Sidelined

by Kendra C. Highley

YA Contemporary

Book Description

After being pushed to excel her entire life, high school basketball star Genna Pierce is finally where she wants to be. University scouts are taking notice, her team is on its way to the state tourney, and Jake Butler, the hot boy she’s daydreamed about since ninth grade, is showing somedefinite interest. When he asks her out and their relationship takes off, Genna believes things can’t get better.

Then, it’s over.

A freak accident ends her career before it’s even begun. Her parents are fighting more than ever, her friends don’t understand what she’s going through, and she’s not sure who she is without basketball. And while he tries to be there for her, Genna doesn’t understand how Jake could ever want the broken version of the girl he fell for.

Her life in a tailspin, Genna turns to the only solace that eases her pain: Vicodin.

1. What made you want to become a writer?

I’ve loved books since I was really little. I’ve also loved to make up stories. Still, it took my mom planting the seed when I was fifteen for me to really get serious about it. Then, it took me another twenty years before I actually wrote my first full-length novel (which will never see the light of day). Once I got started, I knew this is what I’ve always wanted to do.

2. Who or what gives you inspiration?

I get inspiration from lots of different things. Sidelined came out of watching a few friends struggle when they were injured in high school sports, losing out on a scholarship. These guys were so angry, so crushed, it left a huge impression on me and I wondered how a girl would act in that situation. About the time I started drafting the book, I read an article about doctor shopping and prescription drug abuse in teens, which pointed me in the final direction.

3. What do you need around you to write (special drink, lucky items, etc)?

Dark chocolate M&Ms are a must have, as is a playlist for the book I’m working on. I also have to have my laptop, because I type faster than I write, so writing long-hand hasn’t ever worked for me. I also usually have a spiral notebook for each book, for outlines and stray plot ideas.

4. What are some of your favorite books?

That’s a pretty long list, but here are a few:
Pride and Prejudice (or pretty much anything else Jane Austen has written)
Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
The Two Towers (from LOTR) by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Curse Workers trilogy by Holly Black
The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy by Rae Carson
Tracked by Jenny Martin (coming in 2014)

5. Why do you love writing?

Words have so much power. When wielded carelessly, they can wound to the core, but when used well, they can inspire, guide, embolden or celebrate. Writing allows me to explore the stories in my head without having to go through the situations my characters find themselves in. In turn, they teach me all kinds of things about the world. You hear a lot of authors say, “I can’t not write.” It’s something in my blood and in my heart, begging me to put words on the page, and I love the feeling I get when the story works out in ways I never dreamed.

About the Author

Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to two self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most critical job. She believes in everyday magic, extraordinary love stories and the restorative powers of dark chocolate.

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PURCHASE:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

PRIZES:

$25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card and a women’s collegiate basketball to the first prize winner (US Only)
3– $10 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift cards for 3 second prize winners (International)

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