James Christopher Potter

Artistically and musically inclined from an early age, James won his first art contest (best coloring of a ‘don’t take candy from strangers’ poster) in 1962 when attending Holy Spirit Catholic Elementary School. He won a brand new shiny red Western Flyer bicycle, crated in a million pieces to Salt Lake City where his family had moved in the middle of the school year. James still has the congratulatory letter from the Columbus, Ohio police department.

More recently, James C. Potter was the 1st place winner of Newsweek’s 2007 Leap essay contest and co-author of the coming of age novel, East Bench, based on his life as an adolescent growing up Catholic in Salt Lake City, Utah. A couple of years before that, James recorded his childhood band’s original songs (most of which were written when he was 12 through 14) exactly forty years after they were composed.

He has been featured three times in his current hometown newspaper, The Roanoke Times about his childhood experiences with his first band. In 2008, James composed the song, Christmas Dream which won runner up in Song of the Year, an international song writing contest. His arrangement in four vocal parts will be performed all through December 2009 by the Denver, Colorado choir, Last Note Singers.

James’ mother was an LPN. Because of his father’s career as a technical writer, Jim lived in eight states (Illinois, Maine, Connecticut, Ohio, Texas, Utah, and Virginia), went to six different grade schools and four high schools before the age of sixteen. After graduating from Roanoke Catholic, he went to five colleges before finally graduating from James Madison University in Virginia. Because of this, he had the opportunity to be the drummer in several bands, including a rock band called Plymouth when he attended the University of Delaware, a swing band at Virginia Western Community College and another rock horn band at James Madison University, called None of the Above.

He received a Masters Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University in 2000 and earned his PMP (Project Management Professional) accreditation from the Project Management Institute in 2002. East Bench is James’ first novel co-written with Theresa L. Vivanco. After raising two step children, he now lives in Salem, Virginia, a full time care taker for his disabled wife and their three ‘pit bull’ Chihuahuas.

Theresa L. Vivanco

Because of her family’s frequent moves, Theresa went to several different Catholic schools on the East Coast. She took her first guitar lessons from her maternal aunt, Carmen Rosa at age eleven on a three month visit to her mother’s native land, Peru.

At Roanoke Catholic High in Roanoke, Virginia she played at all the guitar masses to keep from being bored out of her mind during services.

Though more interested in being a professional musician, a close friend managed to wrangle Theresa a job as a proofreader at the now defunct Vantage Press in NYC, a vanity publishing house.  She quickly learned the ropes of good writing and editing from some of the best in the industry and was given ever more challenging assignments.

Terry has worked as a freelance musician/singer, sound engineer and writer and ghostwriter for many years.   Her latest work, East Bench, co-written with author James Christopher Potter has garnered excellent reviews.  She is currently working on other exciting writing and ghostwriting projects which she promises to keep everybody updated on as time allows.