{"id":197,"date":"2011-11-30T14:32:39","date_gmt":"2011-11-30T14:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/bio\/"},"modified":"2022-04-10T19:10:16","modified_gmt":"2022-04-10T19:10:16","slug":"bio","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/bio\/","title":{"rendered":"Bio"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"197\" class=\"elementor elementor-197\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-67255cd elementor-section-height-min-height elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-items-middle\" data-id=\"67255cd\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-478565e\" data-id=\"478565e\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4313f6c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4313f6c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.10.2 - 29-01-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Who is Lynn Plourde?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f2b03dc elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f2b03dc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">By the way, <strong>Plourde<\/strong> rhymes with <strong>Ford<\/strong>.<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-54c730b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"54c730b\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b7b60f3\" data-id=\"b7b60f3\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2e4e3d2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2e4e3d2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.10.2 - 29-01-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#818a91;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#818a91;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>Lynn Plourde is the author of more than forty children\u2019s books including her first book <em>Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud<\/em> as well as <em>Wild Child, Moose, of Course!<\/em>, <em>At One in a Place Called Maine<\/em>, <em>Maxi\u2019s Secrets<\/em>,<em> How to Talk Monster<\/em>, <em>Best Buddies<\/em>, and many more. She does numerous in-person and virtual author visits at schools. Lynn grew up in Skowhegan, Maine, and currently lives in Winthrop with her husband.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-acbbdf7 elementor-align-center elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"acbbdf7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"#fullbio\" class=\"elementor-button-link elementor-button elementor-size-md elementor-animation-grow\" role=\"button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Learn more about Lynn<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0251b4d elementor-widget__width-auto elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"0251b4d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"#boxqa\" class=\"elementor-button-link elementor-button elementor-size-md elementor-animation-grow\" role=\"button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Q&A with Lynn<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2e14611 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2e14611\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c4bd974\" data-id=\"c4bd974\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b5c5b76 elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-up elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"b5c5b76\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/elementor-pro\/assets\/css\/widget-flip-box.min.css\">\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDramatic\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDramatic\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tActed in plays in high school & college\n<br><br>\nLynn as Ado Annie\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-66 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-64ff771\" data-id=\"64ff771\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-764aae9 elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-up elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"764aae9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"212\" height=\"261\" src=\"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bio-author.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-895\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKids' Book Author\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKids' Book Author\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGreatest job in the world\u2014a magician pulling stories out of a hat, er . . . a mind\n<br><br>\nUse the Herculean power of words to move kids\u2014make them laugh, cry, or sigh, \u201cI\u2019m not the only one who . . .\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2733b1b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2733b1b\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b29c15a\" data-id=\"b29c15a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cd7536d elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-down elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"cd7536d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"191\" height=\"202\" src=\"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bio-word-player.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-894\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWord Player\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWord Player\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWords are like toys meant to be played with.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0458f44 elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-down elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"0458f44\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCreative\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCreative\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThousands of ideas . . . <br>\nLynn\u2019s idea notebook overflows\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-75b4063\" data-id=\"75b4063\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70478e7 elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-down elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"70478e7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSchool Lover\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSchool Lover\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLynn\u2019s second grade class with the real Mrs. Shepherd (Lynn-front row center with saddle shoes)\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-11667db elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-down elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"11667db\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"198\" height=\"296\" src=\"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bio-reader.