The Wandering Words Media Team
Meet Qatarina Alhadeff
Founder of Wandering Words Media
The Wandering Word Wizardess
Qatarina Alhadeff (a.k.a. Qatarina Wanders) is a former circus performer turned author and self-made businesswoman (with a wee bit of a unicorn obsession). She has edited more than 4,000 books and ghostwritten over 100, including New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers.
Her extensive experience in the world of self-publishing and editing spans more than a decade and means she is uniquely placed to help authors achieve their dreams of publication and get their messages out into the world. In addition, she is a single mom, competitive weightlifter, avid reader, and skydiver.
Writing has been a big part of Qatarina’s life for as long as she can remember. As an avid reader, writer, and book editor, she fosters a deep love for the written word. Heck, she has studied seven languages! Qatarina holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in English Literature and Editing with an emphasis in Creative Writing. She is also a Certified Professional Editor (CPE).
After seeing a very real need for traditional-publishing quality in the self-publishing world, Qatarina built Wandering Words Media in 2016 when she decided it was time to settle down from traveling circus life and build something more sustainable.
After a ton of trial and error, obscene amounts of coffee, and a relentless determination to crash through walls and repeatedly pick herself back up, Qatarina has now produced hundreds of successful books (of her own and for clients), coached dozens of entrepreneurs, built her business from zero to six figures and beyond, and been featured on numerous media outlets.
When she isn’t writing, reading, or editing books, she is likely lifting weights, sweating in a hot yoga class, eating sushi with her daughter, Ora Wanders—a published author at ten years of age—or jumping out of a plane in the Rocky Mountains.
Meet Christina Bagni
Chief Editor
The Content Queen
Christina Bagni is the Chief Editor at Wandering Words Media, and has been with the company since 2018. She also handles client communications, helping authors discover just what kinds of editing their books need. Prior to Wandering Words, she has worked as an English teacher, a journalist, and a product description writer. She has a master’s in English Education from Gordon College, and a BFA with distinction from Emerson College in Writing, Literature, and Publishing with a concentration in Creative Writing.
Nowadays, when not editing with Wandering Words Media, she writes her own fiction novels and teaches private creative writing lessons. She also runs local Dungeons and Dragons campaigns–and writes all the adventures herself. You can find her work in Writers Resist, Santa Fe Literary Review, and Brigids Gate Press, among others. Her debut novel, My Only Real Friend is the Easter Bunny at the Mall (Deep Hearts YA, 2023), is available now! Some of her favorite books include Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, Susanna Clarke's Piranesi, and Kyle "Guante" Tran Myhre's Not a Lot of Reasons to Sing, but Enough.
She loves working with Wandering Words Media because words are the focal point of her life, and have been since she finished writing her first novel in middle school (it was terrible. She’s gotten much better since then, thank goodness). She believes stories can change the world, and nothing makes her happier than making manuscripts shine.
Meet the Rest of the Team
Allison Rose
A reader and creative at heart, Allison helps authors achieve their publishing dreams with her editing skills gained through Wandering Wordsmith Academy’s editing course and her proofreading training in General Proofreading: Theory and Practice. She works with both fiction and nonfiction self-published authors to bring their stories to life and polish their manuscripts to ensure the best possible reader experience.
In her spare time, Allison can be found reading fantasy novels (her favorites are A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth, Tithe by Holly Black, and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett) and writing her own, as well as basking in nature for inspiration.
As a published author herself, she knows there’s nothing like holding your finished book in your hands and knowing you created a story that will captivate readers, and it fills her with pride that she was a part of this process for so many at Wandering Words Media.
Dandy Anwuacha
Dandy’s love for writing and storytelling was birthed in elementary school, where he started writing plays and short stories, and representing his school in fiction writing competitions. He has now authored two novels and a handful of short stories under different pen names. He has also ghostwritten over 50 books for different authors.
Dandy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Biochemistry from the University of Uyo, and a Diploma in Creative Writing from HD Film Academy. Since 2016, he has worked as a freelance ghostwriter, SEO content writer, copywriter, editor, screenwriter, and writing coach.
As a voracious reader, his favorite thing about working with Wandering Words Media, is that it exposes him to several volumes of books across different genres. His favorite authors are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Cal Newport and Stephen King. When he’s not working, Dandy enjoys binge-watching crime series, or trying out new recipes in the kitchen.
TJ Marquis
TJ writes wild and weird sci-fi/fantasy novels with a heavy pulp influence, as well as writing and consulting on video game narratives and comic books, plus ghostwriting and editing. Two million words written!
In his free time he plays with his four kids and works up his skills as an independent game developer. Top books of all time are: The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons, The Gap Cycle, by Stephen R. Donaldson, Nightland Racer, by Fenton Wood
He says the team at Wandering Words is a great bunch, packed to the brim with talent, and easy to work with. Makes every day a breeze!
Tina Pocernich
Tina retired from her position at a technical college in northwest Wisconsin to pursue a career focusing on her love of books. With her associate degree in Biblical Studies and a bachelor’s in Ministry, she specializes in editing Christian non-fiction.
