It’s no secret that teachers and school administrators lead busy lives, and Ms. Cheryl Holdefer, Paint Branch’s 9th grade Assistant Principal, is no exception. After 29 years of teaching, Ms. Holdefer became an assistant principal at the request of former Paint Branch principal, Ms. Jeanette Dixon.

While Ms. Holdefer has enjoyed serving as an assistant principal, she does note that it is a great job despite being “very time consuming.” In her limited free time, Ms. Holdefer seizes the opportunity to indulge in her hobby, writing. In fact, she has recently released her second book, The Second Key.

As a very busy wife, mother, runner and administrator, Ms. Holdefer began writing her ideas and stories on legal pads while supporting her two children at their baseball and softball games. Ms. Holdefer explains that she has always loved to tell stories and when she writes she feels as if the story is being read to her in her head. Her first book, Victoria’s Run, was published in February 2013 after 10 years of work.

Ms. Holdefer’s new book tells the story of Rachel Matthews, a single mother of teenage twin boys as she copes with the devastating loss of her husband. When Rachel comes upon a key to a safe deposit box, it reveals a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew.

According to Ms. Holdefer, the book is a thought-provoking story of love, loss, forgiveness, and new beginnings, but it also conveys an important message. As Rachel deals with the newly found secret, she must decide “what she is going to do with the secret,” says Holdefer. The message of the book, according to Ms. Holdefer, is introduced in the prologue where she writes, “It is when a secret has the potential to hurt others that we are faced with fundamental decisions revealing our true character: do we use the discovery for retribution or vindication?”

While the main character is not based on Ms. Holdefer’s own life, she incorporates life lessons and her experiences into her writing. As Rachel deals with the loss of her husband and a newfound secret, she turns to her friend Darlene whose blunt but honest truth and advice help her move forward. The character Darlene is based on Ms. Holdefer’s real-life friend and colleague, Ms. Darlene Jackson, Paint Branch’s Resource Counselor. She chose Ms. Jackson because she is a “great friend and guards secrets with her life,” says Ms. Holdefer, who also notes that Ms. Jackson is able to put “a positive spin on everything and everyone.”

As an administrator at Paint Branch, Ms. Holdefer supports students every day and now it is those students’ turn to support her. Head out to the Gaithersburg Book Fair on May 17th to see Ms. Holdefer featured as an exhibiting author, stop by her office and pick up a copy (maybe she’ll even autograph it for you), or order it online at amazon.com.