Stephanie Dethlefs

I created my first published book when I was 7 years old. It was called “Why Grandpas Are Special” and it was a gift for my beloved grandfather.

It was about a girl whose grandfather bought her a pony.

(He didn’t take the hint about buying me a pony, but he did love the story.)

Unspoken popped into my mind during the time when I was teaching 2nd grade full-time and not writing very much.

The first scene that I wrote was the scene at the poetry competition, which is toward the end of the book. Then I got stuck, and I stopped working on it for a while.

However, Sam and Willa wouldn’t leave me alone. They visited me in all hours of the night, telling me who they were and why their story needed to be told.

(I realize that this sounds a little weird, but I swear it’s true.)

But the point is I went back to work on it. I wrote and wrote. I had my family read it. I had some friends who are teachers and writers read it. I had an editor read it. Each person who read it gave me feedback which made it better.

This book is my gift to you. I hope you like it.

Some more things about me:

I am the mom of a daughter in 8th grade and a son in 6th grade and the wife of a guy who I met while playing soccer. I grew up in Seattle, WA. I have three cats and two tattoos. I enjoy coffee (maybe too much) and chocolate (definitely too much). I have a younger brother who may or may not have the same name as a character in Unspoken. And I love to read, take naps, play outside, and hang out with the people I love.

Official Bio:

Stephanie Dethlefs is a writer and story coach. Her essays have been published in numerous publications. She spent over a decade teaching elementary school. Unspoken is her first book. Stephanie lives in Pacific Northwest Washington with her husband, daughter and son. Find her blog and more information at StephanieDethlefs.com.