Hannah Rae's Blog, page 5

Get Ready, World... Carlie is Coming for You!

I have some book signings lined up in October and November, and for one of these book signings, I need a poster. So last night I was designing one and I had an idea (that I ended up changing) and in doing some research for this idea, I visited Goodreads in order to peruse a few reviews left for my books.

Before I go any further, I need to thank every single person who has ever written a review for one of my books, whether that review was posted to Amazon, Goodreads, or Audible. First of all, you have no idea how much of a difference those reviews make. I'm someone who always checks the reviews before I make a purchase, and when I see a book, whether it's print or audio, that hasn't been reviewed, I am often wary going into the purchase. So the fact that my books have some reviews means a LOT. Second of all, even though I always ask my friends to review my books, so few of my friends actually take the three or four minutes required to post reviews. I've got a memory like a steel trap, though, and my goal has always been to take my biggest supporters on an all-expenses-paid-trip to see a band of my choice (Dispatch, Trampled By Turtles, or The Lumineers, most likely) at Red Rocks... so just know that I have a legitimate, tangible list and it is very much up to date.

Do you know who is on that tangible, up-to-date Red Rocks list? Carlie. And now you're maybe wondering who Carlie is. Well, let me tell you. Carlie is one of the best things that came out of Covid-19. Had it not been for the fact that my friend/coworker Annie and I combined our very tiny classes during that year of remote learning (team teaching for the win!), I wouldn't have had the privilege of getting to know Carlie. Fortunately, though, the world experienced a horrific pandemic and our paths crossed!

Torn Asunder is dedicated to Carlie. That's how much I love this kid.

People? Carlie can write . My gosh, can she write. You will -- probably in the very near future -- see one of her novels appear on the New York Times Best Sellers List. This belief was only reinforced last night when I stumbled upon a review Carlie left for my novel Like A Flip Turn . I had no idea she'd written it, and as I read it, I found myself clutching my heart and actually crying. I'm going to include part of it below so you have an idea of what to expect when her books eventually hit the market. Not only does she weave her words together so well, but Carlie feels things. She feels things in her core . And she connects with characters in a way that every single author wants her/his readers to connect to characters.

So world? Here is a sampling of what Carlie has to offer. She's amazing. You're going to love her. (And I'm going to denote a few of my favorite lines in red.)

As much as I would like to ignore the fact that it quite literally took me months to write this review, I do have my reasons, no matter how valid (or invalid) they may be. In all truth, I didn't know how I was going to encapsulate my feelings into one review. Whenever I feel this way about a book, I tend to take a while to write the review. I just know that there will be aspects of the novel that I forget to mention in this review, and I also know that, while I love words, sometimes they are lacking . So, please bear with me as I do the best that I can to review this novel.

Jenny is the character that I think of first when I consider this novel. Frankly, Jenny had me hooked from the first paragraph with her description of the summer. It pulled me into the story, and I found that it was often Jenny's descriptions that made me feel as if I was standing in Lake Caywood. I love how Jenny is a word girl, and I love how she connects words to colors . Jenny was also just a likeable character. She formed easy connections with other characters, but I admired how she did so without showing every single part of herself to these characters right off the bat. Jenny has a hidden complexity to her that is hidden from the readers until it all seems to come crashing down. However, the crash is somewhat beautiful even in its heartbreak .

Lydia was interesting from the start because of her age. It is not often that I read anything from the perspective of a child at Lydia's stage of life. It took me back to a different time in my life as well as provided a fresh perspective on matters that readers otherwise would have only seen from an adult perspective. Lydia, similarly to Jenny, was a character whose relationships I enjoyed reading about. Lydia has a lot going on underneath the surface, and it was so intriguing to see how this came through in her life and relationships .

Ruby is the character that I feel is most subtle and nuanced in this novel. Don't get me wrong- Ruby had a fantastic and compelling story. Every chapter of Ruby's was a treat, but Ruby was definitely the most mysterious both to readers and to the other characters. I think Ruby's part of this novel frustrated me the most because her story was so set in stone. Yes, Ruby was still living, so, obviously her entire story wasn't done. At the same time, there was so much about what happened to Ruby that couldn't be changed. Readers were having to catch up on her life while feeling the hopelessness that comes with seeing a beginning and an ending while fearing all that happens in the middle. For all of my frustration, Ruby was one of the most calm and therapeutic characters.

