Young Adult Fiction
Raised without a television, I was an avid reader throughout my teens. My writing reflects my love of young adult fiction and, more recently, novels in verse.
Visit my novels in verse website here.I am a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). www.scbwi.org
and
Romance Writers of America www.rwanational.org
Big Panties and Other Parachutes
30,000 words and complete
A Young Adult Novel in Verse
Stuck on summer vacation in September, Marcie Foster tries to make the most of it, but ends up making a mistake so dreadful she can�t even tell her best friend.
An excerpt of Big Panties placed second in the Children's/YA devision of the 77th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. The contest had 17,000 entries. My name is in the November 2008 issue of Writer's Digest!
Big Panties finaled in the 2008 Lone Star Writing Contest held by the Northwest Houston RWA chapter. The final-round judges, Karin Chaplin of Penguin Group and Rachel Orr from the Prospect Agency, placed it first! Thank you!
Big Panties has placed sixth in the PASIC "Book of the Heart" contest and second in the Young Adult category of the 2008 Toronto Romance Writers Original Golden Opportunity contest.
An excerpt has finaled in a flash fiction contest (500 words or less) conducted by WOW! Women on Writing.
The lovely Chick Lit Writers announced that "Big Panties" is the second place winner in their popular Get Your Stiletto in the Door! 2008 contest.
This manuscript was chosen as the first place winner in the Golden Network's 2008 Golden Pen Contest.
Most recently, this manuscript made it to the final round in the 2008 Fiction From the Heartland Contest.
Many thanks to the many volunteers and judges that make these contests possible!
Angel Blind
A high school novel for tweens and young teens that placed 6th in the New England RWA Chapter's "First Kiss" contest in 2007. This was a nice surprise because there were no contest categories and this sweet novel placed against all types of romances.
40,000 words and complete
On the first day of ninth grade at Amherst High, DENNY promises himself
that nothing can bother him this year: not the class troublemakers, his
geeky middle school past, or his goofy best friends GORDIE and ERIC.
Denny doesn't plan to fall in love, but when ANGIE sits in front of him
in homeroom, his plans go out the window. She's beautiful, funny, sixteen...and
blind. He walks her to their next class, careful not to bump into any
doorframes on the way.
Runaway Lies
A novel for tween readers
40,000 words and complete
In Runaway Lies, BRENDA juggles her complex life as a seventh
grader with the stress of always hiding her true identity as an underage
fugitive from foster care.
A Kiss in Paris
43,300 words and complete
A Young Adult Novel
Chosen as a finalist in the 2006 Launching a STAR Contest held by the Spacecoast Authors of Romance, a Florida RWA chapter. Also placed third in the PASIC "Book of the Heart" contest in 2007.
Sixteen-year-old Bernice Bartholomew has a list of ten things to do in
Paris on her class trip. One of those things proves harder to do than
the rest. Will she ever get kissed in Paris?
An Oliver Twist
2,000 words and complete
A Short Story
Chosen as an honorable mention in the Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition in the 2007 Children's and YA Fiction Category.
Seventh grader, Sparrow, wants to lease her very own pony. But the pony isn't quite what she had been daydreaming about.
Megan's Valentine
About 800 words
A Short Story for Young Readers
Won first place in the Friends of the Kuna Library contest (Children's story by an adult author) and will be published in Creek Kids in May 2009. Also will be appearing in Stories for Children Magazine in February of 2009. It's free. Check it out!
A new girl joins Megan's third-grade class on Valentine's Day. Megan realizes the new girl doesn't have any Valentines and solves the problem.
Jilly Lost and Found
About 800 words
A Short Story for Young Readers
Won an honorable mention in the Friends of the Kuna Library contest (Children's story by an adult author) and will be published in Creek Kids in May 2009.
Jilly gets lost during a fire drill on her first day of first grade.
Suki, Zipper and the Irish Setter
About 600 words
A Short Story for Young Readers
Will be appearing in Stories for Children Magazine in March of 2009. It's free. Check it out!
A true story about my cat, Suki, and my Boston terrier, Zipper, and what happened when the Irish setter moved in up the street--from my days on Berryman Drive.