The Patience Trilogy

November 11, 2018November 11, 2018

In case you missed it: FREE STUFF!

Hey, friends, in case you missed it: my coauthor, Dr. Matt E. Jaremko, and I are running a promotional campaign to support the release of our forthcoming book

, TRAUMA RECOVERY: SESSIONS WITH DR. MATT–NARRATIVES OF HOPE AND RESILIENCE FOR VICTIMS WITH PTSD. The book releases 12/14/18 in print and ebook, and we’re hoping to entice you to preorder by giving you a FREE COPY of your choice of one of THE PATIENCE TRILOGY (Courage in Patience- Bk 1, Hope in Patience- Bk 2, & Truth in Patience- Bk 3.) These are the books that introduced the characters of Dr. Matt and Ashley, whose story continues in TRAUMA RECOVERY: SESSIONS WITH DR. MATT.

All you have to do is follow the instructions in this post and your free copy of

your choice of Patience books will be sent immediately. AND, you have the opportunity to win 1 or more of the rest of the Trilogy, too! Check out the instructions here, and let me know if you have any questions! As always, we’d be sooo grateful if you’ll help us spread the word through social media. 🙂

(Oh! One more thing: Amazon-U.S. is even offering the book at a discounted price if you use the coupon they provide, so check it out!)

November 10, 2018

Pre-order our groundbreaking trauma recovery book and win free stuff!

In roughly a month, Trauma Recovery: Sessions with Dr. Matt releases! It’ll be available in print and ebook. If you are a trauma survivor, love someone who is, or work with trauma survivors, I believe the book Matt E. Jaremko & I wrote could inspire you, increase your understanding of how trauma affects people, and acquaint you with a new way of thinking about recovery.

Read an excerpt of Trauma Recovery: Sessions with Dr. Matt.

Read nice things people have said about Trauma Recovery: Sessions with Dr. Matt.

Pre-order and win!

Pre-order Trauma Recovery: Sessions with Dr. Matt, (AMAZON U.S.), or at a number of bookstores worldwide.

THEN:

1. Forward to me proof of the pre-order: bethfehlbaum@gmail.com.
2. In your email, tell me which book you want from The Patience Trilogy–the novels that began Dr. Matt and Ashley’s story that is threaded through Trauma Recovery: Sessions with Dr. Matt , and
3. I’ll gift you with your choice of one of Courage in Patience (1), Hope in Patience (2), or Truth in Patience (3).

The Fine Print: Deadline for pre-order proof/sharing: December 12, 2018. Paperbacks mailed in the U.S. only; ebooks available worldwide.

Read an excerpt of Courage in Patience.

Read an excerpt of Hope in Patience.

Read an excerpt of Truth in Patience.

Read nice things people have said about The Patience Trilogy.

Want to win more than one Patience Trilogy book?In addition to proof of pre-order, do this for up to 3 entries in the Thanks for Sharing contest:

1. “LIKE” the Matt E. Jaremko Facebook page (1 entry),
2. Share this post (1 entry), and
3. Tag me in your post (1 entry).

Drawings will take place on:
Nov. 17
Nov. 24
Dec. 1
Dec. 8
Dec. 15

November 22, 2017November 22, 2017

My newest book: an opportunity to share hope and resilience with trauma survivors

Something I’m thankful for: my writing partner and the book we wrote together. I’m sharing the cover with you. It’s the first time it’s been posted publicly.
My co-author, Matt, and I really like this cover because of the light coming into the group therapy circle: providing the light of hope in the face of the indescribable darkness that is being “stuck” in mental illness and desperation.

I think it was spring of 2016 that Matt Jaremko and I discussed writing a book to help trauma survivors. It took us a bit to find our writing groove in terms of both how we could best communicate what we wanted to say that would extend hope and model the power of resilience for traumatized people, AND for us to find the most efficient way for us to write together without becoming frustrated…we initially tried using Google Docs, and, never having co-written with anyone else, I didn’t realize we couldn’t be in the document at the same time. So I was working and Matt was, too, and the page was jumping all over the place…it was not fun. So we dispensed with that pretty quickly and moved to Word and Track Changes, which is the industry standard for working with editors.
Once we found our way to work together by exchanging the manuscript (“The book is now in your hands. I will not touch it until you send the manuscript back to me”), our book began to take shape in a meaningful, rewarding way. Matt and I have such a strong respect for each others’ strengths and abilities. He is, without a doubt, one of the two smartest, most compassionate and caring men I know, with the other being my husband, Daniel. Not coincidentally, these 2 men also comprised my primary support system when I was broken.

