Joyce Moyer Hostetter
Author of Middle Grade Historical Fiction
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About Me
More About Me
My love of history began in the pages of a photograph album in my childhood home. In the black and white photos, I saw family members who came before me, the trips they took, the cars they drove, and the homes they lived in. My personal history felt enriched and safe.
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But then I went to school and began to read. I discovered a broader world where life was more painful.
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Books like Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski and Blue Willow by Doris Gates revealed a world of poverty and sorrow. Eventually, I read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and greater heartache moved into my consciousness.
I write books about tough topics because I am trying to understand the world's
sorrows.
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My
"I am from" poem
Bakers Mountain Stories
At the foot of Bakers Mountain in western North Carolina, lies a memorable community where back door friends help each other through difficult times. In this series, set during the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s, three families, the Honeycutts, the Bledsoes, and the Hinkle sisters overcome personal hardships.
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Trouble comes after all of them at one time or another—in the form of family dysfunction, disease, death, missteps, war, or post-war trauma. But these southerners are made of a grit that’s as enduring as the red earth beneath their feet. And there is nothing so big that some home cooking, shared tears, and a helping hand can’t fix.
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​​The stories are told by Ann Fay Honeycutt, her siblings, and their neighbor, Junior Bledsoe, as each of them reaches their teen years and faces personal and community challenges.
Events
​ Highlights Workshop
Fundamental STEPS To Writing Historical Fiction
Sunday, Oct. 28 - Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018
​​at Highlights Foundation
Honesdale, Pennsylvania
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In September I was honored to participate in Bookmarks Book Festival in Winston Salem, NC. I visited two schools through their Authors in Schools Program and also participated on a panel with authors, Tanya Simon and Daniel Jose Older. (pictured here between our hostesses)
Mari Jo Turner (l. and Bitsy Griffin (r.)
​SCHOOL VISITS 2019
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January 8, 2019: Beverly Hills Elementary School, Concord, NC
January 31, 2019: Burke County 4th County AIG Students, Oak Hill Elementary, Morganton, NC
February 15, 2019: Lyle Creek Elementary School, Conover, NC
March 12, 2019 Burke County 4th Grade AIG Students, Salem Elementary, Morganton, NC
March 25: Rock Springs Elementary, Denver, NC
April 8: Norris Childers Elementary & Northbrook Elementary, Lincoln Co. NC
April 11: Love Memorial and S. Ray Lowder Elementary Schools, Lincoln Co. NC
May 1: Iron Station Elementary & The Pumpkin Center, Lincoln County, NC
​May 3: Catawba Springs Elementary & St. James Elementary, Lincoln County, NC
May 6: Ellendale Elementary School, Alexander County, NC
May 14: Family Reading Project, Catawba Elementary, Catawba, NC
May 17: Battleground Elementary, Lincolnton, NC
May 28: American Renaissance School, Statesville, NC
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Photo by Pam Bloom, Bookmarks Volunteer
Photo by Sedley Abercrombie, Bookmarks Volunteer
For Educators
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For school visit info
Email: moyergirl at charter dot net
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My curriculum guides are for linking and sharing.
Thanks for spreading them around!
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