The dedicated st. john’s press team utilizes their expertise to empower authors to become successful through book publishing and writing mentorship.
Torund Bryhn
Founder & publisher
Translator (Norwegian & English), ghost writer, acquisition & content editor.
During COVID-19, requests to be a book coach, translate and edit books escalated. This resulted in Torund starting st. john’s press, an independent publishing company with the purpose to help great thoughts and tales come to life. First book was launched December 2020 with K.A. Lillehei, “At Dawn the Simorgh Appears, who was one of the authors Torund coached four years ago.
Torund’s love of books has followed her career where she worked on research, editing, strategic development, and promotions of books, including being part of a national bestseller. She has produced books for corporations to galvanize internal pride and provide insights into a new theory. Still, her greatest passion has been to help writers become first-time authors (Torund Bryhn l LinkedIn).
She is the host of the podcast Moving Beyond Your Tribe, ranked in the global top ten percent by Listen Notes. She is Norwegian-American and straddles her time between Tempe, Arizona, and being close to her brother and nieces in Porsgrunn, Norway.
Favorites:
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Fiction: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
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Non-Fiction: Summer Meditations by Václav Havel
Richard Willett
Senior editor, ghost writer & mentor
Author and award-winning screenwriter
Richard Willett has been a freelance book editor for almost thirty years, working for several major New York publishers, including Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, and Penguin Random House. In that, he has worked on many types of books, including fiction of all kinds, biography, history, self-help, business books, and cookbooks. He has recently begun branching out and working more and more with smaller presses and individuals on their independent projects. Richard is also an award-winning produced playwright/screenwriter and published author (Richard Willett | LinkedIn) who has done extensive work giving notes and guidance to other writers on their developing work.
Heidi Stangeland
Translator (Norwegian – English), acquisition editor & mentor
Optioned & award-winning screenwriter
Heidi Stangeland is a multi-optioned and award-winning screenwriter, specializing in Thrillers.
As a Norwegian native, Heidi brings a bit of her own cultural language and traits into her writing. Inspired by daily narratives in everyday life, Heidi likes to elevate those elements into thrillers – often with a supernatural/sci-fi undertone to them.
As a coach and mentor for other Screenwriters, Heidi’s goal is for everyone to succeed and reach their own potential. Eternally a student – Heidi loves to share her own experience and knowledge with others while constantly learning herself (Heidi Stangeland | LinkedIn).
“I Love to explore the unknown, and face challenges with a smile and a strong will.”
Favorites
-
Pretty much all books by Jo Nesbø and Henning Mankell.
-
Discovered Stephen King early on and was intrigued by the supernatural elements to his stories, and found the same interest and likeness in the books by Dean R Koontz.
-
My favorite movie is Usual Suspects by Christopher McQuarrie.
-
Many favorites have come (and gone) since – but this is always my fall back.
Heidi’s website: Vegvisur
Nicolay Lange-Nielsen
Book coach, storyline developer, playwright, actor & mentor
Nicolay Lange-Nielsen, a playwright and actor, is a specialist in docudrama for both film and stage, focusing on the human perspective. His current focus is on stories about the love for nature and the need to save our planet.
When not working on plays, Nicolay is a book coach, storyline developer, and strategic communications consultant. His passion is to help CEOs and business leaders use storytelling, theater, arts, and the right side of the brain to tap into the power of vulnerability to foster innovation to build a thriving business and a culture of belonging.
Nicolay is an influential mentor who combines his knowledge, creativity, and insight, and intuition to help find the core of the story, i.e., the universal element that touches the audience, employees, or readers.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oslo in literature, theater, and film, focusing on the complex elements of building a compelling story.
Favorites:
Fiction: William Faulkner, The Sound and The Fury (Nobel Prize in literature: 1949)
Non-fiction: Svetlana Alexievich, The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Soviet Women in World War II (Nobel Prize in literature: 2015)
Zachary Houghton
Marketing & web designer
Zachary Houghton is the Marketing and IT manager for st. john’s press. When not working for st. john’s press, Zach is helping small businesses with filming, editing, and developing videos for YouTube and websites. Zach is a recent graduate from Western Governors University with a Bachelor in Business Management. He has many favorite tales such as Animal Farm by George Orwell, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, with his all-time favorite childhood book being The Little Red Light House and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde H. Swift. On the thought side, he likes Who Stole My Cheese as a good primer for business, and his favorite biography is Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing by Annya von Bremzen. (if you haven’t read it, don’t worry, it’s not a cookbook, it’s an amazing biography that I really loved).
When he is not working or reading, he loves hiking and camping and has been to all 48 contiguous states with his family. Zachary lives in rural New Jersey with his lovely wife Kristen, two cats, two birds, a rabbit, and a bunch of fish.
Yamilca Rodriguez
Brand Therapist
For decades, Yamilca Rodriguez has helped brands and individuals create unforgettable brand experiences. She has been featured in Forbes Magazine, The Voice-Tribune, The Courier-Journal, Today’s Woman, and StyleBlueprint. She is a 2-time #1 bestselling author of Women Who BossUp and authored a chapter in Ignite the Entrepreneur. She has worked on billion-dollar brands like SK-II, Olay, and Crest 3D White, to name a few. She is a TEDx speaker and has spoken nationally and Internationally. She was nominated for Most Admired Women in the beauty category for two years in a row. She has done everything from teaching yoga to teaching MBA students Design Thinking. When she isn’t creating bespoke experiences, she travels the world, helping women grow their businesses fashionably. She loves spending time with her husband and stepson in their Kentucky home.