I rank our book, “Trauma Recovery: Sessions With Dr. Matt–Narratives of Hope and Resilience for Victims With PTSD,” as one of my “heart” books. What this means, for you non-writer types, is that this book is one of the most personally meaningful to me. It is defining. It IS to come full circle. While I love all 4 of the YA fiction novels I’ve written, 3 of them: Courage in Patience, Hope in Patience, and Truth in Patience, are the most precious to me because I wrote them while in recovery when I was working with Matt Jaremko, many years ago. They are the arc of Ashley, a teen girl who is entering recovery after being abused by her stepdad and neglected by her mom through deliberate indifference. Ashley’s biggest hurdle is facing the truth about her life–about her worth as a person, in spite of being discarded by the person who should have loved her most. She is removed from her stepdad & mom’s home & placed with her father, David, who she does not know at all.
Ashley is a frightened victim at the outset, a person beginning to realize her value in the middle, and a strong survivor capable of advocating for herself at the conclusion. That’s why the books are called Courage (1), Hope (2), and Truth (3). They are set in the small E. Texas town of Patience, and the girl’s therapist is Scott “Dr. Matt” Matthews. Guess who he’s modeled after?

When Matt and I decided to take 2 of my characters–Ashley and Dr. Matt– and place them in a group setting in order to facilitate the combination of fiction and teaching about resilience, we took Ashley, aged her from 15/16 to 19, and made her a member of Dr. Matt’s Thursday evening Therapy Group for Victims, Survivors, and Righteously Indignant Angry Folks. Then we imagined the other members:
Hunter, age 32, who woke on the ground in the dark after a rain-wrapped tornado destroyed his mobile home, critically injuring his toddler daughter;
Felicia, age 34, who, at age 14, was nearly raped by her brother’s friend; 20 years later, she is still haunted by it, but needs to come to realize an even darker truth about her youth;
Ben, age 20, who saw combat horrors in the Middle East and returned home a fundamentally different person;
Patty, age 47, who lost control of her car, with her husband being killed when they hit a semi-truck;
Jake, age 30, an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) who responded to a hate crime-shooting at a local church’s Wednesday night prayer service. The son of a preacher, Jake lost his faith as a result of what he saw.
Darrell, age 35, who served time in prison for armed robbery. When he was released, he entered therapy to seek solutions for the frequent rages that overtook his decision-making abilities. Through his work with Dr. Matt, Darrell learned new ways of interacting with others. He joined the Black Lives Matter movement and discovered his passion for making a difference through teaching young African-Americans about non-violent protest.
Betty, age 40. Her family-of-origin abandoned her when she began coming to terms with the sexual abuse perpetrated on her from a young age. Betty worked with Dr. Matt and gradually found the strength to rebuild her life. She entered college as a non-traditional student and became a bilingual education teacher, where she puts her native Spanish to work.

We wrapped our manuscript in July, began seeking a publisher in late summer, and by October–and this is remarkably fast to find a publishing “home”–we were offered a publishing contract with a “Mind-Body-Soul” imprint, Ayni Books, and our book will come out in late spring/early summer 2018. The book will have international distribution and be available in both print and e-book.

We began sharing the manuscript with others, asking for blurbs, and we were blown out of the water by what our readers said. Check ’em out.

We invite you to read the Prologue: The Internal Dialogue of a New Patient Being Sick and Tired of Being Afraid and Stuck.

I wrote this Prologue from the memory of where I was when I entered treatment to recover from Childhood Sexual Abuse. At that time, I was 38 years old, the mother of 3 teen girls, and I broke. I could no longer pretend that the stuff I’d gone through as a child and young adult, and in many ways continued to endure as an adult, were not killing me. The pretending was killing me. I was slowly killing myself through binge eating. Efforts to deal with the never-ending anxiety I lived with night and day were futile. Prior to working with Matt, I never stuck with therapy once I was nudged toward being authentic and honest with myself and others about how broken I was. I “clicked” with him and, after Daniel, Matt is the first man I ever truly trusted. Until that time, my understanding of men was that they would abuse me once I began to let my guard down.

