Our (Shuswap) Lake of Talents!
Our pool of talents from across the Shuswap includes writers, authors and poets - published and unpublished, famous and infamous, esteemed and not so esteemed.
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EXECUTIVE 2018- 2019
President - Carol Mikkelsen -We are taking turns co-chairing
Vice-President -
Secretary -Sheilah Land
Treasurer/ Website/ membership - Carol Mikkelsen
Past President - Dorothy Rolin
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MEMBERSHIP -We are in the process of writing up our bio's and having our mugshots done and these are being posted as our procrastinating 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
Judith Benson
Neil Caves
Barb Clark
Anne de Nada
Dragana Gujic
Josephine Guild
Kay Johnston
Brenda Kilberg
Sheilah Land
Keri Lefave
Hugh Marchand
Debbie McGregor
Ellie McGaughey
Carol Mikkelsen
Rachel Owa
Monique Pharand
Roselyn Phare
Beverly Reese
Dorothy Rolin
Susan Shantz
Maureen Shaffer
Richard Wallace
June Welter
Carol Mikkelsen
Carol's Salmon Arm roots go back two generations. Special times in her life are her family, her garden, dragon boating, hiking, golfing and snowshoeing! All these things have inspired her to write fiction, creative non-fiction stories and poetry.
Carol is working on her bucket list of places to go. Her families everyday life and her adventures in the great outdoors have developed into many stories. Carol has several stories published in the Shuswap Writers' Kaleidoscope IV and V anthology.
Carol is the maker and keeper of the group's website. So if there are any horrible bloopers like, horror of horror's spelling mistakes it will be she who is now named at fault.
Dorothy Rolin
Dorothy has lived in Salmon Arm for the past 40 years. In that time, she has helped found the Shuswap Writers' Group (1989) and has been a member for its duration. She has emceed many Shuswap Writers' Coffee Houses and been active and supportive member of the Shuswap Association of Writers. She is the current President of the local Historical Society.
She writes fiction, non-fiction and poetry, but her love of the written word lies in the non-fiction genre. Dorothy has published work in many anthologies, a chap book, and has written articles for the Okanagan Historical Society. Her garden is her sanctuary where she finds inspiration for her art and writing. |
Judith Benson
After teaching for 25 years, Judith and her husband Geoff retired to Salmon Arm, British Columbia. She devotes her time to writing for children and youth, supporting the local writing community, literacy and local nature conservation projects; cooking and attending an adult book club. She joins Geoff to sing with the community choir, study Spanish,travel, hike and camp. For fitness: there's dance, gardening and keeping up with eight grandchildren during their precious time together. She has translated The Noise In Grandma's Attic into Spanish to read in classrooms during her trips with Geoff to the west coast of Mexico.
Richard Wallace
Richard grew up in Nova Scotia and moved to BC when he was 19 years old. Richard has been a policeman, a farmer, a fork lift operator and a vinyl siding applicator. He can add a creator of prose and poetry to that list of careers! Except for a brief 5 years in Langley, he has lived in the Shuswap. BC has been been home. Richard has lived in Armstrong with his wife and family since 1976.
He has published Volume one of a short story The Old Man, which is available at selected book stores in Salmon Arm. His new book of short stories and poems was published in January 2015 - More Truth Than Fiction.
Richard did some writing when he was in Orkney, Scotland and The Orkney News published some of his works. To see the poem go to ... The Orkney News click on culture and scroll down to poets corner then go to back issue and see Freight Train and the story behind it. Richard has a play published see www.orkneynews.scot
He had two poems selected by the Poetry Institute of Canada in Victoria which will be printed the winter of 2019 in an anthology. The poems selected were Fourteen and Two Dads.
He has published Volume one of a short story The Old Man, which is available at selected book stores in Salmon Arm. His new book of short stories and poems was published in January 2015 - More Truth Than Fiction.
Richard did some writing when he was in Orkney, Scotland and The Orkney News published some of his works. To see the poem go to ... The Orkney News click on culture and scroll down to poets corner then go to back issue and see Freight Train and the story behind it. Richard has a play published see www.orkneynews.scot
He had two poems selected by the Poetry Institute of Canada in Victoria which will be printed the winter of 2019 in an anthology. The poems selected were Fourteen and Two Dads.
click on Datebook at top of menu for more information on his book launch date.
Sheilah Land - Having taught for 38 years in Manitoba, Sheilah is a relative newcomer to the Shuswap. With family living in Salmon Arm and Kelowna, the move seemed right. She has taught Canadian prairie literature to high school students with the goal of sensitizing them to this rich genre and to awaken students to their own family stories. She is influenced most by Margaret Laurence's writing and loves the detailed characters' lives in her writing. Sheilah also draws on three generations of her own family for inspiration.
Jeanne Hill - Jeanne had never considered of herself a writer but the Shuswap Writers' Group has helped her define this. She has been encouraged to value the art of writing in the broader sense be it in documenting events, record keeping, research, broadcasting or personal journaling. Jeanne has had a rich variety of experiences living in six different provinces as well as in Europe.Teaching English as a second language in Thailand and Canada has enhanced her interest in language. Writing book reviews with two separate book clubs, locally and in California, helps her hone my writing skills. She has been compiling scripts for a local radio program that she hosts on Voice of the Shuswap.
Ellie McGaughey - Ellie was raised in Calgary, Alberta, lived in the area of Ponoka and Red Deer for many years, then eventually moved to Fort Saskatchewan. She and her husband Mitch, have now happily retired and settled in Salmon Arm. Ellie has published two fiction novels "A Road Too Steep - Estelle's Story" and her second "Asea, a journey Told".
