Tina Rae Collins
Author, Proofreader, and Copy Editor
Education:
Graduated Summa Cum Laude (3.92 GPA) as salutatorian from Pikeville College, 1974; received English award; received B.S. Degree with double major in English and Secretarial Science. Graduated valedictorian from Pikeville High School (4.0 GPA).
Experience:
Aug. 2005-July 2006, office manager, Brian Boggs Chairmakers, Berea, KY. Bookkeeping (QuickBooks), web site maintenance, monthly financial reports; bulk mailings; maintained supplies; answered phone; proofreading; written correspondence; took orders; took and typed meeting notes; customer service; set up and maintained databases; set up and maintained files; opened and dispersed mail; payroll; scheduled shipments; receptionist duties.
Aug. 2000-Aug. 2005, administrative assistant, editorial assistant, copy editor, Brushy Fork Institute, Berea College, Berea, KY. Bookkeeping; logistical support and facilitation for leadership programs; editorial assistant and writer for Mountain Promise; answered phone; maintained supplies; did bulk mailings; set up and maintained databases; coordinated events; supervised student workers; general support; copy editor for Appalachian Heritage magazine.
1999-2003, Board member; Pikeville College Alumni Board of Directors.
Aug. 1999-July 2000, apartment manager, J & D Enterprises, Dayton, OH. Rented apts., collected rent, filed court papers, made sure all maintenance was performed properly, paid workers, worked with city inspectors.
1992-1997, host/director, WPRG-TV5, Harold, KY, Writers Reading. Procured and interviewed authors; held poetry contests; set up stage and directed show.
1990-1991, publisher, small poetry magazine, Poetry Plain and Pure. Reviewed submissions, chose poetry, published and sold magazine.
1980-present, bookkeeper/editor for Mark F. Sohn and Four Star Properties, Pikeville, KY. Edited Classic Country Cooking, published by St. Martin's Press; edit weekly newspaper columns; deposit monies; keep records.
1974-1980, legal secretary, Stratton, May & Hays, Pikeville, KY. Took dictation at 150 wpm; typed legal briefs and motions (90 wpm); took and transcribed depositions; answered phone; worked with public.
Achievements:
Author:
Books--Down Mare Creek Road, M.F. Sohn Publications; Up Hurricane Road, Mountain Haven Publications; My Little Children, Kentucky Coal Miner; Tales from the Coop, M.F. Sohn Publications; The Soup Bean War, M.F. Sohn Publications (nominated for Appalachian Studies Conference's Weatherford Award); When Angels Cry, PublishAmerica; What About Brian, Mountain Haven Publications; The Melting Pot, PublishAmerica; I Wish I May, M.F. Sohn Publications and Moonbeam Publications.
Articles and Essays--"Chicken Legs," accepted for upcoming The Girl Within; "Confounded Life," Appalachian Heritage (Honorable Mention for Denny C. Plattner Award); "Entertainment Icons," Encyclopedia of Appalachia; "Moonshine, Buckeyes, and Dirty Socks" (article about the use of herbs), "Furniture and Globalization," "Line Upon Line" (article about home businesses), "PRIDE Begets Pride in Eastern and Southern Kentucky" (article about pollution and ways to fix it), "Renewable Energy," "The Santa Special" (article about the Santa Train of Kingsport, Tennessee), Mountain Promise.
Short story--"Dark Shadows," Appalachian Heritage.
Poetry--"Buddha," Appalachian Heritage (Third place for Denny C. Plattner Award); "When I Grow Up," Christian Light Education.
Song--"The Sandman," recorded by HillTop Records.
Editor/Publisher:
Poetry Plain and Pure, a small magazine.
Co-editor:
Sisters with Voices, an online magazine; Brown Paper Bag, a college publication.
Host/Director:
Writers Reading, WPRG-TV5, a public service program, Harold, KY (interviewing authors who have been published in Appalachian Heritage and Now & Then).
Lecturer:
Jenny Wiley State Park, Pikeville College, Prestonsburg Community College, Betsy Layne High School, Kentucky River Community Care.
References and portfolio available upon request.
Check Out the "Emily" Series of Books for Young Readers!
Needing good books for your young readers? Check out my "Emily" series. Intriguing, witty, suspenseful 100-page novels set in the mid-1900s in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky, these books delight young readers while subtly and gently teaching a moral lesson about honesty, good judgment, prejudice, faith, and more. Best for readers from 7 to 13 years of age.
If you already have these books, maybe you will be interested in the books mentioned below.
"I can't believe I'm so interested in the lives of CHICKENS!"
That's what Lucy H said when she started reading Tales from the Coop. Want to find out what she found to cause her to also say that this is my best book ever? Check it out here: Tales from the Coop by Tina Collins and James Johnson--you won't believe the adventures and antics these chickens get caught up in; but they learn some valuable lessons, and so will your young reader.
Stop the World and Get off for a Little While
If you've been through a divorce you will identify with the woman in When Angels Cry. This is a fictional account of a real divorce. You know the heartache. You know the misery. You know the rage. You know the insanity. Take a break from reality, relax with a cup of hot chocolate, and get lost in someone else's troubles. You know it'll make you feel at least a little bit better to know you aren't alone. Escape now: When Angels Cry
Need Something to Read in the Bathroom?
What About Brian is a collection of twenty spiritual articles that can usually be read in one "sitting." Some titles are "Broken Salmon," "A Cookie Cutter World," and "Standing in a Deep, Dark Pit." This book makes a great gift for a sick or shut-in friend. Read one of the articles now: What About Brian
Need Old Handwritten Sermons or Articles Made Electronic?
I know most of us have handwritten material that we wish we had on our computer but are too lazy or don't have the time or energy to devote to typing them up. Well, I would be happy to be of service to you in this regard. Contact me at mykentuckybooks@gmail.com for pricing.
