​I wrote I am Evan because in my work with Child Protective Services, I’m continually amazed at how resilient and aware kids are in the worst of circumstances. I wanted to capture a kid who was able to notice and absorb empowering ideas in the midst of all his darkness. I wanted a kid who had a passion that kept him going.

While Evan is in the hospital recovering from an injury, he meets Nolan. Nolan is a teenage boy who writes poetry. He’s obsessed with it. It’s at this point that Evan discovers that everyone needs a passion. That having something you’re passionate about gives you the strength to go on. Sometimes it’s the only thing.

Besides the obvious passion of Nolan’s poetry, Evan is impressed that Nolan didn’t just slap words on a page. He put thought and planning into it. He put feeling into it. Nolan loved structure. Villanelles were his favorite. A villanelle is a very structured, nineteen-line poem utilizing only two end rhymes throughout. It consists of five, three-line stanzas (tercets) and ends with a four-line stanza (quatrain). The first and third lines of each tercet repeat one rhyme, while the middle line of each tercet rhymes with the other middle lines. The concluding quatrain repeats both of the previously established rhymes. Sounds complicated, I know, but once you see an example, the structure is easily recognized.

Here’s the villanelle Nolan wrote that changed Evans life.

Let in the Light
 
Lead me out of here, to another place.
Lift the blanket, let in the light.
I am not immune to sorrows embrace.
 
Beneath the armor, I wear another face.
Beneath the hurt I am a bird in flight.
Lead me out of here, to another place.
 
On my knees, I crawl through muted space.
Searching for escape, giving up the fight.
I am not immune to sorrow’s embrace.
 
Suffocating, I search for air, just a trace.
Lift the blanket, let in the light.
I am not immune to sorrow’s embrace.
 
It is endless, I lay here in this space,
Waiting for when the moment is right.
Lead me out of here, to another place.
I am not immune to sorrow’s embrace.
 
 
 If you like this poem, go online and check out my two absolute favorite villanelles:
 
Don’t go into that good night by Dylan Thomas
and
Mad Girl’s Love Song by Sylvia Plath
 
I took a class on how to write villanelles. I like WikiHow’s page on how to write a villanelle: http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Villanelle
Try writing one yourself! It’s challenging but fun. I would love to do a future blog posting all your villanelles if you want to email them to me!

I am Evan is scheduled for release on May 15, 2018. I think I'll celebrate by driving all over Oregon tomorrow and through the weekend, maybe throw a pole into the water and contemplate a release party, or a reading. 

Meanwhile, I hope to get the other two books I'm working on done long before then. I also plan on throwing a few book reviews on here, so if you are a ya author, seeing this post, and want me to review your book, shoot me an email.

Did I mention I suck at blogging?

I'm excited to announce that I signed my first publishing contract last week (I've previously self published.) That's all I can say about it now, except that I wish my dad was still here to celebrate with me. 

It's about a teenage boy who ends up in foster care and the decision he must make when facing a return to the parent who abused him. My experience working for child protective services inspired me to write it. 

 I will provide more details about the book and it's release as soon as I can. Thank you for stopping by my website!