About Paula

Paula Jo McElroy loves telling stories through the written word from real-life experiences; ones that inspire, teach, and bring joy to others. But don’t look for lofty accolades from Paula, because for the most part, what she knows about writing she learned in elementary and middle school between the ages of 8-14. “The thought of becoming an author never crossed my mind when I was young,” Paula says. “Now, look at me!” Author Paula Jo McElroy is a prime example of using what you learned in childhood later in life as an adult. Paula wants to encourage her readers by saying…

“You don’t know now, what you’ll need to know later. So do well in school now, you’ll thank yourself later.”

Paula was born and raised in the heart of the Midwest, in Normal, Illinois. After 23 years in Wisconsin, Paula and her husband Don now live in Clarksville, Tennessee. She is a wife, mom, grandmother, homemaker, and part-time writer. Paula has a blended family of two step-children and two children; seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren with one more on the way. Growing up in a blended family herself, Paula simply considers them... family.

Paula learned her building, decorating, and singing skills from her father, along with a healthy dose of humor; her cooking, baking, sewing, and basic home-care skills she learned from her mother and grandmother. Now she loves to do it all! She enjoys gardening and landscaping, being active in her local church and singing in their choir.

Paula hopes The Treehouse is just the first in a series of Angela books, and though based on actual events, creative freedom has been exercised for fun and interest.

Why write Angela’s Great Adventures? Paula’s first early-middle reader chapter book Angela’s Great Adventures: The Treehouse is a fun adventure story based on the actual events of her step-daughter and blended family. What parts are true is for you to decide! When asked why she wrote the story, Paula said, “Angela’s main goal in life was to have fun, which is exactly what she did! Back then, that meant doing a lot of things not considered “normal” for a girl to do. I wanted Angela’s experiences and fiascos to inspire boys and girls to do the same.”

Then a funny thing happened... the more Paula wrote, the more she realized just how much she was like Angela when she was a kid – just not as bold and care-free. “I loved being outdoors, and it wasn’t uncommon for me to have a bug in a jar, be climbing trees, hunting for crawdads and making a dam in the small creek behind our house, or playing army and sports with my older brothers and their friends like one of the guys,” says Paula. “It saddens me now, in this culture of social media and electronic overload, that parks and neighborhoods once alive with the chatter of children playing outside, lawns scattered with kids’ bicycles and ball gloves, now lie silent and desolate.”

“Take a break from your devices. Go outside and have fun! Enjoy nature, get dirty, and find your own adventures!”