How Time Flies

I can hardly believe it’s been over a month since I had the absolute thrill of taking part in Teen Bookfest by the Bay in Corpus Christi, TX, February 18, 2017. What an event! It was such an honor to appear along with awesome YA authors, like Jennifer Mathieu, D.K. Burrows, Brendan Kiely, Miracle Austin, […]

Look Who’s Talking

First appeared on UncommonYA on August 20, 2014 Plot’s self-explanatory; setting and even symbolism can be straightforward too. An element that typically stumps my literature students—and many authors—is point of view. I stress to my students that P-O-V involves who’s telling the story. We go over different types, notably first-person, and the variations of third-person, […]

Dream Big Visit

I had the pleasure of guesting on fellow Uncommon YA author, Melissa Wray’s blog on Tuesday, August 12, 2014. Here’s the interview. And thanks for having me, Melissa! AUTHOR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Tell us a little about your writing journey. Though I always loved reading and suspected I’d write one day, I didn’t get serious until […]

An Uncommon Feature

Thank God for UNCOMMON YA! If not for my blog assignments there, I might never post an update here. I was featured on the site on Wednesday, July 31, 2014. If you missed me there, here’s the interview. Today I (Beth Fehlbaum, UncommonYA moderator) am interviewing Steven Parlato, author of the highly acclaimed THE NAMESAKE, […]

Lions, Tigers, and Bears?

NOPE! More like bullies, giraffes and cats. Oh my! Post first appeared on Uncommon YA, Friday, 4/11/14. A neighborhood stray dies in the street near our house. A giraffe graces the blacktop of our local mall. John R * * * * * * * repeatedly punches my arm in Mr. Whealon’s 11th grade history […]

Oh, to have known…

First appeared 2/20/14 on Uncommon YA Sensitive is not a dirty word. Artistic is not an insult. Creative should be considered a compliment. And just because someone doesn’t spend his every waking hour “working,” that doesn’t mean he’s lazy. So yeah, clearly, I’m still chipping away at the old adolescent angst all these years later, […]

Some Thoughts on My Year in Print

Post first appeared on Uncommon YA, 1/15/14. Hollywood has not come calling. I have not been mobbed on the street by eager readers. I have yet to churn out—in the words of Publishers Weekly—my next “solidly woven … well-executed plot.” Hopefully, this doesn’t mean I’m no longer a “name to watch” (Thanks, PW!); just that […]

Uncommon YA Writer Wednesday Guest Blog

YA Writer Wednesday I had the pleasure of doing an interview with Uncommon YA founder, author Beth Fehlbaum, on her YA Writer Wednesday feature. Check it out! What’s your book about? The Namesake is about a lot of things: faith, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness. The story centers on Evan Galloway, a fifteen-year-old grappling in the aftermath […]

Fresh Fiction Guest Post

I’m honored to be featured on the Fresh Fiction Website! Check out the site here Fresh Fiction for my post and contest information! A poet, I’m leery of explanations; often that perfect last line is my desperate attempt to guarantee readers get it, that the message is clear. In such cases, I hear my dear […]

Self Reflection

It’s autumn, a time when my mood generally takes an inward turn. Okay, if I’m being honest, I tend to brood year-round, though most people wouldn’t realize it. I’m a ponderer, a ruminator, perhaps most of all, a second-guesser. But I’m usually pretty successful at keeping it to myself. I mean, I’m not an obsessively […]

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