EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

Retreat

Grieving: Shadows and Sunlight

Big Raven Farm

June 5 - 8, 2025

https://bigravenyoga.com/products/2025-06-05-grieving-shadows-sunlight

PAST EVENTS 

Shadows and Sunshine: Grief Writing Workshops around Minnesota

Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Support for Individuals Grant

Fergus Falls Public Library 

Willmar Public Library

Meinders Community Library (Pipestone)

Grand Rapids Public Library

Virginia Public Library

Ely Public Library 

Thief River Falls Public Library

International Falls Public Library

Nobles County Library (Worthington)

*Lisa M. Bolt Simons is a fiscal year 2023 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

*Link to the Minnesota State Arts Board and Minnesota Legacy logos: https://www.arts.state.mn.us/grants/support.htm

Retreat

Grieving: Shadows and Sunlight; Big Raven Farm, Spring Grove, MN

Radio Interview

The North 103.3; Duluth, MN

Podcasts

Happy Time Craftcast 

with Joleen Emery

Big Raven Farm, MN

The Children's Literature Channel of the New Books Network

with Mel Rosenberg

Tel Aviv, Israel 

Conferences

*SCBWI Marvelous Midwest 2024

Co-hosted with six SCBWI state teams

*SCBWI New York (Winter) Conference 2024

Attended as the Regional Advisor (RA) for Minnesota

*MN/ IA SCBWI "Together at Last!" May 2023

Co-planned and co-presented

*SCBWI New York (Winter) Conference 2023

Attended as the new Regional Advisor (RA) for Minnesota

Book Launch and Signing

Thundermouse

by Lt. Col. (Ret.) Caroline "Blaze" Jensen of River Falls, WI

Illustrated by Donna Eicher of Northfield, MN

I was the Editor and Project Manager

International School Visit 

*Ta Meun Primary School; Ta Meun Commune (suburb), Cambodia  

School Visits 

*Lakeview Elementary School; Lakeville, MN; K-5

*1st grade at Greenvale Park Elementary School; Northfield, MN

*The Acorn School for Early Childhood Development; Boulder, CO

*Lionheart Children's Academy; Celina, TX

*World Read Aloud Day 2024 (virtual)

joined elementary schools in HI, MO, and TX

*World Read Aloud Day 2023 (virtual)

joined elementary schools in IA, MA, MD, MN, NJ, PA, TX, WA, and WI

*World Read Aloud Day 2022 (virtual); elementary schools in MI and TX 

*Valentine Hills Elementary; Arden Hills, MN; 4th grade

*Notre Dame Academy; Los Angeles, CA; 2 - 8 

*Dakota Hills Middle School; Eagan, MN  

*Year of the Reader; Faribault School District, MN; public, private, and charter schools; K-8 (two times)  

*Shattuck-St.Mary's; Faribault, MN

Keynote and Presenter 

*Young Writers & Authors Conference; grades 3 - 9;  Mankato, MN

*Conference for Young Writers; grades 3 - 8; Marshall, MN   

*Young Authors, Young Artists Conference; grades 3 - 5; Rochester, MN 

Presenter

*Young Authors, Young Artists Conference; St. Joseph, MN  

*Young Writers & Authors Conference; Mankato, MN 

*Virtual Conference for Young Writers; Marshall, MN

*Conference for Young Writers; Marshall, MN 

*Virtual Young Authors, Young Artists; Rochester, MN

*Young Authors, Young Artists Conference; Rochester, MN 

*Something Borrowed: MN/IA Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) 

Nonfiction Writing Conference (virtual)

Co-Presenter

*An Inside Peek at Writing Work-for-Hire Books from Start to Finish; MN/IA SCBWI Conference, St. Paul

Book Signings/Readings

*Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery; Park Rapids, MN

*Storytime Trolley; Valley Bookseller, Stilwater, MN

*Zenith Bookstore, Duluth, MN

*Red Balloon; St. Paul, MN

*Faribault Woolen Mill Holiday Open House; Faribault, MN

*Jackpine Writers' Bloc Talking Stick 31  Book Release Party (anthology reading)

*National WASP World War II Museum; Sweetwater, Texas

*Barnes & Noble Woodbury, MN

*Barnes & Noble Mankato, MN

*Twin Cities Book Festival 

*Wordplay, Minneapolis 

*Author Fest; Park Rapids, MN 

*Content Bookstore; Northfield, MN 

*Addendum Books; St. Paul, MN

Library Visits 

*Penrose Library; Colorado Springs, CO  

*St. Peter Public Library; St. Peter, MN

*Buckham Memorial Library; Faribault, MN

Private Writing Classes

*Writing Children's Fiction

Classes Taught at The Loft Literary Center, Minneapolis

*A Place at the Desk: Writing for Children  (adults)

*Shadows and Sunshine: Writing and Reading about Grief (adults)

*Research and Writing: Children's Nonfiction for Education (adults) 

*Wow! Bumpy! Gross! The Senses in Writing (adults and children) 

*Learn to Lie...and NOT Get Grounded: Writing Fiction (children) 

*Get Real: Writing Realistic Fiction (children and teens)

*Get Out! Writing "Out of This World" Fiction (children and teens)

*Strengthen Your Vocabulary Muscle (children) 

*Writing the World (adults and children) 

Classes Taught Offsite through The Loft Literary Center

*The ABCs of Children's Books (online) 

Lake Agassiz Regional Library/Traverse des Sioux Library System

*Writing Children's and Young Adult Literature

Galaxie Library; Apple Valley, MN

Various presentations and author events

*Cajun's Aviation Dream fundraiser with former USAF Thunderbird Blaze Jensen; 

Aviation Museum, Santa Paula Airport, CA

*Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) Homecoming; Sweetwater, TX

*Wordsmith Deconstructed Conference/Let's Talk About Your Writing Career; Minneapolis

*Wings and Writing: Using Aviation as a Theme; Rice County Historical Society 

(virtual presentation); Faribault, MN

*Twin Cities Book Festivals

*Alphabet Forest, Minnesota State Fair

*ITEM (Information and Technology Educators of MN) Fall Conferences 

*Faribault Woolen Mill store at Mall of America 

*Deep Valley Book Festival; Mankato, MN

*Faribault Rotary, MN

*Spotlight on Books Conference, MN

*Delta Kappa Gamma 

*Somali Center of Service; Faribault, MN

*The Hockey Lodge, Xcel Energy Center, Minnesota Wild games

Faribault Woolen Mill: Loomed in the Land of Lakes Book Tour

*Rockrimmon Library; Colorado Springs, CO 

*Tattered Cover; Littleton, CO 

*Weller Book Works; Salt Lake City, UT 

*The Bookshelf; Truckee (Lake Tahoe), CA 

*Chico Branch of the Butte County Library; Chico, CA 

*Multnomah County Central Library; Portland, OR 

*Newport Way Library; Seattle, WA  

Faribault Woolen Mill: Loomed in the Land of Lakes book release

*Northfield Library; Northfield, MN 

*Eat My Words Bookstore, Minneapolis 

*Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery; Park Rapids, MN 

*Lanesboro Library; Lanesboro, MN 

*Subtext Books, St. Paul 

*Magers & Quinn Booksellers, Minneapolis 

*Content Bookstore; Northfield, MN 

*Mill Store, Faribault Woolen Mill; Faribault, MN