Monday, August 11, 2014

Welcome!!!

I'm Rebecca and I write young adult books. I'm also a speaker, and I advocate against teen violence. 

Pull up a chair, grab a book, and hang a while!

If you have any questions, would like to schedule a presentation, or to just want to chat, please email me at rebeccagreengasper@gmail.com

At this time, I will no longer be blogging on a regular basis, so for weekly updates, make sure you follow me on Google+ or click here for my new Website!

Have a wonderful day!

Best to all,
Becca

Monday, June 9, 2014

Developing and Maintaining Healthy Relationships

I had the amazing opportunity to return for a second year in a row and present to the coaches and athletes of Colorado high schools on Developing and Maintaining Healthy Relationships in the Spotlight.

I had a full classroom. All chairs were taken up and many teens piled in on the floor. We had a wonderful conversation about relationships, both healthy and unhealthy. We also talked in depth about teen dating abuse.

Thank you to the wonderful organizers of the Coaches and Leadership Conference. 
    



Colorado Spirit Coaches Association's mission is to support the needs of Colorado coaches in cheer, pom, dance, all-star, and drill teams by uniting, educating, networking, and recognizing the achievements of the athletes and coaches of our Rocky Mountain State.

The Leadership conference educates spirit leaders in developing and maintaining respect between teams in the spirit industry, promotes advocating for the sport, educates how to be an ambassador for the team, school, and entire spirit industry, provides formal training with skills and personal behavior/attitude, and increases development in professionalism within the sport.


I had a wonderful group of teens. So many amazing ideas, thoughts, and stories were shared. I look forward to coming back again next year!

At the end of the hour, I had the teens write what love means to them on their hands and arms. Here are some pictures!!!









Love is....

Good
Fragile
Nice
Respect
Trusting
Happiness
Kindness

What is love to you?

Best to all,
Becca

Friday, April 4, 2014

Colorado Teen Literature Conference


I am very excited about the annual Colorado Teen Literature Conference this weekend in Denver.
April 5, 2014

The Colorado Teen Literature Conference is a yearly event held in Colorado to promote and celebrate teen literature. The conference offers diverse sessions thanks to the willingness of knowledgeable librarians, teachers, authors, and teens who share their expertise for the event.


Here is a list of the Keynote Speakers and the Local Author Panel.


A.S. King
Author photo
A.S. King is the award-winning author of young adult books including highly acclaimed Reality Boy, the 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner Ask the Passengers, Everybody Sees the Ants, 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book, Please Ignore Vera Dietz and the upcoming Glory O'Brien's History of the Future. King’s short fiction for adults has been widely published and nominated for Best New American Voices. After fifteen years living self-sufficiently and teaching literacy to adults in Ireland, she now lives in Pennsylvania. Find more at www.as-king.com.
David Levithan
Author photo
David Levithan finds it downright baffling to write about himself, which is why he's considering it somewhat cruel and usual to have to write this brief bio. The factual approach (born '72, Brown '94, book '03) seems a bit dry, while the emotional landscape (happy childhood, happy adolescence --- give or take a few poems --- and happy adulthood so far)sounds horribly well-adjusted. The only addiction he's ever had was a brief spiral into the arms of diet Dr Pepper, unless you count MY SO-CALLED LIFE episodes as a drug. He is evangelical in his musical beliefs and deathly afraid that his bio will end up sounding like the final paragraph in an on-line dating ad.
He is the author of many books including Boy Meets BoyNick and Norah's Infinite PlaylistWill Grayson,Will GraysonEvery Day and Two Boys Kissing to name a few. 
When David is not writing during spare hours on weekends, he is a publisher and editorial director at Scholastic, and the founding editor of the PUSH imprint, which is devoted to finding new voices and new authors in teen literature. (Check it out at www.thisispush.com for a full list.)  Among the authors he's edited and/or published under the Scholastic Press imprint are Suzanne Collins, Maggie Stiefvater, Ann M. Martin, Garth Nix, Patrick Carman, Natalie Standiford, Alice Hoffman, Gordon Korman, M. T. Anderson, Blake Nelson, Cecil Castellucci, and many, many other awesome writers.
For more about David, go to his site. Make sure to check out the Frequently Asked Questions and Infrequently Asked Questions.