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-942\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tReader\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tReader\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tREADER of picture books, middle grade novels, Maine books, inspirational stories & more. <br> <br>\nIf you want to write, you\u2019ve gotta read, read, read, and then read some more\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1931659\" data-id=\"1931659\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96ab8f4 elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-down elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"96ab8f4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"128\" height=\"248\" src=\"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bio-teach.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-896\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTeaching Author\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTeaching Author\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLynn uses her books as spring boards to teach writing lessons that vary by grade level -  add on stories, copycat stories, being pattern detectives, subtraction stories, poetic stories, graphic novel scenes and so many kinds of stories to teach.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f95edae elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f95edae\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a3a0b75\" data-id=\"a3a0b75\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d22387a elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-up elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"d22387a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"210\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bio-therapist-210x300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-976\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bio-therapist-210x300.jpeg 210w, https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bio-therapist.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFormer Speech Language Therapist\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFormer Speech Language Therapist\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearned the golden rule of teaching: Begin where the kid is at\n<br><br>\nOpened door to writing . . .\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-65ad6e3\" data-id=\"65ad6e3\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-52ea28a elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-up elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"52ea28a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ta bit of a ham\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA bit of a ham\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLynn reading You\u2019re Wearing THAT to School?!\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-901daf9\" data-id=\"901daf9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-063fcc1 elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-down elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"063fcc1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thomebody\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHomebody\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHome -- favorite place in the world.\n<br><br>\nLynns's home one April 1st -- no joke!\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ee6242b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ee6242b\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-66 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f7352c8\" data-id=\"f7352c8\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0c7870f elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-up elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"0c7870f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDog Lover\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDog Lover\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMaggie, who inspired Maxi's Secrets\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6bc9844\" data-id=\"6bc9844\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c8252ff elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-down elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"c8252ff\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMainer\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMainer\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhy would anyone ever live anywhere else?\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2068d86 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2068d86\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-dc0f55c\" data-id=\"dc0f55c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dae0f7c elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-up elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"dae0f7c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGrandma\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGrandma\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLynn loves \u201cstaying young\u201d by playing silly games and dress-up with her grandson\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-68f0ae3\" data-id=\"68f0ae3\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-39a3064 elementor-flip-box--effect-slide elementor-flip-box--direction-down elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-flip-box\" data-id=\"39a3064\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"flip-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__front\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFormer Cute Kid\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer elementor-flip-box__back\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__overlay\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFormer Cute Kid\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-flip-box__layer__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAwwwwww!\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3f88a536 elementor-section-content-middle elementor-reverse-mobile elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3f88a536\" data-element_type=\"section\" id=\"fullbio\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-79ac3e76\" data-id=\"79ac3e76\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e6d4239 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e6d4239\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Lynn Plourde Biography<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66b4a9e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"66b4a9e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lynn Plourde is a will-never-live-anywhere-else Mainer. She was born on October 1, 1955 in Dexter, grew up in Skowhegan, and currently lives in Winthrop. She\u2019s the second oldest of four (one older sister, two younger brothers). Lynn\u2019s M\u00e9m\u00e8re<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">P\u00e9p\u00e8re (grandparents) lived across the street from her family, and so there were many multi-generational Franco-American family gatherings with card-playing, sing-a-longs, and storytelling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ever since she started kindergarten, Lynn loved school and always thought she would grow up to be a teacher. She played \u201cschool\u201d for hours and always made sure she was the teacher\u2014Barbie and Ken were very attentive students. In real school, Lynn always tried to be the teachers\u2019 pet. She learned to read in kindergarten with \u201cDick &amp; Jane\u201d and then went on to read many series books, including the Bobbsey Twins, the Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew. Even though Lynn has written many picture books, she doesn\u2019t remember reading them as a kid, just chapter books.