Victoria Simcox's Blog, page 56

FREE~11.14.16~Victoria Simcox's ~The Shard ~ Book 2 ~ In The Bernovem Chronicles

Victoria Simcox’s fast-paced, intricately woven sequel to The Warble, takes Kristina Kingsly and her schoolmates back to Bernovem … and into a thrilling, often dangerous adventure.
Kristina’s stay at summer horse camp is horrible to say the least, and it’s all because Hester and Davina are there as well, making her life miserable. When Hester’s cruel prank goes terribly wrong, it’s actually what sends the three girls back to the magical land of Bernovem. In Bernovem, Kristina is very excited to see her former friend, Prince Werrien. When he invites her to sail with him on his ship to his homeland Tezerel, putting it simply, Kristina can’t refuse. 


5 Star Review 
 I posted a blog review of a wonderful children's fantasy chapter book entitled The Warble, written by local Seattle author Victoria Simcox. Since then my daughters and I have anxiously awaited the arrival of The Warble's sequel, The Shard. I am happy to announce that the wait is finally over... and it was well worth it!

Being a fan of all things concerning faerie and otherworldly realms, I was pulled into the story of The Shard instantly. What I really love is how the author combines realistic teen issues with fairy tale fantasy. For example, the book's heroine Kristina who is from our world, experiences her first budding romance with a handsome teenage Prince from a fantasy world, all the while dealing with the very real insecurities young teen girls are feeling.

I was so taken with The Shard that I read it almost constantly until I was finished! The author has a delightful writing style that is engaging for all ages, yet not to difficult for children to understand. I truly look forward to the sequel to the Shard - the cliff hanger at the end is intense!

I highly recommend The Shard for all lovers of fantasy chapter books, which I feel that tween and teen girls will especially enjoy and relate to. 

The Freebie Fairy
 
Reunited with her gnome, dwarf, animal, fairy friends … and best of all, Werrien, things seem like they couldn’t get any better for Kristina. But when Werrien becomes fascinated with an unusual seeing stone, the “Shard” Kristina is haunted by a ghostlike old hag. Struggling against suspicion, guilt, illness, and ultimately the one who wants to possess her soul, Kristina will see it’s in her weakest moment that she will encounter more strength than she has ever known.
 

 Bio
Victoria was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. She now resides in Western Washington with her husband and 3 children. Her other family members are, a Chihuahua, named Pipsy and 2 cats, named Frodo and Fritz. For the past 12 years, she has home-schooled her children. Besides being an author, Victoria is also an elementary school art teacher. Victoria enjoys writing, reading, painting watercolors, hiking, good movies, and hanging out with her family and friends. Victoria is the author of The Warble.
Blog: victoriasimcox.blogspot.com
Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Shard/264063053622412
Twitter:http://twitter.com/#!/VictoriaSimcox 
  Available at Amazon:http://tinyurl.com/mmzpbqz

Weariland blitz & giveaway

Weariland
by Mary Shotwell
Genre: YA
Release Date: May 10th 2016
Merge Publishing

Summary:

For fifteen-year-old Lason Davies, it all started with a text.

“HIDING PLACE.”

The last words of her murdered grandmother haunt Lason as she travels to England with her sheltering mother for the funeral. The crime is a sensation, but the clamoring reporters and news photographers aren’t the only ones interested in their arrival.

As her mother’s behavior borders on erratic (on a good day), Lason encounters a stranger from Weariland, a dreary world once known as Wonderland. He petitions Lason’s help in finding a secret family heirloom, a key to saving his land—and to Lason’s past. Lason is swept in an adventure through Weariland’s unpredictable realm, encountering colorful, fantastical characters and discovering her family’s elusive history. But if she isn’t careful, she may never return…

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble    
Book Trailer: 

About the Author
Mary grew up in northeast Ohio, so it was only natural for her to pursue a degree in marine biology. After studying dolphin behavior and estimating great white shark populations, she earned her Ph.D. in Biostatistics in Charleston, South Carolina. It was there, during the arduous dissertation process, where she had the idea to write a book.

