Tanya Bricking Leach

Location: Covington, KY, United States

Member Since: 20 April 2009

Professional Associations

 Travelwriters.com

 Society of Professional Journalists

Introduction

I'm a journalist from the Midwest who moved to Hawaii on a whim when I took a job in 1999 as a newspaper reporter and columnist in Honolulu. My work related travels took me to every major island and even as far as Japan to interview people for stories. While in Hawaii, I met and married a man in the military. Our travels have taken us from Hawaii to Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Ireland, the Great Lakes, the Southern United States and spots closer to home. Our home base is the Cincinnati area. My food and travel stories have appeared in major metropolitan newspapers, magazines and web sites. I write everything from travel guide pieces and restaurant reviews to travel essays and business news.

Experience & Expertise

I have written about Christian surfers for The New York Times, about recipe development for The Associated Press features wire and about business trends for the Cincinnati Business Courier. My writing has taken me from Honolulu to Japan, Ireland, the Great Lakes and the Midwest. I lived in Hawaii for six years and am working on a Hawaii travel book geared toward military families. My home base is in Cincinnati. I often write food and travel stories and restaurant reviews for newspapers, magazines and web sites.

Publishing Credentials

The New York Times, USA Today, The Associated Press, The Honolulu Advertiser, The Cincinnati Enquirer, the Dallas Morning News, the Chicago Tribune, The Seattle Times, ABC News, Soapboxmedia.com, AOL Lifestyle

Awards Received

* 2004: First place in the Hawaii Publishers Association’s Pai Award editorial series as lead writer on a project on “The Graying of Hawaii.” * 2003: First place in the Society of Professional Journalists column-writing award for a series of “About Women” relationships columns. * 2002: SPJ long-form feature writing award for a story about Hawaii’s big-wave surfing culture on Oahu’s North Shore. * 2001: First place in SPJ, Hawaii Pai Award and the Gannett Well Done award for coverage of a deadly submarine collision. * 2000: George Chaplin Award for coverage of the mass shooting at Xerox Hawaii and the murder trial of Byran Uyesugi.

Clips & Samples (View All 18)

A few inches make a big difference for kids at Kings Island , Knoxville News-Sentinel

Destination Tennessee , Indy's Child

Destination Tennessee , Cincinnati Parent

Newport Gangster tour could be an offer you can't refuse , Knoxville News-Sentinel

Kentucky wineries come on strong as tourist destinations , Knoxville News-Sentinel