A Little bit about me

Waynesboro, Virginia, is embraced by the Blue Ridge Mountains and is nestled contentedly within the Shenandoah Valley. It was into these gentle surroundings that Cheryl Buchanan Beaty was born in 1951. And, it was in Waynesboro, at Westwood Hills Elementary School, that Beaty first recognized her creative writing talent.
 
For a sixth grade class assignment, Beaty used a yellow wooden pencil to write and illustrate a poem about a lovesick snail that laboriously, but persistently, traveled to reach his lady love. The poem won Beaty "acclaim"--a spot on the classroom bulletin board--and she, like the little snail, became smitten. For the next few years, Beaty pursued her passion--the written word--with persistence and a sharpened yellow pencil.

A proud Viginian, Beaty's writings are inspired by the richness of her Southern culture and the extensive history of the region. However, in 1979, she left Virginia and moved with her husband to the central valley of Northern California. It was her deep "longing for home" that became the impetus for her novel, SUMMER LULLABY. Other writings have followed and all have been influenced by Beaty's heritage and her appreciation of history.

Being a professional educator for 34 years, Beaty's pursuit of having her works published has moved at the proverbial "snail's pace." With plans to retire in May, 2015, Beaty has exuberantly declared, "Now is the time!" Her sharpened yellow pencil has given way to modern technology, but Beaty's passion for the written word remains steadfast; and like the historical tales of Virginia, she has many stories to tell.