Meet the Faculty

⭐ I am a graduate of Bard College with a B.A. in Written Arts. Before joining Linda Chester, I worked for Tom Yoon Productions developing projects and editing existing material. I am very happy to have entered the world of my first love, books. I sold my first picture book, IF MY SISTER WERE A WORM by Julie Hauswirth, and I have several books in a variety of genres and age brackets out on submission.

⭐ Mallory is a Senior Art Director at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group where she's had the pleasure of working on Mike Curato's graphic novel, FLAMER, Natalie Portman's FABLES, and Emmanuel Acho's UNCOMFORTABLE CCONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK BOY. Previously, Mallory has worked at Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HMH, Alloy Entertainment, and Cider Mill Press, and has lectured at SCBWI, CBIG, the Highlights Foundation, and universities across the country. A sixth-generation Texan who's forsaken the motherland to live in Brooklyn, NY, she loves painting, cooking, writing, and playing fetch with her rescue pup, Birdie.

⭐ Daniela Villegas Valle joined Simon & Schuster in 2021 and is now an assistant editor to Justin Chanda and Anne Zafian. She’s worked on books with Justin Chanda such as GLEANINGS, THE BALLAD OF DARCY & RUSSELL, UNBECOMING, NOT QUITE NARWHAL, DALMATIAN, and the upcoming ALL BETTER NOW. 📚 Born in Mexico, raised (mostly) in Chile, and graduated in the US, she is drawn towards multicultural voices that speak about identity and adventure. Whimsical picture books, cozy fantasy, and character driven stories are some of the things that she loves to read and work on.

⭐ Aneeka Kalia is an Editor at Viking Children’s Books, where she primarily focuses on picture books and graphic novels for all ages. The books that she works on often explore themes of home and community, and she’s worked with creators like Anoosha Syed, Bianca Xunise, Frank Morrison and Scott Magoon. She loves a story with good puns that will make her belly-laugh. Some of her most notable books are MY BLOCK LOOKS LIKE by Janelle Harper and Frank Morrison, THAT'S NOT MY NAME! by Anoosha Syed, BIRTHDAY SOUP by Grace Seo Chang and Jaime Kim, and the WOMBATS! series by Maddie Frost. Aneeka is a native New Englander and currently lives in New York City. She likes to spend as much time outside as possible, usually with a cup of coffee in hand. Aneeka’s other interests include tennis, soccer, reality tv, yoga, and hiking.

⭐ Gretchen Brandenburg McLellan is a former elementary reading specialist who devotes herself to writing for children and visiting schools and libraries. She is the author of MRS. MCBEE LEAVES ROOM 3 (Peachtree), I'M DONE! (Holiday House), BUTTON AND BUNDLE (Knopf), NO PARTY POOPERS! (Little Bee) and WHEN YOUR DADDY'S A SOLDIER (Viking, 2022). She writes chapter books and middle-grade fiction as well. Gretchen lives in Camas, WA with her husband and dog. She loves reading, playing word games, attending plays, hiking in the woods, x-country skiing, sewing, and celebrating when her children and grandchildren come home. See more on Instagram @gmclellan5.

⭐ Lisa Gerlits (she/her) is the author of three middle grade novels: A MANY FEATHERED THING, an Oregon Spirit Book Award winner; REWILDING (Red Chair Press, September 2025); and THE CHILDREN'S OPERA (Apples & Honey Press, Fall 2026). She lives in her hometown of Silverton, Oregon with her Dutch husband, three kids, one cat, and a shifting number of chickens. Lisa enjoys gorging on berries, walking behind waterfalls, and painting murals. Also soup.

⭐ An Oregon native, Stephanie completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Education at Oregon State University and her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology at Lewis and Clark College. Her career has included being a teacher of children with severe emotional disabilities, school counseling and school administration. As a picture book author, Stephanie loves getting first dibs on the very youngest of readers. Her books range from quiet to quirky, poetry to prose, each with the goal of driving parents crazy with little ones’ demands to hear the story again (and again and again). A member of SCBWI since 2008, she may be known best for dubbing the writing world “The Bi-Polar Express” for the depths of self-doubt and the peaks of reward through which authors and illustrators travel. Stephanie makes her home in the beautiful wine country of McMinnville with her husband and her dog Milo.

⭐ Carrie Tillotson is the author of children’s books including ALPACAS HERE, ALPACAS THERE (Feb. 11, 2025); COUNTING TO BANANAS, an Oregon Spirit Book Award Honor winner and Oregon Book Awards finalist; and B IS FOR BANANAS, an SCBWI Crystal Kite Honor winner and Good Housekeeping Kids’ Book Awards winner. After getting a master’s degree in public health, Carrie worked as a biostatistician for more than ten years and now sculpts her interests in science into playful picture books. Carrie lives in Oregon with her husband, son, and two dogs who are always going bananas.

⭐ Robin is a multidisciplinary artist-educator: designer of stage and sculptural costumes, theater sets and museum exhibits. As the founder of Earth Arts NW (an eco-arts education project), she guided thousands of kids through the process of creating and sharing original stories, plays, and songs. She is a published author and illustrator and now supports the work of other artists through Dreaming Earth Press.

