Erik & Isabelle Senior Year at Foresthill High Rounds Out Gay & Lesbian Young Adult Fiction Series

Sacramento, CA (PRWEB) July 6, 2007 -- Like the dynamic characters in her wildly popular book series about gay and lesbian youth, author Kim Wallace is at a crossroads. In just weeks, Foglight Press's release of Erik & Isabelle Senior Year at Foresthill High will complete the beloved four-book series. "Many readers ask me if Erik and Isabelle will go to college. My bittersweet answer is, 'perhaps, but not with me'," Wallace replies. "This has been the most rewarding work of my life and I'm proud to have made the contribution of four pieces of literature to the world of gay and lesbian young adult fiction."

Contributions that will likely stand the test of time. In the world of publishing, GLBTQ issues are gaining greater exposure. This year Wallace was named one of five finalists for the 2006 Lambda Literary Award for Young Adult Fiction--a category boasting a record-breaking 17 nominations. "Back when I starting writing the series in 2000, I think there were fewer than twenty YA books total with gay main characters. I am thrilled to see that number magnify," Wallace states. "I've found that gay kids are often avid readers. And the ones that aren't sometimes realize they are when offered something that clicks."

This fact was confirmed when Wallace visited South Brooklyn Community High School in June 2007. She met with students who confessed that they'd never finished a book before coming across the Erik & Isabelle series. "They treated me like a rock star," Wallace states. "They wanted pictures with me, my autograph, the works. Over books. Books!" That is truly what drives this writer: knowing that her words build bridges that might not otherwise be built. "Not just between students and literature," she explains. "But also kids with other kids. This is about people. Some of my greatest fans were straight kids who were excited about gaining understanding of an orientation that's different from theirs."

Slated for an August 2007 release, Erik & Isabelle Senior Year at Foresthill High (ISBN 978-0-9755848-3-5) follows right on the heels of Wallace's exceptional trio of Foresthill High books. The final episode of this groundbreaking series brings readers halfway across the world to experience Erik's journey into himself as he adjusts to living in a foreign country. Germany proves fertile ground for growth, love, and a destiny Erik could have never foreseen. Isabelle, left behind in Foresthill for her senior year, finds Mandy and herself at the center of controversy. Though no strangers to scandal, this time the girls are forced to face hate head on as a conservative student group actively opposes their nomination as homecoming queens. Though separated by miles, Erik and Isabelle remain the closest of friends as they step toward the brink of adulthood and their last days of high school.

"Each of my books is unique, like having different children with distinct personalities. I have loved being in the company of Erik and Isabelle these years and more-so, loved hearing from readers about their experiences with the characters," Wallace says. "As for what's next? I'll let you know when I do." Meanwhile, the author will be promoting Erik & Isabelle Senior Year at Foresthill High by visiting classrooms, speaking to groups, attending workshops, and engaging in other venues that introduce teens to the Foresthill High series.

Erik & Isabelle Senior Year at Foresthill can be purchased at http://www.foglightpress.com Order all four books as a package on the publisher's website for just $40. Books are also available online at Amazon.com or can be ordered at any bookstore through Bookazine Distributors.

About the Foresthill High Series:

Boys taking other boys to the prom? Girls holding hands as they stroll through school hallways? Students working together to educate their community or just enjoy a queer flick together? This is not your parents' closet anymore. Ripe with the angst and comedy that embody high school life, the teens of Foresthill prevail with optimism and hope that resonates in young people everywhere.

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