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| M.B. Roberts |
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Author and freelance writer M.B. Roberts has written fourteen books and contributed dozens of stories to newspapers, magazines and websites. At first glance her chosen topics have little in common: Peacock Bass Fishing on the Amazon?
Relationship advice from Naomi Judd? Inspiring stories about men who played football for Coach Bear Bryant? Her mother-in-law espousing the benefits of pants with elastic waistbands?
BUT TAKE ANOTHER LOOK.
Whether the story is about sports, travel, music or lifestyle, each one is a snapshot--a slice of life reported, translated and put down on the page. Whether the topic is familiar (how to plan the perfect yard sale) or exotic (how to mush a sled dog team), whether the subjects are famous (the late Dale Earnhardt, the Dixie Chicks) or under the radar, (high school lacrosse players, women truckers), Roberts brings a fresh humorous perspective to every finished piece.
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“Honey? Keep the champ company. I’ll be right back.”
Starting out as a writer, Roberts never intended to write about sports.
But during the fledgling phase of her career, she repeatedly found
herself in extraordinary situations courtesy of her husband, longtime
Sports Illustrated photographer, Ron Modra. Inspired by these
situations (hanging out with the heavyweight boxing champ during a
delayed photo shoot, blundering into the men’s locker room at the Japan
Series, working out with some of the World Series Champion Florida
Marlins), she turned them into entertaining stories and columns and has
been doing so ever since.
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Who batted clean-up for the Mets during their 1986 season opener? Don’t ask me.
Although writing about sports jump-started her career, Roberts is not a
beat reporter. Need a straight game story? Send someone else. Need a
writer to find out and deftly explain how the NFL Films cameramen shoot
the Superbowl? She’s your gal.
Looking for a spring training scouting report? Seek out a baseball
reporter. Looking for an insider’s guide to where the big leaguers
golf, fish, eat, drink and hang out after spring training practices?
Call on Roberts.
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Method Travel Writing
Does a journalist really need to submit to a hot stone massage to write
a service piece about a sparkling new destination spa? Probably not.
But she should partake of the pampering (or watch her husband doing so)
if she writes in-depth, detailed, non-run-of-the-mill travel stories.
O.K, maybe she’s angling for a free massage.
Nonetheless, Roberts specializes in first-person travel adventures and
compelling trend pieces that go beyond the essential service
information. She constantly strives to find a new angle, while
consistently considering a publication’s perspective.
Examples:
For Voyaging (a Power & Motoryacht spin-off): Not just a story about a
luxury yacht. Rather, a story about watching the St. Petersburg Grand
Prix from a deck of a luxury yacht.
For Dodge Magazine (a lifestyle magazine for owners of Dodge cars and
trucks): Not just a profile about a marching band’s dynamic drumline.
But a profile plus plenty of information about the crucial nature of a
truck or van to a traveling band. (Try stuffing a tuba into a Toyota
Corolla).
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Roberts, a Virginia Tech graduate, grew up in Vienna, Virginia and has
made her home in New York City, Northern Wisconsin, Nashville and South
Florida. She and her husband, Ron Modra, currently split their time
between Hollywood, Florida and the Florida Keys.
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From Rutledge Hill Press (Thomas Nelson, Inc.):
Bear’s Boys: 36 Men Whose Lives were Forever Changed by Coach Bear
Bryant, by Eli Gold with M.B. Roberts (2007)
Crimson Nation: The Shaping of the South’s Most Dominant Football Team,
by Eli Gold with M.B. Roberts (2005)
Jug Fishing for Greazy and other Brad Paisley Fishing Stories, by Brad
Paisley and M.B. Roberts (2003)
From Sterling Publishing:
Rugby: The Player’s Handbook (2010)
Soccer: The Player’s Handbook (2009)
Lacrosse: The Player’s Handbook (2007)
Crew: The Rower’s Handbook (2007)
From Andrews &McMeel:
Bridesmaids (2002)
From Willow Creek Press:
The Honky Tonk Truth: The Brooks & Dunn Story (2001)
Yo! Blacken This! The Delta Grill Cookbook (2000)
The Northwoods Table (2000)
Garish Gardens and Outlandish Lawns (1999)
Reflections of the Game: Lives in Baseball, by Ronald C. Modra with
M.B. Roberts (1999)
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Newspapers:
Chicago Tribune
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Miami Herald
New Orleans Times-Picayune
Newsday
Nashville Tennessean
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Orlando Sentinel
St. Louis Dispatch
St. Petersburg Times
and others…
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Magazines:
American Profile
American Airlines’ American Way
Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel
Bride’s
Carnival Cruise Lines Currents
Chicago
City & Shore
Conde Nast’s Women’s Sports and Fitness
Country Weekly
Country Music
CMT Magazine
Diversion
Florida Travel & Life
Garden and Gun
Marlin Magazine
Milwaukee
Modern Bride
NFL Insider
Photographic Magazine
Playboy
Power & Motoryacht
Road King
Southwest Spirit
Voyaging
and others…
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Websites:
budnmarys.com
cmt.com
dishmag.com
diversion.com
e-currents.com
espn.com
sun-sentinel.com
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