Painful Dreams, a YA Novel.

Cassi and Angela are not the most popular girls at Danville North High School. But they are popular for the wrong reasons, they are overweight and not part of the in-crowd. They are bullied daily just as they have been for most of their lives. They go home and cry each day after school. All they have is each other and no hope for happiness in their lives.
Cassi’s father is a Professor at the University of Illinois in the psychology department. He has been working on a project dealing with sleep for quite some time. Cassi and Angela visit the University over Winter Break and make an interesting discovery. Cassi’s father is working on Dream Invasion, where a person can enter another’s dream and help them to work through issues of their past. Cassi has another use in mind for this new psychological technology. Her and Angela plan to experiment with Brittany and Alexis, the two girls that make their lives unbearable everyday at school. The plan works too well and Cassi and Angela are not willing to stop now that she has the power.
This book is in its early stages of development. As I enjoy psychology and dream studies, I look forward to watching this story develop into something interesting!

Sarah's Secret, a YA Novel.

Sarah is a Junior in High School. She lives in a rural Illinois town where life and acceptance seems to be stuck somewhere between 1950 and 1980. She does all of the right things. She is an honor student, she is athletic and is well liked, she has a bunch of friends. Unfortunately, there is a secret. Her parents and brother are always on her for being so pretty and popular and never having a boyfriend. She just doesn’t act like all of the other girls. In a small town where everyone knows each other’s business, she does not want to reveal her secret. Sarah is a lesbian. She would be hated and beaten if others would know the real Sarah, beyond her awkward group of friends. Her parents would be so disappointed. She was ready to stay “fake” until a city girl moves into town. She knows right away she has someone to love. Her life is now complete, until complications set in.
The intended audience of this book is Middle and High School girls. It is not just about being a lesbian, but about being different and trying to find a place in the world as a teen.
This book should be ready for edit in late spring.

My New Beginning, a YA novel.

This is a story about Donny, a 17-year-old who is about to hear an emotional decision from a judge. As he waits for his case to be heard, he reflects with in detail the steps that have brought him to this place in his life. There are many obstacles in the courthouse, just as there have been in his short life. He methodically reveals his path from innocent little kid to hardened gang member with connections in prison. Donny wants his life back and sees that he has to pay the price to get it.
This is a story based on many true stories. As a street counselor and therapist, I worked with many gang members that wanted in or out of the system. Donny take on the emotional ride that so many kids in this situation are confronted with.
This story is intended for 5th grade to 10th grade boys, but I can see older boys and even girls connecting with Donny. He wears the pain that so many poor suburban kids have in their lives.
This story will be ready for edit in the Spring.