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Iyna Bort Caruso is a New York Emmy Award-winning writer and full-time freelancer whose credits include The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Saturday Evening Post, Natural Home, CountryLiving.com, BobVila.com and several in-flight publications, among others. She is also the author of Long Island's first travel app, "Essential Long Island." More information can be found at www.iynacaruso.com
Linda Epstein is an agent at The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. Prior to becoming an agent Linda read manuscripts and queries at Folio Literary Management, interned at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency and Meryl Zegarek Public Relations, and was a Community Relations Manager at Barnes and Noble where she set up author readings and signings as well as organized book groups and book fairs. Linda represents middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction, and very select non-fiction.
Susie Garber wrote Denver Dreams, a novel (Jerusalem Publications, 2009) and Memorable Characters … Magnificent Stories (Scholastic, 2002) She co-directs LIFE (Literacy Institute for Yeshiva Educators) a summer institute for principals and teachers. She also mentors teachers in teaching writing in grades 1- high school. She enjoys sharing the gift of writing with students ages 6-grandparenthood. Some of her adult students have been published.
Carol Hoenig is a fulltime freelance writer and publishing consultant. Her novel, WITHOUT GRACE, has been awarded the Silver Medal for Book of the Year 2005 by ForeWord Magazine and given First Place for Fiction by the DIY Book Festival. Jada Press and the New York Book Festival also gave her novel honorable mention. Her book THE AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO PLANNING BOOK EVENTS was named finalist by USA Book and Reader Views and given the Gold medal by ForeWord Magazine for Book of the Year in the category of writing. Carol’s essays, articles, book reviews and short stories appear in a wide number of publications. Carol also blogs for The Huffington Post. For more information, visit carolhoenig.com.
Candyce Kannengieser is a high school English and creative writing teacher and a writer. For the past four years, she has worked at Manhasset High School, teaching English and creative writing and acting as adviser for the school’s award-winning art and literary magazine, The Phoenix. Ms. Kannengieser was previously a New York City Teaching Fellow and a member of AmeriCorps. She earned an M.F.A. in creative writing from San Diego University in 2000 and an M.S.Ed. from Lehmann College in 2005.
Janice Levy is the award-winning author of nineteen children's books, including Alley Oops, Gonzalo Grabs The Good Life, Finding The Right Spot,The Runaway Radish, I Remember Abuelito, Abuelito Eats With His Fingers and The Spirit of Tio Fernando. Translated into Spanish, Chinese, Italian and Japanese, they’re used in nationwide reading programs, classroom curriculum, and sold in book stores internationally. Her adult fiction won the Writer’s Digest Competition for Best Literary Short Story three times. Her work appears in numerous anthologies and literary magazines, including Glimmer Train, StoryQuarterly , Alaska Quarterly, Iowa Review, Greensboro Review and The Sun. She has taught juvenile and adult fiction in Hofstra's Summer Writing Program. When she writes for children, she pretends she’s a child. When she writes for adults, she’s still a child, she just has bigger parts. For more information, visitjanicelevy.com
Sandra Mardenfeld, a freelance writer, editor, and teacher based in Long Island, New York, is an assistant professor in the C.W. Post University Media Arts department and director of the journalism program. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Communication and Information at Rutgers University, specializing in media studies. Her dissertation looks at reporter’s privilege through the perspective of the public and the practitioner using focus groups, interviews and published editorials. She received her Master’s degree in magazine journalism at New York University and her Bachelors in journalism at The State University College of Buffalo. She has worked as the managing editor for several national magazines, as the Broadway editor of Playbill, and as an editor/writer on many websites. Sandra has written for more than 50 newspapers, magazines, and websites. Her features, articles, essays, and reviews have run in such publications as Allure, Distinction, The New York Times Book Review, Parents and Children, The Daily News, Jewelry Connoisseur, ModernBride.com, Elegant Bride, Working Woman; Time Out New York, Stagebill, The Christian Science Monitor, Entrepreneur.com, Retail Ad World, American Bookseller; Construction Equipment Guide and Good Dog.
Ellen Meister is the author of three novels. Her most recent book, The Other Life (Putnam, 2/2011), has been nominated by BookPage for the Top 20 Books of 2011 and by the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association for Book of the Year. It was also selected by the Austin Public Library for their Best Fiction of 2011 list, and was singled out by the American Booksellers Association for the prestigious Great Reads Indie Next List. It is currently under option with HBO for a television series. She served as editor for an online literary journal and for a literary podcast program. She currently edits manuscripts for published and aspiring authors, does public speaking about writing-related issues, and is at work on her fourth novel Farewell, Dorothy Parker (Putnam, spring 2012). Visit her website at ellenmeister.com
Linda Merklin is manager of editorial services at Hofstra University, as well as a freelance writer and editor. She has been at Hofstra University, in various capacities, for nearly 30 years. In her current position, she is responsible for editing the Hofstra Magazine, Hofstra Horizons, Hofstra’s Continuing Education Bulletin, and Hofstra Cultural Center conference materials. She and her staff are responsible for editing all admission publications for the University, as well as event-related and promotional materials for Hofstra’s administrative offices, the Hofstra University Museum, eight Hofstra schools, and the hundreds of programs administered through those schools and their respective academic departments.