Each year, Colorado authors participate in the Conference, hosting a Local Author Panel.
Alane Ferguson
Photo of Alane Ferguson
Alane Ferguson was born in Cumberland, Maryland, moving at the age of eight to Salt Lake City, Utah, where she attended the University of Utah and Westminster College, studying journalism and psychology.  Alane became interested in writing for children mostly, she says, to follow the example of her mother, successful author Gloria Skurzynski.  Alane and her mother co-authored a series for National Geographic, which is currently in development for NatGeoKids. Their novel, WOLF STALKER, was nominated for the 1998 Mystery Writer's of America's Edgar Allan Poe Award.   A recipient of the 1990 Edgar Allan Poe Award as well as the Belgium's Children's Choice Award for her young adult novel SHOW ME THE EVIDENCE, Alane was also an Edgar nominee for her third young-adult mystery, POISON.  She received a 2007 Edgar nomination for her young adult novel, THE CHRISTOPHER KILLER, the first in the Sleuth Forensic Mystery series, currently under option helmed by television veteran David Ehrman.  Alane won the Children's Crown Classic Award for CRICKET ANDTHE CRACKERBOX KID, the American Bookseller's Association's "Pick of the List" for her picture book entitled THAT NEW PET, and has been on numerous ALA Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Readers and Young Adult's Choice list, and has been a Young Adult judge for a national competition in 2014.  Now completing her thirty-fifth book, she currently lives in Elizabeth, Colorado.   
Anastasia Zhivotov
Author photo
Anastasia Zhivotov, a first generation Russian teenager, was born and raised in Colorado. Recently she self-published a poetry-fiction novel about stress and its lead into addiction within the upcoming generation titled Alice in Reality. While furthering her career, she hopes she can writing more thrilling stories messing with the psyche. When she’s not off running her world, she plans trips to go around our world.
Barbara Wright
Author photo
Barbara Wright grew up in North Carolina and has lived in France, Korea and El Salvador.  Her middle-grade novel CROW (Random House) about the 1898 race riot and coup d'état in Wilmington, NC, received 4 starred reviews in Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, the Horn Book, and School Library Journal.  It was also selected as a Notable Social Studies Trade Book, and will be included in the North Carolina Battle of the Books.  Her other novels include EASY MONEY (Algonquin) and PLAIN LANGUAGE (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster), which won a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America.  She lives in Denver with her husband and plays tennis and jazz piano in her spare time.  You can visit her online at www.barbarawrightbooks.com
Rebecca Green Gasper
Author photo
Rebecca Green Gasper is the author of young adult fiction. Her debut novel, Break From You, focuses on teen dating abuse. She is passionate about raising awareness on teen tough issues and speaking out against teen violence. Before becoming a writer she was a high school special education teacher, working primarily with students with emotional disabilities. She has also worked as a tutor and coach. She loves pinwheels, bright colors, daisies, long talks with friends, and time with her family. She grew up in the mountains of Colorado and now lives outside of Denver with her husband and two children.
Rebekah Crane
Author photo
Rebekah Crane fell in love with YA literature while studying Secondary English Education at Ohio University.  After having two babies, living in six different cities, and finally settling down in the foothills of her beloved Rocky Mountains, her first novel, Playing Nice, was published.  Aspen, her second YA novel, set in Boulder, CO, is due to release in spring 2014.  She now spends her day carpooling kids or tucked behind a laptop at 7,500 ft high in the Rockies, where the altitude only enhances the experience. 






I am so excited to be part of the conference this year! I can't wait to update everyone on how it went. 

Have a wonderful Weekend.
Best to all,
Becca!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Let's Chat About Healthy Relationships



Let's chat about healthy relationships.

Sometimes we can get caught up in a relationship, lost in the dizzying sensation of being head over heels, or in one for so long that it's all we know.

I've talked and written a lot about abusive relationships, and my book, Break From You is about a teen girl who can't seem to get out of a very unhealthy and abusive relationship, but today I thought we take a turn and talk about what goes into healthy relationships.

Some key points of a healthy relationship...

1. Communication is the key to any good relationship. 
2. Speak up about what is bothering you or how you feel
3. Compromise and equality and know how to admit when you are wrong, but don't lose yourself in the relationship
4. Respect each other
5. Be honest and truthful
6. Build trust
7. Support each other
8. Give and take
9. Keep individuality 
10. Take responsibility

Come check out It's Time to Chat on my new You Tube channel!






Love is not abuse!

Learn what a healthy relationship is.

for more go to 
loveisrespect.org
breakthecycle.org
kidshealth.org/teen

Best to all!

Until next time,

Becca

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Come Visit Me On Youtube

I've been wanting to do a video blog for some time now, so I am excited to announce the launch of my new vlog. Come check out my new Youtube channel!

I've done a "spotlight" on Loveisrepect.org



With it being Respect Week right in the middle of Teen Dating Violence Awareness month, I thought it was the perfect time to launch my vlog and spotlight a wonderful organization.

Love is Respect is the partnership between Break the Cycle and the Teen Dating Abuse Helpline.
They are designed to provide information, create resources and ensure a safe place on and off line.





