Interview with Angela McFetridge

Jen: Please help me welcome Angela McFetridge to Romancing the Book. Angela, will you please share a short bio with us?
Angela: I am originally from Florida; I have been living in Canada for the past 8 years. I am married, with three wonderful children ages 16, 10, and 4. I have a degree in Social Science from Florida State University, and I work as a corporate trainer here in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Angela McFetridge is my pen name.

Jen: Tell us about Deceiving Angela: A true story of one woman's journey from abuse to exile and where it's available.
Angela: Deceiving Angela is available at Amazon.com, and I take orders myself for books so I can sign them. Now, about Deceiving Angela…. The story is my journey. It is about recognizing abuse, standing up for yourself when the system fails. It is about fighting a system that does not protect victims. It is about fighting back against someone who tries to break you down. It is realistic, the characters in the book are real, and most of my readers so far have been able to relate to someone in the book. The abuse that I suffered was inflicted to break my spirit, as most abuse is, and I want others to know that you do not have to stay a victim, you can fight back, and no matter how bad things seem, they will get better, but you have to fight for it and the outcome is not always tied with a pretty ribbon. My situation has resolution, but it is not the resolution I had hoped to find, albeit acceptable given the circumstances.

Jen: At what age did you discover writing and when were you first published? Tell us your call story.
Angela: I have had a love of writing since I was in middle school. I enjoyed English classes where I had the opportunity to write. I wrote notes, for which I used to get into loads of trouble, but it never stopped me! If those teachers only knew that they were dealing with an aspiring writer, not a juvenile delinquent! When I was in high school, I was told that I had a real talent for writing, one teacher was especially encouraging, Mr. Burger, I will never forget him. In University, my professors used to say that they always looked forward to reading my papers. I wrote a short story about the death of my grandmother several years ago. My mother-in-law (whose name is Angela McFetridge by the way!) told me that I should really pursue writing as more than just a hobby.

Jen: Are there any other writers, published or not, in your family?
Angela: My son, who is 16, seems to share my passion for writing. He has a very interesting, entertaining, and unique writing style. He aspires to do dialogue development for video games.

Jen: How do you approach your writing? Do you plot or go with the flow?
Angela: My novel started out as journal entries, and I developed them into a story. There really was no plot to develop since the story is true- the plot already existed. There were certain parts of the book that flowed naturally; there were other parts where I had to do some research to keep everything accurate.

Jen: Do you have any “must haves” with you while you’re writing?
Angela: That is an interesting question. I wrote my book on my laptop. I never once sat at a table or desk. I also have a candy dish that sits on the table next to my sofa, butterscotch discs and cinnamon hearts are my favourites!

Jen: What kind of research did you do for Deceiving Angela?
Angela: Since the story is a true story, there was no research for the most part, but any time I talk about court papers, and hearings, I had my file next to me so I could refer to that information to ensure everything was absolutely correct.

Jen: Do you feel as if the characters live with you as you write? Do they haunt your dreams?
Angela: Again, my story is real, so my characters are always with me. There are some parts of the book that were hard to relive, and there were a few times when I stopped writing because I just could not face that character. It was cathartic though, to get through those difficult patches, and now I feel that those demons have been exercised and can no longer cause me any further grief.

Jen: Is there a genre that you’d like to write? Is there a genre you’ll probably stay away from and why?
Angela: I really enjoyed writing this book because it is all true. I love the reaction that I am getting, the emotion that the story is evoking. I would like to write more stories that are based on actual events. I would not write fantasy / sci-fi, or romance. Fantasy and Sci-Fi seems to require stretches of the mind of which I can not even aspire to reach. My husband is a sci-fi junkie and some of the story lines from these shows and comic series that he reads are so complex and insane, that I can not comprehend the time shifting and character development involved. I prefer to write about things to which people can relate. I prefer to read ghost stories and mysteries.

Jen: Who has inspired you as an author?
Angela: I have a few authors whom I really enjoy reading; Mark Twain, Lewis Grizzard, James Patterson, John Saul, Mary Higgins Clark, J.K. Rowling, and my latest guilty pleasure is Stephanie Myer.

