About this item
Something—some power—is blooming inside Laurel. She can use flowers to do things. Like bringing back lost memories. Or helping her friends ace tests. Or making people fall in love.Laurel suspects her newfound ability has something to do with an ancient family secret, one that her mother meant to share with Laurel when the time was right. But then time ran out.Clues and signs and secret messages seem to be all around Laurel at Avondale School, where her mother had also boarded as a student. Can Laurel piece everything together quickly enough to control her power, which is growing more potent every day? Or will she set the stage for the most lovestruck, infamous prom in the history of the school?
About the Author
From ages 0 to 9, I moved every two or three years all over the country, which I like to think made me adaptable and open to new places, people, and ideas. We lived in San Francisco, Virginia Beach, Albuquerque, N.M., Lexington, K.Y., and Dayton, Ohio. The library was one of the first places we found anywhere we arrived. I've always found a home in books.It really never occurred to me that I could be a writer until I was in college. I always thought I'd do something more "practical," with a guaranteed salary. (Believe me, there are no guarantees in writing.) When I ditched the practical by majoring in Great Books at the University of Notre Dame, I began to think about writing as a sideline.My first paid writing job was for a health newsletter in Charlottesville, Va., where I was earning my M.A. in English at the University of Virginia. My first published piece of writing was about ... uh ... constipation. No kidding. I like to think I've come a long, long way.Along that way, I've taught English literature and writing to middle and high school students and won a teacher of the year award. I've written lots of articles - mainly for The Washington Post - about fun things to do in the greater Washington area. I've also written a lot of essays about things I care about, such as my faith, reading aloud to children, and protecting the environment.Now I live with my husband and three kids and Jessie the wonder dog near some woods and a stream in Arlington, Virginia, which is the inspiration for my second novel tentatively titled, String Theory.
