Spotlighting Sarah Ockler's TWENTY BOY SUMMER

Today, we have Sarah Ockler, author of TWENTY BOY SUMMER in our spotlight!

Sarah wrote and illustrated her first book at age six—an adaptation of Steven Spielberg's E.T. Still recovering from her own adolescence, Sarah now writes for young adults. After several years of wandering between New York City and Denver, she and her husband Alex now live in Upstate New York with lots of books and an ever-expanding collection of sea glass.

TWENTY BOY SUMMER is about best girlfriends Anna and Frankie who conspire to find a boy for Anna’s first summer romance while on vacation in California. But Anna harbors a painful secret that threatens their lighthearted plan and their friendship.

Here are Sarah's answers to the Thorough Three...

NM: What is the age of your protagonist/s?

SO: 16

NM: What is the single, most important bit of advice you'd give to the You that was the same age as your protagonist/s?

SO: The only person you need to impress is yourself. Of course, 16-year-old me wouldn't buy that advice. And 30-something me still struggles to remember it, too! But it's true. I wasted a lot of time back then trying to fit in to a place where I didn't belong by acting like someone I wasn't.

NM: Complete the following sentences:

Everyone should definitely, for sure _____________.

You should NEVER, EVER ___________. But if you absolutely must, make sure to ____________.

SO: Everyone should definitely, for sure try new stuff, like listening to a new genre of music, chowing on some funky regional cuisine, or trying out a totally crazy hairstyle.

You should NEVER, EVER cut your own hair. But if you absolutely must, make sure to use super sharp scissors and not the plastic safety kind. That just makes a mess!

Thanks for stopping by, Sarah!

To find out more about Sarah and her work, go here. To buy a copy of TBS, click here!