With Alice and the crazy characters from Wonderland staring her down from her bedroom poster, Mary envisioned what that fantasy realm would look like in current day. Creative writing served as a natural escape from technical writing, wedding planning, pregnancy, and job hunting.

Mary is excited to debut Weariland (Merge Publishing, 2016), a novel introducing Lason Davies, a teenager who learns about her family's past in a world once called Wonderland. She currently resides in Tennessee with her husband and three children.


Author Links:
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Gold Rush ~ cover reveal

Summary from Goodreads:
Liza Petrov’s entire life has been about skating and winning her sport’s top prize – Olympic gold. She’s stayed sheltered inside her bubble, not daring to stray from her destined path.
Until she meets Braden Patrick.
He makes her heart flutter with possibility, and for the first time she gets a taste of a normal teenage life. She longs to have both the boy and the gold, but stepping outside her bubble comes with a price. As Liza begins to question both her future and her past, can she stay focused on the present and realize her ultimate dream?
About the Author
Jennifer Comeaux is a tax accountant by day, writer by night. There aren’t any ice rinks near her home in south Louisiana, but she’s a diehard figure skating fan and loves to write stories of romance set in the world of competitive skating. One of her favorite pastimes is travelling to competitions, where she can experience all the glitz and drama that inspire her writing. Jennifer loves to hear from readers! Visit jennifercomeaux.blogspot.com for contact information and to learn more about her books.


Author Links: 
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Midnight (Forgotten Divinity #2) cover reveal (11/3

Midnight (Forgotten Divinity #2)
by Kristy Centeno
Genre: NA Paranormal/Fantasy
Release Date: December 21st 2016
Inkspell Publishing
Cover designer: Najla Qamber

Summary:

A past shrouded in darkness.

A mission that can mean the difference between life and death.

One week to find the answers they need.

With the memories of her historical love for the Soul Broker who was once commissioned to harvest her soul, eradicated from her mind, Daya must embark on a perilous journey through dangerous territory to find those who might shed some light into the mystery that surrounds them. But what she uncovers along the way may prove too daunting for her to come to terms with.

Trapped in a loop she can’t get out of, Daya’s only tool for survival is trusting Mason. But will betrayal be a determining factor when they both have something to gain by giving up on each other?


NOTE: This book is the continuation of the short story featured in the anthology, Blood in the Shadows. Midnight picks up right where Shadows left off.


Pre-Order Link: Amazon
Excerpt:
“Do you honestly believe what we felt for each other was a mistake?”

“It was. That’s why we were castigated.” It was a sin of the worst kind.

Mason shakes his head. “I refuse to believe that. I may not remember what happened, but there’s one thing I’m sure of.” He draws me to him and wraps his arms around my waist, anchoring me to him. “What we felt for each other wasn’t wrong. Anything so right couldn’t have been immoral.”

His lips are on mine before I can think to oppose or argue that his point of view is wrong. The fighter in me urges me to knee him in the groin and follow with a beat-down, but I end up struggling for a moment before relenting. He’s determined to seduce some sense into me and I’m running out of will to keep from trapping myself in this mind game. Whether his intention is for me to trust him or he simply wants to help me through the monster of doubt eating away at me, I don’t know. Nor do I care.

I allow him to take me beyond my grief and into a sweet, almost painful harmony. The fight goes out of me and what few reservations remain melt away with a quick stroke of Mason’s tongue. Every feeling of helplessness evaporates with each term of endearment that escapes his half-open lips as he alternates between kissing my mouth, face, and neck. I yield to him, our caresses becoming more fervent and urgent with each passing second.


Book 1 was published as part of a short story anthology (click on image for Goodreads link):
About the AuthorKristy Centeno is the author of the Secrets of the Moon saga and Keeper Witches series.

