L. Divine – författare

Brimming with the same spirited sense of style and magic as Disney''s That''s So Raven, Drama High introduces a fun, brazen new series featuring a young sistah who''s learning that life in the `hood is nothing compared to life in high school...Proudly hailing from Compton, USA, sixteen-year-old Jayd Jackson is no stranger to drive-by shootings or run-ins with the friendly neighborhood crackhead. Street-smart, book-smart, and life-smart, she''s nobody''s fool--least of all KJ''s, the most popular and cutest basketball jock at South Bay High, aka Drama High. Yes, it''s a fact, Jayd fell hard for his player ways for a time, but now that KJ''s shown his true colors--dumping Jayd because she refused to give up the cookies--she''s through with him and his game playing for good.Jayd just wants to start her Junior year of high school drama free. But wanting ain''t getting, especially at a place like Drama High, a predominately white high school in a wealthy part of Los Angeles, where Jayd and 30 other Compton kids get bussed to daily. Saying race relations aren''t what they should be would be putting it mildly, and that''s just the beginning of the drama. Jayd''s first day back to school, KJ''s new girlfriend, Trecee, steps to her wanting to fight. Egged on by Misty, Jayd''s former best friend-turned-nemesis, Trecee wants to make Jayd understand that KJ is off limits--even if she has to do it with her fists. With the fight set for Friday, and the sistah drama at an all time high, Jayd is about to learn who''s really got her back and more importantly, when she''s got to watch it. But at least she can always count on Mama, and her mystical bag of tricks. Drama High is a remarkably assured debut, and L. Divine is a tantalizing and refreshing new voice. Jayd and her bold, honest, and laugh-out-loud funny assessment of life, along with her quirky cast of friends, classmates, loves, her magical family and eccentric neighbors make for an irresistible, can''t-put-it-down read.

Just as South Bay High''s Jayd Jackson is feeling good that her two main social circles have finally come together, drama takes over once more, and the usual suspects are involved. . . These days, family and relationship drama is the name of the game in Jayd''s life--from her fighting uncles on the home front to her friend Mickey''s possible pregnancy--aka her "maybe baby"--to a vengeful plan being plotted by Misty, Jayd''s nemesis, over a highly personal problem. In fact, Jayd may have to do some plotting of her own to keep her crew safe from Misty''s drama. Meanwhile, Rah is trying to get closer to Jayd, but she won''t be his rebound girl. Everything comes to a head when Jayd''s ex, Jeremy, asks to play basketball with Rah and the others and is told that a white boy can''t ball. Jeremy proves them wrong, but will that be enough for them to let him on the team for an important game? Or will ego and stereotyping win? It''s almost more than Jayd can take--until her Mama reminds her of her powerful lineage. Now it''s time for Jayd to catch up on her spirit work, and confront some powerful emotions of her own. . .

It''s almost Valentine''s Day at South Bay High, but romance is the last thing on Jayd Jackson''s mind. . .If Cupid had his way, love would be in the air at South Bay High. But even though Valentine''s Day is around the corner, no one''s having an easy time of it--especially not Jayd Jackson, who lost her mojo after her friend Tre''s shooting. Worn out by Tre''s death--and sick of the same old drama with Rah--Jayd''s suddenly ruining her clients'' hair and feeling alienated from her friends. And to make things worse, she''s got to watch her back because her nemesis, Misty, is plotting her ruin. Good thing Jayd has her magical Mama on her side. Because to protect herself and bring her crew back together, Jayd will need more than her inner strength. She''ll need the help of her gifted ancestors. . .

Ever since she discovered a love for drag racing, it''s full speed ahead for Jayd Jackson. . .Fed up with the way her school''s handling Cultural Awareness Day, Jayd and her crew decide to form the first African Student Union. Now some notorious haters are out for blood. But that''s not the only multicultural activity Jayd''s got cooking. On the boy front, Jayd discovers she loves being behind the wheel of her friends'' hot rods, but she can''t deny her attraction for Emilio, the new Latino sophomore at South Bay High. Emilio seems to be crushin'' hard on Jayd too. And now that Jayd may be South Bay''s last virgin, she wonders if it''s time to take things to the next level.But her magical grandmother thinks Jayd''s already moving too fast--and if she doesn''t slow down, she''s sure to get burned. . .

