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Monette said, "I was an avid reader of Judy Bloom and then the Sweet Valley High series. Then, in sixth or seventh grade, I thought high school was going to be a happy go lucky place. I wanted to write a more realistic look at high school."
Monette's first book, "Alex and the Enderson Brothers," is set in Plainville, though she said it is not exactly the same as the town in Connecticut. Also, the series has four brothers with various talents - while Monette herself had one older brother, two male cousins, and an uncle who was significantly younger. "When I picture [the book's setting], I can't help but picture Wethersfield High School," she remarked, "'cause that's where I went."
"Like the pool in book 2 ["Invisible Shadow"]," she said, she thinks of the pool in her own background in Wethersfield.
"I called it Plainville to keep the distinction," she added.
She is currently at work on the third book in the series. She writes during her lunch hour, that way, she can write two to three chapters a week, and finish a book in three to four months.
"I try not to believe in writer's block," she said. "I believe it's an illusion ... you can always write something, it just may not be what you want at that moment." Monette said her second book was easier to write because of the practice.
"Writing for teens is a passion for me," she said, "it's a neglected area." She added that she hopes to give teens "a better understanding of their world."
Monette moved from East Hartford to Wethersfield and found the transition difficult. "I was judged by my family's income," she said.
Besides working her day job, Monette has found success through her writing. Her books can be found at Amazon.com and at Barnes and Noble. For further information, visit her website at rozmonette.com.