She has always had a passion for books and after years of being an avid reader, she decided to transform her desire to write into a reality and thus, her first novel was born. When she’s not busy taking care of her five children or holding down the fort, she finds time to sit and do what she loves the most: writing.Author Links:            
Cover Reveal Organized by:

Incident at Benson's Creek: Western Action and Adventure~Spotlight

 "You ain't lived the West... till you've lived in FIE'S West... Taste the sand, taste the grit... taste the sweat and join the story..."The highly anticipated second Western in the bestselling Blood on the Plains series...Returning from Washington after fighting the President for a fair peace treaty Matt is surprised by the changes that have taken place in Buffalo Flats... But change isn't always good.. Will Matt be able to survive the marching pace of time and expansion? Check out the latest hot Western from John D. Fie. Jr.  John D. Fie Jr. a Military Veteran was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1948.John decided to bring the same stories to a larger audience in the form of books, with the hope of being able to transport his readers away from their worries in today's world. Amazon:  http://tinyurl.com/hmo77vf

The Regulars blitz & giveaway

The Regulars
by Paris Singer
Genre: Adult Paranormal Thriller
Release Date: October 19th 2016
Creativia

Summary from Goodreads:

A man wakes to find himself dead and alone in a forest and soon realizes he has no memory of who he is or how he came to die there.
As he sets off to unravel the mystery of his past, he is pulled into a world stranger than death itself, where the struggle to balance good and evil lies behind the scenes, in the shadows.
On his journey, he encounters The Regulars, a self-proclaimed band of misfits whose sole purpose is to terrify the living.
Among them is Mr. Cage, a nefarious, dark jester who delights in causing havoc, misery and pain to all those whom he encounters.
What begins as a journey to uncover a brutal murder, soon unfolds into a race against malevolent forces, where not everything is as
it seems…



