“Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”
Vince Lombardi (June 11, 1913–September 3, 1970)
Liberty States Fiction Writers
Board of Directors and Founding Members
President Linda Parisi As a research scientist during the day, Linda J. Parisi knows the perfect formula for making sparks fly in her books. Multi-published and awarded the New Jersey Romance Writer’s Golden Leaf Award for Best First Book for her novel, Noble Blood, Linda has just released her new, hot, Romantic Suspense, Damned If You Don’t. She has always tried to give back to the writing organizations who’ve nurtured her, as a long time member of the Romance Writers of America, past board member of New Jersey Romance Writers, editor/agent coordinator for the LSFW Conference and current Conference Chair of Liberty States Fiction Writers. She also serves as a Craft and Industry Instructor for Literary Powerhouse Consulting. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, John, and a family which includes Audi, a Cocker Spaniel mix who had her at woof! |
| Vice President – Gwen Jones |
 Gwen Jones, MFA is the author of the HarperCollins Avon FRENCH KISS series, Wanted: Wife, Kiss Me, Captain, and The Laws of Seduction. Her work has appeared in Writer’s Digest, The Kelsey Review, and The Connecticut River Review. She is a mentor and instructor in Western Connecticut State University’s Master in Creative and Professional Writing program, a Professor of English at Mercer County College, in West Windsor, NJ, and Vice President of the tri-state writers’ organization, Liberty State Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband, Frank, near Trenton, New Jersey. Follow her on Twitter @gwenjones25. |
| Treasurer – Jay Siegel |
 Among the sliver of authors equally interested in ‘Rithmetic as Reading and wRiting, Jay Siegel has started apprenticing for LSFW Treasurer under Linda Parisi, building on his experience as Treasurer for Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, the Woodrow Wilson Middle School and Menlo Park Elementary School PTAs, and Pint and a Half Association, his former blood donation charity. After being fortunate to lead a double life as a lawyer and a quant, Jay (as Jacob Graysol) self-published a lawyer-laden police procedural, Righteous Judgment, and its sequel, Righteous Endeavors. His flash fiction has been published by Reflex Press (UK) and Every Day Fiction. Jay writes from Edison, NJ, and has the author website https://jacobgraysolnovelist.com/. |
| Secretary — Michele Pickett |
 Michele Pickett, former elementary teacher who taught both English and Spanish as well as Math and Science, recently retired after 20 years of teaching. Michele started her career in public broadcasting at WNET Channel 13, NY. and later owned a greeting card company, In The Cards, that serviced both retail stores and businesses for over ten years. Michele has written short stories that have appeared in various publications, one of which was awarded best children’s story by the Philadelphia Writers Conference. Currently, she is writing an historical fiction novel. She and her husband, Brian, are RV’ers who live in Edison and are eager to begin traveling cross country in their motor home. |
| Conference Chair & Founding Member – Caridad Pineiro |
 NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Caridad is a Jersey Girl who just wants to spend time writing and with family and friends. Caridad is the author of over 70 novels/novellas and a 2012 RITA Finalist for Best Paranormal Romance. When not writing, Caridad is an attorney, wife and mother to an Amazon Bestselling Author. For more information about Caridad, visit www.caridad.com. |
| Programs Chair – Samantha Ann |
 Born, raised, and still living in New Jersey, Samantha Ann started writing in the fifth grade out of boredom. At first, it was your run-of-the-mill journal entries but soon became stories of things she wished she had said or done, and soon simply stories about other characters and creatures. Samantha thanks her mother forever for the creative writing gene as her mother is a New York Times Best-Selling author. Samantha is half Cuban (mother) and half Italian (father) but speaks more Korean than either of the languages her parents desperately tried to teach her growing up. Samantha created the Korean From Context website and the Seoul Searching novel that were featured on the Forbes magazine blog as being a fun new way to learn Korean. Samantha has amassed over 20k TikTok followers in just over a year using fun creative ways to promote herself and her book Seoul Searching. When not writing, editing, photographing, creating Tiktoks, Instagram posts, and Tweets, Samantha is an EDI Specialist for a kids clothing company. You can find Samantha at www.koreanfromcontext.com. |
Additional Founding Members
| Michele Richter |
