The Twelve Labors Contest (Part 4)

Whew, I think I've finally recovered from my mermaid news. Here is the fourth part of the Twelve Labors contest. (Read parts one, two and three if you missed them.) Check the current standings on my ning profile. (I'm trying diligently to keep track, but if you think I've missed something or you wonder what tasks you're missing, just message me and we'll figure it out.)

The Prizes: So far, the goddess prize pack includes a GODDESS BOOT CAMP ARC, a copy of The Girls' Book of Glamour: A Guide to Being a Goddess, a super cute pink Camo Journal, and a beautiful wing keychain. Today's addition to the prize pack is the Goddess Power Pack, a "hip and unique book-and-card pack will help every young woman find her inner goddess and live the life she's always wanted."

The Rules: I'm going to post a series of twelve online tasks (along the lines of the twelve labors of Hercules, but way easier, I swear). I'll post them a couple at a time over the next few days and then you will have until February 6 to complete as many of the tasks as possible. Each task will have a point value and the contestant with the most points at the end of the contest wins. If there's a tie, I'll use randomizer to select the winner.

In case you forgot, these were your previous tasks.

1. Join the shiny new GODDESS BOOT CAMP NING. (10 points)
2. Go to my profile page and leave a comment. (5 points)
3. Make a recommendation for the Boot Camp Book Club. (5 points)
4. Take the Which Goddess Are You? quiz (it's on the left side of the front page or you can take it at Quibblo) and then post your results in the Quiz Results forum. I already posted my results! (5 points)
5. Post a picture on the ning. (1 point for a random picture, 5 points if it's a picture of you, and 10 points if it's you and a copy of OH. MY. GODS.) [per the clarification, you do *not* have to show your face to get your points)
6. In the OH. MY. GODS. forum, tell me your favorite thing about OH. MY. GODS. -- which I assume you've read, since you're competing for a copy of the sequel! (5 points)
7. In the GODDESS BOOT CAMP forum, tell me what you think is going to happen in GODDESS BOOT CAMP. (5 points)

And now for your new tasks. (Two this time.)

8. Post a badge for the GBC ning on your blog, website, or Myspace profile. You can also share it in you Facebook feed. Then paste the link--so I can count your points--in the Twelve Labors forum. (5 points)
9. Post a blog on the ning. The topic is author's choice, write about whatever you want. Books, boys, writing, school, fashion, TV, dreams, fears... you get the idea. (15 points)

That's it! (For now, anyway.) Check back tomorrow (or, you know, the next day) for your next tasks. Only three more to go!

Hugs,
TLC

FYI -- for everyone's security and comfort, I've upped the privacy settings on the ning. Non-members can *only* see the main page and all new members have to be approved by me.

Clarification on Task #5

To get your ten points for the picture of you with a copy of OH. MY. GODS. or five points for the basic pic of you ... you do *not* have to show your face. (I don't want anyone to think they have to sacrifice points or post when they're uncomfortable!!!) It could be a picture of your hand or your toes or, you know, other non-identity-revealing and yet still-socially-appropriate body parts.

That is all.

Hugs,
TLC

We Interrupt This Contest ...

I'm pausing the Twelve Labors contest (for a day) to announce my most exciting news of the year. I just finalized a two-book deal with my fabulous editor at Katherine Tegen Books (a HarperTeen imprint)! The second book is still TBA, but I'll give you the scoop on the first book, which will be out in 2010.

Here's a hint:


Yes, it's a mermaid book!

FORGIVE MY FINS

Half-mermaid princess Lily Sanderson grew up in the underwater kingdom of Thalassinia. For the past three years she's been living with her human aunt and attending high school on the mainland, trying to blend in with all the other students and dealing with standard teenage life: a brainiac best friend, struggling grades, a biker boy neighbor who lives to torment her, and one massive, all-encompassing, sun-moon-and-stars crush. All while keeping her mermaid self a total secret. But when her one opportunity to hook the guy of her dreams turns into a nightmare she already regrets, it will take more than a saltwater bath and a quick swim home to get her life back to normal. If that's even what she wants.

I hope you all love mermaid stories as much as I do!