Buy Link: Amazon   

CHAPTER THREEFor the second time, I woke to a pair of eyes, though this time they weren’t those of the boy.I didn’t even know we could pass out.” The face of the spider-like man was again inches from mine.Instinctively, I pulled my head back away from his and it collided forcefully with the floor. The man smiled his crooked smile as he winked and withdrew.“You okay?” asked a voice to my right, which I recognized as the boy’s.“Yes, I think so.” I put my hand to the back of my head as if to feel for blood, though soon realized the absurdity of it. “Who are you?” I asked again.“It is becoming exceedingly clear you are incapable of answering the simplest of questions, and so, despite obvious violations of decorum, and in the spirit of drawing this bizarre encounter to an end, I shall answer you. We are four humble companions who, by the divinity and grace of Lady Fate, met and came together to relish and delight in that which we do so very well above all else. To those on whom we inflict our pleasures, we have no name, for there is, alas, no time for introductions—not if we have done our duty well, that is. And we always do. But you, my dear boy, shall be allowed the gratuitously rare privilege of knowing them.”The man in argyle took a deep drag from his cigar and exhaled enough smoke to create a momentary mist around him before continuing his introduction. “I do believe you have already had the pleasure of hearing our young lady’s name, so called for she awoke face down on the banks of a river. The comically articulate gentleman currently above you we call Mr. Cage, for he awoke in the dead of night within the confines of a sleeping Bengal tiger’s cage in a circus. The young man beside you awoke by the side of a common road, so, logically, we thought to name him ‘Road,’ but it never really stuck, so we have come to simply, and quite affectionately, call him ‘Boy.’“Last but certainly not least, we come to me. It has always been unfortunate and rather inconvenient that I cannot recall the place from which I awoke, so no easy name could be conjured. As such, therefore, from the very depths of my being, I came to the name Louis. If you need an explanation, I shall simply say that it stirred me within.“Our exploits being many and far reaching, we have built up a rather delicious reputation amongst the community for being the magnum opus of entertainment to the masses. The rays of sunlight in their otherwise tragic quasi-existence. The champions of our kind, fighting to stand up and be counted, striving to be heard by those who turn the other way. The crashing waves that bring the walls of injustice to its knees one living being after another! And, thus, we are known as and dubbed—The Regulars.”Louis took a half bow as the one they called Mr. Cage jumped up and down in wild excitement, clapping his hands, his bowed legs half bent. The girl clapped without a hint of expression save that of her glazed eyes, which told of a dark sorrow deep within the wells of her being. The boy just gave another empty half-smile.“And now, my boy, we must say farewell as the sun sets on our petit rendezvous, for we have much to do before the night draws to a close.”“What about him?” asked the boy.“Him?”“We can’t just leave him.”“Dear boy, if we made a habit of picking up every stray in our path, we would become a circus. Besides, what good would he bring our little ensemble?”“I’ll train him. I’ll show him what to do.”“Train him, eh?” Louis took another drag from his eternal cigar as he coldly glanced from the boy to me. “Hmm. He would be your charge?”“Yes.”“Well, well. The boy becomes a master with apprentice!” exclaimed Louis in a condescending tone. He stared silently at the boy, then at me again for a few moments, and then added, “Okay, so it shall be. He is to be your responsibility. Make sure he does not get in the way. It may be refreshing to have new blood amongst us, anyway.” With that, he turned. “Come, let us proceed with the night’s entertainment!”The boy turned, looking down at me. “Come on, we’d better go.” He started toward the other three as they walked through and past the barred door, out of sight. When the last of them had gone, the boy picked up his pace, and I discerned that in a few moments he, too, would be gone, leaving me alone in the diner.I’d hoped they’d forget they had even met me as soon as I was out of their sights, that I’d be free of them—especially of Mr. Cage—but no sooner had I formed ideas of what I’d do next, the boy’s face re-emerged from the door.“He’s taken a liking to you. The worst thing you could do is upset him now. He hates being wrong.”With those words, I knew my only choices were to follow them or tempt the wrath of beings that, despite being akin to them, I was certain possessed attributes and abilities whose capacities were beyond my imagining. My mind attributed them with boundless power, theirs to use at a whim against whomever they pleased.Feeling I had no choice, I stood and walked to the boy.Then emerged an urgent panic within me as I realized what was casually being asked of me—I had to walk through the barred door. I was to hit the ground running. I knew I hadn’t long in which to figure out how to actually do it, for the greater half of “The Regulars” was rapidly getting farther from us, and I didn’t know what their response would be upon seeing that neither I northe boy were within their number. I hadn’t been among them long enough to be able to determine whether the boy would get similar treatment as that to which I was certain I would receive, should he be found to step out of line.I knew nothing about him; still, I felt an inexplicable fondness toward him, much as a father would for his son, and was grateful the boy had awoken me from the perpetual slumber I had fallen into. I owed him. “What do I do?” I asked.“Just imagine it isn’t there, that there is no door or wall. You’re just walking forward as you are now with nothing in the way.”I stopped. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts. I wondered whether it really was that simple. Just do it. Just walk through a door. They’d done it, so had the boy, but they were ghosts. Christ, so was I. I was like them.The whole world was crazy—the whole universe—but there it was, and I had no choice but to follow. And it had to be right then. I looked at the boy, into his eyes, and he into mine. There was a note of impatience within them, but also one of belief as he gave me a single nod of encouragement.I steadied myself, straightened my dressing gown, and looked straight ahead. I tried to imagine a clear path lay before me. In an instant, I took a step back; then ran at the door at full speed. It was now or never. As I neared it, I closed my eyes. It was too late to stop, but what if he was wrong? What if it wasn’t so easy? Can the undead even feel pain? Too late to pinch myself. The door was but a meter away. Now I’d find out. I thought of my legs—just keep running. And so I ran. I heard his voice shouting from somewhere behind me, “I think you can stop running now!”I opened my eyes in time to see I was but a few centimeters from a tree. I turned so as to avoid colliding head first with it, and just as I had expected to feel the crushing blow, I instead felt nothing. As I opened my eyes again in wonderment of where the tree could possibly have gone, my face met forcefully with the earth.A sudden burst of laughter came from behind me, and, as I slowly picked myself up, it gradually grew closer. “Not bad for a first time!” As I grumbled under my breath, the boy added, “Come on, let’s catch up.”





