Ready for the Next Level

Hey everyone! While I hope you’ve been doing well, I gotta be honest and say, I’ve had a lot of things working against me.

It’s fine, I know it’s just time to level up and hit my stride with the next era of my life. And I’m feeling overall good about it. But what no one tells you in the aftermath of a breakup or losing a writing gig (as both of those things happened to me recently) is that it’s perfectly normal for emotions to fluctuate.

Meaning, some days I feel great like I want to take on the world, pouring myself into my new blonde attitude and motivating myself to meet my goals. Other days, I’d rather just sit around and scroll through Instagram. If you relate to that feeling, I wanted to take a moment and share what I’ve been doing to combat that sluggish, icky, “why me?” energy that does more harm than good.

• Get out and about more! For me, that meant joining a gym. The way I see it, this has two, very crucial components to it: both feeling good and meeting new people.
• Refocusing my short- and long-term goals. Kinda hard to make progress in any one direction when you don’t even know where you’re going, isn’t it? That’s why investing even a little bit of time in knowing exactly what you want out of your life is going to pay dividends. Or, if you’re not sure yet, that’s totally okay. Just think about the general direction of where you want to end up, and take concrete steps to get that momentum going.
• Changing up my look. Now I’m not asking you to go crazy and pierce your whole face or something radical, but if you’ve been craving a particular new sparkle, I say go for it! I’ve had my nose pierced for a couple years now and it’s pretty much my favorite decision I’ve ever made. That plus changing my hair color gave me a much-needed new perspective on life and all the messiness that it brings.

While these ideas aren’t guaranteed to change your mood permanently, they’ll certainly help you find your stride again, so I highly recommend giving them a try.

I also believe that once you look at challenges at opportunities to grow and better yourself, your whole outlook changes. Suddenly, the things that snuck up on you out of nowhere don’t feel so bad. Once you learn that you control the mindsets you move into, you’ll be unstoppable.

As for the concept of leveling up, it’s something that I’ve been thinking about…

… for a while as I wrote the second book in my virtual reality coming-of-age duology, Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change, a couple years ago. While Vera quite literally has to survive the game to get out alive, she’s also got to level up her mindset to make her life better. I’m so proud of this book, and if you liked Maze Runner, Sword Art Online, or Jumanji, it’s safe to say you’ll love it too.

Read the full Rewind Duology on Amazon HERE.

Thank you for being here, and best wishes as you hit your stride on your next journey. Exciting, isn’t it?

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Battling Project Overload: Coffee & Concepts

And no – it’s not a cool science fiction title. This is literally just the story of my life as an overactive busy-brained freelance writer.

My brain is so tired – like all the time. And I’ve found I also don’t retain things as well because of it. So, it’s high time I handle my crazy workload before it gets too big for me to manage. That’s why I really enjoyed my recent conversation with Walt Robillard – Editor in Chief of WarGate Books.

I was fortunate enough to land a spot on his podcast show, Coffee & Concepts, to talk about my books and my writing process. What so many people don’t think of when it comes to interacting with their favorite stories, is the way authors have to weave these narratives from literally nothing. And finding time / motivation to write can be challenging at best and near impossible at its worst.

We talked about what kinds of coffee we like (which is largely frappuccinos and lattes for me), as well as what kind of inspiration I gathered for my latest release of The Rewind Duology. This series is so important to me, because it really took the struggles I experienced as a kid, and flipped them all around. Where I used to feel weak, these books transformed into a triumph – and I’m also donating a portion of the proceeds to KIND Campaign as well!

Giving back to the community is a crucial component of my work – that’s why I love being able to support an amazing charity that I believe in. Alongside my work with high school students who have an interest in getting into the writing field, as well as my work on the Board of Directors for ARIA, it’s been a blessing to donate my time and efforts.

Excerpt from Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember (The Rewind Duology #1):

“Maybe getting older lets you finally see all sides of the dice – not just the ones that are facing up.” 

Vera Bartlet is a soon-to-be college graduate with absolutely no idea how messy her life is about to become. It’s not just the job search looming on the horizon or her lack of a boyfriend that’s got her stomach in knots – rather, her dad has been missing for almost a decade, and no one knows what happened to him. 

When Uncle Edgar mysteriously arrives back onto the scene, he comes armed with some interesting new ideas about what may have happened to Vera’s dad – and an even more revolutionary idea of how to find him. With nothing short of bending time and space, Edgar sends Vera back in time in the hopes that she might find the clues they need to get her dad home. 