This prologue is thoughts of the person prior to entering a therapist’s building when the choice at that time is either get better or die. These are exactly what it was like to be in my head at that time.
Facing the truth about one’s life is a soul-searing experience. For me, the journey to REAL, and WHOLE, was much like the process of birthing a child. It was exhausting, but without a doubt, learning to be resilient and authentic was the most gratifying experience of my life.
This is what we hope will be the result for those who read our book.

Please help us spread the word about our Facebook page. “Like”/”Follow” us, and you won’t miss out on the journey.

November 11, 2017

Perseverence, Resilience, & Coming Full Circle

I sometimes say that my middle name is “Perseverence.” It could also be said that Resilience runs through my veins, which is, in part, why writing a book with Matt E. Jaremko–Trauma Recovery: Sessions With Dr. Matt: Narratives of Hope and Resilience for Victims of PTSD–is so gratifying because it will help SO MANY PEOPLE. I wish a book like this had existed when I was in those shaky first days of recovery from Childhood Sexual Abuse, when I wasn’t sure I even wanted to stick around.
The PTSD symptoms I had were so overwhelming that at times I thought I was losing my mind. I’m not even kidding–and if you ever meet my husband, or my children, who were teens at the time, ask them what Mama was like back then. I’m sure some of their stories would blow your hair back. I’ll never forget when I was in a really bad way and actually got behind my clothes in my closet, like I used to do when I was a child, to hide from my stepfather. Daniel stepped in, leaned down, and said softly, “I seeeee youuuuuu…” but didn’t judge me harshly or make fun of me. It’s one of the reasons I love him more than words could ever adequately describe.
Trauma Recovery: Sessions With Dr. Matt helps people like me –like I was at that time–understand what happens when someone experiences trauma, and I love its message that sufferers are NOT crazy or weak: they are incredibly strong for continuing to put one foot in front of the other, even while enduring some very scary shit inside their heads. It’s compassionate, speaks to readers where they are–like Daniel that evening when I was a hot mess, and we let readers know, again and again, that HOPE is possible, and RECOVERY is possible, and we shine that all-important light when it’s so easy for survivors to get lost in the nooks & crannies of their minds. We strongly suggest that readers work with a therapist as they process their trauma, because recovery from PTSD is scary.

Nearly a decade ago, Matt taught me HOW to be resilient and HOW to persevere through those undoubtedly dark days. I wrote poems and essays and short stories and shared them only with Matt: there was no one else I could trust with–saddle with, really– what was coming out of my mind and landing on my keyboard and screen. At his suggestion that I try writing a novel, I imagined the trauma I had endured as having happened to someone else, stepped outside of myself, and began to tell 15 year old Ashley Nicole Asher’s story. With her being “born,” so was my life as a professional writer, although I didn’t know it at the time. All I was doing was following the advice of the man I had learned I could trust with my darkness, and he would be by my side, holding the light.
Trauma Recovery: Sessions With Dr. Matt is a unique amalgam of teaching about PTSD and giving insight into the recovery process and the storylines of 7 members of the Thursday Night Therapy Group. Matt E. Jaremko is the inspiration for the Dr. Matt character in my Patience books, and I patterned the experiences of the main character, Ashley, after my own. All these years later, Matt and I teamed up and took those 2 characters, aged Ashley up to 19, and placed Dr. Matt and Ashley in a group therapy setting. Along with Ashley, group members include a survivor of a tornado destroying his mobile home and gravely injuring his toddler daughter; a woman who was behind the wheel, reached for her phone to check a text, and slammed into a semi, killing her husband on impact; a first responder to a mass shooting at a church (timely, sadly); a soldier who was injured when an IED exploded outside his barracks, killing his best friend; an ex-con who is determined to rebuild his life and make a difference; and a survivor of an attempted rape by her brother’s best friend when she was 14–as well as family secrets she has yet to allow herself to process. She attempts to cope with her anguish by numbing herself with food. And, of course, there’s Dr. Matt, an experienced therapist nearing the end of his career and contemplating what’s next.