Hugs,
TLC

The Twelve Labors Contest (Part 3)

Omigosh. I don't know what happened to my brain yesterday (maybe it was overwhelmed by all the wonderful recommendations for the Boot Camp Book Club). Anyway, here is the third part of the Twelve Labors contest. (Read parts one and two if you missed them.) Check the current standings on my ning profile.

The Prizes: So far, the goddess prize pack includes a GODDESS BOOT CAMP ARC, a copy of The Girls' Book of Glamour: A Guide to Being a Goddess, and a super cute pink Camo Journal. Today I'm adding this beautiful wing keychain (I'm calling it a Nike wing, thankyouverymuch). This is the same keychain I use every day.

The Rules: I'm going to post a series of twelve online tasks (along the lines of the twelve labors of Hercules, but way easier, I swear). I'll post them a couple at a time over the next few days and then you will have until February 6 to complete as many of the tasks as possible. Each task will have a point value and the contestant with the most points at the end of the contest wins. If there's a tie, I'll use randomizer to select the winner.

In case you forgot, these were your previous tasks.

1. Join the shiny new GODDESS BOOT CAMP NING. (10 points)
2. Go to my profile page and leave a comment. (5 points)
3. Make a recommendation for the Boot Camp Book Club. (5 points)
4. Take the Which Goddess Are You? quiz (it's on the left side of the front page or you can take it at Quibblo) and then post your results in the Quiz Results forum. I already posted my results! (5 points)

And now for your new tasks. (Three of 'em!)

5. Post a picture on the ning. (1 point for a random picture, 5 points if it's a picture of you, and 10 points if it's you and a copy of OH. MY. GODS.)
6. In the OH. MY. GODS. forum, tell me your favorite thing about OH. MY. GODS. -- which I assume you've read, since you're competing for a copy of the sequel! (5 points)
7. In the GODDESS BOOT CAMP forum, tell me what you think is going to happen in GODDESS BOOT CAMP. (5 points)

That's it! (For now, anyway.) Check back tomorrow (or, you know, the next day) for your next tasks.

Hugs,
TLC

The Twelve Labors Contest (Part 2)

Welcome to the second part of the Twelve Labors contest. (If you missed the first part, read it now.) I've posted a list of standings on my ning profile and I'll try to keep it updated every day. Everyone is tied at the moment, but that will change soon enough.

The Prizes: So far, the goddess prize pack includes a GODDESS BOOT CAMP ARC and a copy of The Girls' Book of Glamour: A Guide to Being a Goddess. Today I'm adding this super cute pink Camo Journal from Mead. (Doesn't it just make you want to write fun things?!? I know a cheerleading descendant of Aphrodite who just might fight you for this one.)

The Rules: I'm going to post a series of twelve online tasks (along the lines of the twelve labors of Hercules, but way easier, I swear). I'll post them a couple at a time over the next few days and then you will have until February 6 to complete as many of the tasks as possible. Each task will have a point value and the contestant with the most points at the end of the contest wins. If there's a tie, I'll use randomizer to select the winner.

In case you forgot, these were your first tasks.

1. Join the shiny new GODDESS BOOT CAMP NING. (10 points)
2. Go to my profile page and leave a comment. (5 points)

And now for your new tasks. (Some people, *cough* Cat and starberry *cough*, have already jumped ahead in the list. Overachievers.)

3. Make a recommendation for the Boot Camp Book Club. (5 points)
4. Take the Which Goddess Are You? quiz (it's on the left side of the front page or you can take it at Quibblo) and then post your results in the Quiz Results forum. I already posted my results! (5 points)

That's it! (For now, anyway.) Check back tomorrow for your next tasks.

Hugs,
TLC

The Twelve Labors Contest (Part 1)

Here's the sitch: I have one (count 'em one) remaining ARC of the upcoming sequel to OH. MY. GODS., GODDESS BOOT CAMP. (I might get more in a couple of months, closer to the June release, but wouldn't you rather have it right now?!?) So, rather than just choose one person randomly to receive the ARC, I've decided to make you work for it.

Enter the Twelve Labors contest.


The Prizes: The GODDESS BOOT CAMP ARC is not the only prize at stake here. This is a whole goddess prize pack. With every tasks post I'll add something fun to the list. Like today I'll add a copy of The Girls' Book of Glamour: A Guide to Being a Goddess.

