Book Launch images taken on August 3, 2024, at the Jefferson Madison Regional Library, Central Branch in Charlottesville

Past Events
Saturday, March 21, 2026
Virginia Festival of the Book

​Moderating Roots & Resilience: Stories with Heart for Children with Shana Keller & Frederick Joseph
 11:30 am @  Gordon Library, Charlottesville, VA

Author Panel: Middle Grades that Matter with Allan Wolf & Daniel Nayeri, moderated by Kathryn Erskine
4 pm @ New Dominion Books, Charlottesville, VA
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Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Stop, Look, Listen Breakout Session & Author Panel w/
Sue Fliess, Lynn Brunelle, Kyle Lukoff, Kate Pearsall. Steve Sheinkin
Virginia State Literacy Association Conference
Hotel Roanoke, Roanoke, VA
Friday, February 6, 2026
Vinegar Hill Presentation with Third &  Fourth  Graders
Peabody School, Charlottesville, VA
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Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Lit Word's World Read Aloud Day Virtual School Visits
(Find Kate Messner's list of 400+ traditionally published authors offering free visits​ for WRAD HERE.)
Thursday, November 6, 2025
SCBWI Elementary  School  Presentation 
Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL) Conference
​Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg, VA 

“A wonderful POV workshop… stellar!”
Mary Quattlebaum, VCFA’s MFA program in Writing for Children Faculty Member 

Saturday, October 25, 2025, 1-3 pm
Parasol Or Velcro: Unleashing the Power of POV 
SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Fall Workshop 2025
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Friday, July 25, 2025
Vinegar Hill Presentation & Writing Workshop
Camp Dogwood Summer Academy Rising 2nd - 4th  Graders
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Monday, April 14, 2025
Researching Vinegar Hill Presentation & Writing Workshop
Albemarle High School: African American Studies & Creative Writing Classes
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Wednesday, February 5, 2025
World Read Aloud Day Celebration

For this year's annual WRAD Celebration presented by litworld.org, I donated two 20-minute virtual classroom visits at two different schools. After an author meet-and-greet and reading from Mama's Chicken & Dumplings, I gave the fifth-grade kiddos a chance to ask me anything! It was so much fun, I plan on doing it again next year!
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Thursday, January 30, 2025
Read Your World Day Virtual Party

Read Your World paired my book Mama's Chicken & Dumplings, up with Ms. Camarilo, librarian at C.F. Simmons Middle School librarian, in Aurora, IL, so we could celebrate Read Your World Day (#ReadYourWorld) together! A virtual party celebrating kidlit diversity hosted by Read Your World took place on Thursday, January 30th at 9 pm EST, during which time they gave away a bundle of great books every five minutes! 
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
​DC School Visits with Fifth Graders in Association with An Open Book Foundation 
Morning session at Washington School for Girls (WSG): The View Campus
Afternoon sessions at Garfield Elementary School 
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Thursday, November 7, 2024
Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL) Conference
Williamsburg, Virginia at the Williamsburg Lodge
SCBWI Elementary School Presentation 
Saturday, September 28, 2024, 2-3 pm
In conversation with Wendy Wan-Long Shang
Scrawl Books
Reston Town Center
11911 Freedom Dr.
Reston, VA 20190
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bbgb bookseller, Emma (shown in the center photo), was a perfect host as I celebrated the release of my debut!
​Saturday, August 31, 2024, 2-3 pm 
MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS Author Visit & Signing
bbgb
3003 West Cary Street
Richmond, VA 23221
​Saturday, August 3, 2024, 2-4 pm
MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS Book Launch Celebration
Jefferson Madison Regional Library Central Branch
201 E. Market Street
Swanson Room, 3rd floor
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Friday, August 2, 2024, 2-4 pm
SCBWI Mid-Atlantic First Pages Reading Event w/ Kidlit pros Jacqui Lipton, Kelly Dyksterhouse, and Kathryn Erskine
The Front Porch
221 East Water Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902