Member Directory
Pamela Cali Bankston
Living in humid South Louisiana inspired Pamela to create her Frizzy Frieda Series, Frizzy “Frieda’s Gymtastrophe,” “Frizzy Frieda's Dye-saster,” and “Frizzy Frieda’s Drama Day.” Pam also has published work in Chicken Soup for the Soul title, “My Clever, Curious, Caring Cat,” Anthology, “Treasures Found in a Cedar Chest,” as well as having self published, “La Famiglia Sicilian American Cookbook.” Certified in pediatrics, Pam continues to practice as a Registered Nurse. Along with writing her weekly social column for The Daily Star Newspaper, she volunteers behind the scenes for her local children’s drama club. Pam is grateful for her family, friends, and fellow Creative Minds Writers Group authors. Without their support, she would never have filled her own dream role—-being a writer!
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Evon Smith
Evon Smith is a grant writer and educational writer/director for EMS training programs across the state and a national consultant. As owner of Yellow Rose Publishing, she shares insight in publishing and marketing. As owner of Cayenne Catering, she is currently writing Eating Your Way Across Louisiana with recipes from each of our 64 parishes.
Nancy Bourgeois
Nancy Bourgeois brings leadership from years as a Registered Nurse, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret. Army), head of state-wide medical training and Incident Commander of the Office of Public Health for Disaster Preparedness during Katrina to name a few of her overlapping positions. Since retirement, she continues to serve as Executive Director of the Louisiana Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. These experiences and her New Orleans background provide flavor that rings true in her mystery novels, Murder Beneath the Masque and Unmasked, with a third in the series underway as well as A Summer in Comfort. VISIT MY WEBSITE
Tracey Boyle
Tracey Boyle returned to school to obtain a master’s degree in creative writing after retiring from
a career in state budget. She is published in Southeastern La. University’s Manchac Review and
Utah’s Best Poetry & Prose 2022. Tracey likes to read and has been catching up on the classics
since her retirement. Although recently introduced to the writings of Jane Austen, she has
become an avid fan. Taking long walks in nature inspires her creativity
Deborah Young
Deborah grew up in North Missouri, and her Midwest background is reflected in her writing.
She arrived in Louisiana in 1975 and is a happy transplant to the Pelican state. She was a public-school librarian for 38 years and has been an avid reader since childhood.
Deborah began writing, in earnest, after her retirement and published her first book, Clyde The-Never-Give-Up-Horse. She dabbles in many genres and has written plays, short stories, and is currently working on a young adult horse mystery.
Victoria Fannaly
Victoria is the author of three books of poetry – Ponchatoula Sojourn, Ponchatoula Odyssey and Ponchatoula Dreams. She has also co-authored two non-fiction books Ponchatoula Automania a collection of automobile trivia with her husband, and Bittersweet Memories which includes her grandmother’s memoirs. The latter is the story of a young girl who follows her husband to the Philippines and endures World War II, often a captive of the Japanese. She has five books of short stories. Her works have been included in five anthologies.
Fannaly received recognition for her poetry at two Jambalaya Writer’s Conferences and has been published in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Writer’s Magnolia Quarterly publications. She placed first in poetry at the 7thAnnual Berries, Bridges and Books Writer’s Conference held in Ponchatoula.
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Vickie Hawkins
Vickie Hano-Hawkins lives in South Louisiana and joined Creative Minds Writers Group seven years ago. She’s had the honor of serving as the group secretary for three terms and is current secretary for 2023. “Joining Creative Minds Writers Group has introduced me to a wealth of knowledge about writing, publishing, illustrating and marketing. I have established meaningful relationships with fellow members and am a published author because of their encouragement. I’ve had the honor of participating in two group book signings this year.”
This past February, Vickie celebrated her first traditional publication in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Lessons Learned from My Cat. The book includes her true story, “Princess Rumba Has Her Say.”
Furthermore, two of her short stories and a poem are included in the group’s second and third anthologies. The second anthology, Southern Treasures, includes her story, “Spears and Arrows,” and poem, “Pondering Pumpkins.” The third anthology, Time Swept Treasures: Southern Style, includes the story, “Sugar Cane Flames.” These short stories began as award-winning Page Turner entries at the Berries, Bridges, and Books Writers Conferences.
A graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University, Vickie earned an associate degree in Office Administration, class of 1987, served as student editor for SLU’s yearbook, Le Souvenir, and was a member of the Society for Collegiate Journalists. While a student at Springfield High School, she had the honor of serving as a student reporter for the Ponchatoula Times. After moving to Florida for nine years, Vickie continued to take creative writing courses before returning to Louisiana bayou country. She has been employed at a local hospital for the past 21 years and currently works as Perioperative Secretary in Surgical Services.
