Monday, March 30, 2015

Guest-blogging with Darynda Jones

Join me today for Beam Me Up Monday with Darynda Jones! She's the author of the amazing Charley Davidson mystery series--and one of my Ruby Sisters.

Leave a comment and you'll be entered for a giveaway of Whisper Falls or I Wish.



Sunday, March 29, 2015

Lies your high school may not know they told you

I'm an author but, more importantly, I'm a mom. I have two unconventional kids who, a few short years ago, struggled to get their secondary educational needs met. Their health-related issues forced me to search for unconventional solutions to getting them through high school.


When public high schools didn't work out, we looked into private schools, on-line schools, and home schools.  I learned a lot along the way. I'll write a series of posts that discuss alternatives to conventional education.

A couple of disclaimers:
  • I live in North Carolina, USA. My knowledge is heavily based on the way things are here. Other states and countries may have different expectations and statutes.
  • My kids have simple goals. They want quiet college degrees and good jobs. They do not aspire to Ivy League universities or jobs that require advanced degrees or training. If you are (or parent) a student who has aspirations to attend a top-tier university with dreams of landing a highly-competitive job, these posts are not for you.
My daughter suggested the name Lies your high school may not know they told you--because we don't believe that most educators are hiding this information or deliberately misleading students.  It's likely they don't know it either.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

my new favorite readers

I am in revisions for the second book in the I Wish series.  Four beta-readers have given me fabulous feedback on Wishing for You, and it's now in the hands of my editor.  One more round of revisions and that book might be done!

Two of my teen beta-readers live nearby.  We met for ice cream this weekend, and we talked about books (usually mine) and relationships and what makes a YA story good. When I asked them for suggestions for the final book in the I Wish series, their ideas were so good.

One of the best parts of the visit, though, was seeing how smart, articulate, polite, and knowledgeable teens can be.  I have two daughters (formerly teens) and I've always thought they were pretty special. But it's lovely to know that maybe--just maybe--their whole generation is pretty special, because the teens I've met since I became an author have been truly amazing. (Thank you, E&S!)

Rest easy, America.