Hi,

Welcome to all you new subscribers! I'm Patty, your friendly neighborhood author. I write contemporary novels for both Young Adults as well as adults and will hopefully soon be adding a rom-com and a romantic suspense series to this list. If this is your first newsletter from me, don't worry. I won't spam your Inbox.

It's been months since my last newsletter and I thought now that school's back in session, it would be a great opportunity to tell you what this friendly neighborhood author (yours truly!) offers schools and libraries and home-schooling parents.

I love getting kids to read more. That's why I'm making it easier than ever to book me for a Zoom call with your book club, your class, or your home-schooled readers. If you're interested, just reply to this email or fill out the Contact form on my website.

My award-winning Young Adult novels are for mature readers. They cover tough issues like rape culture and sexual assault, bullying, suicide, and grief. The books have no on-page sex, which can be a trigger for some folks. They do contain profanity, which can also be a trigger.

To make it easier for you to decide if my Young Adult novels are suitable for your child, visit my website and click the Books menu. Choose a title like SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW. On the book page, click the Reviews link. Here, you'll find important information like the novel's Guided Reading Level, Parental Advisory information including trigger warnings and themes explored, as well as reviews. You can even read an excerpt. Whenever you're in doubt, I urge you to read the book along with your child and discuss sections that may vary from your family's values. Conversations about toxic masculinity, about trusting the wrong friends, about doing the right thing are not one-and-done. I've always found them to be ongoing discussions with my own children and fictional characters present the safety net to have those discussions without fear.

Visit my Books menu now

For teachers and librarians, click the Book Clubs & School Visits menu page to explore a list of presentations I can deliver via Zoom or Skype. You can also click the various links to download Discussion Guides, Educator's Guides, and book talk packets to help you start the important conversations I always hope my novels will spark to keep reluctant readers engaged. There's even a few classroom activities you can try.

Visit my Book Clubs & School Visits page

If Young Adult stories aren't your cup of tea, I gotcha covered. My adult contemporaries published by Tule Group continue to find new readers. As streaming channels unveil their Christmas movie line-ups, why not change gears and download my Christmas story, A MATCH MADE AT CHRISTMAS? Follow that up with its sequel, THE PARAMEDIC'S RESCUE. Finally, for a sweet second-chance-at-love story, try NOBODY SAID IT'D BE EASY, also available in paperback, and do tell me who your favorite character is. (Mine's Maddie.)

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I'm off to call my son. He's getting married in Charlotte, North Carolina next year and we're having the best time making plans. If you're in the Charlotte area, hit me up with suggestions for rehearsal dinner venues! Just reply to this email.

Thanks and happy reading!

Patty