Books

It’s the spring of 1967, and 13-year-old Laura has one goal: to get beyond busy signals and play the Jet Set contest on radio station KHJ. What she doesn’t count on is winning. And then she does. One Monday morning before school Laura wins a trip for two to Hawaii with L.A.’s coolest D.J. and host of the Saturday night teen dance show on TV. Instant 15 minutes of fame!

Caller Number Nine begins on a Princess telephone and shines under Hollywood lights and the glow of a Waikiki sunset. Yet how can something this exciting lead to so many problems at home and at school? And why is it important anyway, when a family friend is killed in Vietnam and feminism is raising questions that aren’t as straightforward as a radio contest?

Caller Number Nine received a QED designation from F+W Media for Quality, Excellence and Design. In other words, my novel will read well on whatever eReader you choose to use!

Where to Buy

Buy from Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble Nook | Apple iTunes/iBookstore

When Molly Was in the Hospital is a fictionalized account of what my older daughters, Jennifer and Allison, went through when their baby sister, Molly, was in and out of the hospital before and after her diagnosis of celiac disease. Molly won the 1995 Benjamin Franklin Award for best children’s book published the previous year by an independent press.

“This true-to-life story captures the reality of how a sibling’s illness, hospitalization, and surgery affects family dynamics and the range of emotions—including fear, anger, jealousy, love, and frustration—that siblings of patients often experience. Beautiful black-and-white illustrations.”

— Contemporary Pediatrics

“This unique offering will be welcomed by stressed relatives who do not want to overlook the emotional needs of siblings during a difficult time.”

— School Library Journal

Where to Buy

Buy directly from the publisher Rayve Productions | Buy from Amazon

I share my family’s success stories (as well as a few flops) and our favorite books in Joy of Reading: One family’s fun-filled guide to reading success. Joy came out in 1997, a year before we all started reading Harry Potter. While hundreds of new books have been added to our library since then and my daughters are all now in their twenties, the books and essays about reading are still relevant to 21st century families.

“Weaving in anecdotes and commentary, (Duncan) has created far more than an annotated reading list. Reading Joy of Reading is more like having a conversation about books with a good friend.”

— Newport Beach/Costa Mesa Daily Pilot

“. . . browsing in it (Joy of Reading) will give you years of titles to look for, and a contagious enthusiasm for the way Duncan and her husband, Bill, have turned their three daughters into bookworms.”

— San Jose Mercury News

Where to Buy

Buy directly from the publisher Rayve Productions | Buy from Amazon

I’m a theater geek. My kids were in dozens of children’s theater shows. I’m the co-author of three children’s musicals. So of course I love Glee. I jumped at the chance to enter a contest I heard about on Twitter to write an essay on any aspect of my favorite TV show. And I won! Every Girl Needs a Kurt is included in the fun new book perfect for any Gleek, Filled with Glee.

Where to Buy

Smart Pop Books | Kindle edition from Amazon

I don’t mind saying I love Twitter. Why? It helps me make contacts, leads me to good (most of the time!) information, allows me to interact with other writers and reporters in real time and find out what’s going on at the moment. It’s also fun. David Pogue, who knows all things tech, was one of the first tweeps I followed. He started posing funny, or sometimes poignant, questions every night, then retweeting the best answers. I laughed my way to bed. I also submitted a few replies. He liked my answer to the question “What’s the weirdest job you ever had?” and that’s how I ended up as a co-author of The World According to Twitter. I’ve left this book out on our coffee table. People who don’t even like Twitter giggle their way through it!

Where to Buy

Amazon | IndieBound