My Life as a Writer
Early Years
Because Dad was in the Air Force, we moved a lot! I was the new kid in school seven times. I went to three high schools. How It Began When I was 6, Grandma flew from Missouri to visit. I made her a shopping guide composed of Big Chief tablet pages stapled together and filled it with newspaper prices for things Grandma might want. My first book! First Publication We moved to Ohio before I started fourth grade. One of my stories was chosen for publication in our school newspaper. The papers cost five cents, and I was fizzy with knowing that people paid to read my story. By high school we had moved from Ohio to Texas. I won a writing competition with a historical fiction story about the Battle of Bull Run. |
Reading and Writing
I earned a couple of degrees in education, married, and moved to Houston. We both were elementary teachers. We were joined by twin sons and a daughter. Reading to them every day was a favorite time, and helped me learn a lot about children's books. I returned to university and earned certification as a school librarian. My First Book for Children
The idea for Substitute Groundhog came from a kindergartner. I had asked his class, "What animal pops up out of its hole to tell the weather next week?" His answer? An armadillo! Two years later, when I needed a story idea, I wondered, "What if an armadillo did perform on Groundhog's Day? Why wasn't the groundhog doing it instead? Hmmmm...." Today I left my career as a teacher and school librarian to work full-time as a writer and visiting author. I wrote Substitute Groundhog, Squirrel's New Year's Resolution, The Hole Story of the Doughnut, and six more. |