Jayd Jackson''s about to take the most important test of her life. . .With the Advanced Placement exams coming up, Jayd can''t afford any distractions. Enter Rah''s baby mama, the master of stirring up trouble. Despite her best intentions, Jayd gets entangled in the drama and fails her pre-test exam. Knowing it''s time to get her act together, she joins a study group on campus, sharpens her skills--and meets a whole new crew. Unfortunately, Jayd''s the only one who''s happy about her newfound study habits and newfound friends. Her old crew is suddenly full of haters--and even Mama''s giving her a hard time. Just when it seems things can''t get any worse, Misty starts talking smack, hoping to destroy Jayd once and for all. Now Jayd''s wondering if the real test is whether she''s ready to say goodbye to the old and move on up and out. . .

If only there was a potion to make all Jayd Jackson''s troubles disappear. . .Even though Jayd''s finished with the AP exams and finally has some space of her own at her mother''s house, she''s got to deal with the drama all around her. Mickey blames Jayd for her ruined baby shower; Rah, her ex, is bristling over her renewed relationship with beach boy Jeremy; and her #1 frenemy, Misty, is hard at work conjuring trouble. With so much going on, it''s hard for Jayd to concentrate on her spirit lessons and hair braiding business. But Jayd''s determined to push back and claim some peace for herself, ''cause focusing on the gift from her ancestors could hold the key to bringing the chaos under control for good. . .

Jayd Jackson hopes her magical Mama has a spell to chase all her cares away. . .Jayd needs time to recoup from her dramatic school year, but time is the one thing she doesn''t have. She''s said yes to becoming a debutante, and now she has to deal with her girl Mickey''s jealousy--on top of babysitting, hair braiding, cheer camp, and a summer writing class. With the stress of Jayd''s hectic schedule, strange visions, and insomnia, luckily Mama returns from her vacation in time to help Jayd and her crew avert real drama. Mama''s convinced something sinister is at play, and they both need a plan to get Jayd her swagger back before it''s too late. . .

For Jayd Jackson, a new school takes the drama to a new level. . .With her senior year just beginning, Jayd''s drama is going nowhere anytime soon. Although she''s graduated to the next level with her powers, she''s also going head-to-head with her former best friend, Misty. Jayd''s also got to deal with the aftermath of the debutante ball, her boyfriend''s cheating, and her ex-boyfriend/best guy friend Rah''s continuing baby mama drama. Luckily, when her crew gets to be too much, Jayd can turn to her new crush Keenan, a UCLA first draft football pick, for a time out. Jayd''s got to keep a cool head now more than ever because there''s a new enemy waiting to pounce if she lets down her guard . . .

For South Bay High''s bold, beautiful Jayd Jackson, drama has reached record-breaking heights as she finds herself on the defensive at home, work, and school. Maybe it''s time to take her destiny--and her power--into her own hands. . .Her relationship with now-ex boyfriend Jeremy behind her, Jayd realizes drama is just a never-ending part of daily life. Even so, she''s reached her limit, battling with her new boss, jealousies at school, and tensions at home. To deal with it all, Jayd is ready to give some attention to her legacy as one in a long line of conjure women. But that legacy comes with a line of rivals too--and a couple of them are much too close to home. First, there''s Misty, Jayd''s enemy #1 and current girlfriend of Jayd''s other ex, KJ. Then there''s Jayd''s neighbor, Esmeralda, a conjurer from Louisiana whose crystal-clear blue eyes are said to be deadly. When Jayd spots Misty''s mom visiting Esmeralda, she knows something''s up and it''s time for Mama to fill her in. Turns out there''s a history between these families, and if Jayd wants to keep the drama under control, she''ll have to learn to use her power like never before--and become the woman she was born to be.

