Barbie Perkins-Cooper

Email: barbiepc@bellsouth.net

Home page: http://www.barbieperkinscooper.com

Dedicating fifteen years to a career in the hospitality industry, Barbie Perkins-Cooper is a talented, award-winning writer of screenplays, non-fiction, travel, business, and technical writing. Writing has been her passion since an early age of elementary school. Attending a travel writers workshop in 2004, she decided to target travel publications, specializing in hospitality, food and wine, luxury hotels, and travel guides. She has published numerous articles for regional, trade, health and beauty and travel publications. Recognizing her love for culinary and hospitality she started a pursuit into travel writing when her career in hospitality education was downsized. In August 2006, she attended the prestigious Travel Media Showcase, held in Fayetteville, NC. Travel Media Showcase provides a qualified selection of travel journalists the opportunity to meet with domestic and International travel representatives.

Ms. Perkins-Cooper is intrigued by the unique characters she meets while traveling. Her stories and photographs target the flavors of food and wine, hospitality, adventure, theater, and the many fascinating events that take place on her journeys. She freelances assignments for regional, trade, and national publications, and is a correspondent for Northstar Travel Media, publishing three travel guides in 2006 [Charleston, SC, Myrtle Beach, SC, and Daytona Beach, FL. Additional areas of writing expertise include marketing for radio and television, fiction, non-fiction, articles, plays and screenplays. In 2001, she published a complex memoir based on her father’s battle with esophageal cancer. The non-fiction memoir is titled, “Condition of Limbo.”

As a writer of accomplishment, she works diligently to achieve her goals as a professional travel writer, photographer, screenwriter, and playwright. Entering the America’s Best competition, she placed as a finalist in the teleplay category with her screenplay, “the Commish...The Signature Rapist.” Another screenplay, “Child of Darkness,” placed in the top 10 percent at the 1994 Austin Heart of Film festival. Additional screenplays were selected as finalists for the Chesterfield Writers’ Film Project and the Goldie Film Awards, Fade In competition, The Writers Network, and America’s Best, The Writers Foundation. In February 2004, she was awarded the Grand Goldie Film Award for her screenplay, “Not My Papa.”

Writing and photojournalism specialties
Proposal/contract under negotiations for:
Career Diary of a Photojournalist – Gardner’s Guide Publications
Photography credits include:
Carolina Magazine
Condition of Limbo, Memoir cover
Construction Equipment Guide
Easy Street Magazine
Hair and Beauty Magazine
Hard Hat News
Johnson & Wales University Alumni Magazine
Leighcortpublicity.com
Onthesnow.com
SoGoNow.com
Southern Hospitality Magazine – includes cover photograph for magazine February 2007

Hospitality
Travel Writing Host for The Muse On Writing Online Writers Conference, October 2006, subject – What is the Glamour and Fun of Travel Writing?
Travel guide correspondent for Northstar Travel Media, focusing on flavors, characters of the region in hospitality and tourism
Intelliguide – Charleston, SC – February 2006
Intelliguide – Myrtle Beach, SC – April 2006
Intelliguide – Daytona Beach, FL – July 2006
Published author for Southern Hospitality Magazine
Published stories in JWU Alumni Magazine
Specialize in hospitality, food stories for travel publications
Travel guides, focusing on culinary cuisine, fine dining, resorts, hospitality with food, travel focus
Adjunct Instructor, JWU – Professional Development, Career Pathing

Culinary Arts
Fifteen years experience in the hospitality industry working in a variety of positions for Johnson & Wales University, Charleston, SC campus
Campus communications coordinator and communications officer at JWU, editing instructional manuals, writing press releases, marketing stories about the history of the campus, bios of chefs, profiles, interviewed Distinguished Visiting Chefs, marketed specialty stories about culinary arts for TV media, newsletters, broadcast, PR tours, recruited Tyler Florence of the Food Network as an Advanced Standing student.
Attended Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry Chef’s Choice classes, JWU, focusing on baking principles, classical cuisine, and pizza, specialty foods
Attended class with The Passionate Platter, Chef Linda Franzo
Day spas
African American History, culture
Architecture
Food and wine
Screenplays, plays
Commissioned profile assignments for architectural firm – descriptions of three custom homes for Windham Architects –all three homes awarded the prestigious Aurora Awards 2006
Grand Aurora Custom Home Award – River House
Grand Aurora Detached Single Family Home – Whistling Swan
Best Detached Single Family – Club Cottage
Best Kitchen – River House
Writer for publication titled, Street Throttle Magazine, targeting motorcycle enthusiasts, August 2006
Journalist attended the prestigious Travel Media Showcase, August 22-25, 2006 – Fayetteville, NC