At its heart, this novel is one of relationships. Now I am not talking romance. There was romance in this novel, but there was a subtlety to the romances even when they were the focus of a chapter or scene. Each romance felt so natural that I think even those who do not gravitate toward romance in novels would be okay with what this novel has. Beyond the romances there were so many strong friendships and family dynamics that made the characters feel even more real and fleshed out this world as a whole. These relationships are what heightened the emotions of the novel and made me fall in love.

The plot was logical while having just enough twists. There was one specific twist that I saw coming, but there were also plenty that I did not see coming that took me by complete surprise. I don't want to lie and say that I was completely hooked from the second that I started reading. It took me a few chapters to get into the groove of the novel and the characters, but, once I was in, I was in. One of the consistencies that I have found with this author is how her novels are nothing short of comforting. It's not that they feel like a hug (they are not all warm and fuzzy). No, Hannah Rae's novels feel like walking through your hometown. There is something familiar yet unknown about what you are going to encounter. There is a tenderness for this place that you have always known, the people who you have seen pass through, and the changes that you have endured. Even with this sense of comfort, the author managed to take my breath away. I thought that I knew where all of the heartbreak in this novel would come from, but I was so very wrong. The author threw twists that absolutely shattered my heart. This author knows how to pack an emotional punch, and, boy did she do so. I adored the ending, even if that broke my heart a little too. The last chapter just about took me out; it was hauntingly beautiful, it was perfect, it put every piece into place.

Now, if Carlie can talk about my characters with that much feeling and love... imagine what she has to say about her own characters. This is a young woman who's going places, folks. I only hope that I'm established enough to help her go farther -- and get there so much faster -- than I have.

A change of opinion doesn't make you weak.

My principal, whom I adore, is currently reading An Illusion of Control . Earlier today, I received a message from her that said, "The way you weave messaging through the story is incredible," and while my first instinct was to blush because this compliment really meant a lot, my second instinct was to acknowledge the fact that in writing Illusion , I actually changed my own opinions about some things... and in doing so, I think I became a better person.

As an English teacher, I have always struggled with the concept of using "they" to represent a singular. This probably stems from the fact that, while growing up, my mother would always correct me if I used "they" instead of "he" or "she." I will be the first to admit that I really, really, really struggle to refer to a student as "they" if that's what they prefer. And I mess up sometimes. A lot of the time, in fact. I mess up a lot of the time, but I try to get it right.

There's a character in An Illusion of Control whose granddaughter prefers the pronoun "they." The grandfather's name is Thaddeus; the granddaughter's name is Emily. In writing Illusion , while I challenged Thaddeus to grow as a character, I decided to also challenge myself to grow as a human. Want to know how I did this? I wrote Chapter Twenty-Four, which is titled Crossfaded.

For those who don't know, the definition of crossfaded is as follows:

Each chapter in An Illusion of Control follows a different character, and the character followed in Crossfaded is Emily. Do you know what that means? That means I had to challenge myself to use the pronoun "they" every single time my instinct was to use the pronoun "she" or "her." And it was hard! It required a whole bunch of editing. I mean, I made mistakes left and right in Chapter Twenty-Four, and every single mistake was pronoun-related.

Do you know what writing Crossfaded taught me, though? It taught me that using "they" to reference a singular isn't the end of the world. And it taught me that if it makes someone comfortable, then what's the harm in using that person's preferred pronoun? And it taught me that my comfort absolutely isn't worth more than someone else's. And it taught me that if the use of the word "they" as a singular isn't causing harm to me, why should it even be an issue?

So now I use "they" more readily for singular pronoun usage, and though I still mess up quite frequently, I am continuing to try to do better.

I changed my opinion and do you know what? It didn't make me weak. If anything, I think it made me a stronger person.

Books AREN'T the problem.

I attended yet another a school board meeting last night.

Honestly, I never thought I'd be someone who attends school board meetings. They are largely dull in nature, but there are important nuggets hidden among the boredom. And the public comments are almost always emotion-inducing.

