Kicking off 2013 with a Mega #FlirtSquad Challenge!

Happy January!

There's something about the start of a new year. A fresh slate. An entire 12 months set before you, all filled with possibility. With the excitement of new beginnings in the air, it seems like an excellent time for another Flirt Squad challenge :)

If you're new to the game, let me quickly explain what the Flirt Squad is.

The Flirt Squad is my super awesome street team, and along with helping spread the word about my own books around release time, we like to spread the word about other fabulous books and authors.

We have regular giveaways and challenges, and members earn all kinds of prizes. To become a regular member of the Flirt Squad (and have a chance to not only earn tons of swag but also get your name in the Acknowledgements of my book or even become a character!) head over to my Flirt Squad Page for all the details.Go ahead, we'll wait (*grin*)

Back? Awesome. Because this month's challenge is BIG. And believe me, you're gonna want to play along.

Since January is the month for resolutions, I thought it would be fun to play with that idea. I've asked some of my good friends to join in, and not only did they say yes, but they've also thrown in prizes!

All month long we'll be "meeting" these authors, getting to know what 2013 holds for them, and what their personal New Year's Resolutions are. And all month long you'll be earning points in order to win the goodies they've brought to the party. 

Here's How To Earn Points

Along with guest posts featuring them throughout the month, each of the participating authors have crafted New Year Resolution tweets for the main characters in their books. It's a fun way to get to know their books and characters better. And copying these tweets is an excellent way you can let others know about these fabulous books.

If you are new to these challenges, you can leave a comment below with your contact info to let me know you're playing along (and so I can find you if you win!), and then jump in and start playing!

***Regular Flirt Squad Members--Since so many of us enjoy tracking points (and chatting) via the always fun Google doc, I've created a special one for this challenge. Email me (FlirtSquad@gmail.com) if you did not recieve the email with the link!***

The tweets are listed below and all you have to do is copy and post them--each tweet equals one point. I"ll be following the hashtag to award your points.

Yes, you can tweet more than one of the tweets listed below each day.

No, please don't tweet the same tweet more than once per day. Spread the love around :)

Just A Suggestion: while there isn't a limit on how many tweets you can send a day (other than not the same one more than once), I highly suggest you either space them out or limit them or you may just drive your followers batty!

For an additional 10 points, you can also do a blog post about the event. Tell me one of YOUR New Year's Resolutions, and include which of the characters tweets below is closest to your own. Link back to this post and either tweet it out with the hashtag (#FlirtSquadResolutions) or leave it in the comments below, and I'll award the additional pointage.

This challenge will run until February 1st, 2013. 

Up For Grabs

One Grand Prize Winner wins a Super Sized ebook pack featuring: 

• My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by yours truly
• Gravity by Melissa West
• All The Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen
• Inbetween by Tara Fuller
• Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs
• Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein
• Conjure by Lea Nolan
• Love All by Kelly Hashway 
• Spectral from Shannon Duffy
• Almost and Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot
•    and YOUR CHOICE of any one of Nyrae Dawn's books!

And as if that wasn't enough, the Grand Prize Winner ALSO wins:

• Signed swag from The Collector: A Dante Walker Novel from Victoria Scott
• Signed Paperback of Destiny's Fire by Trisha Wolfe  

                                                              AND

• A brilliant, hand-designed Angel Academy bracelet from Cecily White!

TWO Additional Winners Win Signed Swag from:

• My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century
• Spectral and Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta from Shannon Duffy
• Love All and Touch of Death from Kelly Hashway
• Destiny's Fire from Trisha Wolfe
• Conjure swag pack including a magnet, signed bookmark, and silicone bracelet
• What a Boy Wants bookmarks and Charade postcards from Nyrae Dawn

And Now For The Resolutions

From My Super Sweet 16th Century & the 2013 sequel A Tale of Two Centuries by moi:

• In 2013, I vow to be as bold as Cat, and give in to my artistic side. #FlirtSquadResolutions http://amzn.to/R1s2do
• In 2013, I vow to be like Alessandra & go after my dreams regardless of what others may think. #FlirtSquadResolutions http://amzn.to/RwAl0N 

From Greta and The Goblin Kin by Chloe Jacobs:

• In 2013 I vow to take control of my future like Greta in GRETA AND THE GOBLIN KING @Jacobs_Chloe http://amzn.to/TYa8bV #FlirtSquadResolutions
  
  

