Claire LaZebnik – författare

Pride and Prejudice goes Hollywood in this winning romantic comedy inspired by Jane Austen’s classic. In her teen fiction debut, the author of Knitting Under the Influence goes back to high school for a tale of sisters, misinformation, and star-crossed love.

Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you.

Case in point: As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.

As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant.

But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

Franny''s supposed to be working this summer, not flirting. But you can''t blame her when guys like Alex and Harry are around. . . .

Franny Pearson never dreamed she''d be attending the prestigious Mansfield Summer Theater Program. And she''s not, exactly. She''s working for her aunt, the resident costume designer. But sewing her fingers to the bone does give her an opportunity to spend time with her crush, Alex Braverman. If only he were as taken with the girl hemming his trousers as he is with his new leading lady.

When Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt, shows more than a friendly interest in Franny, she figures it can''t hurt to have a little fun. But as their breezy romance grows more complicated, can Franny keep pretending that Harry is just a carefree fling? And why is Alex suddenly giving her those deep, meaningful looks? In this charming tale of mixed messages and romantic near-misses, one thing is clear: Flirting might be more trouble than Franny ever expected.

Jane Austen comes to modern-day Los Angeles in Claire LaZebnik''s imaginative take on Persuasion, where seventeen-year-old Anna Eliot finds out whether there''s such a thing as a second chance when it comes to first love. Fans of Polly Shulman, Maureen Johnson, Elizabeth Eulberg, Stephanie Perkins, and, of course, Jane Austen will love this irresistibly funny and romantic contemporary tale.

Anna is tired of worrying about what other people think. After all, that was how she lost the only guy she ever really liked, Finn Westbrook. Now, three years after she broke his heart, the one who got away is back in her life—and he wants nothing to do with her.

Anna keeps trying to persuade herself that she doesn''t care about Finn either, but even though they''ve both changed since they first met, deep down she knows he''s the guy for her. Now if only she can get him to believe that, too . . .

This contemporary twist on Jane Austen's Emma features the signature wit and swoon-worthy romance of beloved author Claire LaZebnik's other fan favorites Epic Fail, The Trouble with Flirting, and The Last Best Kiss.

Ellie Withers is definitely not spoiled, so she wishes that George Nussbaum would stop implying that she is. It's not her fault that her stepfather became a TV star and now they live in a big house and people fawn over her wherever she goes. She doesn't even like being fawned over. Fortunately, her two closest friends understand her a lot better than George: Heather Smith loved her before she even knew who Ellie's stepfather was, and handsome Aaron Marquand has a father who's just as famous.

With Aaron back in town and very much in her life, Ellie feels like things are just fine—or would be if her mother hadn't hired George to tutor her. George has a habit of making Ellie feel a little less sure of herself, a little less on top of the world, a little less right about everything. It's almost like he wants her to be a better person than she is.

When Ellie's plans for her family, her friends, and even her love life don't turn out the way she imagined, she begins to wonder if maybe she could stand to learn a thing or two after all . . . and whether it's possible—or even likely—that the perfect person to teach her is the last person she'd expect.

A groundbreaking exploration of the ways in which the intelligence and abilities of children and young adults with autism are often overlooked and misjudged, with tried-and-true interventions that can be used to help them reach their full potential.

Our limited and often biased view of what’s considered “normal” often prevents us from recognizing the gifts and brilliance of those who don’t fit a specific mold. Too often we don’t explore and take advantage of the far-reaching gifts and potential of those diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum or neurodiverse. Dr. Lynn Kern Koegel has had vast experience researching Autism Spectrum Disorders—ASD—and working with autistic people of all ages. She has repeatedly witnessed firsthand evidence of great intelligence that hasn’t yet been nurtured or realized.

