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James "JD" Slajchert (Born October 20, 1994) is an American novelist, motivational speaker, & philanthropist. Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, JD played basketball at Oak Park High School. He continued his athletic career at Phillips Exeter Academy for one year and received a scholarship to play at University of California Santa Barbara. JD graduated from UCSB with a BS in sociology.

While attending Oak Park High School, JD met 6-year-old basketball super-fan Luc Bodden. Luc passed away on September 14, 2016.

As a Division I basketball player and co-parent to his chronically ill little sister Lee, Tim Dexter isn’t your average college kid. With an enormous amount of responsibility on his shoulders, TD’s only true escape is his adventurous, gorgeous, and mysteriously named friend, Emma Rey Finley. MoonFlower is a fictional novel based on real events in JD's life.

JD wrote MoonFlower during his final two years as an athlete at the University of California, Santa Barbara. When tragedy struck and he lost his best friend Luc to sickle cell anemia on September 14, 2016, he began writing this story. Slajchert hand-wrote the first draft of MoonFlower in total secret. After completion, he announced the novel to his friends and family with a video on YouTube. MoonFlower was released on October 14, 2018.

In partnering with Luc’s primary physician at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Dr. Kris M. Mahadeo, the MoonFlower Charity Edition was created to help raise funding and awareness for Sickle Cell Disease. In this special edition you will find a foreword written by Dr. Kris M. Mahadeo who is the Section Chief and Director for Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. JD has also included a letter to Luc as well as photos of Luc Bodden selected by his family. All of the profits raised from this book will be donated to The LucStrong Foundation in the hopes of finding an affordable cure for Sickle Cell Disease.

JD travels all over speaking at schools, city councils, charities & fundraisers and more.

On November 9, 2018 JD lost his home in Malibu to the Woolsey Fire. In response, he launched a campaign titled #MoonFlowers4Malibu in which he donated 100% of the proceeds of MoonFlower to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Following his efforts, he was named a National Ambassador of the American Red Cross.

JD holds the title of Director of Relationship Development for the 501(c) non-profit created by Luc's family. The LucStrong Foundation supports children from the ages of 1-18 that are diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease(SCD).

JD is a promotional partner for Be The Match, an organization that helps connect people for Bone Marrow transplants.

• MoonFlower
• MoonFlower - Charity Edition

Official website - www.jdwritesbooks.com