From Pretty Amy and Dear Cassie by Lisa Burstein: 

• In 2013, I vow to learn to love myself like AMY #FlirtSquadResolutions http://amzn.to/T6QzaW
• In 2013, I vow to learn to love someone else like CASSIE #FlirtSquadResolutions http://amzn.to/UnBTM4

From All The Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen

• In 2013, I vow to check some things off my need-to-experience list, like Liv & Spencer do #FlirtSquadResolutions http://amzn.to/RvlLpr
• In 2013, I will be like Liv and learn to go after what I want, even if I might fall on my face #FlirtSquadResolutions http://amzn.to/RvlLpr

From Inbetween by Tara Fuller:

• In 2013, I vow to be more like Finn from INBETWEEN, by refusing to give up on what I want in life. #FlirtSquadResolutions

From Touch of Death and Love All by Kelly Hashway:

• In 2013, I vow to be like Jodi and put the needs of others before my own. http://www.amazon.com/Touch-Death-Kelly-Hashway/dp/193705330X #FlirtSquadResolutions
• In 2013, I vow to be like Meg and open my heart to love. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16096146-love-all #FlirtSquadResolutions

From The Collector: A Dante Walker Novel by Victoria Scott:

• In 2013, I vow to be like Dante Walker and put more swagger in my step. http://tinyurl.com/asbrvox #FlirtSquadResolutions

From Measuring Up and Charade by Nyrae Dawn:

• In 2013 I vow to be like Annabel & learn health matters, but weight doesn't define me. #FlirtSquadResolutions http://www.amazon.com/Measuring-Up-ebook/dp/B008VO1YGG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356999665&sr=8-1&keywords=measuring+up
• In 2013 I vow to be like Colt and not run when things get tough. To stay & show love. http://www.amazon.com/Charade-ebook/dp/B009V5VG3A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357000090&sr=1-1&keywords=charade #FlirtSquadResolutions
• In 2013 I vow to be like Cheyenne & not let the past define me. To learn to make my own future. #FlirtSquadResolutions http://www.amazon.com/Charade-ebook/dp/B009V5VG3A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357000090&sr=1-1&keywords=charade

From Spectral and Gabriel Stone by Shannon Duffy:

• In 2013 I vow to be as brave as Jewel and embrace what makes me unique. #FlirtSquadResolutions http://amzn.to/VEGo2Q
• In 2013 I vow to be as adventurous as Gabriel and face my fears. #FlirtSquadResolutions http://amzn.to/ZuT13G 

From Prophecy Girl: Angel Academy by Cecily White:

• In 2013, I vow to face my demons fearlessly, like Amelie! #FlirtSquadResolutions #AngelAcademy http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14741366-prophecy-girl @CecilyWhite
• In 2013, I vow to be like Jack and fight for my beliefs, no matter how unpopular! #FlirtSquadResolutions https://www.facebook.com/AngelAcademySeries @CecilyWhite
• In 2013, I vow to be like Amelie and find humor amidst struggle! #FlirtSquadResolutions #AngelAcademy https://www.facebook.com/AngelAcademySeries @CecilyWhite

From Unmaking Hunter Kennedy and Almost by Anne Eliot:

• In 2013 I WILL stop hiding under baggy clothes like Vere Roth did in Unmaking Hunter Kennedy http://amzn.com/B009RS5M36 #FlirtSquadResolutions
• In 2013 I WILL kiss more often while eating apples! Unmaking Hunter Kennedy #firstkisses http://amzn.com/B009RS5M36 #FlirtSquadResolutions
• In 2013 I vow to ask a quiet girl WHY & try to be her friend. Almost, by Anne Eliot http://amzn.com/B0075CHVDA #FlirtSquadResolutions

From Destiny's Fire by Trisha Wolfe:

• In 2013, I plan to be as tough as Dez and go for what I want #FlirtSquadResolutions http://www.amazon.com/Destinys-Fire-ebook/dp/B006VIMAJO/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

From Conjure by Lea Nolan:

• In 2013, my heart will be as open as Emma's in CONJURE. #FlirtSquadResolutionshttp://tinyurl.com/a2zydfo @Lea_Nolan
• In 2013, I'll use my powers for good like Emma does in CONJURE. #FlirtSquadResolutionshttp://tinyurl.com/a2zydfo @Lea_Nolan
• In 2013, I'll be as determined as Emma is in CONJURE. #FlirtSquadResolutionshttp://tinyurl.com/a2zydfo @Lea_Nolan

Awesome, right? Told you it was a good one. So what are you waiting for? Get Your Flirt On!!