Last night's public comment contained a rationale that attempted to explain why the censorship of some books may be beneficial to students. The person who spoke mentioned that s/he has two daughters and that the older daughter was involved in all sorts of extra curricular activities: sports and band and higher-level academic classes. Her high school career was successful, she had an amazing GPA, and she received a substantial scholarship to attend a reputable college. And do you know what? I think that's great. She achieved all of that without reading "inappropriate content" provided by my school district's library... so why shouldn't other students be able to succeed without access to those texts as well, right?

Here's the thing: I don't think the books in the school library are really about achieving. Yes, the AP Literature course encourages students to read frequently-challenged titles such as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Awakening, To Kill A Mockingbird (aka The Greatest Book Ever Written), The Handmaid's Tale , and The Kite Runner. But I don't really think that's why we should be fighting to keep specific books on our shelves.

Without meaning to be profound, I did sort of a profound thing in Chapter Twenty-Six of my recent novel An Illusion of Control. At this point in the text, an intelligent-but-not-overly-academic student named Briana is having a conversation with her father about the concept of censorship. Her father, who happens to be on the local school board and is torn regarding which way he should vote, brings up a book he's just finished reading: Speak .

For those who don't know, Speak is probably my all-time favorite young adult novel. It's written by Laurie Halse Anderson and tells the story of a girl named Melinda who, the summer before her freshman year of high school, attends a party and ends up calling the police in to break it up. Why does she do this? you ask. ***SPOILER ALERT*** Because Melinda was raped at that party and didn't know how else to handle the situation.

In An Illusion of Control, Jackson expresses concern that his younger daughter, Calliope, had access to that book and not only read it, but loved it. Here's an excerpt of Briana's reaction to this admission:

Briana fights the urge to roll her eyes. “Girls get raped all the time, Daddy. Seriously? It’s, like, the number-one under-reported crime. Two of my friends have been raped and neither one ever reported it because… Well, why would they? Most times, nothing happens.”

Jackson’s mouth falls open.

“One of the girls got pregnant as a result and ended up getting an abortion. It’s just life. Stuff happens.”

Over the summer, I met with two of my friends who read An Illusion of Control before its publication. One teaches general English; the other teaches advanced learners. The friend who teaches advanced learners commented on the fact that Briana's delivery of that line -- "Two of my friends have been raped and neither one ever reported it" -- seemed too brusque. "I don't think anyone would really introduce a topic like that so directly," she said.

Except, do you know what? That comment is based on not just one... not just two... not just three... but at least four comments that I have heard students make in my time as a teacher. As much as we don't want to acknowledge it, things are different than they used to be. The times? They really are a-changin'.

So maybe when we think about "protecting" students by removing books from our school libraries, we should start asking ourselves which students we're actually protecting. Is it really about academics, or is it about allowing those who have experienced unfortunate, life-altering events to realize they're not alone? To allow them to understand that there are others out there who have been through similar situations and survived? And not just survived, but thrived ?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Books aren't the problem. Eliminating rape and profanity from our schools' libraries isn't going to eliminate rape and profanity from the world. It's not even going to eliminate rape and profanity from our schools . So it's time that we trust the librarians and the teachers and put the selection of literature in their hands. Believe it or not, they have an idea of what's in the best interest of kids... and sometimes that involves reading about a shocking and uncomfortable situation.

To quote Jodi Picoult, I "have received thousands of letters and emails and there have been hundreds -- HUNDREDS -- of kids who said that Nineteen Minutes was the reason they didn't bring a gun to school and start shooting. Instead, the novel made them realize they weren't the only ones who felt so isolated. The book did not harm them." Instead, that book about a school shooting -- that book that contains profanity and a reference to suicide and a violent rape and illegal drug use -- that book has actually saved lives.

Books aren't the problem. Try and spin it however you'd like, but books aren't the problem.

It's a really good book. You should read it if you haven't already. I mean, I didn't even include the MOST PROFOUND moment of Chapter Twenty-Six...

I worry that Mary will fight me...

...for Sebastian.

Many of you know Mary as my editor and marketing manager, but what most of you probably don't know is that Mary loves my characters almost as much as I do. Often, while editing at our favorite coffee shop (Bantam Coffee Roasters), we will discuss which of my male characters we would most like to date. In no particular order, Mary would be absolutely willing to date any of the following men:

Bert Robinson

Kenny Russo

Finn Gregory

Juli Singer

Petey Goode

Kai Ferguson

Ansel Ferguson

Milo Kincaid

Jameson Kincaid

Emory Kincaid

What can I say? I've got a lot of desirable men occupying space in my head.

