S.A. Larsen
Extended Me
S.A. Larsen grew up as Sheri Larsen in one of New England's smaller communities surrounded by family and the influence of tight-knit relationships with nearby towns. Coming from an athletic family, most of her childhood was spent at some sporting event, mainly ice hockey games, which her father coached. But her personal escape was always in the creative, watching movies and dreaming up alternate endings or scenes that were her own. Her need to express creatively led her to her true talent in the world of dance. As a child, she told stories through movement and music, which in her later teen years, turned into technical choreography and an opportunity to train in New York City.
Staying true to her small-town and family roots, she decided to forgo a dance career and move forward, marrying an amazing man and starting a family. She spent the first fifteen years of her marriage raising her four children and being available for parents and in-laws who have physically debilitating diseases. Playtime consisted of adventurous reading, family game night, tons of sports outside, and Mom as a harebrained taxi driver to ice rinks, baseball, football fields, and soccer fields; and let's not forget about her only daughter's dance classes. And she's not one bit afraid to admit she's a feisty sports fanatic (Go BOSTON BRUINS & NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS!), a devoted chocolate lover, and an expert at jamming to rock music in her car. But her children grew and as her youngest of four neared full-day school age, she realized it was time to feed her brain something other than youth sports, kids' homework, and nightly prayers. So, she moved forward with her second creative love - writing.
Her endeavor to hone her craft motivated her to take several writing and publishing courses as well as to attend online writing conferences. To greater understand the writing process and the workings of the industry, she became a book reviewer for Disney Hyperion, Sourcebooks, Random House Children, smaller presses, and Indie authors. She began her blog, Writer's Alley, where she highlights all KidLit through author interviews and book spotlights, explores the art of writing and the publishing world, and shares her thoughts on motherhood. An early member of the former YALitchat, she was their middle grade moderator. She's the founder of Writer Support 4 U! - an online writer support group, @MixedUpFiles contributor, a writing mentor for First Five Pages through Adventures in YA Publishing, and a co-host for #mglitchat. In addition, she is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance.
Her freelance work can be found in numerous local newspapers, youth sports articles in magazines, anthologies, and writer help books. Other online sites she writes for are Dear New Mom and Apraxia KIDS/CASNA. In her enthusiasm to support tweens and teens alike, she has created brochures and pamphlets for local sports’ organizations and has four, athletic yearbooks and numerous high school ice hockey and soccer program books credited to her which were distributed among the players of each team. She is also a middle grade writing workshop instructor and finds great joy in guiding the students and their stories.
She can be found in the land of lobsters, snowy winters, and the occasional Eh’ya with her husband of over twenty years, four children (yes, they all play hockey), a playful pooch, and two kittens. She's currently working on a new contemporary, faith-based middle grade novel with magical realism elements, and waiting for the second book in her middle grade series, Motley Education to release - DEAD ALLEY in the spring or summer of 2021.
