Reading from Out of the Flames at GCLS 2019 Annual Conference

As a 2019 GCLS Writing Academy Graduate, I was asked to present an excerpt from my upcoming debut novel Out of the Flames at the GCLS 2019 Annual Conference. The incredible staff was very accommodating and considerate of my disability. I'm a stutterer, and a series of strokes I had a few years earlier make my speech indecipherable at times. For most, public speaking is unnerving, but for me, the added stress might trigger another stroke, so speaking live was not an option. Fellow student Virginia Black volunteered to read on my behalf, for which I am forever grateful for her offer. Then our moderator, Kimberly Cooper Griffin, stepped in. She suggested a recording. Twenty-seven takes and six splices later, I nailed it. Thank you, Kim, for making it possible to present my work for the first time in my voice. It was amazing seeing the audience react to my words. Click on the image below to listen.

“...a powerful moment...”

— Cheryl A. Head, mystery author, Lambda Literary Award and Ann Bannon Finalist