Substack, hello!
(Getting started here, many lanes... publishing, education, salamanders, parenting, and thrillers!)
I’ve been a lurker for a long time. Many of my favs are here! Lately I’ve been reading
, , , , , and among others! Color me inspired by their brilliance.It’s time I step into the mix. Having blogged in its hey-day, this platform reminds me of those early days where you built actual relationships and connections with people and organizations, and felt like you were being heard in the great big world.
One problem with writing for me is I don’t stay where I’m told. I don’t have a lane. I have lots of lanes/genres. People contain multitudes!
Having been a public school teacher for nearly 20 years has given me quite a lens on this critical field. I’ve been writing extensively about teaching for about 15 years, with books and articles about teacher attrition, service learning, personalized learning, teaching during the pandemic, and coming soon (June 2!) a new book with Routledge about how to build a sustainable career in education. I hope to shorten the learning curve for new teachers about how to stay healthy, grounded, and supported in this every changing (and increasingly challenging) field. This book features the voices and advice of many veteran teachers, current research and resources, and has room for reflection and creating a sustainable plan. More on this soon!
I’m also a writer of fiction across (you guessed it!) several genres. I have a picture book called Salamander Sky published with McSea press and illustrated by the fabulous Meg Sodano. It is about the downright magical spring migration of the spotted salamander and a girl who goes out with her scientist mom to help them across busy roads. (I eagerly await crossing nights in Vermont, walking up and down our dirt road searching for these yellow spotted beauties— also spring peppers, wood frogs and other amphibian friends. (Here are photos from a recent school presentation about this special phenomenon).
Working in public schools in small towns with shifting politics, power and alliances gave me a good perspective (but of course, no crimes were committed!) to write my debut thriller, THE BOARD, publishing with Blackstone in September.
More on this soon but a teaser:
Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies, The Board is one mother’s attempt to uncover the dark secrets that pervade her small New England town. Has she uncovered a criminal enterprise run by members of the school board? Or is it all in her head?
And of course you will find here posts about books, publishing, current events (dear god), and parenting (because WOW the learning is constant), and maybe even sometimes music, because, there are just so many lanes and interests and worlds to explore.
Thank you for reading, it’s nice to meet you here, and please drop me a comment or question if you want to know more about any of this wild highway driving, and if you would like me to post about any of these topics. Stay safe out there. Remember that good books, music, connections with people, nature and art exist and are there to ease/challenge/enrich you soul, and you don’t have to stay in your lane (unless you are driving in traffic then you probably should).