The Rules: I'm going to post a series of twelve online tasks (along the lines of the twelve labors of Hercules, but way easier, I swear). I'll post them a couple at a time over the next few days and then you will have until February 6 to complete as many of the tasks as possible. Each task will have a point value and the contestant with the most points at the end of the contest wins. If there's a tie, I'll use randomizer to select the winner.

And now, for your first tasks.

1. Join the shiny new GODDESS BOOT CAMP NING. (10 points)
2. Go to my profile page and leave a comment. (5 points)

That's it! (For now, anyway.) Check back tomorrow for your next tasks.

Hugs,
TLC

The Twelve Labors is Coming!

Remember a few weeks back when I promised Fun On The Horizon? (Well, I did.) I told you there would be two fun thing coming up in the near future.

First, I promised a blog-only short story. I did that! (Yay me.) If you missed the individual installments, you can now download (and print out, if you'd rather read on paper) a PDF version. I think that was loads of fun and I'm going to do more short stories in the near future. (Think Valentine's Day.)

Second, I promised a nice big contest to give away my one last remaining ARC of GODDESS BOOT CAMP. (I'll probably get more in the Spring, closer to the release.) It's called the Twelve Labors of Goddess Boot Camp contest and it's almost ready to go. I'll post the first task later this week.

Also, what do you think of my slightly tweaked (and way more elegant) blog styling?

Hugs,
TLC

The Night of Celine Dion

This post could also be titled IT PAYS TO KNOW PEOPLE. It is the photo story of the Celine Dion concert my friend Sharie and I attended last Friday night ... in the VIP section ... for free! (Yes, really.)

(Apologies for the crappy/blurry state of the pictures. It was a dark stadium and my digicam is not really equipped for low lighting.)

Before the concert.

Celine's first number.
(Wearing a tiny pale purple dress.)

She hiked all over the stage in insane heels.

Cool view from our seats.
(We were right next to the board ops, hence the monitors.)

Celine on the jumbo screen.

The first costume change.
(Into a tiny silver chain-mail-like dress and big flowy cape.)

Flames on the jumbo tron.
(Same silver dress, sans cape.)

Second costume change.
(Into black bell-bottoms with tons of sequins.)

Third costume change.
(Into a tiny white go-go dress with killer thigh-high strappy boots.)

First encore, I think.
(And fourth costume change, but I can't remember into what.)

Second encore, aka the Titanic moment.
(Fifth costume change, into a beautiful black flowy gown.)

Her heart goes on.
(Very Kate Winslet.)

Severely PhotoShopped back view of our ticket into the show.
(aka lighting designer Yves Aucoin.)

We had a blast. Our first true girls' night out in a long time. (Sharie has two little ones and a big one to eat up her Friday nights.) We even managed to find parking, find Yves at the loading dock, and not get killed on the highway in either direction. Plus, Celine is an amazing performer. All around thumbs up.

Hugs,
TLC

Happy New Year!

I know, this post is like a week late. I have an excuse, though. I was busy posting the Twelve Days of Stella and didn't want to interrupt with my obligatory New Year's post. So, now that the short story is over and I can get on with what I should have posted last week.


Part the 1st: My Holidays

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you know that I spent the holidays with my parents in Oklahoma City. It's a nice enough town and the people are (usually) friendly. But it was freezing and decidedly lacking in major attractions. Still, I had a lovely time. Here's what I did:

• Arrive the Monday before Christmas. Relatively eventless flight, considering proximity to holiday. Got almost no sleep the night before so I totally conked out.
• Cooked a delightful (and simple) Christmas Eve dinner of ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing/dressing, and green beans.
• Opened presents. Top gift: Roomba (robot vaccuum)
• Made my dear friend's Pecan Clusters using her family's pecans. I'm not really a nut person or a chocolate person, but I looooove these!
  
• Shared Christmas "dinner" (at 2:00) with parents' friends and about twenty other people. We made a delicious winter fruit salad (pineapple, oranges, grapefruit, pomegranate, black grapes, and--the crowning glory--star fruit). A delightful time was had by all.
• Started posting the Twelve Days of Stella.
  
