A Working Mom Makes a Dream Come True

I’m really excited about all of the buzz WMAG’s been getting, thanks to Susan’s quotes in the national media. Welcome, new readers! I have some exciting news of my own: I’m getting ready to bring another baby into the world–no, not a human baby, a book baby! My debut novel for teens, RIVAL, come out next week (Feb. 15, to be exact) with HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins. In many ways it feels like a birth.

The labor’s been long and hard. I work and raise two children–that’s before the novel writing, so becoming an author has been, for all practical purposes, a second job. (For new readers who assume working moms are working at their kids’ expense, I write my books in the evenings, after mine are in bed, when most other people are watching TV.) But the hard work is worth it. Not only am I realizing a dream, I’ve created something that I hope will help my daughters when they head into their tough teen years. They may not always feel they can talk to me, but maybe they’ll gain some comfort and perspective through my book.

See, RIVAL is the story of two girls, once friends, now enemies, who are getting ready to go up against each other in a major singing competition. To Brooke, winning means escaping the in-crowd for life as a professional musician. Kathryn, meanwhile, sees victory as the key to a much-needed college scholarship. As the big day nears, each girl must face her fears about the future, her scars from the past, and the fact that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had.

You can read more about RIVAL here, plus check out what people are saying about it–it’s been getting some great reviews!

RIVAL tackles all sorts of subjects, from bullying and complicated friendships to school stress, romance and the realities of competition. It’s also got lots of music and is being talked up as a must-read for “Glee” fans. If you know of any teens who might enjoy a story with those themes, I hope you’ll buy the book for them. (Here’s a link to IndieBound and one for Amazon.) And if you believe in supporting working moms who make their dreams come true, I hope you’ll help me get the word out about RIVAL.

I’ll give you a little incentive!

Everybody who leaves me a comment between now Feb. 18 will be entered into a drawing for a signed copy of RIVAL, a pretty silver star necklace and a gorgeous bookmark . (Even if you’ve already ordered the book, it’s a great little package to put away for Christmas or a teen’s birthday.) You can get additional entries by Tweeting, blogging, Facebooking or mentioning RIVAL in other online forums. Just post links in your comments, and I’ll give you a separate entry for each one.

I’ll do a random drawing at 10 p.m. Feb. 18.

And for readers who participate in mom/daughter book clubs, I’ve got a special offer just for you: if you read and discuss RIVAL, I will do a free, live Skype visit to answer questions, and will send signed bookmarks for everyone. Just email me at sara (at) sarabennettwealer (dot) com and mention Working Moms Against Guilt.

Thanks so much to all of my fellow moms, working and stay-at-home, who have supported me as I worked to bring my first book into the world. I can’t believe it’s almost here!