Your Questions Answered

Starting school

Hi, I’m going to be starting highschool next month in January and I’m really nervous and scared. Due to the Covid pandemic, we didn’t have an open house which means no tour of the school and no meeting teachers. I have no clue what to do because I’ve never been inside and I’m scared of looking dumb in front of everyone by not knowing where to go or asking for help, I know it sounds ridiculous but I’m scared to humiliate myself and be laughed at. It’s stressing me out what should I do?

Have you read Alice Alone?   Exactly the way she felt when she started high school.  Same way I did when I entered a high school of 4000 students.  Ask yourself why you think that you’re the only one who doesn’t know where exactly to go or what to do.  Here’s the best hint I can give:  Develop your sense of humor.  If you walk in the wrong classroom expecting geometry and the teacher says “This is U.S. history,” say a soft “Oops!” and give the class a guilty grin as you leave and they’ll smile with you, not at you.   Give yourself a break!   Remember that if you don’t understand something, it means a dozen other kids don’t either.

Marriage

So I have to ask u for some advice, first let me tell you that I’m a huge fan of yours! You are a great author and women like you deserve to be immortal! So I’m 22 years old and i just got engaged to the most wonderful man, and I’m happy but when I say I’m in love with him, my mom says I’m too young to know what love is and what I’m feeling is puppy love, my friends agree and bring up the fact that he’s the only man I’ve ever been with so “there’s no way you’re really in love because you haven’t tried a relationship with anyone else”, they act as if you need a score board of lovers before u find the one you really love. Are they right or should I listen to my heart?

I think it’s possible that you are really in love, but I also think it’s possible that if you met another man instead of this one, you could really be in love with him too. Because there isn’t just “the one and only.”  I do hope that you are planning to be engaged for quite some time before you actually marry, so that you can discover more about yourself.  Do you ever feel that you are trying your best to be the kind of woman you think he wants?  Are there habits of his that might seem quirky but lovable right now, but over a period of years might drive you nuts?  Have you had long discussions about really important things–children?  Each other’s family?  Religion?  Money?  Tidiness?  Goals in life?  Past relationships?  Sex?  Is this a man you feel you could tell anything to–no matter how personal–and he would try to understand?   Or are you keeping all your insecurities hidden from him, and just hoping that everything will work out.  He should be a person with whom you feel really comfortable in  being yourself, and he in turn should feel comfortable confiding in you.   Don’t be discouraged.  If you were “meant for each other” then these discussions should be a joyful journey, not something to fear.

Class Project

Hello my son is doing a project where they send a letter to an author. Can you let us know somewhere we can send the letter to.

 

My address is 401 Russell Avenue, Apt 713, Gaithersburg, MD 20877

love these books

Hi I’m a big fan of Alice even though I have only read two of them. The Grooming of Alice and Alice in Blunderland. I came across these books when I was looking through a pile off books my mom bought for me when I was Six. Now I’m twelve! Thank You forever for writing these books!

I do hope you’ll be able to read the 26 Alice books still waiting for you!   A lot happens to Alice between third grade  (Alice in Blunderland) and Alice in high school.  Twelve is a good time to catch up.  Thanks for letting me know how much you enjoyed the ones you read.

 

 

Writing

Hello, I’m an aspiring author and I just wanted to know have you ever felt unmotivated to write while in the middle of a book or have had bad writer’s block? If so, how did you get over it? Also, do you think writing in first person is harder than writing in third person and what do you do if you feel people won’t like your books when it’s published? Thank you for taking a moment of time to read this! I hope you have a super sweet day!

I have to be pretty excited about the idea for a new book before I ever begin writing it.  I make sure I know what the plot will be before I begin–how the story will begin and how it will end, and what the climax will be.  If I start to feel bored with it or uncertain, then I go back to the place in the manuscript where things seemed to be going fine, and I begin writing from there.  None of us know whether people will like our book, but if a publishing company has taken your manuscript and turned it into a book, then you know that the editor certainly liked it!

Inspired

Hello. I’m 33 years of age and was about to begin reading The Girls Get Even for the eleventh time in my life. Your Boys Start the War series has been my favourite books since I was a little girl and I just had to let you know how much I have loved reading them. I actually grew up in a house with two sisters… so reading about Eddie, Beth and Caroline felt like going on an adventure with my sisters. Although I am much like Caroline instead of Beth and though I am the middle child. Everyday I am waiting for this series to make it to the big screen. I would love to see that day. Thank you so much for this beautiful gift you’ve given us. I wish you all the best.