• Basically crashed for a week between Christmas and New Year's.
• Went to the awesome New Year's Eve party hosted by the Pollard Theatre in Guthrie, Oklahoma. It was so much fun! They had an amazing band, an open bar, beautiful decorations, and a fun atmosphere. They announced their 2009-2010 season (with some amazingly awesome musicals, if you're in the area). This was pretty much one of my top two New Year's Eves of all time. (It's hard to top Vail, though.)
• Relaxed some more.
• Convinced my mom to organize the bookshelves by color. (I know it sounds OCD, but it looks awesome.)
• Finished posting the Twelve Days of Stella.
• Flew home. Slightly more eventful. Flight was delayed by over an hour (no plane). When I got on a woman was in my seat. As she changed to a different seat (which was still not hers) she stepped on my foot. (Not like an, "Oh, oops, let me unstep on your foot." No, she stepped on it and stayed there.) Arrively safely and without further incident.
  

Part the 2nd: My Resolutions Goals Intentions

I don't like resolutions. If I'm resolved to do something then I'm going to do it, I don't need to write it down or announce it to make it happen. Last year I set goals. Okay, one goal. To add a continent to my travel repertoire. (See, stating the goal didn't make a difference. I've still never been to Asia, Africa, Australia, Antarctica—why do so many continents start with A?—or South America.)

So, instead of resolutions or goals, this year I'm stating Intentions. These are things I intend to do, but will not feel guilty about not doing because, you know, I'm not resolved to do them. Here they are:

• Write more.
• Eat healthier.
• Buy less stuff.
• Do something other than writing. Like knitting or gardening or making miniature dioramas of scenes from my books. (Okay, none of those things. I'm too impatient for knitting, I don't have a yard, and dioramas verge on serial-killer behavior. But something.) I like writing a lot, but other stuff must be interesting, too. Right?
  
• Meet people other than writers. With no day job, child, or significant other, it is just too easy to go from apartment to Starbucks to grocery store and home. I like writers a lot, but other people must be interesting, too. Right?
  

Okay, so maybe those sound remarkably like resolutions, but they're not. Really.

Hugs,
TLC

The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 12)

The twelfth (and final) installment in the Twelve Days of Stella, in which Stella has dinner with the family. Now all of you who have been waiting until the entire story was posted (cough, Melody, cough) can read it all at once. Here are the links to the previous installments:

• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 1)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 2)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 3)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 4)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 5)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 6)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 7)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 8)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 9)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 10)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 11)

---

“What did you girls do today?” Stella’s stepmom, Valerie, asked as she passed the bowl of tzatziki.

Stella stifled a laugh when Phoebe’s cheeks turned bright pink. Though she usually took every opportunity to find pleasure in her stepsister’s embarrassing powers mishaps, tonight she was in a generous mood. Rather than sit back and let Phoebe flounder, Stella spoke up.

“I started painting again,” she said as she spooned a helping of the tangy yogurt sauce onto her plate. “Until this afternoon I hadn’t painted since my mother passed.”

A look of sympathy passed over Valerie’s face, indicating that she knew the significance of today’s date. For a moment Stella was afraid she would offer some apology or empathy or something equally pity-induced, but then her gaze shift over Stella’s shoulder and her face lit up.

“Did you paint that?” she asked, her voice full of awe.

Dipping a small piece of bread into the tzatziki, Stella nodded.

When she’d finally declared the work finished and started clearing off the table for dinner, she’d set her painting on the buffet behind her chair. She was pleased with the result—a shower of bright colors against a plaster white background. It captured the moment perfectly.

“It’s marvelous,” Daddy declared. “Such vibrant colors.”

“Very abstract,” Valerie added. “What is it?”

Stella smiled. “A rainbow of fruit flavors.”

Daddy and Valerie frowned in confusion. Phoebe sucked in a quick breath. And, because she was feeling particularly cheeky, Stella made Skittles rain down from above. (After she drew a protective shield over their heads and their dinner, of course—she did not want a repeat of her earlier scalp wound.)

“What on earth?” Daddy scowled at the candy downpour.

Valerie gasped. “Phoebe!”

“It wasn’t me this time,” she insisted. “I swear.”

“This time?” Valerie echoed.

When Daddy raised his hands to stop the cascade, nothing happened. He might be a very powerful hematheos, but Stella knew a few tricks. With one swipe of her hand she froze every Skittle where it hung.

“I did it,” she announced. Then, with a glance at Phoebe, added, “This time.”

