For The Love Of Literacy! For the Love Of YA Lit! For the Generosity of @LaurieStolarz! #Thankful

A few weeks ago, author Laurie Stolarz, author of,

• Blue Is For Nightmares,
• White is For Magic,
• Silver is For Secrets,
• Red is For Remembrance,
• Black is for Beginnings,
• Bleed, 
• Project 17, 
• Deadly Little Secret, 
• Deadly Little Lies,
• Deadly Little Games, 
• Deadly Little Voices,
• Deadly Little Lessons, 
• Welcome to the Dark Horse, and
• Return To the Dark House,

contacted me to learn more about the Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University and to share her willingness to work with several of our young adult writers at CWP's Young Adult Literacy Labs. Yesterday morning (despite a busy schedule) she made time to talk to our 30 novelists and graphic artists about her creative processes, a lifetime of storytelling, and the quest for publications and communications. She was an enormous hit and the students talked about her cyber-visit all day. For those attending our laboratories, the accomplishments of Laurie Stolarz is the goal. Her achievements are many.

What a tremendous honor to have the author with us for a morning kick off and for her to offer inspiration to our young Connecticut writers.

As a result, I've ordered a few of her books for my Fall sabbatical (and to add to our CWP collection) and I have to admit, the Dark House series is the one I want to read towards... (especially because - this is W A Y  C O O L - in the gif of Welcome to the Dark House on her website there are actual horses moving behind the title. How'd they do this?).

So, I post today in appreciation of a new friendship and with hope we'll be able to meet face to face soon. It was a pleasure to bring our National Writing Project site's work before her on the screen.