From Miege to the Page: Two Alumnae Share Author Journeys
“I say this to anybody who will listen, and to anybody who has a child headed into high school: debate and forensics with Mrs. Reynolds were the single most valuable education I’ve ever gotten in my life – more than my undergrad degree, my master’s degree, everything.” — Paula Lafferty ’06
This year, two Bishop Miege alumnae — Paula (DeSeure) Lafferty ’06 and Kristen Tremonti Reiter ‘07 — found themselves receiving recognition for their writing, each earning positive reviews from Kirkus Reviews. Both authors still point back to Miege as a place that shaped how they communicate and connect with others. Whether through debate and storytelling or handwritten notes passed between classmates, those early experiences continue to show up in the work they are sharing with the world today.
Debate became the foundation for Paula Lafferty’s writing career
For Paula Lafferty, that path has led from high school debate rounds to a breakout career as a novelist. Her debut, The Once and Future Queen, reimagines Arthurian legend through a modern-day Guinevere and has since been recognized as a bestseller by USA Today, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other national outlets.
Lafferty said the inspiration for the novel came during a 2009 internship in England and Scotland, where a visit to Glastonbury sparked the idea. She credits her high school debate partner, Tom, with helping her win the internship through an online voting competition.
“It all ties back to debate in all of the ways,” she said.
A daily writing habit changed everything
Even after that trip, the story stayed in the background for years. She would return to it, set it aside, and return again, unsure if it would ever fully come together. That changed in 2022, when she committed to a Lenten practice of writing something every day, no matter how small. What started as a discipline quickly turned into sustained progress on the manuscript.
From there, the project took a surprising turn. Instead of waiting on traditional publishing alone, she chose to self-publish, bringing in editors, designers, and early readers while also building an audience around the book before release.
A short video she posted during that process unexpectedly went viral on TikTok, bringing a wave of attention that changed the scale of the project overnight. What followed was agent interest, international publishing deals, and eventually a traditional re-release partnership after the book’s initial success.
Through it all, she credits the foundation she built at Miege, especially in debate and forensics under Mrs. Reynolds.
“I say this to anybody who will listen, and to anybody who has a child headed into high school: debate and forensics with Mrs. Reynolds were the single most valuable education I’ve ever gotten in my life – more than my undergrad degree, my master’s degree, everything,” Lafferty said.
She said those skills still show up every time she writes or speaks in public.
“That formative experience of being pushed to do something really uncomfortable, of presenting my ideas and myself not only to peers but to judges and adults I had never met and learning how to represent my point of view and be confident in what I say, that has been instrumental,” she said.
Her gratitude for Mrs. Melissa Reynolds led Lafferty to thank her publicly in the acknowledgements of her book.
“Mrs. Reynolds was such an impactful teacher,” she said. “I can’t imagine doing anything big without her being at the top of the thank-you list. Every teacher I’ve ever had is important, but that experience was so formative that she had to be included.”
Lafferty’s second novel, Keeper of the Grail, is scheduled for release Jan. 5 with a third book tentatively scheduled for the next year.
Handwritten notes became Kristen Tremonti Reiter’s mission
In Kristen Tremonti Reiter’s book, Maybe a Note Would Help, she explores how small, intentional acts of written communication can create meaningful connection. It grew out of a simple thank-you note she once sent.
“I wrote my now-husband’s sports agent a note after spending some time in Orlando,” she said. “It was a regular thank-you note for taking care of us and the place that we were staying for about two months.”
What surprised her was the response it received.
“It was really a regular note that I had sent him, but the response that he sent back was so nice and thankful,” she said. “He said, ‘This is the best note I’ve received. I want to post it for everyone to see so more people write handwritten notes.’”
That moment eventually turned into a challenge Tremonti Reiter set for herself in 2021: writing one handwritten note every day for a year. Her challenge led to teaching note-writing workshops and laid the groundwork for her book, which blends personal reflection and her notes with practical takeaways for readers.
She said her book events have been filled with meaningful moments, especially when she invites attendees to write postcards and send them to people in their lives, whether that is their kids, parents, or even their future selves.
“I love thinking about people opening up their mailbox and receiving these postcards from my events,” she said. “Inspiring deeper connections throughout the world starting in a small way and hoping that sparks joy and love and spreads further is ideally my goal.”
Why Bishop Miege authors keep coming back to gratitude
One moment from an event brought her right back to the classrooms of Miege, where she and her friends would exchange handwritten notes throughout the school day, often folded like origami.
“Someone who came to one of my events had already read the book, and she brought me one of the notes folded like we used to fold them in high school,” Tremonti Reiter said. “She wrote me a high school-style note and folded it up in a super fun way. I was delighted by that.”
She still finds joy in those small habits, including her love of gel pens.
“I use scented glitter gel pens, which are my favorite,” she said. “At the bottom I’ll write, ‘Sniff this. It smells like grape,’ which I hope it still does by the time it gets to them. It definitely does when I’m writing it.”
One Miege note stands out in particular. Near the end of her year of 365 notes, Tremonti Reiter wrote to Mr. DJ Gemmill to thank him for his impact.
“You encouraged us to dare to be different and to bring fun into everything we do,” she wrote. “You created a safe place to express ourselves, to learn, and to grow. I remember sitting in the front of class because I wanted to. I didn’t do this in any other class … Thank you for being your authentic self and for inspiring others to do the same. A priceless gift.”
Mr. Gemmill even wrote back, saying the note was the perfect pick-me-up as he started a new school year.
“I truly love all of the people at Miege, and it’s such a special community,” Tremonti Reiter said. “I wanted to thank everyone there for being guiding lights for me.”
Check out more alumni news in Miege Matters!