The horrific massacre in Orlando left me feeling helpless but I have to believe that one way to tackle the bigotry and hatred that triggered it is to provide young readers with books that promote [...]
Spirit-FireSchool’s out for summer. Almost. I still remember the delicious feeling of having a couple of months when my time was finally my own. And I would have appreciated it even more if [...]
Lately I’ve been trying to decide whether to write another young adult novel or an adult one. I have a YA novel in progress, but I worry that it doesn’t sound YA enough (whatever that [...]
April is the cruelest month. It’s also National Poetry Month, flu season, and prom season. I actually boycotted my senior prom. At the time I thought of it as a statement (no bourgeois [...]
I like to daydream about what a movie of Half in Love with Death would be like. The Arizona desert would provide a chilling backdrop for my psychological thriller set in Tucson in 1965. And I’d [...]
Today for YA Wednesday I’ve gathered some scary story links. I don’t scare as easily as I used to, but I still remember how frightened I was by the first ghost story I read. It had [...]
Some writers keep returning to the story they have to tell until they get it right. When I started my YA novel Half in Love with Death (Simon & Schuster/ Merit Press), I’d already abandoned [...]
I’m a sucker for a good list if it involves cats, corgies, animated gifs of celebrities, or FOOD, especially mac and cheese or chocolate. I don’t even want to think about how much [...]
Hello! Thanks to all who participated in the Spring 2016 YA Scavenger Hunt! The winners will be announced on the YASH website on April 5. And I’m thrilled to announce that the winner of my [...]
This past weekend I had the pleasure of participating in the NYC Teen Author Festival. It warmed my heart to see so many readers and writers joined together by their appreciation for young adult [...]