Paddy Eger

Paddy Eger entered the world of professional writing in 2000. Her publishing credits include dozens of newspaper and magazine articles, a hundred web and education blog articles, three book awards for her nonfiction book Educating America:101 Strategies for Adult Assistants in K-8 Classrooms and praise for Educating America Desktop Flipbook and workbook. Paddy graduated from the University of Washington and taught elementary school for more than twenty years. When Paddy taught in the PCEP, a co-op public school, she established a training program for classroom volunteers that became the foundation for her Educating America books. After she retired from teaching she also discovered her enthusiasm for fiction writing. Her first novel ideas grew from her first love, dancing. From age three until twenty she took lessons in tap, character, jazz and ballet. She performed in recitals, area functions, musicals and for a World’s Fair. When Paddy began teaching she produced original poems, dances and songs for her classroom students to encouraged free movement activities that foster student creativity. She often organized classroom and school-wide talent shows. Her love of being raised as a small-town girl and a desire to create realistic stories where skill and steady persistence open doors for dancers became the foundation for 84 Ribbons. The story blossomed to a trilogy with the next books, WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS-DANCE-ON, newly released and LETTERS TO FOLLOW arriving in 2016. Paddy’s debut novel, 84 RIBBONS, focuses on the fiercely competitive world of ballet. The YA novels follow two young women through their first years of professional dancing as they balance day-to-day life with the complex world of ballet. Paddy believes writing and dancing share several traits. Both require practice and perseverance as well as a good sense of movement and a desire to share self-expression. 84 RIBBONS won several awards including a Moonbeam, a Feathered Quill and west coast book awards. Book two, WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS-DANCE ON follows Marta home during a recovery period. It follows her as she must decide her future as a dancer and as a young woman stepping into adulthood. In addition to the ballet trilogy, Paddy’s soon to be released TASMAN, is a YA adventure novel inspired by a trip to the infamous penal colony in Port Arthur, Tasmania. Intrigued by the true story of a documented inmate imprisoned for stealing a handkerchief, the story of Ean emerged. It began as a poem, grew to a short story and evolved into the novel, Tasman. The young Irishman travels from England to the prison, wondering if he’ll survive the brutality during his three-year sentence or attempt a daring escape. To foster and train her inner writer Paddy attends numerous writing classes and writing conferences, including Write on the Sound, a conference in her hometown of Edmonds, Washington—a creative, artistic and writing community along Puget Sound. She participates in two writing groups and attends area writing functions where she meets with other talented writers. Speaking about the craft of writing with groups also interests Paddy. When she's not writing, Paddy volunteers in elementary classrooms and trains classroom assistants. She’s frequently invited to share her ideas on volunteerism with community groups and teachers and to participate in book events and workshops.