As she sifts through the mangled pieces of reality and her altered memories of middle school drama become jumbled in between truth and fantasy, Vera has to choose which elements of her past should stay in the past, and which she might like to incorporate into her future. Time travel is never simple, and there are always side effects – but in this case, it might just hold the key to finding her dad. Will Vera stay sane long enough to find her dad and make peace with the bullies who made her miserable?

I have plans to start drafting my next concept, but my life has been so chaotic. Here’s hoping things settle down soon. But until then, keep hustling!

“Diamond Heart” x The Rewind Duology

“The most beautiful things can come from the hardest times.”

Madilyn Bailey

Just like you may have seen in The Rewind Duology, the idea of a character interacting with her younger self is present in Madilyn Bailey’s new music video. Of course, this is a bit more voyeuristic of a style, in that she’s more watching over her younger self – but the nostalgic feeling is the same! Just like my character, Vera, Madilyn was an outcast as a kid, but that didn’t stop her from accomplishing amazing things later – namely, being a semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent (in addition to garnering millions of views on YouTube).

I love seeing art like this that directly relates to my work, because it becomes a great tool to layer my own writing up against. It also proves to me that the things I’m working on matter to people, because other people are writing about issues like bullying too. What it comes down to, is that you cannot ever let people put you in a box – break out of that shit and get moving. You’re better now than you’ve ever been!

This song is so powerful, seriously – check out these lyrics:

“I took all the sticks and stones
All the blows and bricks they throw
Everything that ever gave me scars

All the hurt and bridges burned
Every word and lesson learned
And turned it into art
And in time built a diamond heart.”

As cliché as it may seem to say, it is those experiences that are tough at the time, but they make us who we were always meant to be.

In my books, Vera has to grapple with her past alongside her present moment to be her best self – and that includes going head to head with her old bullies, but now as an adult. The Rewind Duology is something that I am incredibly proud of, and I’m so humbled to be able to give a portion of the proceeds to KIND Campaign to prevent bullying in school. Might as well do some real-world good with my pain, right?

My new business cards, signifying the new era of my freelancing career! And I am SO EXCITED.

But honestly, I’ve already healed so much. I am so grateful for the lessons I learned. If I wasn’t forced to make due with being by myself for as long as I did, I probably wouldn’t have been half as motivated to make something great of myself. That’s why I’ve really thrown myself into freelancing more recently – and that has been so incredibly fulfilling for me!

So case in point – even if life ends up looking different than you originally expected it to be, you can still make something beautiful out of the cards you’ve been dealt. Don’t believe me? Watch “Diamond Heart” by Madilyn Bailey HERE.

If you’d like to read or listen to The Rewind Duology, you can access it on Amazon / Audible HERE. And if you’d like to meet me at one of my upcoming events, you can view those on my website!

Late-Summer Job Updates – Stepping into the Sunshine

I know I’ve dropped the ball a little in the blogging department – sorry about that! It’s been a really unique season of change for me – which is obviously a really great thing! Regardless, I still hope to be more present on here to chat with you. It means a lot to me that you’re here, and I never want to take that for granted.

From my recent book signing at The Looff Arts Festival in Riverside, RI

So here’s the lowdown: You may know that in addition to being a published author, now with SIX BOOKS on Amazon, I’ve also been a freelance editor and music critic. These gigs are usually far and few between… until now. More recently, I’ve really hit my stride by partnering with brands and companies I care about (like KIND Campaign for my anti-bullying time travel fiction, and Dash of Social for copyediting). I’ve also started doing some copywriting work for my favorite YouTube cover band ever First to Eleven (they play amped-up versions of favorite rock and pop songs). Plus, I finally launched my own website, which is angelinasinger.com.

Long story short – I know it’s cliché, but I’m here to tell you: don’t give up. Ever. I know you’ve probably heard that from everyone and their grandma, but it’s true! I graduated from college in 2019 with an English degree I had no idea what to do with. I had some small gigs here and there, but nothing that I could live off of. It was so disheartening to leave school with absolutely no idea of what to do with my life. That is, until I found L’Abri Collective – a very exclusive ghostwriting coalition that hired me onto their team of writers. It’s an incredibly holistic approach to collaboration which frankly, I never knew existed in the professional world of cut-throat desperation and frustration. So now not only do I have all that going on, but I also still have my smaller reviewing gigs and fun stuff on the side. It’s a really amazing opportunity that will grow as much as I want it to.

