Spring Cleaning the Blog! And teaser for Counter Clockwise!

This blog needed a little dusting off so I spent the day working on a new banner^^^^^what'd ya think?

I like it! It inspires me to keep writing and publishing otherworldly YA and I'm excited to announce that there will be TWO more Clockwise books coming this year. Counter Clockwise and Clockwork Crazy. Things are getting really CRAZY for Nate and Casey. Here's a little unedited-subject-to-change teaser.

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So what if he was going to Europe with his college basketball team without me? So what if the cheerleading squad and head cheerleader, Fiona Frias the Floozy, was going too? So what???

I stared hard at the text message from Nate Mackenzie, my hot boyfriend of one year, nine months and five days. My college-all-star-athlete-first-string-forward-for-the-Boston-University-Terriers-basketball-team boyfriend. 

Nate: It’s official! We’re going to Spain!! It was a close call with some passport issues, but just got word we’re all clear to go!

All those exclamation marks were like stakes in my heart. Spikes to my feet. I felt frozen in spot in the middle of a busy hallway in Cambridge High. Bodies brushed by wafting stale air and teen sweat, but it wasn’t enough to propel me. My heart weighed heavy like an anchor and a scratchy lump formed in my throat.

Nate had promised me all my firsts, but the one first he could never give me was international travel. I couldn’t fly. There was always the possibility that I could trip—swirl back in time—and it was best if my feet were firmly planted on the ground when that happened.

So he was going to Europe without me. Big deal. If I wanted Nate in my life (and I did!), I had to make some concessions. I couldn’t tie him down, guilt him into not doing things just because I couldn’t.

I forced myself to text him back.

Casey: That’s great. The Terriers are great. You’ll do great. 

Nate: I’m glad you think it’s GREAT.

Casey: Are the cheerleaders going too?

I winced as I pressed send, immediately wishing I could take it back. This was the crux of my issues with Nate going to Spain and we both knew it. Fiona Frias, college girl, long-legged, green-eyed-Latin-beauty was in love with my boyfriend and she didn’t try to keep it a secret. At all. 

Despite Nate’s reassurances, I felt completely insecure. Here I was, still in high school while Nate was half way through his degree. Of course other girls would notice him. Of course other girls would chase him. Girls who were more mature and experienced than I was. Unscrupulous girls. 

Girl. It wasn’t fair to group all girls together. Just one girl. Just one unscrupulous girl.

It only took one.

Nate didn’t text back right away and I knew I upset him with the question. For him it was an issue of trust, and all my overt and obvious enquiries about Fiona made him believe I didn’t trust him.

I did trust him. It was her I didn’t trust.

My phone finally pinged with his response.

Nate: Yes.

Only one word. Only one word! Gah! That was all he had to say? Nothing to comfort me and calm my worries? 

Casey: That’s Great!