In Hidden Brilliance, Dr. Koegel and writer Claire LaZebnik explore the ways in which the brilliance and talents of children and young adults diagnosed with ASD are commonly overlooked or misjudged, even by trained professionals. This book isn’t about changing people, but about bringing out their best, by focusing on and nurturing their strengths. The authors examine the forces at play—including outdated attitudes, a lack of sufficient training, and an overreliance on standardized testing--that complicate and confuse the effort to see the remarkable capabilities of these kids. The authors argue that behaviors often described as disruptive or interfering are actually brilliant attempts at communication and point the reader toward interventions that can encourage people to effectively communicate their needs and thoughts. Hidden Brilliance helps us see how and why parents—who often feel alone in their ability to see past their children’s struggles to the incredible capabilities underneath —are often dismissed or ignored.

Now in paperback, Hidden Brilliance explains ways to identify your child’s strengths and abilities and then use them as a tool for social communication, improved learning, and overall growth. While no one can predict a child’s future, a positive and supportive attitude combined with the right goals and interventions that consider the child’s strengths can lead to extraordinary growth and connection. Warm and hopeful, Hidden Brilliance opens the door to a new way of looking at people diagnosed with ASD—those who deserve to have their brilliance shine brightly for all to see.

When we think about the biggest milestones and roadblocks in our lives, we also remember the food we cooked and/or ate while getting through them. Because we’re human. And pretty much always hungry. This book will be the literary equivalent of a heart-to heart over a warm slice of coffee cake.  A bunch of kick-ass women writers, illustrators, and photographers share their deepest struggles, their silliest moments, their deepest revelations, and, of course, their favorite recipes. 

Contributors:Davis AlexanderKim Allen-NiesenK. BidusValerie BreimanLiane Kupferberg CarterKimberly BrooksMay-lee ChaiLiza DonnellyBecky Hartman EdwardsKate FugleiLeslie GreenbergerBarbara HorowitzWendy KoutLeah KrinskyNina LadenCathy LadmanAnnie LaZebnikLisa Grace LednicerBernadette LuckettAmy Wang ManningMerrill MarkoeNell MinowCarolyn OmineAsmita ParanjapeClaudia ReillyApril SalazarLaurie SandellAlice ScovellNell ScovellSusan SenatorJeb SharpLaura ShumakerMarcie SmolinCaissie St. OngeSarah ThyreEllen TwaddellNorma Safford VelaLunaea WeatherstoneMichele WillensMaiya WilliamsAnna WingerClaire LaZebnikClaire is the author of five novels for adults and five YA novels, including Epic Fail and Things I Should Have Known. With Dr. Lynn Kern Koegel, she co-authored the non-fiction books Overcoming Autism and Growing Up on the Spectrum. She has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Self Magazine, among other publications, and contributed a monologue to the anthology play Motherhood Out Loud. Please check out her website at www.clairelazebnik.com or follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Claire prior workNon-fiction: Overcoming Autism and Growing Up on the Spectrum (both co-authored with Dr. Lynn Kern Koegel) Also the revised and updated version of Overcoming Autism (All Viking/Penguin)Fiction (most recent to oldest:Things I Should Have Known (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)Wrong About the Guy (Harper Teen)The Last Best Kiss (Harper Teen)The Trouble with Flirting (Harper Teen)Epic Fail (Harper Teen)Families and Other Non-Returnable Gifts (Grand Central)If You Lived Here, You’d Be Home Now (Grand Central)The Smart One and the Pretty One (Grand Central)Knitting Under the Influence (Grand Central)Same As It Never Was (St. Martin’s)Also contributed to the anthologies Wedding Cake for Breakfast, American Girls about Town, and Modern Love

Ann BrownAnn Brown writes about family life on her blog, in newspapers and in online magazines, including Real Mom Daily, and The Next Family.  She has a You Tube parenting show - The Motherload-Not Your Mother’s Parenting Advice, and her essays have been heard on Public Radio International. You can find Ann at www.drstrangemom.com, or follow her at Dr. Strangemom on Facebook.

Online Magazine:Parenting column, “The Next Family” Magazine“Voices From The Burbs” column, “The Next Family” MagazineParenting column, “Read Mom Daily” magazine