Audrey Balzart, President
Audrey Balzart is a military retiree and disabled veteran who found her calling as a writer when starting her second life. With a love for all forms of storytelling, she earned her BA in 2017 from Nevada State College in Visual Media – Digital Cinema. With several short stories published, she is currently editing her first novel in her YA SciFi “AJ Silver Misadventure” series as well as working on three romantic screenplays.
Donald Riggio, Vice President
Originally from The Bronx, New York, now residing in Las Vegas, Donald has long been a fan of rock and roll music, especially the songs of the first decade of rock and roll, the 1950’s & 60’s. In 2007 he testified before the Nevada State Legislature alongside music luminaries including, Jon “Bowzer” Bauman of Sha Na Na, Sonny Turner of The Platters and Mary Wilson of The Supremes for the successful passage of the Truth in Music Bill, which protects original members of performing groups and their fans from fraudulent imposter acts. He is the published author of fiction and non-fiction works on both the local and national scene. Donald is the author of a series of rock and roll novels chronicling the evolution of the genre: Seven-Inch Vinyl (1953-1969), Beyond Vinyl (1968-1986). Both books were Kindle #1 best sellers in the music category. He recently published the third book in the series: When Gold Turns to Gray (1986-2001) Donald is the Vice-President of the Henderson Writer’s Group.
Konnie Enos, Treasurer
Lauren Tallman, Secretary
Currently a resident of Las Vegas, author Lauren Tallman has an international background. Born in Lithuania, came to America via Italy, resided in Israel for over thirty years, and landed in Las Vegas in 2006.
For several years, Lauren was a member of a writing group in Israel where she received constructive critique and advice from international writers.
She is a member of the Henderson Writers Group since 2009 and is presently Secretary on the Board.
Lauren founded the Erotic Writers group in Las Vegas in 2014.
She still has time to lecture about keeping affairs secret, while speaking on podcasts.
Her book How To Have An Affair And Not Get Caught has gone worldwide and relaunched in 2020.
Lauren launched the erotic Harem of the Dragon in 2020 which received enormous praise and is working on an upcoming erotic novel The Erotic Tales of Renni.
She has gone through three wars.
Lauren loves to cook/bake.
She is in Las Vegas with a family who support her writing and cheered her on while learning to ride a bicycle.
Jo Wilkins, Education Coordinator
Jo Wilkins(AKA – J.A. Wilkins), founder of the Henderson Writers’ Group and the contact who brought the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference to life, serves as Chief Executive Officer and Acquisitions Editor for Mystic Publishers, Inc., runs the companies DBA’s, Ink & Quill Publishers, a commercial publishing house (for General Genres’) and NewLink Publishing (for Horror, Sci-Fi and Fantasy), and Vision Novels, for authors who want backroom help to self-publish without a vanity press. She co-authors, the Tyranny Series (Sci-Fi) with, R.R. Draude. She has one murder mystery, Dealing Out Death, and has sold short stories to places like KNPR’s “Making Nevada Home”. She is published in over 16 anthologies. She also teaches beginning and intermediate author technique classes in Henderson, NV.
Wolf O’Rourc, Grant Coordinator
SAC (Special Author in Charge) Wolf O’Rourc mines his years in cybersecurity and fascination with politics, finance, and sex to create stories pitting quirky characters with high-tech gadgets against evil villains with vile weapons. His Zazztra series follows a Vegas casino host turned super-heroine through the sordid underbelly of crime at home and abroad. Wolf’s Cyber series explores the secret world of bits and bytes through the eyes of a pink-haired hacktress. His techno-thrillers reflect the 23 places he has lived and studied the polyglot people that populate his fiction.
In real life, he frequents the Henderson Writers Group, the Romance Writers of America, Sin City Writers Group, and the Las Vegas Screenwriters Group. On the Net you’ll find him at WolfORourc.com or WolfORourc at the fashionable social media channels.
Ned Barnett, Publicity Coordinator
I wanted to be a writer since high school, and I’ve been blessed by having made my living writing for employers and clients for most of my adult life. I have published 38 books – including non-fiction business books, science fiction, historical fiction (as well as a number of barely-successful screenplays) and more than a dozen ghost-written books for clients. My career has focused on publicity and marketing, non-profit fund-raising and membership development for a variety of foundations and other non-profits. I currently work as a writing, publicity and marketing consultant for authors and small businesses, as a ghostwriter, and as a book developmental/content editor and writing coach. Finally, I have several books in the works – a non-fiction book on how to succeed as a book-writer (which my editor just told me is actually three books – so it’s back to the drawing board to edit into three different books), and a private detective mystery novel. My business website is https://www.barnettmarcom.com
Juliet Ruiz, Membership Development Coordinator
Eugene ‘Gino’ Ruiz, Newsletter Editor
Dave Woolston, Webmaster
Genius Billionaire Playboy Philanthropist
