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Press

NEW BOOK ALERT: "EAST OF EVERYWHERE," AVAILABLE NOW!

News Release | November 11, 2021

 

On November 11, my fourth novel, East of Everywhere, was released across all major retailers. This novel, set across the 1940s and 50s, explores the struggles and joys of seventeen-year-old Janie as she runs away from an orphanage towards the place she calls home.

From the description: 

 

It’s been almost a decade since the end of the war, when the telegram first arrived at their house on Lennox Lane.

Four years since the apartment on Harker Street, where food was scarce and nights were long and their mother slept away her grief.

Three months since Janie was forced to leave her little brother, Brayden, and best friend, Leo, behind at Anthers Hall.

Two weeks since she stole a bicycle and ran away from the new children’s home on the other side of the state.

One day since she arrived in Montours City.

No one knows her secrets in this small town. If Janie is going to make it back to her brother and the only place she’s ever called home, she needs to keep it that way. But when a hard-hearted widow, a boy in a boxcar, and a dog named Panda weave their way into her life, Janie begins to wonder if what she’s searching for isn't better off laid to rest.

To find out more about Janie's journey, including where to purchase hardcover, paperback, and digital copies, check out the book's main page: East of Everywhere.

 

GOLD IN THE DAYS OF SUMMER - RE-RELEASE

News Release | October 26, 2021

Return to Annie's world and the summer of 1979 with the re-release of GOLD IN THE DAYS OF SUMMER!

The new, revised edition has been polished and contains bonus material such as a new short story set prior to the start of the novella, Annie's diary entries, and a sneak peek of her neighbor, the soldier's story, in next year's release, Ashes in Autumn. The book was released on October 26, 2021 in honor of my grandmother's birthday, to whom this book is dedicated. Learn more in the blog post or visit the Gold in the Days of Summer page for information and purchasing options!

KIRKUS FEATURED REVIEW
Kirkus Indie Review | December 1, 2020

The Last Letter was favorably reviewed and selected by Kirkus Indie editors to be included in the 12/1 issue of Kirkus Reviews! The Last Letter is one of thirty-five reviews in the independent author section of the December issue of Kirkus Reviews magazine. According to Kirkus, less than 10% of indie authors are selected for this feature. Read the full review for The Last Letter below or check it out here: Kirkus Reviews.

 

Adolescence is bad enough, but suppose you also have Lyme disease and no one can diagnose it?

In this novel, Amelia “Lia” Garrett Lenelli is your garden variety teenager. But in addition to the usual teen angst, she has more subtle problems—such as getting a D on a test that she should have aced (she’s clearly bright, a good student) and then experiencing panic attacks, memory loss, and physical debilitation. She has been referred to a therapist, a guy who simply sits patiently and encourages her to keep producing the letters that she has admitted to writing and burying in her garden in a “time capsule”: her old My Little Pony lunchbox. These letters, addressed to “Dear Whoever You Are,” make this a strange sort of epistolary novel and form the basis and bulk of the book. Lia has a loving and supportive family. She gets even more support (eventually) from her friend Mollie’s big brother, Josh. But a big problem is that Lyme disease is so mysterious that many of her friends (like Mollie) simply don’t believe that she is really sick, but rather that she is some sort of drama queen. She finds all of this maddening. The doctors have no clue—Lia is losing patience with them and they with her. Finally, almost as a fluke, Lia finds a fellow sufferer. Yes, it’s Lyme disease, and yes, there is a kindly physician who understands and treats it. A slow recovery begins, though there can be relapses. Battles are won, but Lia acknowledges that “the war still lingers dormant within me.”

