Today we meet Sheila Ruth, our Fantasy/Science Fiction organizer:
I started reading Science Fiction in the fourth grade and never looked back. From Madeleine L’Engle, I quickly moved on to Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Andre Norton, Frank Herbert, and many others. When a teacher loaned me her copy of The Lord of the Rings in fifth grade, I fell in love with fantasy too.
As a parent, I’m fortunate that my son shares my love of science fiction and fantasy, and the two of us started Wands and Worlds together. We both review books in our growing directory on the web site, and I post longer reviews, news, and commentary on my Wands and Worlds blog. We also run a fan community for young people who share our love of books in this genre.
In addition to being the organizer for Fantasy and Science Fiction, I’m also the Henchwoman for Independent Publishing. My job is to be a liaison with independent publishers and independent publishing organizations and media. I have a small independent publishing company, Imaginator Press, and I’m also the President of the MidAtlantic Book Publishers Association. As an independent publisher and someone who is active in the small press community, I’m sensitive to the challenges facing independent publishers. I’m committed to ensuring that the Cybils remain a level playing field and that all books are evaluated fairly, regardless of the size of the publisher or the marketing budget.