Three Young Adult stories about teen challenges
Orange Detention 2
Three poignant, insightful, and emotional stories that lift your spirits and give hope to the trouble teens in our lives.
Grit
Eighth grader Adelya Jefferson doesn’t eat strawberries…or anything red. With her love for poetry and best friend Riley, she tip-toes through the social minefield of middle school while grappling with anxiety and an eating disorder. Enter Duke Hawkins, a former bully with a dark past and an invitation to the middle school dance.
Rizzle
When Shayne was five, Rizzle, a wrinkled old man with a knack for whittling and a penchant for Pepsi-soaked toothpicks, moved in next door. Over the next decade, Shayne spent countless hours on Rizzle’s porch, learning to whittle, recognize the toothpick flavors, and become self-reliant.
Rotten
With seven kids in the family, I’m glad I’m big and strong so I can fight my way to the table…and suffer less from the beatings. Sometimes, though, a little magic happens and the unexpected comes to live with you.
Rotten is a heartbreaking story of violence and family turmoil from a teen perspective.
Coming of age, historical fiction.
Crossing Tracks
In the spring of 1971, as the world bloomed with new possibilities, a determined and adventurous eighteen-year-old girl embarked on a transformative cross-country journey across the United States. With an unwavering determination to become an astronaut, she embarked on a solo expedition, riding the iron rails of freight trains across the vast expanse of the United States. Along her arduous journey, she encountered the harsh realities of life on the road, facing the ever-present danger of hobos and the treacherous perils that accompanied riding freight trains. With the weight of adversity pressing upon her, she summoned her courage, navigating the shadows of uncertainty while protecting her dreams to attend a prestigious NASA seminar in Missoula, Montana. Along her challenging path, she found unexpected support and camaraderie from kindred spirits and fellow travelers who recognized her resolute spirit. Their shared experiences and stories provided a lifeline in the dangers she faced. Amidst the rhythmic symphony of rolling wheels and boundless landscapes, she discovered a newfound strength, propelling her closer to her celestial dreams while fostering a lasting bond with those who walked beside her on her extraordinary journey.
Middle Grade
Orange Detention
Orange Detention is a trio of middle-school stories about real-life issues they face today. The first story, Orange Detention, is a story about a fifth-grader whose great-grandfather holds a special place in her heart, a place she defends passionately.
Locker 652 recounts the first day of sixth grade for a twelve-year-old boy with a huge pimple on his nose. What he learned in school that day wasn’t taught in the classroom and it changed his life.
Coach Life is the story of a ten-year-old’s perception of living in a trailer park, Magic Meadows. Her magnanimous heart and self-awareness explore life lessons for children and adults.
Wow. What a great collection of stories, all illustrating the difficulty of navigating the world and learning to be a good person. The first scenario brought tears to my eyes, it was so, I don’t know: realistic? poignant? heartfelt? frustrating for the protagonist? All of the above.
Being an elementary teacher for 36 years I know how you are always looking for those teachable moments. This book provides stories your students will love along with many ways to expand with meaningful conversations our children need today.
This is a great book with fun stories for the Young Adult category, maybe even a little younger. The writing is great and easy reading.
Orange Detention is THE book for everyone but especially for anyone ages nine through thirteen. Within the covers of this book lie incredible “life lessons” hidden in three beautifully written short stories. A must read!
Debut Science Fiction
Privacy Wars
My debut sci-fi novel, Privacy Wars, was released April 1, 2023. Set on Earth, 2366, Android police are listening to everything. And Adelya Ford decides to stop it. Along the way she dodges several assassination attempts, identifies an inbound first contact alien spaceship, and discovers the Pandera (AI) police have rewritten history to hide their plans to end the human race.
Murder by Marijuana - Giving New Meaning to Weed Whacker!
Lethal Lettuce
In the heart of Portland, Oregon, a chilling murder mystery unfolds as a pair of criminology lab partners, Cody and Gretchen, stumble upon a gruesome crime scene during Cody’s routine cannabis delivery. Their curiosity-turned-investigation takes a dark turn when they uncover crucial records hidden by the deceased couple, records that the murderers are desperately seeking to destroy. Cody and Gretchen’s journey into the investigation reveals not only international secrets but also the intricacies of each other’s lives. With a surviving cat and a formidable rottweiler guard dog thrown into the mix, they delve deeper and realize that they’ve inadvertently put themselves in grave danger, with the ruthless killers now closing in on them. Federal agencies, arsonists, and shadowy figures in a white pickup truck complicate the case as Cody and Gretchen navigate the treacherous terrain of deception, intrigue, and danger to stay one step ahead of those who would stop at nothing to protect their deadly secrets. With each revelation, the stakes grow higher, and Cody and Gretchen struggle to unravel the perplexing murder mystery while fighting to save their own lives in the deadly game that has become their reality.
