blurbs #dvpit #ya #f #own -- see blog 4 blurbs

I noticed a bunch of novel blurbs on my timeline recently.  I guess I got them because I followed a whole bunch of literary agents.  I was moved to write some blurbs for my "Elves in Detroit" novel.

I realize I should have done this long ago. 

Elves in Detroit Book One

Laurielle Fleetfoot, a mildly autistic white elf, feels uncomfortable with her own people. She settles in Detroit, where she hopes to help homeless, black children.  Will her attempted generosity help the struggling city? Or destroy it?


Elves in Detroit Book Two

Billy Cartwright has been cast out of fairyland, because of his psychopathic behavior -- and turned back into a mortal boy.  Will he languish as a maladjusted human, or will he manage to change back into an elf before he reaches puberty -- when it would be too late? And if he gets back, will he kill everyone he knows?


Elves in Detroit Book Three

Mousky, a long slumbering goddess, awakens to find horrifying environmental damage.  Her violent response quickly draws her into battle with the US military.  Will she wipe out the USA or will the Detroit police and their local elf friends find a solution?

Elves in Detroit Book Four (draft)

Newly freed from her fatal, magical attraction to Officer Tom Flanagan, Laurielle Fleetfoot needs to get married before she becomes inappropriately bonded again.  Will she marry the dangerous pixie/ogre Smack who wants her? Will he succeed in decimating the great library of Illinor, which she loves and he hates? 

The goddess Mousky inadvertently frees the long buried mass murderer, Abysnow, who is eager to get revenge.  Will Laurielle, Billy, Lucy, Tom, Tanisha, Smack and the Detroit police succeed in defeating him?

The goblin, Biter, curiously befriended by the elf, Laurielle Fleetfoot, and installed in the sewers in Detroit, is finding his way into a successful business amongst humans, when the demon Marautnam seeks to enslave him.  Will he remain free? Will he succeed in his ambition to found his own hoard -- with his wife Smiter -- and become a celebrity musician?

Changeling, Lucy Cartwright, has acquired incredible god-like powers. Will her strange powers help those she loves -- or break the mulitverse to bits?

Changeling, Billy Cartwright, has fallen desperately in love with the goddess, Mousky, and she seems to feel the same way about him -- but he's afraid of her, and his history makes him fear love. Is it safe to be in love with a goddess who is carelessly deadly?  Can he reconcile his new nature as a loving adult with his longstanding friendships with a host of humanoid devouring monsters?

[Yeah, ok. This draft book has more than one story line]

Noiseless Scream

This was a poem that I wrote when I first learned of the fire. Fortunately, it wasn't as serious as feared, but I still have the poem.
I was there when I was an exchange student in France. It was a very emotional, mystical experience for me, actually the whole island there.

Answer to How can I survive mainstream high school with ASD?

I decided to post my answer to another question on quora here.

I took a course at my local community college about what makes for greatest success for students with a disability. The number one thing was self-advocacy.

No one can accommodate you, if they don’t know what your needs are.

Things that my kids needed:

• speech pragmatics — this should be huge priority, as it will help you in social situations throughout life,
• homework accommodations — They just couldn’t do the amount demanded, because school was just too draining for them and they have low energy levels. They needed down time at home. They understood the material, because they were gifted, as demonstrated by their test scores, but the teachers insisted on giving huge amounts of paperwork that was very taxing for people with the executive function issues common with ASDs.
• adaptive PE — the older one had floppy joints, which impaired his ability to participate in normal PE
• protection from bullying — the school needs to be very proactive about this. You shouldn’t have to tolerate abuse.
• counseling — learning how to cope with social situations, which will be stressful and baffling
• OT & PT The younger one needed OT for dysgraphia. The older one needed PT for torso weakness and floppy joints
• mentor — this was something that my school district wouldn’t do, but Tony Attwood recommends it, and I think it makes a huge amount of sense. This is a neurotypical kid who volunteers to accompany you and help you navigate social situations. I feel that this is particularly important at lunch.

My kids also benefited from a 12–1–1 class, but if you want to be mainstreamed, that should be your choice. Unfortunately, the 12–1–1 classes do tend to have lower academic standards, which is bad for a gifted kid.