Laplante, Royal 1929-

PERSONAL:

Born September 1, 1929, in Oakland, CA; son of Royal (a logger and grocery store owner) and Margaret Shannon (a grocery store owner) LaPlante; married Joanne I. Corfman; children: Royal III, Marc, Joseph. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: University of Puget Sound, B.A., 1954, M.Ed., 1959; Washington State University, D.Ed., 1968. Politics: "Fiscal conservatism." Religion: "Christian (not active in church)."

ADDRESSES:

Home—Tacoma, WA. Agent—Sherwood Broome, Inc., Box 778, Absarokee, MT, 59001. E-mail—raljil@aol.com.

CAREER:

High school teacher of mathematics and science in Spanaway, WA, 1954-56, 1958-59, and Vicenza, Italy, 1956-58; high school teacher, assistant principal, and principal in Germany and Italy, between 1959 and 1964; administrative assistant at schools in Longview, WA, 1968-72; superintendent of other schools in Washington, between 1972 and 1983; teacher and principal of schools in Germany and Spain, between 1983 and 1991; writer, 1991—. Cowlitz County Drug Council, member, 1968-72; Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce, president, 1975-76; Concrete Chamber of Commerce, member of executive board, 1976-81. Military service: U.S. Marine Corps, 1947-50; received sharpshooter badge.

WRITINGS:

The Myrtlewood Grove (western-historical fiction), Northwest, 1994.

Penalomah, The Eagle Soars (western-historical fiction), Black Forest Press, 1997.

Cottage Cove: A Chechako in Alaska, Black Forest Press, 1998.

Uncle Jack's Creek (western-historical fiction), Black Forest Press, 1999.

The Myrtlewood Grove—Revisited, (western-historical fiction), Black Forest Press, 2000.

The Myrtlewood Grove—Final Episode (western-historical fiction), Black Forest Press, 2001.

Salmon Beach: The Narrows Camps (western-historical fiction), Black Forest Press, 2003.

SIDELIGHTS:

Royal LaPlante once told CA that his primary motivation for writing is "creative expression during my retirement years." "Places I have lived and experiences I have had (northwest USA), plus my wife" are influences on LaPlante's work. His writing process includes "research of the site and in the library for history, and writing three hours per day." "Personal knowledge and interest, plus stories old friends told me over the years" are what inspired LaPlante to write on the subjects he has chosen.