Jen: Most people only dream of becoming a published writer. Now that you’ve accomplished that goal, is there anything else you dream of doing?
Angela: My dream is to be able to devote all of my time to writing instead of having to maintain a full time job, even though I love what I do, I love writing more.

Jen: What’s the most interesting comment you have received about your books?
Angela: As an avid reader, I know what it takes for a book to be so enthralling for me that I “can’t put it down” so when I get comments and everyone is saying that they “can’t put it down”, for me, that is the ultimate validation.

Jen: What's next for you?
Angela: Be on the look out for another novel from me, this one will also be based on actual people and events, but is in a slightly different genre; it is about friendship and relationships between young men. This is a subject that I do not think is written about enough, and friendships between boys can be just as powerful as friendships between girls. I can not wait to get this book ready for the world.

Jen: Where can you be found on the web?
Angela: www.angelamcfetridge.com

Jen: Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Angela: I would like for anyone who reads my book to please send me their feedback. I am not any sort of literary genius and always welcome comments and feedback on my work. I see this as a way to improve, and to become the most relevant writer that I can possibly be. Also, I am always interested in hearing from people (especially from Florida!) who have suffered miscarriages of justice in court.

Jen: Readers, Angela is giving away a copy of Deceiving Angela to one lucky winner. That winner can choose to receive the book in either paperback or electronic format. To enter the contest, you first need to leave a comment or question for Angela. Then to finish your entry, you must either leave your email address in your comment or send a message to contests.bookblog@gmail.com. The winner will be chosen on Sunday, June 13.

Interview with Jan Bowles

Jen: This weekend we are pleased to welcome Jan Bowles to Romancing the Book. Jan, will you please share a short bio with us?
Jan: I live in an old farmhouse in the UK, in the East of England. I love painting, large sweeping vistas of deserts. You can see a selection of my works on my website.

When I’m not painting, I’m writing. I have three books published with Siren-Bookstrand; they are The Return, Love Lessons with the Texas Billionaire, and Dark Secrets. Dark Secrets is my first erotic novel, the other two are mainstream titles.

Within the last few days, I have just received contracts for three more. They are due for release in October and November of this year.

Jen: Tell us about Love Lessons with the Texas Billionaire and where it's available.

Jan: Here's the blurb:

English beauty Eva St. John is flown to Texas to shadow rugged billionaire oilman Jack McClaine, for the magazine article she is writing. He has a reputation as a fast living, womanizing rogue, who has quite literally come from the wrong side of the tracks. A self-made man who always gets what he wants. Still nurturing a broken heart and a secret past she left behind her long ago, Eva intends to remain professional at all times. But will she be able to resist the inevitable sexual advances of the predatory Texan Jack McClaine? And will she really want to? As a rule Jack McClaine never mixes business with pleasure, but for the beautiful and intriguing Eva St. John he will make an exception. Who is she really? And what is she running from?

It’s available from Bookstrand, Amazon.com, All Romance Ebooks, and Mobipocket.

Jen: At what age did you discover writing and when were you first published? Tell us your call story.
Jan: Fifteen years ago, I wrote prolifically for family and friends. Then life simply got in the way.

Two Christmas’s ago my husband found my old manuscripts in the loft. When I re-read them, I thought I can do better than that. I re-wrote the first one.

By December of 2009, Siren-Bookstrand had published The Return, and contracted Love Lessons with the Texas Billionaire.

It felt an amazing journey, one that should inspire other writers—Never give up doing something that you enjoy.

Jen: How does your family feel about your career?
Jan: My family is 100% behind me. Especially my husband. He is so proud of my achievements, and tells everyone we meet. He’s a natural promoter, unlike myself.

Jen: Do you have any “must haves” with you while you’re writing?
Jan: Pen and paper – even with the advent of computers and word processors, I have to initially write onto paper. I then transfer to the computer, and begin to layer in extra information. Another item I cannot do without is my trusty usb storage device. So small, and yet so useful. I put all my important files onto it. In the past I have lost the entire database on my computer because of a virus, and thanked my foresight that I’d put my manuscripts onto it.

Jen: What kind of research did you do for this book?
Jan: I researched quite a lot for a suitable location in Texas. The type of dialect a man from Jack McClaine’s background would have. Even down to the type of horse biscuits available. I’m so grateful to the internet. This type of research would have taken months before. Now it can be done from the comfort of one’s own home.

