Presentations:

The Dirty Cowboy (ages 5 and up) This story came from a true tale reported by my great grandfather in The Silver City Enterprise in Silver City, New Mexico. In addition to a reading of the book, you’ll hear how this story has been passed down in my family, see drafts of the manuscript, see rejection letters, and see images of the illustrator’s process.

That Girl Lucy Moon (ages 9 and up) How did I take an image of sledding and unite it with memories of growing up in a small town? Find out in this presentation. Presentation includes a reading and a slide show.

Buck-Naked: Publishing The Dirty Cowboy (ages 15 and up) Has The Dirty Cowboy been challenged, restricted or banned by libraries? Developed for a conference on intellectual freedom, this is my report back on my publishing experience.

The Three-Headed Beast: Writer, Businesswoman, & Monster” (for writers) Intended for writers who have already published one book (but interesting to unpublished writers), I talk about how my writing life feels like a wild, three-headed beast (Cerberus -- in fact). How do I juggle the writer, the businesswoman and the monster (envy, jealousy, fear, self-aggrandizement)? How can I encourage the writer and starve the monster? How can I keep the business aspects as lean and as efficient as possible? This talk came from a 45 minute presentation to a writing group and could easily be expanded into a full-day workshop.

Web 2.What?!? Social networking, social content, mobile content, news aggregators, feeds, blogs, microblogging, widgets, badges, buttons, voice over internet protocol (voip), and so on…There’s a surge in online technologies and networking, but it’s confusing for those of us expected to utilize it. Our publishers want us to have an “online presence” because the web offers cheap marketing, but there are so many options to choose from. How do we get started? And how do we keep it from eating every ounce of our time? We’re supposed to be authors and illustrators first, right? Ask for more information. I also do this presentation with illustrator Elizabeth Dulemba. (Illustrators approach tech slightly differently so it's good to have the two of us!)
Workshops on the Craft of Writing Ask me for more information!

Some Places I’ve Spoken:

SCBWI National Conference (Los Angeles, CA) Charlotte S. Huck Children’s Literature Festival (Redlands, CA) Northern Illinois University’s Children’s Literature Festival (DeKalb, IL) Wisconsin Book Festival (Madison, WI) Illinois School Library Media Association (Arlington Heights, IL) Illinois Reading Council (Springfield, IL) James River Writer’s Festival (Richmond, VA) SCBWI-IL Prairie Writers Day (Oak Park, IL) Chicago Public Schools Professional Development Day Off Campus Writers’ Workshop (Winnetka, IL) Friends of American Writers (Chicago Union League) LOOPTOPIA (State Street retailers and the Chicago Loop Alliance) Chicago Tribune Printers Row Book Fair (Chicago, IL) -- Chicago Tribune Kids Stage & YA Panel Bookstores: Narnia Children’s Books (Richmond, VA), A Room of One’s Own (Madison, WI), Back to Books (Hudson, WI), Red Balloon Bookstore (St. Paul, MN), Wonderland Books & Toys (Rockford, IL), Magic Tree Bookstore (Oak Park, IL), B&N DePaul University (Downtown Chicago)

Schools: • $400 Virtual School Visit (via Skype) • $800 (up to 50 miles travel) • $1000 (50-100 miles travel) • $1600 (over 100 miles) [Note: • Mileage is from my home in Chicago, Illinois. • Prices are for 1 day of work with a maximum of 3 presentations per day. • Price includes travel. • Schools pay for hotels and meals. • If I do a full day at a school, school pays for lunch. • Finally, I love for my books to be available for purchase.]