Two days ago I connected on LinkedIn with Elizabeth Copeland. She reviewed this website and sent me a message letting me know how great she thought it was. I asked permission to publish her endorsement of my writing chops because, as an accomplished author and playwright herself, she knows excellent writing when she sees it. She said yes.

 
Next I asked her how I could best return the favor… write a blog about her theatre group, perhaps?

 
Then she let me know that she is changing direction (it’s devastatingly hard to get funding for the arts in the present New Brunswick economy) and wants to use her writing skills in the service of others.

 
So I looked even more closely at her writing because I wanted to be able to endorse her if I felt she was as good as or better than I am. (I have never endorsed another writer before because I’ve never known one personally who met the criteria. I hope this doesn’t sound egotistical–but I simply can’t put my name and reputation on the line for a writer who might shoot a client–and me, who endorsed him or her–in the foot by writing less riveting, powerful stuff than I do. Make sense?)

 
Sure enough, I was sold on everything I looked at that she has written and published to date.
At this point, she is looking to stretch her wings into copy writing. She already brings relevant experience to the table. As Director of Moxy Presentations, she worked with clients to design and deliver 5-star presentations including writing speech copy. She has experience writing sales copy, funding applications and creating attention-grabbing cover letters. With her writing chops, it wouldn’t be a huge learning curve to fit into the copy writing niche; I was able to segue seamlessly from a features writer, essayist and author into the niche and I feel certain she can, too.

 
I now know who I’ll be sending my present and future clients to when I decide to retire entirely. I have finally found someone with equally-good writing chops. I’ve been looking for more than a year. LinkedIn finally delivered her to me without my needing to place an ad. (I know better than to do that. Instead, I’ve been scouring the planet looking for great writing so I didn’t have to rummage through the portfolios of countless less-qualified people and turn them down.)

 
The best news of all is that I feel I’ve found a kindred spirit–a sprightly, engaging, creative, effervescent person who loves people and life. Her most recent book, JAZZ, is about a transgender (F2M) teen and the trials he goes through to stay true to himself despite the fact that he was born into a female facade and raised to conform to it. I read excerpts from JAZZ just this morning and will be getting it. It’s riveting, powerful and adds greatly to the education and understanding of what it’s like to be immediately misjudged and mislabeled because of one’s exterior. (I know that story all too well!) I can’t wait to read the entire story. I plan to write a review of it when I’m finished.

 

So here’s my testimonial for Elizabeth: If you’re looking for a compelling, proficient writer for content, feature articles, or other pieces that require excellence, wit, and charm, you should look at Elizabeth Copeland. She has the sensibilities to do what’s needed to keep readers plastered to the page. And if you need poems, verses, lyrics, or an entire play, think of Elizabeth, too. She really knows her way around those disciplines, too.

Here’s the link to Elizabeth’s profile: http://bit.ly/1GHwfqZ

Here’s a link to an interview with Elizabeth: http://allanhudson.blogspot.ca/2015/10/4q-interview-excerpt-with-elizabeth.html?spref=fb