InD'Introduces: Lisa Acerbo

I’m a full-time English teacher and adjunct college professor who spends my off-hours as a writer. My latest book, “Twelve Months of Awkward Moments,” was released Aug. 30
It is a contemporary romantic thriller centering on a straight-A student named Dani, who struggles with anxiety daily. Now in her senior of college she has vowed to break out of her shell and comfort zone. Life gets complicated with her kooky family, a new job, conflicts between her best friend and roommate, and finally, a stalker.
“Twelve Months of Awkward Moments was in some ways hard to write. It’s personal.” as I, myself, have struggled with anxiety. “You can’t see anxiety, but I wanted to start a discussion through the book. It was really nice when a co-worker approached me and thanked me for writing about the topic. He was happy to see it come to the forefront.”
I combine a snarky main character and suspense to create twists and turns in the plot and used personal experiences to make sure that Dani’s anxiety is believable.
After teaching high school for 16 years, facilitating at the University of Phoenix for 10 years as an adjunct online, and teaching at a local Community College, I see the anxiety on students’ faces.
The more I spoke about the topic, the more anecdotes I heard. While years of teaching gave me a unique perspective, Dani is a fictional character, even if some of her adventures are based on my experiences and stories my daughter told me about her time at college.”
After releasing “Twelve Months of Awkward Moments,” I returned to writing horror. In the short story “Carnivorous,” Natalie, the main character, has always been a little off and a little psychic. A ghostly visit forces her to investigate the local carnival and what she finds turns out to be deadly and not quite human. It’s an action-packed carnival ride with monsters. Lots of monsters.
I’ve  also had several novels published via indie presses. Previous titles include “Wear White to Your Funeral,”  “Remote, No Trouble at All,” and “Apocalipstick.”  “The Sweet Life” was released under my pen name, Dakota Star.
I continue to learn with each new book published and love every moment of the process. I work with amazing editors and brilliant cover designers. Each book takes on a life of its own!