My name is Margaret A. Shauers. I have been a "working writer" for 40 years, with hundreds of children's stories published and 5 books. Short story sales include Vt. Ink, Red Herring, The Fiction Primer, Dana Literary Society, Web Mystery Magazine, Highlights for Children, Jack & Jill, Children's Playmates, Guide and at least 30 other children's magazines. Hundreds of magazine articles have been published as well, and I have worked as a staff writer for a local college.

Besides being the Sub-Channel Steward
Arts and Humanities> Children's Literature here at Helium, I teach three online classes about writing magazine fiction for children at http://home.universalclass.com and write a column for Write4Kids and offer a 350+ children's writers market list. For more information: http://write4kids.com/wmarket/index.html. Or email mshauers@mac.com

Please email me with suggestions for the Children's Literature listings. And since some people have problems finding them, the actual short stories, essays, poetry and articles are under Writing. A quick fix is to do a search for Short Stories Children (or whatever).

On the personal side, I am old-enough-to-know-better about a whole lot of things. I also know what I love...stability, family (especially the grandkids), my friends (they are jewels!), my organic garden. I collect books and Native American storyteller dolls (what else would a children's writer collect?) and other Native American art and art done by people I know. I love to cook...sometimes gourmet, sometimes what a good friend calls "real American" food. Just very few potatoes; I'm diabetic and wow! I love potatoes, but the blood sugars do rise.

I also have less hair than the photo shows, but the good news is that I have hair. A breast cancer patient, I'm not yet a survivor, but planning to become one as quickly as possible.

My passion is ...

writing for children

I know too much about ...

cancer

My parents always told me ...

I had a big mouth

My childhood ambition ...

to become Louis Mae Alcott

My favorite memory ...

too many good ones to pick!

Why I write ...

I can't not write.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

three books...a murder mystery, a fantasy and a mainstream

My first job ...

babysitter

My best moment ...

seeing and touching my first published novel

My inspiration ...

my friends...they keep me going

Parenting & Pregnancy > Working Parents Can working women be good mothers?

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I am an old lady now (64), but I am offended by the topic title. Even when I was a young mother, staying at home with one's children was not financially possible for a whole lot of "working women." I personally did it only when I had three kids and a babysitter cost as much as I earned.

The years with my pre-school children were enjoyable. They also were darned hard financially. I think my children and I bonded a bit more than if I'd been working, but NOT much. Often I was so frazzled from having to work with our one-income lifestyle that I had little time for the quality time work...

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