February 29, 2012:

Welcome to my world of stories about people, places, events and even a furry friend or two from my viewpoint on the Central Coast of California. I’m expecting your visit often – virtually or someday in person.

As I look out my window at the towering Morro Bay “stacks” that overlook the beautiful, pristine and massive Morro Rock, I wonder why I doubted a move to the Central Coast from the Central Valley was for my health and happiness. It took me all of two minutes checking out my morning view on the first day of residency to realize I’d relocated to paradise. It just keeps getting better.

Since the 4th grade I’ve wanted to write…and I have…in school at our high school newspaper, in college in my creative writing classes, and teaching elementary, high school, and college level English. I wrote promos, reports, ad copy, press releases, brochures, and speeches during my career in marketing and public relations for media, nonprofits, and corporations. I even wrote the souvenir programs and weekly race reports during my NASCAR Short-Track days with Mesa Marin Raceway. My public relations firm was about teaching, learning, and writing for and about others.

And my writing life still is – but now I tell the stories about people making a difference – mostly living on the Central Coast in Morro Bay, Cayucos, Los Osos, and Baywood as I’ve done for years in my column, Judy Salamacha’s By the Bay,  published Mondays in the SLO Tribune (www.sanluisobispo.com) and reported Mondays with King Harris on KVEC-Talk Radio 920.

However, my blog will allow me to branch out and tell more stories about the generous authors, agents, editors, and publishers who share their insights at the annual Central Coast Writers’ Conference hosted by Cuesta College Community Programs (www.communityprograms.net) in San Luis Obispo, CA. This year’s conference is scheduled for September 21-22 and I have the pleasure and task of being its director for the third year. I also hope to feature my network of writers at http://www.sloNightWriters.org and Kristen Lamb’s Facebook/Twitter writing group @#Wana112.

My blog will allow me to reach back to Bakersfield. There are so many stories in the Central Valley. My good friend and writing partner, Sandra Mittelsteadt and I have started when Bakersfield became Bakersfield, writing fictionalize stories about its early pioneers. Our first book, due out Spring, 2012, will interpret the life and times of Bakersfield’s founder, Colonel Thomas Baker and his constant preservationist and great, great grandson, Chris Brewer. We have been blessed with the guidance, historical research and the amazing photography collection owned by Brewer and his wife, Sally. We have also enlisted the graphic artistry and photography talents of Jody Salamacha Hollier.

It’s all been a wondrous journey with each new phase of my life guiding me to focus on what I love to do best…write the story.