Founder & publisher
Translator (Norwegian & English) and editor.
During COVID-19, requests to be a book coach, translate and edit books escalated. This resulted in Torund starting st. john’s press, an independent publishing company with the purpose to help great thoughts and tales come to life. First book was launched December 2020 with K.A. Lillehei, “At Dawn the Simorgh Appears, who was one of the authors Torund coached four years ago. Torund’s love of books has followed her career — she has produced books for corporations to galvanize internal pride, to provide insights to a new theory, or to help first time authors expand their influence in a particular industry (Torund Bryhn l LinkedIn). She is the host of the podcast Moving Beyond Your Tribe. Her guests include Bestselling Author David Meerman Scott, Sarah Lamb, the founder of the global Girl Geek Dinners, and Nate Zeleznick, the founder of Vibravision, as profiled in the Award-winning Superhuman on Amazon Prime. Torund is Norwegian-American and straddles her time between enjoying the red mountains of Kanab, Utah and being close to her brother and nieces in Porsgrunn, Norway.
Favorites:
- Fiction: “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts
- Non-Fiction: “Summer Meditations” by Václav Havel
Senior editor, ghostwriter & mentor
Author and award-winning screenwriter
Richard Willett has been a freelance book editor for almost thirty years, working for several major New York publishers, including Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, and Penguin Random House. In that, he has worked on many types of books, including fiction of all kinds, biography, history, self-help, business books, and cookbooks. He has recently begun branching out and working more and more with smaller presses and individuals on their independent projects. Richard is also an award-winning produced playwright/screenwriter and published author (Richard Willett | LinkedIn) who has done extensive work giving notes and guidance to other writers on their developing work.
Translator (Norwegian – English), acquisition editor & mentor
Optioned & award-winning screenwriter
Heidi Stangeland is a multi-optioned and award-winning screenwriter, specializing in Thrillers.
As a Norwegian native, Heidi brings a bit of her own cultural language and traits into her writing. Inspired by daily narratives in everyday life, Heidi likes to elevate those elements into thrillers – often with a supernatural/sci-fi undertone to them.
As a coach and mentor for other Screenwriters, Heidi’s goal is for everyone to succeed and reach their own potential. Eternally a student – Heidi loves to share her own experience and knowledge with others while constantly learning herself (Heidi Stangeland | LinkedIn).
“I Love to explore the unknown, and face challenges with a smile and a strong will.”
Favorites
- Pretty much all books by Jo Nesbø and Henning Mankell.
- Discovered Stephen King early on and was intrigued by the supernatural elements to his stories, and found the same interest and likeness in the books by Dean R Koontz.
- My favorite movie is Usual Suspects by Christopher McQuarrie.
- Many favorites have come (and gone) since – but this is always my fall back.
Heidi’s website: Vegvisur
Marketing & web designer
Zachary Houghton is the Marketing and IT manager for st. john’s press. When not working for st. john’s press, Zach is helping small businesses with filming, editing, and developing videos for YouTube and websites. Zach is a recent graduate from Western Governors University with a Bachelor in Business Management. He has many favorite tales such as Animal Farm by George Orwell, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, with his all-time favorite childhood book being “The Little Red Light House and the Great Gray Bridge” by Hildegarde H. Swift. On the thought side, he likes “Who Stole My Cheese” as a good primer for business, and his favorite biography is Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing by Annya von Bremzen. (if you haven’t read it, don’t worry, it’s not a cookbook, it’s an amazing biography that I really loved).
When he is not working or reading, he loves hiking and camping and has been to all 48 contiguous states with his family. Zachary lives in rural New Jersey with his lovely wife Kristen, two cats, two birds, a rabbit, and a bunch of fish.
Playwright and Actor
Nicolay Lange-Nielsen, a playwright and actor, is a specialist in docudrama for both film and stage, focusing on the human perspective. His current focus is on stories about the love for nature and the need to save our planet.
When not working on plays, Nicolay is a strategic communications consultant helping CEOs and business leaders use theater, arts, and the right side of the brain to tap into the power of vulnerability to foster innovation to build a thriving business and a culture of belonging.
Nicolay is an influential mentor who combines his knowledge, creativity, and insight, and intuition to help find the core of the story, i.e., the universal element that touches the audience, employees, or readers.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oslo in literature, theater, and film, focusing on the complex elements of building a compelling story.
Favorites:
Fiction: William Faulkner The Sound and The Fury (Nobel Prize in literature: 1949)
Non-fiction: Svetlana Alexievich: The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Soviet Women in World War II (Nobel Prize in literature: 2015)
Brand Therapist
For decades, Yamilca Rodriguez has helped brands and individuals create unforgettable brand experiences. She has been featured in Forbes Magazine, The Voice-Tribune, The Courier-Journal, Today’s Woman, and StyleBlueprint. She is a 2-time #1 bestselling author of Women Who BossUp and authored a chapter in Ignite the Entrepreneur. She has worked on billion-dollar brands like SK-II, Olay, and Crest 3D White, to name a few. She is a TEDx speaker and has spoken nationally and Internationally. She was nominated for Most Admired Women in the beauty category for two years in a row. She has done everything from teaching yoga to teaching MBA students Design Thinking. When she isn’t creating bespoke experiences, she travels the world, helping women grow their businesses fashionably. She loves spending time with her husband and stepson in their Kentucky home.