There’s nothing better than hearing directly back from a reader who wants to share his or her experience reading your books. A close second, however, is receiving recognition for crafting a piece of literature. It takes an enormous amount of time, energy, self-motivation, and sacrifice (not to mention a whole lot of luck) to write and bring a novel to publication. There are so many people involved beyond the author, and so many ways the project could take a nosediving plunge into nothingness before it ever lands on a bookstore shelf.

But sometimes, you hear back that you’ve done good. And that makes a heckuva lot of difference to any writer toiling in the trenches. I’m excited to announce the first book in my middle grade series, Please Return To: Norbert M. Finkelstein, was named a 2020 Book Excellence Award Finalist in the “Preteen” category. You may or may not be aware the second book in the series, Please Return To: Toby Solano, was just released on March 27. Personally, I happen to love the second book in the ‘Please Return To’ series infinitely times more than the first, but who am I to judge? 

I hope you’ll have a chance to pick up copies of both books. The whole series is written in the form of a journal that reveals the secret, double life of an otherwise ordinary middle school English teacher…turned pro wrestler, of course. It’s the perfect read for the reluctant middle grade reader who loves a good sports novel, and even for those adults out there who grew up with the punishing sounds of Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior blasting in the backgrounds of their childhoods. You know who you are.