Kathe Gogolewski talks about her writing: The successful communication of a good story inspires me to write. Since the time our ancestors first danced around a campfire reenacting the hunt, humans have used storytelling as a way to unwind and celebrate their successes, and to report their tragedies and failures. I imagine my motivation is not much different from those early storytellers, such as the ones who lived in the caves at Chauvet Pont D’Arc in France over 30,000 years ago. A host of images about them come to mind: I picture this guy...let's call him Gorg the Storyteller...as he leaps to high ground near the fire, hoping to divert the attention of exhuasted hunters who are staring zombie-like into it. Anxious to recreate the vitality of the hunt and reward their efforts for felling a wooly mastodon that day, Gorg gyrates and hops, forming his fingers into horns at his head as he retells the most dramatic events of the day. Nothing about his act could have been random. The average interest level and attention span of a cave dweller 30,000 years ago, I imagine, was similar to that of the couch potato today. Instead of a fire, the modern cave dweller gazes at a TV screen after a hard day at the office. If Gorg had wanted to compete with the blissful state induced from Fire Watching, he had to work hard, move fast. His goal, to give his comrades and hunters a reason to laugh and remember--and the strength to return to the dangers of another hunt--inspires me to write. I want to be like Gorg, motivating others to action. And when a group of exhausted readers pick up one of my books after a long day, I hope that I can hop and growl with as much enthusiasm as Gorg once did.

Kathe Gogolewski, who also writes under the pen name, Ann Durand, was born and raised in northern California near San Francisco in a very leafy neighborhood. She spent much of her childhood hiking the wild hills of Orinda with her three brothers and a sister, catching polliwogs and poison oak. As an adult, she raised a daughter while teaching grade school and teacher education courses at Hayward State in CA. She retired several years ago and moved south into warmer weather near San Diego, California, where there are fewer polliwogs and less poison oak, but lots of coyotes and rabbits. She began writing and painting full time, and now enjoys writing stories for both children and adults. She has painted murals all over San Diego, including Children’s Hospital. She teaches science and writing to fourth and fifth graders as a volunteer at the elementary school near their home.

Kathe wrote an educational supplement for teachers to go with her book, TATO, a fantasy adventure for middle grade readers. She works in classrooms all over California engaging 4th and 5th graders in science experiments that explain certain illusions in her book. Tato won the Golden Wings award from her publisher, Wings Press and was a best-seller. Teachers interested in a visit from the author may go to her website for more information at http://www.tri-studio.com.

She has two other novels from Double Dragon Publishing (http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com) written under her pen name, Ann Durand: A Promise to Keep, a suspense with romantic elements, and Flight of the Gryphon, a paranormal romance. She publishes short stories with the Amazon Short program. She has contributed to two anthologies: The Muse on Writing edited by Lea Schizas, available from Double Dragon Publishing, and Spiritual Visitations, edited by Heather Froeschl, due in 2008 from Zumaya Publications. She writes for Ranch and Coast, San Diego's Lifestyle Magazine, The Muse Marquee, an ezine for writers, and is the editor of The Fiction Flyer, an ezine for writers of fiction available from TRI Studio Books, LLC. She has won awards for her novels, short stories and poems. Her website is http://www.tri-studio.com.

Kathe is the new host of The Mother Daughter Club, a segment of By For and About Women Radio Network at www.byforandaboutwomen.com. Join her as she interviews authors and guest experts who will motivate and inspire! All interviews are archived at the site.

TRI Studio Books LLC
Our authors publish fiction for both chilldren and adults. Resources for writers are available in abundance, including a free ezine called The Fiction Flyer.

Nothing Binding
About Nothing Binding Kipling once wrote: For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack We love this simple concept because it neatly summarizes Nothing Binding. Writers have consistently been frustrated in the interminably difficult and confusing process that is “getting published.” Thousands of beautifully written works have regrettably fallen through the cracks of a tired system that rewards a select few at the expense of diversity, openness, and value. These works did not fail because of individual weakness, but because the writer had lacked guidance, support, and meaningful access to readers. Each year the average price of books increases, and the diversity of titles available at retail declines. Less than 100 people control what books are read in the U.S., and readers have become less and less interested in the out-of-touch decisions that this powerful group makes. Nothing Binding is an online community that exists to destroy this reality. It is often the case that self-published authors experience sales success and form grassroots followings by reading to, speaking with, and forming an emotional connection with prospective readers. This road is a long one, especially with limited individual resources and time. However, the payoff for the readers is intense. Understanding a writer at a higher level enriches the reading experience - fiction or not. Nothing Binding allows this process to occur on a global, 24/7 basis by leveraging the latest technology. Writers can create personal profiles, upload photos, form writers groups, enter titles into our searchable database, and chat with other writers - all 100% free. Additionally, we offer several digital marketing products such as mp3 audio, podcasts, video readings and video interviews. The result is a personally tailored, interactive online presence that can work with or potentially replace a writer’s individual website. Nothing Binding has provided the tools for readers to discover and enjoy wonderful writers that they would never have came across on the featured tables at a big-box book retailer. Building an active online community is only the first step, but it remains a crucial one. As the community grows throughout the year, we will be rolling out a number of industry changing concepts. We have the in-house expertise, contacts, and vision to deliver. Our name - "Nothing Binding" - reflects the power of independence. Does a major publishing or distribution deal necessarily make a written work better? Together, we will break the chains of the current system that has writers and readers duped into believing this is true. The coffee is better at home, anyway...

The Mother Daughter Club Radio show
The Mother Daughter Club is a segment of By For and About Women Radio Network. Despite that, we welcome both men and women as authors and guest experts. The show touches on topics that matter to us all, and celebrates that unique bond that women everywhere share with each other.