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lynn wasn\u2019t very outdoorsy growing up and was known to crash her bike and scratch her feet before diving into the water\u2014a nervous habit since she wasn\u2019t a very good swimmer. In high school, Lynn participated in activities such as drama, speech, and majorettes.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lynn went to the University of Maine where she also did drama and majorettes. She earned bachelor and master\u2019s degrees in speech pathology and then worked for 21 years as a speech-language therapist in public schools. Her first published books were in that field, including the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Classroom Listening and Speaking<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> series.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Lynn married her husband, Paul Knowles, in 1984, she got a ready-made family with her two \u201cboys\u201d (stepsons Lucas, 4, and Seth, 3). When she read books to the boys at bedtime, they\u2019d fall asleep after a few books, but she continued reading stacks of picture books. That\u2019s when she began to dream that maybe <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">she<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> could write picture books. And she did! But it took thirteen years of rejections of manuscript after manuscript before she got her first book published by Scholastic, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> illustrated by John Schoenherr (of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Owl Moon<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Julie of the Wolves<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> illustration fame).<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lynn and Paul had their daughter Kylee in 1986. And, so, with three kids in the house, there were plenty of adventures to use as ideas for stories. For example, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wild Child<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was inspired by the struggle of getting kids to bed, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">School Picture Day <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was the result of a challenging family photo, and more recently the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go, Grandma, Go!<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> board book was inspired by keeping up with her energetic grandson, Beckett.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-54eecab elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"54eecab\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.10.2 - 29-01-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1568\" src=\"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/header-lynnplourde-comp-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-1749\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/header-lynnplourde-comp-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/header-lynnplourde-comp-300x184.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/header-lynnplourde-comp-1024x627.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/header-lynnplourde-comp-768x470.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/header-lynnplourde-comp-1536x941.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/header-lynnplourde-comp-2048x1254.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2a85d05 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2a85d05\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>When writing books, Lynn enjoys new challenges which keep the job of being an author fresh and fascinating. She has written rhyming picture books, poetic stories, a fable, picture books with facts in the backmatter, a graphic novel, a biography, board books, and middle grade novels.<\/p><p>Lynn\u2019s books often focus on family, school, the seasons, and Maine. She has a reputation for having a sense of humor in her books (i.e., the Mrs. Shepherd series that started with&nbsp;<i>School Picture Day<\/i>,&nbsp;<i>The Blizzard Wizard, The Boy Whose Face Froze Like That<\/i>), but also for sensitively dealing with the difficult topic of death (<i>Thank You, Grandpa&nbsp;<\/i>and<i>&nbsp;Maxi\u2019s Secrets<\/i>).&nbsp;<\/p><p>Lynn\u2019s experience working as a speech-language therapist and awareness of sounds inspired the use of wordplay in her books, including making up words (i.e.,&nbsp;<i>smuckery, whizzles, wucky,&nbsp;<\/i>creating a Monster language in&nbsp;<i>How to Talk Monster<\/i>). Her work in special education also led her to create characters with special challenges, such as&nbsp;<i>Best Buddies<\/i>&nbsp;about a boy with Down syndrome and&nbsp;<i>Maxi\u2019s Secrets<\/i>&nbsp;about a dog that is deaf.<\/p><p style=\"color: rgba(54, 53, 53, 0.84);\">With more than forty children\u2019s books published, Lynn has received a number of awards for her books, including: Oppenheim, Amelia Bloomer List, Junior Library Guild, Children\u2019s Literature Choice List, Growing Kids Classic Books, and Best of Book recognitions. In Maine, she has received Lupine Honor Awards and Maine Literary Awards. Her favorite awards are those voted on by children including the Golden Sower Award, Young Hoosier Award, and Maine Student Book Awards.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: rgba(54, 53, 53, 0.84);\">Now that Lynn is officially a senior citizen, her hobbies include going for walks, reading, and gardening. She also loves \u201cstaying young\u201d by playing silly games and dress-up with her grandson. She still spends most of her time writing new books and doing author visits. She can\u2019t imagine a time when she would ever stop writing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d61fd6f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d61fd6f\" data-element_type=\"section\" id=\"boxqa\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9da0fb6\" data-id=\"9da0fb6\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a1c096a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a1c096a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Q &amp; A with LYNN<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-15b8a4b elementor-widget elementor-widget-accordion\" data-id=\"15b8a4b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"accordion.