The IFWTWA Board of Directors welcomes new member Phyllis Hinz of Blenheim, Ontario, Canada. Referred by Lamont Mackay,  Phyllis has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of British  Columbia. As one of The Cooking Ladies for over 20 years she has created, owned and operated restaurants and for 14+ years has provided hands-on restaurant and food service consulting. As one of The Cooking Ladies, for 2 years she  was a Cooking segment contributor to RVTV.She has co-authored nine cookbooks and for the last 14 years  co-authored ”The Cooking Ladies” travel/recipe column in RV Lifestyle Magazine. The Cooking Ladies’ most recent online contributions include KOA Kompass and GoRVing Canada.

The board thinks you enjoy this fun and inspiring  article by Phyllis and her co-author, “ Cooking Ladies: Ginger Treats and Yard Art” which showcases  the Cooking Ladies philosophy.

 

We drive into people’s lives
Share the hour
And drive out
again
Wondering
If we will ever see them again
And, if we stayed
longer
Would the withdrawal be as intense
Would the sweetness be
diluted
We meet by chance
Connecting
At a moment in time
At a
particular place on earth
We leave
Glad to have been there
Because
after all
For that moment in time
It was our favorite place on
earth

The IFWTWA Board of Directors is pleased to welcome new writer member Amy Carniol from New York, NY. Amy is a freelance writer with emphasis on travel, health/wellness and social consciousness/good works. She is a graduate of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.  Prior to her  freelance career she held marketing positions in top companies including Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Showtime Networks, and Magic Lantern PR.

The Board thinks you’ll enjoy Amy’s colorful  article on touring Thailand. Amy tells us, “Although recently topping headlines with news of political unrest, Thailand, ever resilient, is back to business as usual. And here in the Land of Smiles, that means spectacular shopping, sumptuous restaurants, breathtaking beaches, and a gracious culture that welcomes roughly 12 million  visitors from around the globe each year.”

The IFWTWA is pleased to announce the appointment of Sherrie Wilkolaski to the board of directors on an interim basis. Sherrie is a best-selling author, public relations specialist, book marketing expert and an engaging public speaker.

She brings years of publishing and marketing experience to help authors find success. Sherrie utilizes social media to connect authors with their target audience in ways that create loyal fans.  A former Director of Publishing Services at Lulu, and Director of Marketing at Author Marketing Experts, Inc., in the past, she has also co-hosted the blog talk radio show,
“The Publishing Insiders.”

Currently, she is a columnist for the Raleigh Examiner and frequent featured blogger on Shewrites.com. She is a consultant and publishing services broker for a variety of small to mid-sized publishers, including Infinity Publishing. She is also the author of best-selling book, “How to Start a Wedding Planning Business” and the “Cookies and Cocktails” cookbook series.

Sherrie tells us, ” I am very passionate for the IFWTWA organization and see what incredible  potential there is, and I see the same passion and drive, with the current organizational leaders. I want to be a part of the team. There are many areas that I have expertise and resources, that can greatly help to grow memberships, add revenue driving services and create cross-promotional marketing opportunities to help brand and market IFWTWA.  I know I can help with increasing membership sales. On the publishing front, I have the resources and ability to help create IFWTWA’s own publishing imprint. Having an imprint would drive revenue and help with branding.”

Concerning how she fits into IFWTWA’s push for a greater share of social media and recruiting blogging members Sherrie explains, “My skills as a social media expert can help to improve the IFWTWA’s online platform and help to drive more traffic, doing the majority of the work upfront and then having it automated. (i.e. Tweeting, blog posts, etc.) “   When asked how she can make an immediate impact she answered, “Cross promotion is where I can be a big help. I have business relationships with a wonderful group of publishing professionals that can help cross-promote  IFWTWA. The first opportunity, would be getting IFWTWA into a publishing guide that will be printed and distributed at 25 book fairs via Combined Book Exhibit. This is just one of the many opportunities I can bring to the table.”

It takes a sincere commitment of time, talent and treasure to serve on the IFWTWA Board of Directors.  Each board member is asked to  attend monthly board meetings, chair a sub committee,  agree to be part of ad hoc committees as needed, function as part of a team effort,  understand respect and abide by the mission statement and bylaws, and bring their own unique contributions to the table.  IFWTWA President Maralyn Hill is pleased to have Sherrie on Board, “I couldn’t be happier with this appointment. We will have another worker, which will be good for all of us.”

Sherie’s term will expire December 2012. She will serve as treasurer.  She replaces Carol O’Hara, who resigned to spend more time with her husband.

The IFWTWA Board of Directors welcomes John M. Edwards of New York, New York. John has traveled worldwide (five continents plus), with adventures ranging from surviving a shipwreck off the coast of Thailand to getting caught up in a military coup in Fiji.

His summer jobs have ranged from book editor at Simon and Schuster Inc. to copyeditor at Emerging Markets, which covers world development bank meetings. His writing has appeared in over a hundred outlets including  Amazon.com, CNN Traveller, DVD Express, Missouri, Review, Hackwriters.com,  Salon.com, Grand Tour, Islands, Escape, Endless Vacation, Adventure Journey,  and Condé Nast Traveler.

The Board thinks you’ll enjoy John’s quirky article, “Talk of the Town (New York City) Yoyo Friedrich ” where he befriends a German artist who way back when at the “Supper Club” in Hamburg danced to the Beatles every night. . . .