Susan Driscoll spoke to a near-capacity audience at the Greater Los Angeles Writers Society. Ms. Driscoll is the President and CEO of iUniverse, a leading provider of author publishing and on-demand printing services. With over twenty years of experience with some of the largest New York publishers, Driscoll has an in-depth understanding of publishing operations and is uniquely qualified to explain the alternatives available to authors today.  She is committed to providing authors with unbiased information and to help them avoid the pitfalls and false promises that proliferate today’s publishing landscape.

Susan has held management positions at Holt, HarperCollins, and Holtzbrinck Publishers including Editorial Director, Director of Marketing, Director of New Media and Technology, and Director of Operations. She joined iUniverse in July 2003 and since then has enhanced the company ’s visibility within the industry by expanding iUniverse’s editorial and marketing services.  She has positioned iUniverse as a professional and affordable way for authors to get—and keep—their books in print.

Ms. Driscoll's presentation on the publishing industry and issues for writers was well-received by the largest turnout  of the year for a GLAWS event.

Dr. Diana Glyer has degrees in art, composition, education, and literature, and currently teaches English at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. Her warmth and enthusiasm in the classroom has earned her the Chase A. Sawtell Inspirational Teaching Award.

Dr. Glyer appeared at the Greater Los Angeles Writers Society and spoke about writing in collaboration, of the friendship of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and the influence of the Inklings on such works as The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings.

In her new book, The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community, she gives an inside look at what took place when these writers met to encourage each other and criticize drafts of work in progress. But even though she focuses her attention on Lewis, Tolkien, and the Inklings, the real subject of this book is the creative process— understanding how writers and other creative artists can urge one another on to creative breakthroughs and life-long productivity.


The Company They Keep has been noticed by reviewers who admire its fresh insights into the subject and also the engaging way that it is written:

“The Company They Keep is a marvelous book - fascinating, enjoyable, vastly informative and full of leads for future study. Diana should be congratulated on the heroically comprehensive scholarship, which makes it an indispensable resource. For me, however, reading it was pure enjoyment! - diving into another and delightful world. It is simply a tremendous reading experience.” Bruce G. Charlton, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of Medical Hypotheses

“Diana Glyer sees the hidden currents that serve as influences among writers, which makes this book as much a study about the act of writing in community as it is about the Inklings themselves. In other words, one need not be interested in the Inklings to be drawn in. It’s a fascinating case-study in group dynamics and the creative process, and because the two main subjects of the book, Tolkien and Lewis, also happen to be two of the past century’s most important writers, the book serves as a lens into the mechanism of genius as well.” APU Research Reporter

The Company They Keep is available for purchase at Amazon.com.  For more information about Diana Glyer and her publications, visit http:www.theplaceofthelion.com.

(L>R) Mike Glyer, Tony N. Todaro, Neil Citrin, DIANA GLYER, Patricia K.D.,
Mike Robinson, and Lillian M. Todaro

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Sheila Finch taught fiction writing at El Camino College for almost 30 years, and has been writing science fiction professionally since the late seventies. She is also on the Board of Directors of SWFA, the Science Fiction Writers of America and appears at writing conventions including Loscon in Los Angeles, and around the country. She also teaches writing in her workshops. http://www.sheilafinch.com/

She's been writing science fiction since the late seventies, and first published professionally (in FANTASY BOOK and ASIMOV'S) in the early eighties. The work that means the most to me is the series of stories and novels about a Guild of Xenolinguists, which allows me to use my love of all things to do with language in the future and on other planets. First contact with an intelligent alien, and the language problems that will surely result, is often overlooked in science fiction, taking a back seat to other plot points. For me, it can be the main attraction -- and a dangerous trade for my lingsters to be involved in.

Her most recent publication is a collection of stories about these lingsters, THE GUILD OF XENOLINGUISTS, is published by Golden Gryphon Press. http://www.sff.net/people/sheila-finch/

Warren Lewis' credits as screen writer include Black Rain (Paramount) and The Thirteenth Warrior (Touchstone). He has worked on assignments for most of the major studios including Sony, Warner Brothers and Fox; writing over twenty-five original or commissioned screenplays and numberous re-writes. His recent scripts include the Tale of the Bloodstone Riders, a western set in post civil war Texas.

Warren previously worked on over 100 commercials and 15 feature films in various production capacities. The latter brought him to Los Angeles where he earned credits as first assistant director on films directed by, among others, Penelope Shpeeris and John McTiernan. He was working as a first assistant director on a movie of the week when he sold his first script.

He also teaches classes on subjects including: The Lives of Your Characters, The Art, Craft, and Business of Writing, and Telling Your Story: Screeplay Form and Structure.

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Previous to June 2007, the Greater Los Angeles Writers Society meetings featured discussion subjects under the guidance and inspiration of Dave Cunningham.

Dave is the former president of the California Writers Club (nation's oldest professional writers organization). He is a writer, speech and media coach, and winner of six national and regional writing awards.

He is a published author (two novels, two anthologies). He has interviewed four U.S. Presidents (Bush, Clinton, Carter and Nixon) and thousands of newsmakers, politicians, entertainers and sports stars as journalist and editor. In international corporate marketing/creative services, directed external communications, PR projects, promo strategies and special events, edited magazines and wrote press releases, executive speeches, video scripts, website copy and more.

Dave is formerly a daily newspaper sports editor, columnist and beat reporter, now a Baseball Hall of Fame voter. Covered World Series, Olympic Games, Super Bowls and Rose Bowls. Wrote columns on baseball, football, tennis, skiing, radio-TV and general commentary. Covered numerous news beats, including government, crime, schools and entertainment (movies, theater, concerts, books). Former chairman, Baseball Writers Association of America, Los Angeles/Anaheim branch. Professional film and TV actor; won theater awards for Best Director and Best Actor. Board of Directors, Irvine Community Theater.

We are all richer for his encourangement and monthly words of wisdom.

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