Author Holly Cupala on the "Dear Bully" Anthology and her latest Young Adult Novel, "Don't Breathe A Word"

I love getting the story behind the story, and that's exactly what Holly Cupala shares in our interview:

Don't Breathe A Word By Holly Cupala

"Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words—tender words, cruel words—until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe…if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength."

Dear Bully: 70 YA Authors Tell Their Stories Edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones

A Non-Fiction Anthology of "dear bully" essays and letters by "today's top authors for teens and young readers"

The list of contributors is impressive, including Holly Cupala and a number of authors whose YA books (with GLBTQ characters and themes) are featured here:  Carrie Jones, Cecil Castellucci, Ellen Hopkins, Jo Knowles, Lisa Yee, and Nancy Garden.

There's also a wonderful website, dearbully.com, that shares one new "dear bully" story a week - and these are stories not included in the book! You should definitely check it out:

Add your reviews of "Don't Breathe A Word" and "Dear Bully" in comments!