Please check out the Facebook page Matt created for our book, and take a look at our website, Trauma Recovery: Sessions With Dr. Matt too! We also have a blog, Hope for Post-traumatic Growth.
I hope you’ll subscribe to our sites & give our FB page a “Like” so that you get the latest news on our book, which is set to release around late Spring/early Summer, 2018.

And-I hope you’ll read the posts Matt has entered on our FB page so far. He has a lot to say, and he is one of the 2 smartest men I know–the other being my husband, Daniel. I owe my life today to Matt and Daniel’s unwavering support, presence, and holding me accountable to not give up.
Trauma Recovery: Sessions With Dr. Matt is one special book, and it holds a hallowed place in my , alongside The Patience Trilogy.

September 17, 2017September 17, 2017

My newest book, Trauma Recovery: Sessions With Dr. Matt will release in summer, 2018!

I am beyond thrilled to tell you that Trauma Recovery: Sessions With Dr. Matt, a creative non-fiction book written by Dr. Matt E. Jaremko and me, has found a publisher, Ayni Books. Our book should release in early summer, 2018.
The best way to describe it to you is to borrow from our book proposal:

“This book is a starting place for hurting people who are seeking healing, either on their own or in partnership with a therapist or other helping person. Dr. Matt E. Jaremko maximizes readers’ understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by explaining its origins in easy-to-understand language and offering insight into the process of reclaiming a life from trauma. Beth Fehlbaum shares her insight from the perspective of a person who experienced trauma, was once scared to death about going into therapy, and is now recovered.

Most powerfully, Dr. Jaremko and Beth created characters: a psychologist, Scott “Dr. Matt” Matthews, and his ongoing therapy group, to illustrate how recovery can and does happen. The situations these characters survive; their struggles and triumphs of reclaiming their lives, and their potential for thriving are all realistic. We reassure people who are terrified of trying therapy by providing them with a “fly on the wall” perspective of observing the recovery process.”

Read more about Trauma Recovery: Sessions With Dr. Matt, here.

Those of you who have read (and have affection for) The Patience Trilogy (Courage, Hope, and Truth), likely recognize “Dr. Matt”’s name, and you will be pleased to know that Ashley is in Trauma Recovery: Sessions With Dr. Matt! She’s now 19 and about to leave for college. I hope you’re as pleased with Ash’s progress as I am.

Watch this space for the latest and greatest as we move forward in the publication of a book that Matt and I hope will have a far-reaching positive effect for traumatized individuals by providing a light in the darkness: hope.

I encourage you to subscribe to our blog site, “Hope for Post-Traumatic Growth,” and check out our website, Trauma Recovery: Sessions With Dr. Matt, too!

Cheers!
Beth

March 12, 2017

Hey, YA Fest PA! Can’t wait to see you soon!

Hey, YA Fest PA! I’m coming your way on Saturday, March 18, and I can’t wait to meet you guys!

Here’s a little introduction to my books, The Patience Trilogy (Courage, Hope, & Truth), and Big Fat Disaster...

What would you do if you were taken from the only home you’ve ever known and dropped into a tiny rural town with a parent who you’ve never known?

How about if you were suddenly homeless because of something your dad did?

Ever been going through something really rough, but when you tried to talk to your parents, they wouldn’t listen?

As an author, I’m interested in exploring how brave teens react when their backs are against the wall, and they have only themselves to depend on—at least at first.

I didn’t have to look too hard to find inspiration for the books I write. I didn’t have anyone listening when I reached out for help when bad stuff was happening to me, like it did to Ashley Asher in The Patience Trilogy. When I was in high school, I felt extremely out of place and awkward. Although my family looked just fine from the outside, those of us who had the inside scoop were struggling to survive.

