I’m looking forward to talking to the students in the Open Program and Montessori Program about The Lost Celt and becoming an author. This event is not open to the public.

Arlene Francis Center, 99 Sixth Street, Historic Railroad Square, Santa Rosa, CA 95401

On February 29th I’m going to take a look at how we can make out manuscripts “leap off the page” and “scale new heights.” I promise bad puns have absolutely no part in it.

For more information click HERE.

I’ll be introducing and hosting Eoin Colfer talking about his new adult book HighFire.

“In the days of yore Wyvern the dragon (now Vern) flew the skies and scorched angry mobs—now he hides from swamp tour boats and rises only with the greatest reluctance from his Laz-Z-Boy recliner. Laying low in the bayou, this once-magnificent fire breather has been reduced to lighting Marlboros with nose sparks, swilling Absolut in a Flashdance T-shirt, and binging Netflix in a fishing shack.” A hilarious action-packed fantasy from the author of the acclaimed Artemis Fowl series.

Eoin Colfer is funnier than any stand-up comedian. Don’t miss this event for anything…even the Oscars. (There’s tons of time for them afterwards. Tiaras and gowns welcome at the event if you have to pick up an award later.)

For more information click HERE.

I’m looking forward to talking at Book Passage’s Path to Publishing Program seminar on children’s literature. I’ll be discussing those perennial word count, age group and content questions. Definitely guidelines, not rules! For more information click HERE

Old Mill School, Mill Valley: I’m delighted to be visiting Old Mill School not only for the third year in a row, but the second time in the same week, to talk to their new 5th grade about The Lost Celt, the Celts and the Romans, how I became a writer and my five top tips for young writers.

Old Mill School, Mill Valley: I’m delighted to be visiting Old Mill School for the third year in a row, to talk to their new 4th grade about The Lost Celt, the Celts and the Romans, how I became a writer and my five top tips for young writers.

Walnut Grove Elementary School, Pleasanton: I’m going to be speaking to the 125 child Breakfast Book Club and then talking to the school’s entire 4 and 5th grades. Really looking forward to it. Every child in the Book Club will be getting a copy of The Lost Celt.

Los Altos High School, Los Altos, CA: I’m delighted to be a part of the school’s week-wide writers’ event thanks to an invitation by writer and teacher Gordon Jack. For an entire week, Los Altos students will meet authors and talk about the writing process. I’m hoping I can sit in on a few of the talks as well. I’ll be talking to a Literature class about becoming a writer and putting the case for writing middle grade books to High School Students. Should be interesting ;0)

A. E. Kent Middle School, Kentfield, CA: I'm so happy to be returning to the school with the same initials as mine to talk to fifth grade about The Lost Celt and the writing/editing process. 

Tenaya Lodge, Yosemite: Looking forward to presenting with Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, Jill Diamond and Darcey Rosenblatt on the Nature of Friendships in Middle Grade novels.

Broadcasting from my own front room:  I can't wait to read aloud via Skype to schools partcipating in #WorldReadAloudDay. So far I've had requests from California. Georgia and Nigeria! I don't think I could be more excited! My dad always read to me as a child, doing all the voices. He was brilliant. And my teacher Mrs Wilson, in elementary school, always read to her class for the last fifteen minutes of the school day, as did my Latin teacher Mr Preddy in secondary school. Those minutes were the best of the whole day: Children on the Oregon Trail, The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe, The Silver Sword, The Odyssey, The Illiad and Winnie Ille Pooh (It was a Latin class!) Being read to creates readers, and thinkers and more compassionate people, I'm sure of it. And you are never too old to be read to.

The Cove School, Corte Madera: I'll be talking at the school assembly about The Lost Celt and how I became a writer as part of the school's Readathon event.

Folio Books, 24th Street, San Francisco: I'm so happy to be invited to speak at the Book Worms book club about The Lost Celt, the history of Romans and Celts and how the book came about.

If you would like to book a ticket please book here at Eventbrite. It's open to the public!

Notre Dame des Victoires, San Francisco: I'm happy to be talking about the The Lost Celt to Grades 4-8 to support the school Book Fair. I'll be sharing my writing journey and some great Celtic and Roman history. (This event is not open to the public.)

Cherry Hill Room, Pacific Palms Resort, City of Industry, CA: I'm going to be presenting on "Using War Stories to Engage Readers and Meet Common Core." Please come and join me.

Northern California Independent Booksellers Association Fall Discovery Show, South San Francisco Conference Center:  I'll be the "wild card" in a discussion about children's book clubs with Summer Laurie and Drew Durham from Books Inc, (Laurel Village and Burlingame) and Suzie Hough from Hicklebees. My Book Passage Book Club, Ink, is the only club where we write our own books as well as read and host authors. Should be interesting. Let the Wild Rumpus begin!

M'Ladies of the Book: How to Grow a Healthy Critique Group: Proud to be presenting for the first time at this wonderful conference with Darcey Rosenblatt, Lost Boys, Henry Holt, August 2017, L B Schulman, Stolen Secrets, Boyds Mill Press, Sept. 2017, Elizabeth Shreeve, Captain Freddy Counts Down to School, Amazon Two Lions, Alie Berka and Shannon Ledger. Come and hear us celebrate our experiences, experiments and excellent moments growing and sustaining a critique group over 15 years.

Gate Academy, San Rafael: I'm going to be talking to grades 4 and up about The Lost Celt and particularly the writing and editing process to support their work looking at Children's literature. 

Presidio, SF:  Not really The Lost Celt related, but wearing both my bookseller and author hats, I'll be moderating a panel on "Educator Outreach" for independent booksellers. I love this one day meeting. Spending time with authors, listening to reps pitch and meeting booksellers is a mini heaven!

Urban Promise Academy, Oakland: So happy to be returning to this wonderful school of "Scholars, warriors and artists," to present The Lost Celt.

Coleman Elementary School, San Rafael, CA:  I talk at Coleman School every year about the books that I love in their school book fair, but this is the first time I'll be visiting just to talk about my own book, The Lost Celt. Really looking forward to it!

Wordspelunking.blogspot.com, March 15, 2017: Visit this blogspot on March 15 and you will see my guest post and giveaway. Very happy to be visting wordspelunking as part of the March MG Madness Blog extravaganza. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a St Patrick's Day flavor to the post.

Sierra Lakes Elementary School, Riverside, CA: Thanks to Sierra Lakes' wonderful librarian, Ayrel Evans, I will be doing a "Meet an Author" Skype visit to children and parents gathering for the school's Read Across America Week celebration. I'll have to look out my Cat in the Hat hat! 

NEA's Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss.

Old Mill School, Mill Valley, CA: I'm looking forward to returning to Old Mill to speak to both fourth grade classes about The Lost Celt and Roman and Celtic history.

Rockin' Jump Trampoline Park, Vacaville, CA: Now this is a winning combination! Come and jump on trampolines while listening to authors read their works, and then meet the authors for a signing. Exercise for the body, brain and soul all at once. 

Orion School, Redwood City, CA: My first time at this renowned event speaking to students at and visitors to Orion School.