The museum edition of That Smudge of Smoke is currently available only at the Steamboat Era Museum in Irvington, Virginia. It can also be ordered through their online shop.
Additionally, That Smudge of Smoke (hardcover) is now available for preorder through Amazon.
Stay tuned for more events coming in the fall…
School and Library Visits

As a former teacher myself, I particularly enjoy visiting schools, libraries, and book clubs to talk about my experiences as an author, the research and writing processes, or to give hands-on creative writing workshops. I welcome email questions and comments from teachers and students and look forward to school visits!
Choose a topic from below:
- Breathing life into your story: It’s all in the details.
- Turning Truth to Fiction
- When your editor says your character isn’t stepping up to the plate…
- Using Emotion to Connect with Your Readers
- Building a Historical World
- The Research and Writing Process
- The Revision Process
Or choose your own customized workshop on an element of the craft of writing.
Below are links to discussion questions and activities that I hope will give teachers ideas for using THAT SMUDGE OF SMOKE, ROAD TO TATER HILL, BROKEN DRUM, or REBEL HART as part of their literature, language arts, social studies, and even music curricula.
Discussion Guides (downloadable pdfs)
THAT SMUDGE OF SMOKE Discussion Guide
ROAD TO TATER HILL Discussion Guide | BROKEN DRUM Discussion Questions |
ROAD TO TATER HILL Teacher Activity Guide | REBEL HART Literature Circle Questions |