Amy Durham Comes a Calling

"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."

~ Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass (circa 1818 - 1895) was an escaped slave who went on to lead the abolitionist movement. Born into slavery, he secretly learned to read by watching the white children with whom he had contact and by observing the writings of the men with whom he worked. Having known no other life except slavery, he accepted it without question. Until he learned to read. His exposure to newspapers and political materials armed him with the knowledge that freedom and basic human rights could not exist within the boundaries of slavery.

When you learn to read well, and more importantly, CHOOSE to read, you empower yourself. Whether you read books, magazines, newspapers, academic texts, or some of everything, reading gives you knowledge, and knowledge gives you power. For me, this manifests itself in an attitude I’ve developed over the last several years. And the attitude is this: “If there’s something I want to know about, I WILL learn about it.” There are lots of things I don’t know about, but I can read, so I can learn. I can buy a cookbook and learn to prepare new food. I can read a magazine or newspaper and learn about what’s going on in politics or the find out about the latest movie releases. I can order a travel book and road atlas and plan a vacation to a foreign country. I can read a fiction book about scuba diving and learn about the equipment necessary. And the list could go on and on and on and on. There is nothing I can’t learn, because I can read.

Tweens and teens, this message is especially important to you! You can read a book that entertains you and LEARN at the same time you are being entertained! Your reading material doesn’t have to be a textbook or an encyclopedia to be educational. All books have lessons, subjects, and themes that can teach you things. A vampire romance isn’t just about the vampires… it’s about diversity! A time travel sci-fi isn’t just about jumping time… it’s about learning from the past and planning for the future.

A book is an adventure that you can learn from! And learning makes you FREE! So, this summer, go on an adventure inside the pages of a book!

If you enjoy Young Adult Parnomral Romance, here is a bit about my book, “Once Again”:

Reincarnation sucks! Unless it comes with a cute guy. That’s what sixteen year-old Layla Bradford discovers when she moves to Sky Cove, Maine, a small-town she thought was ordinary, but turns out to be an episode of “Cold Case” on steroids.

Layla doesn’t want to fit in; she wants to blend in and stay out of the spotlight. But the spotlight is where she winds up when she catches the eye of school cross-country star and all-around-nice-guy Lucas Ellis. She quickly learns there’s more at stake than high school reputations when she and Lucas discover they are the reincarnations of a young married couple from the mid-1800s who suffered a horrible tragedy at the hands of a madman who was never brought to justice. After a series of frightening visions show Layla and Lucas glimpses of their past-lives, they realize that the villain of their previous existence has also been reincarnated, in the form of a fellow high school student who targets them with teenage pranks that soon turn dangerous. As they grow closer, will Layla and Lucas be able to uncover the truth in time to stop the same tragedy from unfolding once again?

 Who is Amy Durham?

Amy Durham discovered her love of writing in the sixth grade.  What began as a love of writing poetry soon turned into stories scribbled into school notebooks.  In the eighth grade, her English teacher told her she was good at it and encouraged her to continue to put pen to paper.  At that moment, the die was cast, and writing would forever be a part of her life.

As an adult, Amy focuses her efforts on writing Young Adult Fiction... adventure, romance, and life-lessons... woven together as imagination and escape for young readers.  Amy holds a firm belief that books are not only entertaining, but have the ability to transform young lives.  A book can educate.  A book can teach compassion and kindness.  A book can spark interest.  A book can be a companion.  Simply put, books can accompany and guide young readers as they try to navigate their way through the twisted, confusing roads of adolescence.

Here are my contact links:

amybdurham@gmail.com

amy-durham.blogspot.com

facebook.com/AuthorAmyDurham

twitter.com/#!/Amy_Durham

goodreads.com/Amy_Durham

Here are the buy links for my book:

http://www.amazon.com/Once-Again-Sky-Cove-ebook/dp/B0071NTTV0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327669156&sr=8-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/once-again-amy-durham/1108428186?ean=2940014029940&itm=1&usri=once+again+amy+durham

http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/once-again/id501768486?mt=11

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/126513