“Whoever You Are” is, of course, you, dear reader, a powerful device to yank you into the riveting story. (Ultimately, while planting a rose bush, Lia’s father unearths the lunchbox, but that is just a bit of stagecraft.) Pogorzelski is an experienced writer and has created a wonderful character in Lia, who is tough but always on the brink of being overwhelmed. The teen also has a wicked way with observations. When the Lenellis decide to have a garage sale, to Lia it looks “like our childhood threw up all over our lawn.” Lia finds school excruciating, with the students being pack-oriented. She is sidelined, if not outright ostracized. Readers will feel her agony, anger, and, most of all, her growing fear. At one point, she comes close to suicide. One exception among the well-meaning but unhelpful people is Lia’s nameless shrink. He has a past of his own from his stint in Vietnam and resists any facile judgments, setting her on the writing therapy path. In some ways, he seems no more helpful than the others, but Lia realizes an essential wisdom in him and suspects that he is a fellow sufferer, not from Lyme disease but from a deep sadness, having seen too much. He is a strong character who clearly represents a lesson in trust. Like Holden Caulfield, Lia can spot a phony a mile off; her therapist is the real deal. In an afterword, readers will discover that this is actually the author’s own story, slightly fictionalized. Pogorzelski is now a crusader and provides helpful links for those who are suffering as she was.

A gripping, sensitively written account of a terrible affliction that is more common than realized.

 

NEW BOOK ALERT: "LILAC IN WINTER," AVAILABLE NOW!

News Release | March 26, 2019

 

On March 26, 2019, my newest book, Lilac in Winter, was released across all major retailers. This novel--a coming of age story about a sixteen year old girl with a terminal illness who lives her life in daydreams--is in many ways a companion to 2016's The Last Letter for how it explores the emotional vulnerability of living with a chronic or terminal illness. 

From the description: 

 

Lilac Sophia Carpenter is sixteen years old. She’s going to be sixteen years old for the rest of her life. 

Confined to her bed as her health declines, Lilac lives her life in daydreams, imagining her love story to her former best friend, Nathan Emery. But Lilac and Nathan haven’t talked since that fateful night—the night of her sister’s wedding, when her health worsened and his life unraveled and the already-fractured pieces of their friendship became irreparable.

With the comfort of her daydreams becoming more and more elusive, Lilac must decide if reality can be greater than her own imagination when there’s little time left for living. 

 

To find out more about this fated love story, including where to purchase paperback and digital copies, check out the book's main page: Lilac in Winter: A Novel.

 

25TH ANNUAL WRITER'S DIGEST SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK AWARDS
Writer's Digest | October 12, 2017

In October, I received notice that The Last Letter was selected as an Honorable Mention in the Writer's Digest 25th Annual Self-Published Book Awards competition. The official announcement on the Writer's Digest website will be up in 2018, but in the meantime, here's what the judge had to say: 

Teens reeling with personal and national crises will find themselves in this teen girl’s voice. The story evolves from a letter writing assignment, completed out of duty, to a journal that provides much needed mooring through difficult times. The protagonist’s voice is the heart of the novel; she is earnest, honest, and her emotions and thoughts are easy to relate to. The book gives an inside look at what it was like to be a teen during September 11, 2001 and its aftermath—a time today’s teens don’t recall. The broader historical crises matches the tone of the difficulty in the character’s life, creating a resonance that will feel familiar and authentic to teens. The story will relate to a wide variety of teen readers, but particularly those who are dealing with Lyme disease or another chronic illness that it hard to live with, understand, and share about with others. The pace of the novel apt and the intensity of the narration increases at just the right times. The themes of loneliness and connection, despair and perseverance, and beauty in the midst of ugliness are timeless and vital to teen readers looking for something positive in life and in the world around them. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and the interior page layout is well done too.

 

​"PUTTING THE PAIN TO PAPER"
Lancaster Newspapers | August 13, 2017

I was featured in my local newspaper talking about The Last Letter, my Lyme disease story, and how it has affected my writing. Read the full story here!

​PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
BookLife Review | May 19, 2017

BookLife has partnered with Publisher's Weekly to create a system by which PW reviews exceptional self-published books. Read the full review for The Last Letter below or check it out here: Publisher's Weekly (BookLife).

Pogorzelski’s exceptional debut shares the challenges, dreams, fleeting optimism, and difficulties of 15-year-old Amelia Lenelli at the turn of the millennium. Adolescence is hard enough, but Amelia is facing other troubles: her physical and mental health are deteriorating. As the symptoms of her mysterious illness worsen—and the attempts to identify a diagnosis continue to fail—her friends disappear into their active lives while Amelia wonders if her own life is ending. She describes her struggles in letters addressed to “Whoever you are,” an imagined reader who fills the companionship void. She hides nothing, sharing the depression—and thoughts of suicide—that can accompany sickness, pubescence, and loneliness. Pogorzelski writes this semiautobiographical novel with authenticity, and her young character displays relentless wisdom in an honest, mouths-of-babes style.