Award winning writer of screenplays, technical scripts and documents, fiction, travel, non-fiction, plays, and over 75+ articles for regional and trade publications, public relations, editor for book publisher and university publications, campus communications coordinator

Publications:
February 2007 cover photograph and three additional photographs, story - Southern Hospitality Magazine Marketing Strategies for Restaurant Success: Applying the Key Ingredients - website link: http://www.southernhospitalitymagazine.com/feature_1_aug_sep_06.html
January 2007, Celebrations of a Writer, http://themusemarquee.tripod.com/id185.html
January 2007, The Muse Unleashed, Querying
Book proposal for travel guide, tentative title Legends of the Coastal Carolinas (currently under negotiations with publisher)
December 2006 Southern Hospitality Magazine, WELCOME TO THE TIDES INN Building Chesapeake Traditions And Superb Hospitality
September 2006 (tentative) debut edition Street Throttle Magazine, Biketoberfest®, Not Just for Harleys
August/September 2006 edition, Reunions Magazine, “Vietnam Veterans 9th Infantry Division Reunion”
July 2006, Live Life Travel, “Hiking My Dreams at Grotto Falls,” http://www.livelifetravel.com/griswold/grotto_falls.html
July 2006 edition, Hair and Beauty Magazine, “Here Comes the Bride: Ways to Soothe Bridal Jitters”
May 2006 edition, Hair and Beauty Magazine, story and photographs, “Hiking My Dreams”
April 2006 edition, Southern Literary Magazine, “The Wake Up Call”
October/November 2005 edition, Southern Hospitality Magazine, Secrets to a Pleasant Stay
Healthy Family E-zine, article Parent to Parent Care Giving in America, http://hfm9.homestead.com/parenttoparent.html
October 2004 – present – marketing copy, public relations, book editor – Book Surge Publishing, Charleston, SC
February 2002 – contract for Nail Pro Magazine, national publication, published several articles
Spring 2002 edition - Easy Street Magazine – two feature articles, ten photographs for regional magazine
March 2001 – contributing editor for Trader News Construction
A CONDITION OF LIMBO: Chronicles of a Daughter’s Unconditional Love, non-fiction memoir, published February 2001
February 2001 – present – reporter for Hard Hat News
November 2000 – June 2001– contributing editor for http://www.Lifetips.com subject elder care. Weekly newsletters, web site
May 2000 – December 2000 - Assignment Editor – Burbage’s
August 1998- December 2000 – Reporter for Construction Equipment Guide
April 1998 – July 1999 employed as a business writer with Advanced Communications Systems, Charleston, SC
Editor, publisher for regional newsletter for SC National Guard Family Assistance Program
Editor for local university publications, including college newsletters and literature
March 2002 – present – Johnson & Wales University, campus communications coordinator, administrative assistant to Student Affairs; Career Development and Externship Offices
December 2000 – present – Reporter for Hard Hat News, national construction newspaper publication
1999 – present – freelance writer, photojournalist
March 1998 – July 1999 – business writer, documentation specialist for DOD contractor with Government firm



Professional Organizations:

North American Travel Journalists Association [NATJA] 2004-2006
International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association [IFWTWA]
South Carolina Writers Workshop (Vice President 1999-2005)
Write Click

Visit her web site: www.barbieperkinscooper.com and scroll down to the press kit link for a selection of published writing clips. You may contact Barbie Perkins-Cooper via e-mail: barbiepc@bellsouth.net
http://barbieperkins-cooper.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html

Interests: Travel guide correspondent for Northstar Travel Media Intelliguide – Charleston, SC – February 2006 Intelliguide – Myrtle Beach, SC – April 2006 Intelliguide – Daytona Beach, FL – July 2006 Specialize in hospitality, food stories for travel publicatio

Published writer: Yes

Freelance: Yes

Published works:

Fiction

Scripts