About Evelyn Gallardo:
Evelyn Gallardo was born in Los Angeles, California. She first visited Costa Rica in 1988 as a wildlife photographer and writer. Her specialty was primates and after having photographed mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans in the wild, she traveled to Costa Rica in search of the loudest primate in the world, the howler monkey. She’s the author of a Costa Rica Travel Guide series, including the Best of Margaritaville 2015 – Quepos & Manuel Antonio. She has been a full time resident of Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica since 2004, making her uniquely qualified to write an insider’s travel guide about the place locals describe as magical. She’s also the author of the award-winning book, “Among the Orangutans – The Birute Galdikas Story” (Chronicle Books). Evelyn was a worldwide public speaker for 20 years on the topics of endangered primates, rain forest conservation and writing before moving to Costa Rica. She is the author of more than 40 articles, a travel blog and has produced more than 100 videos on YouTube about Costa Rica, travel, conservation and primates.
On a personal note, Evelyn and her husband David met in 1975 and began their relationship by trekking through South America for 9 months, where they climbed Machu Picchu and hitched cargo boats up the Amazon River. They figured if they were still in love at the end of their challenging adventure then they could spend the rest of their lives together. They’ll celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2015. To look at them now you wouldn’t suspect that they were once long haired, bellbottomed, backpacking hippies back then. They were bound by a dream to someday live abroad in the tropics surrounded by wildlife. After traveling to more than 30 countries they finally found their paradise in Costa Rica, known as the Happiest Country in the World. They fell completely in love with it’s friendly people, awe-inspiring beauty, relaxed lifestyle and abundant wildlife.
They now own 2 vacation rental homes in the Manuel Antonio rainforest that are within the natural foraging routes of 3 kinds of monkeys, including howlers. Evelyn says, “Now I can photograph monkeys right from our terrace!” She enjoys sharing their vacation rental homes with guests from all over the world because of the lifetime of beautiful memories made and the important life events that take place there such as birthdays, family reunions, anniversaries and weddings. She is also inspired by the way the community cooperates for the common good and to raise awareness of the beauty, wildlife and magic of Manuel Antonio, Quepos and all of Costa Rica.
Affiliations:
International Travel Writer’s Alliance
International Women’s Writer’s Guild
Jane Goodall Institute
Dian Fossey Gorilla Foundation
International Primate Protection League – Costa Rica Representative
Orangutan Foundation International
Kids Saving the Rainforest
Honors:
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
– Anti-Poaching Service Award
Orangutan Foundation International
– Outstanding Service Award
Color Me Bright Youth Foundation
– Outstanding Service to Children
Nueva Book Award
John Burroughs Nature Book Award
What inspires you to write?
I write what I’m passionate about. I don’t search for topics – they find me and plead with me to write about them.
Tell us about your writing process.
I interview subjects on my iPad then send the videos to a transcriber. I eliminate everything from the printed transcription I don’t want to use then form the chapters around what remains. I let my interviewees tell their stories. I write a couple of drafts before sending them to my editor.
What advice would you give other writers?
Write about your passion.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I published my first book through a traditional publisher and had a good experience but it took too long to get published. I love the control I have with self-publishing.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think it’s changing radically with more personal freedom for authors to self-publish and not be dependent on mainstream publishers.
What do you use?: Dictated and got transcribed, Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Travel, animals, biography
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Evelyn Gallardo Home Page Link
Link To Evelyn Gallardo Page On Amazon
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