Tanya Whitney
Tanya Whitney retired from the U.S. Army in 2010 as a Master Sergeant. From Sorrento, LA, she began writing a few years ago as part of her PTSD therapy. Her writing primarily deals with her military service, but she has also written other pieces with various themes. Along with her published poetry books, A Soldier’s Journey Home and A Journey of Healing, she has poems and short stories published in various anthologies both nationally and internationally. She has won numerous national poetry competitions and is a National Veterans Creative Arts Festival Gold Medal and Silver Medal recipient in Creative Writing. You can follow her through her Facebook page TR Whitney - Poet & Author or her website: http://www.trwhitney.com/
Alisa LaGroue
Alisa lives in a small town in south Louisiana just north of New Orleans and loves to write Inspirational Historical Romance. She, quite often, catches herself daydreaming while driving to work, the grocery store, to church, and everywhere in between. She blogs devotionals mostly for herself but hopes it will be encouraging to others as well. She has devotionals published by LifeWay’s magazine, “Journey,” a devotional magazine for women. She is a member of the ACFW. She is also involved with the Creative Minds writer’s group but has trouble making meetings with all the soccer games, football games, high school band concerts, and Boy Scout campouts she and her boys go to.
Make sure to like her Facebook Page. You can follow her on twitter @AlisaLaGroue.
Mary Beth Magee
Author/journalist/speaker/storyteller Mary Beth Magee has been writing for as long as she can remember. She writes news, reviews and feature articles for print and online publications; cozy Christian fiction; poetry and devotions, as well as recollections in numerous anthologies.
Her cozy Christian mystery series, The (LOL)4 Mysteries, feature three senior citizens who find themselves involved in danger and intrigue in the fictional Pearl River County town of Cypress Point, MS. Magee’s other books include The Cypress Point Chronicles (short story collections based in Cypress Point), the Devotions from the Road of Life series, several journals with targeted themes, a series of nonfiction books on creativity, and several children’s books. She has appeared in several volumes of Chicken Soup for the Soul™.
Mary Beth Magee is a member of several writing organizations and the Poplarville Storytellers Guild. Her newsletter includes a free short story. Visit her website at www.LOL4.net.
Kathryn Martin
Kathryn Martin, CDA, BA, MA combines her fields of study and interest as inspirational writer, speaker and humorist “Miz Maudie”, appearing across the United States and Canada. Newspaper columnist, City Public Relations Writer, author of national magazine articles, she has three books: nonfiction Believe It or Not—Mama Likes the Nursing Home, fiction Long Way from Lonely, and Helpful Hints if You’re Ready to Write.Her latest works in 2017 include a chapter in both Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cat Really Did That? andin British author Melissa Addey’s Merchandise for Authors.
Steve Patrick
Steve has two published books by Silver Knight Publishing, LLC., The Mysteries of Jack the Ripper and The Murder of Wednesday’s Children. He is presently working on a third novel, Fool’s Parsley. He is a native of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (a Yooper) born in Sault Ste. Marie and served as a Naval Officer in the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) in Guantanamo Bay and in Viet Nam (1968-69). He has assisted on numerous writers’ panels and lectured at writers’ conference and seminars. Not one to shy away from the obvious, he has a greyhound named Tango who is a character in two novels.
His two mantras: when writing, use 12 pt., double spaced, and never use your phone while driving a vehicle. NEVER!
Evelyn Sanders
Born and raised in Ponchatoula, LA.
B.A. in Elementary Education/Certified in Special Needs from S.L.U.
Taught for almost 30 years. Married for 53 years, 1 son, and widowed, 2 yrs now.
Love traveling, the outdoors, whether gardening or bow hunting & Indian Pow Wows.
Self-taught scrimshaw artist. Cloth doll maker. Member of Northshore Doll Club.
Writer: Newspaper & Magazine Articles, Poetry, short stories: Fantasy & Sci fi.
Won Golden Poet Award in 1989. in "World of Poetry," magazine's contest.
Michael Verrett
Michael hails from Morgan City, Louisiana and grew up in nearby Bayou Vista just blocks away from green sugar cane fields and the unhurried Bayou Teche. He has written/illustrated over three dozen books and contributed artwork to two dozen more. These include picture books, chapter books, young adult fiction, a biography and photo books from his journeys around the world.
Michael studied art at Louisiana State University, Scottsdale (AZ) Art Institute, and the FBI Academy. A former police sketch artist and military veteran, his cartoon strip, Army Life, appeared in the Desert Voice Magazine, and was featured in Stars and Stripes.
He and his wife, Melissa Garbarino Verrett live in Denham Springs, LA with three dogs, two cats, and menagerie of ducks, geese, turtles, bullfrogs and fish.
