History: The House That Ivy Built: Book 2 was written during my first year of college. At first I resisted writing it because I thought having a novel in progress would be too distracting while I was trying to pass my classes, but it wouldn't leave me alone. This book is very long and was the first novel for which I composed some of its first draft while typing instead of writing longhand.

About THTIB 2: The second book in my series continues the life of my main character Ivy. This book continues to build on her relationship with Nina from the first book and a new girl named Bailey, also from the first book. Bailey and Ivy both appreciate the same things, including playing pranks, and each imagines herself to be superior in the "art," so they begin to have a "Prank War" to determine the victor. Ivy's playful, mischievous nature contrasts with her new desire to be accepted in the outside world, where she has begun to attend school. This book is filled with Ivy's many issues about who she is, since she has to lie all the time to avoid attention at school. She makes some good friends and sees what it's like to be "one of the girls," and entrusts some of her friends with some very big secrets. Finally, Ivy has to make a decision about who she really is, and act on it.

• Excerpt 1 is a scene featuring Bailey and Ivy, discussing a future prank site. Bailey shows her vulnerable side when Ivy suggests she try to go to school too, which Bailey doesn't want to do because she is afraid people will make fun of her.

• Excerpt 2 is a scene where Ivy is provoked to play basketball with a rude boy from her school and has to figure out how to beat him without letting anyone notice that she's cheating.

• Excerpt 3 is a scene where Ivy watches a talent show audition with her friends. A boy doing a magic act has a couple tricks that are so convincing that Ivy thinks she may have found someone just like her. . . .