These typewritten secrets are from participants of my #ShareYourSecrets campaign who asked to have their handwriting kept private. Most of the secrets from this campaign are shared by teenagers I’ve met at high school visits and book festivals. However, a few are from adults who’ve also attended my events. These secrets have been shared anonymously to…
Today I’m sharing more secrets from the #ShareYourSecrets campaign. Many of these secrets come from teenagers I’ve met at high school visits and book festivals, and a few are from adults who’ve attended my events. These secrets have been shared anonymously to give a voice to the secrets we hide. Typewritten secrets are from participants who…
Free YA book event this weekend! I’m so excited to invite you all to the Pasadena Loves YA Book Festival this Saturday (September 17th)! I’ll be joining seventeen YA authors for a day of panels, signings, giveaways and more. I’ll be speaking on the panel “Out of the Comfort Zone” at 3:30 pm with authors Julie…
Since All We Left Behind came out in December, I’ve been collecting secrets. One of the major themes in All We Left Behind is the silence that surrounds Kurt and Marion’s secrets and how their desire to hide the past causes them to act in ways they normally never would. This is because secrets gain power from…
All We Left Behind is a book that talks about the complexities of sex. Teenage sex. It’s an undeniable theme in the novel. But it’s also a theme I avoid taking about. Why? Because I feel like I’m not supposed to talk about sex, much less write an entire novel about teenagers who are struggling…
All We Left Behind is getting a face lift! I’m so excited to share the gorgeous new cover for the paperback version of All We Left Behind! Isn’t she preeeeeety? I love the colors and the reference to the firefly jar (which is one of my favorite scenes in the book). This cover really captures…
Upcoming Event: Barnes & Noble’s B-Fest If you haven’t heard Barnes and Noble is hosting a nation wide teen book festival this weekend called B-Fest! If you go to any Barnes and Noble this weekend (June 10 – June 12th) you will get to meet amazing YA authors sharing their books, giving workshops, and raining…
Upcoming Event: Meet 40 incredible kidlit authors in one day … including me! Bridge to Books is hosting a FREE kidlit book festival on May 14th at Pasadena High School. The event is open to the public and will be held from 12 noon – 6 pm. The festival will feature panels for picture books, middle…
I’m humbled by the warm welcome I received at three high schools I visited in Vermont at the beginning of this month. It’s not easy to stand in front of a group of real teenagers and talk about the difficult subject matter of All We Left Behind. Sex, intimacy, shame, and secrets are among the…
Earlier this month my hometown newspaper The Ellsworth American helped break the silence by doing a feature on All We Left Behind and the conversation it’s inspiring! I’m grateful to all the brave readers who’ve been contacting me and participating in the #shareyoursecrets campaign. “Silence is a strong theme in the novel and at my book launch I talked…