The day has finally arrived, at loooong last! It’s been a 5-year journey, people. My YA sci-fi novel, THE BODY INSTITUTE, is now available for anyone to read. It’s both thrilling and scary to think about.

Thanks to all of you, my loyal blogging friends, for riding along with me on my trip into publication. As a group, you are mentioned in the acknowledgments at the end of my book! I appreciate your encouragement, support, and word-hugs throughout the past years.  

The Body Institute
When 17-year-old Morgan Dey joins up as a Reducer at The Body Institute, her job is to take over another girl’s body, get her in shape, and then return to her own body. It’s innovative weight loss at its finest. Only there are a few catches…it’s not long before Morgan must decide if being a Reducer is worth the cost of her body and soul.
 
Are we our minds...or our bodies? 

Preorder links:   Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo  |  Indiebound |  Powell's Books  

Fun Facts While Writing The Body Institute
1. BUGS. I was writing the rough draft and my grown daughter was visiting. She sat out on the back porch, sunning like a cat, and soon came whipping back in—squawking that some sort of insect had flown into her ear. So, since I happened to be writing a scene where my main character was outside, I incorporated that bug-in-the-ear experience right into my scene. Fun!
2. BEFORE and AFTER photos. I adore them! Even when I was around 9-10 years old, I was fascinated by articles about people who had lost weight, carefully studying the Before and After photos. As I got older, I was also intrigued by before and after photos of women who applied makeup…photos of house renovations and improvements…photos of pictures drawn by people before they read the book Drawing On The Right Side of The Brain (by Betty Edwards) and then after they did the book’s drawing exercises—and so on.

YOUR TURN
Have you read other YA books that deal with weight and body image?
What do you think of Before and After photos—are you as entranced as I am?
Have you ever incorporated something that happened in real life into your scenes, from either your memories or from something that happened while you were writing?