Former Literary Laureate Announces Publication of ‘Surrounded by Water’

Healdsburg writer Stefanie Freele this week announced the publication of her latest book, Surrounded by Water.

Freele is the recipient of numerous writing awards, including for the short stories in this collection. Accolades include first place in Glimmer Train’s “Fiction Open” second place in Glimmer Train’s “Family Matters Contest,” a 2010 Million Writers Notable Story award, an Editor’s Pick in the Mid-American Review Fineline Competition, as well as a Pushcart Prize nomination for “Pozniejszy.”

In a quick e-mail interview, Freele wrote, “[I’m] old enough to have a 5-year-old, but too old to have another. Old enough to remember bad '80s perms, but not old enough to recall WWII. Old enough to have read thousands of books, but young enough to read without glasses (so far).”

In the writing world, she’s known for her breezy style, adding humor the darkness she sees in life’s regular events. She’s been writing for most of her life and claims to be a “reading addict.”

“…About eight years ago I started taking it [writing] very seriously by taking classes and working toward publishing,” wrote Freele.

Her first book of short stories, Feeding Strays, was a finalist in the 2010 Binghamptom University John Gardner Fiction Book Award, as well as a 2009 finalist for the Book of the Year Award. Feeding Strays was published in 2009.

Freele, who has a MFA in creative writing, served as the 2010-2011 Healdsburg Literary Laureate. She often gives workshops on the craft of writing. She is the fiction editor at the Los Angeles Review.

To read one of Freele’s recent works, "Feisty Rojo," in Quarterly West, click here.

Upcoming events, where Freele will read from her works include: Sun., Apr. 15,  Bean Affair, 2:00 p.m., where she will join current Laureate John Koetzner and another former for the Healdsburg Literary Guild’s Laureates’ Reading; May 10 at Why There Are Words in Sausalito; May 19 at Lit Fest in Ukiah and on June 12 at the Healdsburg Lit Cafe. For more information on upcoming reading events and classes click this link.

To preorder Surrounded by Water click this link.

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