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.10.2 - 29-01-2023 *\/\n.elementor-accordion{text-align:left}.elementor-accordion .elementor-accordion-item{border:1px solid #d4d4d4}.elementor-accordion .elementor-accordion-item+.elementor-accordion-item{border-top:none}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title{margin:0;padding:15px 20px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;cursor:pointer;outline:none}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon{display:inline-block;width:1.5em}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon svg{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon.elementor-accordion-icon-right{float:right;text-align:right}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon.elementor-accordion-icon-left{float:left;text-align:left}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon .elementor-accordion-icon-closed{display:block}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon .elementor-accordion-icon-opened,.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title.elementor-active .elementor-accordion-icon-closed{display:none}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title.elementor-active .elementor-accordion-icon-opened{display:block}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-content{display:none;padding:15px 20px;border-top:1px solid #d4d4d4}@media (max-width:767px){.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title{padding:12px 15px}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon{width:1.2em}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-content{padding:7px 15px}}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-accordion,.e-con>.elementor-widget-accordion{width:var(--container-widget-width);--flex-grow:var(--container-widget-flex-grow)}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion\" role=\"tablist\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-2271\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-2271\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon elementor-accordion-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-opened\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-accordion-title\" href=\"\">Is it hard to be an author?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-2271\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-2271\"><p>Yup! Writing and being an author is the hardest job I\u2019ve ever had, but also the most fun job\u2014so I don\u2019t mind working hard. The reason it\u2019s hard is because there\u2019s lots of parts to my job (brainstorming new ideas to see if they might work, writing new stories, revising stories, researching, doing book signings, doing author visits with schools, answering mail and e-mails, publicizing my books, and more). It\u2019s a challenge to fit in all the parts of my job, plus I\u2019m NOT a very organized person.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-2272\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"2\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-2272\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon elementor-accordion-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-opened\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-accordion-title\" href=\"\">How do you get your ideas?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-2272\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"2\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-2272\"><p>I often start with something that really happened to me and then I ask the question, \u201cWhat if?\u201d For example, for my first book Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud, I really had piglets run down my road (rud) one day and so I asked, \u201cWhat if other farm animals were in the road too?\u201d And for my book Wild Child, I asked, \u201cWhat if the parent who\u2019s having a hard time putting kids to bed was Mother Earth?\u201d I\u2019m lucky in that I have hundreds and hundreds of ideas. I think that comes from being a creative person, but the challenge is deciding which ideas have the potential to \u201cgrow\u201d into a story.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-2273\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"3\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-2273\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon elementor-accordion-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-opened\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-accordion-title\" href=\"\">Where do you work?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-2273\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"3\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-2273\"><p>I work in an office (what used to be a small bedroom when all our kids lived home) at our house in Winthrop, Maine. Our house is on top of a ridge and we are surrounded by woods so I get to see deer, wild turkeys, fox, hawks, and other wild animals in our yard. We also have a very long driveway so no one drives by our house. I love the isolation and quiet of where we live\u2014it makes it easier for me to concentrate and not be distracted as I write. In my office, I have a computer on my desk and that\u2019s where I write. Although, sometimes, I like to get a pad of paper and lay on the couch and write there; then I will have to type up what I\u2019ve written on my computer. I also have a copier, bookshelves, a file cabinet, plus awards and framed art from some of my books hanging on the walls in my office.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-2274\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"4\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-2274\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon elementor-accordion-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-opened\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-accordion-title\" href=\"\">Do you illustrate you own books? And if not, do you get to pick your illustrators?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-2274\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"4\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-2274\"><p>I do not illustrate my books. I draw stick figures! The illustrators of my books have wonderful artistic talents. My talent is with making word pictures. Also, I do not get to choose the illustrators of my books\u2014that\u2019s up to the publishing company. They work to find a good match between an author\u2019s words and an illustrator\u2019s art. It also surprises people that I do not get to tell an illustrator how to illustrate my story. I don\u2019t want someone telling me how to write my story, and illustrators need freedom to create their own vision for a story.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-2275\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"5\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-2275\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon elementor-accordion-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-opened\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-accordion-title\" href=\"\">How long does it take you to write a book?