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Ann Marie Jameson
A retired teacher and Louisiana native, Ms Jameson is married with three sons and seven grandchildren. She became an avid reader at a young age and began writing poems and short stories in high school. Her first work to be published was a poem she wrote as a teenager. Her children’s book titled Why Did I Have To Be Born Last?, was released in 2003. After taking several years off from writing to care for her elderly parents, Ms. Jameson published her first novel, A Bed of Roses, in 2016. Spurred on by fan support, Ms. Jameson published the sequel to A Bed of Roses titled Belle Rose in 2017. In 2018, she decided to expand the two books into a four book series publishing Petite Rose in 2019, and Coming Up Roses in 2020. In 2021 and 2022, Ms. Jameson took time off from her writing to focus on the promotion of her Willow Rose series. She is now working on a spin off book to the series and hopes to have it released this summer.
Lynette Vinet
Lynette Vinet, a native New Orleanian, resides in Hammond, Louisiana. A member of Creative Minds Writers and the Genealogical Research Society of New Orleans, she has published historical romances (with Leisure Books, Zebra Books, Steel Magnolia Press and Open Road Media), a romantic suspense novel; short stories; and genealogical articles in The New Orleans Genesis.
She was nominated by Romantic Times for Best Romantic Adventure novel and won first, second and third place for Historical Romance in the Dixie Kane Memorial Contest by Southern Louisiana Romance Writers of America in 2012. One of her short stories was awarded first place by Hammond Regional Arts Center. Her novels are available on Amazon.
Dr. Jerry Pinsel
Dr. Jerry Pinsel has been writing for most of her life. Beginning with the creation and performance of short plays in elementary school and junior high, she moved on to serve as managing editor of her high school’s newspaper and, later, as editor of her college sorority chapter’s newsletter. Beginning in high school, she has authored dozens of publications and articles over her years in the field of education.
She subsequently led various groups of her student her seventh grade students in the creation of Strawberry Jam, a student literary arts magazine. The student magazine captured three First and two Second Place Columbia Scholastic Press Awards during its years in publication. She led her Strawberry Jam alumni in the creation of the Children’s Guide to Louisiana for the 1984 World’s Fair. New Orleans Magazine, in its review, referred to the statewide children’s guide as, “…one of the year’s best!”
As an intern with the American Association of Educational Service Centers at the American Association of School Administrators in Alexandria, VA she developed A Summary of Telecommunications Efforts Involving Educational Service Centers and Others. The publication was long-considered a benchmark in distance education.
Her various positions in education are many as are her subsequent articles and publication in the field. From the classroom to administrative positions, from elementary school to universities, from academic appointments to an appointment in the Governor’s Office, from Baton Rouge to Washington D.C., and including educational institutions throughout United States to Eastern and Western Europe, her experiences reflect a broad educational and cultural expanse. Pinsel carefully brings these bear in order to enhance her creative works.
She retired after serving as the 2010 President of the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs, within the Maricopa Community College System in Phoenix, AZ, Her personal and professional efforts on behalf of children and youth continue. Her lifelong interest in writing continues as well.
Clyde Eschete
A native of New Orleans, Clyde has written many stories from his hom ein Ponchatoula. Author of the novel A Man Who Could Count Cards, Clyde has many more books he is working on.
Dr. Larry Gray
Larry Gray has a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame where he specialized in Renaissance drama, but his passions are writing and theatre. Larry has been writing since he was a young boy and has published poetry and short stories in many small journals, including a collection of short stories Bayou Coeur and Other Stories by Clemson University Press. He is a published playwright whose plays have won many awards including the Mid-South Playwriting competition and the Mazim Mazumdar prize and they have been produced in New York, Chicago, Buffalo, London, New Orleans and many other cities. Stories that he has told his children and grandchildren resulted in two volumes for children entitled The Land of the Three Elves under the pseudonym Grandpa Gray. He was also one of the founding editors of Louisiana Literature, a small journal housed in the English department at Southeastern. His first novel, The House on Esplanade, has just been published by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press.
Mary Smith / M. G. Faust
M. G. Faust began writing in 2021 at the youthful age of sixty.
She is the author of Hot Pepper Courage, Quiet Lessons and Blood Under the Oaks.​​​​​​​
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Eager to attack life, she graduated high school, married, and started college within a week when she was seventeen. She remains in awe of that naïve, energetic, and tireless younger self. Now she feels productive if she does a load of laundry.
She and her late husband lived in a rural area of Louisiana where they raised three wonderful children and a niece. Now she has the joy of cooking for grandchildren.
Growing up on a small farm in south Louisiana gave her time to read on long, laid-back summer afternoons. Through books and listening to family stories, she traveled the earth.
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Although her list of past jobs is long and varied, notable ones include a horseback instructor, a social worker for the State of Louisiana’s child welfare system for twenty-five years, mental health counselor for children, and being a background actor in the film industry. She was a blur in many scenes. ​​​​
She now lives in a small town just north of New Orleans with her second husband and two German Shepherds who have trained their humans quite well.