Glendale’s next session of its Writer in Residence program has begun with visits from a suspense-thriller author Deborah J. Ledford.

Ledford, who is part Eastern Band Cherokee and winner of the Agatha Award, will provide several workshops for groups and one-on-one coaching and feedback sessions.

Weekly, one-on-one consultations will be available from January to late March and registration is required.

In addition to the individual sessions, Ledford will teach these group workshops:

  • Organizational Skills to Keep You Focused from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Jan. 10 at the Main Library, 5959 W. Brown St. This will teach techniques to keep on track with writing.

  • Originality in Storytelling from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Main Library. Attendees will write vignettes based on photographs.
  • Constructing the Ideal Book Descriptor from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. on Feb. 5 at Foothills Library, 19055 N. 57th Ave. Learn about loglines, summaries aimed at keeping writers engaged and attracting agents, publishers and readers
  • Developing Killer Characters from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Main Library. Learn techniques to create realistic and intriguing characters.
  • Bringing Your Story or Novel Full Circle from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. March 16 at the Main Library. Writers will learn how to ensure their stories come full circle.
  • Bringing Visuals to Life on the Page from 2 to 3:15 p.m. March 28 at Heroes Regional Park Library at 6075 N. 83rd Ave. Learn how to bring visuals to life on the page by writing scenes based on prompts.

Registration is not required for the workshops.

Ledford first ventured into the literary world writing a screenplay, which she later revised to the book, “Staccato.” The book, along with “Causing Chaos,” “Crescendo” and “Snare,” are part of her “Smoky Mountain Intrigue” suspense thriller series. Ledford’s audiobooks for “Causing Chaos” and “Crescendo” are Anthony Award Nominees for Best Audiobook.

The local author is also president of the independent media company, IOF Productions Ltd.

Ledford also has written many short stories/novellas and is a three-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize, a literary award for outstanding short stories, essays and poetry. She is a former adjunct professor for the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University.

“I’m very excited to be the featured author in the Writer in Residence Program,” Ledford stated in a press release. “I love to mentor writers. I’m an entertainer. The whole idea is for me to get people excited about writing and being creative. I say everyone has a story and everyone is a storyteller.”

For information and to register for, visit 2026 Writer in Residence with Deborah J Ledford – City of Glendale, AZ – Library