Mia Kerick's Blog, page 8

I HAVE A VISITOR!!! MY GOOD FRIEND RAINE O’TIERNEY IS VISITING MY BLOG TODAY!!! UH HUH!!!!!!

Raine O’Tierney is one of my favorite people ever. She has been there for me in good times and bad, in fact, she is one of my first friends at Dreamspinner Press. TODAY I want to welcome Raine to my blog with her new Young Adult novel, I’ll Always Miss You. Let’s find out some more about this awesome book.

I’LL ALWAYS MISS YOU by Raine O’Tierney

ISBN-13: 9781632165244

Pages: 256 pages

Cover Artist: Bree Archer

Categories: Young Adult | Bisexual | Coming of Age |

 

BLURB:

Isa Zaman might forgive his parents for taking in a friend’s son if only he wasn’t the most boring teenager in the universe. Macklin “Mackie” Cormack’s only interests are reading and the outdoors. Yeah, right. Isa’s convinced Mackie is either a pyro or a klepto. Plus, as a white kid, Mackie looks ridiculous in the Zamans’ Arab American household. Forced to share a bedroom, the boys keep butting heads until an absurd fight finally breaks the tension between them.

Isa’s just starting to figure life out: this new houseguest, his cultural identity, school, and even girls, when the entire family is uprooted from their home for reasons Isa can’t understand. They move from their tiny city apartment to a giant, old house in a small town, hours away from everything he’s ever known. Oh, and the new house? It’s probably haunted, or so says the blank-faced ten-year-old next door. As if things weren’t weird enough, Isa’s friendship with Mackie suddenly takes a strange turn down a path Isa’s not sure he’s ready to follow. It turns out Mackie Cormack isn’t nearly as boring as Isa once imagined.

EXCERPT:

And that’s when I realized that my friends had become jerks.

I don’t know what it was, staring at their backs, that made me realize it, but they had.

And I was a jerk too.

Because I hadn’t stood up to them, and I’d put Mackie in this position again, when I knew he didn’t want to be there.

I turned immediately to go.

I knew we couldn’t abandon them, but that didn’t mean I had to stay inside to wait for them. I bumped into a couple dancing and somehow avoided the long-nailed grasp of a very drunk woman who wanted me to dance with her, and then I was near the door. I waited only until the people coming in had moved, and then I charged out of the club. I even told the bored guy with the stamp to kiss my ass.

A couple of girls near the front of the line giggled when they saw me, but I ignored them. I ignored them, and I went to find Mackie and the car.

He sat with his hands on the steering wheel, staring straight ahead. No, glaring straight ahead.

I opened the passenger side door, and I climbed in.

“That was qui—”

I didn’t let him finish his sarcastic remark. I just grabbed his shirt and I pulled him across the seat to me, and I kissed him. Long and hard and good. I was fifteen years old, and I really, really, really didn’t want to be at a bar in Kansas City.

“Let’s go see the library,” I told him.

“Okay,” he replied dumbly.

“Right now, let’s leave those idiots and go see the library.”

“Okay,” he said, putting the car in gear. “Yeah, we’ll come back for them.”

“We’ll come back for them,” I agreed. “But right now, just you and me. Let’s go. Take the car and drive.”

 

 INTERVIEW WITH RAINE 

I was lucky enough to have a chance to sit down with Raine and ask her some of the questions I have been itching to ask her.

Welcome to my blog, Raine. Tell us about your new book, I’ll Always Miss You.

Thank you SO MUCH for hosting me, Mia-Mia! I really appreciate it!

 Well, I’ll Always Miss You, is a coming-of-age story about Isa Zaman. He’s your typical snarky teenager, trying not to drown in the sea of estrogen that is his household (so many sisters!), trying to figure out how to ask someone to the dance, trying to figure out his culture and himself…and then all of a sudden his parents take in the son of a family friend and Isa’s whole world is even more shaken up. Especially when he starts to notice this weird new guy, Mackie!

