Jill K Willis writes clean fiction for tweens and teens.
In my young adult speculative novel, The Demons Among Us, the characters’ eyes are opened to the reality of angels and demons. They experience both when they least expect it, and are left shaken by the force of the spiritual realm. Do you believe in angels? Demons? I do. I’ve never seen either one, but…
Yay! School’s almost out, and teens can read whatever they want. Now’s the time to put together a summer reading list and place the books on hold at the library. I’ve noticed that it’s taking longer and longer for books on hold to become available, so move fast. When my kids were teens, I constantly…
For the past 23 years, Writer’s Digest has published a list of 101 best websites for writers. The majority are for professional writers, but there are some great sites that benefit students and everyday writers. In addition, there are a few for readers. Following are my favorites from this list, many of which I use…
Are you a teen who likes to read fiction? Searching for some like-minded friends? Look no further. The Storyteller Squad has launched a book club that is perfect for you. Every other month, beginning in April, the Squad will host a discussion on a young adult novel ranked four stars or above on Amazon. On…
Jesus lost his life on this day. How would anyone commemorate it as good? Why not call it Bad Friday? As a kid, I never could understand this. Now, after much Bible study, I comprehend the significance of Jesus allowing his human body to experience a painful death nailed to a cross. As God’s only…
If you love to read, here’s a way you can support global learning without leaving the comfort of your armchair. An Australian collective of educators and authors established International Read to Me Day (IRTMD) in 2015 to be celebrated on March 19 each year. The goal of this commemorative day is to draw attention to…
Earlier this week, I asked my Facebook friends (most of whom are moms and grandmoms) how they selected books to purchase for their teens. Their responses varied, but most replied that they liked to read online reviews. What a coincidence. Last Saturday, the Storyteller Squad, of which I’m a founding member, gathered on a video…
In my young adult novel, The Demons Among Us (launching in September), the sixteen-year-old main character, Joy, is learning to cook. An early scene with Joy and her mom baking homemade sweet potato fries is loosely based on the times my daughter, Julia, and I share a kitchen. Even though she’s now married and lives…
I’ve heard Edwina Perkins speak twice. After her first presentation, entitled The Danger and Power of Words, I felt like I’d been sucker punched. I was more prepared the second time. After all, I’d invited her to be the guest speaker at our American Christian Fiction Writers N. Georgia Chapter meeting. Her message is powerful…
It’s the time of year when libraries tally their top ten check-outs of 2020. I thought it might be interesting to compare teen readers in the north to those in the south, so I called librarians in two states. They emailed me their young adult fiction lists THE SAME DAY. Gotta love librarians. Following are…