Prey

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Many of you who are familiar with my work will know that Prey is not my typical book. In fact, as it's turned out, it isn't even the book I intended to write about the subject of a female teacher involved with a male high school student. The book I planned was different from this one, but once I got into the research and actual writing of Prey, the story took on a life of its own. I hope it makes you come to conclusions, as I did.

This is a novel I felt compelled to write and one that supports my philosophy: no one gets to choose what life gives to him or her; one can only choose how one responds to these happenings. This book is a study of characters who make bad choices, choices that will follow them, even haunt them, for the rest of their lives.

Exploring the issue of relationships between female teachers and male students in a work of fiction has been illuminating, and researching the issue has been both enlightening and disturbing. Here are some facts: no uniform laws govern this issue nationwide— laws differ from state to state. The age of consent varies widely, as do judicial rulings. Punishment is meted out by judges and even juries with few specific guidelines—one state might prosecute harshly, while another might give no more than a slap on the wrist. However, one thing is certain—the number of these cases, or at least the reporting of them, is growing in our schools, both public and private.

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