NaNoWriMo has officially begun and not just for adults. Some teachers are even doing NaNoWriMo with their students. It’s pretty cool that trying to write a novel in a month has become a national tradition. I’m not starting a new…
Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death in people ages 12-18, and many people have been touched by this heart-breaking issue. There are a lot of resources available to teens struggling with suicidal feelings. There is also some debate about…
It’s banned book week. YA novels are often banned for reasons centering around diversity, sexuality, and ‘bad’ language. But teens need diverse role models, books that depict sex realistically and honestly, and books that reflect the language they actually use.
I was recently talking to a woman about my book at a wake (yeah, I promote wherever I can 🙂 ). When I said, “It’s a YA thriller,” her eyes glazed over. I quickly added, “But I originally wrote it…
The lists of YA novels to look out for this fall are coming fast and furious, and already overwhelming me. So many I want to read, so little time. I’m actually starting to feel list fatigue, i.e. a longing to…
The debate about whether YA is good for teens or adults or space aliens has surfaced again, and much as I wanted to resist the click bait, I read the article. I got annoyed.