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Spark Your Story: Musings of the Teenage Author
L.A. Thigpen’s Spark Your Story is a deeply personal and powerfully candid memoir-essay hybrid that follows the journey of a young, autistic, biracial teenage girl navigating creativity, identity, and self-worth in a world that doesn’t always make room for people like her. Through lyrical prose, diary-like reflections, and bursts of poetic insight, Thigpen charts her transformation from a shy dreamer into a published author, wrestling with schoolyard cruelty, internal conflict, and the heady pride of achievement. The book swings between narrative storytelling and heartfelt advice, tackling themes of bullying, neurodiversity, minority representation, and the relentless pursuit of creativity.
Reading this book felt like sitting down with someone raw and real—someone who isn’t afraid to spill their soul. What struck me the most was the voice. It’s urgent. It’s poetic. It’s completely unfiltered in the best way. Some pages sing with metaphor and beauty. Others slice through with blunt emotion. There were moments that felt like I was reading the words of a seasoned author, and then others where her teenage fire and vulnerability shone clearly. That inconsistency was honest. It made the book feel alive. The mix of prose, journal entries, rants, affirmations, and analogies (the wren motif especially) stitched together a voice that’s wholly unique.
Parts of the book felt tangled. There were times I wanted to stay longer with one idea. It’s chaotic. But maybe that’s the point. Thigpen isn’t trying to hand you a neat memoir with a tidy bow. She’s showing the mess of coming-of-age, the war between self-love and self-doubt, the push-pull of wanting to belong and choosing to stand out. The unfiltered format might not be for everyone. But for me, the emotional bursts and creative zigzags were what made the book engaging and relatable.
Spark Your Story is a love letter to outsiders. A manifesto for young creators. It would resonate with anyone who’s ever felt out of place, especially young women, neurodivergent teens, and aspiring writers. It’s also a reminder to the rest of us that genius doesn’t come with age—it comes with truth. I’d hand this to every middle schooler feeling invisible, to every dreamer who’s been told “no,” and to every adult who forgot what that fire felt like.
Pages: 111 | ASIN : B0DKDBDK8C
Be Kind To Others
Fahrenheit 2600 follows a teen boy battling his demons who, after getting into some trouble, meets a dreamer with a crazy plan and forms a bond of friendship in a steel foundry. What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
I wanted to capture the spirit of 1970s Australia—the grit, the slang, the music, and the quiet dignity of people who broke their backs every day just to get by. But I also wanted to explore the irony behind the old adage, “they don’t make them like they used to.” The so-called good old days weren’t always so good. Yes, we worked hard and faced real physical challenges, but there was also a kind of silent suffering that went unnoticed. Pain buried under pride, humour, and often long shifts at a factory.
Today’s world—while more comfortable—comes with its own brand of pain. We may not be toiling on production lines, but we’re caught in the exhausting, cerebral maze of social media, identity, and constant comparison. The struggle has shifted—from the body to the mind—and both eras carry their own kind of scars. I wanted to give that some air, to draw a line between those two worlds, and maybe bridge the generations a little.
What was the most challenging part of writing your memoir, and what was the most rewarding?
My first book, Wog in a fish shop of which Fahrenheit 2600 is a sequel, was a challenge in a different way. I forced myself to revisit a tough childhood, but I wanted to tell it with humour and warmth. I wrote it in an anecdotal style, leaning into the absurdity of certain moments to make it more entertaining than heavy.
Fahrenheit 2600 was tougher in that I didn’t just want another collection of memories—I wanted it to feel like a proper story, with a clear protagonist, stakes, and a reason to keep turning the pages. That shift from memoir to narrative was an enormous leap for me. The hardest part was editing it down—it was nearly twice the length at one point. Being brutal with the cuts, killing off scenes I liked for the sake of pace and structure, that was painful but necessary.
One thing that really helped me through the process was something my daughter, Jess Leondiou, taught me. She’s a journaling advocate who is podcasting about the benefits of writing down both positive and negative thoughts and can help rewire the brain. That practice helped me push through the doubts and stay clear on why I was writing this book in the first place.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
It might sound like a cliché, but I truly believe the most important thing in life is to be kind to others. No matter how they present themselves—More often than not they are carrying some kind of internal struggle. In Fahrenheit 2600, I wanted to show that via the conflict between the main character and the antagonist, who at one point are on the brink of actual violence. But as the story unfolds, something shifts. There’s a twist near the end that I hope catches readers off guard—in a good way—and shows just how complex and surprising people can be when you look past the surface. If that moment leaves readers thinking twice before judging someone too harshly, then that’s a good thing.