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June Welter - June has written many short stories. One was printed in the BC Women's Magazine. A stage play production at Lakeview Centre. Two radio plays one of which was presented at the Cedar Heights community Hall in Blind Bay BC. Another radio play is in the process for presentation at a later date.
June has been a member of the Senior's Theatre Group in Blind Bay and in Salmon Arm for several years.
June retired and moved from Calgary to the Shuswap. She has two sons and four grandchildren.
June has been a member of the Senior's Theatre Group in Blind Bay and in Salmon Arm for several years.
June retired and moved from Calgary to the Shuswap. She has two sons and four grandchildren.
Maureen Shaffer -Maureen was born and raised in Northern Alberta and trained as a nurse in Edmonton, Maureen choose Salmon Arm as home. She and her husband purchased one of Salmon Arm's original homes, the Ball house in 1977. It has been home since. Maureen's three children grow up on the heritage property and moved away to begin their own lives. Maureen's nursing career took her to several war zones working as a nurse/midwife for humanitarian relief NGO's. She has written for decades , and since her retirement , has become drawn into historical research, which fits in well with Maureen's primarily non-fiction genre. Pastimes include volunteer work, writing, gardening, maintaining her 1910 heritage home, and most importantly, grand parenting.
Beverly Reese - Beverly was raised at Sorrento BC and went to High School in Salmon Arm. She worked for 15 years with the Salmon Arm School District with students who needed inclusive support in the school system. Seven years ago moved to White Rock to be close to her daughter but the city life was too much for her and 1 1/2 years ago moved back to Salmon Arm. Beverly always enjoyed writing and is a new member to the Shuswap Writers' Group . Her likes are gardening, walking and music.
Rachel Owa -Rachel is the newest member to our writers group and has joined us as a motivating factor to leave her experiences in a journalistic form to her family. Rachel enjoys story telling and has done so in the form of a talking bear called Spinoza Bear which was released on a world level in the 1980's. She enjoys gardening, walking and dancing.
Monique Pharand - Monique moved to Salmon Arm in the fall of 2019, embracing life closer to her family. For the previous 20 years she has been an active member of many organizations in the small community of Dease Lake in northern BC, this included the local Reading Centre, the Lions Club and even the Canadian Rangers (to name a few). Her passion for community involvement continues to call her. Monique's career in education became the perfect way to awaken and encourage creativity in students from Kindergarten to Post Secondary. Inquisitive by nature, she dabbles in the field of Visual Arts, enjoys quilting and improv games and treasures spending time outdoors. Monique always enjoys writing.
Brenda Kilberg - Brenda has lived in BC for forty years and the last thirty years in Salmon Arm. She set aside her International Travel Consulting career to raise her three boys. She finds writing inspiration from family history, life events and her extensive classroom of global experiences. Brenda has had eight years of piano and a few singing lessons she hopes someday to write her own lyrics and music. She has jotted down bits and bobs and kept a few journals enjoys creating Haiku and free style poetry as well as short non-fiction stories. Brenda feels the Shuswap Writers' Group is giving her a clear direction and motivation to improve her writing skills and continue writing. She loves her adventures in her VW van, books, music and living a simple life.
Keri Lefave - Keri grew up in Southern Ontario. She moved to and lived in Manitoba, Vancouver Island and taught school in Belize for a year. Keri settled in Northern Ontario where she had various professions one of which was police officer. After she and her husband retired from law enforcement they sought out milder and shorter winters and made the Shuswap their home in the 2017. Keri enjoys the outdoors, hiking, snowshoeing, biking,swimming and working in her yard.
Keri wrote and published her memoir Unfinished - A Personal Journey of Healing, Self Discovery and Resilience, writing under her pen name "Isana" She continues to write, with the idea of producing another book.
Keri wrote and published her memoir Unfinished - A Personal Journey of Healing, Self Discovery and Resilience, writing under her pen name "Isana" She continues to write, with the idea of producing another book.
Debbie McGregor - Debbie grew up in the Vancouver area, moving to Salmon Arm in 2018. Her stories are fictional accounts, inspired by true events which are written from her desire to entertain and enlighten by telling compelling and poignant stories. She has most recently added screenwriter to her resume.
Destiny's Ride, her first novel is available at Bookingham Palace Books also on Amazon in paperback and e-book editions. Eighteen Miles (a novelette) is self published and available by request.
Debbie's motto - "Everybody has a story"
Destiny's Ride, her first novel is available at Bookingham Palace Books also on Amazon in paperback and e-book editions. Eighteen Miles (a novelette) is self published and available by request.
Debbie's motto - "Everybody has a story"
Hugh Marchand - Hugh is new to Salmon Arm, arrived in Canada in our Centennial year and settled in Ontario. There he met his wife and a busy life ensued learning about a new country. A busy life that soon became a noisy one with the arrival, in short order, of three bright but boisterous children, which precluded contemplative pursuits - like writing.
However, as children grew, the decibels decreased and permitted him to start writing something other than management reports. Words began to tumble out of his mind onto page. Success in poetry and short story competitions has punctuated his toiling to complete and publish his first novel.
However, as children grew, the decibels decreased and permitted him to start writing something other than management reports. Words began to tumble out of his mind onto page. Success in poetry and short story competitions has punctuated his toiling to complete and publish his first novel.
Sandy Buckmaster - Bio to follow
