Biography

Mary Jo Rulnick, do-it-yourself expert and Pittsburgh Events Manager for National Subaru Women's Winter Tour, turned her practical, everyday knowledge into a writing career. Bronze Winner of the 2006 Parenting Publication of America, Mary Jo has written extensively about home, family and women’s issues in magazines across the United States . Balancing career and family is a topic she takes to heart.

Her next book, The Frantic Woman's Guide to Feeding Family and Friends, will be released by Time Warner Book Group in September 2006.  Her current release is The Frantic Woman’s Guide to Life: A Year’s Worth of Hints, Tips, and Tricks (Warner Books, 2004), a coauthored project, which has been reviewed, recommended, and featured in the following publications: USA Today, Writer’s Digest, Women’s Own, Real Simple, Woman’s Day, Family Circle, Allure, Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and Plum Advance Leader. 

Mary Jo has been a guest on The Pulse, Take Five XM Satellite Radio, KBRW’s Earl Finkler Show (Barrow Alaska), B 98.7 Todd and Erin (Salt Lake City, UT),  WJXA-FM Mix 92.9 Morning Show (Nashville, TN), Oregon’s KMED Dianne Linderman Radio Show, KDKA’s Morning Show (Pittsburgh, PA), WQED’s OnQ Magazine (Pittsburgh, PA), KDKA’s Suzie Barbor Program (Pittsburgh, PA), Star 100.7 Morning Show with John, JR and Kate (Pittsburgh, PA), KDKA’s Small Business Report (Pittsburgh, PA) and Adelphia’s The Cable Girl Show (Pittsburgh, PA).

Additionally, Mary Jo is the self-published author of The Self-Publishing Manual and Write Well & Sell: Easy Writing, Easy Money. She is a regular feature writer for Pittsburgh Parent Magazine, Family Digest Magazine and humor writer for Focus Magazine, the Sunday Magazine for The Pittsburgh Tribune Review. She has self-syndicated many of her parenting articles to various publications, including Atlantic Family, Canada’s City Parent, Carolina Parent, Connecticut Country Kids, MetroParent, Michigan Parent, San Diego Parent, and Wilmington Parent to name a few. Also, she is a greeting card writer for Palm Press, Inc., and has written copy for an internationally recognized software company, Broderbund, Inc. 

Other national publications her work has appeared in includes: Highlights for Children, Disney’s FamilyFun Magazine, and Home Business Journal.

Mary Jo has been a contributor to several books including: Quick Writing for Quick Cash (AMACOM, 2003), New Mom’s Manual: 800 Tips and Advice from Hundreds of Moms for Baby’s First Year (Crown, 2001), 101 Best Home-Based Businesses for Women (Prima, 1998), Games on the Go travel book (Hyperion, 1998), and Disney’s FamilyFun Crafts Book (Hyperion, 1997). 

As an energetic and informative speaker, Mary Jo was invited to speak at the highly successful Pennsylvania Governor’s Conference for Women in Philadelphia , PA (September 2004) where over 3,000 women attended. 

And she was the keynote speaker at Viacom’s Food for Thought Luncheon ( New York City ) in September 2005 and the Komen Foundation’s Tickled Pink Luncheon ( Pittsburgh , PA ) in March 2005.  She was one of the lecturers at Pennwriters’ Annual Conference ( Pittsburgh , PA ) in May 2005. Other future speaking engagements include corporate luncheons at Mine Safety Appliances (MSA), McGinnis Sisters and UPMC Senior Living Services. 

Some past conferences Rulnick has presented workshops at include: American Heart Association’s Go Red Event ( Pittsburgh , PA ), Business and Professional Woman’s Conference ( Seven Springs , PA ) Romance Writer’s of America’s New England Chapter ( Boston , MA ), Midwest Writer’s Conference ( Kent , OH ), and Columbus Writer’s Conference ( Columbus , OH ).

“Every time I think of you, I am reminded of the enthusiasm and energy you conveyed in your presentation at the GoldenRod Writer’s Conference.” 

- Paul Raymond Martin, The Writer’s Little Instruction Book

Mary Jo uses the experience she has gained over the past 10 years as a freelancer in the writing courses she teaches online at www.writerscollege.com and at Community College of Allegheny County.

“Mary Jo Rulnick is the best instructor that I’ve have had!  Her breadth of knowledge is matched by her contagious enthuiasum for the subject matter!  Overall-this class is outstanding!”

- Student at Community College of Allegheny County .  March 2006

Additionally, her ingenuity and creativity has earned her the title as the Party Expert at MainStreetMom.com.

The personal side of this mother-of-two finds her committed to her community as an avid volunteer, as well as her family. She was the President of the Plum High School’s Basketball Booster Program for the past two years and has served on the executive board of seven nonprofit organizations, such as Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania, YMCA, and the Builders’ Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh Women’s Council. In addition, she has assisted with everything from hammering nails, while building a neighborhood playground to cooking meals for disadvantaged children to fundraising for her children’s school programs. 

Rulnick lives in Pennsylvania with her husband of 25 years, two children and German Shepherd dog.