TQAQ Blog Series

Why I Wrote Through Quick and Quinn: Hope for Today’s Adolescents

When people ask why I wrote Through Quick and Quinn, the simplest answer is this: The…
From Teacher to Author: Navigating My Second-Act Career

After twenty-three years in the classroom, stepping into retirement presented both liberation and disorientation. Teaching had…
Twenty-Three Years, Hundreds of Students: How Teaching Shaped My Writing

People often ask what inspired Through Quick and Quinn. The honest answer isn’t a single moment…
Teaching Through Fiction: Why I Wove Educational Elements into Through Quick and Quinn

As a longtime educator, I sometimes struggled with literature that either avoided adolescent challenges entirely or…
Anxiety Doesn’t Define You: A Letter to Teenagers Struggling with Mental Health

Dear Reader, If you are a teenager experiencing anxiety, please know that you are not broken…
Creating Diverse Characters: Reflections on Authentic Representation

When writing Through Quick and Quinn, I faced an important challenge: how to create characters with…
The Evolution of Anxiety: What’s Different for Today’s Teens

When I began my official teaching career in 2000, student anxiety surely existed, but it manifested…
Why Young Adult Literature Matters: Reflections from a Former Teacher

Before becoming an author, I spent twenty-three years watching adolescents discover themselves. I witnessed firsthand how…
The Psychology Behind the Story: How My Academic Background Shaped the Novel

My path to becoming an author wasn’t traditional. Before writing Through Quick and Quinn, I spent…