Montgomery Lake High Book Series

JANUARY 26, 2018 – PLYMOUTH, MA – Later today, Stacy Padula will be interviewed on live radio by Doug Llewelyn – the host of The People’s Court and creator of Judge Judy. He is interested in hearing about her journey as an author and a business owner. In preparation for the interview, she has reflected on various experiences. Here is a sneak peak at some topics that will be covered:

Q. What drives you to write for the young adult genre?

A. When I was a child, I read a lot of books. I was ever so curious to know what high school would be like. I read the Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley High, which painted pictures in my mind of what high school would be like. However, when four towns of kids combined under one roof of Silver Lake Regional High School in Kingston, Massachusetts, it was nothing like Sweet Valley. I was completely caught off guard by the harsh rumors and drugs circulating around, as well as the bullying taking place. The books I had read did not address the social issues that are extremely prevalent in the teenage world. I began writing my book series as a teenager because I believed kids deserved books that were realistic to help them navigate high school.

After college, I found the books I had written as a teenager, and when I read through them, I was amazed by the topics I had written about at such a young age. I was also in somewhat disbelief that kids were partying so hard at such young ages. I began editing the books and adding in life lessons I had learned along the way. I realized that the books could help teenagers navigate through the tricky years of high school, so I sought out a literary agent. My first book was published in 2010, followed by four sequels. For the last eight years, it has been my goal to write books that help teenagers become more secure with themselves and find fulfillment.

Q. Why do you feel your books are necessary for young adults to read?

A. My books share the raw truth about opioid addiction, as well as other substances, in a realistic and relatable way. Drugs pose an empty promise for fulfillment that often leads to self-destruction and the destruction of others. I want to help kids avoid the heartache that goes along with substance abuse and find positive/beneficial outlets for their energy. There is an immense amount of social pressure on kids today. Between social media and technology, they are constantly connected and can easily lose touch with themselves. They face so much pressure to fit in with their peers, and can easily lose themselves in the process.

Q. You have written five novels. Are you planning to write another book?

A. Yes, I am about 185 pages into a novel that heavily focuses on opiate addiction. It is a part of my Montgomery Lake High series, and it circles back to the root of many problems in my main characters’ lives. The story starts off a few months after where my 5^th book left off, but it does a lot of time traveling between old and new experiences. This story ties a lot of plot points together that are briefly mentioned in the other books but never explored in-depth. It follows three different characters stories and shows, from their perspective, how they got caught up in drug abuse—which were for very different reasons. I think it is easy for people to cast aside drug users and look down upon them, but the book I am writing shows how easily substance abuse can become a problem for good people. Moreover, it conveys the hope that exists once someone is able to forgive himself and find sobriety.

Stacy Padula will be interviewed on live radio at 4:00PM by Doug Llewelyn (CUTV News, New York)

Listeners can tune in live at 4:00PM on 1/26/18 here.