Why did you choose to write about an Arab American family? How did you research so that you knew you were getting the nuances of their cultural identity just right?

I felt like this was a very underrepresented group in YA lit and I wanted to explore the dynamics of a white “foster” kid in a minority household. Research was really interesting for this story. Since Isa doesn’t feel Arab enough he seeks out his culture in the same basic ways I researched his culture. Plus I got to sample a lot of Moroccan cuisine as Isa grows to love Mediterranean cooking.

Which character is the most “Raine”? Who do you identify with most? And why.

I would like to say Isa’s sister Aaliyah because she’s so creative and full of grace. She is very kind and understanding and Isa really admires her. But…I’m probably more like the overly enthusiastic little sister Layla! J

Are any of the characters based on people you know or know of in real life? Is the setting a place you’ve actually been?

 Haha, I’m laughing because AJ Fisher is totally based on my boss who a) knows she’s in the book and b) approves the characterization of herself! Rainy Hill, Missouri is a composite of my town of Parkville, MO and my grandmother’s neighborhood in Bryan, TX.

You usually write adult novels, so what inspired you to write a YA novel? Is it more of a romance or would you call it fiction?

I chose to write this story as a YA because I wanted to capture the feelings I had reading YA ghost stories as a teenager. I could have done this as a nostalgic adult, but I think telling the story as Isa worked even better! I’d say this story is romantic fiction, I think? It’s definitely more coming-of-age than romance, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a delightful romance in there as the boys find each other and navigate their first awkward feelings for each other.

Did you enjoy your experience as a young adult writer? What did you find limiting, and what did you find liberating? Do you think you will write another YA novel?

I definitely enjoyed my experience as a YA writer. I got to re-explore some of the feelings I had when I was fourteen, through the eyes of an adult. It was hard, though, sharing the story with my librarian friends who specialize in J-Fic and YA literature because they were brutal.

CLOSEST TO YOUR HEART: Rank your main characters in order of how close they are to the heart of Raine O’Tierney. Please state which book the character is in, and why he/she received his ranking. (You can choose one main character from your books.)

Fun! Top five favorite YA/JF characters:

Solveig from Icefall

Tris from Divergent

Jinx from Moon Over Manifest

Lucie Babbidge from Lucie Babbidge’s House

Maggie from Behind the Attic Wall

BONUS: (And the obligatory “favorite Raine chara”) Isa Zaman from I’ll Always Miss You

BUY LINKS:

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6128

http://www.amazon.com/Ill-Always-Miss-Raine-OTierney-ebook/dp/B00TWR8A7C/

  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-i039llalwaysmissyou-1740472-149.html

  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ill-always-miss-you-raine-otierney/1121262925?ean=9781632165220

GIVEAWAY:

 Rafflecopter prizes: $25 Amazon.com giftcard and an e-copy of I’ll Always Miss You

Rafflecopter code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 Raine O’Tierney loves writing about first loves and friendship. She believes the best thing we can do in this life is be kind to one another, and hopes her stories always reflect that. Raine loves encouraging people to write and has been known to repeat the phrase “I believe everyone has a story to tell” endlessly, until she breaks down even the most stubborn non-writer!

Raine lives outside of Kansas City, Missouri, with her husband, fellow M/M author Siôn O’Tierney. When she’s not writing, she’s either playing video games or fighting the good fight for intellectual freedom at her library day job.

Contact her if you’re interested in talking about point-and-click adventure games or about which dachshunds are the best kinds of dachshunds!

Homepage: Raineotierney.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaineOTierneyAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaineOTierney

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7770350.Raine_O_Tierney

 

Thank you, Rainey, for visiting me here… it gets lonely sometimes.

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The Red Sheet is a Semi-Finalist in 2015 Book Pipeline Script Search!! :)

***Thrilled to receive this email in regard to a writing contest I entered upon the suggestion of my dear friend Michael Bowler. It is so gratifying to find success in what I love so much to do.