Christine O’Hagan is the author of Benediction at the Savoia, a novel, and the memoir, The Book of Kehls. Both books received starred Kirkus Reviews, the latter a Kirkus "Best Book of 2005" selection. Her essays have appeared in Between Friends, The Day My Father Died, Lives Through Literature, Facts on File: The American Novel, Exploring Literature, For Keeps, Face in the Mirror, He Said What? and Exit Laughing. She was was named a "Top Irish American" by Irish America magazine and received the Jerry Lewis Writing Award. She has been a "visiting author" at the UCLA Extension Writers' Program five times. She has also published over 40 essays in The New York Times, Newsday, and several Long Island publications.
Nationally acclaimed writer Saralee Rosenberg is the author of four novels from Avon/HarperCollins: A Little Help From Above; Claire Voyant; Fate and Ms. Fortune; and Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead. She recently completed Hannah’s Help Hotline, her first novel for the middle-grade market. Her nonfiction titles include 50 Fabulous Places to Raise a Family, which landed her an appearance on the “Oprah” show. For more than 20 years, she has made frequent appearances on radio and TV talk shows and is a well-known speaker and writing instructor noted for her humorous, heartfelt presentations. Visit her website at saraleerosenberg.com
Gina Shaw has been a children's book editor and writer for the past 38 years. She currently works at Wireless Generation creating and testing reading intervention materials for students in Grades 1-6. She has written a three-book early chapter book series as well as nonfiction easy readers and novelty books. She spent ten years as the Editorial Director of Original Book Publishing for all of the Scholastic Book Clubs. She has been teaching in Hofstra's Continuing Education program for the past four years.
Devra Newberger Speregen is the author of more than 100 children's books, including many 'tween chapter book series, celebrity biographies, puzzle/activity books and the 2011 children's book series based on Bo Obama, First Puppy. She is a former book and magazine editor at Scholastic and The Walt Disney Company, and most recently helped AOL launch their popular 'tween/teen site, JSYK.com. Devra received a Sydney Taylor Honorable Mention Award from the Association of Jewish Libraries for her biography Ilan Ramon: Jewish Star and a Simon Rockower Award for her feature article "On Eagle's Wings: Operation Solomon" for BabaGaNewz Magazine.
Peter Vanderberg was born on Long Island and served in the U.S. Navy for four years. He received an MFA from Queens College, CUNY and his work has appeared in Hunger Mountain, The New York Times, Cratelit, Roadrunner, Ozone Park and 5 x 5, among other journals. Pete has served as Poetry Editor for Ozone Park, The Queens College MFA Literary Journal, and teaches Art and Creative Writing at St. John’s Preparatory School in Astoria. He lives with his wife and two children in Lynbrook, NY.
Robert Windorf has nine years’ experience as an instructor at Hofstra University Continuing Education, teaching a variety of literature and culinary education classes for adults, and numerous English grammar, creative writing, SAT prep, and New York State Regents review classes as part of the Saturday Classes for Young People program. Prior to becoming a full-time, New York state-certified middle school teacher, Mr. Windorf held a variety of senior positions within the international financial services and not-for-profit industries. A former university professor, he is the author of many published nonfiction articles, book reviews, and poems. His first poetry collection is titled Living Amidst the Tension, and he is currently an Ed.D. candidate within Hofstra’s School of Education, Health and Human Services.
A well-known and award winning Long Island marketing professional and active networker, Mindy F. Wolfle founded Neptune Marketing LLC in January 2005. She previously held marketing director positions at several large national accounting and law firms. Mindy also spent eighteen years with the Nassau County Department of Social Services where she developed her focus on human services and giving back to the communities in which we live and work. With volunteer and humanitarian affiliations too numerous to list, Mindy is currently secretary on the executive board of directors of Public Relations Professionals of Long Island (PRPLI). At Neptune Marketing, she has assisted entrepreneurs, businesses, professionals, organizations and not-for-profits in reaching their business development goals through targeted marketing. She often presents seminars and workshops on such topics as networking, entrepreneurship, interviewing skills and resume writing, branding and marketing. A published writer and blogger, Mindy has authored numerous articles, interviews, opinion pieces, newsletters, and speeches; she also ghost writes for her clients. Her expertise includes copywriting, branding, social networking, seminars, speaking engagements, event planning, annual reports, collateral marketing materials, strategic planning and consulting, marketing plans, Website project management and Website content.
