US OPEN FEVER

 I love playing tennis and am always trying to pick up games on the weekend. And I love watching the sport — it has been somewhat of a family tradition since I was a kid. I was watching way back when Tracy Austin wore her red and white gingham "Little House on the Prairie" tennis dress and when Connors and McEnroe were playing with wood racquets. I remember my mom had a crush on Borg. I couldn't really blame her — remember how cute he looked in his Tretorns and those hippie headbands? Last week I took my son to the Open and we saw Federer win in the first rounds. Despite the exhausting New York Times coverage of his demise, he's still an incredible player. I've only published one novel to date that has a tennis subplot —The Edumacation of Jay Baker by Jay Clark. Agents and writers take note — I would love to see more fiction for middle grade and YA readers that had some element of tennis incorporated. It's also the perfect "sports" material for a light YA romance. After all, every game begins at LOVE ALL. Whether you are for Nadal or Djokovic — enjoy the finals on Monday!