Did you notice, however, that Sebastian is not on Mary's list? That is because (and here, I attempt to quote) Mary is "an insanely loyal person who would never in a million years consider finding someone [I'm] interested in to be of interest to [her] as well."

Mary has seriously said that -- or something very much like that -- on more than one occasion.

But.

But? you wonder.

But, I am telling you... when I allowed Mary to listen to a brief sample of Rob Connolly reading Kick It One More Time nearly a year ago, she clutched her chest and confided, "I have never allowed myself to view Sebastian in the same way you view Sebastian, but when I hear him read like that ...? Well, I might love Sebastian too."

I have been proof listening to Rob Connolly's recording of Kick It One More Time. Folks, I am the author of this book. I fucking know where the story is going and how it's going to end and the route that the characters will take to reach the ending... but I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF THIS NOVEL! When Rob submitted the final manuscript for review, I thought I might try to listen to two chapters each day.

I started listening yesterday.

I am now on Chapter Twenty-Three.

Good lord, I love Sebastian. And his voice? The way Rob Connolly reads him? Be still my heart... I am swooning over here!

Alright. I just had to get some of that out of my system. And if, after the official release of Kick It One More Time 's audio, you spot me with a black eye or two? Well... you'll know how I got 'em...

Mary.

I imagine Bas to look something like this. He's not Mary's type at all... but his voice is tantalizingly swoonable.

When my mom saw this picture, she said, "Who is that man?"

I said, "That's how I envision Bas."

She said, "That's not what he looks like at all!"

Isn't it funny how a person's perspective can be so different from someone else's?

As a quick aside: This is why books don't have ratings: because what is controversial to one person is completely acceptable to another.

“You don’t need church to find Jesus.”

I don’t make it a secret that I’m not a religious person. I’ve never been a churchgoer and I probably never will be. Listening to a sermon doesn’t lift me up or inspire me; the majority of hymns with which I’m familiar don’t leave me choked with emotion or feeling strong. I’m just not especially affected by church. It’s not my thing.

That’s not to say I don’t believe in a greater power… but that’s also not anyone’s business but my own. So I find it interesting that at my recent book signing I was interrogated by a couple who obviously felt it was in their best interest to know my full name, where I live, what my viewpoints are on censoring books in school libraries, and where I go to church. When I admitted that I don’t go to church, I was informed, “You don’t need church to find Jesus.”

My question is this: Why is that an appropriate thing to say? I would never in a million years approach someone on the street and encourage them not  to go to church just because I don’t go to church. I think it’s great that so many folks have found a sort of bonus family within their church communities, but I also think it’s great that others are allowed to find peace, love, and acceptance elsewhere. So what if church isn’t for everyone? Neither are raisins. 

Or pickles. 

Or olives.

To me, the fact that a person can dislike olives is supremely weird. I’ve said it before and I will say it again and again and again: The letters comprising the word “olive” also spell “I love,” which is precisely how I feel about olives. And yet, if you don’t like olives, I’m not going to force them down your throat. It’s absolutely fine if you don’t like olives! More for me, right?

I do realize that olives and Jesus are not the same thing… but I’ll bet Jesus appreciated olives. It’s my understanding that he was appreciative and accepting of most things. 

You know what I’m appreciative and accepting of? Books. And I think they should be available to anyone and everyone who wants to read them. Does that mean all books should be available to all people at all times? Of course not. There are certainly some titles that are too mature for younger audiences, just as there are some titles that are too immature  for older audiences. The purpose of a book is to impart knowledge, whether that knowledge be historical facts or fictional experiences that allow people to empathize with situations they will likely never experience in their own lives. 

In my opinion, empathy is a good thing. I wish more people practiced it. And I absolutely  wish more people read books. In a nutshell, books open our eyes to other worlds and our hearts to other people. How is that a bad thing?

4.

I would really like to be able to say that I play an instrument, but that simply isn't a talent I have... and yet, despite this, I love music. I have actually wondered if the emotions I frequently feel when listening to a specific song are similar to the emotions many folks feel when attending a church service. Alas, I'll probably never know. I can share this, though: Each time I listen to Dispatch's song " Dear Congress, (17) ," I am absolutely gutted.