Best to all,
Becca

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Ask Me Why I'm Wearing Orange Today!


I'm wearing orange for love.

 It is respect week right in the middle of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and today is wear orange day. 


Join me. Put on some orange- either a little or a lot- and snap a picture. Upload it to  Twitter, Facebook, or Google+ and use #respectweek2014 #orange4love or #loveisrespect.org


Let's wear orange and raise awareness on teen dating abuse.

Best to all,
Becca

Monday, February 3, 2014

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month- February 4th is Time to Talk Day

This month gives us an opportunity to shed light on a very devastating epidemic. 1 in 3 teens will experience some form of dating violence this year. 

And dating violence can happen to any teen, any race, any place, any time. 

Dating violence can be emotional, sexual, financial, digital, stalking, verbal, and/or physical.

And Today is Time to Talk Day:



Conversations about healthy relationships are happening all across the country on NO MORE Silence: It's Time To Talk Day! 

Get Involved:


About the Day:

Hosted by Break the Cycle's Love Is Not Abuse Campaign, It’s Time To Talk Day is an annual awareness day that aims to generate conversations about healthy relationships and prevent teen dating violence and abuse.




Starting a conversation about a tough topic can be hard. Sometimes a good book can help start the difficult discussion. Break From You is a young adult novel that focuses on teen dating abuse.



Join me throughout the month of February in raising awareness. 


The history of Teen DV month:
For years, young people across the nation have organized to put a stop to dating abuse. With their adult allies, they achieved a major victory in 2005 when the importance of addressing teen dating abuse was highlighted in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
The following year, Congress followed the lead of dozens of national, state and local organizations in sounding the call to end dating abuse. Both Chambers declared the first full week in February "National Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness Week." Then in 2010, they began dedicating the entire month of February to teen dating violence awareness and prevention. 

Monday, January 13, 2014

Cover Reveal- Chasing Anya by JL Campbell





Been there. Done that.



Feisty and independent, Anya Davies lives by her own rules. The one thing she’s hell-bent on avoiding is a conventional relationship. Nor is she interested in romance, thanks to her abusive ex who refuses to stay in the past. The second complication in her life is a secret that condemns her to constant guilt and a solitary life. A series of near misses and escalating threats are a third and worrying factor. Only a special man would understand or live with Anya’s challenges and demands.



Casual sex...so not having that.



Enter Christophe Mondesir. Two years ago, Anya dumped him without explanation. An accidental meeting shoots Anya back on Christophe’s radar. He refuses to be denied and plans to breach the fortress Anya has built around her heart—if she’ll commit to more than a casual liaison. He’s also determined to find out what she’s hiding. That’s if the stalker who’s after Anya doesn’t end her life first.



Genre:  Romance, Women's Fiction

Content/Theme(s):  Sexual Content (not graphic), Post Abortion Sydrome, Relationships, Spousal Abuse,

Release Date:  January 13, 2014

Publisher: The Writers' Suite







 photo 85c6c375-f71a-468a-ad8c-b8d2b30deb99_zps986ff285.jpg

He stood before her, pressing kisses to her neck. Then his lips covered hers. Soft. Persuasive.



She resisted him at first, but the memory of his lovemaking warmed her blood and she relaxed against him. The unknown word he’d spoken came to mind and she twisted away from him. “I’m not so sure I should let you touch me, ’specially since I don’t know what you said earlier. What was that anyhow?”



“I said you should stop talking like a slut.”



She mashed his toes with her foot. “How dare you talk to me like that?”



“Ouch! If you insist on treating sex as if it is some sort of pill—”



“If you were sensitive to my needs, I wouldn’t have to resort to asking for sex.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You know what? I’m going to give you what you want.”



That said, Christophe pressed his lips to hers, forcing her mouth open. She fought him, but this time he ignored her attempts to escape.



The intensity of his kiss frightened her. His grip on her arms was too tight and she felt suffocated by his strength. “No, Christophe, I—”



His hand glided under her shirt and the words lodged in her throat. She cast aside her objections, swept away by the fire his touch lit on her insides.



They landed on her bed, struggling to free themselves of their clothing. Minutes later, Christophe reduced her to an orgasmic shudder.



Then they started over.



When they were satisfied, she panted against his chest.



Christophe eased away from her and rolled onto his back to stare into a corner of the room.



Now what was wrong with him? She raised herself up on her elbow. “What’s bugging you now?”



It took him a while to look her in the eyes. “D’you realize I just raped you?”



She almost giggled. “Well, it was the best rape I ever had.”



He sighed. “I’m serious. You said no, and I didn’t listen.”



He murmured something she didn’t hear and rolled onto his side, away from her.



