Smoky Trudeau Zeidel


Biography

Smoky Trudeau is the author of two novels, On the Choptank Shores and The Cabin, a photo/essay Observations of an Earth Mage, and two books on writing and writers, all from Vanilla Heart Publishing. She has published short stories and poetry in literary journals such as CALYX and online e-zines such as Smashed Ink. She was a 2003 Pushcart Prize nominee.

Smoky spent most of her life on the flat plains of Illinois, where she taught writing workshops at several community colleges and was a frequent speaker at writers conferences and book fairs. She is a freelance editor, writing coach, and book doctor who has helped hundreds of aspiring writers achieve their dream of becoming published.

Finally succumbing to her bohemian spirit and need to live near the mountains and the ocean, Smoky moved to Southern California in 2008, where she lives in a ramshackle cottage in the woods overlooking the San Gabriel Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains beyond. When she isn’t writing, she spends her time hiking in the mountains and fighting the urge to speak in haiku.

Where to find Smoky Trudeau Zeidel online


Where to buy in print


Books

Smoky Trudeau Zeidel Short Story Collection, Volume 1    by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel
Price: $3.99 USD. 22240 words. Published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on January 26, 2012. Fiction.

Six delightfully entertaining short stories by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel, including In A Flash, Lesser Offenses, Leap, Breathe, Good-Bye, Emily Dickinson, and Breakfast at the Laundromat.
The Cabin    by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel
Price: $4.99 USD. 48680 words. Published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on October 16, 2011. Fiction.

(5.00 from 1 review)
Smoky Trudeau Zeidel brings to this magical and compelling historical fantasy an obvious and highly detailed love of plants and animals, mountains, dreams, and the old wisdom of one attuned to the mysteries of the natural world. —Malcolm R. Campbell, Campbell Editorial, author of The Sun Singer and Sarabande
Smoky's Writer's Workshop Combo Set    by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel
Price: $9.99 USD. 41190 words. Published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on August 10, 2011. Nonfiction.

Special Combination Set combining two of Smoky's most popular writer's workshops, including the basics and more of becoming a published author and a year's worth of fun and educational prompts and lessons.
On the Choptank Shores - A Love Story    by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel
Price: $4.99 USD. 51690 words. Published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on July 8, 2011. Fiction.

(5.00 from 1 review)
On the Choptank Shores is set on Maryland's eastern shore in the late 1920's. Happy endings, in novels as in life, sometimes come at a heavy price.
In A Flash, A Short Story    by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel
Price: $0.99 USD. 7190 words. Published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on May 10, 2011. Nonfiction.

In 1989, Susan Trudeau--the woman who later would become known as author and Earth Mage Smoky Trudeau Zeidel, was struck by lightning. This is the remarkable tale of her ordeal, her struggle to overcome physical injuries that would have killed most people, and her triumph in learning to live a life of joy and inspiration despite chronic pain.
Lesser Offenses, A Short Story    by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel
Price: $0.99 USD. 2180 words. Published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on April 14, 2011. Fiction.

Jack Swanson’s stepmother, Carlotta, makes a fairy tale stepmother look like Mother of the Year. Carlotta walking in on him in the bathroom is the last straw. Just how far will Jack go to rid himself of his evil stepmother?
Leap, A Short Story    by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel
Price: $0.99 USD. 1520 words. Published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on April 14, 2011. Fiction.

Does a person have a right to choose their own death, despite the protest of loved ones?
Breathe, A Short Story    by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel
Price: $0.99 USD. 2280 words. Published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on April 12, 2011. Fiction.

Armondo and Daisy are terribly mismatched. But is their marriage doomed because he is irresponsible, or because she won’t give him room to breathe?
Good-Bye, Emily Dickinson    by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel
Price: $0.99 USD. 4660 words. Published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on April 1, 2011. Fiction.

(5.00 from 1 review)
A Short Story by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel A homeless woman who thinks she's the daughter of Emily Dickinson takes her poetry to the streets, where she finds compassion from some and abuse from others. Goodbye Emily Dickinson puts a face on the homeless in a poignant story about love and loss and the power of kindness.
Breakfast at the Laundromat    by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel
Price: $0.99 USD. 4010 words. Published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on April 1, 2011. Fiction.

(5.00 from 3 reviews)
A short story by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel Purple chenille bedspreads and quail eggs. Mismatched socks and espresso. A lost soul and a free spirit. Can two people find love over breakfast at the laundromat?
Observations of an Earth Mage    by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel
Price: $4.99 USD. 31900 words. Published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on March 1, 2010. Nonfiction.

In this collection, Observations of an Earth Mage, by Smoky Trudeau, readers will be delighted and enchanted by the prose and poetry celebrating the beauty and splendor of the natural world. Humor and drama. From the magnificent vistas of El Capitan to the grandeur of the crashing seas, share the mysteries of the world with author Smoky Trudeau.
Left Brained, Write Brained    by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel
Price: $5.99 USD. 14120 words. Published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on October 28, 2009. Nonfiction.

Left Brained, Write Brained: 366 Writing Prompts and Exercises to Free Your Creative Spirit, Awaken Your Muse, And Challenge Your Skills Every Day of the Year; includes introduction by Writing Coach Smoky Trudeau and information about her delightful writing workshop, From Manuscript to Book: Polish Your Prose For Publishing Success workshop, online, beginning January 1
Front-Word, Back-Word, Insight-Out    by Smoky Trudeau Zeidel
Price: $6.99 USD. 29170 words. Published by Vanilla Heart Publishing on June 14, 2009. Nonfiction.

Based on years of teaching writing workshops, author Smoky Trudeau has created step-by-step lessons to teach you how to transform that story stuck inside you into good fiction…

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