❝are your parents mean?❞ ❝there are mean parents and then there are parents who turn off the wi-fi at night.❞ ❝damn, poor you.❞ ✎ ✎ ✎ a short story following two polar opposite amateur authors as they struggle to collaborate together on a book to win the ultimate prize; a published work.

"I want to grow up" Did you say it when you were a kid? I know I did. Have you regretted growing up at some point in your life? Have you wished you could be a careless child once again? I know you have. Everyone has. The more you grow the bigger the challenges, the obstacles, the pain. Life gets serious. You get serious. You forget to smile at the morning sun shining down your face. You are too absorved by your problems to notice the beautiful world surrounding you. And when life gets hard, you wish more than anything to turn back in time and be that small child who did not know anything when he said "I want to grow up"

Kennedy (Kenna) isn't known for her beauty. She's never been complimented on her appearance unless being called beautiful by your family counts, and to Kenna- it doesn't. Sick of being ignored because of her looks, Kennedy gives herself a makeover but it isn't very successful. After encountering a crying Marissa Rivers on the behalf of her obnoxious brother, Noah, she becomes acquaintances with the girl. After a chat about Kenna's failed efforts at makeup and how she's a nondrinker, she offers Kenna the help of her and her friends. Kenna graciously agrees but there's a catch. Kenna will have to be the girls' designated driver to the next few parties that they want to attend until she can do her own makeup which may take a while but what happens when Kenna accidentally gets drunk at one of the parties and Noah has to bring her and the other girls back to their home? She gets involved in a lot more than she planned. And it seems as if all she wanted was to become beautiful.

If you're one of the quiet kids, and you like it that way, then you're not alone. So, what even is an introvert, you ask? Most of you probably heard this word at least once before. My guess is that if you have heard the word introvert, you may have heard it used to describe someone in a negative way. You might know an introvert as someone who is quieter or not as outgoing, but there is a little more to it than that. People often mistake introversion as shyness, social anxiety, or a mental illness, but introversion is actually none of these things. It is simply a personality trait. You can be an introvert and still be a happy, confident person. A lot of well-known people were introverts, like Einstein, Abe Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and even Lady Gaga (Yes, I said Lady Gaga). This book focuses on what my experiences as an introvert have been so far, and the positives of being an introvert. It also gets into some psychology and mental health. Coming from a shy person, I also hope to talk about how to deal with shyness and build self confidence, even though being shy and introverted aren't exactly the same thing. So come join the party! *Ahem* Sorry. I meant to say, come join the small, quiet gathering.

After a steamy night of passion with a stranger, Lesra is finally ready to throw away her old carefree habits to become a surrogate to a couple who cannot conceive. But what happens when the same stranger she slept with is the father of the surrogate baby she will be carrying? Tensions will run high in this story of lust, lost and the true meaning of a mothers love.