Jen: What’s the most challenging aspect of writing? Easiest?
Jan: I think keeping the muse going is the hardest thing of all. Especially when there are other members in the household.

How can I write with ‘Stairway to Heaven’ by Led Zeppelin blasting through the walls?

On the other hand when one is relaxed and refreshed the muse just keeps flowing. Writing then becomes a joy.

Jen: What’s the most rewarding aspect?
Jan: Seeing the cover for the first time is just so thrilling.

Jinger Heaston did a fantastic job on the cover for Love Lessons with the Texas Billionaire. Eva and Jack are just the way I had envisioned them. I simply love the horse featured in the background. He makes an appearance in the story, and is pivotal in Jack and Eva, finally giving in to their mutual attraction.

My first book The Return came into print in May, and to actually hold the book in your hands is so wonderful. I know I kept gazing at it for days.

I am so looking forward to when Love Lessons with the Texas Billionaire, finally goes into print, this June. It is just the most exciting thing that can happen to a writer.

Jen: Do you become attached to your characters and have a hard time letting them go, or are you happy that their story is told and you can move on?
Jan: Whilst writing Love Lessons with the Texas Billionaire, I grew very attached to Eva and Jack. When I wrote the ending, I’m afraid I literally burst into to tears. Yep. What a wuss, I know, but I just loved everything about them. It’s good that they really got to me. I think it helped me tell their story.

That’s what readers are looking for, emotional depth. If I can feel it, then I’m sure they’ll feel it, too.

Jen: What five authors or people, from the past or present, have been important to you as an author? What question or comment have you always wanted to say to them?
Jan:
Ernest Shackleton – Your escape from the very jaws of death, in the deep-frozen waste of Antarctica is nothing but inspiring. Your audacity, and determination, through what can only be described as a living nightmare, stands you apart from many others. I have a picture of your aptly named ship Endurance, on my bedroom wall, just to remind me of your story. Thank you.

Rudyard Kipling – Thank you for your poem IF. I carry a copy with me every where I go. The words are inspired, and they mean everything to me.

Charles Dickens – During my youth, I read every single one of your books. They enriched my childhood, and widened my outlook on life. I learnt through your writing that, great good can come from the worst of situations. Thank you.

Jane Austen – You brought wit and realism to your stories. Full of moral issues, they show the social nuances between men and women, to perfection. Thank you.

Norman Vaughan – Through your Maverick style, and tenacity, you showed that it’s never too late to try anything. I quote you: “Dream Big, and Dare to Fail”. I once saw a documentary about you, and you’ve inspired me ever since. Thank you.

Jen: If you could travel back in time for one year, what time and place would you choose? And if you could only take 3 things with you, what would they be?
Jan: I would go back to the time of Jane Austen, and live in London. The year around 1779-1800, so I could see the new millennium in. I would have to be wealthy of course, because the poor didn’t fair well in those days.

I would take with me, my husband, for companionship. My internet connection, and my computer, because they are the three most important things in my life.

Jen: What’s the most interesting comment you have received about your books?
Jan: This was sent by email from a reader of The Return: “I just finished reading The Return. I absolutely loved it. The story line was very moving. It just made me think of how this situation is affecting other families in real time. The characters and situation was so real, the story just flowed off the pages. I had a hard time stopping at times.”

Now those sort of comments just make you want to continue writing.

Jen: Who are some of your favorite authors and books? What are you reading now?
Jan: I love Patricia Cornwell, and her Dr Kay Scarpetta novels. I’m hooked from beginning to end. I’m also a big fan of Diana Palmer. I love all her contemporary westerns

Jen: What's next for you?
Jan: I’m currently working on a series of three western/cowboy romances, all are set in the States.

Jen: Where can you be found on the web?
Jan: I can be found at www.janbowles.com or http://www.bookstrand.com/jan-bowles

Jen: Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Jan: If you could be a heroine for a day, would you choose to be historical or contemporary. I would love to hear your preference. You can email at jan@janbowles.com.

Jen: Readers, Jan is giving away a download of her book Love Lessons with the Texas Billionaire. Although it is a mainstream title, because it is rated STEAMY, you have to be over the age of 18 to win. To enter the contest, answer Jan's question or leave her a comment. Then to finish your entry, leave your email address in your comment or send a message to contests.bookblog@gmail.com. The winner will be chosen on Thursday, June 10.

