Paula LaRocque

Website: www.paulalarocque.com Paula LaRocque's first novel, "Chalk Line," will be published in September 2011 by Marion Street Mysteries. She's a writer and writing consultant who has conducted workshops for hundreds of media, government, academic, and business groups across the United States, Canada, and Europe. She also has been writing consultant for the Associated Press, the Drehscheibe Institute in Bonn, and the European Stars & Stripes in Germany. For ten years, she taught technical communication at Western Michigan University’s School of Engineering, and journalism at Texas A&M, Southern Methodist, and Texas Christian universities. And for the following 20 years, she was assistant managing editor and writing coach at The Dallas Morning News. She has been a columnist for the Society of Professional Journalists’ Quill magazine for more than than two decades. Her commentaries air regularly on National Public Radio in Dallas. She’s author of three non-fiction books (Marion Street Press, Inc.): • "The Book on Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Well" (This comprehensive work, a good seller since its 2004 publication, has had great reviews and has five stars on Amazon.com.) • "On Words: Insight Into How Our Words Work—and Don’t" (This collection of Paula’s print and radio commentaries on the language and the way we use it was published in 2007 and is a popular gift item.) • "Championship Writing: 50 Ways to Improve Your Writing" (This collection of writing and language columns was published in 2000.) In 2001, Paula returned to the dream of her childhood: writing fiction. Her first novel, "Chalk Line," launches a mystery series set in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and featuring Detective Ben Gallagher. Paula is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Inc., the Houston Writers Guild, and the Dallas-Fort Worth Writers Workshop. A member of the Associated Press Managing Editors association from the early 1990s through 2001, she was elected to the Board of Directors and appointed an officer. In 2001, the association granted her its highest honor: the Meritorious Service Award for exemplary contribution to journalism. She earned a BA degree Summa Cum Laude in 1971 and an MA in 1972 (Western Michigan University). She also worked on a doctorate, but her academic and journalism career became so demanding she did not complete it.