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Maura Jortner
The Backstory
I was born in New Hampshire, and I loved it there. I still miss living in New England. But I moved to Ohio to go to college and after that, I lived in Cincinnati for a few years. I worked as a stage manager and a puppeteer. I think I would have continued on as a puppeteer forever--the job was great and the puppets were amazing--but I couldn't pay back my student loans, so I returned to school. I earned my MA in literature at Xavier University, and through that experience, I remembered how much I loved school! I wanted to keep learning. I applied to lots of PhD programs and chose the University of Pittsburgh. In 1999, off I went! I studied theater history, focusing on American drama in the 19th century. In 2008, after getting that diploma, Baylor University hired me to teach in the English department, and I moved to Texas. Now, I nerd out with students about American literature, British literature, and creative writing. It's a great job. In my spare time, I write novels.
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I spent ten years writing and trying to get a book published. I believe in persistence and following your dreams. I hope you do too!
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My favorite pet
I've taught my cat, Shiloh, some tricks. (He's smart and food-motivated.) He can do "dance," "high five," "kiss," "shake," and "up," which means he jumps onto my shoulders.
It all began a long time ago...
When my oldest daughter was four, she asked me to tell her a story. She didn't want me to read her a story; she wanted me to tell her one. Okay, I did. But it got long and I couldn't remember all the details, so I started writing it down. That became my first novel. It was terrible, truth be told, but my daughter loved it, and it started me on my journey to publication.
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Since then, I've written thirteen books. One of them finally made it.
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FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!
My favorite place in the world
Can you guess where I am?
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