MY NAME IS:
Shari
Simpson
Author & Screenwriter
About Me (and the pug)
I am a playwright, author, and screenwriter. I co-wrote the off-Broadway hit "Maybe Baby, It's You" and the Disney Channel Original Movie THE SWAP with longtime writing partner, Charlie Shahnaian. The first installment of my book series "SleepWakers", entitled "Sam Saves the Night" was published on October 1, 2019 by Disney/Hyperion. I've also written for the New York Times, HuffPost, BrainChild, Book & Film Globe, and co-wrote and starred in a series of comedy videos for Nickelodeon with Wendi Aarons. I currently have a feature film in development with Broken Road Productions.
Mila Kunis is a pug. She is sweet and cuddly, but also will eat the food right out of your mouth if you're not paying attention.
"Filled with surprising twists, this series kick-off underscores essential truths about finding one’s unique spirit." —Publishers Weekly
"Readers will find much to enjoy in the zany humor, engaging characters, and bizarre adventures - and much to think about in the underlying themes of bullying, stereotypes, and superficial judgments." —School Library Connection
"Simpson’s quick-paced tale is lightened by snarky dialogue, driven by young people surrounded by caricatured adults, and features a fiendishly clever, truly scary mean girl." —Booklist
SleepWakers
First book in the series
October 1, 2019
From Disney Hyperion Press
13-year old Sam lives her life in a state of chronic exhaustion thanks to her bizarre nightly sleepwalking jaunts, which include building tree houses, directing traffic on busy highways, and breaking-and-entering escapades-none of which she remembers in the morning. Sam's sleepwalking has become so dangerous, her desperate mom drags her to a wacky strip mall parasomnia specialist, whose methods are a bit, well, sketchy...
The night after the doc works his mojo, Sam wakes up outside her body, watching herself sleep. FREAKY! And Sam soon discovers she's not alone- there's a whole world of detached souls out there in the darkness, called the SleepWakers. At first it seems like a dream come true; imagine being able to stay out all night having fun while your body snoozes at home! But Sam quickly finds out that just as there are bullies in the day, there's also a tribe of nasty souls who want to rule the night. Fearful at first, Sam finally raises up to unite the various tribes of SleepWakers and fight back against the MeanDreams in the most epic battle the night has ever seen.
