It’s all about being shy and then finding a way deal with it . . . or not. DANIELLE JOSEPH’s SHRINKING VIOLET is out and it’s a great summer read.

Here’s why:

For high school senior Teresa Adams, every day is an ordeal. She’s so painfully shy that she lives in dread of having to speak to anyone in the hallways or answer questions in class. But after school, in the privacy of her bedroom with her iPod in hand, she rocks—doing mock broadcasts for Miami’s hottest FM radio station, which happens to be owned by her stepfather. When a slot opens up, Tere surprises herself by working up the nerve to ask her stepfather to give her a chance—and finds herself The SLAM’s newest intern on one of the station’s most popular shows. Behind the mike she’s Sweet T, her sexy, confident on-air persona. To everyone’s shock—especially her mother’s—Sweet T is a hit. Even Gavin, the only guy in school who she dares to talk to, raves about the mysterious DJ’s awesome taste in music, making Tere wonder if it’s possible to be jealous of yourself. But when The SLAM announces a songwriting contest—and a prom date with “Sweet T” is the grand prize-Sweet T’s dream could turn into Tere’s worst nightmare. . . .

About the Author

Danielle Joseph was a college DJ for five years on the Gyroscope, a world music show. She also interned at several top Boston radio stations while earning her BFA in Creative Writing and an MA in Marketing Communications and Advertising from Emerson College. She has taught Creative Writing and English to Middle school students.

Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Danielle now lives in Miami, Florida with her husband and two young sons. These days you can find her cruising around with the tunes blaring and her internal DJ hard at work.

Thanks for dropping by today, Danielle. I know your readers are interested in knowing something about the creator of this beautifully shy girl. So here are a few questions.

Of all your favorite books, which one do you wish you had written?

Probably Tunes for Bears to Dance to by Robert Cormier. It is such a rich book but each word was chosen so carefully that is a a really smooth read!

Cormier is one of my favorite writers, so I’m really happy that you’ve mentioned one of his books.

What fictional character do you wish you could be?

SpongeBob because there seems to be so much going on in Bikini Bottom!

After chocolate what do you eat to make the writer-block pain go away?

More chocolate-lol!!

Of course, what else.

SHRINKING VIOLET IS AVAILABLE AT AMAZON AND YOUR LOCAL INDIE.