Valerie Wilcox
Author - Teacher - Speaker
Valerie Wilcox was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and earned a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Oregon. She taught elementary school in Oregon, California, and Washington before becoming an employee development specialist with the federal government. She also worked for several years as a management consultant and trainer for government and private industry. She still loves to teach and has often appeared at various events, conferences, and workshops as a speaker or panelist. One of her proudest accomplishments was fulfilling her long-held dream of opening and operating her own tea room and gift shop. Like the main character in her new Concierge Mystery Series, Valerie has even been a concierge at a luxury condominium—but no one was ever murdered!
Through it all, Valerie’s first love has always been writing. Her first mystery series was published by Berkley Prime Crime and the novels have been updated and are available in digital format for e-readers. Because the sea captured her heart as a young girl, she’s been drawn to it ever since. So when she began her writing career, she knew intuitively that the sea would figure prominently in the stories. Valerie used the mysteries in her sailing series as a vehicle to explore themes such as adoption searches and reunions, elder abuse and identity theft. More information about her novels is available on her website: www.ValerieWilcoxWrites.com.
Valerie is a graduate of the Writers’ Fiction and Writers’ Mystery and Suspense Fiction Programs at the University of Washington. She also attributes the knowledge she’s gained about writing to the many wonderful writers she’s met through the years who have encouraged her and offered valuable suggestions and advice. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, Willamette Writers’ Association, and the Oregon Writers’ Colony.
Valerie is currently living in Camas, Washington where she is writing the second novel in her Concierge Mystery Series. Like her previous novels, Valerie uses the series as a way to deal with topics relevant to our times. In Concierge Confessions, Kate Ryan is a former engineer who loses her job to outsourcing. Whether starting over is voluntary or forced, it can be a daunting task. Like others have experienced in the real world, Kate must re-invent herself in order to survive. Concierge at the same complex that she helped build as project engineer is a drastic change but as time goes on, Kate finds she likes her new role and thrives. But not before she solves a murder or two along the way.
Through it all, Valerie’s first love has always been writing. Her first mystery series was published by Berkley Prime Crime and the novels have been updated and are available in digital format for e-readers. Because the sea captured her heart as a young girl, she’s been drawn to it ever since. So when she began her writing career, she knew intuitively that the sea would figure prominently in the stories. Valerie used the mysteries in her sailing series as a vehicle to explore themes such as adoption searches and reunions, elder abuse and identity theft. More information about her novels is available on her website: www.ValerieWilcoxWrites.com.
Valerie is a graduate of the Writers’ Fiction and Writers’ Mystery and Suspense Fiction Programs at the University of Washington. She also attributes the knowledge she’s gained about writing to the many wonderful writers she’s met through the years who have encouraged her and offered valuable suggestions and advice. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, Willamette Writers’ Association, and the Oregon Writers’ Colony.
Valerie is currently living in Camas, Washington where she is writing the second novel in her Concierge Mystery Series. Like her previous novels, Valerie uses the series as a way to deal with topics relevant to our times. In Concierge Confessions, Kate Ryan is a former engineer who loses her job to outsourcing. Whether starting over is voluntary or forced, it can be a daunting task. Like others have experienced in the real world, Kate must re-invent herself in order to survive. Concierge at the same complex that she helped build as project engineer is a drastic change but as time goes on, Kate finds she likes her new role and thrives. But not before she solves a murder or two along the way.
Putting Words on Paper
The first time I got paid for something I’d written was when my now grown daughter, Linda, was six years old. I’d written an essay that was printed in The Oregonian newspaper and received a $25 check in the mail for my effort. Linda looked at the check and said, “They paid you? Just for putting words on paper?” As incredulous as the concept sounded to her, I was even more surprised. I’d been writing for my own amusement for years and had never once considered that someone might think anything I had to say was worth publishing, let alone paying for. The money was nice, but I wasn’t a writer. It took me many years to realize that I was mistaken. Being a writer has nothing to do with whether you’re published, the size of the check you receive, or even if you receive a check at all. Writing is what a writer does. Full-time, part-time, or whenever you can fit it in, doesn’t matter as long as you keep writing. For if you’re a writer, you will write. It’s something we’re compelled to do. It’s similar to what an artist friend of mine said about his painting, “I can’t not paint.”
As an only child, I was often lonely. I learned to entertain myself by reading. Books were my friends and imagination our playground. My love of story took root early and has only grown stronger as the years passed. Somewhere along the line I started writing my own stories. I’ve honed my craft by taking as many classes and workshops on writing as I could. I’ve written short stories, novels and essays on a variety of subjects, but the mystery genre is my favorite.
Putting words on paper is what I do. I am a writer.
The first time I got paid for something I’d written was when my now grown daughter, Linda, was six years old. I’d written an essay that was printed in The Oregonian newspaper and received a $25 check in the mail for my effort. Linda looked at the check and said, “They paid you? Just for putting words on paper?” As incredulous as the concept sounded to her, I was even more surprised. I’d been writing for my own amusement for years and had never once considered that someone might think anything I had to say was worth publishing, let alone paying for. The money was nice, but I wasn’t a writer. It took me many years to realize that I was mistaken. Being a writer has nothing to do with whether you’re published, the size of the check you receive, or even if you receive a check at all. Writing is what a writer does. Full-time, part-time, or whenever you can fit it in, doesn’t matter as long as you keep writing. For if you’re a writer, you will write. It’s something we’re compelled to do. It’s similar to what an artist friend of mine said about his painting, “I can’t not paint.”
As an only child, I was often lonely. I learned to entertain myself by reading. Books were my friends and imagination our playground. My love of story took root early and has only grown stronger as the years passed. Somewhere along the line I started writing my own stories. I’ve honed my craft by taking as many classes and workshops on writing as I could. I’ve written short stories, novels and essays on a variety of subjects, but the mystery genre is my favorite.
Putting words on paper is what I do. I am a writer.