That’s how it is for Ashley Asher, a teen girl who tells her mom what her stepdad has been doing to her since she was 9, but her mom does not act on Ashley’s outcry. Ashley’s best friend forces her to tell their teacher, and Ashley is placed in little bitty Patience, Texas, with her father and his family. She’s learning basic “I’m new here” stuff, like which drawer her stepmom and dad keep the forks and knives in, but she’s also trying to wrap her brain around the question of WHY. For example, why doesn’t her mom care enough to do something—anything—to protect her, and WHY did her stepdad mess with her in the first place?

It’s not until she has a meltdown and her dad and stepmom figure out that Ashley needs professional help that they bring the traumatized teen to Dr. Matt, and he begins helping Ashley figure out how to move on.

I was never made homeless—unlike Colby Denton, the 15 year old girl at the heart of Big Fat Disaster—but I definitely felt really alone when I was in high school, and when people were mean to me, I had no idea how to deal with them.

Colby’s dad, a candidate for U.S. Senate running on a “Family Values” platform, steals from his campaign and cheats on Colby’s mom. Because of his criminal acts, the family is made homeless.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Colby is “the fat girl” in a family that looks “perfect” from the outside: her dad was a college football star; her mom is a former beauty queen, and Colby is “sandwiched” between her older sister, Rachel, who is a carbon copy of their mom, and her younger sister, Drew, who is not only too cute for words, but she even reminds Colby of the Weight Watchers Points for every food (thanks to their mom), AND she has a habit of asking Colby stuff like, “Where do you think that ice cream will look best on you?”

Here’s the thing: I went through the same experiences that Ashley did, except that I didn’t speak up, and I did not get help until I was an adult. And, like Colby Denton, I have Binge Eating Disorder, and I know what it’s like to eat my feelings.

See the book trailer for Big Fat Disaster, here!

Even though I write about hard stuff—and characters dealing with shame of one kind or another—I believe it’s hard stuff that NEEDS to be talked about, because the only way to begin to shed the cloak of shame is to drag it out of the shadows, into the sunshine, where truth thrives in the light of day.

Check out The Patience Trilogy (Courage, Hope, & Truth), and Big Fat Disaster, and come see me at YA Fest PA! Chapter previews of all my books are available on my website: http://bethfehlbaumbooks.info

December 14, 2016

Hey! Get the COURAGE IN PATIENCE ebook free, 12/14-12/18!

Yep, it’s true! Just in time for the holidays, my publisher is offering the COURAGE IN PATIENCE ebook FREE from AMAZON from 12/14 through 12/18!

cropped-3.13-FINAL-Courage_Epub_cover-1-1.jpg

Don’t miss your chance to meet 15 year old Ashley Nicole Asher, her new family, amazing therapist, and the circle of friends who show her that she does not have the exclusive to a messy life:

Courage to endure.

Courage to survive.

Courage to overcome.

Tenacious 14-year-old Ashley Asher claws her way back to normalcy after enduring six years of an unimaginable Hell. Uprooted from her negligent and selfish mother, Ashley finds solace in the safety of her father’s home. Building a relationship with her stepmother, she’s finally able to open up and confront the past that haunts her.

With the help of her stepmom, therapist, and a group of troubled adolescents, Ashley battles her demons, struggling to find the normal teenage life she’s always wanted. Can Ashley find the strength and courage to overcome the horrors of her past while fighting for the future she so deserves?

December 14, 2016December 14, 2016

I’d LOVE to visit your school!

What Librarians are Saying About My Visits to Their Schools:

Mission High School Library had the pleasure of hosting Beth Fehlbaum this fall. She spoke to over 350 of our students. Her presentation had them all hanging on her every word. She welcomed their questions and gave them honest answers. Many of them stayed behind to talk to her about their experiences and many stopped just to give her a hug, it was something to see. In my 6 years hosting authors at our library, I can honestly say no one has captured the attention of the masses quite like Beth. Her message is powerful, inspiring and hopeful.

Margie Longoria

Librarian, Mission High School

Hello!
Beth Fehlbaum visited my school Library last Friday at Cano Freshman Academy in Harlingen, Texas, for an Author’s Visit. Beth was very engaging and informative, and my students loved her. She not only booktalked her books, but provided a presentation on how writing can be therapeutic to students. She encouraged them to write anything that they felt and get their ideas and thoughts out on whatever it is that they are dealing with.

