OUR MEMBERS

We have about 40 members, with a great mixture of experience, from novice to professional. Here, some of our members share their stories of what they have achieved or hope to achieve. If you are a member of Chiltern Writers we would like to include your writing biog on this page, however experienced or inexperienced you are; please contact the website co-ordinator.

Members Successes

Kathleen Adkins

Writer of articles and features on local history, fitness, food and cosmetics. Kathleen has had twenty-two poems published and nineteen short stories. She has won several competition prizes in both poetry and short stories, including winning a Writing Magazine poetry competition, and several short-listed poems and stories.

Alison Beck

Alison has been writing for as long as she can remember but, for many years, work and family commitments got in the way. Since she retired, she has been able to devote more time to her writing. In 2007, her piece about her eccentric Aunt Dorothy was runner up in the ‘Ian MacMillan’s Writing Lab’ memoir competition on Radio Three. Seven of her short stories have reached the final judging stage for Writing Magazine and Writers News, and her short story ‘Calling Bill‘ won and was published in Writers News in March 2010. She has also had a short story published in ‘Scribble’ magazine. She has completed several creative writing courses, and is now the proud possessor of a Diploma in Creative Writing from the Open University. She has, for the moment, abandoned thoughts of a novel, and is concentrating on short stories, competitions and magazine articles. Alison has had an article published in the Chiltern Society Magazine, and has submitted another now that she 'has a foot in the door'.

Catherine Jones

Catherine has written 4 books for Little Black Dress - The Chalet Girl, published in 2007, The Trophy Girl, The Movie Girl, and The Love Boat which was published in October 2009. She has had six previous novels published - A Regimental Affair and A Question of Loyalty to name but two. Because of her background, she was also employed as series military consultant for the TV drama series Bombshell. She has also appeared on University Challenge – The Professionals with a team of romantic novelists, who reached the final. She is currently Chairman of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. She has two websites to showcase her work: www.catherine-jones.co.uk and www.katelace.co.uk.

Pauline Halford 1947-2009

Our former Chair Pauline wrote mainly non-fiction books and magazine articles. Her first book, Storm Warning – The Origins Of The Weather Forecast was published in 2004 and her second, on which she was a co-author, I Remember Me, part one of Frank Ifield’s autobiography, was published in 2005. She was also a regular contributor to Caravan magazine and has had several other articles published in music, general history and family history magazines.

Hywela Lyn

A member of the Romance Novelists Association, Hywela Lyn writes under her first two names, but is usually known just by her second name, Lyn. Originally from rural Wales she moved to England when she married. She writes mainly romantic futuristic and science fantasy, although occasionally she dabbles in western historical short stories, one of which was published in The Lady magazine. She has been shortlisted in 'Writers News' and was featured in the Members’ News section when her first novel 'Starquest' was published by the American Publisher 'The Wild Rose Press' in August 2008. The sequel, 'Children Of The Mist' followed and she is now working on the third book in the series . She recently e-published her fantasy romance novella 'Dancing With Fate' which was originally published by TWRP as part of a commissioned anthology.

All her books are available either in paperback or as e-books from the publisher, Amazon and other online stores, or from her own website.
Website: www.hywelalyn.co.uk
Blog: www.hywelalyn.blogspot.com

Tony Rossiter

In November 2007 Tony’s second book was published - The Greatest Retirement Tips In The World. His previous book, a humorous skit on village cricket entitled Only a Bloody Game, came out in 2002. He has also written for magazines such as The Countryman, The Cricketer, Country Walking and The Oldie.

Dave Sivers

Dave is a freelance journalist and fiction writer whose crime fantasy novel, A Sorcerer Slain is available as an e-book for purchase to Kindle devices and Kindle apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, PC, Mac, Blackberry, and Android-based devices. He has written articles for a wide range of publications, including a recent series on True Crime in Buckinghamshire for The Four Shires magazine, and he has regular columns in two newspapers, The Bucks Herald and The Leighton Buzzard Observer. His successes also include magazine fiction and short story competitions. He co-wrote a sitcom pilot, Mann’s World, which made the latter stages of the BBC Fresh Talent competition, as well as two comedy plays, also in collaboration - Recipe for Disaster and Dancing on the Forecourt. He additionally runs creative writing workshops and courses. You can visit Dave’s website at www.davesivers.co.uk.

Sandra Smith

Sandra Smith is a freelance writer with a passion for humour. She currently writes blogs for three magazines. Under the pseudonym Lady Margaret Gosworthy-Pringle she contributes fortnightly Journal Jottings to Hampshire Life; A Write Life! features on Hertfordshire Life’s website and My Islington Friend has been running on www.london.greatbritishlife.co.uk since 2010. Sandra also blogs on her own website. Under the pseudonyms Villette de Lingua and Alex Smythe-Smith she is a regular contributor to The Chap. On a more serious side, Sandra has had articles, interviews and reviews published in a wide variety of magazines including Country Living, Writing Magazine, The Oldie, Dance Review, Tring and Berkhamsted Gazette and The Four Shires. Her features have appeared in several Archant publications: Buckinghamshire Life, Berkshire Life, Worcestershire Life and Warwickshire Life. Sandra dabbles in copywriting and, as a creative writing tutor runs courses, workshops and a Regular Writing group. She has been interviewed on BBC Radio Oxford, is a reluctant twitter (@TheCurrentMrsS) and an enthusiastic Lady Ambassador for The Lady magazine. Sandra will be running workshops at this year’s Chipping Norton Festival and Thame Arts and Literature Festival. Oh, and she is the current Chair of Chiltern Writers.
http://www.TheCurrentMrsSmith.co.uk

Christine Williams

Christine has published short stories in women's magazines, articles on management training and distance learning material. Hodder and Stoughton published her 'Teach Yourself - Planning a Wedding' and she has self-published a novel, 'Charity Begins'. The Bucks Herald has recently accepted a short series of articles grouped under the title of 'A Secret Life of a B&B', from which a novel is in planning as well as a sequel to 'Charity Begins'.

Andy Wood

A writer of sagas and dramas, Andy has self-published two books, with another on the way. He is now writing his fourth novel, a series featuring a private investigator called Lee Prince. Information on his novels, including the first chapter and information on how to purchase them, can be found on his website www.andrewwoodwriting.com.

Debbie Clarke

Debbie has been writing seriously for fifteen years. She started by attending courses and writing short stories, and is now working on two novels. She completed NaNoWriMo 2009 and feels this has made an enormous difference to her attitude to writing. Bolstered by her new confidence in writing speedily, she now intends to complete her two novels and get to work on the three cookbooks she’s been planning.


Please, unpublished members, come and join me in this section!


© Chiltern Writers, 2011