Shoemaker, Margaret Byrne - Writer
|
Margaret spices her children’s stories with adventure, humor and love. Her first middle-grade novel, Sailors, Hearts and Heroes, intertwines the lives of three close friends with guilt, fear, death and healing; it draws from a sailing excursion Margaret survived while growing up in the Texas Hill Country.
Margaret’s picture story books include: My Mom is a Maniac, Sheila’s Story, Run for the Rainbow, Ride for the Rainbow and Race to the Rainbow. The “Rainbow stories” or Texablarney Tales playfully present a fresh spin on topics most kids and parents struggle with on a daily basis.
Numerous projects are on the docket for this year. Margaret continues to incorporate her experiences as a pediatric occupational therapist, community youth leader and speaker to create entertaining literature for children. Publication credits include the JGS News, the Hutto News, the Round Rock Leader, the Taylor Daily Press and the Texas Writer. Margaret completed the Writer's Digest Novel Writing Workshop. She participates in SCBWI conferences and workshops. One of her inspirational pieces, Set Your Compass and Stay on Course, was a finalist for the Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul.
Several years ago, Margaret had the pleasure of introducing Louis Sachar (award winning author of Holes) at the Texas Book Festival. She loves discussing the writing process and sharing her stories with school children. Margaret resides in Round Rock, Texas, with her family and Peaches, the cat.