About Everything
About the Author
As an award-winning author, I have spent nearly two decades igniting young minds as a Texas, California, and international English and Social Studies teacher. From AP Literature in Morocco to middle school classrooms in Bakersfield, I have built a career inspiring students to think deeply, question boldly, and discover the power of stories.
But when the bell rings, I'm anything but ordinary. A true Southern soul, I grew up with grit and determination. I've never lost my appetite for adventure, my stinging sense of justice, or my sharp Southern sense of humor. I can drive a John Deere tractor, can my own vegetables, and have been been known to tear down a back road on a four-wheeler. (At night. In the mud.) For my 64th birthday, I accepted a challenge to myself and zip-lined over the lush hills of Wales.
In March of 2025, as a dare to myself, I finally released Mulberry Seeds —a raw, lyrical novella about two sisters surviving hunger and homelessness in 1968 Texas—after keeping it tucked away in a box for over 20 years.
I currently share my life with my husband of 47 years, our sweet house cat Midget, and my favorite ferals, Wiener and Un Ojo. Whether I'm teaching, writing, or trying the unexpected, I live and prove that relevance, resilience, and reinvention know no age. My life—and my work—speak to readers of all generations.
About The Novella
Mulberry Seeds is a lyrical coming-of-age novella set in 1960s Texas, told in the raw, authentic voices of two sisters, ages seven and ten. As they navigate poverty, loss, and parents slipping out of reach, their humor, mischief, and imagination shine through—scaring cousins with ghost stories, sneaking away on adventures, and raising chaos on the farm.
Both tender and unsparing, it’s a haunting portrait of childhood resilience that lingers long after the last page.
About The Editor
The Editor and Book Coach for the writing and creative phase of Mulberry Seeds is Emily Minster McCorkle of Boerne/Comfort, Texas.
Most people don’t have a clue how hard a job that is. Emily was tenacious in seeking revisions that, in the end, really mattered, sometimes leaving us both muttering and exhausted, but plodding on for the sake of the art.
For months, our real lives melded and intertwined in this magical imaginary world surrounding Corrine and Jolene.
I thank you, Miss Emily, for all of it.
More About the Book
The Photographers and Artists
So many very talented people helped with Mulberry Seeds. I'm grateful to:
- Lisa and Stephen Davis of Paper Flower Photography in Arroyo Grande, California, for the author photos.
- Eric Byrne of Cheshire Grin Photography of Portland, Oregon, who captured Corrine (years before we met) in the photo at left.
- Terrie England, who spent hours aging the photos and drawings to get just the look I wanted.
- Gidget Thursday McCorkle, who drew the family tree that everyone should have, including the relatives you want in the dirt.
Thank you all.
Inspiration and Production Coach
This book would not have been possible without the help of author and friend Daniel Gatlin and his wife, Stephanie, my book coach during the production phase of Mulberry Seeds.
Daniel and I were teaching colleagues during my first years returning to California. I discovered that he was writing his first book, Maiden to None, during an informal workshop group we created during Covid. After his book was released, his success inspired me to try, to dig the box of stories out of the closet, and to not leave this world wishing I had published Mulberry Seeds.
Once I decided to do so, his wife Stephanie stepped in and agreed to help as a post-writing book coach. She said it wasn’t a big deal, but I know how many hours of frustration and crying she saved me. For me, it really was a big deal.
Thank you, Stephanie and Daniel, for believing in me and in this project.
The Illustrator
An artist for the sketches in Mulberry Seeds was difficult to find. Attempts to draw the glimpses of Corrine's and Jolene's world were too detailed and complicated. None of them had the feel of someone who lived the era of the 1960s. Until I found my sister, Debra Armstrong.
Debra dabbled in sketching when she was a child, but spent most of her time chastising herself for being imperfect. Although she went on to create art in electronic media, she never really trusted herself to produce work from her own hand. With Mulberry Seeds, she decided to try.
After a lot of fussing and more than one difficult discussion, she came through with the chapter sketches that were exactly what we were looking for.
Contact the author for more information about Debra Armstrong and her work.