Quote from Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change

Sure, it might take a little longer for my books to take off, but that’s okay. I have big plans for those too. Ideally, I hope to pitch my newest fake-dating rockstar romance concept to an agent who can get me into a big 3 publisher. If that happens, then I would think my other books will get some extra readers as well. All in God’s timing of course – as I’ve already seen with my professional life as well.

So I’m heading into the fall happier and more well-adjusted than I’ve ever been. I’ve got some good work to keep me busy and productive, amazing friends and family who love and support me, and, big dreams to keep me motivated. I’m also training to teach guitar lessons on the side, so I guess in many ways, I’ll always have a full plate. But honestly, that’s how I like it! My latest audiobook is in the works now, and should be available for your listening pleasure in a matter of a couple months. My narrator is truly the best – to hear her work on book one of my time-travel duology, access Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember HERE.

Recent shopping trip where I found a trinket VERY similar to The Lacune Diamond (item in The Rewind Duology).

That isn’t to say that my life is perfect – far from it, actually. I’m still trying to balance all my skills and interests in a way that allows me to maintain a healthy work-life balance. And I think that will take a bit to develop – but that’s all part of the process. I’m also still very, very single. And I don’t talk about that often enough. But guys in this age group are usually really immature (most of the time – there are some exceptions, of course). It’s finding those exceptions that’s the hard part. But I’m leaving all aspects of my life in God’s hands – He’s never scared me wrong yet.

Thank you for all your continued support, and I can’t wait to hear what you’ve been up to this summer or what your hopes and dreams are. Drop me a line anytime!

Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change RELEASES TOMORROW!

Tomorrow, my sixth book gets launched into the world. Being that this isn’t my first rodeo, so to speak, I always think about how weird it is to publish a story. Like, you pour your whole heart into this thing, just to slap a $2.99 ebook price on it and hope that someone deigns to spend their hard-earned cash on your emotional journey.

Okay, that definitely came out way more cynical than I really intended, but hear me out: writing a story is no small matter. Especially, one as big and important to me as this one.

The Rewind Duology came about as a result of me still trying to work through the bad emotional patterns I sustained as a result of chronic bullying as a kid. My bullies were kids with significant psychological and emotional issues. And as I’ve become an adult, I’ve become privy to some knowledge about them that definitely shed some light on their situations.

That doesn’t make it right – but it does make it make a little more sense than it used to, perhaps.

Regardless, the first book of The Rewind Duology was Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember – and that was a coming-of-age time travel. My character, Vera, went back in time to find her dad, who was trapped in a virtual reality world. So in book 2, Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change… Vera gets stuck in that very same virtual reality world. 

This is a picture of my dad and I from today – Vera’s dad is modeled a lot after him!

It’s really interesting to reflect on all this, because the sequel almost didn’t happen. About two weeks before I published the first book, I got this wild idea of a way to continue the story – not just in the VR world, but in Vera’s life as well. Because after all – there’s still her friends Willow and Zander, her brother Jet, and her – well, whatever the heck Alex is to her these days. 

I’m so excited about this latest and final installment of The Rewind Duology, and I really hope you love it as much as I loved writing it. But most importantly, I hope it shows you how healing truly isn’t a linear process – and the key to getting there, is embracing the journey – with all its twists and turns – as long as it takes. 

READ The Rewind Duology HERE: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093YG13VF?ref_=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_tkin&binding=kindle_edition

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more updates! Thank you so much for being here.

 – Angelina Singer

So I Finally Caved and Got a Tik Tok Account…

I’d been putting it off for months. It’s a time-sucking, highly addictive platform that I knew would probably be more irritating to deal with than it was worth. But I did it anyway – because marketing reasons.

Yep – in any marketing endeavor, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that you’ve got to go where your target demographic is. And for me, as a Young Adult / New Adult author, I know that my readers probably are hanging out on there. So engaging on that platform was a no-brainer, even if learning the controls was slightly clunky at first. But in many ways, it’s not really all that different from Instagram (which I’d like to think I’m pretty well-versed in).

The concept of Tik Tok is fun, because it’s pairing music with trends and ideas that bring people together. I’m not typically a huge fan of taking selfies, but I do that anyway for marketing reasons. If there’s anything I learned from my college marketing classes, it’s that people want to see the human behind the product. Even though I’m selling books, they want to relate to and see who they’re supporting. So if Tik Tok is a way for readers to catch a glimpse into my illustrious life of sitting at my desk blogging, then so be it.

