Monday, January 12, 2015

RWA/NYC WELCOMES NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS


Welcome, 2015!  Welcome, New Directors – Tamara Lynch (Treasurer), Kate McMurray (Vice President) and Vanessa Peters (Vice President).  

Below are the bios of RWA/NYC’s 2015 Board of Directors.  We want to thank all the Board Members for volunteering their time and wish them luck!



President – Ursula Renée

In 2008, Ursula Renée went from wishing to doing when she purchased a digital SLR and registered for a photography class. Armed with the knowledge she obtained from the class, every weekend she toured New York with her camera until she captured the perfect shot of a sleeping red panda at the Bronx Zoo.  Excited by what she could do when she put her mind to it, Ursula decided to pursue other dreams, including drawing, sculpting and writing. She dusted off the manuscript she completed years earlier and took advantage of the workshops and conferences offered by RWA.

Thanks to the support and encouragement of the members of RWA/NYC, Ursula’s debut novel, Sweet Jazz, was released on September 19, 2014 by the Wild Rose Press.  As President of RWA/NYC Ursula hopes to offer the same encouragement and guidance she was shown by other RWA members. In 2015 she plans to continue offering informative presentations and workshops that will help authors at all stages of their careers. Visit her at www.ursularenee.com.


Vice President – Kate McMurray

Kate McMurray is an award-winning romance author and fan. When she’s not writing, she works as a nonfiction editor, dabbles in various crafts, and is maybe a tiny bit obsessed with baseball. She is active in RWA and has served as president of Rainbow Romance Writers and on the board of RWA/NYC. She lives in Brooklyn, NY. Visit her website at www.katemcmurray.com.


Vice President – Vanessa Peters

Born and bred in Brooklyn, I am a freelance artist and writer of Puerto Rican descent. I have embarked on a journey to complete my first multi-cultural romance novel, I am looking to create a story that reflects the people and the world around me. We now live in a world that is different from what is seen in books. Interracial relationships, and the challenges associated with them, are rarely presented in literature. With the faces of couples in America changing, and the growing number of interracial relationships rising, this population wants to see itself in books. I am currently working on a multicultural romance set in New York.

Also my work as a professional artist focuses on abstract, as well as impressionist paintings and drawings of the human form. A self-taught artist, I've been engaged in art since childhood, when I began drawing the images I found in my father's old art books. My art captures my vision of my surrounding world and how I see myself in it. It also personifies the human longing - that missing piece that often eludes us in love, friendship, knowledge and creativity. My extensive art portfolio is complemented by a BA in Creative Writing from City College, New York.  Visit her at www.vanessa-peters.com and follow her on Twitter/Instagram @VPetersBKNY.


Treasurer – Tamara Lynch

Tamara Lynch is a writer and long-time fashion executive whose lifestyle, relationship, race, and culture pieces have appeared on several webzines including Salon.com, The Huffington Post, TheFrisky.com and CNN.com. She has also contributed to the Madonna Anthology Madonna and Me published by Soft Skull Press. Writing as Chloe Blaque, her debut romance novel Survival of the Fiercest was recently published by Loose-Id LLC. 


Secretary – Shirley Kelly

Shirley Kelly has always been a voracious reader. Growing up, her favorite genres were mysteries and romance. Her favorite romances were set in the Regency era. Shirley always knew she'd be a writer, but it wasn't until she joined the RWA in 2009, that she got serious about her craft. Since she's been a member, she's written a Regency novel, Regency and Contemporary erotic short stories, a Contemporary Christmas novella, and a children's story. Shirley is a make-up artist who lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She loves cats, enjoys traveling, watches a lot of TV, and is interested in history and politics. She's follows tennis and figure skating, and is a life-long Yankee fan.


Past President – Maria C. Ferrer

Maria has been a Charter Member of RWA/NYC since 1989, and has served as Chapter President, Secretary and Newsletter Editor; and was named Member of the Year three times. On a National level, Maria served as Region 1 Director, National Publicity Chairman, RITA Awards Co-Hostess, and coordinated both the Golden Heart Contest and the Literacy Book signing. She was awarded a Regional Service Award for her efforts. Maria writes contemporary romances under her real name, and erotica under her pseudonym, Del Carmen. Her short stories have appeared in two erotica anthologies – WOMEN IN LUST (Cleis Press) and GEEK LUST (Ravenous Romance), and magazines, including Star, Penthouse and Cosmopolitan for Latinas. Visit her at www.marializaferrer.blogspot.com and www.mydelcarmen.com.♥
  
  

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