Dear Book Pipeline Entrants,

Semifinalists for the 2014 Book Pipeline Competition have now been selected and posted to the site. The full list is as follows:

A Bitter Veil (period drama/thriller) by Libby Fisher Hellmann

Auto-Erotica (drama) by Stacia Saint Owens

Beowulf: A Bloody Calculus (sci-fi/thriller) by Milo Behr

CarnEvil (horror) by Frank D’Angeli

Cerulean (futuristic drama/sci-fi) by Jason M. Vaughn

Hand Me Down (drama) by Melanie Thorne

Jane at the Fair (period drama) by David H. Stuart

Making Manna (drama) by Eric Lotke

Syncing Forward (sci-fi/thriller) by W. Lawrence

The Red Sheet (YA drama) by Mia Kerick

The Ringer (crime/drama) by Jenny Shank

Tunnel Visions (drama/mystery) by Kurt Kamm

Congratulations to those selected. We’re narrowing down this semifinalist list and choosing one winner and 3-5 finalists by March 1st. The 2015 season opens in March as well and will run until December of this year.

We mentioned before, but it’s worth repeating: we received 576 entries across most every genre imaginable, and were surprised (inspired, really) by the quality of submissions. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say every entry had a valid shot at advancing.

A large handful showcased competent writing and engaging characters or plots, but the determining factor between Great Book X and Great Book Y was “which has more potential as a film or TV series?” Unfortunately, many didn’t make the cut. Not due to subpar writing ability, and not due to an unmarketable or unappealing story, but due to the fact other books, in our eyes, had a better shot at garnering interest in the current media landscape.

Thankfully, trends change. And honestly, there’s no real science to it. What doesn’t work for a series or movie today certainly might in the future, and you can point to numerous examples over the past several decades. It’s all a process, and one that takes time. But like in any creative industry, originality and talent win–always–in the end. All the more reason to continue telling exceptional stories true to your own voice, your own style, and your own objective.

To everyone who entered, many thanks for allowing us to review your manuscript. We look forward to reading more of your work in the future and considering it for film and TV adaptation.

Regards,

The Book Pipeline Team

Twitter

 HERE’S MORE- BEST OF 2014 CHOSEN BY:

**The Novel Approach- Tina

The Red Sheet-“ The Red Sheet is something I’ve not found very often. It is a story that I haven’t read. I couldn’t predict what was going to happen. I couldn’t figure out what had happened. But I couldn’t wait to find out. Mia Kerick unfolded Bryan and Scott’s story the same way one unfolds a new sheet fresh from the package. You open one fold at a time and use your hand to smooth out the line made from the sizing applied at the factory before it was packaged. In doing this, Mia re-emphasized the good and bad in all of us. She smoothed her hand over the belief that we have the power to overcome high hurdles, even if we are mere mortals. That smoothing reinforced the truth she was imparting.”

**My Fiction Nook’s Best of 2014

Sandra’ s Top Five- The Red Sheet by Mia Kerick

**Hearts on Fire

“Our Favorites!! The books we loved in 2014”

Diane Allan -Random Acts and The Red Sheet

 **Love Bytes Reviewers Favorite Books of 2014

Donna-

The Red Sheet by Mia Kerick

This book convinced me, the queen of holding grudges against fictional characters, that forgiveness is always possible. Plus there’s a flash mob – who doesn’t love a flash mob?

** Rainbow Awards 2014

3rd place- YA LGBT The Red Sheet

Other achievements of the red sheet are included on the image above.

When a book finds success, it makes an author wonder if he/she will ever find the same or more success with another book in the future. My goal is to try.

Mia :)

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Inclination: A labor of LOVE <3

I started writing Inclination, under the working title of His Way, a full year ago in January. It is finally scheduled for release with CoolDudes Publishing’s YA imprint, YoungDudes Publishing, on February 25th of this year. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this book’s release. And if you want to read about my motivation for writing Inclination, you can find it in my interview with CoolDudes Publishing.

