ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rachael Lundin
Adventurer, lifelong learner, problem solver, and maker.
My imagination for what is possible is far greater than either my abilities or the amount of hours in the day, but I can write about it all. I love telling stories. I was introduced to the art of storytelling in a teepee on the North Dakota Prairie, listening to a Mandan storyteller weave the tale of the bird that turned the meat bitter. To be able to tell a good story seemed to me the most amazing profession.
I’m more comfortable behind a computer screen than I am in front of people, but I make do. In addition to improving my writing craft, I am on a quest to explore as much of the planet as possible. At 17 I helped build a children’s camp in Brazil. At 18 I worked in an orphanage in Mexico. Since then I have traveled France by bicycle, gone on safari in Africa, and rode 700 kilometers across Mongolia on horseback. I’m not sure exactly what is next — possibly a year-long road trip across the USA in an RV, or a biking trip through Croatia this summer.
Even so, most days will find me in my home office in Wenatchee, WA where I design and build eLearning. For 23 years I have been a public servant, and the last decade has been spent developing accessible online training for 80,000 state employees. My fellow instructional designers and I have long struggled to understand and implement WCAG — accessibility guidelines that were never written with eLearning developers in mind. I hold a master’s degree in Vocational Rehabilitation and am a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC). I used my experience and education to write the book I wished had existed when I started.
I live with my dog, Molly, and together we run an Airbnb. Molly is the Super Host. My top favorite thing to do is hang out with my family. My motto is “Adventure is everywhere, if you know how to look.”
“Adventure is everywhere, if you know how to look.”
My first book, Serenade of the Sasquatch, is book one of The Chorus Chronicles, written for a middle grade audience. It took forever to find my publisher. I finally met her at the International Bigfoot Conference. When I heard about the conference I thought, There are Bigfoot conferences? My second thought was, We have to check that out! My husband Charlie, my daughter Nicole, and I set off. My future publisher was working a booth there. I told her about Serenade of the Sasquatch and she said, “We don’t publish children’s books.” But then she added, “I’ll read it though, and give you feedback.” Of course I took her up on that. She did read it, she had excellent feedback — and then I didn’t hear from her again for six years. When I did, it was an email: “Hey, do you remember me? We are now considering publishing middle grade fiction, and I haven’t gotten your story out of my mind. I’d like to see it again.” And that was that, as they say.
The Mandan storyteller in that teepee on the North Dakota Prairie probably had no idea he was changing the trajectory of a little girl’s life. I think about that sometimes.
Along the way
BOOKS
Since then I’ve written:
Serenade of the Sasquatch — book one of The Chorus Chronicles
Music of the Mermaids — book two of The Chorus Chronicles
Mongolian Love Letters — a memoir about riding the longest annual charity horse ride on the planet
Accessible eLearning — a practical guide for elearning developers
Dance of the Dragons — book three of The Chorus Chronicles (in progress)
Available for library and school visits
Rachael Loves connecting with readers of all ages. Get in touch to discuss a booking.