories and essays have been published in the Globe and Mail and Room Magazine. She offers writing and healing workshops locally and internationally, and since the publication of her memoir, Snapshots of Love, Loss and Life, she also gives workshops on memoir writing.
Cathy now lives in Salmon Arm, is the international liaison of The Compassionate Friends.
See her website www.cathysosnowsky.com

Lynne Stonier-Newman

Lynne's publications include Peter O'Reilly: The Rise Of A Reluctant Immigrant; The Lawman: Adventures Of A Frontier Diplomat; Policing A Pioneer Province: BC Provincial Police 1858-1950; The Whys Of Women audiobook, a modern history about Canadian women; an illustrated poetry chapbook, Canadian-Eh? Lynne recently moved to Salmon Arm after many years at Little Heffley Lake.

Joanell Clarke

Joanell hails from Texada Island BC. She was instrumental in starting a writers group on the Island and wrote various news articles that were published in the "Powell River News". Her genre of choice is non fiction and she has been published in the "BC Counsellor" magazine. She had her book "Successful Wardrobe Planning" published. She did a promotional tour across Canada and appeared on a couple of TV and radio shows. She is now working another book "Thought For The Day"