About Us

Four Writers.
Four Perspectives.
Four Members of SCBWI.

Berger, Fernandez, Garcia, and Kahrs form a writer’s critique group to prod, inspire and support each other’s drafts, revisions, and more revisions of picture books, middle grade and young adult manuscripts.

Pen & Ink will post a diverse selection of tips, articles, stories and your comments regarding the Wild, Wild World of Children’s Literature.

Susan J. Berger
Susan’s Great American Novel, Log On Log, complete at 65 words. is under contract with Beach Lane Books.  

Jamie's Dream, (co written with her then ten year old, Christopher Corbin), Growing Up Dreams and Earthquake! , are published by Guardian Angel Publishing.

 Earthquake has a Website with emergency lists and links and teaching activities: WWW.earthquake-book.com

Susan’s mid grade multicultural book, Tasha the Magnificent, complete at 29,000 words is on the agent circuit, looking for a home as are her picture books– Nat, The Rat and Fat, The Undertoads, Fair Claire, and How They Wrote It.

 She loves to do school visits, encouraging students to write their own books.

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Lupe Fernandez writes fiction and memoir. Named after the most Holy Virgin of Mexico, he admits the reputation is tough to maintain. He studied at UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, including a Master Class in memoir. His interests include photography, Latin American history, the space program, Anasazi cliff dwellings and chocolate chip cookies. Lupe lives and writes in Los Angeles.

Current project: The Gamino Family History of Flight. A teenage boy discovers he can fly, but faces dire consequences from his tormented mother.YA/Fantasy

Hilde Garcia is currently working on her debut novel, Wet Foot, Dry Foot. She has been a member of SCBWI since 2007. Prior to pursuing writing full time, she was an actor, teacher and Jane-of-all-Trades. She produced award winning theatre, most notably, the world premiere production of WAITING, by Lisa Soland, which was published by Sam French in 2004. Her most recent, on-going production involves twins, her son and daughter, who are almost 5. Along with their puppy, Buddy, she finds that she is usually writing with one child sitting on her lap, one hanging on her neck and the dog licking her toes. Thank goodness for spell check. She and her husband, David, have a very happy but noisy home in Burbank.

Kris Kahrs is a children’s picture storybook writer, mother to Tommy, wife to Sandro and all around working woman. She is chronologically challenged, laughs at almost any joke, puts up with a great deal of abuse and melts ice with her bare hands. When not writing, working, cleaning, cooking, paying bills, food shopping, dressing, feeding or washing her son or changing the litter box, she may be found asleep in her car in the local Vons parking lot.

And introducing our contributing blogger...

Catherine Eun Lee
“I graduated California State University of Fullerton with a BA in Communications majoring in Print Journalism, and worked as an Assistant Editor for a trade publication until taking care of my ill mother at home for years. Now, I work in the fashion industry managing a lounge-wear manufacturing company, while working at nights and weekends on children's stories and illustrations. This past week, The LA Times just published my story called Mustard and Pea, and I am currently working on illustrations for a pre-school book called The Cookie Jar that will be released in 2012. Although this is not my REAL job yet and I’m still dipping my feet into this nice reservoir, I plan to swim and play in there more in the New Year.”