The Jump from Teacher to Writer

Today, the Keep of Ages Blog Tour takes me to YA Books Central where I’m talking about how my life as a high school English teacher prepared me for writing YA novels.

Writing Rosie’s story, especially the first book in the Vault of Dreamers series, gave me a chance to draw directly on my experiences in a high school, both as a student when I was younger, and as a teacher. The energy and daily anxiety of high school are unforgettable, and it was a natural leap to make the fictional Forge School a reality TV show. People were scrutinizing each other a lot when I was a teen, and the popular kids already acted as if they were stars with an audience, so I just pushed that further. 

Drop by YA Books Central for more on the topic. They’re also hosting a giveaway of all three books in the Vault of Dreamers trilogy, so take a chance to win them all!

The Keep of Ages Blog Tour

Wednesday, August 16 ~ BookhoundsYA

Thursday, August 17 ~ Fiktshun

Friday, August 18 ~ Book Briefs

Monday, August 21st ~ The Fandom

Tuesday, August 22nd ~ A Dream Within a Dream

Wednesday, August 23rd ~ The Reading Nook

Thursday, August 24th ~ Reading Teen

Friday, August 25th ~ Young Adult Books Central

Monday, August 28th ~ Bookish Lifestyle

Tuesday, August 29th ~ Mundie Moms

If you’d like to preorder The Keep of Ages, check out listings at Indie bookstores, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and elsewhere. It can also be reserved at your local public library.

Also, I’ll be having a launch party on Sunday, August 27th at 5:00 at the UConn Barnes & Noble in Storrs Center, CT, in case you’re in the area. All are welcome!