Board of Experts
Helen Armalas
The Style Guide Expert
Helen Armalas is a freelance editor currently residing in Chicago, Illinois. She provides a full range of editing services to traditional publishers, university presses, museums, independent authors, and business clients. A versatile editor, Helen edits nonfiction and fiction (adult and young adult), academic journals, museum-exhibition text, and really anything you throw at her. She is fluent in The Chicago Manual of Style, MLA, APA, AP, and the AMA Manual of Style. Before starting her own freelance editing business in 2023, Helen worked for over ten years in different professional service industries as an accountant and then executive assistant. Disenchanted with the business world, Helen quit her job and decided to pursue her lifelong dream of working with words and being her own boss. Helen has a BA in Art History, Theory, and Criticism from Columbia College Chicago and has completed the Editing certificate program, with additional coursework in medical editing and writing, from the University of Chicago. When she is not reading or editing, Helen is spending time with her two extra-spicy dogs, Louise and Jackie.
Rachel E. Bradley
The Copyediting Expert
Rachel E. Bradley holds a BS degree in paralegal studies from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma and graduated summa cum laude in 2006. She is a gold member of the Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, is an established freelance editor with the Christian Editor Connection, is an instructor with the PEN Institute, is a judge for the Editors’ Choice Award, and has served as faculty for PENCON, the only conference for editors in the Christian market. After serving nine years in the legal field and becoming an advanced certified paralegal, Rachel started her business as a freelance editor and indexer. She now owns Revisions by Rachel Inc. In 2018, Rachel lost her first husband, Matthew, after an intense battle with brain cancer. This life experience carried over into her editing and gave her a new understanding and a fierce compassion for people who feel broken and hurt. In celebration of continued life and hope, Rachel became a licensed skydiver and takes to the skies with her rainbow canopy, “Promises,” any chance she gets. In early 2021, she asked God to choose her next husband. In an incredible tale of trusting God and giving him her yes without exception, Rachel is now joyfully married to Alexander Bradley. They have been assigned the awe-inspiring and continually humbling task of raising two incredible children. Beyond reading, Rachel enjoys Bible studies, dancing during church worship, skydiving, swing dancing, rock climbing, reading, teaching, discussing important issues, watching Star Trek, sewing, cooking, Pilates, horseback riding, water sports, playing guitar, and snow skiing.
Laura Pennington Briggs
The Business of Writing Expert
Laura Pennington Briggs is the founder and CEO of the Freelance Coach. A three-time TEDx speaker on how freelancing is changing the economy, Laura has helped over 15,000 freelancers start and scale their businesses. She’s an expert on systems, project and client management, marketing a solopreneur business, delegating to team members, retainers, and developing multiple income streams for writers of all stripes. Laura is the author of five books, including the Six-Figure Freelancer, How to Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business, and award-winning Remote Work for Military Spouses. She’s currently preparing to defend her dissertation for her doctorate in business administration.
Jennia D'Lima
The Creative Nonfiction Expert
Jennia Herold D'Lima is a full-blown logophile. She joined her high school’s newspaper in ninth grade, winning statewide awards for her writing, and expanded her journalism skills by continuing to write and edit throughout her high school years and as a college freshman. While earning her BA in psychology (and minoring in cultural anthropology with a focus on precolonial Mesoamerica) and her MA in applied developmental psychology, her writing and editing naturally skewed toward all things academic. Writing for and publishing in peer-reviewed journals, editing papers for classmates, and writing parenting resource guides honed her research skills. Jennia joined multiple professor-led research groups and completed four internships throughout her academic career. After graduating with a master’s, she worked at a national nonprofit in Washington, DC, and as an assistant researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle. Jennia gradually transitioned to full-time editing. As the host of the Writing & Editing podcast, she loves connecting with others in the community. Jennia enjoys traveling, volunteering, and taking creative photos of books and book-related items in those rare moments when she is not reading or editing.
Maite Dalila
The Branding and Marketing Expert
Maite Dalila is a brand strategist, web designer, and storyteller who’s spent over 12 years helping brands like Disney and Nike create meaningful, human-centered
experiences. Now, she focuses on helping authors build websites that feel like an extension of their voice and story, that don’t just look good but grow their audience and sell their books. She also writes fiction, so she understands the creative process from both sides. Through workshops, design strategy, and branding, she helps authors simplify the overwhelm of building an online presence, so they can focus on what matters most: their stories.
Kirsten Donaghey
The ADHD Writing Expert
Kirsten Donaghey is the author of A Novel Approach: Strategies for ADHD Writers. She is a certified ADHD coach and longtime editor and writing coach. A Canadian living in Vienna, she was the founder of a nonprofit writing hub where she organized writing workshops and networking events for local writers. She now works with clients worldwide as a coach and editor, thriving on collaboration and creative solutions. Her own inspiration comes from reading, traveling, hiking, meaningful exchanges, and creating. She specializes in helping writers, creatives, academics, and ADHDers with their projects and daily life.
