“PSST… PSST… PSST” Could This Be About You?

Carol Di Prima.

I published Lily…Laura to give youngsters who have been victimized by malicious rumors and gossip a voice. As a former educator and librarian, I observed how painful and hurtful rumors and gossip can be. Malicious rumors left scars on the maligned youngsters that took a long time to heal. Often times the youngsters became involved in heated fights, arguments and suspensions from school.

Gossip and rumors can be heard in the workplace, in schools, within a family and among friends. The words spoken cannot be taken back; only time can erase the pain and the hurt. A study done at the University of Buffalo, however, “has shown that reading fictional books increases a person’s ability to empathize with others and build cultural and emotional understanding.” My goal is that Lily…Laura reaches those youngsters who have been maligned and possibly heal the emotional and psychological scars. I also want to relate the message that facing the culprits with the truth is empowering and liberating.

My career began as an elementary school teacher, librarian, and media specialist. Being the school’s librarian and media specialist intensified my passion for books and writing. It gave me great joy to see the look of wonder when my students read their favorite books.

As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a writer — a good writer. The pandemic afforded me the time and the opportunity to improve and develop my craft to the best of my ability. Lily…Laura is my first self-published novel. It is the second edition of the book I initially published during the pandemic with an indie publisher. However, when my contract was up, I realized that not only did I want to publish a possible series of three books, but I wanted to try being my own publisher. As such, I revisited Lily…Laura and revised it to reflect my new vision.

Carol Di Parma is a member of the American Library Association. She lives in Tarrytown with her two cats, Sienna and Bella.

Instagram and Facebook: @caroldiprimaauthor Twitter @CarolDiPrima

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About the Author: Carol Di Prima