Back for another dose of high drama, Compton''s sassiest, Jayd Jackson, is about to discover it really is a different world when she starts dating South Bay High''s finest white boy. . .All Jayd Jackson wants is a drama-free year at South Bay High, a.k.a. Drama High. But it doesn''t seem she''s going to get it. It''s only the second week of Junior year and already, Misty, her nemesis, has almost gotten her killed after instigating a fight between Jayd and KJ''s girlfriend, Trecee. But it goes with the territory. She''s a fire child, and granddaughter to Lynne Mae Williams—Mama—and Mama says that means the drama will follow Jayd wherever she goes. Even so, Jayd just wants to chill, still hoping Junior year can carry on, drama-free. And with Misty and KJ reportedly "hanging," Jayd is ready to move on. But the brother won''t stop blowing up Jayd''s cellie, and the text-messages keep coming; and the message is clear: KJ wants Jayd back bad. But Jayd couldn''t care less. She''s got a new man to kick-it with now—a half-Jewish white boy from Palos Verdes whose parents are loaded with a capital "L." And Jeremy Weiner''s no ordinary white boy—he listens to East Coast rap, he''s got a sweet ride, and he''s got it bad for Jayd Jackson. But no one at South Bay High will just let a sistah be happy. Misty''s back to her usual foolishness, KJ''s all over her jock, and the notoriously anti-black teacher Mrs. Bennett is tripping. Jeremy''s got her totally sprung, but she''s going to have to rely on her brains—and some of Mama''s magic, of course—if she''s going to survive another week at Drama High.L. Divine is at the top of her game in this superb follow-up to the power-packed Drama High: The Fight. Look for the next juicy installment, Jayd''s Legacy, coming soon.

It''s official: South Bay High''s finest, Jayd Jackson, and its coolest white boy, Jeremy Weiner, are a couple. And if that''s not enough interracial drama for South Bay''s mostly white, wealthy student body, Jayd and her bold, beautiful, black renaissance crew have more on the way. . ..Friends and teachers at South Bay High may be hating, but Jayd and Jeremy are falling in love, and if anyone has a problem with their happiness, especially an ex who''s back in Jayd''s life aiming to sweep her off her feet—well, that''s no surprise. This is Drama High after all. And Jayd is no stranger to controversy—it''s in her blood, and it seems it''s in her girl Nellie''s blood too.Homecoming is just around the corner, and South Bay High has never had a black princess, queen, or royalty of any kind for any event. But that''s about to change. The Drama Club is sponsoring Nellie to run for the junior class, hoping to give the Cheerleaders and Athletes a run for their money. If Nellie wins, she''ll make history. In fact, Nellie is so deep in the zone, Jayd''s afraid she''ll forget to watch her back because the students of South Bay are serious about their crowns. As Nellie''s chances for victory heat up, so does the hostility from the smartass opposition. Nellie may be flying too high to notice, but Jayd can see the drama coming. And as usual, she''s on it—with a little help from her magical Mama and her mystical ancestors, of course.

A YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult ReadersSouth Bay High''s Jayd Jackson finally has her own ride, but that sure doesn''t mean her troubles are over. . .These days, Jayd just can''t seem to get a break. Her car is more trouble than it''s worth; her girl Mickey is being forced to attend continuation school; and Rah and his ex Sandy are still arguing.Despite these distractions, Jayd concentrates on making potions for hair and developing her own signature braid technique, which is getting her a lot of respect and money. But then school starts up again, and with it comes more drama. If Jayd wants to keep it all under control, she''ll have to look deep into herself and take her destiny into her own hands. . .

A YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult ReadersBetween Christmas, the annual Fall Festival, and baby-mama issues, South Bay High is vibrating with activity, excitement, and drama. . .The holidays are coming, along with all the madness and materialism that comes with them. As usual, Jayd is just trying to stay sane while everyone around her is losing it. Mickey''s got a major secret and Jayd''s girl Nellie is trying to stir up trouble with her loose lips. Vengeful Laura is trying to undermine Jayd''s performance in the school production of Shakespeare''s Lady Macbeth. Rah''s baby mama, Sandy, is trying to keep him from seeing his daughter. And that''s just for starters. Worst of all, Jayd''s grandmother warns her that serious trouble is on the way. Between a spiritual cleansing, a potion, and the mystical support of her gifted ancestors, will Jayd be able to stop all this homegirl drama in its tracks?

South Bay High wouldn''t be such a bad place to go to school if it weren''t for all the drama. Not that Jayd Jackson''s helping matters. She''s right there in the center of it all--whether she wants to be or not. Maybe it just goes with the turf. After all, there''s a reason they call this place Drama High. . . Jayd doesn''t know what''s going on with her girl, Nellie. Ever since she got named homecoming princess, she''s been acting like Mickey and Jayd aren''t her friends anymore, and she''s even falling in deeper with Tania and her crew. It''s amazing the girl can fit her new crown over that big head of hers. And then there''s Jayd''s boyfriend Jeremy. His aloof attitude is really getting on her nerves. Jayd''s even starting to question his commitment, not to mention her own. Especially since lately, all she can think about is Rah--and that surprise kiss he planted on her the other day. . .