The Writing Popular Fiction master’s program at Seton Hill University will present popular children’s author Bruce Hale on Tuesday, January 9 at 7 p.m. in Cecilian Hall on Seton Hill’s Greensburg, Pa. campus. Hale’s lecture “From Reluctant Reader to Author: A Writer’s Journey” is free and open to the public.

Bruce Hale began his career as a writer while living in Tokyo, and continued it when he moved to Hawaii in 1983. He has written and illustrated nearly 20 books for young readers. Hale’s Chet Gecko Mysteries series includes: “The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse,” “The Big Nap,” “Farewell, My Lunchbag,” “The Malted Falcon,” “Trouble is My Beeswax,” and others. A popular speaker and storyteller for audiences of all ages, Hale won a Fulbright Grant in 1998 to teach storytelling and study folklore in Thailand. He has taught writing workshops at colleges and universities, visited elementary schools across the country, and spoken at national conferences of writing, publishing, and literacy organizations.

Bruce Hale visits Seton Hill University as part of the January residency for Seton Hill’s unique Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program. The Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction teaches students to write marketable novels in popular genres like mystery, romance, science fiction, horror, and fantasy. Additional specialties include literature for children and adolescents, and cross-genre blends like romantic suspense or young adult mysteries. Students attend two weeklong, on-campus residencies each year to master the core elements of fiction writing and effective marketing and to gain inspiration from faculty mentors and special guests, all published authors in genre fiction. Established authors mentor students one-on-one as they work toward completing a market-ready manuscript from home. Readings, classes, and on-line discussion about the history, trends, and techniques of genre fiction add depth to the student's experience. For more information about the Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program at Seton Hill, visit http://fiction.setonhill.edu or contact Seton Hill’s Office of Graduate and Adult Studies at 724-838-4221.