If you want to give me a follow on Tik Tok, I’d surely appreciate it, but by no means do you have to, of course! I just appreciate that you’ve read this far, and care about my stories.

FOLLOW ME ON TIK TOK HERE.

I always try to limit how much of the irritating “buy my book” posts I do, but I have to tell you that my sequel is getting SO CLOSE to being finished! Well, the first draft anyway. If you want to read the first installment of my time-travel coming-of-age bully-ass-kicking snark-story, you can find a copy of Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember HERE.

“Maybe getting older lets you finally see all sides of the dice – not just the ones that are facing up.”

Vera Bartlet is a soon-to-be college graduate with absolutely no idea how messy her life is about to become. It’s not just the job search looming on the horizon or her lack of a boyfriend that’s got her stomach in knots – rather, her dad has been missing for almost a decade, and no one knows what happened to him.

When Uncle Edgar mysteriously arrives back onto the scene, he comes armed with some interesting new ideas about what may have happened to Vera’s dad – and an even more revolutionary idea of how to find him. With nothing short of bending time and space, Edgar sends Vera back in time in the hopes that she might find the clues they need to get her dad home.

As she sifts through the mangled pieces of reality and her altered memories of middle school drama become jumbled in between truth and fantasy, Vera has to choose which elements of her past should stay in the past, and which she might like to incorporate into her future. Time travel is never simple, and there are always side effects – but in this case, it might just hold the key to finding her dad. Will Vera stay sane long enough to find her dad and make peace with the bullies who made her miserable?

I Turned 24 Yesterday (and I’m Happier than I’ve Ever Been)

I know, not the most scintillating headline ever. Similarly to the way people say Taylor Swift’s newer music isn’t as great as her older stuff because her whole marketing scheme is built on heartache, this newest era of my life is looking really promising even if it’s lacking in the tabloid department.

Drama is so overrated, and I’m so thrilled that I’ve finally started to manage the complications in my life in stride. For my birthday yesterday, I got to spend the day at my cousins’ house, and amidst a lot of yummy food, bakery cookies, and a delicious homemade strawberry mascarpone cake – I felt so loved.

Life is what you make it.

Aside from the cheesy Hannah Montana reference, this sentiment is still really true. For my 24th year, I’m dedicating myself to trusting God over anything else. So much of my life (scratch that – most of my life is pretty unknown at this point, but that’s okay because I know He has a plan for me). And in the meantime, I’m gonna take it easy. Let life happen as it comes, stop overthinking, and let energy in any kind of relationship expand and develop as it should. Anxiety no longer has a hold on me, because I’ve become very mindful of my bad patterns and I do my best to re-route whenever I feel myself slipping again. Not that it’s easy – but it’s an important skill to develop. I literally can’t say enough about how mindfulness is such a game changer.

No – that’s not my motorcycle. I just took a picture on my uncle’s just for fun!

Family is the most important thing.

Not necessarily people you share genetics with (although it often can be). Family refers to anyone who unconditionally cares about you and supports you no matter what. As for me, I have both actual family and “found family” that add so much to my life.

Me and my cousins who made my day so special yesterday 🙂

But on the flip side of my life, I’ve also given myself permission to cut ties with people that don’t contribute to my life or my peace any more. No bad blood here though – but in my 24th year and beyond, I’ve decided that I simply no longer can afford to expel energy where it’s not returned. Something else I’ve learned with this, is that sometimes you miss that person even after making the right decision – but that doesn’t mean you were wrong. Your gut is king here, and honing that skill will only serve you as well as you let it.

Self-Care Matters.

This isn’t a revelation by any means, but I’m including it here anyway. If you’re anything like me – a chronic workaholic – then you know this is something that’s all-too-easy to avoid. But this is me starting my 24th year better. I’m committed to listening to my body and mind, letting my energy and mindset dictate how hard I push myself in my freelance work, as well as my author work.

Yes, the cake was exactly as good as it looks!

And yes, I know you’re probably wondering when you can expect to read the sequel to Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember (Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change) – but I swear it’s coming! I’ve hit the 90k mark, and I fully intend to have it ready for a summer release. If you’ve read the first book, you’ll probably get why that’s a hilarious marketing opportunity. Or, if you haven’t yet, you can take a peek at it on Amazon HERE. This book, and its sequel, are a major part of the reason I’ve been able to kick my more unhealthy mindsets and set my past to rest.

