Look and Listen

Biography

C. L. Gillmore is a retired special education teacher and holds a Bachelor of Education degree in both Elementary and Special Education with graduate endorsements in Early Childhood Education and Learning Disabilities. After more than 25 years in education she decided to pursue her passion for writing as a full time career. “Writing has always been an important part of my life. My second grade teacher was a big influence,” Gillmore says. “She was instructive and encouraging and made me love putting my thoughts on paper.” Those thoughts are further conveyed in the poem stanza found on the front of her business cards. “In my youth I was a dreamer…imagination my best friend. My mind could safely take me places and bring me back again. Now all those places of my youth have become sweet memories. I hold them close within my heart and cherish each one tenderly.” In the past two and a half years Gillmore has written and published a social media based romance novel entitled "Uncommon Bond"-available in both eBook and paperback format. On November 5th her poetry book and audio CD entitled "Of Roots, Shoes and Rhymes" won the Arizona Author’s Association 2011 Literary Award. Both books/CD can be purchased through Amazon or from her website at www.clgillmore.com. Gillmore is presently working on a sequel novel to "Uncommon Bond" and writing new poems for another poetry book as well…both sure to please her growing fan base. A transplant from Muscatine, Iowa, Gillmore now resides in Surprise, Arizona with her husband. They have two married sons and five grandchildren who live nearby. In addition, they share their home with a French bulldog named Pitty Pat and an English bulldog named Gracie Belle.

Inspiration

As a Baby Boomer she finds inspiration for her writing in talking with and listening to the life stories of friends past and present. She believes each of us has a story or a poem yet to be written.