Over the last few months in my role as an author and a Windward High School teacher, I have been getting out into communities, near and far, to talk about reading, writing, and reaching kids.

Near the end of last year, the

Reading at my hometown library in Hoquiam.

Mount Vernon Library Young Adult Writer’s Group hosted me for a  Q&A writing, publishing and marketing advice at their monthly Thursday night meeting. Though attendance was small, perhaps because of the time of year, I was able to connect with those present and talk about using the online social media writing site WATTPAD as a way to practice in public, share your writing, and get feedback from other writers. Other topics included cover art and publicity, giving and accepting feedback, and writer’s block.

Tamar Clarke, one of my most important connections with the Whatcom County Library System, invited me to visit the Whatcom County Juvenile Detention center to talk to the kids there and donate some books. The center, with help from WCLS, had already purchased a few copies and they appeared to be well read. Though the audience was again small, student interest and engagement was excellent. The teens asked great questions and those that had not read the book were interested in reading after hearing about the plight of Lizzie, the anti-hero teen protagonist.

More recently I presented at the WALA,  Washington Association of Learning Alternatives, conference. WALA is a collection of small schools, online/digital learning providers and parent partnership programs. The presentation was titled REACHING RELUCTANT WRITERS WITH NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month [NaNoWriMo or NaNo for short] is a non-profit program that helps folks of all ages write a novel in November every year. For the past few years, I have been adapting the NaNoWriMo curriculum for use in my Fall Creative Writing classes. Each year, WHS students reach their goals of increasing their writing skills, confidence and output through NaNoWriMo. Next year I hope to partner with other schools in the Ferndale School District as well as other schools farther away.

My favorite experience: “At the Juvenile Detention Center, one of the girls who had received an early ARC [Advanced Reader Copy] draft of the second book offered to edit it for me! She was writing her own novel and was pretty sure she could help me make mine better. I gave her my card and offered to trade her for a new one if she’d give me the marked up one.”

My second most favorite part was finding a beaten up copy of my first book, ALL IS SILENCE, in the Centralia Timberland Library. I donated a signed copy of Straight Into Darkness to go with it!

If you have a group you would like me to present to, please let me know. especially if it’s close by. Farther away? Make me a case! I want to see the whole world! Here are my upcoming Appearances.