To arrange school visits by authors...
Stacia Deutsch and Rhody Cohon

It is easy to arrange for a visit by one of our authors. Rhody Cohon is local to Tucson, Arizona and Stacia Deutsch is in Orange County, California. Both are willing to travel for appearances.

Simply contact us:
Rhody Cohon can be reached at (520) 615-2117 or via email RhodyWhy@yahoo.com.
Stacia Deutsch can be contacted at (949) 689-0103 or by email at bttpbooks@cox.net

Please give possible dates and the school location in your message. A fee schedule is available upon request.

A little more detail about what we do:

Audiences

We meet and present to elementary students, family literacy events, parent groups, book fairs, and special groups/organizations.

Book Titles

BLAST TO THE PAST series

1. LINCOLN’S LEGACY, published by Simon & Schuster, January 2005, illustrated by David Wenzel
2. DISNEY’S DREAM, published by Simon & Schuster, June 2005, illustrated by David Wenzel
3. BELL’S BREAKTHROUGH, published by Simon & Schuster, October 2005, illustrated by David Wenzel

4. KING'S COURAGE, published by Simon & Schuster, January 2006, illustrated by David Wenzel

5. SACAGAWEA'S STRENGTH, published by Simon & Schuster, June 2006, illustrated by David Wenzel

6. FRANKLIN'S FAME, published by Simon & Schuster, October 2006, illustrated by Guy Francis

7. WASHINGTON'S WAR, published by Simon & Schuster, January 2007, illustrated by Guy Francis

8. BETSY ROSS'S STAR, published by Simon & Schuster, June 2007, illustrated by Guy Francis

Young Adult Titles

         1. IN THE STARS, published by SimonPulse, August 2007

Program Titles

Programs can be tailored to a 1st through 5th grade audience in assembly or small group settings.

Fact vs Fiction – 40-50 minutes. What is real and what is not in an historic fiction book? How can you tell? Where are there clues? Specific examples from our books will be used. Humorous, and almost unbelievable, stories about each book’s main character will be told (Abraham Lincoln, Walt Disney, Alexander Graham Bell). This presentation is interactive and student involvement is encouraged. Q&A session at the end.

Elements of Fiction - Explore the four main elements of fiction and how they work together in a novel.  Kids will get jazzed up as they see in practice the skills they have been working on in class.  This presentation is tied to curriculum and will bridge the gap between creative writing at school and the literary world. This is a fun and interactive presentation for all ages.

How a Book is Made – 40-50 minutes. Ever wonder how a book is made? We will look at the process of creating a book from rough drafts, to copy edits, to illustration, more drafts, to the galleys, and finally to the completed product. Using an overhead projector or power point presentation, this presentation will look at real examples of the drafting, editing and re-writing process from the BLAST TO THE PAST series. In class worksheets and follow-up activities will be provided.

Fiction Writing Workshop – 30 minute presentation with small group or classroom writing activities. We will look at how is a book written. What is the process. How to come up with ideas, how to organize them, writing fluently and finding your writing voice. Additionally we will explore character, plot, setting, conflict, and how to bring it all together in a satisfying conclusion. For older students, the talk will continue into the process of publishing.

L’Dor V’Dor - 40 minute presentation designed specifically for parent groups, religious organization, other venues. We will explore how reading with your child can help you pass along your values and morals. How you can make any child/parent reading time into a teaching moment for you and your family. Q&A session at the end.

Materials

- One large table
- A screen
- A microphone (for groups over 100)
- An overhead projector or computer with power point capabilities

We look forward to working with you and your students.