Tina enjoys reading, painting, entering her 1960 Nash Metropolitan in car shows with her husband, and spending time with family. She has loved ventriloquism since childhood and builds ventriloquist puppets for her daughter in her spare time. She’s authored a memoir/self-help book, four children’s books, and is working on her first historical fiction novel. Her favorite books include The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers, and Marya by Elinore Keister.
She loves being part of the great team of editors at Wandering Words, helping individuals polish their manuscripts so they can see their dreams of being published authors come true.
Katelynn Koontz
From horse-training to writing, Katelynn Koontz’s special affinity for writing is amplified by her own voice—queer, disabled, and working class—which, in her personal work as an author, can often be seen interwoven with the chilling, the macabre, and the strange. With twelve years spent both as an author and an editor, she has experience in all aspects of the publishing process.
Her free time is spent binging horror movies and going on nature hikes. Her three favorite books are Watership Down by Richard Adams, The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, and No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy.
Wandering Words Media has been an excellent company to work for. They are an amazing steppingstone deeper into the editing/writing community, and being surrounded by like-minded, vibrant personalities who have a mutual love for the world of writing has been an uplifting experience.
Emma Tyler
Emma's love of words began in play. As a toddler she’d scribble down nonsensical adventures, and when she learned to write in school those stories spread to actual friends. Poetry became a haven for her angst in middle school, and in high school she learned journalism. Finally, as she entered college she dropped the pen to pursue a career in horses, which resulted in her spending seven years at a glue factory. And that's how life creates plot twists.
In her quest to leave a sticky situation, Emma took a writing course, which led to more writing, more critiques, more learning, and rediscovering her passion. Soon, people began to realize she also had a knack for helping fellow word nerds and insisted she get paid for her efforts. This being said, Emma love's teaching at Wandering Words Media whether it is in the comments section of the author's manuscript, or one on one during a consultation. Helping upcoming authors see their true potential with the written word, helping tired authors fall in love with the writing process all over again just when they are about to throw out the keyboard/pen/quill—there is nothing better!
Today, Emma is a lifetime learner who is always enrolled in at least one writing course. Some of the people she's studied under are Richard Thomas, Richard Wood, and Jonathan Mayberry. Authors whose body of work she would put under the Favorites category are: Stephen Graham Jones, China Mieville, Neil Gaiman, and Terry Pratchett. When she is not studying writing, she is hard at work, click-clacking away at a keyboard, editing, teaching, and sculpting words into art. Her goal is to show writers what she’s learned, and to share the beauty of diction, the depth of syntax, and the nuances of story as she invites writers to play in their own world.
Ciara Mejia
Ciara is a former Freelance Writer and Social Media Manager for Collete Baron-Reid, now proud to be an Editor at Wandering Words Media. Her top three favorite books are The Way of Kings, The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson, and Gone by Michael Grant. She adores the culture and amazing people at Wandering Words; and thinks it's a fantastic place to work.
Christian Hilario
Hi there! I'm Christian Hilario, currently immersed in the world of architecture and storytelling at Wandering Words. As an operations assistant and editor, I blend my studies with a passion for refining narratives and enhancing reader experiences.
Beyond architecture and editing, I find joy in the rhythmic escape of music during my downtime. Whether it's exploring new genres or rediscovering old favorites, music fuels my creativity and helps me unwind.
What I find most fulfilling about editing at Wandering Words is the opportunity to shape stories that captivate and inspire. Each day presents new challenges and opportunities for growth, making my journey here both enriching and rewarding.
Uti Peace
Uti Peace is the Operations Coordinator at Wandering Words Media, where she combines her passion for literature with her expertise in content creation and editing. With a background in content writing for various brands, Uti has a keen eye for crafting compelling narratives and optimizing online presence. She honed her copyediting skills at the Wandering Words Academy and continually strives to perfect her craft.
When not immersed in manuscripts, Uti can be found with her nose in a book, adding to her impressive tally of over 100 reads. Her top three books of all time are "The Millionaire Fastlane" by M.J. DeMarco, "Unscripted" also by M.J. DeMarco, and "The Psychology of Money" by Morgan Housel, reflecting her interest in personal development and financial psychology. A poet at heart, Uti started writing verse at 16 and still finds joy in weaving words together.
What Uti loves most about her role at Wandering Words is the opportunity to nurture new voices and help authors bring their visions to life. She finds immense satisfaction in polishing manuscripts and seeing them transform from rough drafts to published works that captivate readers.
Obasi Chijioke Jerome
Jerome is the operations assistant at Wandering Words assisting with marketing and book editing operations. He has over 4 years of marketing experience and a degree in medical laboratory science.
When not working or studying, you can catch him gaming, reading or chatting with friends. His favorite books are; Laws of human nature by Robert Greene, The obstacle is the way by Ryan Holiday, and The Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson.
What he love about working at Wandering Words is the organized level of communication and work process within the team and organization.