On Friday, as many of you may have learned by now, the YA internet world blew up, and this article by Ruth Graham is why. Here’s the crux of her argument: …a whopping 28 percent of all YA sales—are between ages 30 and 44. That’s my demographic, which might be why I wasn’t surprised to hear this…
I’ve been pretty busy elsewhere this week, but I wanted to drop you a line here to keep you updated on goings-on. Mostly I’ve been doing a lot of writing. And procrastinating by cooking soup and creating salads and new takes on mac & cheese. A few things to share with you, though. The first is:…
My mom went to college in Ilsa Vista. We heard stories of how beautiful Santa Barbara was all through our growing up. The town is a romantic part of our family mythology. Yesterday’s shooting didn’t leave me as shaken as it should have, like other shooting that happened have. Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Aurora. Those…
I think the biggest confusion in this whole my-sister-is-a-viral-blogger-after-her-first-post thing (besides the part where everyone is assuming her surname is Ettinger — it isn’t, and she’s a minor. So, my parents have requested anyone using her real name please redact it for her privacy), was about why Clare cared about the modesty guidelines more than getting kicked…
Made this up this morning, so I’m going to type up the recipe here so I don’t forget. Raspberry Pecan Coffee Cake 1 1/2 c. flour 2/3 c. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt (mix together) 1 egg 1/4 c. melted butter 1/2 c. greek yogurt Scant 1/4 c. milk Create…
Clare is very touched by all the support! But she is still a minor, so for her privacy and for the sake of my family’s privacy, my dad has asked that she not do any interviews herself at this time. I’m more than happy to talk to people, and so is her boyfriend, James. I’m…
::UPDATE:: Please do not harass the coordinator for the prom. Her info can be found online, but I am deleting comments containing that because she does not deserve the ire of internet trolls in her inbox. The coordinator herself was not involved in the decision made. Please leave her alone. Thank you. ::end update:: Dear…
Another week, another story of everyday sexism. My sister (a different one — she’s 17 and doing dual enrollment at the local community college to finish up her last year of high school via homeschooling and will start college on the east coast this coming fall) was supposed to go to prom this past weekend, but…
“Maybe I’ll just set it in a small college and then get my editor to help me change everything to high school details after the manuscript gets accepted.” “I think I should Snapchat my sister who is actually in high school and see if that gives me more inspiration.” “These problems are pretty universal, right?”…