Hi! My name is Joan Raymond

I'm a published author and certified professional writing coach.

My earliest memories of writing go back to the fourth grade. An avid reader of The Happy Hollisters mystery series, I penned my first two short stories, “The Mystery of the Missing Bread” and “The Snake That Had Legs.” Not best-sellers by any means; but my teacher loved them, as did my classmates, sparking my lifelong interest in writing.

When I was in sixth grade, my mother gifted me with a five-year diary which started my love of journaling and continues to this day. My work has been published online and in print for my non-fiction and fiction stories. For two years, I wrote for a local newspaper interviewing interesting people and writing feature stores. I earned my Master's degree in Creative Writing/English in 2017 and have taught creative writing classes for The Leven Institute in Bakersfield, California, since then. I served on the board for the Writers of Kern, including six years as their president. Along with writing romance and mysteries for adults, I also enjoy writing middle-grade adventure stories for kids.

I live in Bakersfield, California with my husband, along with four rescue pets: two energetic Australian Shepherd mixes (Madison and Jackie), a claustrophobic Maine Coon mix (Molly), and a tuxedo cat (Stormie) who believes she is the real head of the household.

Skills