About the Author
Paris Singer was born in Brussels, Belgium. He has lived in the U.K. and in various places in Spain, where he currently resides. At university, he studied English law and Spanish law. He didn't like it. He then studied translation and didn't like it, either. Currently, he is an English teacher in the south of Spain. He has far too many interests, he's told, a few of which being sports, playing his old guitar, learning Japanese, painting, reading and cooking. Not a day goes by, however, where he doesn't write something, be it under a palm tree or on a bench at a bus stop somewhere.


Author Links: 
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Shattered Rose (Winsor Series Book 1)

 “For any girl who has struggled to love herself.” –Tammy L. Gray

Avery Nichols knows how to wear the mask. Perfect student, perfect daughter and perfect friend. Nobody would ever guess that inside Avery is a prisoner to her own self loathing.

Then she meets him…and everything changes.

Handsome, charming and self assured, Jake Matthews sweeps Avery off her feet in an effortless fashion. Avery knows that Jake is everything she needs and all she has ever wanted.

She would destroy herself to be loved by him…until he walks away.

Broken and lost, Avery meets Parker. His genuine, caring nature reaches past the mask and the shattered pieces of her heart slowly begin to heal. But just when Avery starts to feel whole again, she faces the impossible truth.

Jake never really left.

Shattered Rose is book one in the Winsor Series. (All books are stand alone, full-lengh novels.)

Winsor Series:
Book 1 -- Shattered Rose
Book 2 -- Shackled Lily
Book 3 -- Splintered Oak
And don't miss my Winsor spin off -- Mercy's Fight Tammy L. Gray lives in the Dallas area with her family, and they love all things Texas, even the erratic weather patterns. She writes modern Christian romance with true-to-life characters and culturally-relevant plot lines. She believes hope and healing can be found through high quality fiction that inspires and provokes change.

When not chasing after her three amazing kids, Tammy can be spotted with her head in a book. Writing has given her a platform to combine her passion with her ministry.

Tammy L. Gray has lots of projects going on. For all the latest info, visit her website at http://tammylgray.com

I'd love to hear from all of you! Come join me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tlgraybooks or twitter @tlgraybooks Amazon:  http://tinyurl.com/hyjz5o7

Cabin On Pinto Creek

 Elisha Evans is out of luck. By the age of twenty-five, he’d planned to have his own ranch. Instead, he’s forced to beg for a job, destroying his dreams of having a family he can provide for and protect. Betrayal and loss bring him to a cabin on Pinto Creek in the high Colorado Rockies. Just before winter hits, he finds a broken-down wagon in the snow with precious cargo inside. Perhaps, his luck is about to change.

Susana Jamison doesn’t feel so lucky. Despite being rescued by Elisha, she is challenged to the limit of her strength, both physically and spiritually, when faced with the brutal conditions of frontier living and the dangers she encounters. Can she hold on to her faith in the midst of this desperate situation, especially when she’s forced to marry a man she’s doesn’t love?

An inspirational historical western romance, Cabin On Pinto Creek is the first in the Cedar Ridge Chronicles.
NOVELS BY A J Hawke
CEDAR RIDGE CHRONICLES
Cabin on Pinto Creek, 1
Joe Storm No Longer a Cowboy, 2
Colorado Morning Sky, 3
Colorado Evening Sky, 4
OTHER NOVELS
Mountain Journey Home
Caught Between Two Worlds
Lance McTavish Home To Texas (Releasing SoonA J Hawke I write inspirational historical and contemporary western stories. My goal is for my readers to have a satisfying experience with likable, even lovable characters that they can relate to and even feel that they have become a friend. At the end of the story, I want to have offered a journey for my readers to travel through difficult challenges and life events with the stories' characters that leave the reader with a satisfied sigh and a smile as they close the book.

ABOUT A J HAWKE
Born in Spur, Texas into a multi-generational Texas family, A J Hawke has traveled throughout the American West as well as other parts of the world. She enjoys reading, writing, friends, family, and being a Christian. To get an email whenever A J Hawke releases a new title, sign up for the author's newsletter at AJHawke.com (just copy and paste into your browser.)

