WRITING CREDITS: Books: * Non-fiction book: It's OK To Be Afraid of the Water, Front Row Experience, 1985, ISBN 0-915256-18-5 *
Through My Eyes, self-published collection of poems and essays, Oct. 1998 *
Fantasy series: The Chronicles of Henry Roach-Dairier: To Build a Tunnel, ISBN 0-9763410-1-4 New South Dairh Colony 50, ISBN 0-9753410-2-2 The Re-creation of Roacheria, ISBN 0-9753410-3-0 The Inception of the Combined Colonies ISBN 978-0-975341070
Eric And The Enchanted Leaf, ISBN 0-9753410-0-6, a picture book series for primary age children, 32 pg, hard back with jacket. * Eric and the Enchanted Leaf: A Visit with Canis Lupis, ISBN 0-9663629-8-5, 32 pg. picture book, hard back with jacket * Eric and the Enchanted Leaf: A Night with Echo, ISBN 978-0-9795474-2-3, 32 pg. picture book, hard back--These titles are now out of print.
Living on Sisu, The 1913 Union Copper Strike Tragedy, ISBN 978-0-9820278-5-1, middle grade historical fiction
Copper Country Chronicler: The Best of J. W. Nara, ISBN 978-0-9800061-7-9, coffee table book of historic photos
Fighting CPS: Guilty Until Proven Innocent of Child Protective Services charges, ISBN 978-0-9800061-6-2
Picturing the Past: Finlandia University 1896 to the Present, ISBN 978-0-9893484-0-9
The Nature of Life ISBN 9781593461744
Simon and Company Flea Market Mice ISBN 9781940591049
Midnight in the Pawn Shop ISBN 9781593461751
Superior Tapestry: Weaving the Threads of Upper Michigan History ISBN 978-1-61599-588-2
Anthologies including Frontiera’s work: *
Poem, "Mosquito," Voices of Michigan, anthology, Volume II, June 2000 ISBN 0-9667363-1-1 *
"Pakoy Women's Advocate," first serial rights sold to E. Danlyn, L.L.C., to be included in the anthology, Women Forged in Fire, ISBN 0-7596-9399-4 *
Prose poem, “Hoarfrost and Rose Petals,” in Suddenly V, coming out Jan. 2003 Magazines.
UP Reader I, II and III published by the Upper Peninsula Publishers Association, 2017, 2018, 2019
Others: * Houston Independent School District, Project ACCESS, kindergarten and first grade curriculum, 1988 *
Contributing writer, Cowboy Sports and Entertainment Magazine, Dec. 1997 * Frequent contributor, The Houston Writer, 1995-2001 *
Numerous poems and personal essays, The Talker, Houston literary journal, 1997-2000 * Poem, "Hyper Child," Texas Voices, news letter of the Texas Council of Teachers of English, Jan. 1998 *
Personal essay, "Perhaps Without Eyes," Texas Magazine, Houston Chronicle, Dec. 26, 1999 *
Plays for primary children: "Who Are The People In Our Neighborhood," produced Mar., 1997; "Children Around the World," produced Mar. 2000, "Who Was Mother Goose?" produced Mar. 2001, all at Ashford Elementary School, Houston, TX *
Feature article, "Lake Linden: A Dynamic, Ever-changing Village," Marquette Monthly, July, 2001, Feature article, “Beyond The Call of Duty,” Marquette Monthly, July 2002; “Embrace a Case of Fall Flu,” Sep. 2002; “”Working the Dream Into Reality,” Oct. 2002; "Where Were The Women," March 2003. "Keepers of the Light," July, 2003. "Copper Country Homecoming Digs up Deepest Roots," Marquette Monthly, June, 2004. "Delaware Mine is More Than It Seems," Marquette Monthly, July 2004. *
Poem, “Home Town,” in Weeds Corner, literary journal, Summer 2002: adapted re-print of “Beyond the Call of Duty,” Weeds Corner, Fall 2002, personal essay, “Divided Loyalties,” Summer 2003.
"Nara Nature Park Welcomes Public", Marquette Monthly, July 2009.
Article, Marquette Monthly, July 2010, "Making Dreams Come True"
Article, Marquette Monthly, Aug. 2010, "Houghton-Keweenaw County Genealogical Society Restores Hecla Cemetery"
Poem, "Cascading Grace" published in Recovering the Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing, July 2011
Article, Marquette Monthly, Sep. 2011, "The Healing Power of Nature Explored in Poems"
Poem, "Cascading Grace," published in Recovering the Self, Vol. III ,No. 3, July 2011.
Article, "The Changing Scene of Discipline," published in Recovering the Self, Vol. III, No. 4, Oct. 2011
Article, "Copper Country Couple has Wisdom to Offer", Marquette Monthly, July, 2012
Article, "Finlandia University's First 50 Years of History", Marquette Monthly, Feb. 2013.