As you may know, I was bullied and ignored by my peers a lot as a kid, and that’s something I had to come to terms with the only way I knew how: through my writing. So that’s why I wrote a whole time-travel concept about my current self going back in time to revisit old bullies (while navigating the pitfalls of twenty-something romance). It’s been a tricky challenge but the more I publish about it, I feel lighter and clearer. There’s no better therapy then writing how you feel and launching it out into the world (or maybe I’m just weird that way, LOL).

Anyway, thank you so much for following my author blog! There’s so much I’m looking forward to sharing with you soon. Up next is Forgiving What I Couldn’t Change, and after that… will be a rockstar romance I have brewing. And I can promise you, it’s nothing like you might expect.

At 22, I dyed my hair pink. At 23, I got my nose pierced. So there’s no telling what 24 will bring. But I’m so ready – bring it on.

Meet the Characters of My Latest Book

Have you read my coming-of-age time travel yet? If not, well, maybe this blog post will convince you. Besides the fact that I literally wrote my old middle school bullies into the story, and then cosplayed as a couple of them (yes, seriously, keep on reading below), the story is romance and family drama all rolled into one. Oh yeah – and all the awkwardness of growing up and stuff is front-and-center too.

“Maybe getting older lets you finally see all sides of the dice – not just the ones that are facing up.”

Vera Bartlet is a soon-to-be college graduate with absolutely no idea how messy her life is about to become. It’s not just the job search looming on the horizon or her lack of a boyfriend that’s got her stomach in knots – rather, her dad has been missing for almost a decade, and no one knows what happened to him.

Click HERE to “Meet” the characters of my book, cosplayed by me 😉

When Uncle Edgar mysteriously arrives back onto the scene, he comes armed with some interesting new ideas about what may have happened to Vera’s dad – and an even more revolutionary idea of how to find him. With nothing short of bending time and space, Edgar sends Vera back in time in the hopes that she might find the clues they need to get her dad home.

As she sifts through the mangled pieces of reality and her altered memories of middle school drama become jumbled in between truth and fantasy, Vera has to choose which elements of her past should stay in the past, and which she might like to incorporate into her future. Time travel is never simple, and there are always side effects – but in this case, it might just hold the key to finding her dad. Will Vera stay sane long enough to find her dad and make peace with the bullies who made her miserable?

Book 1 of The Rewind Duology, Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember

I had way too much fun dressing up like my characters, as seen in the hyperlink above. Seriously, they’re a unique bunch. And Summer’s makeup took FOREVER to wash off. But it was so worth it, LOL.

The sequel to this book will be available hopefully later this year, but if you wanna catch up and read Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember ahead of time, you can do that HERE. It’s available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook if that’s more your thing 😉

And oh boy, let me tell you – the plot twists in book 2 are BONKERS. Literally, there are a few things that will drop your jaw. I’m honestly blown away I even thought up these things in the first place, but I’m super excited about it. Now, I just need the motivation and focus to finish. If you have any tips to share for crossing that finish line, feel free to share below. I would truly appreciate it.

Pop Punk Goes Omniscient Narrator

As you probably know from reading my blog or following my Instagram @angelinasingerauthor – music and writing are my bread and butter. I write posts for Inkitt, as well as music and concert reviews for Boston Sports Desk and Motif Magazine.

But something I noticed lately, is that there’s actually an interesting cross-section between some of my favorite pop punk songs, and the stories they tell. More specifically, the narration is omniscient (that is, the story is told from the view of someone watching the story happen, almost like an eye-witness). This is usually signaled by third-person pronouns used in the song (ie. he, she, they, etc.).

Not only is this something I enjoy in the literary world, but it’s also really fun to hear in some of my favorite pop songs. Below, I’ll share some of my favorite examples:

#1: Nobody’s Home (Avril Lavigne)

Although early eras of Avril often have a tendency to be a bit too angsty for her own good, she really nails this story. “Her feelings she hides / her dreams she can’t find / she’s losing her mind / she’s falling behind / she can’t find her place” etc. show this extremely well. There’s a very poignant story here, and I really love this approach she took.

Sonically, there’s also some great string-section accompaniment, bouncing fluidly off of the electric guitars. Listen to it HERE to see what I mean.

I took this picture during her more recent Head Above Water Tour. She puts on a phenomenal show!

#2: Remembering Sunday (All Time Low)

This song is so emotional in the best way. Telling the story of love and loss, the present tense brings about some very deep feelings. Told by the words of expert songwriter Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low, it really resonates with their fans. It’s not a new song, but somehow it’s stood the test of time. With just the acoustic guitar, it really feels extra raw and authentic. Listen to it HERE.

