This Year
Status: Complete, unpublished
Genre: YA contemporary
Inspiration: I started writing this story while my mother was dying. I was intrigued by this idea of someone continuing to text their parent after they had passed away, and that's how Hadley's story was born. After that, I wanted to weave in what it means to navigate friendships during grief.
A three-part novel about three girls experiencing grief, forgiveness, and friendship during the “most wonderful time of the year.”
This year, Hadley and her dad won’t be doing their annual Black Friday shopping. Because her dad is dead. She continues to text him, though, as she searches for the perfect gift that might draw her mom out of her grief. When she gets a mysterious response from her dad’s old number, she has to decide if she’s ready to step through grief herself.
This year, Mary Ora has landed the coveted role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, a solo she deserves. But during a promotional routine inside an inflatable snow globe, her dreams are fractured by a reckless driver, who turns out to be someone she needs, but can’t forgive.
This year, Eve’s felt completely abandoned by her mom, her best friend, and at times, her dad. She also seems to be the only one who truly sees her brother, but she can’t help him alone. Thank goodness for his best friend’s cute brother.
When the girls’ paths come together during the holiday season, they start evaluating their previous relationships and mistakes. Forging a new community with authentic friendships is healing, but will it be enough to mend their broken pasts?