Author's Note:  One year I spent a summer and fall helping an ag-pilot renovate a Stearman bi-plane in exchange for flying lessons. I remember one bright day as I sat near the wings, thinking, "There's a story here."

There was, and over time, the Muse sent me 13-year-old Kati, her deaf friend Alex, the half-Comanche ag-pilot they called "Mad Jack," and a myriad of other characters for the novel that became GROWING SEASON. Determined to give as much reality and immediacy to the novel, I actually went out and "lived" every scene...yes, even doing a canine cesarean section. More than that, though, I also wanted to send a message to young people: you have more power than you think to control your own destiny, and you CAN make a difference in the world, regardless of your circumstances. Sometimes the worst circumstances are the ones that cause you to grow the most!

W.E.B. Griffin wrote YA novels early on before he found his real love of writing military/ adventure/action thrillers (MASH, THE CORPS, LINE OF FIRE and many others). He read GROWING SEASON and wrote this about it: "In this first Young Adult novel, Lacey writes a coming-of-age story with tenderness and clarity. She is a born storyteller."

I enjoyed writing GROWING SEASON and have only this to add as a caution: do NOT begin reading it as you are going to bed--because I have been told it is a real page turner, and you will have to finish it before you let yourself go to sleep!  The second edition of GROWING SEASON was released in 2004, and my publisher (AuthorHouse) gave it a beautiful RED cover!  Now, many classrooms with Character Education programs are using the story to illuminate lessons for their students, something which pleases me VERY much.

I recommend GROWING SEASON for middle readers (approx. grades 6-9), and it has proven particularly popular with students in grades 8-9.  To date, counties in two school districts (one in Florida, one in Alabama) have adopted GROWING SEASON as part of their curricula.