If you watch the video and listen to the numbers listed at the end -- 26 ... 58 ... 49 ... 14 ... 12 ... 27 ... 13 ... 32 -- you'll realize that those numbers represent lives lost in school shootings across our nation. For a time, when Dispatch performed this song live, they'd tack more numbers onto the end... until those numbers became too many too list.

Today, the number 4 would be added to the end of that very, very long list.

You know, there was a time in my teaching career when a shooting like today's -- no matter where it occurred, near or far -- would have warranted an immediate email at my school. The news would have been a talking point among students and teachers; kids would have stopped doing their classwork to Google what was happening in Georgia.

I didn't learn of the shooting until I was checking my cell phone while waiting in line at the grocery store after school... and then only because my friend Kathy, whose friend used to be the principal at that school, texted to share all of the mixed-up emotions that she has been feeling all afternoon.

"Mixed up?" you might be wondering. "How mixed up can a person's emotions be about a school shooting?"

Well, let me just tell you: A person's emotions can be VERY mixed up when that person is in the middle of Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes , a novel about a school shooting, and then a friend's daughter is involved in an actual school shooting. That has been Kathy's life today. I can only imagine that she's rapidly ricocheting back and forth between anger and sorrow, tears and huge sighs of relief.

On top of the violence pandemic that is sweeping through our schools, there is also the censorship pandemic that seems to have a hold on our nation as well. In direct correspondence that I recently had with Jodi Picoult, whose book Nineteen Minutes is frequently challenged and banned from school libraries, she said, and I quote, "I have spoken out at countless schools across this country and have received thousands of letters and emails and there have been hundreds -- HUNDREDS -- of kids who said that Nineteen Minutes was the reason they DIDN'T bring a gun to school and start shooting. Instead, the novel made them realize they weren't the only ones who felt so isolated."

I get chills every time I read that line.

Just recently, my mom had me read an article about Amanda Jones , a middle school librarian who was accused of "indoctrinating our children with perversion + pedophilia grooming." She was accused of stocking her school's library shelves with porn. Anonymous community members not only sent threats against her career... but also against her life. Jones, however, knew that the titles more frequently at risk of being banned "almost always targeted LGBTQIA+ stories." And sadly, Jones taught students who were members of the LGBTQIA+ community who later took their own lives. In the article I read, she says, "I'll be damned if I'm going to stand in silence while we lose another kid because of something our community has done to make them feel less."

So my question is this: Why are we censoring materials that might benefit children? Why are we failing, again and again and again, to recognize that America has a major problem? Why are we not doing what needs to be done to help our kids?

There are so many musicians and authors and artists who are putting things into the world that should be embraced rather than purged... but I think the people in charge are afraid to acknowledge the issue. And I don't blame them, necessarily -- it's beyond scary -- but something needs to change.

Though it's not the best photograph of this artwork, this is a piece I created after listening to Dispatch's "Dear Congress, (17)." If you look really closely, you can see the numbers listed vertically along the right-hand side of the canvas. And in the background, you can see The 2nd Amendment. I am not someone who is completely opposed to guns, and I understand the whole "guns don't kill people, people kill people" argument. But music and books and art don't kill people either... so why are we spending more energy censoring songs and stories and pictures than we are on censoring assault rifles?

Life with Arlo: Yucky-Yucky Poo-Poo Edition

Honestly, the yucky-yucky poo-poo part of this blog isn't the worst part... but it certainly factors in.

My friend Jody is in town, so I spent the afternoon having lunch with her at my parents' house. We sat outside and chatted about towns in New Jersey and bridges that are narrow and various types of plants. At about 4:11 (I had just checked the time; that's why I remember it was exactly 4:11), I got up and announced that I had some things to do.

The things I had to do involved grading some papers (I didn't do that), painting my toenails (I did do that), and packing a lunch for tomorrow (obviously, that got done... since it's a necessity). The things I actually did that I didn't intend to do involved preparing tenth-grade lesson plans for tomorrow (I totally forgot to plan ahead of time -- oops), laundry (many wet towels were accumulated this afternoon), tidying the laundry room after the ceiling collapsed (yup, you read that correctly), and bathing Arlo's bum. Allow me to begin at the beginning...

