Wanda Jane Cullen was born October 19, 1949 in Ithaca, New York. Her parents, Howard Forrest Cullen and Irma Jean Leyda were married shortly after WWII and resided in Ithaca for 3 years. Due to a conflict of location, the author's parents separated and Irma Cullen and daughter, Wanda Jane Cullen moved to Pennsylvania to be near Wanda's maternal grandmother, Hazel Blanche Leyda-Shafer near Hickory, Pa.  Wanda's parents never divorced and planned when she was 8 years old to reconcile their locational differences and continue their marriage as a family in New York.

Tragedy made this reconciliation moot. Howard died of a mysterious paralysis originating from a virus October 16, 1957. He was buried in Ithaca, New York overlooking one of its lakes he dearly loved. It was Wanda Jane's 9th birthday.  She grieved for her best fishing friend and male confidant, but adjusted with a loving and devoted mother. They remained in Pennsylvania and moved when Wanda was 10 years old to Ohio to be with her mother's only sister, Fanny Jane Slaughter. Irma was inbetween jobs and unable to provide housing for several months.  When Wanda Jane was 11 years old, she and her mother moved back to Pennsylvania and again was reunited with her loving and very loved maternal grandmother. At age 12, Irma remarried a wonderful man 20 years her mother's age. They lived on a dairy farm where Wanda thrived and learned to care for animals and crops.  Wanda Jane Cullen was married twice and has two children. Elizabeth Jane Sowinski-Rothka and John Howard A. Piccio, three grandchildren, Joshua Rothka, Jacob Rothka and Jessica Lily Rothka.  Wanda Jane has two half-sisters, Lisa Joan Griffith-Henevich and Brenda Jean Griffith-Bethem. They are happily married and neither have had children. Brenda is a registered nurse and runs a home visiting nurse business in the Mon-Valley area of Pennsylvania in Westmoreland County. Lisa is a warm and loving housewife with the penchant for writing poetry. She is in the process of compiling the works for publication.

Wanda was an average to good student in Canon-Macmillan High School for 1965-1968 and was a straight A++ student in English. She was encourgaged to write and be published by her high school instructors as well as visiting University professors while in high school. Always wanting to write but the circumstances surrounding college and the fields open for women were minimal in the 1960's. Wanda chose a more practical path and married. Her children grown and following their own paths; Elizabeth in medicine and family and John into the Army where he served the 4th division field artillery out of Ft. Hood, Houston, Texas, Wanda Jane Cullen, in her 40's began to follow her dream and had her first historical novel published in 2000. "Tanner's Empire" remains in its first printing and is selling in Europe. "Ethan's Boys", "Tanner's Empire" concluding sequel, was published in 2004 and is also selling overseas.

Wanda Jane Cullen sees the world through curious eyes and finds intrigue in the most subtle places. These places are small, insignificant articles in magazines, newspapers, etc. where the subject is not defined but only one aspect of his or her life that was of some public interest. Wanda finds a complete life with joys and tragedies within her imagination and a novel is written.

She was searching for a publisher, and nothing short of 'green' in her search, when a friend gave her the name of Erica House in Frederick, Maryland. It eventually became and remains Publish America, Inc.

Wanda Jane Cullen learned she must copyright her work and was guided by a personal agent assigned to her by Erica House. Following his guide, Wanda Jane Cullen's works were copyrighted, published and then caught in interest of Marquis's Who's Who in America. She is in the 57th and 58th editions of

Who's Who.

Wanda Jane Cullen is in the process of writing more works for publication, but these of non-fiction. She leans toward the historical subject; civil war, hobos of the Great Depression Era, American Indians, and their live history as told by them and writes in their perspective.  To know more about Wanda Jane Cullen you can contact her at She is always eager to assist hopeful new authors.  Wanda Jane Cullen presently presides in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania and near her loving family.