Cover Reveal! Dear Cassie by Lisa Burstein

I LOVE cover reveals!

Part of it is feeling like I'm in the cool crowd with inside intel. Childish and silly, yes; but hey, I'm making up for my childhood here *grin* The other part of it--the biggest part--is being able to share in the excitement of the publishing process, and when the authors happen to be good friends of mine, I get REALLY excited. 

Lisa Burstein? Yep, she's one of those good friends. We've traveled this thrilling and insane debut year together, and have shared an obscene amount of emails and direct messages on Twitter. We've laughed, we've vented, we've cried, and we've laughed some more. I loved Pretty Amy (here's my review), and have been waiting impatiently for the companion novel, Dear Cassie ever since.

The bad news? We still have some waiting to do.

The good news? Now we have a GORGEOUS cover to stare at, a really cool blurb to read, and a beyond amazing excerpt to devour to hold us over :)

And.... HERE IT IS!

What if the last place you should fall in love is the first place that you do?

You’d think getting sent to Turning Pines Wilderness Camp for a month-long rehabilitation “retreat” and being forced to re-live it in this journal would be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.

You’d be wrong.

There’s the reason I was sent to Turning Pines in the first place: I got arrested. On prom night. With my two best friends, who I haven’t talked to since and probably never will again. And then there’s the real reason I was sent here. The thing I can’t talk about with the guy I can’t even think about.

What if the moment you’ve closed yourself off is the moment you start to break open?

But there’s this guy here. Ben. And the more I swear he won’t—he can’t—the deeper under my skin he’s getting. After the thing that happened, I promised I’d never fall for another boy’s lies. 

And yet I can’t help but wonder…what if?

Beyond Amazing Excerpt

We kept walking on the lake trail, the bullfrogs croaking. There was also a humming in my ears from the nicotine.

It could only be from the nicotine. It had nothing to do with being outside, at night, alone with Ben. It had nothing to do with Ben coming to the cabin and taking me instead of Nez and it definitely had nothing to do with the stars above us shining like they were the sky’s tiara. 

I stopped on the trail and looked up, taking them in, when all of a sudden bright colored lights exploded in the sky—fireworks, one after another, on top of each other, huge kaleidoscopes of light, like sparkling rainbow spiders.

“How did you know?” I asked, my voice going softer, like if I talked too loudly they would stop. It was so beautiful, after weeks of so much ugly. 

Ben turned to look at me, the colored lights in the sky turning his skin pink, blue, green. “I’m magic.” He shrugged.

I geared up to tell him to fuck off, because that was some corny-ass shit, but then I realized that he really kind of was. In that moment he was able to actually make me forget being me.

“I would try to kiss you,” he said, “but I’m afraid you’d kick me in the balls.”

“I probably would.” I laughed, the sky filling with noisy color like paint launching from a giant popcorn popper. “But like I said, it wouldn’t be about you.”

“I guess I’ll have to figure out how to make it about me,” he said, taking off his boots and socks and standing. “Come on.”

“There is no way I am getting near that water again,” I said.

“I’ll make sure nothing happens to you,” he said, holding his hand out to help me up.

I looked at his palm, open, waiting, just wanting to hold mine. For once, I didn’t think about anything except that there was a cute, sweet, smart-ass boy standing in front of me with his hand out.

I pulled off my boots and socks and took it.  

We stood at the lakeshore, our hands still clasped, the water licking our feet, fireworks decorating the sky.

I turned to him. He was looking up, his mouth open in wonder like he was trying to swallow the moment.

It was definitely one worth keeping.

Here are all the pre-buy links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and The Book Depository. And be sure to add it to your Want-To-Read list on Goodreads

AND That's Not All

Lisa is also having an EPIC CONTEST that will let YOU be a part of this baby when it hits shelves!

Lisa wants you guys to share diary entries of your favorite fictional characters with me. That’s right, choose ANY character from books, TV, movies, a cereal box and write a 500-750 length diary entry from their point of view.

We will choose the top 5 and then let the masses vote on their favorite. The favorite will be published in the final version of DEAR CASSIE. You read that right, published with the author’s name! The additional four will win $20 book buying gift cards.

So get diary-ing! Send you entries to prettyamystories@yahoo.com by January 1st!

