The past eight months have been an amazing learning experience, bringing Matt Archer to market. I’ve been ecstatic with the reception Matt’s gotten and look forward to finishing out the series.

But, I’ve had another dream: seeing some of my books traditionally published. Pursuit of this dream began in 2008 and there have been a ton of highs and lows associated with the process. But I had hope that one day, the dream would come true.

Which is why I’m absolutely thrilled to share that my contemporary YA, SIDELINED, is going to be published by Entangled Publishing later in 2013!!! You can find out more about the story here.

UPDATE: Here’s the Publisher’s Marketplace announcement!

Digital: Young Adult
Kendra Highley’s contemporary YA debut SIDELINED, in which an eighteen-year-old high school basketball sensation’s dream of playing at the collegiate level is shattered when she breaks her leg at the state tournament, spiraling her into a world of prescription drug addiction that jeopardizes her new relationship with her longtime crush, her crumbling family, and her life, to Heather Howland at Entangled digiTeen, in a nice deal, for publication Summer 2013 (World).

SIDELINED is truly the book of my heart. Every author has one: the book that kept you up at night, that raked your soul and held on to you even after you wrote “the end.” I loved every moment I spent with this manuscript. So, I’m humbled that this is the novel Entangled has agreed to publish. I’m eager to work with Heather Howland and the rest of the amazing staff at Entangled as we bring Genna’s story into the world.

Can you tell I’m totally gobsmacked right now? Wow. There are a ton of people to thank, so please bear with me a minute:

The editorial staff at Entangled, especially Heather and Sue, for taking a chance on Genna and me.

My cousin, Kary Rader, for all her support as a fellow writer, for her prayers, and for asking haveyousubmittedSIDELINEDalreadyorwhat?!!!

My amazing critique partners/beta readers: J.R. Hochman, Lindsay Buroker, Jeanne Haskin, Jenny Martin, Teresa Frohock and Ladonna Watkins. A special thank you goes to Ladonna for validating the emotional journey of an athlete.

Two of my oldest friends from middle/high school, both of whom gave me invaluable help and inside information about the sport of women’s basketball, the types of injuries you can sustain from such a high-impact activity and how you might rehab one of those injuries: Andrea Guizec and Robin Ellis Wright.

My family, especially my husband Ryan, who gave me the gift of time and encouragement which enabled me to write.

And finally, one of my writing idols, Laurie Halse Anderson, who I met in the summer of 2011 right about the time I started writing this manuscript. She gave me a piece of advice I held onto while writing SIDELINED:

I can’t wait to see what the finished product looks like, and to hear what y’all think of the story. It’s going to be a busy eighteen months, finishing off the Matt Archer series, debuting SIDELINED and starting a few other new projects. I get a little dizzy thinking about it, but what a rush!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go breathe into a paper bag for a while.