About the Book
Have you ever overheard whispers about yourself? Imagine if you had learned to depend on your ears and could hear even better than the average person. To begin her series about extraordinary preteens overcoming a variety of challenges, the author shares what it was like coming of age as a totally blind student in West Texas.
For Amber, there almost seems to be a contest at her middle school as to who can be the meanest to her. She has to endure humiliation in the school cafeteria, in choir class, at a school dance, at the mall, and even at a family gathering. And always, there are the relentless whispers.
At long last, after meeting other blind kids and then setting a new and better academic course for herself, Amber—who has renamed herself Cheyenne—finds her way to a much happier environment, one in which she can grow and thrive.
About the Author
I am a Texan mother of five, living in Arizona, along with two grandpuppies and a grandpiggy (guinea pig). I am totally blind, due to a battle with Retina Blastoma and enjoy homeschooling with my family.
I love to teach and have been writing since the first grade, starting out on my grandma’s old typewriter, although my first book was not published until the very end of 2020. The pandemic forced me to slow down from many activities, and I decided to use some of my newly discovered spare time to focus on publishing some books that I had written throughout the years. To date, I have managed to publish seven books, and there are over twenty more books in various stages of production. My goal is to create fun and engaging books that also educate.
I am looking for people to interview for my Extraordinary Series. If you experienced hardships or discrimination for any reason during your middle school years, and are interested in sharing part of your story, please email me at: feather.chelle.author@gmail.com
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Interview Questions
What made you decide to write your story that focused on your middle school years?
Going into 6th grade was a huge, pivotal time in my life. So much changed for me, both at home and at school. Most importantly, other students begun to see me in a different way, and that had a profound impact upon my own self-image.
Did your family members read it and what did they think about it?
So far, only my grandmother and sister have read this book, and they were both a little shocked. I guess I never really spoke to anyone about the extent of what I was experiencing.
I found the book relatable in many ways as a girl growing up and not just about being someone who is blind, how did you pick what experiences you wanted to share?
I left out a number of experiences, for sure, but I tried to pick the ones that had the biggest effect on me in the long-run. I changed names to protect the integrity of real individuals, and I altered some of the events in my story to make it a bit more child-friendly, if you will.
You explained terms found in the vision community in such an easy, “matter of fact” way to the reader. Was one of your goals to help educate while writing this book?
I was trying to educate, yes. Ability awareness is a huge passion of mine, and I hope to educate with every book in this series.
What was one of the best compliments you got so far about the book?
I have a 14-year-old beta reader, who is extremely candid and insightful. She says that she loves the main character’s fun and feisty personality. Since she is based on me, I take it as a great compliment.
What do you want the readers to come away with after reading your book?
With this entire series, I am really hoping to bring awareness of disabilities and show kids that everyone has their own struggles and challenges to overcome. I hope that I can foster empathy and demonstrate that everyone is walking a unique path in life.
More from Feather Chelle: The Color of Darkness