Author Links: GoodReads
Fahrenheit 2600
Fahrenheit 2600 is a raw, funny, and emotionally jagged memoir that plunges us into the smoky foundries and chaotic adolescence of 1970s Adelaide. It’s a follow-up to Wog in a Fish Shop, picking up with Ross—now a teenager—ditching school, diving into grueling night shifts at a steel factory, and navigating the messy business of identity, friendship, drugs, and growing up Greek-Australian in a time and place where racism was casual and relentless. Told in vivid scenes and bold honesty, the book captures both the despair and hilarity of youth with a punch to the gut and a smirk on the face.
One of the things I loved most about this book is how unfiltered it is. Ross doesn’t sugarcoat anything, not the work, not the people, not even himself. The opening chapter, where he describes sitting in his freezing car before a night shift, feeling broken and staring at a road-killed cat, just hits. The metaphor is subtle but powerful: he’s roadkill too, flattened by the hopeless routine of factory life. “I live in myself like a mouse lives inside a cage,” he writes. That line was lodged in my head for days. He paints the factory not just as a place but as a spiritual void, a black hole that sucks away your dreams. Yet even in that bleakness, there’s humor. There’s grit. There’s Roberta Flack on the radio and the absurd comfort of a half-smoked cigarette. You feel it all.
But Ross isn’t just bitter—he’s observant, reflective, and surprisingly tender. Especially when he talks about Stag, his wild, fearless best friend who kind of becomes a stand-in for freedom. Their friendship is beautiful and unhinged. There’s a sweetness to it that makes you nostalgic for a kind of reckless, deep-in-your-bones teenage bond. I was moved by how openly Ross recalls their connection. It made me think about my own teenage years, the weird mix of invincibility and vulnerability.
Ross Leondiou has a voice like no one else—rough around the edges but poetic in all the right places. Sometimes, it’s downright brutal, like when he gets arrested for punching a cop and ends up in solitary confinement. Those chapters don’t ask for sympathy, they just lay it out: the fear, the shame, the weird mix of institutional coldness and sudden kindness.
If you like memoirs that aren’t trying to impress you but instead invite you into someone’s honest-to-God life, this is it. If you’ve ever felt stuck, angry, out of place, or just a little broken—this is your book. Fans of gritty coming-of-age stories, readers who dig working-class perspectives, or anyone who grew up straddling cultures will find something to love. It’s definitely not a “light read,” but it’s the kind that stays with you.
Pages: 398 | ASIN : B0DLFZXCG2
The Truth
Ghost – A Story of Survival is a gripping and haunting true story of trauma, resilience, and the sheer power of the human spirit. How hard was it to put this story out in the world for people to read?
Difficult, it was a mental exercise I had to go through every time. I wrote a chapter to invest myself enough to apply authenticity but not go so deep down the rabbit hole that I couldn’t get out again. It was a fine balance that I made. Like an athlete, warming up for a marathon. I wrote in a way that I spoke in the present tense. Then I went to the past and back to the present again as a reminder that these events have already happened.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
In my life, I was met with disbelief, reputations I had not earned, and mental illness that was not there. My family talks a lot and so I was tired of being called the liar and having false memories. I knew I wasn’t going to get restitution and that nobody was going to be held accountable. So I put it in print out into the world so the people can see corruption within our ministry, cover-ups by my family, and the three young girls who suffered for it.
How did you decide what to include and leave out in your memoir?
I left out people’s names, places, and times. But anyone who knows me who reads this book will know what I’m talking about.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
I hope for change if it’s not already implemented. It needs to be within our ministry for family and children. I also wanted the truth out there. Instead of always fighting a reputation I had not earned. My family, to this day, continues to try to sabotage my life. I could not allow that anymore, so I put it all on paper. Everything I am is in that first book. There will be two more to follow.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Amazon
This is story of nightmares. A story of fear, a story of despair and a story of survival.
A story of three young girls with one left to tell the tale.
The grit and pluck of one against the odds.
From the desperation, fear, and abuse at home, to the uncertain forest arms and back to the fire again.
Burgeoning courage couples with paralytic fear at odds with one another, she navigates blindly and any wrong could mean death.
