The counselor in Brand-New Emily is pretty much clueless, huh? I purposely made that character lame because doing so moved my plot forward. But in real life, school counselors are way smarter than the fictional Mrs. Moore.
Bullying has gotten a lot more vicious since I was in middle school, and the rise of technology has made it easier for bullies to do their work. But there are ways to protect yourself, even if you don’t have a celebrity publicist at your disposal. Continue reading ‘Bullied? Here’s What To Do About It.’
Shortly after I completed the last edit of Brand-New Emily, I discovered a hilarious take on the Hollywood machine: The A-List Playbook by Leslie Gornstein. Leslie is an online columnist for the E! network and has a show on satellite radio where she answers questions about celebrities. I recently interviewed Leslie to find out everything you need to know about how the entertainment industry works and how you, like Emily, can apply that knowledge to your own life.
Ginger: How are middle school and high school like Hollywood?
Leslie: The main similarity is the way rumors work in Hollywood and the way rumors work in middle school. When something is repeated enough, it becomes reality. Continue reading ‘How Accurate Is BRAND-NEW EMILY?’
Everyone at Wright Middle School knows you should not make an enemy of the uber-clique that fourteen-year-old Emily Wood calls The Daisies. But that’s exactly what she has done, and now she’s paying the price…until Emily stumbles onto some top-secret gossip about a teen heartthrob and finds herself in the good graces of an influential New York PR firm. Now–with an ace publicist in her corner–make way for Brand Em: She’s got style, she’s got attitude, and her troubles at school are a thing of the past! But no product can stay hot forever, and it isn’t long before Emily discovers the limits of brand loyalty.
