January 11 Rogers Memorial in Southampton NY

January 10 Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Conference in Syracuse NY

March Oswego High School, Oswego NY

April Niskayuna High School, Niskayuna NY

August 3-7 Creative Writing Week at Camp Wabasso, Cornell Cooperative Extension Jefferson County NY

August 24 Reading and Writing Institute sponsored by Columbia University at SUNY Oswego

September 24, 7 p.m. Carthage Free Library Open to the Public. Author's Night

April 13, noon - 2 p.m. Liverpool Public Library Author Extravaganza, Booksigning and Discussion. Liverpool NY.

May 21, 6 p.m. River's End Bookstore in Oswego NY. Booksigning and Reading.

June 30, State University of New York at Oswego NY. Discussion. Closed to public.

July 21, Flower Memorial Library Teen Writers Workshop, Watertown NY.

July 23, Pulaski Public Library Teen Writers Workshop, Pulaski NY.

July 31, Campbell's Point, closed to public.

August 4, Reading and Writing Institute sponsored by Columbia University at SUNY Oswego; keynote address

August 12, Keene Valley Public Library, Keene Valley NY. Discussion 7 p.m.

October 21, Oswego Reading Council, Oswego NY.

December 4, Ogdensburg Reading Council, Ogdensburg NY.

YA readers are curious about creativity. Having an author come visit can spark excitement about reading and writing. Plus, authors (usually) aren't movie stars. They wear dorky clothes and go on and on about how uncool they were in high school. They are likely to show up with a smear of ink on their faces. They might or might not be wearing matching socks, depending on how the morning went. They get all excited if you say you like stories about pancakes. Or stories about war. It doesn't matter. The operative word is stories.

Here are some programming ideas that might fit into your school, library, or community event. Treat each programming idea like an ingredient. Choose ingredients to make a recipe for a rewarding author visit.

Red Bull and Sausage Pizza: How to Write A Novel. OK. The "Red Bull" and "Sausage Pizza" pretty much sums up my novel-writing process. Well, that and a few other things that I'll share in this presentation that is appropriate for small and large groups. This presentation is followed by open-floor Q and A. It includes a day in the life of an author, the process of going from a book idea to a book store shelf, and a sneak-peak reading from my work-in-process.

Fiction Writing Workshop. Budding authors can hone their writing skills and imaginations on topics ranging from characters to point-of-view to setting to plot. Small groups work best for this type of presentation. Discussion will include outlining versus no outline, revisions, journaling/blogging, and writing in the moment.

Self-Expression Session. This is a program for learning-disabled kids in middle and high school. I'm a firm believer in the evidence that kids with learning disabilities have an extra dose of creative soul. This program is designed to allow LD kids to express themselves through story prompts; we'll discuss music videos, painting, graphic novels and manga as examples of the integration of many art forms into story-telling; and I'll relate my own personal story as a family member to learning disabled persons who struggle to read my stories, but nonetheless are the most valuable idea-givers I have.

Teen Roundtable. I love the word roundtable and insist on making it one word in this scenario. Even if you don't have a round table for a roundtable, it's more about the equality of participants than it is about the furniture. Here, aspiring teen writers submit writing-related topics ahead of the event for a moderated discussion. Sample topics: Do today's books speak to teen culture? Do teenagers read enough? Is blogging safe? Do some YA books go to far? Why do books get banned? Are authors dorky? Roundtable-style, with or without audience.

If you have an idea that's not here, let's put it together, together! Let me know your special circumstances or restrictions. I'm more than happy to tailor a presentation to your needs. In addition, I offer programs for adults. Check back soon for more information on programs for adults.

What You Should Do To Prepare For An Author Visit:

Step One: Read http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/authors/appear.html and http://www.teacherlibrarian.com/tlmag/v_31/v_31_5_feature.html

Step Two: Contact me for availability and to discuss programming interests.

Step Three: Perform any funding paperwork. Please keep in mind I offer an "I Used to Live There!" discount, which covers a whole lot of random places in central New York and New Hampshire. My fees are solely to cover the time I'm not writing a book, plus travel expenses.

Step Four: Create Buzz! If participants have read my book, it makes the visit inordinately more valuable. Even if you can't assure that, making posters and getting the visit into school newsletters is a good way to get students excited.

Step Five: If your district/library wants to offer the option to pre-order a book that can be autographed on the day of the event, perform the necessary paperwork to hand out to students. I highly recommend this, because it eliminates confusion on author visit day. I will provide further details at your request, but keep in mind you can order discounted books directly from the publisher.

Step Six: Assign a student ambassador to meet the author and serve as a tour guide.

Step Seven: Make sure the facility you've designated for the event is ready to rock and roll.