Upon returning from my parents', I thought I should check on the laundry room because this week's intense rain resulted in some water in my basement. The laundry room closet opens into the unfinished section of the basement, so I typically keep this door closed, but because of the damp that had invaded my home, I had positioned a fan to blow into the closet. This is important to note because that closet door allowed my cats to enter the unfinished section of the basement, and while this seems like a less-than-big deal... it is a big deal. Petey must have gone adventuring last night and ended up in the ceiling (he enjoys going up there), likely hunting mice (droppings do indicate that there is still a mouse living somewhere in my house...), and then I imagine he stepped on some panels that weren't sturdy enough to support his weight and... CRASH!

I sent a text to Tim (my very first childhood crush and also the guy who renovated my basement last year), told him what happened, and included a video of the damage. This is that video:

[image error]

Tim called me right away because he is amazing. And he said, "Yeah, that's not great." The good news is that he's going to fix it this week and maybe also install some shelves in the basement closet.

So I cleaned up the basement, right? I used my regular vacuum. Ironically, I ordered a shop vac this week and it was supposed to arrive at 3:45... but it didn't show up until, like, 5:30. Therefore, I didn't have the shop vac for the basement catastrophe (sad) but I did get the job done (yay!) and my brand-spankin' new shop vac arrived as soon as I was done.

With the basement as tidy as it could be, I headed upstairs to check on the dogs. They were playing in the backyard -- very typical behavior -- and seemed happy to see me when I stepped into the carport. But then Arlo started acting weird. He'd sit down randomly, splaying his legs, and because my Airedale and I understand one another on complex levels, I immediately realized that this behavior meant he was having poo troubles.

I won't go into a lot of details about what was going on with Arlo's bum, but the gist is this: there was a big poop-a-doop stuck in his fur and he couldn't get it off.

This resulted in a game of chase, a quick scrub of his bum, another game of chase, a bout of trickery to get him into the basement, and eventually a bath... which then required me to clean the dogs' tub because Arlo's dilemma made a mess.

Needless to say, I am now tired. Too tired to edit this entire post because as soon as I finished bathing Arlo, that's when I realized I needed to make lesson plans for my sophomores, and I did make lesson plans for my sophomores, but after that? After that, I opened a bottle of wine. I am now going to drink some of that wine. G'night.

P.S. This is Arlo, after his bath and sans poopy bum. Isn't he handsome? That's why I keep him. And Petey, too... even though he collapsed a ceiling.

Just some commentary about people and teaching and perspectives and such

If you're a follower of my blogs, then you are already well-versed in my love for Trampled By Turtles. You likely already know about the first Good Record blog Dave Simonett ever wrote and how it inspired a piece of artwork that I was eventually able to gift to the band (although I still don't know whether Dave himself has seen it...) and how I now read all of Dave's free blogs.

Earlier this week, Dave wrote a thought-provoking blog about technology and people who share similar opinions. Here's an excerpt that really resonated with me:

What I worry about most in the current state of technology is our inability to agree on a shared reality. If I do most of my shopping, communicating, and news-ingesting online, which I admittedly do, then quickly my experience becomes ultra-curated by the all-mighty algorithm to only include items that I would likely buy, social media accounts of people I would likely follow, and news with which I would likely agree. I bet a lot of you have had the experience of talking about a product and then seeing ads for that product the next time you checked your phone. Why that isn’t enough to throw them all in a bottomless pit, I have no idea. If each of us is given a reality specifically tailored to our own tastes and beliefs, how could we possibly understand people that feel differently? I mean they would be crazy, wouldn’t they? How many times have you been in a room with friends and someone says something about a politician and the conversation moves forward without the slightest inkling that someone at the table might feel differently than the speaker? Because of our echo chambers, we tend to believe that if we like someone, the two of us must, of course, be politically aligned. Those people wouldn’t hang out in this restaurant! Those people wouldn’t like this band! Those people are different than us! Those people!

We are constantly bombarded with information showing us that those who believe differently than we do about government (or medicine, or education, or electric cars or whatever) are somehow not only wrong, but evil.

