Do you remember middle school? Between braces, streaks of green in my blond hair from year-round swim team, and my scrawny, undeveloped body, I remember feeling like I was the only one who didn’t fit in. It’s funny to think about that now, but it’s not funny to our middle school aged children! So I decided 2Wrds would take a short intermission from our scheduled programming to bring you some good, clean reading for middle teens!

Being an author a of middle grade teen novel soon to be published, I also thought my readers would enjoy these novels while you wait for mine to come out!  (How’s that for self-promotion!)

Since 2Wrds is founded on providing encouragement and inspiration, the novels I will feature over the next few weeks are no exception. They are quality stories packed full of positive messages. Even if you don’t have kids, I think you will enjoy these books. This week I’ll focus on girls and next week I will feature a book series for boys.

My featured author today is Victoria Kimble, author of The Choir Girls series. Personally, I loved reading Soprano Trouble, as I could really relate to Summer, who couldn’t figure out how to please all her friends and was caught in the middle of a no-win situation! Let’s hear from Victoria.

What inspired you to write The Choir Girls series? 

For as long as I live, I will never forget how hard junior high was. I will also never forget how fun choir was. Those two monumental experiences in my life were what inspired The Choir Girls series. The books I read during my middle school years are the ones that helped shape my life as I moved into the teenage years and even beyond, so I always just think of stories that I would have liked to read back then.

What theme does each book convey to middle school girls?

Soprano Trouble, book one, addresses friendship and bullying. It specifically addresses what happens if someone you are friends with turns out to be the bully. How should you handle that?

Alto Secrets, book two, addresses identity and truthfulness. Middle schoolers are just figuring out who they are and sometimes that might be a bit different than who they have always been. This story helps kids take a look at who God made them to be.

Harmony Blues, book three, addresses forgiveness. Nobody can go through this life without being hurt by others, but how should they handle it when the people who hurt them are the people who are closest to them, like their best friends and family?

Solo Disaster, book four (due to release in September,) addresses our relationship with others. How should we act if we’ve hurt other people? How do you go about making things right? And how do you accept the forgiveness of others?

What lesson do you hope middle school girls will learn from your books?

I hope every person who reads my stories has a “me too” experience. Those were my favorite stories growing up and they still are. The ones where I connect with the character or the character’s situation on a level I wasn’t expecting. I hope middle school girls, especially, will realize that the situations they face every day in school and with their friends are situations that everyone faces. It’s easy to believe that you are the only one who feels a certain way, making you feel isolated and shameful. That is so unnecessary! Everyone has insecurities, and I want kids to know that they don’t need to be afraid or ashamed of the things they are going through!

What was your favorite scene to write and why?

In Harmony Blues, I really enjoyed writing the scene that takes place at The Melting Pot. The Melting Pot is a real restaurant that I’ve only been to once. It’s all about fondue and they have an amazing dessert menu. I loved having Brittany and her parents go there, even if it was for a different reason than Brittany was expecting. I always enjoy putting real life places into my stories.

The Choir Girls series is available on Amazon.

Soprano Trouble: https://www.amazon.com/Soprano-Trouble-Choir-Girls-Book/dp/1542618894/ 

Alto Secrets: https://www.amazon.com/Alto-Secrets-Choir-Girls-2/dp/1946920029/   

Harmony Blues: https://www.amazon.com/Harmony-Blues-Choir-Girls-Book-ebook/dp/B073DKC4PY/

Victoria is the author of The Choir Girls series. She is a wife, a mom to three girls, a full-fledged homebody, a so-so housekeeper, a mediocre musician and has dreamed of writing her whole life. She lives at the foot of the Rockies in Littleton, Colorado and she will never take that for granted. She loves French fries, superhero TV shows and movies, and cats. She could probably love the beach if she ever spent any time there. Her thoughts live at www.victoriakimble.com

Contact Victoria at www.victoriakimble.com

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