Melody Carlson Author of over 150 children, tweens, teens, and adult novels Stacey Perkey Spring/Summer 2011 LIS 6530 Diary of a Teenage Girl Series: Caitlin O’Conner

As a young child Melody Carlson was always writing, whether it was a journal, a letter, a poem, a song, or a term paper; she felt like words just poured out of her, but she never believed it would be her career She did not start writing professionally until her mid-thirties when her two sons were in grade school When she first began writing professionally she was running a full-time home day care center and had to find time to write while the children were napping Now she writes five days a week, typically during the week, from approximately 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. According to Melody she is a fast writer who can sometimes complete an entire book in a month Yet, she also says that she has a hard time trying to find time to write because she has so many stories brewing in her head waiting to be composed

At the age of nine, she began to attend church At the age of twelve, she professed herself to be an atheist Around the age of fifteen, she invited Jesus into her heart and has been able to discover her faith on her own terms since then Her faith and belief in God are used in many of her books, and Diary of a Teenage Girl : Caitlin O’Conner is just one example In Book 1: Becoming Me Caitlin deals with a lot of the typical high school issues, but she is also beginning to wonder about God and her relationship with him. In Book 2: It’s My Life Caitlin has a personal relationship with God after inviting him into her heart and she is now dealing with all that has to go along with her newfound faith. In Book 3: Who I Am Caitlin has begun to impart her beliefs and her choices on her friends about dating. This has begun to cause problems between her and her closest friends. In Book 4: On My Own Caitlin faces the realities of being a freshman in college and determining how she will continue to hold true to her vow to God not to date. In Book 5: I Do Caitlin is planning her wedding to the boy she has always loved, Josh Miller. However, her faith is once again tested and she has to determine how to handle the situations while staying true to God.

Additional Titles by Melody Carlson Teen Novels Double Take Shattered Never Been Kissed True Colors Series On The Runway Series DOATG Series: Chloe DOATG: Kim DOATG: Maya Secrets Series The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor Series 86 Bloomberg Place Series Children & Tweens Allison O’Brian Series Girls of Harbor View Baby’s First Book of Prayers Counting Baby’s Blessings Just Like Jesus Said Series God Made Them All God Goes With Me God Lives in My House I Can Count on God The Prayer of Jabez for Little Ones Secrets of the Vine for Little Ones Adult Novels River’s Song Love Finds You Series The Four Lindas Series Limelight The Other Side of Darkness These Boots Weren’t Made for Walking On This Day Crystal Lies Finding Alice Looking for Cassandra Jane Angels in the Snow A Mile in My Flip Flops