Caitlyn is a fifteen-year-old girl whose world is changing.  Her mother and  stepfather are expecting a  baby together after years of infertility, and Caitlyn, who was herself “accidentally” conceived while her mother was in college, worries about her new role in the family.   She’s also been growing apart from her best friend, Ashley, ever since Ashley found a steady boyfriend.  When Caitlyn is introduced to Tyler, it seems that he is the perfect match for her  -- handsome, sweet, and desperately in love with her, he sweeps her off her feet.  But Tyler has another side – one that’s jealous and controlling, and which draws Caitlyn further away from her family and friends, and, ultimately, herself.  

There are many people I need to thank for helping me conceive this book! 

 

My parents, Vi and Craig Peters, who inspired questioning and creativity, and began reading to me as soon as I was born.  My sister, Laurel Humphrey, who once sent me a book about a polar bear and said “you can write WAY better than this!”, and her husband, Neil, who fixed my HTML issues... 

 

My husband, Randy Straeten, who didn’t always understand what I was trying to say, but was proud of me anyway.  Also his sister, Tracy Hunt, who explained to me the process of getting a belly ring.

 

The many wonderful Language Arts teachers I had over the years, and specifically Mrs. Schiedel, Mr. Tulloch, Mrs. Howes-Jones, Ms. Kingston, and Mr. Pepall—each of them contributed to my development as a writer, and as a person, in significant ways, and I try to model my own teaching on theirs.  I also want to give a little “shout-out” to my high school principal, Robert Chilton, who you can read about on my “Author” page, and Mr. Sawers, the most dynamic French teacher I ever had.

 

My friend, Kirsten Koza, proved to me that it could be done, and the 2005/06 grade 7 and 8 classes at BPS told me how it should be done.  Special thanks to Erin B, who gave me honest fifteen-year-old opinions.

 

Thanks also to all the friends who got me through my own teenage dramas, and the ones who have been there for me during my adult ones…you know who you are.

 

And, last but not least (yikes!  I used a cliché! ) thanks to everyone at Lobster Press who believed in me, and in Painting Caitlyn.  Special thanks to Publisher Alison Fripp, Editor, Meghan Nolan,  Marketing and Sales Manager Stephanie Hindley, and Production Manager/Designer Tammy Desnoyer who designed the book’s amazing cover.

“Caitlyn” loves PostSecret.com, and she used her artistic talents to put together this slideshow, using actual secrets mailed in by other people, to show the progression of her relationship with Tyler, from beginning to end.  Enjoy!