Rachael was born and raised in NY ‘s Fingerlakes region. She published her first poem at age 14 under the guidance of a talented English teacher. As an adult she has published in numerous journals over the years and have won 8 poetry prizes among them first place National League of American Penwomen 2006 and 2008. Her first chapbook “Slide-show in the Woods” (Foothills Publishing)  was published August '08.  Her second chapbook “Transplanted” was published in 2010 (Finishing Line Press). In 2012, Rachael completed her third chapbook, Renovations, published by Foothills Publishing.

Several photo-illustrated children’s stories, fantasy genre, were published in the 1990s. In 2008 she published adult short fiction.

She attended the Colgate Writers conference 2007, 2008, and 2010 for young adult fiction mss “Tales From the Edge of the Woods”. Won 3rd place 2010 in the Rebecca Eddy fiction competition. She was included in Syracuse University’s first Poster Project top ten haiku collection 12/10.

Rachael belongs to Canastota Writers, Every Other Thursday Night Poets Vorheesville, MAD art artist co-op in Hamilton NY, The National League of American Penwomen, was moderator of former Monday Night Poetry at Sushi Blues in Hamilton, NY, is a member of the Downtown Writers Center Syracuse, NY, Hudson Valley Writers Guild in the capitol region, and several critique groups.

See all of Rachael's latest publications.

• Rachael was the featured author in the May issue of Diversity Rules, a LGBT online publication out of Oneonta, NY.
• Rachael was the judge for the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade poets in the CNY National League of American Pen Women 57th Annual Poetry Contest. Watch video.
• On April 23, 2012, Rachael was interviewed by Penwoman Jaidis Shaw for her blog, Juniper Grove, about the Rachael's chapbook, Renovations, which is a collection about surviving and healing from abuse.

• Rachael has been approved at the national level as a woman of the arts in the Penwomen! Read more about National League of American Pen Women
• The Piano and Organ Center in Clay, NY has made Rachael their artist-in-residence.
• Rachael's owl has been accepted as the CNY local chapter of Penwomen mascot. Order your Penwoman items today!
• Rachael won an honorable mention for her short story "The Bear Who Could Read". This short story was a chapter from The Complete Tales from the Edge of the Woods, a not yet published novel. This now makes two award winning chapters from the novel.
• Rachael won third prize in the (2011) Eighteenth Annual Artists Embassy International's Dancing Poetry Contest for her poem entitled, "News."
• Rachael's photograph was featured in the 2008 state-wide art show sponsored by The Art Association of Oswego, Fort Ontario, Oswego NY. See details.

• Rachael is a finalist in the non-fiction contest for The Write Place At the Write Time. Her work will be published in the May issue due out on May 22nd.

• Rachael has been commissioned to do one quick sketch and one detailed portrait to hang in the Helping Hounds Dog Rescue in Dewitt, NY entryway. Rachael will be at the Helping Hounds Dog Rescue in Dewitt, NY from 10AM to 3PM on October 20th doing pet portraits.
• Rachael's photograph of Donna Ward will appear in the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired calendar.
• Rachael had a poem published in the fourteenth annual Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) issue of the Poetry Super Highway.
• Rachael's Fritzi the Frog with 'Tude' made the cover of the Jabberwocky issue of the The Centrifugal Eye and her poem (Black Bear in Cave: Midnight Under a New Moon) is featured inside.
• The journal Rootdrinker just published Rachael's poem "The Flock".
• Rachael's poem Sighting Snow Geese: Flight North is featured on writersgettogether.blogspot.com

• 2011 Absolute Literary Journal published by Oklahoma City Community Colleges
• Issue 63 of Kaleidoscope: Animals That Make a Difference by the University of Akron Press sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council

• Mused: Bella Online Literary Journal for women “Sunny”spring 09 issue
• Ruthie’s Club online: short story/fiction/erotica “The Horse Rescuer” June 09 issue
• 5 poems accepted by Awakenings journal, Wheaton Ill for 2009-10 winter issue “On the Lip” “The Therapist” “My Shadow” “My Sister” “Mixed Media Nude Woman”
• For the winter 2009-10 issue
• Absolute,  Oklahoma Community College’s Literary Journal “On a Poet Finding Her Voice” spring 09 issue
• Absolute spring 2010 issue “Colors”
• Green Silk journal 4/10—“Since the End of It”
• National League of American Penwomen HM 2010 for “On Finding Words in the Woods”
• beNeVoLeNt biRd Press: broadside “The Dairy Farm” with illustration pen and ink “Line of Cows” July 13, 2009 Delmar NY
• Rootdrinker Institute Newsletter spring 09 “Late Autumn”
• Normanskill Anthology by Benevolent Bird Press Spring 2010, “Saying Goodbye” and Pen & ink illustration “The Crow”
• Cider House Press Review fall 2009 issue “Autumn Evening with Cool Drizzle” an etheree
• 5 poems in “A Light In April: the Cazenovia Writers’ Group Anthology 2010
• 3 poems in indigodreams press (Britain) spring 2010 Sarasvati issue and 3 to come in their autumn issue
• 5 poems/3 haiku in indigodreams’ summer anthology “Crab Lines Off the Pier”
• HazardCat: “Kitten” and “David’s Cats”, autumn issue
• Spillingink journal; autumn issue “Blue Tracker, White Magic”
• Poetry reading and art exhibit invitational event October 2009, New Woodstock Public Library
• Writers’ Panel and poetry reading October 2009 DeWitt Community Library, Syracuse NY

Her artwork both photography and pen and ink work has appeared in shows across central NY to the capitol region in libraries, schools, and galleries. She has sold  pen and inks as Artist Collectible Editions and Original trading cards on her eBay site: ask_the_girl_collectibles. She was artist- in- residence at Sushi Blues and BBQs in Hamilton, NY for two years. Examples of her artwork hang there currently as part of their permanent collection.

Her sold portrait work for two benefits the restaurant held for the Chenango County SPCA in 08 and 09. Both my photography and artwork have appeared as cover art and illustrations for my chapbooks. One photo was on the cover of a glossy breed fancier magazine. “A Piglet for David”  photo-illustrated short fiction for children in same magazine.

April 2010 6 week exhibit of photography and pen and ink at Starbucks Oswego Rd Liverpool NY,

March-April 2010 invitational three agriculturally themed photographs chosen to hang for 8 weeks for an inter collegiate conference on agriculture held by SUNY Morrisville and Colgate University.

Award winning American poet/artist Rachael Ikins is no stranger to poetry in other languages or countries. In the dim distant 1990s, she won first prize for a haiku competition that was sponsored by Great Britain. As well, in 1995 two of her poems appeared in the UK journal "Inkshed". Currently Rachael’s poetry appears in Britain’s “Sarasvati” by indigodreamsonline.com. She has written poetry not only in English but in Spanish, German, and French. Several of the Spanish poems appeared in collegiate journals when she was a student.

Rachael also has published short fiction for children. “A Piglet for David” was illustrated with her photography and published in a breed fancier journal.

She belongs to a UK based online chat, creative-writing group littleepisodes.org where she has posted some blog entries and poetry.