I work with fourteen and fifteen year old students whose attention is not easily kept, but she held their attention through their entire presentation, and at the end of the day I had multiple students asking to borrow the book and e-book! She made her entire presentation herself through Prezis and showed booktrailers that she has made as well as found on her books. My students loved seeing someone who has actually been published and have had success in writing in the flesh. Her technology use is great and she was very prepared In advance and was able to send me her presentation ahead of time.

Beth has a very genuine heart and it shines through her presentations. She uses her teaching experience to captivate an audience and hold them until the very end. She made a huge impression on my students, my staff, and myself. I highly recommend her for any speaking positions and also as a presenter. Beth was amazing, and I loved having her in my library.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or any way that I can be of help.

Stephanie M. Galvan, MLS
Library Media Specialist
Dr. Abraham P. Cano Freshman Academy

I’d Love to Visit YOUR School!

Program: Writing: A Great Way to Work Out Your Stuff!

Writing from real life: students learn how to recognize the “material” they have in their own lives—and how to use it to write narrative, expository, poetry, drama—any mode of writing that tells the story that is dying to get out.

Q & A (Ask Me Anything!), book signings, and talk with students after the presentation.

Honorarium: $750-$1200 per day: all day: 8 AM – 4 PM. (As many presentations as can take place during that time.) OK to split between schools. Books must be available for purchase.
*Daily fee does not include travel expenses: flight, hotel if more than 4 hours from my home.

NOTE: I have a special place in my heart for Title 1 schools. TALK TO ME before you decide that this is not a do-able situation.

Interested? Contact me: bethfehlbaum@gmail.com

I am an author of gritty YA fiction as well as an experienced (nearly 2 decades) English teacher. I currently teach English I, Pre-AP English, and Remedial English Lab classes in a small rural district in Henderson County, TX.

I specialize in working with struggling learners from low socio-economic backgrounds. While I now teach the general-ed population, I taught Dual Language ESL classes for 8 years, transitioning kids from reading/writing Spanish to doing so in English, so I have a special understanding of the challenges English Language Learners face.

My book, Hope in Patience, was named to the 2011 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, and another of my books, Big Fat Disaster, is on the Spirit of Texas-High School Reading List for 2015-2016. Chapter previews of all my books are available on my website, http://bethfehlbaumbooks.info .

You will find a list of the events I have presented programs for, below.

School Visits:

I offer a program that uses what I do– writing from real life–to teach students how to recognize the “material” they have in their own lives that inspires expository and narrative writing as well as poetry and drama. My current program is called, “Writing: A Great Way to Work Out Your Stuff.”

While I am thrilled to read from my work in conjunction with my visit–and in connection with the program I present–I know that the educational component of hosting an author is important, and I want to be there for you to support your efforts to improve your students’ mastery of writing. I am happy to provide a lesson plan that is correlated to your state’s standards.

I write edgy YA fiction; thus far, my four books have dealt with Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) and/or Binge Eating Disorder. However, my objective of a visit is to discuss the concept of writing from one’s own experiences in a way that supports the objective of writing improvement and brainstorming. In other words, I will not be presenting a seminar on Childhood Sexual Abuse– unless you want me to do that. (Hope that eases your minds, LOL).

INTERESTED? Contact me! bethfehlbaum@gmail.com

Teen Bookfests:

I love attending bookfests, and that includes prepping ahead of time for panel discussions. I am very interested in combining school visits with attending your bookfest. I am willing to present writing workshops in addition to answering questions about my work.

What do I charge?

As a teacher myself, I am all too aware to the financial constraints schools and libraries operate under. That’s why I try to work with interested parties so that their students have the opportunity to meet an author whose book(s) they read. I am available on a limited basis during the school year since I have ninth graders to teach, but I do take time off for events that are well-planned and have an enthusiastic audience. In addition, I am happy to do Skype/Google Hangout visits.

My basic requirements for visits are as follows:
1. If I’m flying to your location, I must have my expenses covered: that means airfare and hotel.
2. If I’m driving more than 50 miles to your location, I must be reimbursed for fuel.
3. I expect students to be familiar with my work. I am happy to partner with a local bookstore to do signings as a fundraiser for you.

