Balentine

When satanic panic grips the small East Texas community of Balentine, only 14-year-old Lucy can stop an innocent teenager from going to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. BALENTINE, a YA novel complete at 62,000 words, is a coming of age story set against the backdrop of the early 1990s.

The last place Lucy wants to spend her summer is the stifling town of Balentine, where her bickering elderly aunts listen to the police scanner and her cousin tells tales of satanic rituals in the woods. When Lucy finds Caleb hiding in her grandparents’ garage, she should be suspicious of his black clothes, creepy drawings, and the rumor that he’s a devil worshiper. Instead, she discovers a boy as isolated and guarded as she is. As she and Caleb become closer, a popular Balentine girl is brutally murdered and the rumors about Caleb quickly turn into accusations. With her cousin leading the witch-hunt, Lucy steps in to protect Caleb. But when she discovers his dark history and his connection to the dead girl, the lines between rumor and truth begin to blur.

 

 

Short fiction

“Weddings for Grownups,” Black Fox Literary Magazine. Issue #7. Winter 2013.

 

Guest posts

“Accept Yourself and Reject the Rest,” Writing Barn Blog, April 22, 2014.

“Writing Barn Class Recap: Read Well, Write Better,” Writing Barn Blog, June 5, 2013.