Chicken Soup for the Ocean Lover's Soul (30 page)

Linda Schnecker Erb
is Vice-President of Animal Care and Training at Dolphin Research Center (DRC) and is currently writing a book about her many “dolfriends,” including Annessa. The not-for-profit DRC brings people and dolphins together for educational encounters and other experiences. Contact Linda at Dolphin Research Center, 58901 Overseas Highway, Grassy Key, FL 33050, or visit
www.dolphins.org
.

Mike Geers
graduated with honors from the University of Central Florida. He served in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. He works at SRI International and is completing his law degree in California. He hopes to write a book on the humanitarian aspects of psychic phenomena in search and rescue. Contact him at
[email protected]
.

Florian Graner
is a marine biologist and freelance photographer. He specializes in underwater cinematography and photography. He has worked as a cameraman in projects for the BBC such as “The Blue Planet,” “Extreme Animals” and “Wildlife on One.” Florian can be reached through his Web site at
www.sealife-productions.com
.

Martha Gusukuma-Donnenfield
received her B.A. and teaching credentials from California State University, Long Beach. She has been teaching in Long Beach for over twenty-two years. Martha loves taking Stephen, her husband, and two children, home to Hawaii to experience what island life is all about.

Jack Hanna
is the host of
Animal Adventures
, a weekly TV show featuring wildlife, which is broadcast in more than sixty-five countries internationally. He is also a regular guest on such popular shows as ABC’s
Good Morning America,
CNN’s
Larry King Live
and CBS’s
Late Show with David Letterman.
Jack’s love for animals and nature has also spawned several books, including
Monkeys on the Interstate, Jungle Jack Hanna’s Safari Adventure, What
Zookeepers Do
and
The Ultimate Guide to Pets.

Eve Eschner Hogan
is an author, speaker and co-owner of Makena Coast Dive Charters on Maui. She is also a wedding officiant, specializing in underwater and boat weddings. For information on her workshops, books or weddings, see
www.HeartPath.com
or e-mail
[email protected].
For Maui Scuba Diving, see
www.MauiUnderwater.com
or call 800-833-6483.

Warren Iliff
is the President-Emeritus of the Aquarium of the Pacific and oversaw its opening in 1998. Prior to that, he was the director of zoos in Phoenix, Dallas and Portland, Oregon. He is a graduate of Harvard and a former Marine Corps helicopter pilot. Please reach him at
[email protected].

Jamie Kageleiry
wrote this story for
Yankee Magazine,
which has been “The Magazine of New England Living” for sixty-eight years. They are located on Main Street, Dublin, NH 03444. Phone: 603-563-8111. Web site:
www.yankeemagazine.com
.

Jim Kravets
says, “There’s just something about the ocean.” When pressed for elaboration, he managed, “You know, the fish, the . . . saltiness. I’m just so drawn to oceans. I’m going to the Aegean for my honeymoon.” When asked if the Aegean isn’t technically a sea and not an ocean, he said, “I really don’t know. The travel agent made the bookings.” Jim lives and writes in northern California. Contact him at
[email protected].

Phil Lansing
has worked on ranches, in the forest and on fishing boats. He has traveled by canoe through Arctic Canada and guided canoe trips down the wild Owyhee River in Southwest Idaho. He was educated at Oxford University and works as an economist consulting in natural resource issues. He is based in Idaho with his wife, two children and bird dog.

Nan Lincoln
continues to live on Mount Desert Island off the coast of Maine where she is the arts editor and a feature writer for the
Bar Harbor Times.
She also continues to call out “Sessileeeee!” whenever she’s on or near the sea. Sometimes she gets an answer.

Mike Lipstock
’s work has appeared in close to two hundred literary magazines, newspapers and anthologies. He has received three Pushcart Prize nominations and a multitude of first prizes in various publications. He has also been published in four previous
Chicken Soup for the Soul
books.

Jennifer Lowry
was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is the older sister of Shannon and Jason. She attends the University of New Orleans, where she is studying business, with her husband Donald, who studies engineering. This is her first opportunity to have something published in memory of her sister.

Janet Matthews
is a writer, editor, professional speaker and coauthor of the bestselling
Chicken Soup for the Canadian Soul.
With Daniel Keenan, she is working on a book-sized version of “The Navy’s Baby,” an amazing story appearing in
Chicken Soup for the Parent’s
Soul,
which she helped produce and edit. To schedule Janet for an interview or speaking engagement, contact her at 905-881-8995, ext. 28, or
[email protected],
or go to
www.canadiansoul.com
.

Paula McDonald
has sold over a million copies of her books on relationships and has won numerous awards worldwide as a columnist, inspirational feature writer and photojournalist. She lives on the beach in Rosarito, Mexico, and writes to the sound of the waves. She can be contacted in the United States by writing PMB 724, 416 W. San Ysidro Blvd., Ste. L, San Ysidro, CA 92173-2443 or by e-mailing
[email protected].

Walker Meade
began to write stories at the age of fourteen. When he was twenty-one, one of his pieces was published by
Colliers
magazine. He then wrote short fiction for the
Saturday Evening Post, Good Housekeeping
and
Gentleman’s Quarterly,
among others. He turned to writing nonfiction for magazines such as
Cosmopolitan, Reader’s Digest
and
Redbook.
Later he became the managing editor of
Cosmopolitan
and then the managing editor of
Reader’s Digest
Condensed Book Club. His last position in publishing was as president and editor-in-chief of Avon Books. Today he is retired and concentrates on writing longer fiction. Upstart Press published his first novel,
Unspeakable Acts,
in August 2001. It has received exciting critical acclaim and can be ordered from
Amazon.com.
He has just finished his second novel.

