School visits are always great fun, so I was excited to present at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School in Winston-Salem, NC recently.

It was an honor meeting the 3rd-8th grade students and faculty. The students were terrific and asked fantastic questions about the writing process and publishing. They were impressive!

We discussed ways to find inspiration for our writing and the real-life inspiration for my books, Varlandria and The Secrets of Shadywoods. It was fun to tell some of the background stories from my childhood.

I enjoyed teaching the students about the methods I use for prewriting organization and for revising and editing the first draft. We also discussed illustrating methods, creating book covers, and self-publishing.

What a great time with a fantastic group of kids and teachers!

An author friend joined me on the trip, and we visited bookstores in Winston-Salem while we were there. The Eclectible Shop was full of all kinds of treasures, from books to art, and no trip to Winston-Salem is complete without a visit to McKAY’s.

It was an awesome day filled with lots of book talk and the love of writing. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to visit with such an amazing school. Thank you, OLM, for a wonderful experience!