The tweenage years bring inevitable tough questions, and though moms may be blindsided as our little angels ask about condoms. The fact is daughters want and need to talk to their moms. The key for moms: answer matter-of-factly, as best you can, and remain calm, so your daughters will return with more questions. Then invest in this book, a fast read and humorous guide with 113 questions girls and their moms routinely ask—or should be asking– about topics ranging from sex, bodily changes and dating.
With sample conversations and real life stories, this books opens the way for answers from mom rather than peers (the blind leading he blind) or worse yet, the media “Putting the facts on the table and learning from one another may be the best gift a mother can give her daughter to protect her future health

This book could alternately be titled “Everything You Could Ever Possibly Hope to Learn From Your OB-GYN.” It may technically be for tweens and teens, but moms are absolutely guaranteed to learn a thing or two, whether about the subject at hand or how to talk to your daughters about the subject at hand. As an ob-gyn specializing in adolescent care, Dr. Jennifer Ashton has created a totally up-to-date health book for the 21st century. Extremely-straightforward, non-judgemental and with loads of humor, she tackles nitty-gritty girl issues, from “What to Expect When You’re Adolescent,” to “Straight Talk on Sex,” and “Your Body’s Lifetime Warranty: Staying Healthy for Life.” Her lists and tidbits are particularly informative and witty, such as “Dr. Ashton’s “Ow That Hurts!” Playlist,” her “Five Healthy Eating Rules,” and “Aren’t You Glad I’m Not Your Mother?” Besides puberty, sex and “Itches in Your Britches,” this book deals with “Hormones Gone Wild,” “No Weigh: Loving the Body You Have,” “Just Say Know,” and much, much more. A fast, informative must-read for girls and women everywhere.

My character Tamsin is part of a magically gifted family but is spectacularly ungifted herself – despite a prophecy from her grandmother that foretold a powerful future for her.

Tamsin rebels and longs for a normal family and world, escaping her family’s witchiness by going to boarding school in NYC where she can be her normal self – and escape the shadow of her “perfect” (and mind-controlling) sister.

However, when a mysterious stranger comes into the family crystal shop and mistakes her for her sister, Tamsin plays along and is soon helping the stranger find a hidden magical object. Of course, the stranger is not a good guy and in finding the object, Tamsin threatens to upset the balance of good and evil and re-open a old feud between two powerful and magical families.

The book is light and fairly quick tale with an engaging character facing a common problem – the ugly duckling syndrome. Tamsin rises to the occasion and finds her own special skill…and a bit of romance with a handsome helper. The characters are in high school and older so there are references to drinking alcohol and a rather tame first kiss, but on the whole it’s an enjoyable urban fantasy that hints at a sequel.