For the most part, I agree with everything he's written. However, I do think that teachers fall into a slightly different category. I mean, I definitely tend to avoid topics of politics with my students, but based on some conversations I've overheard in my classroom, I am relatively certain that my political views do not align with the views of the majority whom I teach. But do you know what? Despite considering situations from very different perspectives, my students and I get along really well! They are good, kind kids who --- regardless as to whether their beliefs are conservative or liberal --- generally treat people respectfully. And they're open to learning! Granted, I don't give them much of a choice to learn... but they experience texts that contain content ranging from vampires to the Carlisle Indian School, swim teams to racism in the deep south, and witches cackling around a cauldron to star-crossed lovers whose families are continuously feuding.

There are a lot of great aspects to teaching, but the BEST aspect is undoubtedly the kids. And experiencing their perspectives of the world. And sometimes changing my own perspectives as a result.

Man, I wish I had a way to send Dave Simonett a copy of An Illusion of Control. I think he'd really like it a lot!

PS If you haven't yet purchased a copy of An Illusion of Control , you'll be able to buy one next Friday. Here are the deets:

Thanks for a Great Week!

School started on Monday, and even though I wasn't actually ready for summer's conclusion, it's been a great week! Let me tell you why...

People are reading An Illusion of Control and legitimately talking about it... online and in the real world. It's very neat!

Two of my favorite people, Kay and Sue, finished the novel and "loved it."

Kelly and Kathy wrote the most eloquent words about An Illusion of Control and posted their comments on social media... which resulted in more sales and more conversation! (I am having so much fun with this book's release! And my friends are going above and beyond to help with its promotion!)

People were talking about An Illusion of Control at trivia! Like, they called me over to their table to talk about it! And my team got third even though we only had two and a half players (Victoria didn't show up until after halftime) and played the worst game of our lives!

Before school on Friday, I stopped by Bantam Coffee Roasters and was talking to Brie about my novel. She told me that Sarah (my number-one fan) had mentioned that there's a Brie in the book and as we were discussing this, guess who came into the shop. Sarah! And Sarah said she's going to tell all of her educator coworkers about An Illusion of Control so hopefully some of them will read it as well!

Sarah also told me that it was refreshing to read about her fictional friends (both Sarah and I consider ourselves to be friends with just about everyone who lives in Lake Caywood) who are dealing with the same school-board issues folks are dealing with in real life. I love talking to Sarah about my books, you know? She says the best stuff.

Sooo many coworkers told me on Friday that they were going to be receiving their books that afternoon and were excited to spend at least part of this weekend reading. Lynn is going to be finished with the novel by tonight (she posted on my Facebook page this morning to let me know!) and Shawn played An Illusion of Control 's playlist for her art classes yesterday (now they know who Elvis Costello is!).

I had dinner with my parents last night (Tommy's pizza for the win!), which meant that I could brief my mom on all the magical events of the week. I started with Kay and Sue, moved onto Kelly and Kathy, summarized trivia and my conversation with Sarah, and then recounted all of the kind words shared by my coworkers.

So, having put so many of the week's brightest moments into words, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who is helping to make An Illusion of Control 's release such a fun experience for me. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!

An Illusion Of Control

I am positively delighted to announce the release of my latest novel, An Illusion of Control . Officially, it came out yesterday, and for the first time ever, I feel like I've written something that actually has some momentum behind it! The experience is kind of neat, you know?

For those of you who are in the world of education -- whether that be as a teacher, administrator, student, or parent with a learner in the household -- this novel tackles some of the issues that our nation is currently seeing in regards to public schools and religious organizations that are attempting to push an agenda that perhaps isn't best for all of our kiddos. I wanted to write something that might make a difference. I wanted to write something that might encourage readers to consider both sides of the argument and really listen when someone with a different viewpoint expresses an opinion or belief.

I encourage you to share this book with your friends. Hitting especially close to home right now, Gettysburg, Upper Adams, Southwestern, and Bermudian (among others!) are faced with some rather sticky school board situations. Truthfully, An Illusion of Control would make for some excellent professional development opportunities. Much better than The Energy Bus , if I do say so myself. (If you know, you know... and I know so I can say that.)

In addition to an entertaining story with ample perspectives, excellent food descriptions, and a few laugh-out-loud moments, An Illusion of Control also comes equipped with a catchy soundtrack. I think that if you listen to the songs on this list, you'll intuit the theme of the novel. I hope you enjoy it.

Click on the image below to listen on Spotify!