Gritty Girl is Barbara Thomason’s debut novel, written following a career in community and economic development in central Texas and the Gulf Coast. She previously owned and operated a Gymboree® Play Center in Houston and served as a dean with the North Harris Community College. Barbara now lives with her husband near Canyon Lake, Texas only an hour from her precious grandchildren. Most recently, in addition to writing fiction, she developed a life mastery skills program for third through sixth graders called Joy Circles® that incorporates music, contemporary literature, and valuable group interaction. This program builds communication, self-esteem, and self-management skills for this age group and shares a common theme with her fiction: youth empowerment. For more information about upcoming fiction, go to www.barbarathomason.com, or for details about Joy Circles®, go to www.joy-circles.com