**Look at the bottom of this blog post for full interview- Mia with CoolDudes

 

I think I worked harder on Inclination than on any other book so far. I started last winter by doing a great deal of research. I read several books about gay Christianity from cover to cover, and many others I used for reference. I studied online gay Christian websites. I learned the Biblical arguments for and against the acceptance of homosexual behavior in Christian life. I learned a lot about Christianity in my effort to confirm my conviction that God dearly loves gay Christians.

    

It was important for me to read the specific arguments, the precise Biblical passages, and to search for the intention behind the words. I wanted to be fully convinced that my decision was not based only on my emotional belief that God’s main concern is that people love Him and each other, or my gut feeling that the Jesus I know would not judge a person based on who he/she loves. I wanted my conviction to also be grounded in rational fact; that scripture does not prove God opposes homosexual behavior. But more importantly, I realized that if any of Inclination‘s readers worried over specifics in the same way Anthony did, they also would want to be fully convinced that a same-sex relationship can be blessed by God.

After completing my scriptural research and reconfirming my conviction, I watched videos of real teens who were currently struggling with the dilemma of whether or not a gay Christian could be devout. And I read accounts of adults who struggled their entire lives to find where they fit with their religion, as LGBTQ people. I witnessed their pain and frustration and loneliness, and it was intolerable to me. That’s when I started to write.

At this point I was so incredibly moved by the plight of these people that I often cried while creating my main character’s painful journey. It is ironic that, as a romance author who uses angst as a tool to elicit emotion from my readers, the most angst I experienced while writing was when 16-year-old Anthony Del Vecchio left his church because he no longer felt worthy of God’s love. The scene was intense; Anthony (and I) were devastated.

  

Just after I submitted “the perfect YA manuscript” to a small publisher last summer, I went to a Writers Digest conference in New York City where I attended workshops on how to write “the perfect YA novel.” I promptly withdrew my manuscript from submission and rewrote Inclination, which was still called His Way, at that point. And I rewrote it again and again and again. For lots of different reasons. (In between two of those agains I renamed it Inclination.)

In fact, I continued to rework and reshape and (hopefully) improve Inclination throughout the entire editing process with a very PATIENT CoolDudes Publishing.

I am happy with my final result. I am thrilled that my beta readers and pre-reviewers love it. I am satisfied that I have accomplished what I set out to, and put a human face on this struggle.

Inclination is an important book. I hope many of you read it, review it, and get the word out about it so people who need a story of hope like this can find it.

Mia

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1540588189543402&id=1524105151191706

 

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Come to My Window Tour Starts…Today! #YA #Lesbian #Giveaway

Today kicks off my Come to My Window blog tour! There’s a giveaway and chances to win at every stop, so I hope you’ll come to my…tour.

Tour Dates/Tour Stops:

26-Jan

The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat

Elin Gregory

Kimi-Chan

27-Jan

Molly Lolly

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

Inked Rainbow Reads

28-Jan

Full Moon Dreaming

Bayou Book Junkie

29-Jan

Book Reviews and More by Kathy

Prism Book Alliance

30-Jan

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

Cate Ashwood

Amanda C. Stone

31-Jan

Love Bytes

Book Name: Come to My Window

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24407247-come-to-my-window

Publisher: Mia Kerick

Cover Artist: Reese Dante

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Lesbian Romance, Romance, Young Adult

Pages or Words: 182 pages

Blurb(s):

Justine Laraby and Kemina Lopez are intimate acquaintances yet they have never exchanged so much as a single word. For months, high school senior Justine, and famed model, “Kemina, the Baby Vixen” of Nightingale Lingerie, have been peering at each other across a narrow alley between brownstones in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This mutual observation soon turns into the exchange of handwritten messages on signs they hold up whenever they come to their bedroom windows. Via this “sign language,” a friendship grows, and Justine learns that Kemina is, like her, a high school senior, but with a controlling mother and a modeling career that requires her to maintain an unnaturally thin physique. And through the window, she also witnesses her new friend exercising fanatically, hoarding food, and being physically and emotionally abused by her ambitious mother.

