Kaydie Smithson is that girl that everybody thinks is perfect, she's the cheerleader captain and comes from a wealthy family. Liam is a cage fighter who is seen as a bad guy at school. What happens when their paths cross and Liam asks Kaydie to ditch her Miss Perfect image and be his dance partner?

Our choices are what define us. What determine who we are and how other people see us. Seventeen-year-old Penelope Chisholm has always chosen to be on the outside. A bit of a loner who finds her solace in running. Until she meets Gilbert Staal and decides he needs to be part of her life. Sure, it’s complicated but what relationship isn’t. She’s positive she’s found her future, but has to decide if his temper is something she can deal with. Her twin brother, Ash, is her exact opposite. Editor of the school paper. Star pupil. Dating one of the most popular girls in school. Everything is perfect. Until he discovers that his sister is dating his new teacher. A teacher he wants to respect but can’t. He knows he should do something about it, but decides to give Penelope the opportunity to end things on her own. They’re both so sure their decision is the right one. Blinded by the rightness of their choice. But when Penelope ends up seriously hurt because of their choices, everyone is forced to re-evaluate the things that have lead them to where they are and figure out how to move forward with their lives.

[NOTE: This book was written in 2010, a time of long-distance phone cards, weight-loss obsessions, and searching for a man as a solution to life's problems-what a messy time to be alive! In other words, I hope you enjoy this throwback, and while this book does end on a cliffhanger of sorts, the sequel addresses any unanswered questions (which is hopefully fair, given that book 1 is free, ya know?] An awkward family homecoming at Christmas. A humiliating public weigh-in, with two judging parents as the audience. The announcement of a deadline for arranged marriage doom. And that's just the first two chapters. In "Year of the Chick," Romi Narindra must find love before her parents find her a husband. Easy to say, less easy to live through, as this book takes you deep inside "awkward Indian living in the West." To escape her fate, Romi wades through the waters of secret-dating, where self-consciousness is at an all-time high, and experience at an all-time low. It's the sort of thing that would turn almost anyone into a man-crazy freak with romance tunnel-vision, and that's exactly what ends up happening. All the while, a lack of inspiration in her corporate job leads Romi to her love of writing, in what quickly becomes a man-quest play-by-play. From whiskey-breath scum bags to uni-brow creeps and everything in between, Romi and her wingmen come up empty time after time. And that's when she meets a fellow writer. On the Internet. So will it be arranged marriage doom, or an Internet affair that's not as creepy as "To Catch a Predator"? Time will tell in the "year of the chick," a twelve-month quest to find love. Tick-tock. --------------------------------------------- "Year of the Chick" is book one of a series, and book two is available at Amazon! LENGTH: 75,000 words or 285 pages DISCLAIMER: this book contains profanities, blunt accounts of the dating scene, and many awkward family moments. Enjoy!