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-2275\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"5\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-2275\"><p>That\u2019s a tricky question because it really varies. The fastest I\u2019ve ever written a picture book is one week, but it usually takes me several months to write a picture book\u2014and picture books are only two-to-four typed pages! It has also taken me years to write some books\u2014that\u2019s not all I\u2019m working on at that time, but I go in-and-out of a story until I can find the best way to tell it. It took me 18 months to write my middle grade novel, Maxi\u2019s Secrets. Another way to describe how long it takes is to talk about drafts. I\u2019ve found that it usually takes me about eight drafts to get a story ready for the world\u2014that includes my own writing and rewriting, plus revising after input from my editor.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-2276\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"6\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-2276\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon elementor-accordion-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-opened\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-accordion-title\" href=\"\">Do you have any pets?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-2276\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"6\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-2276\"><p>Not now, but our dog Maggie was the inspiration for my book Maxi\u2019s Secrets (or, what you can learn from a dog). I also grew up having dogs as family pets, and there was a cat and a gerbil along the way too.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-2277\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"7\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-2277\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon elementor-accordion-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-opened\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-accordion-title\" href=\"\">What\u2019s your favorite book?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-2277\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"7\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-2277\"><p>My favorite book of all time is Charlotte\u2019s Web by E.B. White. He wrote it at his Brooklin, Maine, saltwater farm\u2014so it\u2019s a \u201cMaine\u201d book and that makes my heart happy. I wrote a term paper on E.B. White when I was in high school, a paper based on his essay books such as One Man\u2019s Meat, and I wrote to Mr. White and I believe he wrote back to me on the same typewriter that he typed Charlotte\u2019s Web on!<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-2278\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"8\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-2278\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon elementor-accordion-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-opened\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-accordion-title\" href=\"\">No, what\u2019s your favorite book of yours?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-2278\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"8\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-2278\"><p>Oh! That\u2019s a much harder question to answer. I have three kids and I love all my kids. I love all my books too\u2014it wouldn\u2019t be fair to choose one favorite. But I do have favorites within certain categories. For example, Pigs in the Mud is my favorite read aloud, and Lost Trail is my favorite graphic novel, and The First Feud is my favorite fable. If you forced me to choose an overall favorite, I would say \u201cthe next one.\u201d You see, I get excited about books I\u2019ve written, but they haven\u2019t found their way out into the world yet. I\u2019m always anxious for them to find their way into the world.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-2279\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"9\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-2279\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon elementor-accordion-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-opened\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-accordion-title\" href=\"\">What advice do you have for people who want to be authors?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-2279\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"9\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-2279\"><p>First of all, if you want to be an author, read, read, read, and then read some more. You should read in the genre that you most want to write in. Or maybe it\u2019s better to say that you should pay attention to what genre you most enjoy reading because that\u2019s the one you\u2019ll likely be best at writing. I read lots of picture books and middle grade novels\u2014and that\u2019s what I write. My other suggestion to help you write better is to read your writing aloud so you can hear how it sounds and find out what is working and isn\u2019t working. Also, get honest feedback from others on your writing\u2014they can help to kick your writing up a notch. I\u2019ve pulled together an advice letter (for adults who want to write for kids):<br \/><br \/><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.lynnplourde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Advice-Letter.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Advice Letter<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-22710\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"10\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-22710\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon elementor-accordion-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-down\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-opened\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-up\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-accordion-title\" href=\"\">How long do you plan to keep writing?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-22710\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"10\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-22710\"><p>\u2018Til the day I die.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is it hard to be an author?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Yup! Writing and being an author is the hardest job I\\u2019ve ever had, but also the most fun job\\u2014so I don\\u2019t mind working hard. The reason it\\u2019s hard is because there\\u2019s lots of parts to my job (brainstorming new ideas to see if they might work, writing new stories, revising stories, researching, doing book signings, doing author visits with schools, answering mail and e-mails, publicizing my books, and more). It\\u2019s a challenge to fit in all the parts of my job, plus I\\u2019m NOT a very organized person.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How do you get your ideas?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>I often start with something that really happened to me and then I ask the question, \\u201cWhat if?