 

​AUTHOR AIMS TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR LYME DISEASE IN NOVEL WAY

Official Press Release | September 20, 2016

The official press release for The Last Letter was issued on September 20, 2016, marking the date of print publication and describing my Lyme Disease awareness efforts. Here's a small excerpt:

 

Written as a series of letters between 1999 and 2003, The Last Letter: A Novel is a classic coming-of-age tale about a teenage girl who struggles to shape her own identity while a chronic illness threatens to tear her world apart. Drawing on her own blog posts and personal journal entries for inspiration, Pogorzelski crafted a narrative that closely resembles her years-long health journey. “Writing about my experiences with Lyme Disease was necessary for my own emotional healing,” Pogorzelski explains. “I chose fiction as the medium because I was too close to the subject, the emotions still too raw. Fiction let me get close enough without living through the worst of it again.”

 

Check out the full text here: Press Release.

​PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
Select Review | October 14, 2013

In October of 2013, three months after its official release, Gold in the Days of Summer was one of 25 books chosen for a full review in Publisher's Weekly PW Select catalog, a print supplement exclusively devoted to indie books. Read the full review below or check it out here: Publisher's Weekly.

It's the summer of 1979, Annie's 13th birthday is approaching, and change is in the sweltering air—none of it welcome. It's Annie's first summer without her best friend Ava, who is away at camp; the Vietnam veteran who lives next door, a confidante and adviser, is moving away; Connor, her neighborhood crush, seems smitten by the new girl moving into the vet's house; and her grandmother is sinking into dementia, something her parents try to shield her from. Annie's soulful attempts to sort things out are insightful and realistically muddled. Pogorzelski captures the sense of a girl holding onto the last days of a waning childhood—Annie prefers her memory-stained old sneakers to a new back-to-school pair, and she pans for gold in the local creek, which holds only rocks ("maybe everything was gold if you just looked at it the right way")—but who also recognizes that her life is at a turning point and that she's growing up. Relatable family dynamics enrich this promising debut. Ages 12–18.

"LITITZ RESIDENT'S DEBUT IS GOOD AS 'GOLD'"

Lancaster Newspapers |September 6, 2013

Gold in the Days of Summer was featured in the Sunday edition of the local newspaper.

Check out a copy of the article here: Sunday News.

COMING-OF-AGE NOVELLA FROM DEBUT AUTHOR SPANS SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS
Official Press Release | July 22, 2013

The official press release for Gold in the Days of Summer was issued on July 22, 2013, marking the date of print publication and introducing the interactive, social media initiatives as part of the storytelling. Here's a small excerpt:

 

Susan Pogorzelski is bringing her nostalgic debut book, Gold in the Days of Summer: A Novella, into the 21st century with breakthrough storytelling that spans the social media spectrum. Available in print and digital versions from Brown Beagle Books, the narration continues on the most popular social channels as readers get an in-depth look into the protagonist’s life leading up to the book’s 1979 events.

Check out the full release here: Press Release.
 

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25TH ANNUAL WRITER'S DIGEST SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK AWARDS
Writer's Digest | October 12, 2017

In October, I received notice that The Last Letter was selected as an Honorable Mention in the Writer's Digest 25th Annual Self-Published Book Awards competition. The official announcement on the Writer's Digest website will be up in 2018, but in the meantime, here's what the judge had to say: 

Teens reeling with personal and national crises will find themselves in this teen girl’s voice. The story evolves from a letter writing assignment, completed out of duty, to a journal that provides much needed mooring through difficult times. The protagonist’s voice is the heart of the novel; she is earnest, honest, and her emotions and thoughts are easy to relate to. The book gives an inside look at what it was like to be a teen during September 11, 2001 and its aftermath—a time today’s teens don’t recall. The broader historical crises matches the tone of the difficulty in the character’s life, creating a resonance that will feel familiar and authentic to teens. The story will relate to a wide variety of teen readers, but particularly those who are dealing with Lyme disease or another chronic illness that it hard to live with, understand, and share about with others. The pace of the novel apt and the intensity of the narration increases at just the right times. The themes of loneliness and connection, despair and perseverance, and beauty in the midst of ugliness are timeless and vital to teen readers looking for something positive in life and in the world around them. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and the interior page layout is well done too.

INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS
2015 Finalist | May 1, 2015

I'm honored to announce that Gold in the Days of Summer was an award-winning finalist in the "Children's Fiction" category of the 2015 International Book Awards!

 

Here's what they have to say from their press release:

 

LOS ANGELES  –  USA Book News announced the winners and finalists of THE 2015 INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS (IBA) on May 21, 2015. Over 300 winners and finalists were announced in over 80 categories. Awards were presented for titles published in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

 

Jeffrey Keen, President and CEO of USA Book News, said this year’s contest yielded over 1200 entries from authors and publishers around the world, which were then narrowed down to the final results.

 

The contest is open for future submissions.

INTERNATIONAL RUBERY BOOK AWARD
2014 Children's Category Winner | July 1, 2014

In July 2014, I submitted Gold in the Days of Summer to the 2014 International Rubery Book Award in their Children's category. The contest is based out of the UK, but it's open to any self-published or indie author in the world. Like any contest, I knew it was a longshot, but I want the book to be out there, to be read...even just to be acknowledged. I was so honored and humbled to discover that my book had made the shortlist with a beautiful review. Here's what they had to say:

 

"An excellent, well-written and atmospheric story that looks at growing up, family life, love and understanding.  The book is suitable for the older child/young teenager, and while there is no great adventure here, it has a charm that keeps you turning the pages..."

 

I was thrilled to discover later that I was named the Children's Category Winner:

 

 

FLASH FICTION CONTEST
Winner | October 26, 2015

I'd been following literary agent Janet Reid's blog for a few months to learn more about the ins and outs of the traditional publishing industry when I decided to try my hand at her popular flash fiction contests. Janet is known as a shark in publishing due, in part, to her other popular blog Query Shark--a website dedicated solely to critiquing queries in order to help authors land an agent. Among being one of the nicest, most generous people in the industry (her blog is full of useful information for aspiring authors), she has a respected eye for good writing.

 

So when I found out I won the second flash fiction contest I entered, I was floored. Here's what she had to say about my entry:

 

"This is gorgeous, layered writing that took my breath away the first time I read it. And the fifth time too."

 

You can find the original contest post here and my winning story, along with other noteable entries, here.

 

Janet has opened her comments section to form a community of some of the most talented, warm-hearted writers around. Be sure to check out her blog for these flash fiction contests and so much more.

TIME & PLACE PRIZE
2013 Shortlist | March 1, 2014

In November 2013, I submitted ten-pages of my upcoming manuscript Tuesday's Harbor to the Time and Place Prize contest, an international literary award that offers one winner the chance to spend a month writing in beautiful Brittany, France. Knowing it was a longshot, but believing in chances and dreams, I entered the contest. While I didn't win, I was honored (if not extremely surprised) to learn that my entry was one of six finalists. Sometimes, it's the small successes that end up meaning the most.

 

The contest is open for future submission.

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THE LYME INTERVIEW: SUSAN POGORZELSKI
Body Mind Lyme Blog| May 15, 2017


Kerry Heckman is the writer behind Body Mind Lyme, a site devoted to healing both the body and spirit in the face of Chronic Lyme disease. A fellow Lyme warrior and contributor to Global Lyme Alliance's #MyLymeLife series, I had the pleasure of talking to Kerry for her blog. Check out the author interview to learn more about The Last Letter, my personal Lyme story, and how I found my way out of the darkest corner of this disease.

ABC27 GOOD DAY PA! AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT
Cable TV| March 2, 2017

 

In what was a thrilling and memorable experience, I was interviewed on television for Central Pennsylvania's Good Day PA! Author Spotlight. In the segment, I talked about my Lyme Disease experience and how it influenced my writing for The Last Letter.