Excerpt from "Love Lessons with the Texas Billionaire" by Jan Bowles

“Why, Miss Eva St. John, I feel about as welcome as a skunk at a lawn party,” Jack McClaine spoke as mild amusement played around his silver-grey eyes.

Eva eyed him warily. It was only two days since she had first laid eyes on the rugged Texan. Now his lithe, athletic frame perched on the desk, her desk. He looked every inch at home, as if he belonged there. Wearing a light grey suit, he seemed to think his very tall six-foot-three-inch frame had somehow a right to be there.

“Just what is going on, Mr. McClaine?” Eva folded her arms across her chest, her mouth compressed with indignation, as she waited for his answer. Her gaze was drawn inexorably to his, and like a laser it burned into her. Then as a smile spread from his eyes down to the deep dimples at the side of his mouth, she felt the breath escape from her lips in a silent gasp. Why did he have to be so damned attractive? She had to fight the sudden urge to push the stray hair back that had fallen forward across his forehead.

“Mr. McClaine, are you going to answer my question?”

“Hold on now, darlin’, I thought we were on first-name terms already.” He smiled at her in amusement.

“No, we’re not.” She slumped into her chair and glared up at him. “Andrew Jameson could shadow you for a month. Why do you want me? I won’t be a pushover, you know. I’ll certainly write exactly what I think.”

He smiled easily and twisted around to meet her frosty gaze. “Now, why would I want Andrew Jameson to shadow me for a whole month? Live in my home. Share my food. Share my life. Why would I want him when I’d be much happier with you?”

Eva picked up a pen and pointed it at him. “You, Mr. McClaine, have a reputation. If you are expecting anything but a working relationship, then you are mistaken.”

“Well, that’s settled then, honey.”

She looked up watching the amusement play around his eyes. The creases channelled down to his mouth. “Don’t look so smug, Mr. McClaine. You may regret your decision to inviteNew Dawn magazine into your home. You may not like what I write. Be careful what you wish for, Mr. McClaine.”

“Darlin’, I’ve never regretted anything in my life.”

“I told you once before, Mr. McClaine, I’m not your honey, and I’m telling you now, I’m not your darling either.”

He laughed. “Eva, it’s just a figure of speech. It don’t mean anything.”

That afternoon a huge row developed with her boss, Simon Jessop, but he wouldn’t back down. If she pulled this off, he’d give her a raise. Even more than that, he’d give her a promotion. She wanted to know why he thought Jack McClaine specifically asked for her to do the article. His thoughts exactly mirrored her own. He had lifted his hands in the air, an expression of helplessness on his face, and said, “You’re a big girl, Eva. I’m sure you can handle yourself, and Jack McClaine.”

Well, thanks!

Eva felt like a dish served up specifically for Jack McClaine’s pleasure. What’s more, her boss had handed her over on a solid silver platter.

Guest: Allison Winn Scotch

Southwestern Turkey Burgers

These are easy crowd-pleasers that everyone in my family enjoys: they’re a great way to add in some lean protein to my kids’ diets, and they’re sophisticated enough for my gourmet-palate husband too. My 5-yo is tasked with (supervised, of course), chopping, and my 3-year old pours in the spices and the rest of the ingredients once ready. (Which sometimes means the spice quotient is a little off!) :) All in all, a really simple but tasty and quick dinner. I often make additional servings and throw them in the freezer, then pull them out for a last-minute dinner when you don’t have time to cook anything else (and don’t want to order!).

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 ¼ pounds lean turkey
1 cup mild salsa, divided
½ cup finely chopped shallots
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
1 teaspoon hot sauce, or more, if desired
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more, if desired (can always salt them after cooking)
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Mix turkey, ½ cup salsa, shallots, cilantro, 1T oil (more if using extra lean ground turkey), hot sauce, cumin, salt and pepper. Shape into 4 patties. Spray cooking spray into pan and add small amount of oil. Cook patties 5-7 minutes each side until done (no longer pink). Use rest of salsa for sauce. Serve plain or on rolls with lettuce. If desired, melt Monterey Jack cheese on top.