\\u201d For example, for my first book Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud, I really had piglets run down my road (rud) one day and so I asked, \\u201cWhat if other farm animals were in the road too?\\u201d And for my book Wild Child, I asked, \\u201cWhat if the parent who\\u2019s having a hard time putting kids to bed was Mother Earth?\\u201d I\\u2019m lucky in that I have hundreds and hundreds of ideas. I think that comes from being a creative person, but the challenge is deciding which ideas have the potential to \\u201cgrow\\u201d into a story.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Where do you work?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>I work in an office (what used to be a small bedroom when all our kids lived home) at our house in Winthrop, Maine. Our house is on top of a ridge and we are surrounded by woods so I get to see deer, wild turkeys, fox, hawks, and other wild animals in our yard. We also have a very long driveway so no one drives by our house. I love the isolation and quiet of where we live\\u2014it makes it easier for me to concentrate and not be distracted as I write. In my office, I have a computer on my desk and that\\u2019s where I write. Although, sometimes, I like to get a pad of paper and lay on the couch and write there; then I will have to type up what I\\u2019ve written on my computer. I also have a copier, bookshelves, a file cabinet, plus awards and framed art from some of my books hanging on the walls in my office.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Do you illustrate you own books? And if not, do you get to pick your illustrators?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>I do not illustrate my books. I draw stick figures! The illustrators of my books have wonderful artistic talents. My talent is with making word pictures. Also, I do not get to choose the illustrators of my books\\u2014that\\u2019s up to the publishing company. They work to find a good match between an author\\u2019s words and an illustrator\\u2019s art. It also surprises people that I do not get to tell an illustrator how to illustrate my story. I don\\u2019t want someone telling me how to write my story, and illustrators need freedom to create their own vision for a story.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How long does it take you to write a book?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>That\\u2019s a tricky question because it really varies. The fastest I\\u2019ve ever written a picture book is one week, but it usually takes me several months to write a picture book\\u2014and picture books are only two-to-four typed pages! It has also taken me years to write some books\\u2014that\\u2019s not all I\\u2019m working on at that time, but I go in-and-out of a story until I can find the best way to tell it. It took me 18 months to write my middle grade novel, Maxi\\u2019s Secrets. Another way to describe how long it takes is to talk about drafts. I\\u2019ve found that it usually takes me about eight drafts to get a story ready for the world\\u2014that includes my own writing and rewriting, plus revising after input from my editor.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Do you have any pets?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Not now, but our dog Maggie was the inspiration for my book Maxi\\u2019s Secrets (or, what you can learn from a dog). I also grew up having dogs as family pets, and there was a cat and a gerbil along the way too.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What\\u2019s your favorite book?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>My favorite book of all time is Charlotte\\u2019s Web by E.B. White. He wrote it at his Brooklin, Maine, saltwater farm\\u2014so it\\u2019s a \\u201cMaine\\u201d book and that makes my heart happy. I wrote a term paper on E.B. White when I was in high school, a paper based on his essay books such as One Man\\u2019s Meat, and I wrote to Mr. White and I believe he wrote back to me on the same typewriter that he typed Charlotte\\u2019s Web on!<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"No, what\\u2019s your favorite book of yours?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>Oh! That\\u2019s a much harder question to answer. I have three kids and I love all my kids. I love all my books too\\u2014it wouldn\\u2019t be fair to choose one favorite. But I do have favorites within certain categories. For example, Pigs in the Mud is my favorite read aloud, and Lost Trail is my favorite graphic novel, and The First Feud is my favorite fable. If you forced me to choose an overall favorite, I would say \\u201cthe next one.\\u201d You see, I get excited about books I\\u2019ve written, but they haven\\u2019t found their way out into the world yet. I\\u2019m always anxious for them to find their way into the world.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What advice do you have for people who want to be authors?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>First of all, if you want to be an author, read, read, read, and then read some more. You should read in the genre that you most want to write in. Or maybe it\\u2019s better to say that you should pay attention to what genre you most enjoy reading because that\\u2019s the one you\\u2019ll likely be best at writing. I read lots of picture books and middle grade novels\\u2014and that\\u2019s what I write. My other suggestion to help you write better is to read your writing aloud so you can hear how it sounds and find out what is working and isn\\u2019t working. Also, get honest feedback from others on your writing\\u2014they can help to kick your writing up a notch. I\\u2019ve pulled together an advice letter (for adults who want to write for kids):<br \\\/><br \\\/><span style=\\\"text-decoration: underline;\\\"><span style=\\\"color: #ffffff;\\\"><a style=\\\"color: #ffffff; text-decoration: underline;\\\" href=\\\"https:\\\/\\\/dev.lynnplourde.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/Advice-Letter.pdf\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" rel=\\\"noopener\\\">Read Advice Letter<\\\/a><\\\/span><\\\/span><\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How long do you plan to keep writing?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>\\u2018Til the day I die.<\\\/p>\"}}]}<\/script>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who is Lynn Plourde? By the way, Plourde rhymes with Ford. Lynn Plourde is the author of more than forty children\u2019s books including her first book Pigs in the Mud [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":196,"parent":0,"menu_order":11,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=197"}],"version-history":[{"count":337,"href":"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2430,"href":"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197\/revisions\/2430"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lynnplourde.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}