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J. Anne Helgren
Author, Editor, Writing Instructor
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A Bit About Me
I was born in California the year that the first man-made satellite was launched, heralding the dawn of the space age (and if you’re really curious, feel free to look it up). I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles. I was a quiet child, given more to daydreams and flights of fancy than school work and studying. I acquired a love of pets from my mother, a gentle animal-lover so in tune with the animal world that bees refused to sting her. I remember her gently escorting bees out of our house on the tip of her finger, a feat of bravery that never ceased to amaze me.
I acquired a love of books from my mother as well. While she was studying for her degree in children’s literature, she read aloud every book on her required reading list, acquainting me with the works of Joan Aiken, Madeleine L’Engle, E. L. Konigsburg, and Louise Fitzhugh, to name just a few of my favorites. I became a voracious reader and by the time I was eight I was crafting my own tales, stories about -- surprise! -- animals. I recall one really bad volume of work about the tedious adventures of Sam the turtle. Well, I was very young at the time.
I didn’t become serious about my writing career until after I graduated from college, had a career as a finance manager, got married, and started a family of felines. For many years I thought that the desire to write was a pleasant childhood dream -- something I’d outgrow. But the desire to write didn’t go away as expected. It grew stronger with time.
Finally, I had the opportunity to work part-time, and made the decision to concentrate on my writing. Soon I was involved in several critique groups and writers’ associations. I took writing classes, attended seminars and workshops, networked with other writers, and worked hard to improve my craft. I didn’t set out to become a cat writer, as you might assume from my bio. I set out to become a writer, and I happen to have a great affection for animals in general and cats in particular. My first article sale was to CATS MAGAZINE, a magazine for which I wrote regularly until they folded in 2001. As my knowledge grew, so did my opportunities to write about cats, and so did my desire to educate my readers as I had been educated about the fascinating, mysterious feline nature.
Companion animals have a special place in many of our lives. As a writer, my goal is to help my fellow humans better understand their animal companions and therefore have a more fulfilling, positive relationship with them.
J. Anne Helgren
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Check out these organizations:
Cat Writers' Association
Dog Writers' Association of America, Inc.
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My books are available at:
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Bio
J. Anne Helgren has six books in print published by Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.: Abyssinian Cats, A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual (1995); Himalayan Cats: A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual (1996); Barron’s Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds (1997); It’s Showtime (1998), Communicating with Your Cat (1999), and Rex Cats: A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual (2001). Himalayan Cats and Barron’s Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds received Certificates of Excellence from the Cat Writers’ Association, and Communicating with Your Cat and Rex Cats won CWA’s top award, the Muse Medallion, in 1999 and 2001.
Ms. Helgren, a contributing writer for Cats Magazine from June 1992 until August 2001 when the magazine folded, wrote a monthly feature for which she was awarded CWA Certificates of Excellence in 1994, 1996, 1997, and 1999, and Muse Medallions in 1997 and 1999. She has also been published in national and regional magazines including Dog Fancy, Cat Fancy, Cats, and I Love Cats. She’s written more than 50 articles for www.PetPlace.com. While specializing in companion animal publications and topics, Ms. Helgren has also published stories | ||||||||||||||