Voting for the top 5 will begin January 7th, with the winner being announced January 14th!

Epic, right?

ABOUT LISA

Lisa Burstein is a tea seller by day and a writer by night. She received her MFA in Fiction from the Inland Northwest Center for Writers at Eastern Washington University. She lives in Portland, OR, with her very patient husband, a neurotic dog and two cats. Dear Cassie is her second novel.

Twitter  /  Facebook  /  Website  /  Add Pretty Amy To Goodreads

Buy Pretty Amy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository / Powells 

Editing Roundtable: The Good, The Bad, & The Downright Scary

So, I happen to be blessed with not only rock star critique partners and a snazzy agent, but I have a freaking fabulous editor, Stacy Cantor Abrams. 

This woman knows her stuff!!! 

For an insight into why Stacy bought My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century (other than the fact that she's brilliant, he he) you can check out her Inside The Acquisition Boardroom post over at Entangled Teen HERE. 

A few of my Entnagled buds decided we'd wax poetic about our fabulous editor, and why we love working with Stacy. It also happens to be an awesome inside look into the editing process for those who are curious (I know I love reading about this kind of stuff!)

Hope you enjoy!

AMY SPALDING: When I was a writer dreaming of having a book published, I had a pretty good idea for what the editorial process was like. But once I actually got my book deal and then…my editorial letter…well, it’s one thing to know what something is. It’s quite another to actually go through it.

I got together with some of my editor Stacy Cantor Abram’s other writers, so we could share what we actually went through!

Ladies, the moment I got my edit letter and marked-up manuscript, I had what felt like twenty-seven anxiety attacks. I began reading the letter, and it was so overwhelming I could only skim it. I paged through the document but it made me so nervous I just had to print it and then pretend it didn’t exist. That night, I kept sneaking peeks at the letter, just a liiiiiiittle more at a time, trying desperately to get comfortable with it. THAT NEVER HAPPENED. 

A few days later, I knew that even if I wasn’t ready, my deadline said I had to be. I want to stress here that it wasn’t that I couldn’t take hearing what was wrong with my book. I was actually freaked out by the potential Stacy saw in my book. I was so worried I’d never get there!

Lisa, did you go through a meltdown too or was I particularly, uh, dramatic?

LISA BURSTEIN:  

I’ve been fortunate enough to get two editorial letters from Stacy, one for PRETTY AMY and one for the upcoming DEAR CASSIE and just like you Amy, when I first got them I skimmed them. They were each 6 pages long- single spaced- far too much to read and absorb in one sitting.  The thing is in both cases is that Stacy has been right on. What she notes as issues in my Mss are usually the things I *think* I can get away with, that when she brings them up, I know I cannot. She also pushes me to go deeper, which is what any good editor should do.

Here is how the edit went for PRETTY AMY:

I skimmed the letter, once, twice and slept on it. Then I printed it and highlighted the areas I knew I needed to attack in my first edit. Character issues mostly. Then I completed another edit for the smaller issues before I sent it back to Stacy. At that point she did a line edit and it came back to me. I did another edit and it went back to her. To tie up loose ends there was one more edit before it went to copy edits. Once I approved copy edits, it went to Liz Pelletier, Publisher of Entangled for a final read through. She had even MORE edits. It was not a short process, but I know both Stacy and Liz helped me make PRETTY AMY the most amazing book it could be.

Rachel, did you have a similar amount of edits and anxiety?

RACHEL HARRIS:

Anxiety over edit letters and revision? Of course not! And if you believe THAT, well, insert incredibly clichéd, sarcastic phrase here (*grin*). Yes, I think every author has a healthy fear of the dreaded editorial letter. I should be getting my second one from Stacy any day now for my sequel, and even after going through this whole process before, I’m still anxious over it.

I remember we were driving home from the salon where my girls got their haircut, and my husband was in the driver’s seat. My phone did that spastic lighting up/vibrating thing, letting me know I had an incoming email, and when I saw it was my edit letter from Stacy, I about had a heart attack right then and there. Obviously, because I’m a neurotic author, I opened my inbox immediately….and was promptly informed by my lovely phone that the email was too big to open.

Imagine my jaw hitting the floor of the car here.

There’s no way that could be good, right??

Well, it turns out that Stacy just rocks and gives tons of great info for you to use to make your book better. The reason it wouldn’t open was that in addition to the edit letter, she had printed out my entire manuscript, made notes old school style in pen on the pages, and then scanned them back in. Hence, an email that was too big for my then pathetic excuse for a phone. But once I got home and dove into all the info Stacy gave me, all the previous fear and anxiety vanished, leaving me strangely…excited.

