How it all began

Mermaids of the Lake was an inspiration shared by Debbie Nania, Shelley Hepler, and Jennifer Ferrero.  In early 2007 the three friends met over coffee at Starbucks to consider ideas that would enable them to be creative together. Writing was a passion for both Shelley and Jennifer, while Debbie worked in the visual arts. As business partners, Shelley and Debbie have created together since 2001 as co-owners of The Beading Babes. Jennifer, owner-partner of Spokane Web Communications and freelance writer, attended a Beading Babes workshop. Her creative experience was so impactful; she contacted Debbie and Shelley and asked to interview them for a local newspaper article. Thus, the friendship was forged. Possessing a venue for publishing engaging, life impacting, and artful stories is what makes these Mermaids swim. Jennifer has since moved on to explore other seas. We send blessings with her!

Why the name? 

We were ready to embark on our journey into the publishing world, now we needed a name! We put our heads together over another cup of coffee. We knew we wanted the name to be feminine and to reflect our lifestyle. The three of us live in a lake community and love the water. What else could it be, but Mermaids? The name embodies the attributes we embrace: creative, playful, thoughtful, bold.

About Us

Debbie Nania - Publisher/Editor As an artist, this wife, mom, and Mermaid is excited to add another form of creative expression to her life. Working with her dear friend, Mermaid Shelley helps her to honor her commitment to living a life abundant with love, friendship, family, joy, laughter, gratitude, inspiration, and creativity. She views Mermaids of the Lake as a perfect venue to explore, live, and share with others these values that she holds dear.

Shelley Hepler - Publisher/Editor Committed to living a creative life, this Mermaid has a legacy of bringing an imaginative spirit to motherhood, innovation to her work, and a passion for adventure in her play. Connections, soul searching, dreams, challenges, our children, warmth, and inspiration; these are the ties that bind Mermaid Debbie to Shelley. For her, Mermaids of the Lake is a vehicle to honor the numerous women in her world, a means to consciously create, and an instrument to spread the joy of unlimited abundance.

Chrissy Dunham - Advertising & Promotions Director I look forward to this tremendous opportunity to work with these talented women, and their business! With over 18-years of sales experience, I have a great understanding of marketing and advertising in a competitive marketplace.  For most of my sales career, I worked for Motorola, Johnson & Johnson, and Biomet Medical.  I am a graduate of Concordia University and have a bachelors in Business Management and Communications.  I am a very proud wife of a supporting husband and mommy to two amazingly adorable children.

Jennifer Ferrero - Co-founder and former publisher A mother, wife, writer, and publisher, Jennifer stepped away from being an active publisher in fall 2010. She loves this e-zine that she co-founded with Debbie Nania and Shelley Helper, and feels so proud of how it has developed. Jennifer consults on web-based communications, writes freelance articles, and publishes print media through another business, Vanilla Bean Consulting.