Ever the artist, I grew up writing songs and making up plays with my younger brother.
At the age of 11, I wrote my first book of holiday-themed poems and short stories for my grandmother, Ona.
I went on to have more poetry published in various school journals but writing did not seem to be enough for me.
In jr high, I made the basketball team but was also cast as the lead in a school play. I had to decide! Can you guess what my choice was?
Yup. I played a spy in a long forgotten drama.
In between raising a steer and raising a lamb I learned to play the drums. I was in a few punk rock bands. We weren’t very good but then it was punk and we didn’t have to be.
I received my first rejection letter for BUNNY RABBIT AND LITTLE SQUIRREL in college. It contained a handwritten note telling me that they found it charming and impressive (blush); however, had many books with the same theme. Still and all, to keep sending them manuscripts as they liked my writing style and my voice.
After a dizzying stint as an NBC Page, I divided my time between two loves: acting and writing. I acted in commercials, indy films, soap operas (DAYS OF OUR LIVES), sit coms and was the CHEF’S TAKE OUT GIRL for three years running. But, here, we are more interesting in the writing trajectory, are we not?
I started writing for CAT FANCY, DOG FANCY and was a stringer for LIFE MAGAZINE. I also had a monthly column on Hollywood in DAKA, GREETINGS FROM BABYLON, and wrote several pieces for LA READER. Showcasing my love of pets I wrote for ACTORS AND OTHERS FOR ANIMALS, PIXIE PROJECT and HOUSE OF DREAMS.
Moving to Seattle to be closer to the grunge scene, I wrote political pieces for REAL CHANGE and advertising copy for KBKS-FM, KRWM-FM and KNDD-FM.
My nieces were 9 and 8 and my nephew had just turned 6 and it dawned on me I had only seen my nieces once, my nephew never! I moved back to Los Angeles to be in their lives. While there, I wrote on-air ad copy for KNX-AM, print ad copy for POOL & SPA NEWS and an intense daily publicity marketing brief as well as press releases for SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT.
Once again on the Pacific Northwest radar, I am writing for THE CONCORDIA NEWS as I pen children’s literature in the form of chapter books for ages 7-9 and picture books for ages 3-6.
I live in the glitz and glamour of the Nevada desert with my cats, Armani, Max Factor and Spicey’D, who are also my editors.
“I’ve known Tamara Fowler since 2002, first as a colleague and then also as a friend — and I can honestly say that she’s the real deal. As a copy editor, she brings a warm, caring attitude to every project. Like any good coach, she wants a writer to be the best he or she can be and will work with them to take their writing to the next level. Her attention to detail, knowledge and enthusiasm aren’t something you see every day.
You might say, she’s the kind of copy editor every writer hopes to find.
And when she’s in writer mode herself, she strikes just the right note with each story she pens. It draws you in, keeping you interested and entertained throughout. Whether she’s profiling an individual or an organization, she brings them to life in a story that’s filled with the sort of details, quotes and statistics that make it impossible to put down until you reach the end. Not many writers can leave you feeling so satisfied.”
LINDA GREEN, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST FOR PRINT AND DIGITAL