Lady Reader's Bookstuff: Jennifer Lane speaks on Bullying & A Free Short Story

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Jennifer Lane speaks on Bullying & A Free Short Story

11:38 AM | Posted by lady reader |

Thanks to Jennifer Lane for speaking out on Bullying and for offering a digital version of her book SWIM RECRUIT for free!

Not long after Abby Donahue’s family falls apart, she escapes on an airplane to Chicago for a recruiting trip. A talented high-school swimmer, Abby hopes to score both a college scholarship and some distance from her parents' recent divorce. But is this university for her?Her first encounter with freshman swimmer Reese McGowan makes her nervous. He’s a tall backstroker with a mess of blond hair, glittering aquamarine eyes, and a suspension from the team for badmouthing the school to another recruit. As Abby unravels the mystery underlying Reese’s disdain, she begins to unlock her own hidden emotions about her father. Together Abby and Reese battle bullies on the team and inner demons, learning that flipper feet and fighting for family can actually be a good thing.

For a free copy of SWIM RECRUIT: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/226120

Thanks so much to Amy at Lady Reader’s Bookstuff for hosting Anti-Bullying Month! What an important cause.

As a psychologist, I sometimes work with teens and adults who have been traumatized by bullies. We all have a desperate need to fit in and be liked, and bullying prevents this need from being fulfilled. Even years later, individuals may feel on edge and re-experience bullying episodes through flashbacks and nightmares.

Today I hope to prevent bullying by increasing awareness of the bullying gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals endure, particularly in sports.

I'm in my early 40's and I've seen some wonderful improvements in acceptance of GLBT folks in the course of my lifetime. Still, homophobia remains, especially in certain pockets of culture.

Athletics is a culture that's dear to me but sadly still struggles with tolerance of GLBT issues. I witnessed a close friend grapple with the coming out process on my college swim team, and his battle really influenced me to become a heterosexual ally.

I wrote about this experience in my fictional short story Swim Recruit, which I offer for FREE. Heterosexuals can make a huge impact by fighting against homophobia.

Not long after Abby Donahue’s family falls apart, she escapes on an airplane to Chicago for a recruiting trip. A talented high-school swimmer, Abby hopes to score both a college scholarship and some distance from her parents' recent divorce. But is this university for her?

Her first encounter with freshman swimmer Reese McGowan makes her nervous. He’s a tall backstroker with a mess of blond hair, glittering aquamarine eyes, and a suspension from the team for badmouthing the school to another recruit. As Abby unravels the mystery underlying Reese’s disdain, she begins to unlock her own hidden emotions about her father. Together Abby and Reese battle bullies on the team and inner demons, learning that flipper feet and fighting for family can actually be a good thing.

I’m in the middle of reading Stealing Parker by Miranda Kinneally (hey, she has “ally” in her name!) and this great YA story also portrays the devastation from being bullied due to sexual orientation.