Window messages evolve into clandestine meetings and soon a tentative romance blooms. But Justine must come to terms with her own “mommy issues,” as well as accept her gender identity and sexual orientation, before she can provide Kemina with the support she needs to survive a family life that resembles a ruthless business transaction.

Will Justine be strong enough to throw open the window so Kemina can escape society’s suffocating expectations?

Excerpt:

Justine Laraby and Kemina Lopez are intimate acquaintances yet they have never exchanged so much as a single word. For months, high school senior Justine, and famed model, “Kemina, the Baby Vixen” of Nightingale Lingerie, have been peering at each other across a narrow alley between brownstones in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This mutual observation soon turns into the exchange of handwritten messages on signs they hold up whenever they come to their bedroom windows. Via this “sign language,” a friendship grows, and Justine learns that Kemina is, like her, a high school senior, but with a controlling mother and a modeling career that requires her to maintain an unnaturally thin physique. And through the window, she also witnesses her new friend exercising fanatically, hoarding food, and being physically and emotionally abused by her ambitious mother.

Window messages evolve into clandestine meetings and soon a tentative romance blooms. But Justine must come to terms with her own “mommy issues,” as well as accept her gender identity and sexual orientation, before she can provide Kemina with the support she needs to survive a family life that resembles a ruthless business transaction.

Will Justine be strong enough to throw open the window so Kemina can escape society’s suffocating expectations?

About Me!

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty-two years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people and their relationships, and she believes that physical intimacy has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press, Harmony Ink Press, and CreateSpace for providing her with alternate places to stash her stories.

Mia is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights, especially marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Where to find me:

Blog: www.miakerick.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mia.kerick

Dreamspinner Author Arcade: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/AuthorArcade/mia-kerick/bio/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6474518.Mia_Kerick

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiaKerick

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COVER REVEAL for INCLINATION by Mia Kerick

I’d like to announce the COVER REVEAL of my YA GAY CHRISTIAN FICTION- INCLINATION by Mia Kerick.

Inclination will be released on FEBRUARY 25th by YoungDudes Publishing, an imprint of CoolDudes Publishing.

I have been blessed with so many gorgeous images, as well as a stunning cover, for enhancing my story.

Here are some of them:

The two images above are courtesy of CoolDudes/YoungDudes publishing, special thanks to Louis C. Harris.

These two gorgeous cover reveal images were created by the talented Mel Leach.

I wrote the story of Anthony Duck-Young Del Vecchio about a year ago and have rewritten it five times to make it just the way I want it! I researched quite a bit and had to figure out how to fit all of my important points into a work of YA fiction. I wanted Inclination to have substance, as well as heart.

Here is the official blurb for the story:

Sixteen-year-old Anthony Duck-Young Del Vecchio is a nice Catholic boy with a very big problem. It’s not the challenge of fitting in as the lone adopted South Korean in a close-knit family of Italian-Americans. Nor is it being the one introverted son in a family jam-packed with gregarious daughters. Anthony’s problem is far more serious—he is the only gay kid in Our Way, his church’s youth group. As a high school junior, Anthony has finally come to accept his sexual orientation, but he struggles to determine if a gay man can live as a faithful Christian. And as he faces his dilemma, there are complications. After confiding his gayness to his intolerant adult youth group leader, he’s asked to find a new organization with which to worship. He’s beaten up in the church parking lot by a fanatical teen. His former best pal bullies him in the locker room. His Catholic friends even stage an intervention to lead him back to the “right path.” Meanwhile, Anthony develops romantic feelings for David Gandy, an emo, out and proud junior at his high school, who seems to have all the answers about how someone can be gay and Christian, too.

Will Anthony be able to balance his family, friends and new feelings for David with his changing beliefs about his faith so he can live a satisfying life and not risk his soul in the process?

