Radiant Staff

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ESSENTIAL STAFFERS:

Lara Van Hulzen (MISTRESS OF REVIEWS) is a veteran of public speaking and writing, her first published work came in 1990 while she was still in high school and has continued to the present. She has been a book reviewer for YouthWorker Journal and Crossings Doubleday over the past 15 years.

She has a novel written with an agent currently trying to sell it. Lara lives in Northern California with her husband, three children, and little dachshund. Find her at LaraMVanHulzen.com. Lara helps keep all of our reviews in order and she does our editing. We appreciate Lara and all of her help at the site.
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Pebbles Jacobo (QUEEN OF POSTING) loves a good adventure. Her time in Africa as a missionary is just one of the many adventures she has experienced. From her adventures, Pebbles found her love for challenges. Of course, in our ever-changing world challenges freely abound. After starting her own business working from home as a virtual assistant, Pebbles found herself thoroughly intrigued and fascinated with the world of social media. Her love of of social media has grown over the years and she now offers social media marketing to her clients. What better way to feed her need as a Facebook junkie and get paid for it! Connect with Pebbles on Facebook or on Twitter.
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REVIEWERS.

Lindsey Yonce is currently chronicling her ‘anywhere but here’ journey through college by blog. All 4 of her readers get to bask in the stories of everyday life for a southern senior in college about to face the big bad world. After doing homework (*cough* checking e-mails) Lindsey is quick to trade in her textbooks for a good novel at the end of the day. When she is not in class Lindsey can usually be found: on her bed reading, jumping in waterfalls, or venturing through the surrounding mountains camera in tow.

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Almost five years ago Tara Norman quit her job in the corporate world as a Project Manager for WaMu  to become a SAHM. In doing so, she poured her heart and soul into being and doing everything she could for her family. This southern bell from a small southern town in SC became a writer, mother to three, a seamstress, a home made chef and a blogger. She blogs about her faith, her trials as a parent, her triumphs, her sewing projects, her cooking, and books that she reads. She is a huge DIY-er and likes to try everything at least once. Her passions are her faith, coffee, writing, sewing, cooking, pearls, flip flops, cowboy boots, boot cut jeans, fall, and Christmas. She is just an ordinary mom trying to raise extraordinary children. You can find her here at Radiant Lit writing reviews or on her blog, MommyTime: organizedsahm.com .

Melissa MacDonald was one of those nerdy kids who found the library more exciting than the mall. She loves reading and prefers a book over a movie just about any day! Good books transport her and she delights in entering fully into a good story. Bad, or poorly written, books annoy her and can occasionally cause a bit of a tirade!

Melissa has lived in nine different states and recently returned from Europe where she worked at a Christian international school in Vienna, Austria. She lives in Iowa and keeps busy as an online Christian Ministries college professor and as a childrens’ ministry consultant for churches and church districts. She loves walking the journey with her hand in the hand of her Father.

Jen Roman is a lifelong book lover. When she is not working or sleeping, she can usually be found reading something. Nothing makes her happy like snuggling up on the couch with a good book, a blanket, and her Labrador Retriever, Daisy. She loves mysteries and suspense, but will happily read just about any genre. She refers to her love of books as a “sickness,” and has stacks and stacks of books waiting in the wings to be read. Jen is a strong supporter of her local library and highly encourages others to support their libraries.

When not reading, Jen can be found crafting, playing with Daisy, volunteering, or spending time with her friends. Jennifer is married and lives with her husband Steve, her cat Roberta, and Daisy in North Canton, OH.

Lauren Stamper writes for love, beauty, humanity, hope and life. She doesn’t really deserve the beautiful life she has been blessed to live, and therefore takes big chunky bites of if every day. She has two wonderful worlds: one based in Sydney Australia (where she was born and raised by a big, gorgeous Italian family), and the other centered in the peaceful, serene Midwest (where she is currently being raised by a husband, best friends, mother, in-laws and church). Her husband, Bob, is the coolest guy she knows, her family and best friends fill her world with love and laughter every day, and Jesus is the center of all her joy. She is most passionate about good food, good coffee, good art and the humbling privilege to maybe bring a bit of hope and love to those who read what she writes. She was super spoiled to be able to study English Literature at Anderson University, and thank God she did, because that’s where she met her writer/musician husband who inspires her every day of her life. Most days she shares a little of her soul on www.lozdevote.blogspot.com and every now and then she shares a piece of poetry on www.lozstamper.blogspot.com. Thank you for reading her words – she hopes something she has to say may one day touch your heart.

.Darlene ‘Dee’ Bishop began writing at age 10 when she submitted a short story to Golden Books for publication. Sadly, she neglected to include her return address so she doesn’t know if they accepted her manuscript or not. But that didn’t stop her from writing! As a self-educated writer, Dee has devoured multitudes of books on writing principles and practiced every writing exercise in them. In college, she majored in business with a strong emphasis on writing. Later, her skills were used extensively in varied jobs from office manager and executive assistant to desktop publisher, and later to managing editor for a local newspaper.