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Writing Instructor Bios
Iyna Bort Caruso is a New York Emmy Award-winning writer and full-time freelancer whose credits include The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Saturday Evening Post, Natural Home, CountryLiving.com, BobVila.com and several in-flight publications, among others. She is also the author of Long Island's first travel app, "Essential Long Island." More information can be found at www.iynacaruso.com
Linda Epstein is an agent at The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. Prior to becoming an agent Linda read manuscripts and queries at Folio Literary Management, interned at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency and Meryl Zegarek Public Relations, and was a Community Relations Manager at Barnes and Noble where she set up author readings and signings as well as organized book groups and book fairs. Linda represents middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction, and very select non-fiction.
Susie Garber wrote Denver Dreams, a novel (Jerusalem Publications, 2009) and Memorable Characters … Magnificent Stories (Scholastic, 2002) She co-directs LIFE (Literacy Institute for Yeshiva Educators) a summer institute for principals and teachers. She also mentors teachers in teaching writing in grades 1- high school. She enjoys sharing the gift of writing with students ages 6-grandparenthood. Some of her adult students have been published.
Carol Hoenig is a fulltime freelance writer and publishing consultant. Her novel, WITHOUT GRACE, has been awarded the Silver Medal for Book of the Year 2005 by ForeWord Magazine and given First Place for Fiction by the DIY Book Festival. Jada Press and the New York Book Festival also gave her novel honorable mention. Her book THE AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO PLANNING BOOK EVENTS was named finalist by USA Book and Reader Views and given the Gold medal by ForeWord Magazine for Book of the Year in the category of writing. Carol’s essays, articles, book reviews and short stories appear in a wide number of publications. Carol also blogs for The Huffington Post. For more information, visit carolhoenig.com.
Candyce Kannengieser is a high school English and creative writing teacher and a writer. For the past four years, she has worked at Manhasset High School, teaching English and creative writing and acting as adviser for the school’s award-winning art and literary magazine, The Phoenix. Ms. Kannengieser was previously a New York City Teaching Fellow and a member of AmeriCorps. She earned an M.F.A. in creative writing from San Diego University in 2000 and an M.S.Ed. from Lehmann College in 2005.
Janice Levy is the award-winning author of nineteen children's books, including Alley Oops, Gonzalo Grabs The Good Life, Finding The Right Spot,The Runaway Radish, I Remember Abuelito, Abuelito Eats With His Fingers and The Spirit of Tio Fernando. Translated into Spanish, Chinese, Italian and Japanese, they’re used in nationwide reading programs, classroom curriculum, and sold in book stores internationally. Her adult fiction won the Writer’s Digest Competition for Best Literary Short Story three times. Her work appears in numerous anthologies and literary magazines, including Glimmer Train, StoryQuarterly , Alaska Quarterly, Iowa Review, Greensboro Review and The Sun. She has taught juvenile and adult fiction in Hofstra's Summer Writing Program. When she writes for children, she pretends she’s a child. When she writes for adults, she’s still a child, she just has bigger parts. For more information, visitjanicelevy.com
Sandra Mardenfeld, a freelance writer, editor, and teacher based in Long Island, New York, is an assistant professor in the C.W. Post University Media Arts department and director of the journalism program. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Communication and Information at Rutgers University, specializing in media studies. Her dissertation looks at reporter’s privilege through the perspective of the public and the practitioner using focus groups, interviews and published editorials. She received her Master’s degree in magazine journalism at New York University and her Bachelors in journalism at The State University College of Buffalo. She has worked as the managing editor for several national magazines, as the Broadway editor of Playbill, and as an editor/writer on many websites. Sandra has written for more than 50 newspapers, magazines, and websites. Her features, articles, essays, and reviews have run in such publications as Allure, Distinction, The New York Times Book Review, Parents and Children, The Daily News, Jewelry Connoisseur, ModernBride.com, Elegant Bride, Working Woman; Time Out New York, Stagebill, The Christian Science Monitor, Entrepreneur.com, Retail Ad World, American Bookseller; Construction Equipment Guide and Good Dog.
Ellen Meister is the author of three novels. Her most recent book, The Other Life (Putnam, 2/2011), has been nominated by BookPage for the Top 20 Books of 2011 and by the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association for Book of the Year. It was also selected by the Austin Public Library for their Best Fiction of 2011 list, and was singled out by the American Booksellers Association for the prestigious Great Reads Indie Next List. It is currently under option with HBO for a television series. She served as editor for an online literary journal and for a literary podcast program. She currently edits manuscripts for published and aspiring authors, does public speaking about writing-related issues, and is at work on her fourth novel Farewell, Dorothy Parker (Putnam, spring 2012). Visit her website at ellenmeister.com
Linda Merklin is manager of editorial services at Hofstra University, as well as a freelance writer and editor. She has been at Hofstra University, in various capacities, for nearly 30 years. In her current position, she is responsible for editing the Hofstra Magazine, Hofstra Horizons, Hofstra’s Continuing Education Bulletin, and Hofstra Cultural Center conference materials. She and her staff are responsible for editing all admission publications for the University, as well as event-related and promotional materials for Hofstra’s administrative offices, the Hofstra University Museum, eight Hofstra schools, and the hundreds of programs administered through those schools and their respective academic departments.
