AUTHOR BIO
Retired college professor Wendy Byard spent twenty years teaching her students to write creatively and get published.
Now it's her turn.
Byard has published Devil in the Dunes, an engrossing kidnap suspense novel set on the charming - and often deadly - coast of Lake Michigan.
Byard is the published author of Teach and Reach for Classroom Miracles. She was a college English and composition for over two decades; a magazine writer for On the Town magazine; a Special Writer for The Flint Journal; a journalist for Capitol News Service; a former high school English and history teacher; and an advertising and marketing account executive for Group 243 in Ann Arbor and Grey Advertising in Chicago. She was an elected official, serving on the Lapeer Community Schools Board of Education for several years. She sits on the boards of several Lapeer County charities.
Byard currently writes the column "Beyond Our Backyards" for a Michigan newspaper chain. She also owns the graphic and website design firm Wordgirl Marketing.
Byard earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and history and a master’s degree in English Education from Michigan State University. She was a writer for The State News at MSU.
She resides in Metamora, Michigan.
AUTHOR OF TEACH AND REACH FOR CLASSROOM MIRACLES & A DEVIL IN THE DUNES
I am the author of two very different books! One is for educators to encourage them to implement intentionally caring practices into their classrooms. The second is a crime thriller set in West Michigan!
Teach and Reach for Classroom Miracles and A Devil in the Dunes.
COLLEGE WRITING INSTRUCTOR
For 20 years, I taught English Composition 1 and 2 to students who added to my heart in immeasurable ways. As I sought to love them, we all experienced the power of relationship.
BUSINESS OWNER & GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Once I retired from Mott College, I opened my marketing and graphic design business Wordgirl Marketing. I love helping clients realize their dreams. I create websites, logos, business cards, brochures, and more and provide photography, writing, proofreading, and research. I also share my marketing and advertising knowledge gleaned from working at Group 243 Advertising in Ann Arbor and Grey Chicago.
SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE & COMMUNITY ACTIVIST
Serving as a school board trustee for seven years and chairing the district's teaching and learning committee grew me as an educator. I'm also a member of and Marketing Director for the Women's Fund and a member of the Lapeer County Democratic Party Communication Committee.
PUBLIC SPEAKER
From appearing on a local radio show to high school graduation speeches to talks at Saginaw Valley State University, the Genesee County Teachers as Writers Association, the
annual Children's Mental Health Symposium, and the annual Genesee County Counselors' Association, among others, public speaking has enriched and clarified my views. Go to 29:30 at Find Out More below.
WRITER: ON THE TOWN MAGAZINE
I was a staff writer for On The Town Magazine in Genesee County, MI. I've written about human trafficking, a breast cancer warrior and cancer camp for children, an urban farm for at-risk youth, and many other subjects. These experiences have added insight to my educational views and practice.
Michigan State
From Michigan State University, I earned a Master's Degree in Critical Issues in the Teaching of English, a Bachelor's in journalism and history, and a 9-12th grade Teaching Certificate Also while at MSU, I wrote for The State News. "On the banks of the Red Cedar, there's a school that's known to all . . . ."