Watch the full interview here!







 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LYME NINJA RADIO: EPISODE #120
Podcast| January 11, 2017

 

Lyme Ninja Radio is the world's #1 Lyme Disease podcast in which guests share their Lyme story and talk strategies for healing. I had the chance to chat with host Mackay Rippey about the things I'm most passionate about: Lyme, writing, and emotional healing!

In this episode I share:

 

• My Lyme story and how The Last Letter is a semi-autobiographical account of my Lyme experiences.
• How the process of writing my first book, Gold in the Days of Summer, helped push me forward in healing from past pain.
• How journaling helps me channel my emotions to heal from the emotional toll of chronic illness.

 

Listen to the full interview, and be sure to check back weekly for new episodes with more Lyme Ninjas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEET THE AUTHOR: SUSAN POGORZELSKI & THE LAST LETTER
Living Grace Blog | December 30, 2016

 

Kami Lingren is the writer behind Living Grace Blog, a site devoted to healing from chronic illness. A Lyme warrior herself, I had the pleasure of sharing my story with Kami in an interview for her blog. Check out the author interview to learn more about The Last Letter, why I chose fiction as the medium to share my Lyme story, and the challenges I faced in writing the book.
 

A WRITER'S WRITE INTERVIEW WITH SUSAN POGORZELSKI
AndiLit.com |November 17, 2012

Author friend Andi Cumbo-Floyd was gracious enough to invite me to her Writer's Write blog series to talk about Gold in the Days of Summer, my favorite books, and my writing process. Check out the fun interview here and be sure to wander around the rest of Andi's site for excellent writing resources, including her newly-formed Writer's Retreat!

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BOOK REVIEW: THE LAST LETTER
Kirkus Indie Review | December 1, 2020

 

Adolescence is bad enough, but suppose you also have Lyme disease and no one can diagnose it?

In this novel, Amelia “Lia” Garrett Lenelli is your garden variety teenager. But in addition to the usual teen angst, she has more subtle problems—such as getting a D on a test that she should have aced (she’s clearly bright, a good student) and then experiencing panic attacks, memory loss, and physical debilitation. She has been referred to a therapist, a guy who simply sits patiently and encourages her to keep producing the letters that she has admitted to writing and burying in her garden in a “time capsule”: her old My Little Pony lunchbox. These letters, addressed to “Dear Whoever You Are,” make this a strange sort of epistolary novel and form the basis and bulk of the book. Lia has a loving and supportive family. She gets even more support (eventually) from her friend Mollie’s big brother, Josh. But a big problem is that Lyme disease is so mysterious that many of her friends (like Mollie) simply don’t believe that she is really sick, but rather that she is some sort of drama queen. She finds all of this maddening. The doctors have no clue—Lia is losing patience with them and they with her. Finally, almost as a fluke, Lia finds a fellow sufferer. Yes, it’s Lyme disease, and yes, there is a kindly physician who understands and treats it. A slow recovery begins, though there can be relapses. Battles are won, but Lia acknowledges that “the war still lingers dormant within me.”

“Whoever You Are” is, of course, you, dear reader, a powerful device to yank you into the riveting story. (Ultimately, while planting a rose bush, Lia’s father unearths the lunchbox, but that is just a bit of stagecraft.) Pogorzelski is an experienced writer and has created a wonderful character in Lia, who is tough but always on the brink of being overwhelmed. The teen also has a wicked way with observations. When the Lenellis decide to have a garage sale, to Lia it looks “like our childhood threw up all over our lawn.” Lia finds school excruciating, with the students being pack-oriented. She is sidelined, if not outright ostracized. Readers will feel her agony, anger, and, most of all, her growing fear. At one point, she comes close to suicide. One exception among the well-meaning but unhelpful people is Lia’s nameless shrink. He has a past of his own from his stint in Vietnam and resists any facile judgments, setting her on the writing therapy path. In some ways, he seems no more helpful than the others, but Lia realizes an essential wisdom in him and suspects that he is a fellow sufferer, not from Lyme disease but from a deep sadness, having seen too much. He is a strong character who clearly represents a lesson in trust. Like Holden Caulfield, Lia can spot a phony a mile off; her therapist is the real deal. In an afterword, readers will discover that this is actually the author’s own story, slightly fictionalized. Pogorzelski is now a crusader and provides helpful links for those who are suffering as she was.

