Paddy Eger entered the world of professional writing in 2000. Her publishing credits include dozens of newspaper and magazine articles, hundreds of web and education blog articles, invented math games and received book awards for her nonfiction book Actively Ignite Your Classroom with 101 Strategies for Adult Assistants in K-8 Classrooms and praise for Educating America Desktop Flipbook and Actively Ignite Getting Started: A Teacher’s Planning Guide for including Adult Assistants. She’s added a book of original games entitled, 98 Individual and Partner Skill-Building Math Games and several classroom-ready projects.
Paddy graduated from the University of Washington and taught elementary school for more than twenty years. When she joined the PCEP, a co-op public school, she established a training program for classroom volunteers that became the foundation for her Actively Ignite education books and materials.
After she retired from teaching she discovered her enthusiasm for fiction writing. Paddy says, “Stories come to me like an itch; they refuse to leave until I promise to scratch around for their meaning and write them down.”
Her first novel ideas grew from an early love of dancing. From age three until twenty she took lessons in tap, character, jazz and ballet. She performed in recitals, area functions, musicals, and for a World’s Fair. She often organized classroom and school-wide talent shows.
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Her love of being raised as a small-town girl led to her memoir, Small Town Girl, and a desire to create realistic stories where skill and steady persistence open doors for dancers. 84 Ribbons blossomed to a series when she added When the Music Stops, Letters to Follow and Act 4.
Paddy’s debut novel, 84 Ribbons, focuses on the fiercely competitive world of ballet. The YA novels follow two young women through their first years of professional dancing as they balance day-to-day life with the complex world of ballet. 84 Ribbons won several awards including a Moonbeam, a Feathered Quill and various west coast book awards.
Book two, When the Music Stops-Dance On follows Marta home during a recovery period. Now she must decide her future as a dancer and as a young woman stepping into adulthood. Going home after living on your own is never easy. The story received several accolades including Reader Views and Eric Hoffer awards.
Letters to Follow-A Dancer’s Adventure, the third book in the series moves to Lynne Meadow, Marta’s best friend. Lynne struggles to find her place in the world of professional ballet while her own world is turning upside down. It follows her adventures while spending the summer in Europe dancing.
Act 4-The Continuing Friendship of Lynne and Marta completes the ballet series. Both young women make changes in their lives while trying to keep their association with ballet and their friendship alive across hundreds of miles.
The book trailer along side this page shares music and visuals inspired by the ballet-themed series.
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In addition to the ballet series, Paddy released Tasman – An Innocent Convict’s Struggle for Freedom. Ean’s story grew from the true story of a documented inmate imprisoned in Port Arthur Tasmania. It began as a poem, grew to a short story, and evolved into a novel. The young Irishman travels from England to the prison, wondering if he’ll survive the brutality during his three-year sentence or if he should attempt a daring escape.
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Sticks & Stones: Breaking the Silence is Paddy’s newest fiction endeavor.
Meg Appens is a new junior at Sherman Harrison High School. Since she is deaf, each day poses extra problems to handle. Her goals include playing basketball and earning a scholarship to college. Most of all she wants to fit in, to not be ignored.
When an unforeseen emergency rises, possibly blocking one of her major goals, will she have the physical and emotional strength to handle the situation? How will she handle the resulting setback?
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Paddy recently created an easy-to-read chapter book series for ages 6-10 entitled Adventures with Anna Mak. In the series, Anna shares her unique understanding of how the world works during her years in kindergraten through grade two.
Stay connected!!
- Visit the Bookstore page for opportunities to look inside the books and make purchases.
- Follow Paddy’s writing, previously-recorded newsletters and blogs.
- Visit her on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.)
- Visit Chat, Comment and Connect on this website for opportunities to get involved in her story development or to connect and share your writing questions.
- Purchase books at your favorite bookstores, online and through this website.
- Ask your local library to add the books to their collections.
For more information contact her directly:
Paddy Eger, (425) 420-5161
8128 187th St SW
Edmonds, WA 98026-5843
paddy@PaddyEger.com