Our members come from all skill, experience, and interest levels. Some come to get inspiration, some to find kindred spirits, and some to push themselves further on their paths to becoming active writers. There are a few things that tie us all together though, most importantly, our love of words and the act of writing.

MEET OUR WRITERS & AUTHORS

Ana Maria Seaton, Founder
Raised by lemmings, Maria (aka Ria) took an interest in writing as soon as she was able to pick up a pencil and not eat it. An artist by trade, Ria also delights in chances to incorporate text into her work. When she is not writing, she loves deciphering code, gaming, movies, and is an avid (voracious) reader. She is Word Whimsy’s founder, a horrible housekeeper, and a fabulous mom. (see fabulous child below). Available freelance for both writing and art workshops, Ria is a freelance Creative Facilitator for the Appleton Museum of Art and can be reached via 24/7 direct voicemail at (352) 867-6858.

Laurel L. Mathis, Co-Founder
Laurel fell in love with words after writing her first poem in sixth grade. Since then, she’s written several poems, short stories and drafted one novel. She describes herself as witty, positive, earthy and creative.
Residing in Florida with her husband and several pets, she enjoys gardening and frequently finds herself mesmerized by all creatures whether they crawl, walk or slither. She also adores the fantasy genre (fairies and elves and sorcerers oh my!). Laurel is an advocate of writing as a hobby – for fun, creativity and enlightenment. “Pushing aside your own personal restrictions and allowing the pen to flow (or your fingers to click upon the keys) is in one word: liberating. Try it!” In recent years, she has worked as a Domestic Violence Advocate and a Graphic Artist at a local newspaper. With an AA Degree completed, she is currently working toward her Bachelors Degree in English before pursuing her MLS. Laurel is Ria’s writing partner and Word Whimsy’s co-founder.

J. Logan Seaton
A reluctant writer at first, Logan went from experimenting with fan fiction to diving into his first novel, writing an incredible 370 inspired pages in two months. Since then he has become quite the word warrior and is normally found with a notebook and mechanical pencil in hard. His passions are gaming, old cars, fishing, and swimming with his daughter (the aforementioned fabulous child).

Val M. Selvaggio
Fluent in Latin, Val is Word Whimsy’s resident linguist and Ria’s other half. When he is not writing, Val enjoys gaming, reading, movies, and digging through bookstores with Ria. Val is currently pursuing his Masters in Education before moving on to his PhD in Classical Studies. Val is available freelance as a Latin tutor and can be reached via 24/7 direct voicemail at (352) 867-6858.

Ysa Seaton
Ysa has contributed to Word Whimsy’s word lists on a number of occasions so it was only fair that she be included. Homeschooled, at eight years old her mother and father know they are in big trouble as Ysa is a force to be reckoned with. A budding artist, a love she inherited from her mother, she has recently begun storyboarding her first book with Ria’s help. Ysa has been in ballet since the age of three, loves reading and telling stories. Word Whimsy’s resident muse, Ysa has her own line of greeting cards and gifts under the name Ladybug Kisses that she sells for charity…and yes, we will announce it when her book is completed.

Elise Van Cise
Elise, a native Floridian, shows her love of words and home by making the Sunshine state the setting for her books. She is the author of three published novels; In the Dark, Don’t Touch, and Half. Outside of being a member of Word Whimsy, she belongs to the Literary Knights author discussion group and is the President of the Friends of the Astor County Library.

Karen Dillon
Karen Dillon has been creating stories in her head since the age of four, and stories on paper since she learned how to scrawl block letters in kindergarten. She now writes on a laptop instead of ruled tablet paper, uses larger words and better grammar, and has moved from stories about horses and princesses to historical mystery/thrillers set in Victorian-era Chicago and Japan, with occasional excursions into fantasy, horror, and other “dark” fiction.

Eve Bell
Eve Bell is a creative, fun-loving, procrastinator with a great affinity for the written word…as long as someone else is writing it! Known for her wonderful sense of humor and crazy laugh, she has the ability to bring joy to those around her and strives to inspire her writing buddies to greatness in the hope that some of all that talent will rub off! Eve is the voice of WOCA’s Radio Shopping Show here in Ocala.

Jason Ketcham
Jason Ketcham is a writer. This is purpose to him; to place pen to paper. Having worked with editorial staffs he has found that his place is not in consideration, rather it is to simply create. And thus, he continues. The goal is not being press worthy, it is just being.

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