Aloha to Julia Day, FADE TO US, and Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month!  It is my pleasure to introduce you to YA Author Julia Day ... she shares why she wanted to chat about FADE TO US this month ...

In December, I gave a talk at a local high school. I mentioned that my next book, FADE TO US, had an autistic heroine. One young lady in the audience became visibly excited.

Afterwards, she stopped me to say how happy she was to learn about a book with an autistic---"and she's a girl!" This young lady had an autism spectrum diagnosis; to know that she could read a book where one of the main characters, Natalie, had Aspergers was thrilling.

I am an autism mom. When my younger daughter was a teen, we could find few YA books with autistic heroes. Most autistic characters were secondary and nearly all were male. The stories generally focused on their difficulties.

I wrote FADE TO US for my daughter--with her help. She's often said that her autism is a superpower. While book doesn't shy away from the challenges of being autistic and the cruelties they often face, it also celebrates what's amazing about people on the spectrum. Natalie is a multi-faceted character. She's funny and aware, smart and insightful, moody and opinionated. In essence, she's a teen. And, yes, she has Aspergers. Readers will get to watch her grow and bond with her new stepsister, Brooke--who, as an only child, has her own struggles in learning how to be a big sister.

Authors are often encouraged to write the book of their heart. I've written a book about my heart--my spectacular daughter. And a few months ago, a young lady showed me how exciting it was to know that such a book existed--and reminded me why I love being an author.

FADE TO US is a story about found families, the bond of sisterhood, and the agony and awe of first love.

Brooke’s summer is going to be EPIC— having fun with her friends and a job that lets her buy a car. Then her new stepfather announces his daughter is moving in. Brooke has always longed for a sibling, so she’s excited about spending more time with her stepsister. But she worries, too. Natalie has Asperger’s–and Brooke’s not sure how to be the big sister that Natalie needs.

After Natalie joins a musical theater program, Brooke sacrifices her job to volunteer for the backstage crew. She’s mostly there for Natalie, but Brooke soon discovers how much she enjoys being part of the show. Especially sweet is the chance to work closely with charming and fascinating Micah–the production’s stage manager. If only he wasn’t Natalie’s mentor…

When summer comes to an end, will Brooke finally have the family she so desperately wants–and the love she’s only dreamed about?
“Warm and sensitive, Day’s deft depiction of difficult sibling and blended family relationships will make you laugh, cry, and sigh. A wonderful book!” – Sabrina Jeffries, NYT bestselling author (and Autism Mom)

Julia Day lives in North Carolina (USA), halfway between the beaches and the mountains. A proud autism mom and USAF veteran, Julia has two twenty-something daughters, one old husband, and too many computers to count. When she’s not writing stories or software, she’s traveling to faraway places, binging on TV shows about British royalty, or exercising with little enthusiasm. Julia also writes YA magical realism as Elizabeth Langston.

Learn more about Julia at juliaday.com.

I am giving away swag to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1.  What are your summer plans that will be epic?  Because we are just skipping Spring.  This summer, my family is headed to Colorado Springs to the beautiful outdoors before heading to Denver for the RWA Annual Conference.

2. Comments are open through Monday, April 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Tuesday, May 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City