* * * * *

Here's a short question and answer session with Allison...

Q: You used to work in PR and marketing before becoming a freelance writer for many years. How did you get into fiction writing and what was your big break?
A: I got into fiction simply because I had an itch that I wanted to scratch, to be honest. As you said, I was working as a freelance magazine writer at the time – probably for about five years or so – when I wanted to try to flex a different muscle. I adored what I did, but I’d really reached the apex of what I’d wanted to get out of it, so...I tried something different. I thought I wrote what was a brilliant manuscript, and shopped it to agents. I landed one, but she couldn’t sell it, and in hindsight, thank goodness. It was terrible! Just wretched! My big break probably came when she and I parted ways, which I know seems like a weird thing to say about your big break. But I’d written a second manuscript and having something to compare it to (my horrible first one), I actually knew that this one was good. She didn’t want to shop it to publishers, which kind of lit a fire in me. I got back on the agent search with a real fire in my belly, got a few offers of representation, and, to be honest, chose wisely. I nabbed a kick-ass agent who remains my agent to this day, and about ten days after she shopped that manuscript around, we received four offers from publishers. My break-out book was really my second one, Time of My Life, but as far as going big or going home, that was probably my moment.

Q: What types of books do you like to read? What are you currently reading?
A: I gravitate toward books that are similar to what I write: engaging, fun, fast but still not too flighty – something with a bit of meat behind it but that doesn’t take me more than a week or so to read. Right now, I have so many books in my TBR pile! I’m halfway through Leah Stewart’s Husband and Wife, which I’m really enjoying. I have Holly LeCraw, Saving CeeCee Honeycut by Beth Hoffman, and The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris on my nightstand, along with about 10 ARCs for potential blurbs! I’m looking forward to my long plane rides out to Seattle and California for my book tour, when I can hopefully catch up!

Q: On your blog, Ask Allison, you offer advice and resources to aspiring writers. How do you get so much done?
A: Ha! Okay, another tip for productivity is that I do things in chunks. So, this morning, for example, I did some book promo stuff and got all of that off my plate. Then I take a break and workout and run errands. Then I devote the afternoon to another chunk of stuff – in this case, I’m interviewing Ian Somerhalder from The Vampire Diaries, so I’ll do my prep work and then chat with him. The same is true for my blog: I write three or four entries at a time, get it off my to-do list, and that’s that. I really think if you’re organized – and get into a pattern – it’s not so hard.

Q: Your last two books have titles based on music. How much of a role does music play in your life and in your writing process?
A: Music plays a huge, huge role in my life, and thus my writing. Other than when I am actually working on a manuscript, I have music playing, and I literally cannot leave the house without my iPod. When I was younger, I aspired to be a singer-actress type, so I’ve always just gravitated toward songs, melodies and lyrics. For this book specifically, I sincerely don’t think I could have written it without the influence of The Killers, who were kind enough (and this blows my mind!) to also let me use their lyrics for my epigraph. As I said, The One That I Want was a tough book to write, and I listened to a few of their songs – Read My Mind, Human and Dustland Fairytale, among others – to dive into my characters’ heads when I was stuck. Let’s put it this way: I listened to them so often that my kids – who are 5 and 3 – know all of their lyrics.

Q: What was your inspiration for The One That I Want?
A: I wanted to take the themes I explored in my last book, Time of My Life, and flip everything on its head, while still delving into the concept of how we – and my characters – can create more fulfilling, fleshed-out lives. So it was this whole concept of, “What happens when you think you have a perfect life, and it totally gets shattered to pieces?” In this day and age, not an entirely uncommon – unfortunately – scenario.

Q: What are you currently working on? Can you give us any hints?
A: I’m almost done with the initial draft of my fourth book, The Memory of Us, which focuses on a woman who survives a plane crash but loses her memory in the process, and is forced to tape together the pieces of her life by the stories that other people relay back to her. I think it’s a nice companion to Time of My Life and The One That I Want—somewhere in between the two of them in terms of voice and gravity, and hope that readers agree when it comes out in June 2011!
For more, visit http://www.allisonwinn.com/ and follow Allison on Twitter. Allison is also holding a contest. More details can be found here.

