M. P. BARKER is a time traveler—well, actually an author, archivist and historical consultant, which amounts to the same thing. She got a firsthand taste (sometimes literally!) of 19th-century New England rural life when she was a costumed historical interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village. There she milked cows, mucked out barns, and found inspiration for her historical novels A Difficult Boy and Mending Horses. She also worked as an archivist for the Springfield History Museums, where she enjoyed a unique opportunity to read other people's diaries and letters and look through their photo albums.Her first novel, A Difficult Boy, won awards from PEN New England and the International Reading Association and was on the 2010-2011 William Allen White Award Master List. Mending Horses was a 2011 Faulkner-Wisdom Award semifinalist for novel-in-progress, a Kirkus Prize nominee, and was listed as one of VOYA Magazine's "Top Shelf" reading picks for 2014.Barker is also the author of Images of America: Chicopee, and co-author with Tom Shea and Suzanne Strempek Shea of 140 Years of Providential Caring: The Sisters of Providence of Holyoke, Mass. Other writing credits include exhibits, scripts for historical dramatizations, nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, fundraising materials, and planning studies.Barker presents illustrated talks and writing workshops to schools, clubs, reading groups, libraries, and other organizations. Speaking fees are generally $200 per one-hour session plus travel expenses. Discounts are available for multi-session days and for organizations that purchase books or allow book sales. Skype visits are free of charge. Book group visits are free if the group purchases books (travel costs required for travel more than 100 miles from Springfield, MA) Please contact the author for more information about pricing and discounts.
