Hi, everybody!

Some of you may remember that I did this last year and raised more than $300. I'm back again, now a nationally published author, and hoping to bring in even more! (Credit where credit is due: this idea has blatantly been stolen from my good friend, author and agent Mandy Hubbard.)

It's all about raising money to fight breast cancer, ( Read more... )

It seems like the entire country is stuck under what meteorologists ominously call a "heat dome," so if you're like me you're sweltering and sweating and looking for cool places to spend those long afternoons.

On Saturday, July 30, you can cool off with me and several other authors when we throw a "Beachy Keen YA Book Bash" at Joseph Beth ( Read more... )

Want to hear more about Brooke and Kathryn and the inspiration behind them? Want to know more about me as a young singer? Here's an interview I did with my local radio station about RIVAL. Hope you enjoy it!!

Hi, everybody -

It's summer, I've been on vacation, and I'm working on a new book. I've also been recuperating a bit from RIVAL launch madness - yes, still. And quite a bit of that has to do with what Kirsten Hubbard talks about in this brave post. I wanted to share it, not to be a downer, but to be honest about what this business is like sometimes ( Read more... )

Earlier this month, I met fellow Elevensies Lisa and Laura Roecker, along with 6 other amazing authors, at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, Illinois, just outside Chicago. The bookstore hosted us for am evening that included Q&A with fans, signings, photos, and lots of fun. It was an incredible night - not only did I get to hobnob with some truly ( Read more... )

I've read some great books this year, and one of my favorites is by fellow Elevensie Kirsten Hubbard. Her debut novel, LIKE MANDARIN, is a gorgeous portrayal of an unlikely friendship set against the badlands of Wyoming. Here's a quick summary.

It's hard finding beauty in the badlands of Washokey, Wyoming, but 14-year-old Grace Carpenter knows it' ( Read more... )

When I speak at schools or book signings, one of my favorite topics is music - not so much the music in RIVAL, but the music that inspires us. A lot of readers like to have music playing in the background, and they sometimes create playlists that remind them of favorite books. Authors do this, too, of course. In fact, many will post playlists on ( Read more... )

If you're anywhere near the Chicago area May 13--Friday the 13th, to be exact--then ward off those unlucky vibes by meeting me and a host of other incredible authors at Anderson's BookShop. Check out the line-up!!


( Read more... )

In some reviews of RIVAL, readers have said they wanted to know more about what happens with Brooke and Kathryn, Actually, my first version of the story ended with an epilogue that revisited the two girls as adults to see where both ended up. I didn't show the results of the Blackmore, rather I stopped just as both girls were getting ready to step ( Read more... )

Thursday morning, I woke up, dressed in a black hoodie sweatshirt (so as to capture that sort of stealthy, cat burgler feeling), and loaded my kids in the car along with three signed copies of RIVAL. After dropping eldest off at school, I took the little one with me to Rock the Drop!

First, I went to the big public high school a couple of miles from ( Read more... )