You should know that I’m a bit obsessive, so I was able to turn my edits back in to Stacy about a week later, after first making all the changes from the scanned pages, and then tackling the bulleted list in her letter (all points I agreed with). Then about a month later, Liz Pelletier gave me her thoughts, along with two main issues to address, which I completed that day because, again, I’m a tad obsessive. Fast forward to the end of April when I got copy edits. These were super fun because they made me sound smarter than I really am. I turned these in two days later. At the end of July, Stacy and I both did a mega two-day final read through of the manuscript to make sure it was how we wanted it before going to the printer, and then it was out of my hands. And into yours at home.

Scary, exciting, crazy, and—weirdly enough—fun.

What about you, Cindi? Am I odd to think the editing process, at least with a super star like Stacy, is actually fun?

Cindi Madsen:

Why, yes, Rachel, you are extremely odd ;) I’m a tad on the obsessive side, too, where once I get feedback, my brain won’t let me think about anything but my WIP, revisions, or whatever process I’m in. Honestly, when I first opened the editing letter, I was overwhelmed. I’d done a couple different revisions with a couple different agents, who I ended up not signing with. Then I set my book aside for a few months and wrote a different book. But my manuscript kept calling to me, telling me it wanted to be a book people read someday. (At this point, you realize I’m also slightly crazy, in addition to being obsessive) So I got it out and did a major revision again, heard about Entangled, and queried. So fast forward the yay, they want it! to the edit letter. I had to do ANOTHER revision. I worried that the book would no longer be mine. I worried I wouldn’t be able to do everything Stacy wanted. But after thinking and obsessing for the weekend, I dug in.

Stacy’s suggestions led me to add things about my book I really love. She had me take out some things I’d added to make other people happy—I was actually glad to lose some of that. She challenged me and pushed me. I turned it in a couple weeks later, happy with how things had turned out. But when I got the second revision back, there were still some things that needed work. I got super overwhelmed and thought that maybe Stacy didn’t want the story I’d written. As an author, I’d been waiting for an editor for so long, I was under the impression you just do everything they say, no questions asked. I was reaching extreme levels of anxiety. So I finally just wrote Stacy an email, addressing my concerns and where I wanted the story arcs to be, and how I felt conflicted on a couple of points. She emailed me back in record time, assuring me she loved the story, and that we could talk about any and all points. The stress that had been building melted. It was such a relief to know that we were on the same team, that I could still be true to my story, and that I could talk to her whenever I needed to. So I worked really hard to get to a point that she and I would both be happy. Later came the read through by Liz and copy edits. By that point, it’d been a few months, so it was easier to read my book again and do some final touch-ups. I changed a couple more things, and when I finally got to read through the galley and see the entire transformation, I was giddy and so, so happy and grateful to Stacy for sticking with me through the entire process. I feel like my book is now the book it was always meant to be. I’m not sure I’d say I’m excited to do it again—I’m just not great at the revision process—but I’m definitely excited to know that in the end, I’ll have a pretty book I love and can be proud of.

So y'all, what do you think. If you are a reader or aspiring author, does the whole editing process seem daunting and impossible? If you're a pubbed author, what were YOUR experiences with all things editorial? I'd love to chat it out in the comments!

Romantic Times (RT) Convention 2012 in Pictures

So I just got home from the Romantic Times (RT) Convention in Chicago, and it was a BLAST! Since my brain is not quite functional yet--way too little sleep was had the past few days--I thought I'd simply share some of the craziness via picture :)

First, a quick shout out to any of my new friends I met this weekend...everyone was made of awesome.

Now, onto the insanity:

Me with my editor of awesome, Stacy C Abrams, and writing sister Lisa Burstein (Pretty Amy)  

 Stacy, me, and Scottish beefcake

  

Book Signing MANIA!!

The fabulous Jus Accardo and hottie Kale! 

                Me with pub house sisters (and girls who ROCK) Katee Robert and Lea Nolan at the Gangsta party

Shannon Duffy with her GORGEOUS Spectral cover (its out now y'all!)

 Jennifer L Armentrout and Lisa Burstein during our interviews :)

 

                                            Entangled's Standing-Room-Only Candy & Spoons Party                  

My cover as a poster...how cool is that??