Her writing background includes articles for newspapers and newsletters, magazines, and Websites; press releases, Website content, and a variety of other business documents. In addition, Dee has written articles for print publications such as Woman’s Day, Publish, Business Today and others. Today, she still writes for business clients but much of her writing is freelance for online publications and for several blogs of her own and others. She is also the publisher of the Just Write for Business ezine designed to help others improve their writing skills. http://darlenebishop.com

Julia Novoa is many things. Some are important, and others not so much. On the important side she’s a Christian, wife to a classically trained opera singer (oh yes), mother, daughter, and friend. On the not so important side she’s a transplant from the beach to the desert, has had to adjust to the Mexican food which surrounds her, and still thinks a jalapeno contains nuclear level heat despite being forced to eat them since 2007.

Coff is like water to her, and she never tires of going to coffee shops with friends or having coffee at home with friends. Her highest ranked hobbies are talking, writing, and reading in exactl that order. As for reading, she absolutely loves Non-Fiction books about budgeting, housekeeping, and food. Julia blogs at A New Heart and The Nanboo Newsletter (which started as daily emails to her sister) and invites anyone to stop by and visit. And maybe have some coffee. And talk. A lot.

Tish Hagee-Tucker … After a few hair raising events (like being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer and inheriting two toddlers part-time after the age of 40), Tish decided that it was time to leave the daily grind of the banking business and do what she truly loved—spend time with her girls and teach. Tish is currently teaching Spanish at a private Christian high school, and enjoys the new schedule that allows her to not miss one moment of her two daughter’s lives. This also frees her up to help raise her niece and nephew, and to challenge the students in her class to achieve more than they ever believed possible.

“Count every day as the rare blessing that it is,” is her motto. And she has shared that motto in her book, Hear My Cry: How Grace Conquered Cancer. (For more information on that, you can google her name or the book’s title on Amazon.com.)

Reading, writing, giving, loving, sharing…is there a better way to spend your life? Tish does not believe there is, and will spend the rest of her life letting the dishes take second place to the true loves in her life. Housework can wait. Families can’t.

Renee Chaw, who is she? She’s a fun loving tomboy with a bit of a girly streak. In the fourth grade she started a scrapbook devoted to classic cars and Barbies. To this day she has the scrapbook and she still has a few Mustang pics on her wall. She just recently acquired a Twilight poster for her closet door. Even though her teen years are a thing of the past, she still has her “fangirl” moments. She has many “book boyfriends.” At the moment she’s trying to decide who she likes best, Mr. Darcy or Mr. Thornton.

Armed with a can of Mtn. Dew and her favorite book (which usually features a dashing hero like those mentioned above) she will barricade herself in her room until football season and Steeler Sunday when she emerges wearing her Heath Miller jersey and waving the Terrible Towel. Renee is a kid at heart who never takes things too seriously and with a menagerie of furry friends and two kid brothers it’s easy to see why. Life’s a circus.

Serious stuff: She has a BA in History that she’s not sure if she will ever use professionally.

Caitlin Muir is adventure prone. What started out as simply “accident prone” turned into adventure prone when she discovered her mishaps made good story fodder. It was all just how you looked at it. She has a list of things she wants to do before she’s “old/boring/or 30.” When she started the list, thirty was another lifetime away. Now it’s becoming disconcertingly close.

One of her latest adventures was packing her life up into her Mustang convertible and moving from the wet, lush, and fabulous Pacific Northwest to a small town in the Hill Country of Texas to be a PR manager. Culture shock would be an understatement. She’s gone from coffee-dates to quilting bees, and her current church is more Wrangler wearing than the skinny jean wearing that she’s used to. The move has been excellent novel fodder. She plans on writing an “almost true” story about her experiences.

Caitlin regularly writes a singles column for Dallas Christian Family Magazine. She’s worked on documentaries, book projects, and even a magazine. Which pretty much just means she’s a communication freak. You can find her online at caitlinmuir.wordpress.com.

Elizabeth Olmedo is one of those people who wants to be and do many (not always compatible) things in life. However, as one who belongs to the race that only gets one life (lucky cats get 9!), she makes up for it by reading and writing. Thankfully, books allow her to be anything and anyone—no questions asked!

Fiction is her absolute favorite. Whether getting lost in a good book or creating one herself, they usually belong to the mystery/suspense/romance genres. Elizabeth can often be found with a good ole classic in hand—Jane Austen being her hero and Mr. Darcy the love of her life.

A graduate of Bethel College with and English degree under her belt, Elizabeth is back home in Spain, but dreaming of living in Israel. She is an English teacher and hopes to someday be a published novel writer. Other hobbies include watching movies (or any other activity that pulls you into a good plot) and learning Hebrew. Elizabeth can also be found on Fiction Addict.

