penumbraliterary

It’s hard to believe that summer has come and gone so quickly! Penumbra Literary wants to take some time out to thank its summer interns, Michelle Leah Neigut and Chris Corr. Penumbra was very lucky to have the aid of two interns this summer, who split their time between reading queries, evaluating manuscripts, writing reader reports, and assisting with general publicity and marketing research.

  Michelle at Book Expo America 2014

A passionate reader, Michelle Leah Neigut is a recent graduate of Widener University, graduating with a degree in English Literature. She had the pleasure of interviewing the band, Imagine Dragons, for That Mag music magazine, and is a fan of a wide variety of literature from the Harry Potter series to the beat authors. Michelle is also interested in 60’s and 70’s music, acting, and attending local comic con events.

Chris graduated from USC with a degree in Business and Education.  While teaching for a few years, he worked for HUD in Philadelphia.  He is currently studying for his English Degree at Rowan University.  In his free time he likes to read non-fiction, write, and play music.  His favorite books include The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Green and Greene’s other books.  He also enjoys reading all the books on kinesiology by David R. Hawkins.

           Chris Striking a Pose

Thanks again to Michelle and Chris for all their hard work, best of luck in your future endeavors!

Rebecca Kelley’s fiction debut, entitled Broken Homes and Gardens, will be published by Blank Slate Press in Spring 2015! Pitched as a cross between When Harry Met Sally meets Portlandia, this unconventional romance about two twenty-somethings named Joanna and Malcolm, who begin a correspondence as friends and end up as roommates when Malcolm moves in with Joanna to help rehab her broken-down first home, is a fresh and vivacious take on what it means to create a home without marriage or the picket fence. We are very excited to work with Blank Slate Press on bringing this quirky romantic comedy to print.

          Rebecca Kelley

Rebecca lives in Portland, OR. She describes herself as a “jaded romantic” and is also the author of The Eco-Nomical Baby Guide. Find Rebecca at her website, follow her on Twitter @rkelleywrites, or check out her Facebook Author Page. Congratulations Rebecca!

We are pleased to announce that Eric Silverstein, founder of The Peached Tortilla, an Asian and Southern inspired food concept, has signed with Penumbra Literary! A former litigator, Eric decided to pursue a different career path and marry his passions of food and business. Eric was born in Tokyo, Japan, where he was heavily influenced by Japanese, Chinese and Malaysian cuisine. At the age of ten, Eric moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he was introduced to traditional Southern cuisine. These divergent flavors and cuisines serve as the backdrop for The Peached Tortilla’s menu.

Eric Silverstein of The Peached Tortilla

In 2012, Restaurant Hospitality recognized Eric as one of the new “Stars of Street Food.” Eric was also recently interviewed in the May 2014 edition of Kiplinger’s magazine and on entrepreneur.com. Live! With Kelly & Michael named The Peached Tortilla one of the top ten food trucks in America!

Eric is also featured on the Chefsfeed Application (an app that picks the best chefs in major metro cities and their picks for local food) for Austin, TX.  Along with food, Eric is extremely passionate about entrepreneurship, and both speaks and writes about the challenges of running a small business and how to overcome them. You can read his blog here: http://thepeachedtortilla.com/blog/

Eric is collaborating with writer Alan Goldsher on a book about trading his corporate job for the uncertain and challenging food truck world. Goldsher is a culture and music writer, and the author of 14 books. As a writer, he has collaborated on book projects with numerous celebrities and public figures.

  Alan Goldsher

We are very excited to work with Eric and Alan on this project. If you are lucky enough to be in the Austin area, check out The Peached Tortilla, which is slated to open its first brick-and-mortar location this Fall 2014!

We are pleased to announce that Tameka Mullins has signed with Penumbra Literary!  Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Tameka is a Brooklyn-based social media manager who works with companies throughout the world via oDesk, a marketplace for online work. Her current clients include a book publicity agency in Los Angeles, a digital and print fitness magazine produced in Australia, and an online marketing firm in Surrey, British Columbia. Tameka writes a personal blog, called Lyric Fire, where she features her original poetry and posts on publishing, books, the writer’s life, pop culture and social commentary. Her writing has also been featured in The Detroit Free Press, WCBS-AM Newsradio 88, and women’s publications ranging from Venus Blogs, Black Elegance Magazine, Belle Magazine, to Short Cuts Magazine. She is a graduate of Fordham University and a journalism scholarship recipient via Wayne State University’s Journalism Institute for Media Diversity.

Tameka is working with Jennifer on her debut novel entitled Letters to Chyna, a romantic, mysterious, and bold exploration of one woman’s sexuality, identity, and sense of belonging among her adopted family.  Rife with issues ranging from struggling with substance abuse, using intimacy as a means to self-medicate, challenging friendships, and dysfunctional dynamics with her adopted family, Letters to Chyna is an emotional and compelling story about a woman seeking to break out of destructive patterns and emerge as a talented musician and artist.

When Tameka is not writing she loves to read, watch basketball, travel, roller skate, and spend time getting to know her siblings who she was recently reunited with after being separated during the adoption process.  We are very excited to work with Tameka in the coming year!

We are pleased to announce that Larry Clow has signed with Penumbra Literary!  Larry Clow is a writer and editor based in New Hampshire. He received his MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of New Hampshire in 2012. He is currently the editor of The Wire, a bi-weekly paper covering news, arts, and culture on New Hampshire and southern Maine Seacoast.

Larry Clow
© Jason Santo

Larry is writing his first book, entitled People You May Know, which is about his search for his biological parents and how the internet and social media have changed adoption in America.  Jennifer is thrilled to be working with Larry about such an important and personal subject.  Welcome Larry!