I hope you mark in your calendar– FEBRUARY 25th 2015 INCLINATION BY MIA KERICK

Mia

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SURPRISE!!! Come To My Window, my first lesbian YA romance is REALLY OUT this time!!! :)

Come To My Window is officially released.  I know this might come as a surprise because I pulled this book so suddenly, and maybe a bit dramatically, last week. In this attempt at self-publishing I enlisted the help of a VERY GOOD FRIEND (who is not ready to be named, but THANK YOU!!) and IT WORKED!!

Right now COME TO MY WINDOW is available on Amazon in kindle and paperback, although they may not yet be united, and it is on All Romance ebooks, and there will be more places soon, like Nook.

Don’t miss Justine and Kemina’s love story.

A story of society’s concept of PERFECTION and relating to our MOTHERS and being able to CHANGE…

And knowing when you can HIDE and when you can’t.

It IS HERE!!! Watch for a blog tour starting later this week from Pride Promotions!!

Mia

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Here Without You COVER REVEAL, Excerpt, and Giveaway!

Hello, my awesome readers and followers and friends, and welcome to my blog.

Today is a big day for Casey, Zander, Nate, and me. Today I am revealing the POWERFUL cover to the second portion of their story, which now has an OFFICAL NAME—The One Voice Series. (Yes, there will be a book 3!!)

In the YA romance where the story began, Us Three, the boys forged a cautious bond as they together overcame vicious high school bullying of Casey.

In the New Adult book 2, Here Without You, the three young men take tentative steps onto their future paths. Casey and Zander together head in the direction of college, and Nate remains behind in New Hampshire to protect his younger sister from their volatile uncle.  And on his own, Nate suffers with beatings resultant of his uncle’s violent outbursts and his ensuing depression.

The name of a 3 Doors Down song inspired this title.  This is an intense and powerful song of loneliness that refuses to release the listener from the dark pain of the vocalist’s struggle to endure his life alone.

I’m here without you, baby

But you’re still on my lonely mind

I think about you, baby

And I dream about you all the time

I’m here without you, baby

But you’re still with me in my dreams

And tonight it’s only you and me, yeah.

In the very same way, the Dan Skinner photograph that is the focus of Paul Richmond’s cover design, illustrates the passion and urgency of the rare moments the three can be together.

I hope you all participate in today’s rafflecopter challenge! Leave me a comment, and anything goes—your impressions of my new cover or your thoughts on Us Three or your hopes for Here Without You, or surprise me with something else entirely—and you will be entered to win!!

BLURB: With all of his scratched and dented heart, Nate DeMarco wants to be two places at once, but he’s been forced to make an unbearable choice. Having barely survived high school, Nate and his boyfriends, Casey Minton and Zander Zane, are ready to move forward in life. Casey and Zander have left home to attend Boston City College. Nate remains in New Hampshire to protect his volatile younger sister from their increasingly violent, alcoholic uncle. Nate suffers with anger, resentment, and loneliness as he battles what he wants against what he feels he must do.

Now separated, the young men fight to stay in contact. However, they’re each faced with their own separate issues. Casey must cope with residual fear from having been bullied in high school. Zander obsesses over the establishment of One Voice, the new gay-straight alliance at Boston City College. Nate fights for his sister’s very survival. Meanwhile, the intensity of the boys’ relationship increases, both sexually and emotionally, as happens in long distance relationships.

Nate’s futile effort to live two lives leads to tragedy, which blasts Nate, Casey, and Zander apart. Can the three young men find their way back to a united path before it’s too late?

Available from Harmony Ink (eBook) | Harmony Ink (Paperback)

EXCERPT: WHEN WE got to my house, my mother came and took the twins inside, and Zander and I waited in the driveway for Nate. I felt like a groom waiting for his bride. Except there were two grooms waiting for Nate, who was another groom. When Nate’s truck finally pulled in, we managed to keep our cool until Cindy went inside. The second Nate came around the truck, though, we kind of attacked each other.

Zander and I pressed our bodies to either side of his chest, and I was only satisfied when I felt his arm come down around my shoulder.

“You guys. What the fuck’re ya doin’ here, huh?” Nate sounded dazed.

