Countdown to Publication: Fun Fact 12--On Beauty

My young protagonist, Rachel, is beautiful. And she is constantly struggling to understand what that means to other people--how it often endangers her. Rachel is nothing like me in this respect. I can see the photos and see that I was a cute kid. But I was no beauty in my teens--I was awkward-looking: crazy biracial hair, buck-teeth and a unique (at best) bohemian sensibility of style. I discovered something approaching cute at close to age 30 -- and now age 40--well, I wish I were 30 again! Proof in the pudding is this photo!