Contest with Allison Winn Scotch

Allison Winn Scotch had her newest book come out on Tuesday, June 1. She's celebrating with a extra special contest at her website. The contest ends tomorrow, June 4. So hurry over to http://www.allisonwinn.com/ask-allison/2010/6/1/todays-the-big-day-plus-a-contest.html to learn more about her contest.

Here's the blurb from the book:

What if you woke up one day to all your dreams coming true...but those dreams were more like nightmares?

Tilly Farmer is thirty-two years old and has the perfect life she always dreamed of: married to her high school sweetheart, working as a school guidance counselor, trying for a baby. Perfect.

But one sweltering afternoon at the local fair, everything changes. Tilly wanders into a fortune teller's tent and meets an old childhood friend, who offers her more than just a reading. "I'm giving you the gift of clarity," her friend says. "It's what I always thought you needed." And soon enough, Tilly starts seeing things: her alcoholic father relapsing, staggering out of a bar with his car keys in hand; her husband uprooting their happy, stable life, a packed U-Haul in their driveway. And even more disturbing, these visions start coming true. Suddenly Tilly's perfect life, so meticulously mapped out, seems to be crumbling around her. And as she furiously races to keep up with - and hopefully change - her destiny, she faces the question: Which life does she want? The one she's carefully nursed for decades, or the one she never considered possible?

What if you could see into the future? Would you want to know what fate has in store?

Contest winners

I've not posted winners in a while... so bear with me since this list is rather long.
Congrats to the following contest winners:

Devyn Quinn contest -- Pat, Chris, Andrea
Yvonne Wu contest -- Paige, Mitzi
Dreamspinner Press -- Leni
Louisa Edwards contest -- Ina
Jill Shure contest -- Leni
Debbie Macomber contest -- Kristina, Laurie, Berny
Susan Wiggs contest -- Mtizi, Debbie, Ashley
Emily Bryan contest -- Carol L.
Tierney O'Malley contest -- Armenia
M.J. Smith contest -- Angie
Brian Cohen contest -- Ina
S.L. Danielson contest -- Leni
Vanessa Kelly contest -- katsrus
Denyse Bridger contest -- Robin, Missy, Tina and Tracie
T.L. Mitchell contest -- Linda
Isabelle Rose contest -- practimom and Leni

All winners have been contacted.

Review: House Rules by Jodi Picoult

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Review by Jessica

Amazon’s Description:

They tell me I'm lucky to have a son who's so verbal, who is blisteringly intelligent, who can take apart the broken microwave and have it working again an hour later. They think there is no greater hell than having a son who is locked in his own world, unaware that there's a wider one to explore. But try having a son who is locked in his own world, and still wants to make a connection. A son who tries to be like everyone else, but truly doesn't know how.
Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject--in his case, forensic analysis. He's always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do...and he's usually right. But then his town is rocked by a terrible murder and, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger's--not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, flat affect--can look a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel. Suddenly, Jacob and his family, who only want to fit in, feel the spotlight shining directly on them. For his mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication of why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?
Emotionally powerful from beginning to end, House Rules looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way--and fails those who don't.

Jessica's Review:

While I haven’t read every book by Jodi Picoult, I would consider myself a fan of hers. The books I have read (The Pact, Nineteen Minutes, and Vanishing Acts to name a few) are about real people living real lives in real situations. In, House Rules, high school senior Jacob Hunt has Asperger's Syndrome which is a high functioning form of autism. I don’t have first hand experience dealing with someone with Asperger's, but I imagine it’s very much like Emma explains it in House Rules. I also think Jodi Picoult did a great job of explaining what it must be like inside the head of someone with this form of autism. Desperately wanting to have friends but not having the ability to make them.

We get a chance to see the story unfold from each of the character’s perspectives, including Jacob’s. How his very literal mind deals with the sarcastic ridden world he lives in. How difficult it is living in Jacob’s world where each day is a constant struggle to make sure nothing throws off his routine. Throw in a crime scene of Jacob’s social skills tutor, and a big trial and you have a book you can’t put down.

I really enjoyed this book. Like I said Jodi Picoult writes about real people. It’s good to read a fiction book and get some good life lessons along the way. That’s how I felt about House Rules.

I would definitely recommend this book!