Jeanne Grunert
The Branding and Marketing Expert
Jeanne Grunert is the president and founder of Seven Oaks Consulting, a business-to-business content marketing agency. She is an award-winning writer and direct marketing expert with over 30 years of writing, marketing, and business experience. Prior to founding Seven Oaks Consulting, Jeanne led marketing for divisions of McGraw-Hill Education, Teachers College Columbia University, The College Board, and retail, publishing, and financial service companies in the New York City area. Known worldwide for her exceptional leadership and communication skills, Jeanne works seamlessly across cultural and corporate barriers to achieve outstanding results. She holds an M.A. in writing and an M.S. in direct and digital marketing (awarded with distinction) from New York University, as well as certifications in social media marketing, content marketing, and adult education. Originally from the New York City area, Jeanne currently resides with her husband, John, and many pets on a 17-acre farm in rural Virginia. When not leading marketing teams through her work at Seven Oaks Consulting, she enjoys gardening, reading, cooking, and writing mystery novels.
David Radin
The Time Management and AI Expert
David Radin is an award-winning author, columnist, CEO, speaker, consultant, and product developer. Two-time finalist for Innovator of the Year and winner of CEO of the Year, David simplifies complex subjects and makes them fun and easy to understand. As national talk radio show host, David reached over a million weekly listeners on 400 stations and XM; and his first book was nicknamed “the Swiss-army knife of high-tech marketing” by industry executives. David concentrates on helping his clients optimize the way they spend their days. His “Time Management in the Age of A.I.” workshops and programs are aimed at giving each participant their own personalized time management framework based on what they do for a living and how they like to do it. His Confirmed suite of apps help his users reclaim and refocus large chunks of time every week. And as a Certified Dale Carnegie Consultant, he can help with change-management, communications, leadership, presentation, and interpersonal skills. David holds an MBA and Certificate in AI Product Management from Duke University, BS from Yale, and has been on Advisory Boards at Penn State University and Oracle. David's latest book will include content from his workshops.
Marcia Rosen
The Public Relations and Book Marketing Expert
Marcia Rosen (aka M. Glenda Rosen) is an award-winning author of twelve books including her newest one, An Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock and Me Mystery: Murder at the Zoo plus The Senior Sleuths, Dying To Be Beautiful Mystery Series, and The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus (menus by her son Jory Rosen). She is also author of The Woman’s Business Therapist and award-winning My Memoir Workbook and has given memoir writing presentations and classes for close to 20 years. Marcia has assisted many authors in developing, writing, publishing, and promoting their books. For 25 years, she was the owner of a successful national marketing and public relations agency. Marcia has frequently been a speaker or program moderator at organization meetings and conferences, bookstores, libraries, and Zoom programs. Topics she has taught and presented over the past 20 years include Encouraging the Writer Within You, Marketing for Authors, Writing Mysteries…Not A Mystery, Writing Your Memoir, and recently Anatomy of Writing a Murder. Many articles on these topics have been published on mystery reader blogs and in newsletters and magazines and her newest articles include Location, Location, Location: Murders Have Their Places; Hearing Voices of Past Famous Detectives: Their Impact and Influences; and Writing Mysteries at a Zoo: With Caution. Marcia is a member of Sisters in Crime National and New Mexico (Croak & Dagger), Southwest Writers, New Mexico Book Association, Women Writing the West, Public Safety Writer’s Association, Women’s National Book Association, and National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.
Susan K. Stewart
The Self-Publishing Expert
Susan K. Stewart teaches, writes, and edits nonfiction when not tending chickens, peacocks, and donkeys. Susan’s passion is to inspire readers with practical, real-world solutions. Susan’s first published work was a poem in her elementary school “literary” booklet. Since that humble beginning, Susan has written for newspapers, magazines, and compilations. Her books include the award-winning Formatting e-Books for Writers, Harried Homeschooler’s Handbook, Family Preparedness in the City and Suburbia, and Donkey Devos: Listen When God Speaks. In addition to being a managing editor at Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. and co-owner/administrator of The Writers View, Susan is a member of American Writers and Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, and Proofreader and Editors Network.
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Ruth Thaler-Carter
The Networking Expert
Ruth Thaler-Carter has been a full-time freelance writer, editor, proofreader, desktop publisher, and speaker for more than 40 years. She has been published locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally in, and does writing, editing, and proofreading for, publications, associations, nonprofits, websites, service firms, independent authors, and businesses. She sold her first freelance articles when she was still in high school. Often called the Queen of Networking, Ruth is active in about a dozen professional associations, serving as a newsletter editor, webmaster, publication author, speaker/presenter, blogger, program host or planner, and chapter leader. In 2006, Ruth launched the Communication Central Be a Better Freelancer conference — now cohosted with NAIWE — to help aspiring and established freelancers find greater success. Ruth is also owner and editor-in-chief of the An American Editor blog and owner of the Publishing with Flair publishing business. Her honors include member of her high school alumni hall of fame, in part for her publishing work and networking services; Writers and Books Big Pencil Award for teaching adults and contributions to the literary community; EFfie awards for writing, editing, and newsletters; an APEX award for feature writing; the Philip M. Stern Award of Washington (DC) Independent Writers for service to freelancers; and IABC/DC Communicator of the Year and Silver Quills for magazine writing and newsletters.
Melissa Yi
The Medical Crime Expert
Melissa Yi could slice your throat and sew it back up again. Legally. Because she's an emergency doctor. This inspires her heroine, Dr. Hope Sze, to solve everything from ingrown toenails to full-blown murder. In the thriller Killing Me Slothly, Hope confronts a cult that worships the alien god, Cthulhu--and that may overtake Hope's own mind. Melissa writes multiple genres, including romance (hockey! Pride and Prejudice!) and memoir (The Most Unfeeling Doctor in the World).