Stella popped the tzatziki-covered bread into her mouth and made the hovering Skittles disappear.

Nine years ago, she would never have guessed that she could be happy on this date, this anniversary. She would never guessed that she would find herself painting again. And, most of all, she would never have guessed that she would find contentment in a collaged family. But somehow all of those things had happened. Her mother would be pleased.

Plus, she had a full jar of Skittles waiting on her desk.

---

This was the (sniff, sniff) last installment of The Twelve Days of Stella. If you enjoyed this special, blog-only short story then let me know. I might do more of these in the future, but only if you want them!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled blog programming.

Hugs,
TLC

The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 11)

The eleventh installment in the Twelve Days of Stella, in which Stella chooses red and yellow. If you missed the previous installments, here are the links:

• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 1)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 2)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 3)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 4)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 5)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 6)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 7)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 8)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 9)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 10)

---

“Hey Stella, are you—?” Phoebe burst into the dining room. “Whoa.”

Stella didn’t look up from her canvas. Dipping her brush into the bright red paint on her palette, she lifted it to the painting and made a swirling motion with her wrist. An imperfect oval formed among the dozens she had already painted.

“Did you want something, Phoebe?”

“Yeah, I—“ Phoebe shook her head. “I thought you said you didn’t paint.”

Stella added another red oval.

“Oh yeah,” Phoebe said. “Hesper wanted me to ask you to clear the table for dinner. I don’t know how she knew you were in here, though,” she continued. “I was sitting right there in the living room the whole time and never heard you.”

Stella shrugged. “Hesper has the sixth sense.”

“Duh.”

“Tell her I’ll be done in a few minutes.” Swishing her brush in the jar of murky water, she washed off the red and then took a swipe of yellow. “I’ll set the table when I’m finished.”

“Okay,” Phoebe said, stepping closer to get a better look at the painting. “This is beautiful, Stella. Really.”

She pretended the compliment didn’t matter—just continued making brightly colored ovals on the canvas—but deep down it felt good. Her stomach had been a flutter of nerves since she laid the first brushstroke. No artist can truly judge her own work, so what she thought was a lovely composition might look horrendous to the rest of the world.

Not that the rest of the world mattered to her—this was purely personal—but it was still nice to hear the praise.

After Phoebe left the room to deliver her message to Hesper, Stella whispered, “Thank you.”

---

Tune in tomorrow for the next (and final) installment. [Part 12]

Hugs,
TLC

The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 10)

The tenth installment in the Twelve Days of Stella, in which Stella finds a box. If you missed the previous installments, here are the links:

• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 1)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 2)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 3)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 4)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 5)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 6)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 7)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 8)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 9)

---

After searching the basement for twenty minutes, Stella finally found the boxes labeled MAYA. As she brushed off the layer of dust that had accumulated in the last nine years she wondered what treasures her father had packed away. The label on the first box read: MAYA—DRESSER. Her mom’s clothes and jewelry.

Stella started to drift into memories of playing dress-up in brightly colored dresses and costume jewelry, but pulled herself back into the moment. She was here with a purpose.

After setting aside the first three boxes, she found the one she wanted. MAYA—ART.

Hefting the box off the floor, Stella autoported upstairs into the dining room. She could hear Troy and Phoebe in the living room. Rather than venture into the kitchen for a knife, she neofactured one and sliced open the box.

She found a wealth of art supplies. Brushes tied up in a canvas pouch. Rags and sponges for texturing. A tackle box full of half-squeezed paint tubes, sketching pencils, gum erasers, and dozens of other tools.

It smelled like her mom.

The only thing not in the box was a blank canvas. Since she was not about to paint over one of her mom’s works, she neofactured one of those, as well.

Though it had been years since she attempted anything more artistic than an intricate hairstyle, as Stella laid the contents of the box across the table it felt like yesterday her mom had first taught her how to mix her own colors. Pulling the tubes of acrylic paint from the bottom of the tackle box, she paused when her hands brushed over a scrap of parchment.

Stella knew what it would say before she read it.

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?
—Vincent van Gogh

Her mother’s favorite quote.

She placed it next to the blank canvas, where it could inspire her as she sought the courage to attempt her first painting without her mother’s guidance.

