What’s the story behind the name “Emery Press?” I’m so glad you asked. Our publisher, Wendy Garfinkle, wanted to call the company Vanquish Publishing, but that was already taken, so she decided upon the brilliant idea of using her birthstone.

You see, Wendy was born in February. The February birthstone is amethyst, a deep purple variety of the mineral corundum (hence, the purple quartz icon in the logo). Corundum, next to diamond, is the hardest, most stable mineral. It is also unaffected by acids and most environments. Emery is a gray form of corundum (hence, the dark gray of the logo name). Emery is used both for grinding (abrasive) and polishing.

Because the mission of Emery Press is to nurture, polish and publish stories that offer beautifully unapologetic and uncensored glimpses of the world around and within us, as seen through the eyes of our authors, this image seems quite fitting for Emery Press’ logo.

To nurture, polish and publish stories that offer beautifully unapologetic and uncensored glimpses of the world around and within us, as seen through the eyes of our authors.

Meet the Founder

Wendy is an over-educated writer and editor who holds multiple degrees from several universities (that’s what happens when you want to do EVERYTHING!), including MA and MFA in Creative Writing from Wilkes University.

Her editing career began in the late ’90s, working for a university paper while pursuing her undergraduate degree in History with a minor in Mass Communication. She continued developing her editing skills as a copy editor at a daily newspaper in Texas. Since moving back to her home state of Florida, she’s edited and proofread court proceedings, depositions, essays for numerous degree-seekers, a church monthly newsletter, anniversary magazine and cookbook, non-fiction for Hippocampus Magazine, fiction and non-fiction for her former publisher, Booktrope and its Gravity Imprint, and most recently as a freelancer. For information on services, fees, author reviews and a visual resume, visit Grammar Goddess Editing.

Her debut novel, SERPENT ON A CROSS, originally published October 30, 2012, by Northampton House Press as an ebook, was re-released digitally and in print – with new content -by Booktrope, in August 2014. She’s authored numerous poems, several of which appear here, and is currently (always!) juggling several Shiny Things (AKA, Works in Progress). Her work has appeared in the OCH Literary Society and Feminine Collective, as well as numerous guest posts on colleagues’ blogs.

Wendy is an avid reader and traveler, who loves caffeine, storms and dark chocolate. She works in law enforcement and lives in South Florida with  her teenage son.