Christine Svendsen

CEO, Publisher

Christine Svendsen is both CEO and publisher of Sapphire Books as well as a Golden Crown Literary Society (GCLS) Award-Winning author (Always Faithful). She was also a finalist in the International Book Awards, and received an Honorable Mention in the 2010 and 2012 Rainbow Awards. Christine founded Sapphire Books in 2010 in order to produce and promote quality lesbian literature. Prior to launching Sapphire Books, she served as president of the Pride Board of Monterey County, CA. She is a member of the Rainbow Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America and the Gold Crown Literary Society as well as Independent Book Publishers Association. She resides in California with her wife Schileen and three sons.

Schileen Potter

CFO

Schileen is a native of Sugarland, Texas but calls California home now.  She loves spending time with her wife Christine and their three sons, two cats and two dogs. She enjoys traveling, spending time at their cabin by Yosemite and playing slot machines. She is a U.S. Army Veteran and competed for the All Army & Armed Forces Tae Kwon Do Team from 1993-1997. She was a member of the World Class Athlete Program from 1994-1996 where she dedicated her mission to represent the U.S. in the 1996 Olympics. She was the  undefeated bantam/feather weight for all five years while she was on the All Army team and was the 1994 C.IS.M. World Champion. Currently she works as a consultant in Healthcare Information Technology and she is also the CFO for Sapphire Books Publishing.

Sallyanne Monti

Business Development & Partnership

Sallyanne Monti is an author, editor and business partnership specialist. As a retired business consultant with a passion for business development, she’s created dynamic partnerships with LGBT community leaders, while giving back through grant writing and fundraising. Her fiction and non-fiction short stories, articles, and poems have appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers and anthologies. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Rainbow Romance Writers, and Golden Crown Literary Society. In her spare time, Sallyanne writes music and plays guitar. She’s produced numerous music and comedy showcases and festivals. Sallyanne lives in Palm Springs with her wife Mickey and their doggies Sola & Zorra.

Kaycee Hawn

Book Editor

Kaycee is a full time freelance editor and writing coach living in north central Texas with her husband of sixteen years, her dog, and her five cats. She has only recently discovered the joy of coaching, and helping new authors find their voice and perfect their writing. She has an Associates degree in Criminal Justice and Computer Information Technology. Her grandfather and two uncles – all linguistics and writing professors at prominent US universities –  as well as her mother, an editor and writer herself, taught her proper grammar and writing skills, and instilled a love for words in her. She is also self-taught. She is an avid reader and writer. In her free time, she enjoys finding and listening to new music, drawing, playing video games, and the outdoors.

LJ Reynolds

Graphic Designer/Layout

Lori is a retired police officer from the State of California. She graduated Magna cum laude with a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia Southern University. She currently does part time consultant work related to law enforcement. In her spare time, Lori is an avid reader and loves to spend time with family and friends. Born and raised in Fresno California, Lori currently lives on the central coast with her partner Brenda. They have two children, a son and a daughter.