⭐ Jody J. Little is a fifth-grade teacher and children’s author who loves sharing her passion for books and writing with her students and fellow writers. Her debut middle grade novel, Mostly the Honest Truth, was chosen as an Indies Introduce and Indies First selection by the American Booksellers Association. It was also honored as an Oregon Book Award Finalist. Her second novel, Worse Than Weird, earned nominations for both the Oregon Book Award and the Charlie May Simon Award in the state of Arkansas. When not teaching or writing, she enjoys hiking, golf, yoga, and traveling with her husband.

⭐ Laura wrote her first picture book in high school, “My Tummy Grumble,” but never considered writing professionally. Based on her first attempt, she believes that was a good thing. That all changed in 2005 when she joined the SCBWI. She now writes picture books and young adult novels and has sold her work to Highlights and The Friend magazines. She has 5 children, 2 cats, 1 husband, and no room left on her bookshelves.

📝 Michelle Garcia Andersen was a teacher for several years and loved teaching kids to read. Now she spends her days writing books for kids. Michelle is passionate about children’s literacy and writes for all ages for the educational and trade markets. She has lived in southern Oregon for most of her life. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Pacific University with a Master of Arts in Teaching. When Michelle is not writing, she loves spending time with her husband, three adult children, and her new grandson.

📝 Lisa Gerlits (she/her) is the author of three middle grade novels: A MANY FEATHERED THING, an Oregon Spirit Book Award winner; REWILDING (Red Chair Press, September 2025); and THE CHILDREN'S OPERA (Apples & Honey Press, Fall 2026). She lives in her hometown of Silverton, Oregon with her Dutch husband, three kids, one cat, and a shifting number of chickens. Lisa enjoys gorging on berries, walking behind waterfalls, and painting murals. Also soup.

📝 Pooja writes nonfiction and fiction for picture book and middle grade readers. Her works have been published in Highlights™ Hello, Highlights™ High Five, and The School Magazine, Australia. She’s a recipient of the 2022 SCBWI Work in Progress Award for Nonfiction and an Honorable Mention in the 2023 Nonfiction Fest Annual Writing Contest. Apart from being a writer, Pooja is also an Electrical Engineer and has been working in the high-tech industry for 15+ years. She lives in Portland with her husband and two beautiful daughters. You can learn more about Pooja at www.poojanukala.com, or find her at @PoojaNukala on X, and as "Pooja Nukala Writes" on Facebook.

📝 An Oregon native, Stephanie completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Education at Oregon State University and her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology at Lewis and Clark College. Her career has included being a teacher of children with severe emotional disabilities, school counseling and school administration. As a picture book author, Stephanie loves getting first dibs on the very youngest of readers. Her books range from quiet to quirky, poetry to prose, each with the goal of driving parents crazy with little ones’ demands to hear the story again (and again and again). A member of SCBWI since 2008, she may be known best for dubbing the writing world “The Bi-Polar Express” for the depths of self-doubt and the peaks of reward through which authors and illustrators travel. Stephanie makes her home in the beautiful wine country of McMinnville with her husband and her dog Milo.

🎨 Having grown up among artists and playing in the creeks and woods around her home, Jordan Kim has always had deep love for both art and the outdoors. She holds an advanced degree in environmental management and worked for many years as an ecologist before turning her attention full time to her art business, Found & Rewound. Jordan makes paper collages with a twist. People often describe her work as “painting with paper.” She uses re-purposed paper (junk mail, magazines, packaging, etc.) to create intricate collages and often incorporates hidden messages into her art. Her mission is to inspire us to honor our connection to each other and the natural world. Jordan makes commissioned collages, illustrate books, and teach classes that incorporate ecology and the arts. Her debut picture book as an illustrator I AM THE THIRSTY DESERT, written by Darcy Pattison, was published in March of 2023. It was named a Children's Book Council Hot off the Press Book and received the Eureka! Honors Award for Nonfiction Picture Books. Jordan lives in Parkdale, Oregon near Mt. Hood, in the heart of the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. You can learn more about Jordan, her artwork, and classes on her website at www.foundandrewound.com.

🎨 Creating art with a sense of whimsy and cheerful paint-box colors is a source of great joy for me. During my career I have I have designed jewelry, notecards, fabric, and gift items; and more recently, began selling original watercolor paintings and prints. Venues have included wholesale and retail markets, art festivals, galleries, gift shops, and a variety of online shops and print-on-demand services. My current focus is on pursuing an illustration career, but I still enjoy finding new and creative ways to sell my designs in the ever-changing marketplace for the creative arts.

🎨 Alexis Eastburn is a freelance illustrator and small business owner based in the Oregon area. She works in tandem with her husband, Tucker Eastburn, in their art studio aptly named Bear and Pixie Art Studio. She serves as the studio’s illustrator as her artwork makes up the entirety of the projects and products they produce. Their studio focuses on creating their own comics/books, as well as selling products online and at conventions. On the side, she works as an art teacher online and freelances for different companies/clients. When not drawing, she loves spending time with their two cats and going on adventures with her husband.

🎨 Tucker Eastburn is a freelance writer and small business owner based in the Oregon area. He works in tandem with his wife, Alexis Eastburn, in their art studio aptly named Bear and Pixie Art Studio. His role within the studio is a sort of “jack-of-all-trades” position where he serves as main writer for all their projects, video editor, photographer/videographer, and any other hat that needs to be worn to get the job done. Tucker also serves as a District Manager for a growing laundromat business that has several locations within Oregon. When he is not working, he loves to play video games, read lots of comics/manga, as well as spending time with his wife and their two cats.