Article, "Finlandia's History Balances Finish Roots with American Goals", Marquette Monthly, Mar. 2013. Article, "Helping to Advance Michigan Technological University", Marquette Monthly, Nov. 2013. Other articles in Marquette Monthly in the Nov. 2013, Jan. 2014 and Mar. 2014 Issues. Marquette Monthly, Oct. 2014, article, "Taking the 'dis' Out of Disability".
Summer/Fall 2016 articles for Marquette Monthly: July Issue: KBOCC Celebrates Michigan Authors Aug. Issue: North Woods Conservancy Preserves Land for Public Use Sep. Issue: Scrimshaw: Copper Harbor Artist Carves Out Niche with Scrimshaw on Datolite Oct. Issue: You Hungry? Profile article on the owner of Candie's Corner Café in Hubbell MI 2017/18 for Marquette Monthly: Accordian to Jim, Sept. 2017 Heavenly Hiking and Strawberry Festival, July 2018 Report from a Disaster, feature, Aug. 2018 Mysteries of the Keweenaw, Sept. 2018 Rembrance, NOv. 2018 2019 for Marquette Monthly: The Light Keeper, Jan. 2019 Curling, Oylmpic Sport has Taken Hold in the Copper Country, Mar. 2019
Marquette Monthly articles for 2019: "Heavenly Hiking 2019" June 2019 issue; "Mountain High" July 2019 issue; "Tall Timber" August 2019 issue; "Watercolor Renaissance", August 2019 issue; "Art Walk", Sept. 2019 issue; "Balagard Cometh" Setpember 2019 issue; "Living History, Ft. Wilkins Celebrating 175 Years", Setpember 2019 issue; "Rising Star" Feature article, November 2019 issue; "Chocolate Shoppe" November 2019 issue.
Marquette Monthly, Sep. 2021, "Great Lakes Tsunamis"; Oct. 2021, "Sun Made Electricity"
SPEAKING EXPERIENCES (partial list): * Benbrook-Forester Memorial Conference, Houston Association for Childhood Education, 1987 *
Houston Independent School District, series of workshops, "The Thinking Teacher," 1988-89 * Houston Independent School District, "Teacher Inservice" on ACCESS Curriculum, 1988-89 *
A Beautiful Pool, Corp., workshops for swim instructors, May of 1995, '96, '97, '98 *
Kindergarten Teachers of Texas, Regional Conferences, 1996, '97. '98 * Kindergarten Teachers of Texas, State Conference, "Writing with Young Children," Corpus Cristy, TX 1997; Austin, TX, 1999 *
Houston Writers Conference 2000, "Using Poetic Elements to Enhance All Writing," March 18, 2000. *
Houston Area Association For the Education Of Young Children, Spring Conference, "Writing With Young Children," University of Houston, March 4, 2000 *
Blue Willow Bookshop, "Poetry Writing for Parents and Students," October, 2000 *
Harris County Department of Education Mid-Winter Conference, Houston, TX, "Inclusion: A Partnership For Young Children," and "Cultivating Future Authors," January 27, 2001 *
Houston Writers Conference, "Is Print-On-Demand Publishing Right For You?" March 17, 2001 * Society Of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Houston Chapter, "Is Print-On-Demand Publishing Right For You," May 7, 2001 *
Manuscriptor’s Guild, "Using Poetic Elements In All Forms of Writing," Sep. 25, 2001 *
Houston Council of Teachers of English Fall Workshop, "How a Professional Writer Uses TAAS Writing Objectives," Oct. 6, 2001 *
Kindergarten Teachers of Texas State Conference, Corpus Cristy, TX, "Poetry Doesn't Always Rhyme," Oct. 13, 2001 *
Harris County Department of Education Mid-Winter conference, Houston, TX, “Including All Children,” and “Poetry Doesn’t Always Rhyme,” January 26, 2002. *
Prairie Hill Book and Art Festival, workshop for adults and students, coming Sep 21, 2002. *
Harris County Department of Education Early Childhood Winter Conference, January 25, 2003, workshop, “Including All Children.” *
Kindergarten Teachers of Texas State Conference, San Antonio, TX, Sep. 27, 2003, workshop, "Including All Children." *
Diocese of Galveston/Houston Early Childhood Conference, Oct. 10, 2003, Workshop, Growing Future Writers. *
Copper Harbor School visit, June 3, 2004, Story writing with students. *
Hancock Elementary summer reading program, June 24, 2004, and Poetry Dosen't Always Rhyme, July 16, 2004. *
Houston Area Association for the Education of Young Children, Fall Conference, Sep. 11, 2004, "Helping Young Children Appreciate Nature." *
Houston Children's Museum, reading, presentation on the publishing process, "inside look" at an ant farm and "Make a Bug" craft, April 16, 2005. *
Calumet Public Library Story Hour, reading and presentation on the publishing process, peek inside an ant farm, June 30, 2005. *
Marquette Children's Museum, reading, program on the publishig process, look inside an ant farm, and "Make A Bug" craft, July 13, 2005. *
Rawson Memorial Library, Cass City, MI, reading, program on the publishing process. how to make an ant farm in a soda bottle, and "Spider Hat" craft, July 21, 2005. *
Houston Area Association for the Education of Young Children Spring Conference, April 8, 2006, workshop: "Helping Young Children Appreciate Nature." *
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Houston Chapter, speaker for May 1, 2006, helping authors and illustrators tie state-mandated curriculum objectives into their school presentations. Attendees said it was one of the best presentations they had seen and they gained practical information. *
Kindergarten Teachers of Texas State Conference, Ft. Wroth, TX, Oct. 14, 2006, workshop title: Science? Who Has Time for That?" *
Bay Area Writers League, workshop on writing for children, Clear Lake Freeman Library, Houston, TX, Jan. 26, 2008.
