ABOUT MICKI BARE

The first stories I wrote were letters to my cousin. We were preschool pen pals. At the age of 7, I received my most cherished gift—a thesaurus. After 16 years as an early childhood executive and six years in advertising as a writer, editor, and web content manager, I temporarily resigned from the workforce to focus on family needs. I began working part time in 2014 as an associate editor for a parenting magazine. After more than four years serving as a marketing director for an early childhood nonprofit organization, I now teach English language arts in middle school. In addition to the publication of my three Thurston T. Turtle children’s books, I was a columnist for 18 years, had articles published in regional and state publications, and had short stories published in two anthologies. My first middle grade novel, Society of the Sentinelia, was published May 27, 2022 by Level Elevate, an imprint of Level Best Books. Society of the Sentinelia is the recipient of the 2022 AAUW NC Young People's Literature Award. Book two in the five-book series, Blind Fairy, was published May 18, 2023. Book three, OMEGA CRAG, will be released May 2024.

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ARTIST STATEMENT

Through writing, I endeavor to develop and nurture a love for reading and writing. With wholesome, relatable early reader chapter books and challenging middle grade low-fantasy novels, I hope to inspire children to be better, more compassionate, and more tolerant than the generations that came before them. I want to inspire young readers to unlock their own creativity and follow their dreams.