Jan Meek
has packed so much into her fifty-four years that her life reads like the plot of a book, from working in the film business with well-known stars, to living and working in Saudi Arabia, to being elected mayor of her hometown, to learning Chinese while backpacking around China, to her
Guiness Book of World Records
Atlantic rowing record. Now a professional speaker, she’s authored the book,
101 Atlantic Nights,
the full version of her Atlantic crossing with her son, Daniel. She also has a daughter, Becky. Jan lives in Chipping Norton, England, and can be contacted at
[email protected].

Warren Miller
started his lifelong search for the free ski-lift ticket in 1946. Since then he has produced over five hundred sports films, written nine books and raised three children. He writes a weekly newspaper column, monthly magazine articles and is working on his autobiography. He can be reached at
[email protected].

Joe Moran
received a bachelor of science in marine biology from the College of Charleston (S.C.) in 1984. He currently is working in Washington, D.C., still in the field of marine science. He is a husband and a dad, an avid Scouter, and still wonders what that whale was thinking.

Deborah Morris
is the author of fifteen books, including the
Real Kids Real Adventures
book series (adapted as an Emmy-nominated television series on the Discovery Channel), and
Teens 911: Snowbound,
a new real-life survival series. Deborah lives in Texas with her husband, her Harley, and her own “real kids.” Visit the Web site
www.realkids.com
.

Abby Murray
received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Illinois-Urbana and her master’s degree in counselor education from North Carolina State University. Married to Jim, they are the proud parents of a beautiful little girl named Ellen and are expecting their second child. Abby is the volunteer manager at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago where she manages over 600 volunteers. She can be reached at
[email protected]
or 312-692-3310.

Bruce Nash
of Studio City, California, produces television shows for various networks and cable channels.

Tiffany Pope
is an aspiring writer from Norfolk, Virginia. She graduated from high school in 2001 and is currently studying for an associate degree in liberal arts. After that she plans to transfer to a four-year college and major in journalism.

Maurice Ricketts
is a navy veteran of World War II and a country boy from Wyoming. His detailed memoir,
As It Was,
depicts life as an orphan chore boy on a sheep ranch and a destroyer sailor on the high seas in wartime.

Gary Riedel
enjoys creating. After his onstage work at the Aquarium, he became a background actor in Hollywood. His first novel,
Seasons of the Pearl,
is available on
Amazon.com.
He describes it as a comedy of war seen from inside a Saigon bistro in wartime Vietnam. Contact Gary at
[email protected].

Jon L. Rishi
received his bachelor of arts degree from Chaminade University, Honolulu, in 1986. He grew up in Hawaii and currently resides in Orange County, California, where he is a healthcare administrator. Jon enjoys travel, recreational running, skiing and water sports. He considers literature and creative writing a lifelong passion. Please reach him at
[email protected].

Danette Rivera
is a Southern California-based writer who lives with her two “smart, gorgeous” daughters Maya and Mina, a “hot husband” named Julio, and a “fat, lazy cat” named Puffy. A small business owner, she has been a past participant in the prestigious Squaw Valley Community of Writers Summer Workshops and was recently published in
Riviera Magazine.
When she has spare time, she spends it romping with her girls, writing short fiction and sports essays, and salsa dancing.

Nicole-René Rivette
is a college student who lives in Midland, Michigan, with her parents and two dogs. Horseback riding has been a lifelong love, and she hopes to try out for the U.S. Equestrian Team in their Developing Riders category. Volunteer work, vegetarian cooking, kayaking and writing stories round out her busy schedule.

Harley Schwadron
’s cartoons appear in such diverse publications as
Barron’s, Wall Street
Journal, Reader’s Digest, Harvard Business Review, Good Housekeeping
and many others. He has worked as a newspaper reporter, college alumni magazine editor and university public-relations editor. After doing cartoons on evenings and weekends, he went full-time in 1984 and is still going strong. He can be reached at P.O. Box 1347, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 or by phone/fax at 734-426-8433.

Maris Sidenstecker
founded Save The Whales (STW) at the age of fourteen. Maris, a marine biologist, continues to lead STW and focuses on educating children and adults about marine mammals and the fragile ocean environment. STW provides school outreach, educational materials and adopt-a-whale kits. She can be reached at 831-899-9957 or visit
www.savethewhales.org
.

Leslie Smith
spent twenty years on Kodiak Island where she captained her own boat, fishing commercially for salmon and halibut. Her two children were born there. She currently lives in Idaho during the school year and returns to Alaska with her teenage daughters in the summers to gillnet for salmon, pick berries and play croquet on the beach.

Roxayne Spruance
received bachelor degrees in zoology and physical anthropology at the University of California, Davis. She has been a volunteer with the Sea Otter Research and Conservation team at the Monterey Bay Aquarium since 1995 and is on the board of the Friends of the Sea Otter, a nonprofit group dedicated to their protection. Please reach her at
[email protected].

Michelle Staedler
received a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has been working with sea otters in the Monterey area for over fifteen years as the research coordinator for the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Research and Conservation Program. In addition to her work with sea otters, Michelle enjoys introducing her young son to new adventures, collecting marbles and raising lop-eared rabbits. Please reach her at
[email protected].

Maggie Stapp-Hempen
, a Laguna Beach, California, resident, is the mother of two grown children, daughter Malea and son Aaron. She has been active in many community organizations, including Laguna Art Museum and the local Business Development Council. Maggie is happily and recently married to Tony and enjoys spending time with his two children David and Elise.