EVERYTHING was jus so much fun!! It was awesome meeting so many amazing authors and readers, scoring exciting new reads, and staying up entirely too late. I can't wait for RT 2013 :)

Cover Reveal and Excerpt: Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein

So much gorgeousness lately with the cover reveals, and today's selection is no exception. It's also coolness personified. From the tagline at the bottom, to the font of the title, to the tulle-rific dress, to the location said dress is in . . . yeah, the cover for PRETTY AMY pretty much kills.

Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she's somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands--earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx--Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating "rehabilitation techniques" now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing--like she is nothing.

Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it's worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.

PRETTY AMY is available for pre-order at AMAZON and BARNES AND NOBLE, and I already secured mine...even though I have an advanced ARC (yeah, I'm stoked, too). I needed to have my own copy to put on my shelves and hold...PRETTY AMY is everything I love about YA Contemporary. And it is freaking hilarious.

Want me to prove it?

Here's an awesome excerpt to hold you over to the release, May 15th:

I was just about to put out my cigarette and go back inside when I heard a skateboard coming down the street. It sounded like waves, like a conch shell against your ear. That full, empty sound.

Maybe it was Aaron. I conjured up my stupid daydream, the one I used to fill my head when I couldn’t deal with any of the other stuff in there—that he would find me, that he would apologize, that he would tell me that prom night hadn’t been his fault.

The difference this time was that when I looked toward the sound, he really was there.

It was him.

Aaron.

He was skateboarding down the sidewalk like it was made of water, wearing the same loose, worn jeans from his Facebook picture. He carried a backpack, like he might have been coming from the library, but I doubted he ever went to the library.

I lit another cigarette with the end of my last one; any excuse to stay put. Then I remembered I was wearing a suit.

“You got another one of those?” he asked. His eyes were blue. I hadn’t noticed that in his picture.

My hands shook as I gave him a cigarette. He brought a silver-and-black Zippo to his mouth, flipped it open with one hand, lit his cigarette, and slapped it shut. The whole thing took seconds, but it felt like he was doing it in slow motion. “Thanks,” he said.

Maybe he had just stopped to get a cigarette. Maybe it had nothing to do with me.

It probably had nothing to do with me.

“I know you,” he said. “Where do I know you from?”

I couldn’t tell him. Telling him that he’d stood me up for my own prom would have been way too embarrassing. It would tell him that I still cared enough to remember.

“I’m friends with Lila and Cassie,” I said, wishing that my hair wasn’t pulled back in a headband like I was a nun.

“What are you all dressed up for?” he asked.

Of course he didn’t know me. If he had, he would have known that I’d just come from court and that I was trying to do everything I could to forget it.

“I work here,” I said, thinking fast. “I’m supposed to be a librarian.”

“You don’t have to lie,” he said, laughing. “I’m Aaron.”

“Amy,” I said, waving hello with the cigarette in my hand.

He smiled. “Though you do make a cute librarian.”

I tried to keep myself from coughing. “This suit sucks,” I said. It seemed cooler than saying thank you. It seemed cooler than getting all squishy over what he said, even though that was how I felt.

I looked at his skateboard. “You wanna try it out?” he asked.

The deck had a mural of blue sky and white-capped mountains hand-painted on it. The wheels were covered with stop-motion birds, so that when they spun it must have looked like the birds were flying.

There was more to this boy. More that I wanted to know.

“I guess I could,” I said, but then I remembered my mother. She would come looking for me soon.

I shook my head. “I should go.”

“You got a cell phone?” he asked.

“Not that I’m allowed to use anymore.”

“Parents,” he said. He pulled a sketchbook from his backpack. Maybe he had painted that beautiful mural. He ripped out a piece of paper, wrote something down, and handed it to me.

It was his phone number.

I tried not to act surprised, tried to act like boys gave me their numbers all the time, especially when I hadn’t asked for them.

“See you around, Amy,” he said. He dropped the skateboard next to him. It landed perfectly on its wheels like a cat would on its legs.

As he skated away, I looked at his number; the paper was as soft as fabric. I folded it smaller and smaller and hid it in my bra. Maybe he hadn’t said what I wanted him to say, but he had found me.

He had found me.

YAY!! =)  See, I told you it was good. Be sure to add PRETTY AMY to your Goodreads to-read shelf and friend Lisa...she's a sweetheart. <3

So, what do you guys think?? Awesome, right?