Weatherford College, Books and Authors and all that Jazz, workshop for beginning writers and students on short story writing, May 3, 2008
Pigeon District Library, Pigeon, MI, summer library story hour, June 19, 2008
Calumet Public Library, Calumet, MI, summer story hour, July 10, 2008
Burbank Public Library, Burbank, WA, summer story hour, Aug. 9, 2008
Weatherford College, Books and Authors and all that Jazz, workshop for beginning writers and students on short story writing, repeated by request, April 25, 2009.
Speaker for Delta Cappa Gamma Houston Chapter, "Where the Ideas Come From and How Ideas Become Books," April 21, 2009.
School Visit, San Jacinto Elementary, Liberty, TX, May 1, 2009.
School Visit, North Star Academy, Marquette. MI, May 15, 2009.
School Visit, LLHS Public Schools, Lake Linden, MI, May 19, 2009.
School Visit, CLK Public Schools, Calumet, MI, May 20, 2009.
UPPAA Spring Conference, Marquette, MI, May 16, 2009, workshop on the differences between writing for children and writing for adults.
School Visit: Giddings Elementary, Giddings, TX, Sep. 9, 2010.
School Visit: Rummel Creek Elementary, Spring Branch ISD, Houston, TX, Dec. 10, 2010.
School Visit: Urban Park Elem. Dallas, TX, Apr. 15, 2011
Workshop on Journaling and Memoir Writing, Books and Authors and All That Jazz, Weatherford College, TX, April 30, 2011
School Visit, St. Petersburg Christian School, St. Petersburg, FL, 33702, May 5, 2011.
Program, "The Special Challenges of Researching and Writing Historical Fiction", Giddings Intermediate School, Giddings, TX ,Sep. 8, 2011.
Guest celebrety reader, Herod Elem, Houston ISD, Oct. 26, 2011
School visit, Giddings, TX, September, 2011
Copper Country Intermediate School District, workshop for teachers on writing in the classroom, Aug. 24, 2012
Calumet, Laurium, Keweenaw schools, author visit for 5th and 6th grades, Sep. 14, 2012
Lake Linden-Hubbell Public Schools, author visit, Sep. 28, 2012
Horne Elementary School, Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, Houston, TX, Nov. 30,2012, author visit for kindergarten and first grade.
Westwood Elementary, Spring Branch ISD, Houston, TX, 4th grade writing camp author visit, Mar. 22, 2013.
Library presentations in Michigan libraries including Calumet, Sault Ste. Marie, Engadine, Pickford, and De Tour summer of 2013
Speach to Brazos Writers Group Sep. 2013
Celebrity Reader at Herod Elementary, Houston ISD, Oct. 25, 2013.
Family Reading Night speaker at Northgate Crossing Elementary, Spring TX, Feb. 28, 2014.
September 2014, author visits in Upper Michigan Schools: Hancock Elementary, South Range Elementary, Arvon Elementary, Calumet Elementary, and Lake Linden Elementary.
Oct. 23, 2014, workshop on journaling and memoir writing to St. Edith Stein Ladies' Guild.
Owen/Gagetown Elementary School, Owendale, MI, Oct. 22, 2015, including an after-school workshop for teachers on teaching writing in the classroom.
Worskhops on short story writing, Oct. 7, 14 and 21, 2019 Lake Linden Hubbell Public Schools grades 5, 6, and 9.
E.B. Holman Elementary School, Houghton County, April 16, 2021
Chrystal Falls Schools, May 5, 2021