My short story, "Stick and Strings" was published in Mid-American Review and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. That story won me acceptance into Indiana University's MFA program, where I won an Ellis Literary Award for my short story, "The Tannery."
I stopped writing fiction when I married, pursuing instead a career as a librarian. A few years ago I returned to writing with "Puzzle Trees, " a very dark but funny YA+ novel. An earlier draft was one of three finalists in 2010 Leapfrog Press YA fiction.
I am pitching this book to agents now. The personal feedback I am receiving, while very positive (they seem to have actually read the entire manuscript!), focuses on the potential audience. While my protagonist is in middle school, the book's themes are more pitched to high school readers and adults. I have been grappling with these issues for many months, but I have not resolved them yet. My favorite authors are those who have written without regard for a specific age group...