Our goals, at Fantasy GazetteerTM, are to provide an online audience with quality fantasy literature. Catherine Balachowski, the creator of this venue has been a long time fan of classic fantasy. She quickly convinced several qualified friends to follow the path of fantasy and bring to the general online reader a fresh look at fantasy. Truthfully, we hope to become a spring board for new writers in the electronic publication arena. Our promise to fantasy writers is to critically look at their work and give them either the opportunity to be e-printed in the e-zine or to provide them with a useful critique of their work. We hope that our readers have found a new place to visit and our writers continue to write and imagine.
Catherine Balachowski
President and OwnerSWSilverlark Publishing, Inc.
Catherine grew up in the busy city of Chicago and always had a love for books. She could never be found without one in her hands. As a teenager you would find Catherine in the school library shelving away or working at the local bookstore, Waldenbooks. That of course is when she wasn't away for the summers at the family cabin in the Ozark Mountains where she practiced archery and wandered the woods, searching for woodland creatures and trying hard not to fall in the creek. While always wishing a paladin would come and whisk her away, to a far away land where they had more magical powers; instead, Catherine moved to a far away suburb and studied literature in college. After raising a family, she went back to school to finish her degree in education with a minor in literature. Catherine also developed (somewhere a long the way) a sick and almost unhealthy sort of love for Ancient Celtic History, which in turn drives her artistic and creative style.
When Catherine has spare time or decides she needs to escape and relax you will often find her frolicking in the garden or if you're very lucky you'll find her in the kitchen utilizing one of her many creative talents as she swoons your taste buds with her baking. She encouraged her children to enjoy more physical sports, so she enrolled her four children and herself into a taekwondo school. After several years of hard work and perseverance they all now hold, 1st Dan Black Belts in taekwondo. Catherine's children now range in ages 14-19. Her only son, the eldest, is attending college while working part-time. Her oldest daughter is still heavily involved with taekwondo at the national level and shares her mother's passion for competitive sports. Her other two daughters are involved in school sports and still participate in taekwondo at the local level.
Since no druids ever leaped out of her books to rescue her, and slay the demons that held her captive and bring her back to the world of fantasy where dreams come true, Catherine realized she'd have to do it for herself. So she picked up her sword and began writing her own fantasy novel and started her own business, hence the birth of SWSilverlark Publishing IncTM, and the inception of Fantasy GazetteerTM; where she hopes with pride you'll be able to see your fantasy come to life, too.
Cindy F. Hoeft
Vice President of Sales and MarketingWriters Liaison
Cindy F. Hoeft, has 20 years of diversified experience in sales, marketing and human resources. Cindy's adventures started out in retail management, working for various companies Chess King, Natural Wonders and her favorite Brookstone. After many years of working in Chicagoland malls, Cindy decided it was time to use her talents in a different market. She began working as a consultant for Paige Personnel Services, one of the most successful employment agencies in the Chicagoland area where she worked with applicants who were looking for employment, while simultaneously brining in clients who were searching for talented individuals. Cindy worked with clients ranging from the mom and pop shop to the Fortune 100's along with applicants who had little to no experience to the applicants who were degreed, seasoned and had professional level experience. After an extremely successful run in a good and not so good economy Cindy decided to stay home and raise a family, having the need to keep her feet in the water of the business world she began a direct sales business from her home, and while always up for a challenge and for extra fun you can still find her slipping on a tool belt to rehab homes with her husband. While never being good at sitting still Cindy shares her time and talent as a volunteer for the PTA, Girls Scouts of America and Chicago Jazz Synchronized Skating Team (a premier National competing team).
Karin Newsome
Senior EditorKarin Newsome has many years of experience in editing. Her love for the fantasy genre dates back to her childhood days starting with the ever so loved fairytale classics. Of course as Karin grew up she began reading more advanced authors and her love for the fantasy world still grows and today some of her favorites are David Eddings and Barbara Hambly along with many others. Karin has always been a stellar student and an avid learner. She enjoys being a teacher, loves being the student and you can still find her in a classroom breathing in the knowledge and expanding her mind and creativity, Karin presently attends the Dominican University.
For stress relief, Karin developed a deep love for yoga and has been practicing since 1997, after many years of lessons she became a certified instructor and is found instructing many classes in the Chicagoland area, she also expanded into pilates. Of all the staff at Fantasy Gazetteer, Karin is obviously the calmest, add that to her eclectic personality you would think she stepped right out of one of the stories she has read, some days a good little fairy and others an imp.
Cancelling a Subscription
If you would like to cancel your subscription, please log in to your PayPal account and go to the "History" subtab of the "My Account" tab. From there, choose "Subscriptions" from the pull-down "Show" menu and press the "Submit" button. Choose your Fantasy Gazetteer subscription, and click on its "Details" link. You will be taken to a Transaction Details page from which you may cancel your subscription. Cancelling your subscription will immediately stop all future scheduled payments for your Fantasy Gazetteer subscription.