I’m so glad you enjoyed them back then and can still enjoy them now.  I think I identify most with Caroline too, though my heart belongs to Wally.  Yes, I’ve often thought that these books would make a good TV series, but I’m a writer, not a producer.  Thanks for writing to me.

Losing a boyfriend

Hi. I just need some advice from a wise woman like you. I’m in college and my boyfriend and I had been together for a while and I was beginning to actually love him and I thought things were going good but he broke up with me to be with another girl. My heart feels shattered and it’s definitely hard because I have to see them together all the time and have to hear people talk about them and I feel depressed, Angry, jealous, and sick to my stomach and I hate it. I’ve tried putting on a smile and being friends with them but gave up because I can’t help but feel sick and jealous and sad. There are times when I want revenge and to do something that will hurt them especially her but I don’t want to be that person people hate. I especially don’t know how to get over someone who I gave my virginity to because for a woman, that is your most prized possession. What if we someday get back together? How will I not think he wont do it again? I feel like I’m an emotional rollercoaster and I could really use some advice from a woman who seems to have lived through it all like you. 💓💗

I’m not a professional counselor, so these are only thoughts at the top of my head.  It’s true that having sexual intercourse with someone is about as physical as you can get, but it’s not necessarily the closest emotionally that you can ever feel for someone.  People can go their whole lives having sex with different persons but without feeling a deep love and closeness with anybody.  You had said that you were beginning to actually love him, but you probably still had some way to go to feel that both you and he were deeply, emotionally committed.  I do understand completely how sad and upset and  anxious you feel about seeing him with someone else, but please don’t put too much emphasis on having “given him your virginity,” because yes, that is special, but I don’t think it ranks way up there with feeling so close to someone that you feel you could share every single thing you ever thought or did or wanted to do, and that he would understand.  There is no guarantee that anyone, even a “soulmate,” (and I’m not even sure what that is), would never leave you, just as you could never promise with absolute certainly that you would never leave him–things happen–lives change–but you are going to meet many other men in your life, and you have much to give.

 

Love

Hi, I just wanted to know how will I know if I’m in love and how will I know that a guy is completely in love with me and would never hurt me? I’m 18 and have never had a boyfriend so I don’t know what love is. I look at all the divorced people in my life and I don’t want that to be me but I certainly don’t want to be one of those women who stay with their husbands because of their children. I’m also afraid that a guy will get bored of me or leave me for someone else. I want a soulmate, Someone I’ll spend the rest of my life with, Someone who’ll never have an affair or hurt me in anyway. Some people never find that person and I’m scared of that too. How will I know I’ve found THE ONE?

I wish I could tell you that life is certain, and that if you find the right person you’ll have a guarantee that he will never get bored with you or hurt you or leave you for someone else.  Just as I can’t promise that if you have children, they will love you forever and always come back to visit and remember your birthday.  What we can do is help ourselves (with counseling, if necessary) to grow up confident that if life gives us a lemon, we can deal with it.  And that when we meet someone whom we feel might make a good husband or wife, we listen closely to what they say;  pay attention to how we are treated.  Is this a person we can confide in without being made to feel small?    Are our goals the same?  Can we discuss religion, children, sex, work, vacations, relatives, drinking, friends… without being denigrated or denied?   The fact is, there is NO one person who is perfect.  And it’s not true that out of all the billions of people on this planet, there is only ONE that is YOUR SOUL MATE.  Most people don’t have to travel the world to find a husband or wife.  It is usually someone from our neighborhood, our church, our college, our workplace, or among our group of friends that we find someone who is SPECIAL TO US.  Begin your search by shoring up yourself–your own self confidence.  Learning to like yourself.  Being happy with yourself.  A girl or woman who enjoys being herself projects a friendly welcome to those around her, making them want to be with her too.

 

I wrote an essay on “How I Came to Be a Writer”

I was wondering if I could send you a letter with my essay on it? I would like to know if you like it.

I’m so sorry that I can’t read material that readers send to me–poems and articles and longer manuscripts….  I simply can’t add that to keeping up with this blog and doing my own writing each day.

Saving Shiloh

I love Shiloh.  it’s my favorite book in the world and I’m starting to read Saving Shiloh

I’m so glad you’re enjoying the Shiloh books.  You’ll be surprised to find out who saves Shiloh!