ABOUT THE HOSTS

Christen Civiletto

Christen’s roots go right back to her hometown of Niagara Falls, New York. She’s been grounded by her boisterous Italian family, moved by the people of an environmentally devastated city, drawn outdoors by its natural beauty, and inspired to act locally by using the law as the means to effect change.

She experienced a wake-up call after wondering why so many residents of the Falls were dealing with cancer or disease. She began to research the area’s environmental history -- a history marked by greed, deception, illegal dumping, and misplaced patriotism. Those discoveries led to a lot of writing, including Green City Savior (2015), a suspense novel set in Niagara Falls.

In her law practice, she’s part of a team of attorneys that represents Niagara County residents in lawsuits stemming from the historic Love Canal disaster. She also works on cases where the government has passed laws that increase the threat of harm to women and children. Her law degree has enabled her to be a voice for the voiceless.

The themes contained within the pages of fiction are generally grounded in the human experience. In those stories, we find heartbreak, discovery, corruption … and yes, even narratives of hope, redemption, and new beginnings. Through fiction, we can shine a light on wrong choices. We can learn from the past and do better going forward. Everyday heroes – even fictional ones ₋ make a difference. BOOKSTORM podcast goes deep on those issues!

Christen has also authored non-fiction books and articles relating to law practice. She’s a past writing award finalist, and a current judge for The Eric Hoffer Award for Book and Prose and other contests. She pens a blog entitled “Wild Faith” with Dr. Bernadette Clabeaux. They tackle science, law, and faith: www.Wildfaith.net

Whether Christen is writing, hiking, litigating, raising a family, or teaching, there's one unifying theme to her pursuits: it's the idea of stewardship -- the notion that we’re to care for what’s been entrusted to us. Stewardship of the natural world requires that we use our aptitudes and interests to act. Stewardship requires more than just recycling or reusing. It requires vigilance, gratitude, forgiveness, transparency, non-complacency, and, importantly, accountability. It’s intentional.

Website: <http://www.christenciviletto.com>

Julia Rose

Julia is an attorney, servicemember, and award-winning poet driven by action. Raised in Buffalo, New York, Julia grew up advocating for causes small and large. She can recall making PowerPoints in favor of a family dog, or presenting her arguments against an early bedtime - which she still avoids. As time went on, the causes became more serious and the stakes increased, but so did her confidence and vigor. Nowadays, Julia seeks to put this energy towards things that reinvigorate her: family and friends, environmental law, and writing and arts, to name a few.

Julia splits her time between Buffalo and Petawawa, Ontario, where her husband serves in the Canadian Army. They share an adorable mutt named Atlas who certainly keeps the energy high.