SJ: I mentioned that it took me a long time to figure out Cassie’s story, but when I got started, it took me about 5 months to write it.

H: How long did it take you to write Connecting Dots? But my agent loves it! So I changed the names and no one except you will know that the famous actress in this story is Cassandra all grown up! Hopefully it will be published soon. I wrote a third book, and my publisher wasn’t too keen on it. I took liberties, and if my readers compare that chunk of both books, they’ll see that both girls embellish things a bit. I couldn’t repeat the same few chapters, and then I realized that no two people ever tell the same story the same way. The tricky part was when Cassie and Leanna meet each other. I knew she had a hard life, and it took me some time to piece it all together in my head. My publisher asked me for years to write about Cassie, but I just couldn’t come up with all of Cassie’s story. By the end, she finds out that Cassie isn’t an orphan, but she still doesn’t know the whole story. Leanna tells the story about meeting Cassie when she moves in next door. I don’t know if you have seen the book, Home Free. SJ: Before I answer your first question, I’ll explain a bit about Dots. H: Are you considering making a sequel to this book? I feel deeply touched that this story spoke to you and mirrored something of your own life. SJ: Thank you for your email – it made my day! Writers spend so much time alone that it is always nice to hear how our books are received by readers. But you’ll have to read my story to find out why.Harmoney Hachey of Signal Hill Elementary felt a strong connection to Sharon Jennings’ Connecting Dots and was thrilled to get the chance to interview the author of the book she’d most like to see win this year’s Red Cedar Award for Fiction. Because of her, I now know that being an orphan is not exciting, in fact it is the opposite. Because of her, I got to write a play, and she starred in it. All the best stories are about orphans, and because of Cassandra, this story is no exception. A real-life orphan, by the name of Cassandra Jovanovich, moved in right across from my house. My summer began with the most exciting thing that ever happened on our street. The sad part is still painful for me to write about, but I will because that’s what writers do.

It was a summer that was both wonderful and terribly sad. I’m going to use it to tell you the story of my summer. Gowdy, who is my writing teacher, says that I have a gift. But it’s the 1960s, not the 50s or 40s, and I think she may be wrong. My mother says that girls don’t grow up to be writers, they can only be nurses or teachers. My name is Lee Mets (honest), and this is my book I’m part of the writing club, which is fantastic, since what I want to be most is a writer.

Home Free by Sharon Jennings