In addition to covering my travel, I have a $750-$1200/day appearance fee that is negotiable based on your situation. Please contact me before you decide there’s no way you can swing the fee and/or travel expenses. Let’s talk and figure out a solution. The fee for 1/2 day is $375-$600.00. I prefer to talk to groups of no more than 30 students at a time; however, I will work with you to give you as much “bang for your buck” as possible. As stated earlier: I’m a teacher. I get where you are coming from. Trust me.

PLEASE NOTE: With very few exceptions, I do not sell my own books: I do not haul a box of books to your location. I suggest that you partner with a local bookstore–an independent one, preferably–to make my books available for purchase. Compared to many other mid-list authors, I charge much less to do school visits. However, the trade-off is that your students are well-acquainted with my work and my books are available to buy. Most bookstores will happily do on-site sales for you.

Book Festival Coordinators: While I am willing to appear to speak at your event, I do not attend events that require paying for a table and selling my own books. Please keep that in mind before contacting me.

Thanks!

PRESENTATIONS/PUBLIC SPEAKING

2017
YA Fest, Easton, PA: panelist, topic & co-panelists TBA

Teen Bookfest By the Bay, Corpus Christi, TX: panelist, topic & co-panelists TBA

2016
Border Book Bash, Mission, TX, panelist, topic & co-panelists TBA

Veterans Memorial High School, Mission, TX: featured speaker, “Writing: A Great Way to Work Out Your Stuff”/Book Talk on The Patience Trilogy and Big Fat Disaster

La Joya High School, Mission, TX: featured speaker, “Writing: A Great Way to Work Out Your Stuff”/Book Talk on The Patience Trilogy and Big Fat Disaster

McAllen Book Festival, McAllen, TX: featured speaker, “Writing: A Great Way to Work Out Your Stuff”/Book Talk on The Patience Trilogy and Big Fat Disaster

Dr. Abraham Cano Freshman Campus, Harlingen, TX: featured speaker, “Writing: A Great Way to Work Out Your Stuff”/Book Talk on The Patience Trilogy and Big Fat Disaster

Mission High School, Mission, TX: TX featured speaker, “Writing: A Great Way to Work Out Your Stuff”/Book Talk on The Patience Trilogy and Big Fat Disaster

Texas Library Association Annual Conference, Houston, TX: Panelist: Spirit of Texas High School Reading List: award winner for Big Fat Disaster

Teen Bookfest By the Bay, Corpus Christi, TX: Panelist: “(How Characters Demonstrate the Ability to Be a Force for Good): ‘The Power of One’” with Guadalupe Garcia McCall and Tricia Leaver

2015
Teen Bookfest By the Bay, Corpus Christi, TX: Panelist: Realistic Fiction, with Lindsey
Lane

Colorado Teen Literature Conference, Denver, CO: Featured Speaker: “Writing From Real Life”

Montgomery County Book Festival, Conroe, TX: Panelist

2014
Texas Library Association Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX: Proposal Writer/Panelist:
“Don’t Talk About What? Religion’s Place in YA Fiction” with Patricia Dunn, Christina Gonzalez, Christine Kohler, Varian Johnson, Elsa Marston, N.H. Senzai, Tim Tingle

2013
YABFest, Round Rock, TX: Panelist, “My So-Called World,” with E. Kristin Anderson, Jessica Lee Anderson, David Levithan & Andrea Cremer, & Lindsey Scheibe

NCTE/ALAN, Boston, MA: Proposal Writer & Panelist: “Coming of Age, Then and Now: The Truth Remains the Same” with Selene Castrovilla, Shannon Delany, Ellen Hopkins, Jeri Smith-Ready

2012
Missouri SCBWI Conference, St. Louis, MO: Panelist with Jo Knowles, Deborah Heiligman, Selene Castrovilla, and Shannon Delany.

YALSA/ALA Annual Conference, St. Louis, MO: Panelist with Jo Knowles, Deborah Heiligman, Selene Castrovilla, and Shannon Delany.

2011
Crime Victims’ Awareness Week, Dallas, TX: Keynote Speaker: “Courage and Hope”

Greater Texas Community Partners, Dallas, TX: Featured Speaker: “Courage and Hope”