 Michele Richter, CPA is a big believer in balance, and not just with numbers. She manages her own accounting firm of 100+ clients. Her #1 clients are her husband and daughter who request 24-hour consulting services. Michele also loves dogs, playing piano, singing and Walt Disney World. She writes science fiction, romance and poetry, and is extremely excited about her new project “Life’s Equations.” |
| Melinda Leigh |
 More than a decade ago, Melinda left a career in banking to raise her children and never looked back. Melinda began writing romantic suspense when her youngest child entered first grade as a way to preserve her sanity and put to use the overactive imagination that caused her so much trouble as a child. Writing as Melinda Leigh, she is the winner of the 2007 Put Your Heart in a Book contest, 2008 Marlene award, 2008 Where The Magic Begins contest and 2008 Gateway to the Best contest. Her debut romantic suspense novel, She Can Run, released in November 2011. For more information on Melinda, please visit www.melindaleighauthor.com. |
| Kathye Quick |
 Kathye Quick has been writing since she used #2 pencils and Catholic School lined paper. She originally wanted to be President of the United States or an Organic Chemist, but somehow life got in the way and she got married right out of high school and had a set of twins two years later. The Presidency seemed out of reach and night school to get her Ph.D. to create new molecule that would ultimately result in the betterment of humankind seemed a little time consuming while trying to raise twins, so she decided to write instead. First published in 1999, she has 20 books in print in several genres, and is working on an Urban Fantasy Series as P. K. Eden with partner, Patt Mihailoff. Their fantasy romance, FIREBRAND, recently won two Reviewerâs Choice Awards and a 5-Star review.For more information on Kathye, please visit www.pkeden.com |
| Anne Walradt |
 Anne Frazier Walradt is a freelance teacher, writer, and editor. Her articles and essays have appeared in such diverse publications as Maine in Print and Romance Forever. She taught literature and power writing at the secondary and college levels. Prospective authors take her nationally known “Show, Don’t Tell” course, which often leads to publication. She’s taught a humor workshop at the International Women’s Writing Guild conference held at Skidmore College for thirteen years. A past president of New Jersey Romance Writers, she is the editor of their monthly newsletter. In 1999, she edited Romance Recipes for the Soul (Doubleday), which includes one of her short stories. As a leader in her church and community, has actively supported families in grief and has created digital montage testimonials. |
| Lois Winston |
 USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston is one of the founding members of Liberty States Fiction Writers. She writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. She also works as an associate for the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency. For more information, visit her at www.loiswinston.com. |
| Rayna Vause |
| RAYNA VAUSE writes stories that mix a little action, a little adventure, and a little paranormal. Her books feature gay and straight couples because everyone deserves a happily ever after.A perpetual student, Rayna has collected more degrees and certifications then she cares to admit. She is also a cat lover, a martial artist, a video game enthusiast, a Disney fanatic, and a Pop Tart aficionado. For more information on Rayna please visit www.RaynaVause.com. | Gail Freeman |
 Gail Freeman has been writing for twelve years and is a yet to be published author. Ms. Freeman served as President of the New Jersey Romance Writers for two years and has also served as Vice President, Treasurer, Special Events Chair, and Hospitality and Critique Chair in that organization. On a national level, Gail was one of the founding staff members of the Romance Writers of America’s electronic newsletter, eNotes and served as editor of that publication for a number of years. In 2005, she was awarded the RWA’s prestigious Service Award for her commitment and volunteer efforts. She also chaired the RWA’s 2007 Chapter Newsletter Contest and the 2008 ad hoc committee for reform recommendations and changes to that contest. For the past eight years she has been a member of the RWA Communication Committee. After being out of high school for twenty years, Gail went back to college and obtained her associate degree in accounting. A lifelong resident of the Jersey Shore, Ms. Freeman believes in happy endings and working towards your goals, no matter how long it takes. |
To contact the Liberty States Fiction Writers:
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Liberty States Fiction Writers
PO Box 364
Metuchen, NJ 08840