Linda is currently scheduling 2023-2024 School Visits
Welcome to the Website for Linda S. Mai, Children's Book Author
About Linda Mai
I currently reside in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, with my husband, Chris. We have seven children and twelve grandkids (blended family) who live from coast to coast.
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We have a pond in our back yard inhabited by geese, ducks, squirrels, and rabbits. The critters often entertain us for hours as we watch them from our back porch.
I graduated from Graceland University in Iowa, with a BA in Elementary Education and started teaching third grade. I stopped teaching when I had children. Years later I went back to school and completed a master’s degree in Elementry Education from North Texas University.
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During my years of teaching, I read lots of books in class, and later I continued reading to my own children. I often wondered if I could write a children’s book myself, but I didn’t actually put a story on paper for many more years. It was a simple rhyming book, and I hid it in a drawer, unsure what I should do with it, until I joined SCBWI (Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators). That's when I pulled it out, dusted it off, and began revisions.
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For fun I like riding my ATV on dirt roads, especially in the mountains. I play in a hand bell choir at church, and travel when I can to see family. I love the beach, collecting shells, and snorkeling, so I try to visit Florida every year.
I was born and raised in Wyoming. My grandparents lived on a small farm near my town, so I spent a lot of time there. I was a tomboy, and wasn't afraid of much, but when I was asked to gather the eggs I shuddered. Those birds scared me to death. I didn't want to get pecked.
One of my fondest memories is my grandma reading to me. She only had one set of worn-out paperback picture books, so she read the same stories to me—over and over. I still have some of those books and I cherish them. Here is a picture of my favorite six books.
School was always fun for me. I didn’t like Math so much, but I loved English. It’s probably weird to admit this, but I had a kid’s picture dictionary in my room. I poured over the pages, because I loved learning new words.
I still love words, and spend too much time playing the online game, Words With Friends.
My grandma's books