Paula LaRocque is a writer, educator, and writing consultant who has conducted workshops for hundreds of media, government, academic, and business groups across the United States, Canada, and Europe. She also has been writing consultant for the Associated Press, the Drehscheibe Institute in Bonn, and the European Stars & Stripes in Germany. For ten years, she taught technical communication at Western Michigan University’s School of Engineering, and journalism at Texas A&M, Southern Methodist, and Texas Christian universities. And for the following 20 years, she was assistant managing editor and writing coach at The Dallas Morning News. She has been a columnist for the Society of Professional Journalists’ Quill magazine for more than two decades.  Her commentaries air regularly on National Public Radio in Dallas.  She’s author of three non-fiction books (Marion Street Press, Inc.).   Recently, Paula returned to the dream of her childhood: writing fiction.  Her first novel, Chalk Line, will be published in September 2011.  The book launches a mystery series featuring Detective Ben Gallagher and set in the Dallas-Fort Worth area – where Paula lives.          

Paula earned her BA degree Summa Cum Laude in 1971 and her MA the following year (Western Michigan University). A member of the Associated Press Managing Editors association from the early 1990s through 2001, Paula was elected to the Board of Directors and appointed an officer. In 2001, the association granted her its highest honor: the Meritorious Service Award for exemplary contribution to journalism.