Turn the page and join the journey…
There’s Always Hope
Before I Go follows a teenage girl dealing with the death of her brother who struggles to heal from this loss and seeks solace at the lake where they used to find joy and laughter. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for Before I Go came to me during the pandemic, a time when so many people were grappling with the loss of loved ones. In my city, we not only faced the pandemic but also endured a devastating typhoon that brought even more hardship to families. Grief and struggle were everywhere, yet people had to keep moving forward, often without the chance to truly process their feelings.
This got me thinking—what if someone couldn’t move on as quickly as those around them? What if they were still stuck in their grief while the world had already moved forward? That’s where the seed for the story was planted. From there, I leaned into the idea of exploring this through a teen fiction romance, which felt like the right fit to tell this kind of emotional journey.
I wanted to show that there are different ways of coping with loss. Some people have to move on quickly because life demands it, while others need more time. And that’s okay. We all handle grief in our own way, and there’s no right or wrong pace for healing.
In a lot of contemporary coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?
There’s a big piece of me in Before I Go. Rory’s likes and dreams mirror my own in many ways. Like her, I’m a huge Harry Potter fan, and I adore Taylor Swift and Harry Styles—both of whom get a nod in the book. I’ve always dreamed of becoming a librarian or at least working in a library, just like Rory. And the little things, like cheap cupcakes from the grocery store, are straight from my life—I even once celebrated a birthday with one as my cake!
On a deeper level, Rory’s emotions are very much a reflection of my own. Harper, in particular, is inspired by my father. He’s the person who makes me laugh so easily and has become a safety net in my life. When he fell into critical condition during the pandemic, I was terribly afraid. I was juggling everything—family responsibilities, work, all while battling COVID myself. It was an incredibly tough time, and looking back, I’m not sure how I managed to keep it all together. Even after everything settled down, I carried this weight in my chest—a fear of what could have happened if I hadn’t stayed strong.
It took me a long time to process those feelings because I had to keep them in, and it wasn’t easy. In writing this story, I created Walker because, in a way, I wanted someone like Walker in my life—a strong, supportive character who could have lifted me out of the darkness I was feeling. So yes, this story holds a big part of my heart.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The main theme I wanted to express in Before I Go is hope. It’s a simple, common word, but I feel like not everyone gets to truly experience its depth. We often overlook hope, take it for granted, or even forget it entirely. Life can sometimes drown us in fear, pain, anger, and grief, making hope feel distant or unreachable. And that’s not anyone’s fault—we all go through different things and handle them in our own ways.
But even in the midst of all that, I wanted this book to send a clear message: there’s always hope, especially for those who seek it. I pray that those who are struggling can find that thread of hope somewhere, and if they do, I hope they grab onto it and hold tight. Because no matter how tough things get, hope is there, waiting to be found.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I actually just released a new book called Heart of the Moon Goddess. It’s a retelling of Philippine mythology about the Moon Goddess and the Bakunawa, a sea serpent that wants to devour the moons in the sky. It’s now available on Amazon, and it will be available for printing and distribution soon!
This book is a bit different from my first, but I’ve always been a huge fan of romance and fantasy, so I’m really excited to see what people think of it.
I’m also currently working on another fantasy romance, but I’m keeping the details under wraps for now. Here’s a little clue: there are dragons involved! Who doesn’t love them? Stay tuned!
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Just as she learns to navigate life with newfound hope, a revelation tests her strength. Reality’s twists guide her toward an unexpected journey of forgiveness, teaching Rory that love, loss, and healing are intricate threads woven into the tapestry of life.
Little Ships: A Novel
Little Ships, by Sandra J. Scofield, offers a poignant exploration of grief, loss, and the delicate process of rediscovering joy in life. This novel is artfully composed, treating its characters with a tender yet determined touch that echoes Lynne Bryant’s The Mother Gene. Set in Oregon, the narrative centers on the Beckers and the Sunderssons, two families linked by the marriage of Nick Becker and Karin Sundersson. Nick, Karin, and their daughters, Juni and Tilde, form a close-knit unit. However, Karin’s sudden death uproots them to the Becker household—home to Nick’s parents, Eleanor and Walter, his sister Alison, and her daughter Fiona.
The story unfolds through their adjustments and accommodations, from reallocating space in the house to managing personal keepsakes like Karin’s jewelry and planning the girls’ weekends with their grandmother Helve. Eleanor, at 59, anticipates retirement but instead finds herself at the center of her family’s needs, embodying a quiet determination to nurture her granddaughters and support her son. Her efforts to reconcile with past resentments and cope with emerging family secrets add depth to her character and the family dynamics. Scofield’s narrative style combines clarity with evocative brevity, effectively painting vivid scenes and emotions without overwrought descriptions. The early chapters, laden with pathos, gradually transition to reveal the complex relationships within the family, offering insights into how everyday life can both challenge and heal those in mourning.
