author / illustrator / marketer / crocheter
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author / illustrator / marketer / crocheter |
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Short Story | Long Story | Organizations | Fun Facts
Press Releases - writing/illustrating (pdf) marketing (pdf) crochet (pdf)
SHORT STORY...
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Hello! *waves* My name is Tracey M. Cox.
I love writing, especially for children. I started writing professionally in 2000. Although my love of storytelling goes back to my childhood. *I could always tell some great stories.* I primarily write picture books, but have a few mid grades and a young adult in progress. I have written for magazines, ezines, blogs, and newspapers. I am also traditionally published in picture books. I really enjoy school visits, where I get to share my love of literacy. I also perform at Summer Reading activities with public libraries, attend festivals, and have been a guest speaker. Thanks for reading! ~t :D |
LONG STORY...
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| I was born in Rochester, NY one cold December morning. |  |
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| Would you believe I walked to school everyday... even when there would be three feet of snow? I did! It wasn't too bad though. I lived right behind my school. So all I had to do was walk out the front door, go to the corner, wait on the Crossing Guard to cross the street, walk up the hill, go around to the front of the school building, and go inside.
I really liked going to school too. My favorite place was the library on the first floor. |
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| When I was in sixth grade, my family moved over 1,000 miles. I went from being a "BIG CITY" girl to a... |
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"COUNTRY" girl. We moved to a very small town in South Georgia. It is so small, you can't find it on a national map! I learned how quiet it can be... Smelling the rain before it came... I even rode the school bus to school. |
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I have loved storytelling since I was a little girl. My papa use to tell me stories before bedtime every night. I loved listening about heroes and villains, giants and bears, and all sorts of other characters, and the adventures they all went on. I would fall asleep curled up against my papa with those stories swirling in my head.
In school, I loved creative writing. Discovering different lands, new characters, tragedies, triumphs, and all the different styles of writing. I never took those stories any further than a grade though. |
| When I got older, I married my high school sweetheart, Tim, and we have three sons, Nelson, Austin, and Cameron.
We moved out to my husband's family farm house. We have all kinds of critters around the house. My fur-babies are Roxi, Yankee, Ginger, & Drake. We also have cows, bunnies, turtles, Canadian Geese, and anything else that likes to come around. |
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"Why not?"
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That January night, back in 2000, was when I decided to become a children's writer. I haven't looked back since.
I took small steps. Learning to craft my story to where it flowed effortlessly onto the paper. Researching publishers and agents. Finding people who were on the same path as me, learning from them, enjoying the journey. I have stepped forward by joining organizations, taking classes, doing writing challenges, reading a lot of 'how-to' books, attending conferences, and talking with my fellow children's writers.
Now I am published in:
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I love to be invited to schools for School Visits. I let them know I am just like them.
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I enjoy going to businesses and festivals for book signings.
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I have also been featured as a guest speaker.
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ORGANIZATIONS:
Joining organizations is a great way to learn more about your craft, meet others who do what you do, network with others in the industry, and find an awesome support system. I am involved in these organizations and I cannot say enough about either of these.
Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators
SCBWI is a worldwide organization filled with authors, illustrators, agents, & editors who all are associated in the kidlit field. SCBWI breaks down into regions. I'm in the Southern Breeze Chapter, which is Georgia, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. What's amazing about SCBWI? Well there's the bi-monthly newsletter, the monthly insight, conferences, workshop, critique groups, message boards, grants, and so much more!
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South Georgia Writer's Guild
SGWG
is a budding organization that's based in (you guessed it!) South Georgia. SGWG doesn't focus on one genre, but accepts all who write! We have everything from kidlit to sci-fi to christian to romance to mystery to thrillers to southern fiction, and on and on! If you write, you are welcomed. SGWG has everyone from a newbie writer to published authors (both traditional and indie). There is an enormous amount of knowledge and inspiration to be found in South Georgia!
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Books Love & Taters Book Festival
BLTBF
I saw a need in my local community. Literacy levels in the state of Georgia are not high. In rural areas, it's worse. I had a friend who once said, "Make your mark!". He also said that it didn't have to be a huge mark, but make a difference. So instead of complaining or wishing, I decided to step forward. In 2012, I started the Books Love & Taters Book Festival in my little town of Ocilla, GA. During the Books Love & Taters Book Festival, authors and illustrators meet the public, offer their books for sale, take pictures, sign autographs, and talk, talk, talk about their love of the written word to those who have questions. I hope in the future this will encourage my local community to be more involved in reading. The Books Love & Taters Book Festival is held in Ocilla, Georgia on the last Saturday in October every year during the Georgia Sweet Potato Festival.
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KidLit TV 
KidLit TV is an amazing company that features videos (and articles) to help encourage and engage children to READ! The KidLit TV website is a valuable resource for parents, teachers, and media specialist to find videos that will help bring a closer connection for children to the people who create the books --- Authors & Illustrators. There are are several tabs to check out:
And more and more. Go check it out, but be prepared to stay for a while. KidLit TV is stocked-full of excellent material!
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Fun Facts:
Here are 10 fun... silly... crazy... weirdo facts about me:
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