Read this book: THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU
Today must be the day for awesome covers, because I'm welcoming Heather Duffy-Stone to my blog in celebration of her new release, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU. Heather's cover is one of my favorites in this year of amazing releases. And I can't wait to read what's INSIDE that great package! Heather's title is available for purchase now. Congrats, Heather!
Here's the scoop on Heather's title:
The stories people tell are always about the things we left behind, and about the things we wish we could do again. The real story isn't about what you know; it's about what you wish you knew then. When my brother and my best friend fell in love-that was the end of everything I knew.
Fraternal twins Nadio and Noelle share a close connection-and as Noelle's best friend since they were five, Keeley Shipley fit perfectly into their world. But everything changes after Keeley spends the summer before junior year at Oxford. When Keeley returns, Nadio falls in love with her. Noelle, ripped apart by resentment, sees her as an ungrateful rich girl. But Keeley has a painful story that she can't tell yet. As Nadio and Keeley hide their romance, Noelle dives into something of her own-a destructive affair with an older boy.
Beautifully presented by dual narrators in a haunting stream of memories, this is the deeply moving story of how secrets can consume a friendship-and how love can heal it.
Heather answered my three favorite questions for authors:
I think teen books can, and should, be read by grown-ups. Tell my grandma Grace why she should read your book.
Grandma Grace remembers the first time she fell in love, I bet. She remembers her best friend and what it felt like to grow apart. She remembers her brother who reminded her of the best part of herself. I bet she remembers, too, when she realized her parents were human. And they weren’t always right. I think she’d like this story.
What would your 16-year-old self say if she read your book?
I loved him too. He never called me either.
I am fascinated by writers' inspirations. Tell me about a real-life setting that found its way into your book.
The loft party certainly came from real life. I went to a party once nearly one hundred years ago in this sweeping loft in Brooklyn. The loft was so big you couldn’t see from end to end. And there were so many people there… everyone was so impossibly cool I could barely speak. I felt about three inches tall and yet fascinated. Everyone was fascinating. And I met a boy there. So… there you go.
And here's the scoop on Heather:
Heather Duffy Stone writes stories and essays that are mostly inspired by high school-either her own or someone else’s. This Is What I Want to Tell You is her first novel. She has lived in Vermont, England, Los Angeles, rural New York and Rome, Italy. For now she cooks, sleeps, explores, writes and teaches in Brooklyn, New York.