Welcome to Colleen Ryckert Cook's Little Part of the TMoD Ning

Colleen is handling Samantha "Sam" Marlowe, The Reporter.

Colleen joined Twitter a year ago as an exercise to tell a story in 140 characters or less. She's had practice writing tight: Her memoir appears on page 68 of Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs from Writers Famous and Obscure (Harper Perennial, 2008).

Six years ago her son started writing his own stories in a spiral-bound notebook. Inspired, she decided it was time to make her childhood dream of writing a book come true. From that came THE WOLF BELT, a midde grade supernatural tale about a 12-year-old boy whose nightmares about an ancient werewolf feel frighteningly real, and whose biology teacher may the very monster haunting him.

Her second venture, CLEMENTINE JANE PARKER STARTS OVER, is a romantic comedy about a scorned woman who learns what real love is with help - or hindrance? - from four overbearing sisters, three disasterous rebound dates, two meddling friends, and a bristly musican who gets under her skin. She's also working on Kentucky Then and Now (Rosen, 2010), part of Rosen's series on the United States.

Colleen graduated from the University of Kansas with majors in Communication Studies and Journalism. She's contributed as writer or editor to numerous trade and commercial magazines, business books, historial nonfiction, corporate newsletters, Web content and media releases. She is a regular contributor to KidLit Central, a blog devoted to writers in the Midwest, and a member of Heartland Writers for Kids and Teens. Colleen has coordinated multiple conferences and workshops for area writers and participates in Kansas SCBWI events.

Website: Heartland Writers for Kids and Teens http://heartlandwriters.com
Blogs: Colleen Ryckert Cook http://crcook.livejournal.com; KidLit Central http://community.livejournal.com/kidlit_central
Twitter: crcook