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In high school Tory started a literary magazine. In her twenties she ventured into political consulting, writing brochures, slogans, and helping candidates win elections. She seemed to settle down in her 30’s – had two boys while starting a small national business creating boxed invitations and announcements. When her kids went to school, she longed for more companionship. A sortie into the real estate world was a lot of fun at first — taking dilapidated properties and bringing them back to their former glory, but after a few years, she longed for more creative enterprises. Hartmann began writing again.
But life had a surprise in store: her father’s untimely death in 1992 left her half owner of a gear business. Gears? Yes, those round pointy objects that conduct power and whose mantra is trigonometry. However, the woman who knew her way around advertising and promotion and Dennis Regan, her rocket scientist brother, were perfect partners. While her brother did the engineering, she set out to change the business. And change it she did. What had been a small job shop on the skids became a contract manufacturer for the aerospace, biomedical, and precision industrial market. American Precision Gear tripled in size. Then in 2007, Regan and Hartmann sold out. |
Tory and Darla going down
the Truckee River
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During her years at APG, in order to satisfy her inner writer, she rose at 5:00 in the morning and spent two hours at the keyboard, then went into the plant for a ten hour day. For six years, she attended Maui Writer’s Workshops, intensive one week seminars, and was tutored by some of the best writers in the business: Craig Lesley, Terry Brooks, Elizabeth George, Michael Palmer, Tess Gerritsen, and Gary Braver.
Then she began to publish:
- "The Binoculars" in Ships Log: Writings at Sea (2004, (Triple Tree Press)
- "Shooting Cupid" in the Homestead Review
- "The Great Christ Heist" —four literary magazines wanted this story —she gave it to the Hurricane Review
- " Finding Bob Marley" in the Sand Hill Review
- " The Fountain Tuner" in descant
- ... and more!
Tory won awards and contests:
- Best Novel, 2003 Jack London Writers Conference for The Senator’s List
- " Hummingbats" won 2nd place in Tattoo Highway’s flash fiction contest
- "The Future Mrs. Snodgrass and the Farting Shoes" made the semi-finals at the Oxford 10 Minute Play contest.
Writing an occasional article for The San Francisco Chronicle or local papers and magazines, Hartmann keeps a lively schedule. Currently, Hartmann’s screenplay, Castro Confidential, written with Shea Kerry, has been sold to American Films.
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