A gripping, sensitively written account of a terrible affliction that is more common than realized.

(Click the link above to read the full review.)

BOOK REVIEW: THE LAST LETTER
Ear To The Ground Books | June 28, 2017

 

But rather than focus on content alone, it’s important to acknowledge that Pogorzelski is a really enjoyable writer. Many of the comments she gives about the early 2000s connect with readers. More so, the way that she describes the life of the young adult mind, complete with complicated friendships and early stage romances, feel all to real. The format of “letters” to an unnamed recipient give the opening of the book just a spark of mystery that will provoke the reader to learn more about “Lia” and her life.

 

The book focuses on the notion of shattering and then reassembling a life. It talks about the various elements, a romantic interest, siblings, parents, and many different authority figures, that swirl around a life. But the internal focus and the self reflection on “shattering” is transcendent. This is more than a diary or journal of one specific person’s pain. It’s a kind of pain that many can relate to, but so few of us know who do not suffer from Lyme Disease.
 

If you know and love someone with this disease, this book will hold special meaning for you. But even if you don’t, as instances of the disease continue to increase in our society, be sure to read this book and connect with it. The author makes it easy to love the lead character and her community; you won’t be disappointed by entering into and embracing her world.

 

(Click the link above to read the full review.)


PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: THE LAST LETTER

BookLife | May 19, 2017

 

Pogorzelski’s exceptional debut shares the challenges, dreams, fleeting optimism, and difficulties of 15-year-old Amelia Lenelli at the turn of the millennium. Adolescence is hard enough, but Amelia is facing other troubles: her physical and mental health are deteriorating. As the symptoms of her mysterious illness worsen—and the attempts to identify a diagnosis continue to fail—her friends disappear into their active lives while Amelia wonders if her own life is ending. She describes her struggles in letters addressed to “Whoever you are,” an imagined reader who fills the companionship void. She hides nothing, sharing the depression—and thoughts of suicide—that can accompany sickness, pubescence, and loneliness. Pogorzelski writes this semiautobiographical novel with authenticity, and her young character displays relentless wisdom in an honest, mouths-of-babes style.

 

BOOK REVIEW: THE LAST LETTER
Peer Review| February 6, 2017

 

Susan’s novel is an excellent example of the power of fiction to draw the reader into a reality unlike their own. What she does in this book is more challenging and affecting than any medical description, or textbook definition. By reading Lia’s story, you get to live the disease with her. And it’s a credit to Susan’s skill as a writer that it works to that end. May it have a wide readership, and achieve the purpose for which it was written.

(Click the link above to read the full review.)

 

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: GOLD IN THE DAYS OF SUMMER
BookViral| June 15, 2014

 

Character development is at the centre of Gold In The Days Of Summer, the debut novel from author Susan Pogorzelski. A beautifully observed snapshot that brings the angst of youthful thoughts to the fore, Pogorzelski's characters simply come to life as she creates picture perfect images of her young protagonist’s summer of change. It is an exceptionally well observed story that will resonate with readers on different levels and for thematic reasons amongst readers of all ages. Sure to provoke timely reflection, there are parts of her novella that are heart achingly sad, but she is ever mindful to keep a kernel of hope alive. Captured in flowing prose, we are reminded of the different spheres we inhabit as children, often adrift in the orbit of older siblings and parents as we make sense of the world into which we evolve and Pogorzelski reminds us of this time worn perspective.

 

A timeless telling with all the hallmarks of a classic, Gold In The Days Of Summer, is a superb example of a novella and is recommended without reservation.

