Cheryl du Bois, a woman of myriad talents and background, exemplifies the true Renaissance woman. Her experience, a merger of business, spiritual, and creative endeavors, has armed her with a wealth of knowledge and prepared her for a leadership role. DuBois’ studies in Fine Arts and Religion & Philosophy from VCU, as well as her studies in writing at UCLA and AFI, have qualified her knowledge in the creative world as well as the entertainment and communications industry.

During school, DuBois worked as an Art Director/Producer for a PBS station offering her talents to the demanding field of children's programming. After graduation DuBois ran her own advertising and marketing firm in the Dutch/French West Indies for over six years, where she learned the ins and outs of running a business and expanded her skills in many areas of writing, communications, and marketing. Upon her return to the U.S. she decided to return to her earlier love, film, television, and writing.

In 1986 DuBois began working with Robert Redford at the Sundance Institute of Utah, as assistant marketing director – raising funds for the U.S. Film Festival (aka “Sundance”). This naturally led her into the field of filmmaking in Los Angeles with the creation of Feature Finance in 1989––her own independent film financing, development, and packaging company. In 1996 DuBois decided to take time off to write and also created the F.O.C.U.S. Institute of Film: F.O.C.U.S.––a non-profit screenwriting institute, which developed writers and their screenplays for production, with the proceeds benefitting foster children. DuBois served as President and worked as a screenwriting consultant/script doctor for the Institute developing numerous screenplays with student writers. She also became a ghostwriter for numerous clients wanting to share their stories, both for the screen and books. DuBois developed, wrote, and produced many film and television projects during her 30 years in Hollywood.

DuBois’ first novel, “WEST OF THE EQUATOR, ” was released in the fall of 2005 by Frederick Fell Publishing and was optioned prior to publication by Ray Stark and later by Jeff Apple (“The Recruit” & “In the Line of Fire”) & Ted Kotcheff (“Law & Order:SVU,” “Weekend at Bernie’s,” “Switching Channels,” & “North Dallas Forty”). She has written dozens of screenplays, pilots, and manuscripts, both for herself and as a writer for hire.

DuBois’ other books include a profound channeled work entitled, “G.O.D: The Great One Destiny,” and “MY HOUSE OF SPIRITS.”

DuBois and her writing partner Debra Ann Pawlak have adapted their newest book, “SECRET HERO,” for a Hollywood producer for the screen––a Civil War drama based on a memoir written by Sarah Emma Edmonds. The book is the first in a series of three Historical Fiction titles, based on women heroes who went to war as spies dressed as men.

DuBois currently works as a successful writer-for-hire and is spending time in Florida working on her own upcoming titles. She is also the second US Coast Guard female Merchant Marine Captain on the east coast and now sails three times a week out of Port Canaveral.

Debra Ann Pawlak has been writing professionally for more than twenty years.  Most recently, she co-wrote (with Cheryl Bartlam Du Bois) a Civil War novel called Soldier, Spy, Heroine based on the real life of Michigan’s own Sarah Emma Edmonds who served in the Union Army disguised as a man. Pawlak and Du Bois have also written a screenplay based on the life of Sarah Emma Edmonds and were named finalists in the Filmmatic Screenplay Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.  The screenplay was also featured at the Beverly Hills Film Festival.  In addition, Pawlak has written a non-fiction book called Bringing Up Oscar, The Men and Women Who Founded the Academy about the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.  Bringing Up Oscar was named runner-up in the nonfiction category of the 2011 Hollywood Book Festival and took first place in the History:  Media/Entertainment category of the USA Best Books 2011 Awards.            

In the past, she was a regular contributor to two on-line entertainment magazines based in Los Angeles. Her articles were designed to entertain and, at the same time, teach Seaders a thing or two they might not have known before. She profiled a variety of personalities, including French entertainer Mistinguet, legendary outlaw Belle Starr and Hollywood’s original It Girl, Clara Bow, She has covered such intriguing events as the 1914 sinking of the Empress of Ireland in the St. Lawrence Seaway, the 1927 Bath School massacre in Michigan and the rum-running antics of Detroit’s own mobsters, The Purple Gang, during Prohibition.  She has also written multiple Hollywood history articles about the fascinating world of silent film and the nearly forgotten personalities who, at one time, held the world spellbound.                       

Pawlak has also authored a book, Farmington and Farmington Hills, for Arcadia Publishing’s ‘Making of America’ series. In addition, she contributed to three Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Her work has also appeared in various magazines such as The Writer, Aviation History,Pennsylvania Heritage, and Michigan History. In addition, she wrote an in-depth profile on John Philip Sousa, which was released on CD by Allegro Music. Additionally, she have completed a children’s book profiling the legendary Bruce Lee. She was also a regular contributor to Scoliosis Quarterly Magazine. In addition to an Associates degree from Oakland Community College, Pawlak has also earned a screenwriting certificate from UCLA.  She writes from southeastern Michigan.