Author of the Inspirational Historical Western Romance
Series Cedar Ridge Chronicles
CABIN ON PINTO CREEK, Book 1
JOE STORM NO LONGER A COWBOY, Book 2
COLORADO MORNING SKY, Book 3
COLORADO EVENING SKY, Book 4
Stand Alone Novels
CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
MOUNTAIN JOURNEY HOME
LANCE MCTAVISH HOME TO TEXAS Amazon Link:  http://tinyurl.com/zukfb9k Twitter:  @AJHawkeAuthor

Distant Horizon blitz

Distant Horizon
by Stephanie & Isaac Flint
Genre: YA Dystopian/Superhero
Release Date: October 27th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

The Community is safe.
Unless you have superpowers.

Sixty years ago, a hallucinogenic plague annihilated half the world’s population, leading to the formation of the Community—an international government that promises its citizens safety, security, and efficiency. Every day, Community citizens swallow a mandatory pill to ensure their immunity to the plague. A year after graduating high school, they take the Health Scan.

Most pass, and continue with their lives. Others disappear.

Eighteen-year-old Jenna Nickleson hasn’t taken the pill since her senior year in high school. She feels more alive without it, and she hasn’t shown any signs of infection—at least, not until two days after a surprise Health Scan is announced and Special Forces arrive at her university campus.

Spurred by the recent string of hallucinations, Jenna searches for any inkling of what happens to those who fail the scan. Rumor has it that they’re sent away for treatment and, once cured, receive a menial job. But when she uncovers the cruel truth behind the plague, her ideal world is shattered.

Underneath the illusion of safety, Special Forces agents harbor a dark secret.

The plague is a lie.


Buy Links: Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes &Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

About the Authors Stephanie and Isaac Flint met at the University of Central Missouri, where they soon discovered a common interest in world-building and tabletop role-play games. Distant Horizon is their first joint world, the result of a role-play game Isaac ran in the summer of 2010. After graduating with Bachelors of Science (Photography for Stephanie, Psychology for Isaac), Stephanie and Isaac married in 2012. Together, they plot stories, torment each other’s characters, and enjoy the occasional cosplay. Infinitas Publishing Website: infinitaspublishing.com

Author Links:
A PDF of sample chapters can be downloaded from the Infinitas Publishing website: http://www.infinitaspublishing.com/distant-horizon2.html
Book Trailer: 

Pushing Perfect blitz & giveaway

Pushing Perfect
by Michelle Falkoff
Genre: YA Contemporary Mystery
Release Date: October 25th 2016
HarperTeen

Summary from Goodreads:

A girl’s quest for perfection results in dangerous consequences in this layered, suspenseful YA novel by the author of Playlist for the Dead.

How far would you go to be perfect?

Kara has the perfect life. She gets perfect grades. She never messes up. Until now. Because perfection is an illusion, and Kara has been struggling to maintain it for as long as she can remember. With so much pressure to succeed, it’s hard not to do whatever it takes.

But when Kara takes a new underground drug to help her ace the SATs, she doesn’t expect to get a text from a blocked sender, telling her to follow a set of mysterious instructions—or risk her dark secret getting out. Soon she finds herself part of a group of teens with secrets of their own, who are all under the thumb of the same anonymous texter. And if they don’t find a way to stop the blackmailer, their perfect futures will go up in flames.

This dark, emotionally resonant contemporary YA novel is perfect for fans of We Were Liars and The Secret History.



Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound
Excerpt:
The Brain Trust was occupying its regular table when I came into the cafeteria with my brown bag lunch. As always, I had to walk by the drama table, with Isabel sat with her theater friends, and the swim team table, where Becca sat. They didn’t look up when I passed them by. They never did.
     Mom had made me spinach salad with quinoa and feta and a lemony dressing. Brain food. She’d done a ton of research into my skin condition and had made me try a million different diets that, just like everything else, did nothing. She’d amped up her game in anticipation of the SAT exam. The test was coming up in a little over a week, and though I’d studied so much I’d worn my Princeton Review guide to shreds, I was terrified to actually take it.
     Ever since everything went down with Becca and Isabel, I’d buried myself in schoolwork, spending all my time writing papers and studying for tests and making sure I did as well as I possibly could. It was all I had left. I was still hiding my face with makeup, but sometimes it felt like I was hiding my whole self, too. Or that I didn’t have much self left to hide. By my count, it had been over a year since I’d talked to anyone about anything except school. Even at home, all my parents talked about was how well I was doing, how proud they were of my hard work; they didn’t seem concerned that I was always alone. Sure, Mom had asked about Becca and Isabel at first, but I’d mumbled something about people changing in high school and she’d let it go. I’d convinced myself that everything would be different if I went to the right college.
     But I could only do that if I killed it on the SAT.
     I’d always been good at taking tests, but the SAT was different. I don’t know if it was just the pressure all by itself or if some secret part of me was convinced that standardized tests would somehow reveal how very not perfect I was, but I’d had a full-on panic attack when I took the PSAT—I hadn’t even finished it. I’d left the room before people could see me freaking out. I was so spooked by the thought of the SAT that I’d put it off until this year, rather than taking it as a junior like everyone else in my classes.
     The Brain Trust was a group of kids I’d met in the Gifted and Talented Program back in grade school. We weren’t friends, exactly, but we had all our classes together, and we all shared the common goal of wanting to go to college on the East Coast. Harvard, specifically. Arthur Cho was a classical violinist whose parents didn’t want him to go to Juilliard because they thought it would limit his options; David Singer dreamed of being an entrepreneur like Mark Zuckerberg, even though I kept telling him what my parents told me, which was that Silicon Valley was full of Stanford grads who looked down on people from Harvard. Julia Jackson, my nemesis, was gunning for a particular science scholarship and wanted to go straight from undergrad to Harvard Med.
     As for me, I just wanted to get as far away from Marbella as possible. I liked the idea of Harvard because it seemed like the kind of place I could start over, where everything might be different. No one would know me as Perfect Kara there; at a place like Harvard, it would be normal to love math and to care about academics more than anything else. It didn’t necessarily have to be Harvard; any good school out east would do, but my last name was Winter and I’d only ever seen snow in Tahoe. I wanted red and orange leaves in the fall, tulips in spring, baking heat in summer. I wanted change.
     “The National Merit Semifinalist list came out today,” Julia said, her voice all sugary. “Didn’t see your name on there.” Julia and I had been in classes together since kindergarten and teachers had been pitting us against each other the whole time. Handwriting competitions in first grade, speed-reading contests in second, multiplication-table races in third—by then it had gotten old for me, but it never had for her. Now I was first in the class, but she was right on my heels, and I knew she’d made it her mission to pass me by.
     “Nope,” I said, trying to keep my voice light. “I assume congratulations are in order?”
     Julia nodded, as did the other two. Great. So I was the only one. “Well, I’m really happy for you guys.” And I was, but I could also feel the anxiety kicking in. It had become a familiar feeling—I’d get this wave of nausea, then a weird thumping in my head, and then my pulse would start to race. I’d feel cold but get sweaty, which was usually the point when I’d take a walk or something to calm myself down. They were sort of my friends, but they were also my competition, as my guidance counselor kept reminding me. The problem was that they each knew exactly what they wanted, and everything they did was in service of their goals. I had no idea what I wanted, other than knowing it had something to do with math, and that put me at a disadvantage. The only way to make myself stand out—the only way to have a real chance at a new life—was to be valedictorian at one of the most competitive public high schools in the country, which Marbella High was. And to nail the SATs.
     Basically, I had to be perfect.


About the Author
Michelle Falkoff's fiction and reviews have been published in ZYZZYVA, DoubleTake and the Harvard Review, among other places. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and currently serves as Director of Communication and Legal Reasoning at Northwestern University School of Law.

Author Links:



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