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Co-Author Bios

Contributing Authors Bios

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Contributing Authors Bios

Contributing Authors A-C, D-G, H-N, O-Z
Nancy Harless is a nurse practitioner now exercising her menopausal zest through travel, volunteering in various healthcare projects and writing about those experiences. Most of her writing is done in a towering maple tree, in the treehouse built specifically for that purpose by her husband, Norm. She is currently writing a book, Womankind: Connection and Wisdom ‘Round the World, about strong, beautiful, courageous women who have illumined her journey. E-mail her at nancyharless@hotmail.com.
Patricia L. Herlevi Balquin was born of mixed heritage and considers herself a jane-of-many-trades. This fosters a sense of oneness with all races and species.
Cindy Jordan was born in Redondo Beach, California. Cindy wrote Billboard's 1983 country song of the year, “Jose Cuervo, You Are a Friend of Mine.” Her website is www.cynthiamusic.com.
Heather J. Kirk is a writer, photographer, and graphic designer.  In addition to her contribution "Alma/My Soul" to Chicken Soup for the Latino Soul, her poems and essays have appeared in various local and national publications, as well as her own book of poetry titled We...a spirit seeking harmony for a world that's out of sync.  Additionally, her art has shown in various galleries and alternative spaces both in Arizona and across the US.  Learn more about her work at www.PhotoGraphicArtistry.CityMax.com.
Suzanne LaFetra has contributed to numerous newspapers, magazines and literary journals. She lives in Northern California with her family, and is currently at work on a memoir. Contact her at suzlafetra@yahoo.com.
Yahaira Lawrence is a mother of two gorgeous children, Aislynn and Gabriel. She will be graduating from Pace University in Spring 2006 with two bachelor of art degrees in English and Applied Psychology. She is currently working on numerous writing projects and hopes to become a successful romance novelist.
Aurora Levins Morales is from Maricao, Puerto Rico, and lives in Berkeley, California, with her daughter, Alicia Raquel. She is a full-time writer and community historian, and the author of three books, and many poems, stories and essays.
Melody Delgado Lorbeer is a freelance writer living in the Jacksonville, Florida, area. She is a wife and mother of two, and enjoys reading and long walks on the beach. She is currently at work on a middle-grade children's novel. Please e-mail her at cms6731@aol.com.
Charles Arthur Mariano lives in Sacramento, California, born and raised in the Central Valley town of Merced, California. Charles currently works in a state government office and writes in the basement after hours.
Nilsa Mariano holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from Binghamton University, New York. She teaches at a two-year college and does storytelling locally as well as for Spoken Word. She is published in several online literary ‘zines, including Identity Theory, Poems Niergengasse and Shadow Poetry. She is the editor of Latino Newsletter, published in Binghamton, NY.
Cynthia Leal Massey is the award-winning author of Fire Lilies, a historical novel of the Mexican revolution. Her second novel, The Caballeros of Ruby, Texas, is a 2003 WILLA Award finalist for Best Original Paperback. Massey is a magazine editor in San Antonio, Texas. Visit her Web site at www.cynthialealmassey.com.
Jacqueline Méndez is a former schoolteacher and is currently working on her writing on a full-time basis. She has a master's degree in education and a bachelor's degree in liberal arts. She has recently completed her first manuscript novel for young adults titled Heart of the Jaguar. You may e-mail her at jmendez27@hotmail.com.
Colin Mortensen-Sánchez is an award-winning writer and public speaker who attended UC Berkeley, appeared on MTV's Real World, and runs the popular web site www.colinsworld.com. His authorial debut, A New Ladies' Man: A Complete Guide to Getting, Pleasing, and Keeping the Girl, was released in August, 2005, and is currently on bookselves around the nation.. Yippee!
Kathy Cano Murillo, the “Crafty Chica,” is an artist, newspaper columnist and book author from Phoenix, Arizona. She is a pop-culture junkie addicted to glitter, reality TV, movies, music and quad mochas. See more of her work at www.CraftyChica.com or e-mail her at kathymurillo@ hotmail.com.
Ruben Navarrette, Jr. is a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group. His twice weekly column appears in more than 175 newspapers. The second-generation Mexican-American is one of fewer than 10 Latino syndicated columnists in the United States, and one of the country's youngest syndicated columnists overall. The two-time Harvard graduate is also an editorial writer and board member for The San Diego Union-Tribune. An active public speaker, Navarrette has addressed university audiences and organizations in over a dozen states. He has lectured at Harvard, Oberlin, UCLA, SMU, Georgetown, and many other colleges. Prior to joining the Union-Tribune, Navarrette wrote editorials for The Dallas Morning News, which he joined in July 2000. Previously Navarrette spent two years with the Arizona Republic, as a reporter then twice-weekly news columnist. During a seven-year span as a free-lance writer, Navarrette placed over 200 articles in such publications as The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and his hometown paper, The Fresno Bee. Navarrette's first book, "A Darker Shade of Crimson: Odyssey of a Harvard Chicano," was published to favorable reviews by Bantam Books in 1993, when the author was just 26 years old. In 2000, his essay, "Vindication" (about the difficulties encountered in attempting to launch his writing career) was published in Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul. Navarrette is a native of California's San Joaquin Valley. He can be reached via e-mail at ruben.navarrette@uniontrib.com.
Ruben G. Navarrette, Sr. a native of Central California, had a lawenforcement career that spanned from 1966 to 2003. He was a deputy constable for Fresno County, a police sergeant for the Sanger Police Department, a district attorney investigator in Fresno County and a Labor Standards Investigator for the State of California.
Contributing Authors A-C, D-G, H-N, O-Z