Maggie Gets an 'A' from Award-Winning Kansas Poet and Creative Writing Teacher
Maggie Steele tells her own story in the novel, Maggie Vaults Over the Moon.
An award-winning poet and creative writing teacher says Maggie deserves an "A" for her inspiring, first-person read."Maggie hums along like a well-oiled, wonderfully written machine," writes Diane Wahto, in a recent five-star review on Goodreads."That's remarkably high praise," says author Grant Overstake. "Diane is a poet's poet and a writer's writer, and she's from Kansas. I'm truly humbled and really happy that she enjoyed the story."
Maggie has been endorsed by Olympic athletes, school counselors, and the Kansas State High School Activities Association for its positive message for young people. Now add to this list a stellar review from Wahto, one of Kansas' most distinguished poets and writing instructors.
Wahto, who lives in Wichita with her husband, recently taught a writing workshop sponsored by Kansas Authors Club.
"Overstake gets everything right about Kansas," Wahto adds. "The story is set near Fort Scott, a town not too far away from my home town, and it is sweet to read about a land I knew so well."
Widely published, Wahto's poetry has appeared in Midwest Quarterly, Mikrokosmos, Collage, Caprice, City Life, The Quill, and Coalition Connection: The Feminization of Poverty. She was awarded an Academy of American Poets Award in 1985, and first place award for her poem, “Somebody Is Always Watching,” in the American Institute of Discussion Review.
In addition to poetry, Diane is a prolific blogger. She also has posted more than 150 book reviews on her Goodreads page.
Diane's teaching career began in 1965 in a one-room country school in Decatur, Mich. She retired as an English/journalism/creative writing instructor from Butler Community College, in El Dorado, Kan,, in 2001, but continued to teach English Composition I and II online until the summer of 2008. She taught high school journalism at Winfield High School, Winfield, Kan., for nine years.She has a BA degree, cum laude, in English from Western Michigan University; an MA in English from Pittsburg State University; and, an MFA in creative writing from Wichita State University. She raised three sons as a single mother, and now has three wonderful daughters-in-law, and five entertaining grandchildren.One of Diane's daughter-in-laws, Claire M. Caterer, is the author of several successful young adult novels, including an exciting new release, The Key and The Flame.Maggie Vaults Over the Moon is available in paperback or eBook and can be purchased through Amazon.com in the United States, Canada, China, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, and Italy. Maggie also is available at Australia’s premier online bookseller, Angus & Robertson, and at hundreds of local independent US booksellers near you. Contact the author for library discounts.