Amber’s love of literature stems from a wild imagination, a childhood full of bedtime stories, and a slightly obsessive personality. She also just craves knowledge, whether fictional or nonfictional. Amber studied media and communication, Italian, and European history at Texas A&M University, where she met her superhero husband. He doesn’t understand her addiction to books or her passion for nonexistent characters, but she loves him anyway.

At work, Amber gets to create videos, write for the blog and monthly newsletters, occasionally guide tours, and delightfully employ her customer service skills. She also does freelance work typesetting and copyediting. During her free time, Amber is usually reading, watching movies, drinking hot tea with cream and sugar, and spending time with her friends and family.

Julia Dixon is a self proclaimed small town girl, wife and mother of 4. She is passionate about her family. She loves children and cannot stand to see them mistreated, lonely or hurt. This often goes for animals as well. Julia loves breezy fall days where the sun is bright but the air is crisp. Her favorite colors are the leaves in Autumn. She drives an old 1991 Jeep and wouldn’t trade it for the world! Julia is a little quirky, too big for her britches and strong willed. She can find a radiator leak, wire a three way switch and sharpen a lawnmower blade. She can also curl up with a good book, cry at a chick flick and cook better than your Momma! Julia keeps us up to date on posting all of our reviews and she makes sure that none of us gets too lost in the chaos. We love you Julia! You can learn more about Julia at her blog Thou Art Jules..

 

Katie McCurdy is 19 and third eldest in a family of 10 children. She self-published her first historical fiction, Journey of Faith, and has since then been working on perfecting her writing abilities. Currently she is writing a medieval suspense with the working title of The Princess’ Assassin and is co-authoring a biblical fiction entitled Scattered Tears. Along with a passion for writing, she is an avid reader. Whenever she’s not on the computer writing, she’s sure to be reading. Besides that, Katie loves volleyball, hanging out with my siblings, and blogging.

 

Amber Stokes is a college student at Corban University. She is an English major who loves to write poetry, short stories, novels, and, of course, blog posts! It is her desire to follow God’s will for her life, wherever He leads her.

From being valedictorian of her graduating class (McKinleyville High School, class of 2009) and graduating with an International Baccalaureate Diploma, to earning her black belt in Jujitsu, Amber has worked hard to excel in life. She has participated in choir, her high school’s Key Club, and Corban’s production of State Fair (Fall 2009). Her favorite activities include reading Christian fiction, writing, and spending time with family and close friends.

You can visit Amber at her personal blog, Seasons of Humility, or at The Borrowed Book blog (run by authors Elizabeth Ludwig, Sandra Robbins, and S. Dionne Moore), where she posts most Mondays.

 

Bonita Ledzius is a stay-at-home, and homeschooling mom living in Indiana, who has spent over 25 years working as a Theater Tech, stage manager, and director in the Los Angeles area. She loves writing play scripts, lyrics, poetry, modern day parables, and short devotions. Besides having some of her poetry published, Bonita has seen some of her scripts performed at churches. She is an avid reader and fiber crafter, who says she refers to herself as a “Jill of all trades”.

Bonita holds a degree in Music/Vocal Performance, with a minor in Theater Arts, who says she is most happy using her talents for Christ. Her love of reading is most felt when she is transported mentally and emotionally into the story. Bonita is also teaming up with her daughter, Jklyn, to do team reviews on books, hoping to offer parents an insight into books available for their children from a parent/child aspect.

 

YA REVIEWERS
Jklyn is a young teen who lives with her mom and dad in Indiana. She is the youngest of seven siblings, which includes 4 older sisters and 2 older brothers. Jklyn loves all her homeschoolsubjects, but especially spelling, writing, reading, science, and music. She loves attending church, reading, writing, singing, acting, and spending time with her friends. However, Jklyn’s favorite thing above all is spending time and playing with her favorite family member, her pet, Lady, a Beagle/Basset Hound mix dog.

When she grows up, Jklyn dreams of being an actress, fashion designer, veteranarian, and a professional book reviewer. Her favorite day of the week is Monday, when she attends Homeschool Choir at her church, helps watch the toddlers and babies for moms who help the Choir Teacher, and gets to do P.E. with all her friends. Jklyn’s excitement over reading a new book is sure to pour out in her reviews.

 

Kaitlyn is a tween who lives with her mom and dad in Nebraska. She is the oldest child and has 1 younger brother. Kaitlyn loves school, her favorite subject being science this year. She is active at church and in the AWANA program, competing in Bible Quizzing each year. She also loves spelling, reading and playing outside with friends.

 

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IN MEMORIAM

Denise Willms was a bright shining light who loved books and loved encouraging people. As we built this site, Denise was one of our biggest cheerleaders, supporters, and she was the first person to jump in with us on this crazy scheme. She constantly told us how excited she was to be a part of Radiant Lit. We will miss her encouragement and her energy as well as her friendship. For that reason, Denise will always be a member of our Radiant Lit staff and we look forward to the day when we can see her beautiful shining face again. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Denise’s family and friends.

The memorial page for Denise can be found at http://denisewillms.virtual-memorials.com/.