Pam Webb

Blog Spotlight: Valerie R Lawson

One of the reasons I began blogging was to build my platform–you know, the mantra that Kevin Costner inadvertenly began in Field of Dreams: “build it and they will come.”

While I have yet to promote my books (ahem, I have to get manuscripts published first) I have met other writers who focus on young adults and middlers. Valerie is one of the first Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator writers I found here at WordPress.  I will have to say this about Valerie: she is enthusiastic about both SCBWI and writing!

In her own words, or words I found at the bottom of an interview about her:

Valerie Lawson is a young adult contemporary author who dabbles in middle grade mysteries and practices the art of cursing while driving. She has been known on occasion to wield sarcasm like a +5 Holy Avenger. In her previous life, she believes she was a Mayan goddess as evidenced by her love of chocolate and Javier Bardem. (She recognizes that Javier is Spanish, but she doesn’t care.) She lives in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, with her husband and two children who suffer through her delusions of grandeur and bouts of madness with grace. You can read more about her writing journey on her blog at Barbies on Fire or follow her on Twitter.

I have yet to make it to the annual Los Angeles SCBWI Conference. I vicariously attended the event through Valerie’s vivid play-by-play descriptions of the workshops and functions.  She promotes her own OK SCBWI conference and tosses out contests and opportunities to further one’s craft. When she is absent from the blogging spectrum for a while I know it’s because she is immersed in her own writing projects–which is a good thing.

So, thanks, Valerie, for being the cheerleader you are when it comes to getting out there and doing something with our writing.