Editorial Director
AuthorMe.com
Kathy Hartwell graduated from Bluefield State College with a BA in Humanities with an Emphasis in Literature. As an undergraduate, she became involved with the students’ newspaper, The Bluefieldian, and the nominating committee later hired her as the paper’s editor. She also worked at the college’s Educational Opportunity Center as the director’s assistant and was an asset to their grant writing. Kathy’s outstanding academic grades enabled her to join the Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society of which she became a lifetime member.
Kathy worked in the Graduate Studies Department at Mountain State University as a graduate assistant. She authored the Methodology for her Graduate in Interdisciplinary Studies program. Her other academic achievements include an Associate of Science degree in General Studies from Bluefield State College and an Associate of Science degree in General Secretarial from National Business College.
Kathy has just earned her M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a Concentration in Creative Writing and an Emphasis in English and graduated unofficially Summa Cum Laude with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Kathy is a professional writer/editor who knows what it means to meet deadlines, produce writings, edit, and revise. She is CEO of her manuscript critique business, Kathy’s Kreative Kritique at http://kreativekritique.tripod.com/index.html.
She participated as Region Four Representative and Mercer County Contact for the West Virginia Writers, Inc., the largest organization for writers in the state. Kathy’s years of writing experience include being a columnist for the The Bluefieldian, The Princeton Times newspaper, and Worthfinding.com. Other published writings consist of Mother's Morning, The Man in the Woods, Warring Tempest, Come Chalice of Culmination, The Little Rabbit, and The Little Sapling. She authored the mainstream novel, Jessie’s Inheritance, and she is currently working on her second historical novel, This Child o’ Mine.
For as long as she can remember, she has always been a lover of books, both through writing and reading. Having grown up in an atmosphere where reading materials abounded, she eventually began a book collection of her own. She admits to being the proud possessor of a small library where she can read for pleasure and conduct research for her writings.
Kathy strives to pass her love of reading and writing on to family and friends, the elderly, adults, and youth. “Every living soul is the past, present, and future of the United States and the world. Creative writing should be their written accounts.” She continues, “I want to inspire other writers, whether beginning or seasoned, to take up the pen.”
She lives with her husband, Russell; her son, Lee (physics major at Virginia Tech); her mother, Della; and her numerous pets of all sizes, shapes, and colors. Kathy’s "baby" is a five-pound Pomeranian who acts like a Saint Bernard. The locals consider her the eccentric, unlicensed veterinarian to any animal, tame or wild, that is injured, orphaned, or neglected.
She considers herself fortunate to be able to live in the country where she can concentrate on her writing without the manufactured distractions of urban living. Her ambition is to personify the phrase that she authored: "If I have but one life to live for Christ, then may it be with pen in hand."
☼ UPDATE: Kathy recently received the honor of being chosen as Graduate Student of the Year at Mountain State University, and she accepted the invitation to join Yankee Magazine’s Editorial Review Board.
