Book News

My latest and most exciting book news is that my publisher Shadow Mountain has designed a new cover for SILENCE, this time with Hayden and Stella on the cover.  I hope you like it as much as I do. 
 

                                                 

Last Steps Before Press

SILENCE is about ready to go to press for its March 2015 release.  On the one hand, I am so excited to share this story with readers.  I can't wait to see if people love Hayden and Stella's story as much as I do.  But on the other hand, I am sad to say goodbye.  These are my last days sifting through the manuscript, working hand in hand with the characters to tell their stories.  And that means these are my last days with Stella and Hayden.  My journey with this story has been a long one as I imagined it for years before writing it--and even then, it went through so many drafts I have lost count. 


Last week, my brilliant and insightful editor, Lisa Mangum, and I wrote discussion questions for teachers, librarians and book clubs.  I think it was in writing the questions that I finally realized how close I am to publication.  I am so grateful I will have the chance to talk about the book in promotion and read some of it at book signings and school visits.  But these are my last moments creating SILENCE.  This book is about hope, and writing it gave me hope.  So my greatest wish is that it brings hope to all the people who read it--and that they love Stella and Hayden as much as I do.


D.L.

Escaping into Books

It is back to school time, which is always a sad day in my house.  I love the summer days with my daughters, and the time to have adventures.  We spend a lot of time at the beach during the summer, which is the best place for me to set my imagination free.  But I also love that my girls have time to read books for pleasure without deadlines.  We spent a great deal of time with books these past couple of months, looking through some of my old favorites (which my girls are now old enough to read) and searching for new ones.  Most often, we read together, escaping into the story side by side.  Sometimes we read out loud and sometimes to ourselves.  I find that it allows us to talk about the book as we go and really analyze what is happening in the story.  It's also a way for our family to share something really special together. 


Escaping into a book is the best way to give my brain a moment of freedom from news reports that break my heart and pressures of being a single mom.  Books are my secret weapon.  For after reading a few good pages, I am recharged and ready to face whatever is ahead of me.  Now that my girls are back to school, they have activities and homework and school events to attend.  My goal is to make sure we still have those moments together as a family to escape into a story--and turn reading a book into a memory that will last a lifetime.


D.L.

SILENCE Has Arrived

Advance copies of my new YA novel, SILENCE arrived on my doorstep this morning.  I am so excited to share the cover.  See what you think...

Here is a little bit about SILENCE, coming in March 2015 from Shadow Mountain.

What happens when everything you've dreamed of is shattered in a single moment?

Stella was born to sing but when a tragic accident renders her deaf she faces a world of silence. Hayden is a boy with blond curls who stutters. As an outcast, he reaches out to help Stella discover the world without sound. But, can a boy who stutters and the girl who is deaf find happily-ever-after?

xoxo
D.L.

ALA 2014

I have some really exciting book news.  I have a new YA release called SILENCE coming in January 2015 from Shadow Mountain.  I just returned from ALA in Las Vegas where I signed the first advance copies of the book.  Here is a picture of me signing copies of SILENCE in the Shadow Mountain booth.

I'm also really excited to share this: SILENCE is on the back cover of Publisher's Weekly.  Here is what it looks like:

Inside Back Cover

Outside Back Cover

Lots more to come...so stay tuned!

D.L.

Thank you to Teachers!

As we near the end of the school year, I want to say thank you to all the teachers who have worked so hard this year.  Thank you for giving so much of yourselves to your students.

A very special teacher, Mrs. Kimball, has made a shelf for JANE IN BLOOM in her 7th grade language arts' classroom.  I am truly honored.  Thank you, Mrs. Kimball, for inspiring your students to love literature and find beauty in the written word.

Here is Jane in Bloom in Mrs. Kimball's classroom!

I also wanted to share a story about one teacher who has changed a student's life.  A few weeks ago, I received an email from a student in Kentucky who had read JANE IN BLOOM because her teacher had recommended the book to her.  This teacher, Mrs. Kristal Doolin, happens to be the 2013 Kentucky Teacher of the Year (congratulations, Mrs. Doolin!), and her work with this particular student has been life changing.  After a few emails back and forth, we arranged to give the student a signed copy of JANE before school ended for summer.  I just learned that Mrs. Doolin presented the book to the student at an awards ceremony the last week of school.  The student has come a long way this year, and Mrs. Doolin is impressed and proud of her progress.  Thank you to my friends in Kentucky for sharing your story with me.  And thank you for reminding all of us that every student has a chance to bloom.

If you have any stories about teachers who have made a difference this year, please share them with me.

Have a beautiful day-
D.L.