Christine O’Hagan is the author of Benediction at the Savoia, a novel, and the memoir, The Book of Kehls. Both books received starred Kirkus Reviews, the latter a Kirkus "Best Book of 2005" selection. Her essays have appeared in Between Friends, The Day My Father Died, Lives Through Literature, Facts on File: The American Novel, Exploring Literature, For Keeps, Face in the Mirror, He Said What? and Exit Laughing. She was was named a "Top Irish American" by Irish America magazine and received the Jerry Lewis Writing Award. She has been a "visiting author" at the UCLA Extension Writers' Program five times. She has also published over 40 essays in The New York Times, Newsday, and several Long Island publications.
Nationally acclaimed writer Saralee Rosenberg is the author of four novels from Avon/HarperCollins: A Little Help From Above; Claire Voyant; Fate and Ms. Fortune; and Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead. She recently completed Hannah’s Help Hotline, her first novel for the middle-grade market. Her nonfiction titles include 50 Fabulous Places to Raise a Family, which landed her an appearance on the “Oprah” show. For more than 20 years, she has made frequent appearances on radio and TV talk shows and is a well-known speaker and writing instructor noted for her humorous, heartfelt presentations. Visit her website at saraleerosenberg.com
Gina Shaw has been a children's book editor and writer for the past 38 years. She currently works at Wireless Generation creating and testing reading intervention materials for students in Grades 1-6. She has written a three-book early chapter book series as well as nonfiction easy readers and novelty books. She spent ten years as the Editorial Director of Original Book Publishing for all of the Scholastic Book Clubs. She has been teaching in Hofstra's Continuing Education program for the past four years.
Devra Newberger Speregen is the author of more than 100 children's books, including many 'tween chapter book series, celebrity biographies, puzzle/activity books and the 2011 children's book series based on Bo Obama, First Puppy. She is a former book and magazine editor at Scholastic and The Walt Disney Company, and most recently helped AOL launch their popular 'tween/teen site, JSYK.com. Devra received a Sydney Taylor Honorable Mention Award from the Association of Jewish Libraries for her biography Ilan Ramon: Jewish Star and a Simon Rockower Award for her feature article "On Eagle's Wings: Operation Solomon" for BabaGaNewz Magazine.
Peter Vanderberg was born on Long Island and served in the U.S. Navy for four years. He received an MFA from Queens College, CUNY and his work has appeared in Hunger Mountain, The New York Times, Cratelit, Roadrunner, Ozone Park and 5 x 5, among other journals. Pete has served as Poetry Editor for Ozone Park, The Queens College MFA Literary Journal, and teaches Art and Creative Writing at St. John’s Preparatory School in Astoria. He lives with his wife and two children in Lynbrook, NY.
Robert Windorf has nine years’ experience as an instructor at Hofstra University Continuing Education, teaching a variety of literature and culinary education classes for adults, and numerous English grammar, creative writing, SAT prep, and New York State Regents review classes as part of the Saturday Classes for Young People program. Prior to becoming a full-time, New York state-certified middle school teacher, Mr. Windorf held a variety of senior positions within the international financial services and not-for-profit industries. A former university professor, he is the author of many published nonfiction articles, book reviews, and poems. His first poetry collection is titled Living Amidst the Tension, and he is currently an Ed.D. candidate within Hofstra’s School of Education, Health and Human Services.
A well-known and award winning Long Island marketing professional and active networker, Mindy F. Wolfle founded Neptune Marketing LLC in January 2005. She previously held marketing director positions at several large national accounting and law firms. Mindy also spent eighteen years with the Nassau County Department of Social Services where she developed her focus on human services and giving back to the communities in which we live and work. With volunteer and humanitarian affiliations too numerous to list, Mindy is currently secretary on the executive board of directors of Public Relations Professionals of Long Island (PRPLI). At Neptune Marketing, she has assisted entrepreneurs, businesses, professionals, organizations and not-for-profits in reaching their business development goals through targeted marketing. She often presents seminars and workshops on such topics as networking, entrepreneurship, interviewing skills and resume writing, branding and marketing. A published writer and blogger, Mindy has authored numerous articles, interviews, opinion pieces, newsletters, and speeches; she also ghost writes for her clients. Her expertise includes copywriting, branding, social networking, seminars, speaking engagements, event planning, annual reports, collateral marketing materials, strategic planning and consulting, marketing plans, Website project management and Website content.