School Visits and Speaking Gigs

Deanna has the BEST TIME visiting schools and doing both presentations and keynote speeches at writing or reading conferences. She's been an avid speaker since high school, and no crowd large or small, from the teeny toddlers to the professionals, can scare her!

Speaking fees depend on the size of the audience and the length of the day. As a ballpark, you can expect a half-day to be $300 (plus travel if more than an hour from Austin, Texas). Speaking fees are reduced or waived in certain circumstances, particularly if the school or event will be sending out book order forms or selling books, or if the topic is particularly important to her.

Books and topics available:

• 4-8 year olds: Dust Bunnies: Secret Agents, a digital story book app from Polycot Labs.
• 9-12 year olds: Jinnie Wishmaker and the forthcoming trilogy of magical books for tweens. Deanna is also part of an anthology of short stories for this age: 10 Tales for Tweens. She also does kid workshops on creative writing and has helped classrooms prepare for the 4th grade state writing test. (She's a former schoolteacher and was a Language Arts textbook editor.)
• Adults: Baby Dust is a book about miscarriage and pregnancy loss. Deanna is a regular speaker on this topic. Stella & Dane is a romance novel. Deanna has conducted romance talks at libraries.
• Writers: Deanna regularly speaks on the subject of writing and marketing, particularly from the small press perspective and for indie writers in the world of ePublishing.

Some recent speaking adventures:

Watch for LOTS of new things happening in 2014! Check back!

Nov. 17, 2012 in Lakeway, Texas:
Deanna was a part of a panel on publishing with the Lake Travis Fiction Writers.

Oct. 28, 2012 in Austin, Texas:
Deanna was at the Texas Book Festival as part of the Writers' League of Texas booth events.

Oct. 6, 2012 at St. Edward's University:
The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Digital Conference: The Nuts and Bolts of Success. Deanna conducted a one-hour presentation in the morning on "Marketing Your Digital Story Book" as well as lead a hands-on activity with attendees in the afternoon to create a story time presentation sure to turn visitors into fans.

July 25, 2012 at KOOP radio:
Deanna was part of a panel on publishing in the modern era for the talk show Writing on the Air. Go listen to the broadcast!

May 15, 2012 in Pflugerville ISD:
Deanna presented her Digital Storybook app Dust Bunnies Secret Agents to six kindergarten classes. In one day! And didn't die from cuteness overload!

May 10, 2012 at Baby Earth in Round Rock, Texas:
Deanna was invited to do the story time at this environmentally friendly baby store with  Dust Bunnies: Secret Agents.

May 2-3, 2012 in Eanes ISD:
Deanna presented Dust Bunnies: Secret Agents to four kindergarten classes.

March 2, 2012 at Learning Ally:
Deanna participated in a Record-a-Thon fundraiser for the blind and dyslexic along with local celebrities and Louis Sachar, author of Holes.

Oct. 15, 2011 at The BookSpot in Round Rock, Texas:
Deanna launched her adult novel Baby Dust.

Oct. 8, 2011 at St. Edward's University
The SCBWI Digital Conference. Deanna led a one-hour presentation on "Standing Out in the eBook Crowd" to writers and aspiring authors.