Our debut author for the day had an intense fear of dogs..until she stood up to a bully. Know the story and others on her random facts below!
Lauren Roedy Vaughn
13 Random Facts
1. I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, when I was in elementary school. I moved to Los Angeles, California, for college and have lived there ever since.
2. In kindergarten, I met my friend Cynthia. When we were six years old, we planned our first fundraising carnival to benefit cancer research and held it in her backyard. (We actually made money for our cause. Go kindergarten activists!) Over the next few years, we planned several more of these carnivals. We had no idea when we were that young that about two decades later both our fathers would die from cancer. Alas. Cynthia and I are still friends.
3. I have no kids and no pets, but I love kids, and I would never harm an animal. I’m a vegetarian.
4. My abili-buddy colleague, Karen (hyper-organized and brilliant in a crisis) and I (not so organized and prone to hysteria) planned trips all over the globe for our students. We traveled to Washington D.C., New York, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, England, Italy, France, Spain, and Peru. Oh, the stories Karen and I could tell you.
5. I have several former students who’ve gone on to become teachers. I am so proud of them: as people and as educators. I serve on the Board of the International Dyslexia Association, Los Angeles, with one of them.
6. I found out I was allergic to shellfish on a first date in college. I can’t believe the guy kept dating me, but he did…for a little while.
7. After I graduated from college, my boyfriend (now my husband) and I drove from Los Angeles to Cincinnati. We stayed in tents on KOA campgrounds. One night while we were sleeping, I rolled over and accidently turned on his electric shaver, which loudly buzzed. In my semi-sleep state, I thought it was some kind of flying, terrible critter trapped in our tent. My screams woke up the entire campground. My bad. Sorry, people.
8. I broke my arm doing gymnastics when I was thirteen and have a large scar along my right elbow, which was redesigned, like the bionic woman. Far out.
9. My favorite movie is THE BIG LEBOWSKI. Duh.
10. I’m a terrible bowler. Comically horrible.
11. I love yoga. All kinds.
12. I love books. And magazines. And scholarly journals and papers. I love reading. And writing. And writers. And teachers. And librarians. And bloggers.
(Sidenote: Aw, and we love authors--you--too! Without you, there would be no books.)
13. I used to have an intense fear of dogs. Shaking, hyperventilating, unrelenting fear…around any dog. Like your teacup terrier might as well be Cujo. Then, one day, as if by magic… I stood up to a bully. Good for me. Long story short: That same day, my fear of dogs morphed into a mild discomfort around dogs I don’t know. However, I’ve actually fallen in love with a few dogs since my fear left me. All because I stood up to a bully. Life is mysterious and amazing.
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More about Lauren!
I have a bachelor's degree in drama, a master's degree in special education and a learning specialist credential. It is my pleasure to serve as a Board Member for The International Dyslexia Association’s Los Angeles Branch under the leadership of Lainie Donnell, another former student of mine. Each of us learns differently; each has unique gifts and struggles, and the planet is better off because of this diversity. I celebrate learners of all kinds, and I love to write about them. When I am not teaching or reading or writing, I can often be found on a yoga mat or watching The Big Lebowski and laughing out loud. OCD, THE DUDE, AND ME is my first novel.
Check out Lauren's debut novel!
by Lauren Roedy Vaughn
Published March 21st 2013 by Dial
Blurb (Goodreads):
With frizzy orange hair, a plus-sized body, sarcastic demeanor, and "unique learning profile," Danielle Levine doesn't fit in even at her alternative high school. While navigating her doomed social life, she writes scathing, self-aware, and sometimes downright raunchy essays for English class. As a result of her unfiltered writing style, she is forced to see the school psychologist and enroll in a "social skills" class. But when she meets Daniel, another social misfit who is obsessed with the cult classic film The Big Lebowski, Danielle's resolve to keep everyone at arm's length starts to crumble.
Check out debut author Victoria Scott on Oops! I Read A Book Again now!
Yesterday: Shana Mlawski (Hammer of Witches) and J.J. Howard (That Time I Joined the Circus)
Tomorrow: CJ Flood (Infinite Sky) and Chelsea Pitcher (The S Word)
Calling YA/NA/MG debut authors of 2014! Want to join us on this fun event? Fill out this form! Don't forget to spread the word with your debuting friends!
We Both love books and reading. I'm interested in the OCD and its something different to read
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