There’s something interesting that happens about midway through the song, as the narration moves from omniscient narration, back to first-person. The effect it has is haunting.

For example, verse 1 is omniscient: “He woke up from dreaming and put on his shoes / Started making his way past two in the morning / He hasn’t been sober for days / Leaning now into the breeze / Remembering Sunday, he falls to his knees / They had breakfast together / But two eggs don’t last / Like the feeling of what he needs.”

Then the chorus moves to POV one: “Forgive me, I’m trying to find / My calling, I’m calling at night / I don’t mean to be a bother / But have you seen this girl? / She’s been running through my dreams / And it’s driving me crazy, it seems / I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

It’s extremely powerful, and the tense changes layered against the POV changes are so surreal.

Fun Fact: The love interest of my latest book, Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember is based visually off of Alex Gaskarth. You can find that book HERE.

#3: Brick By Boring Brick (Paramore)

By now you’re probably seeing what I mean, so I’ll cut to the chase with this one. In this strikingly-beautiful fantasy land that I was so affected by that I designed my college graduation cap after it (pictured below), Hayley tells the story of a young girl trying to escape a bad situation. Like a slightly-darker Alice in Wonderland situation, it’s edgy and creative. Watch it HERE.

Similarly to “Remembering Sunday” as seen above, it does change tenses:

Verse 1 omniscient: “She lives in a fairy tale / Somewhere too far for us to find / Forgotten the taste and smell / Of the world that she’s left behind / It’s all about the exposure the lens I told her / The angles were all wrong now / She’s ripping wings off of butterflies”

Chorus, POV 2: “Keep your feet on the ground / When your head’s in the clouds / Well go get your shovel / And we’ll dig a deep hole / To bury the castle, bury the castle / Go get your shovel / And we’ll dig a deep hole / To bury the castle, bury the castle.”

And yes, I really did graduate from college with magenta hair. The way I see it, you only live once!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little deep-dive into the cross-section between the music and literary worlds. I could’ve thought up more examples probably, but I won’t ramble on about it any further LOL. Thank you for reading if you have this far ❤

Want a Sneak Peek of My Newest Book?

Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember (Book 1 of The Rewind Duology) has been available to purchase since February, but since I haven’t been able to schedule any in-person events in all that time due to the ongoing concerns surrounding the virus, I figured I’d pitch it to you on here. As you may know, I very rarely do this – I’ve found that my followers place a greater value on tips and tricks I’ve learned in the writing biz over promos of my work.

One of my amazing friends holding her copy of my newest book – and she even matched her makeup to the colorful cover designed by Gracie Knight!

But desperate times call for desperate measures. So, perhaps you’ll consider humoring me and taking a peek? Here’s an excerpt from one of my favorite scenes:

“Wait, you mean you haven’t kissed anyone besides me, ever?” His eyes were a bit bloodshot at this point, but they pierced mine with the same intensity as they might’ve if they were well rested.

I lifted my head off of his shoulder just enough to be able to shake my head. It wasn’t something I felt comfortable verbally admitting, almost as if the act of saying the words would make them all the more true.

“Oh man, Vera, I’m sorry I’m such a pathetic loser who can’t respect his friends better than this.” His head landed in his hands, which rested on his propped-up knees. “Dammit. I just, man. I wanted better than this for myself. And for you.”

Alex quietly sobbed while I just sat there with my arms around him, my heart breaking where it was nearly going to explode mere minutes ago. I’m a firm believer that some people are in your life for different reasons. Even if those reasons seem similar sometimes, they really might not be. And I was working on being okay with that.

“Shh, it’s okay. You’re okay, I’m okay. Don’t worry about me. I’m sorry you’ve been carrying this for so long.” I felt myself calming down a bit as the realization that this reaction he was having wasn’t because of anything I did – but rather, it was a flashback to our shared and very complicated past. Maybe he was starting to realize how much our awful school experience had affected him even now. To be honest, I was starting to notice the same thing in myself. The poison pumped into our young veins seemed to linger in our bloodstreams long after we moved onto high school and college. And there might be parts of us that will always resent those very frustrating things that happened to us.

If this caught your attention, I’ll attach the link to the full book HERE available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook forms.But no pressure of course! I just think it’s fun to share things that get me feeling enthusiastic about my work. After all, it’s hard to keep your confidence up without feedback (in this drought of in-person events and interactions). So thank you for being here, and for taking an interest in my work ❤

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