Zander replied quickly. “Our family comes first. The three of us being together is the most important thing.”

I was glad that Zander had responded with such conviction. It proved to me that he understood what was truly important—that he had his priorities set correctly. I added, “We didn’t want to be away from you for a weekend, and we figured, as long as we study while we’re here, we can spend the weekend with our favorite people.”

“I might have to take over nail-paintin’ duties with your little sisters for ya, Casey. Y’know. So you can do your studyin’.”

“You aren’t going to have to be a manicurist this weekend.” I couldn’t help teasing him. “Your sister is staying with us too. She told me she loves painting nails. She even brought her own kit, with stickers and jewels. Lola and Sarah are going to be in manicure heaven.”

“But wait, Zander.” Nate pushed us both back. “You can’t miss your One Voice meetin’ on Sunday night.”

Zander looked up at Nate’s stricken face. I was pretty sure he realized, at that moment, just how important his goals were to Nate. Zander looked at me, his eyes wide and maybe a touch guilty. Then he spoke to Nate. “No worries, man, I’m not gonna miss the meeting. We’ll leave Sunday afternoon in time to get to One Voice. Unless you want us to stay later, which won’t be a problem. I can e-mail everybody and cancel, and I’ll be glad to do it.”

“No. No, Zander. I want you to get back for the meetin’. It’s important.”

Zander pulled his gaze from my face. “Not as important as we are.”

Nate bent down and kissed Zander so sweetly I thought I might burst into happy tears. Even when Nate had ended the kiss, Zander kept his face lifted toward Nate, as if he were hoping for more. And when Nate bent down and kissed my lips, softly and reverently, I allowed a couple of isolated tears to fall from my eyes. Tears of joy were nothing to be ashamed of.

*****GIVEAWAY!*****

Click the Rafflecopter link below for multiple ways to enter and WIN awesome prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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And one more thing, my holiday greeting for my closest buddies….

Happy Holidays to my friends, my readers, my reviewers, all the lurkers- just to everyone!! Enjoy every moment!!

Love from, Mia

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Come to My Window. The blurb.

Just in case you missed it… Mia Kerick’s upcoming YA LESBIAN ROMANCE January 2015 release is called

COME TO MY WINDOW.

Here’s the blurb:

Justine Laraby and Kemina Lopez are intimate acquaintances yet they have never exchanged so much as a single word. For months, high school senior Justine, and famed model, “Kemina, the Baby Vixen” of Nightingale Lingerie, have been peering at each other across a narrow alley between brownstones in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This mutual observation soon turns into the exchange of handwritten messages on signs they hold up whenever they come to their bedroom windows. Via this “sign language,” a friendship grows, and Justine learns that Kemina is, like her, a high school senior, but with a controlling mother and a modeling career that requires her to maintain an unnaturally thin physique. And through the window, she also witnesses her new friend exercising fanatically, hoarding food, and being physically and emotionally abused by her ambitious mother.

Window messages evolve into clandestine meetings and soon a tentative romance blooms. But Justine must come to terms with her own “mommy issues,” as well as accept her gender identity and sexual orientation, before she can provide Kemina with the support she needs to survive a family life that resembles a ruthless business transaction.

Will Justine be strong enough to throw open the window so Kemina can escape society’s suffocating expectations?

I’d LOVE to know your thoughts!!!

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Mia breaks into YA Lesbian Romance with Come To My Window

I am thrilled to announce that I have broken new ground in my writing. I have written my first YA lesbian romance novel, which is a switch of topics, and I have am also self-publishing this book! I want to see what the experience of self-publishng is really like, and I don’t want to wait months until its release, which often happens with publishers. I will continue to submit to publishers, however, I thought this was worth a shot!!

So here is my gradual unveiling of Come To My Window.

and here is the book as it will look on Amazon and other buying sites.

My awesome self-pub team includes Mel Leach, Reese Dante, and Beckey White!!

So watch for Come To My Window in early January!!

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