Anya stared at a mole on his shoulder, unable to believe what she was seeing and hearing. Was he serious? Wasn’t she supposed to be the basket case?



She scratched at the skin around the cast. It was itching like hell lately.



Christophe got up and went into the bathroom. The toilet flushed and she waited for him to come back to bed. Instead, he got a pair of jeans from the cupboard and pulled them on, along with a tee-shirt.



Anya gaped at him. “Where the hell d’you think you’re going?”



“Home. I need to think.”



“What d’you need to think about, Christophe?”



“Things.”



She yanked her shirt on and stood in front of him. “Every time I get mad and tell you to leave, you refuse to go. Now, we don’t even have a serious quarrel and you’re running away. What’s wrong with you?”



He slipped both hands in his pockets and wouldn’t look at her. “I have to go.”



Using her hand, she tipped his head so she could see his eyes.



He was in pain.



She didn’t understand what the problem was, but something had gone terribly wrong. She grabbed his arms and spoke softly to him. “Don’t walk out on me now. I don’t know what’s going on with you, or what you think you did, but I need you.”



“I’m sorry, Anya.” He stepped out of her grasp and walked away.



She sank on the bed, rubbing the frown line on her forehead. Would he be all right? Her heart rate went up and she pressed a hand to her chest. Christophe had left, but she needed to check whether he’d locked up.



The lock was engaged and she was alone in the house. She leaned against the front door, feeling as if she’d bought a bus ticket and the driver had dropped her off miles away from her destination.



Her eyes smarted, but she would not cry. While she was sure Christophe’s withdrawal was directly related to her, she sensed there were other factors at play.

If he didn’t want to talk, how could she get to the root of what was eating him?


 photo 59e824c4-9212-448b-9de2-c31e31a3a6ef_zps75626707.jpg
Image of J. L. Campbell
J.L. Campbell is a proud Jamaican, who is always on the hunt for story-making material.



She writes romantic suspense, women's fiction and young adult novels. She is the author of Anya's Wish, Chasing Anya, Contraband, Christine's Odyssey, Dissolution, Distraction, Don't Get Mad...Get Even, Retribution, Saving Sam and Hardware (written under the pen name Jayda McTyson).





Where to find JL Campbell:


Social Media
Goodreads: JL Campbell
Twitter:     @JL_Campbell
Facebook:  JL Campbell
Amazon:    JL Campbell







Fabulosity Reads Book Promotions is a book touring website that promotes authors and their precious works to an extensive audience using blogs, twitter, Facebook and other Social Media, with the aim of introducing them to an appreciative readership.



They offer a diverse range of both complimentary and affordable products to help the reach of your book go that much further.




Chasing Anya Schedule

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Monday, January 6, 2014

Forget New Year's Resolutions...They're Always Broken Anyway


Did you know that nearly 50% of people make new year's resolutions, but only 8% will follow through with them.

So this year I'm skipping the resolutions, and well, I guess I'll just see what happens. 



But that doesn't mean that I don't have some fun and exciting things planned for the upcoming year..(I'm just not spending precious time on all those unrealistic goals I try to set and never follow each year.)

Here are my Upcoming events for 2014

Colorado Teen Literature Conference, Denver, Colorado

I am so excited to report that I will be on the local author panel for this year's 
Colorado Teen Literature Conference held on April 5, 2014 at the Tivoli, Auraria Campus in Downtown Denver with keynote speakers David Levithan and A.S. King.

I will also be presenting two different presentations at the conference. (More on that to come!)


"The Colorado Teen Literature Conference is a yearly event held in Colorado to promote and celebrate teen literature. The conference offers diverse sessions thanks to the willingness of knowledgeable librarians, teachers, authors, and teens who share their expertise for the event.
We believe that quality literature for teens and young adults is available in ever increasing amounts, but is under-publicized and under-utilized in many literacy development efforts directed to teens. Because of this, the conference focuses attention on significant authors, their writing, and methods for incorporating this literature in teaching and in library outreach programs."

Sign up for the Colorado Teen Literature Conference is going on now at http://coteenlitconf.org/ Hope you can make it! I would love to see you there.

January is National Stalking Awareness Month


More on this in the coming days and weeks. Join me and raise awareness on the issue of stalking.


February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness month


Once again, throughout the month of February I will be raising awareness about teen dating violence. Join me as I join forces with organizations such as Love is Respect.org and Break the Cycle.org to bring light to this devastating issue of teen violence.


Upcoming Publishing News!

I am happy to announce that I am working hard on my next two books. I am hoping that publishing is in the near future...It's about time!

Keep an eye out for my new releases!

What is coming up in 2014 for you???


Before you go...Please stay warm in this cold weather! Bundle up!


Smile more...and add a little kindness!

~ Best to all!
Becca