---

Tune in tomorrow for the next installment. [Part 11]

Hugs,
TLC

The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 9)

The ninth installment in the Twelve Days of Stella, in which Stella hugs her dad. If you missed the previous installments, here are the links:

• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 1)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 2)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 3)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 4)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 5)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 6)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 7)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 8)
  

---

Without saying a word, Stella stepped over to her father and slipped her arms around his waist. His arms came around her shoulders, wrapping her in a warm, safe place.

“I’m so sorry, Daddy,” she said, ignoring her tears. “I can’t believe I forgot what today was.”

“It’s all right,” he replied, hugging her tight before leaning back. “Your mother would not want us spending our days, our years mourning her. She was too much of a vibrant, vivacious woman to wish us anchored to the past.”

Stella forced a watery smile. “I know.” An awkward laugh bubbled out. “She would probably want us to forget the date altogether.”

“Doubtless,” he agreed. “But she would appreciate the fact that we will not.”

For several long moments, they stood there—hand-in-hand—gazing at the simple white headstone and lost in their own memories. Stella’s focused on painting the mural. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine herself sitting on the floor of her room, surrounded by pots of paint laid out on a spatter-covered dropcloth. Her mother would paint the basic shape and then let Stella paint in the details.

Even when it looked wretched, she never went back and corrected Stella’s work.

“I’ve been thinking,” she said before she realized what she was going to say. “I’d like to start painting again.”

His hand squeezed hers tighter. “I think that is a marvelous idea.”

She swallowed over the tightness in her throat. “Are her art supplies still—“

“In a box in the basement. Yes, of course.” He gave her one of his knowing smiles. “I always hoped you would resume painting one day. You loved it so much.”

“I did, didn’t I?”

Finally, she felt the melancholy that had plagued her all day begin to lift. It should feel odd that her mood would lighten while she attended her mother’s grave, but it didn’t. Not when it would make her mother smile.

Stella smiled, too.

---

Tune in tomorrow for the next installment. [Part 10]

Hugs,
TLC

The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 8)

Happy New Year!

Also, the eighth installment in the Twelve Days of Stella, in which Stella eats some Skittles. If you missed the previous installments, here are the links:

• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 1)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 2)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 3)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 4)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 5)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 6)
• The Twelve Days of Stella (Part 7)
  

---

“Troy!” Phoebe squealed as he and Stella walked through the front door. Then she noticed Stella behind him and frowned.

If Troy noticed her questioning look, Stella noted, he ignored it and flopped onto the sofa next to her. “Hey Phoebes.”

“Omigods,” Phoebe said, apparently forgetting her confusion. “You will never believe what I accidentally did today.”

As she explained the incident to Troy, Stella glanced around the room, confirming that there had been no Skittles recurrence in her absence. The thought reminded Stella of the jar on her desk, and she held back a smile.

“I’ll be in my room,” she announced, although she was quite certain neither of them would take notice if she autoported herself to New Guinea. Stella hated feeling like an outsider. She suddenly wished Adara had not gone home for the winter holiday.

She would just have to console herself with Skittles.

Pulling the door shut behind her, Stella kicked off her ballet slippers, grabbed the jar of candy, and sank into her crisp white armchair. As she sat there, popping Skittle after Skittle (wondering whether a single candy would be called a Skittle or a Skittles) and gazing at the quartet of portraits on her bed, a flash of light drew her attention to the door.

When she went to inspect, she found a folded sheet of notebook paper on the floor. Scowling, she snatched it up and read the messily scribbled note inside.

You’ll find it, you know. Your passion.
You just have to keep an open mind.
—T

Stella blinked rapidly at the note until the words started to blur. It took a moment to realize there were tears in her eyes. Why was she being so emotional today? It wasn’t just Troy’s sweet note—Phoebe did have good taste in friends—because she’d felt this way all day. Crying over the thought of leaving for college, over her mother’s paintings—

Her gaze fell on the paintings and she instantly knew.

How could she have forgotten? She was a truly horrible daughter. Today was the anniversary of her mother’s death. And she hadn’t remembered.

Before she could blink Stella was standing in the little cemetery on the east edge of the island, in front of her mother’s grave. She was only more surprised to find her father already standing there.

---

Tune in tomorrow for the next installment. [Part 9]

Hugs,
TLC