 

 

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: GOLD IN THE DAYS OF SUMMER
Select Review | October 14, 2013

 

It's the summer of 1979, Annie's 13th birthday is approaching, and change is in the sweltering air—none of it welcome. It's Annie's first summer without her best friend Ava, who is away at camp; the Vietnam veteran who lives next door, a confidante and adviser, is moving away; Connor, her neighborhood crush, seems smitten by the new girl moving into the vet's house; and her grandmother is sinking into dementia, something her parents try to shield her from. Annie's soulful attempts to sort things out are insightful and realistically muddled. Pogorzelski captures the sense of a girl holding onto the last days of a waning childhood—Annie prefers her memory-stained old sneakers to a new back-to-school pair, and she pans for gold in the local creek, which holds only rocks ("maybe everything was gold if you just looked at it the right way")—but who also recognizes that her life is at a turning point and that she's growing up. Relatable family dynamics enrich this promising debut. Ages 12–18.
 

 

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LYME ADVOCACY EVENTS
Various | April/May 2017

 

In April/May 2017, I had the pleasure of participating in  a number of events and media opportunities to help promote Lyme disease awareness. From selling copies of The Last Letter and meeting Lyme patients at the Southern Tier Lyme Conference in Binghamton, NY to joining the rally for increased Lyme legislation in Pennsylvania, it's been a whirlwind of a month. Read all about the events (and see my newspaper and television interviews!) on the blog: In the Lyme-Light (Events Recap).

 

 

FEATURED ARTICLE: WHEN SHE WAS ABOUT TO GIVE UP, LYME STORIES GAVE HER HOPE
LymeDisease.org | April 20, 2017


I had the pleasure of writing a feature article for LymeDisease.org to talk about my book, The Last Letter, and share some of my Lyme journey in which stories played a large part in both my diagnosis and recovery.

Read the full article here.

 

BLUE HEN NURSING SYMPOSIUM: LYME DISEASE 2017
University of Delaware | March 6, 2017


Early in 2017, I had the privilege of sharing my patient experience  on a guest panel at the University of Delaware's Blue Hen Nursing Symposium on behalf of Global Lyme Alliance. It was an honor to be able to share my Lyme Disease story with these nursing students whose curious minds and compassionate hearts will help to change the face of healthcare, particularly Lyme Disease.  I also had the chance to meet many of these budding nurses and fellow Lyme patients at the vendor fair, where I sold and signed copies of The Last Letter on what was a memorable day. 

 




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTRIBUTING WRITER FOR GLOBAL LYME ALLIANCE
Global Lyme Alliance | December 2, 2016

 

I'm so proud to formally become a contributing writer for Global Lyme Alliance, a leading non-profit organization doing amazing work for the Lyme community both in helping to fund world-class Lyme research and bringing awareness to the general public. I'm thrilled to be working with them to help bring Lyme Disease closer to the limelight.

Read my latest essay on trauma and Lyme here and check out the rest of their site to learn more about Lyme Disease.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FEATURED CONTRIBUTOR FOR "THE MIGHTY"
The Mighty | October 16, 2016

I'm happy to announce that I'm now a featured contributor for The Mighty, a community for "real people facing real challenges." As an advocate for those with chronic illness and disabilities, particularly the emotional challenges patients face every day, I'm grateful for this platform that lets us share these struggles and offer hope as we stand together.

Read my articles on Lyme Disease here and be sure to check out the rest of the community!


#MyLymeLife ESSAY: DREAM LIKE NEW

Global Lyme Alliance | September 22, 2016

 

Lyme Disease advocacy--especially building awareness for the emotional toll that living with Lyme can take on a patient--has been an important part of my life since I first learned about this illness during my own diagnosis four years ago. So I was thrilled to partner with leading Lyme organization, Global Lyme Alliance, for an essay on Lyme and loneliness in what they called a powerful piece. Read the essay on their blog, and be sure to check out the great work they're doing for the Lyme community.

 

LOCK HAVEN UNIVERSITY HOMECOMING
2014 Alumni Author Readings | October 24, 2014

 

 

Back in the early summer of 2014, I received an email from my alma mater's creative writing professor, asking me and other alumni authors to visit during homecoming weekend for a book reading/signing. It was by far one of the best experiences of my career--and one of the most memorable weekends of my life. We discussed the writing craft and life after college with current students, read excerpts of our work to a supportive audience, and laughed through the night as we made new friends and caught up with former professors and mentors. Read the write up on the blog or check out the official poster of the event, created by an LHU art student.

 

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