Author: Kirstin Leigh
“Tweens will fall in love with J, a spunky go-getter with a mind of her own and a heart of gold. This is a series young girls will treasure—and one that parents have been waiting for.”
—CARY SOLOMON, CEO Believe Entertainment
After barely surviving the first day of 5th grade, Jillian Marie Townsend, AKA “J,” comes home to some “exciting” news. Her parents are opening a Bed & Breakfast for people who have “made a few mistakes” and want to change their story.
This involves J moving across the country, living with strangers, leaving her best friend, and everything else she loves!
Desperate to convince her parents this is the worst idea in the history of ideas, J swallows her pride and seeks advice from her thirteen-year-old sister. Soleil is surprisingly nice, which makes J think she wants to be friends. But then J finds out she’s faking it, which hurts more than she’d like to admit.
Determined not to live with strangers—or Soleil—J makes plans to move in with her BFF. However, her parents don’t think the idea is as brilliant as she does. Devastated, J says good-bye to the only life she’s ever known.
As soon as J sees the sprawling house, the mossy backyard, and the sandy trails that lead to the water, everything changes. She’s not ready to say it out loud—because that would make it official—but her new home has adventure written all over it. To top it off, J discovers Soleil has a secret. And the secret is so big, she’s afraid her brain might burst.
J has no idea what to do. That is, until their first guest arrives…
“Just J strikes me as that rare book that truly captures the voice of an authentic character. Kirstin’s writing draws from her experience and definitely her heart. As a film and TV producer, I am always looking for fresh writing voices, and Kirstin Leigh is that. Just J is a great addition to the stories targeting young girls who so desperately need authentic, positive, and relatable characters within the sea of material looking to capture their imagination.”
—TERRY BOTWICK, Founder Papa Time, former President of Big Idea Productions & VP of original programming for the Family Channel
Originally from a small town in Kentucky, Kirstin knows what it’s like to dream big—when no one is watching. Whether it’s through her books, messages, songs, or The Change Your Story Workshop, Kirstin inspires tweens, teens, and adults to dream big, defy the odds, and believe in themselves—no matter how confusing life may be.
Kirstin is the best-selling author of Change Your Story (adult non-fiction) and Believe (MG Fiction). www.Kirstinleigh.com
