I
have an admission. This is the first time someone has asked me to write a guest
post for a blog. Honestly, I have no idea if this is how it works, but this is
how I’m writing it, LOL. Our host suggested I tell you about what writing for
today’s young adult readers means to me. But, to do that, I need to tell you a
few things about myself first.
I was raised in a religious home and
still hold those values. It’s tough to be a teenager with a moral compass. It’s
not considered very cool. I was able to stand up for what I believed in without
too much grief because I was cute and a little popular. Even then, my friends
teased me in good nature when I used goofy replacements for swear words. Some
thought it was flat out weird that I didn’t drink or watch rated R movies. Many
thought I was nuts for saving sex until marriage.
But, for the most part, people
respected my values and choices. Often, kids chose less vulgar language in my
presence or apologized when the f-word slipped out. If I went to a party and
was offered a drink by someone who didn’t know me, others would get offended on
my behalf. I had a boyfriend for two years who respected me so much, that he
went off to college a virgin (though it was definitely not his