Little Ships stands out for its balanced portrayal of tragedy and the essential role of a supportive family network in fostering hope and resilience. This novel skillfully captures the myriad ways life’s everyday flow can both erode and soothe the sharp edges of grief.
Pages: 339 | ASIN : B0CT47B3K1
A Very Healing Outlet
The Tower: Legend of the Heartstone follows a sixteen-year-old girl who, on her birthday, enters the mysterious tower in her town and enters a realm filled with magic. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for my story came from two places. Therapy and a dream. My therapist, Lisa (who the book is dedicated to), suggested I find something that made/could make me happy by looking back on my childhood. As a pre-teen I loved to write stories, mostly horror and mystery. I gave up writing the older I became because I felt I would be made fun of for it. (Yay for social anxiety!) So, I was playing around with the idea of what kind of story I should write, when one night I had a dream. I was standing outside of a tall, mysterious Tower and I wanted to go inside. My mother was there too, and I begged her to go inside the Tower with me. She refused, saying she was perfectly happy with how her life was. I remember choosing to enter the Tower in the dream, sad my mother wasn’t joining me, but excited for the possibilities beyond its door. I woke up and started creating the story from there. I really liked the idea of a YA fantasy story that involved a child and a parent, where both have their individual journey, as well as one together. (More of that happening in book 2!)
In a lot of contemporary coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?
Yes. There are pieces of me in every part of this story. Not necessarily in the events, but in the emotions of all the characters. The feelings they feel, happy and sad, pain and sorrow, that’s where I poured out feelings I have kept inside me for years. It was a very healing outlet, and I believe it helped the characters be more relatable to my readers.
How did you handle the magic in this story, and how did it evolve as you were writing?
I had a secret weapon when it came to creating the magic system for my story. My husband, Jordan (who also drew the cover and chapter art). I came up with the core of the magic system in my story, the Heartstone, and my husband kept asking me SO many questions about the history of it, how it worked, how people used it, etc. I will admit, there wasn’t going to be much to the way magic worked in Azendor (fantasy world), but my husband was so curious and wanted more and more, that together we came up with the ins and outs of how magic worked in the world I created. I even remember one day we were out hiking with our toddler and baby, and he was asking about spell creation and how the common person could use magic in Azendor, not just the students at Refudawn Academy. I had NO idea whatsoever how to answer his question. So, I looked around at the forest we were hiking through and was inspired by nature. Realizing that with the shattering of the Heartstone, some of the magical energy had to be expelled out into the realm. Why not have it jump into nearby plants and animals? Then people could collect those things to obtain magical properties. I won’t go into much more on that, but that’s where the magic system for my story really jumped off from. The magic evolved as I wrote, because my characters kept using it more and more, which meant my husband would question/catch more loopholes to how the magic worked. He was reading each chapter after I finished its first draft, and he really helped in creating the way magic works in this story.
When will book 2 be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?
I am hoping book 2 will be available mid to late March of this year (2024). Book 1 takes place in Ena’s hometown, and the main town of Azendor, Refudawn. Book 2, The Quest, will take readers throughout the realm of Azendor. There will be more interactions with the magic of the world, and the people who live there. The kingdom of the sky dwarves, the elven forest, the ocean-side settlement of the Kiri (skin changers), and meeting the realm’s remaining dragon, Rahu. I really enjoyed writing book 2 and am so excited for people to learn even more about Ena’s mother’s past, why the dark lord is after Ena, and who her father is. AND which boy has the best chance of being her love interest (no spice – just sweet young love, it is YA after all).
Author Links: Goodreads | Website | Amazon
As her sixteenth birthday and the cusp of adulthood approaches, Ena faces a life trapped either by the ambitions of her vain and overbearing mother or the unrequited affections of her best friend.
Encouraged by a mysterious stranger, Ena enters the Tower in a desperate bid for freedom and finds herself in a dream come true, learning magic alongside elves, fauns, centaurs, and more in the realm of Azendor. All is not well in this fairytale haven, however, and Ena soon faces treachery among those she trusts, dangerous dark creatures, and an enemy with his sights set not only on Azendor but on Ena herself.
Ena will find that, in Azendor, she is anything but ordinary. Believing in magic is just the beginning.
LITERARY TITAN 