Lynn Garthwaite was raised in the idyllic suburb of Bloomington, MN. An avid reader, Lynn began writing her own stories while still in elementary school and pictured herself as a professional writer from a very young age. After college she attended several screenwriting workshops and began writing screenplays in earnest. Several years and seven screenplays later, she put that ambition on the back burner to pursue other interests. When the urge to write hit again, she found that her passion had changed to children's literature, and the "Dirkle Smat Adventure Books" were born. She also has written three picture books on a work-for-hire basis, and later added a history book for all ages ("Our States Have Crazy Shapes") to her accomplishments. The genres are starting to fall like dominoes because she has now published "Starless Midnight", a mystery/thriller.

New in 2021: "Childhood Rhymes for Modern Times" - a diverse, inclusive, and kind collection of nursery rhymes for our modern and diverse communities.

Her primary speaking focus is on the book about the crazy shapes of our states, going to businesses that enjoy bringing in special events as a study-break, team-building, fun, and motivational hour. Her talk about the quirky backstories in creating our U.S. map is entertaining and promotes fun conversation. She is also a popular speaker at community groups, rotary clubs, senior co-ops, and other places where people are interested in hearing those quirky stories.

Visit her websites: www.BlueSpectrumBooks.com, and www.LynnGarthwaite.com