Valley Byliner Writers and Authors
Janice Workman
Valley Byliners member and author..
Janice Workman is a retired Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) at Culture of Life Ministries. Jan has been writing since she could put crayon to paper. She is published in the Valley Byliner anthologies: Tales Told At Midnight, Along the Rio Grande, and Collected Tales From The Rio Grande. She also enjoys various hobbies and adventures that keep her in writing ideas. Jan lives with her husband and dog pack, not so quietly, in Harlingen, Texas, and awaits discovery, fame and fortune.“ Janice has been a Valley Byliners member for several years. She is a strong advocate for Alzheimer’s Association for the lower Rio Grande Valley.
A lifetime member of the Pioneers of Alaska, Rose Rybachek served as editor of The Alaska Miner, was a columnist for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and the All-Alaska Weekly, served as President of the Alaska State PTA and the Alaska Miners Association. In addition, she has been a licensed ham for over 50 years.
Michael McGarry
Michael McGarry is a retired Michigan transplant that began writing short story fiction four years ago after becoming a member of the Valley Byliners. He is a BFA Graduate of Wayne State University in Detroit and a graduate of Northwestern Michigan College in Petroleum Technology. Mike is currently working on a crime novel, "TWENTY-TWO CREEK" which is in early stages of editing.
Mark Esperanza
Mark is the CEO for Esperanza Publishing. He served as the Vice President of Programs at Valley Byliners and English Teacher at PSJA Early College High School. He has an MA (English) at UTSA - The University of Texas at San Antonio. Lives in Edinburg, Texas, but is formerly from Edcouch, Texas
Frank Cortazo
Author, Poet
Former Valley Byliners President
Frank Cortazo is a retired educator and an active member of the Valley Byliners. He currently holds the record for most wins in the Valley Byliners Monthly Writing Challenge.
James Arnold
Author
Valley Byliners President
James Arnold was born July 19, 1945 in Pearsall, Texas. His education consists of degrees in music and psychology.
James served in the Air Force Band of the West from 1965-1966. James was stationed at the Philippines and travelled with the 600th Air Force Band throughout the Philippines, Thailand, Formosa, and Guam where, his father was stationed at the end of WWII.
In 1968, he married his wife, Joy, and had a lovely daughter, Mary. James Arnold first started writing poems, and a friend, Dr. Israel Cuellar, encouraged him to write more.
He has taught Psychology in College and loved the subject. Between the Bible and the teachings of the great psychologists is where James finds the key to self fulfillment.
Author
VB Board Member
Susan le Miles was born, Susan Holmes in Texas and grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, a place that is neither Texas nor Mexico. It is its own land with its own history, its own people. She is an active writer and author of Touch the Mayan Moon.
Author, Poet,
Motivational Speaker
VP of Publicity
Ana Aguirre Cavazos is a retired educator, teacher, and librarian, an award winning author and poet. and has been a literacy advocate for over thirty years through her career and as an author. She serves as the Vice President of Publicity for the Valley Byliners and is an active member of the Valley Byliners Poetry group.
Joy Arnold
VB Secretary
Joy Arnold is a retired educator and serves as the secretary for the Valley Byliners Joy's career includes teaching English at a high school level and is the secretary for the Valley Byliners.
Katelynn is an author and works as a freelance writer for various media outlets and independent entities, and has earned a Master of Arts, (M.A.) in Experimental Psychology at UTRGV - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valle, a Bachelor of Science, (B.S.) in Psychology at UTRGV - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, , summa cum laude (2020), and an Associate's of Science Degree in Biology (2018),
Delma Rodriguez
Teacher
Delma Rodriguez is a retired teacher and is an active member of the Teacher Retirement group representing the Rio Grande Valley. Delma has served the Valley Byliners and brought a couple of programs which were featured as a workshop. She is also active in honoring local Veteran’s annually at a Valley Byliners Veteran’s Day Event.
Author
Verne has owned his own business since 1976, , engaged in exporting various commodities to many parts of the world. In 1997, he went back to school--first to study for an MBA, then a change of plans because he found whathehad always needed in business; a way to understand and anticipate the future. In 2000 he received an MS in Studies of the Future from the University of Houston Clear Lake. His interests in Personal Futuring and writing grew, and he eventually retired his export business in 2008 to devote full time to writing, speaking, and conducting workshops about Personal Futures.
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Patty York Raymond is a Multi-Award Winning Author and a native Texan. She is best known for writing children's picture books with rich language that incorporate music and movement and celebrate family and heritage.
Linda Gaston
Writer
Massage Therapist
Linda Gaston was born in Palestine, Texas. Graduated as class salutatorian. She attended East Texas State University and The University of Texas in Austin. Degree in Speech and Hearing Therapy and English as a Second Language. Linda is also a licensed massage therapist and massage therapy instructor, worked in education in the U S and overseas for a total of 40 years.
Emily J. Foltz
Teacher, Poet
is a teacher in the Rio Grande Valley and a poet. Emily joins the Valley Byliners during Poetry Night.
Author
A lifelong Saskatchewan prairie dweller, Joan Soggie lives and writes in the village of Elbow on Lake Diefenbaker. Living all her life in the prairies has led her to explore the many mysteries that cloud our past. The organic relationship between the land and its people was the theme of her non-fiction regional history book, Looking for Aiktow. This theme carries on throughout her quintessentially-Saskatchewan historical novel Prairie Grass.