Written by Bonnie Glover

by Bonnie J. Glover, author of Going Down South: A Novel

Since 2005 when my first book, The Middle Sister, was published, I’ve been asked to speak at various public schools, ranging from grade schools to colleges in Florida where I’m currently a resident. Each event has left me wanting to participate more in book discussions with young adults and I’m glad that now I’m receiving invitations to speak in schools as far away as Missouri.

When I speak to these school age kids we discuss our journeys through life and both of my novels, including my latest work, Going Down South. And, of course, there are always at least a few questions regarding my personal writing process and how to get published. When I speak to adults, they tend to ask about book deals and money. Kids are different. They ask about what’s fair game—is it all right to tell a story about something that really happened? And, young people often ask about inspiration. That’s a great subject. We also discuss reading and my personal belief that a person can never become a successful writer without being a successful reader first.

With the publication of Going Down South, I am finding more and more of my readership among the Young Adult (YA) population due to the novel’s focus on teenage pregnancy. The protagonist, Olivia Jean Stone, is fifteen years old and in “trouble,” —the dated euphemism for pregnancy in that era. Although the book is set on the cusp of 1959 and 1960, it strikes a chord with today’s teen audience and their educators. Suddenly, I’m in demand as a speaker and school personnel, and administrators contact me to come to them and talk to their students.