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World renowned author Mary Higgins Clark will join in celebrating seventh-grader Jasmine Bostic’s first published novel during the annual Mercy Center’s Sisters Academy of New Jersey ‘Circle of Mercy Breakfast.’

While Higgins Clark has penned well over 50 suspense novels, this is the middle school student’s first work, written this past fall as part of the ‘National Novel Writing Month’ campaign.

Bostic’s “When the Last Petal Falls” is about an eleven year old girl who moves from Florida to New Jersey and has to adapt to a whole new life, said school spokeswoman Amy O’Neill, Director of Development. All the challenges of middle school are complicated by her dyslexia and new friends are hard to come by but her love of gardening makes all the difference.

Help in getting the book published came from volunteer tutor Pat Horan of Sea Girt, O’Neill said. Bostic will not only share her experience but will be on hand to sign copies of the book.

Co-chairs James Cashman and John Child of Bradley Beach will host the event, which also will include presentations from current students, alumnae and parents.

Founded in 1997, Sisters Academy of New Jersey is a program of Mercy Center.  It is an independent middle school for girls in grades five through eight, that works to empower young women to break out of their community’s cycle of poverty in order to go on to fulfill their new vision of themselves and their futures.

The hour-long, free event will begin at 8:30 a.m. Friday in the gymnasium of the Sister’s Academy 1416 Springwood Avenue location.

For information, call (732) 774-9397, ext. 14; email events@mercycenternj.org or visit www.mercycenternj.org.

[Higgins photo courtesy of her Facebook page]

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