YA Contemporary: TODAY, TOMORROW, FOREVER

Author's Name: Kristi Radford

Category: YA

Genre: Contemporary

Stage of Completion: Currently editing for passive voice and to add the missing little details.

Preferred Critique Style: Prefer whatever critique style I can get. As long as it is constructive and helps the story or my writing in general. I have pretty tough skin, but a little sugar doesn't hurt. 

Cats or Dogs: Cat, dog, and snake person currently (snakes belong to my son, but I do enjoy watching them eat). 

Tea or Coffee: Coffee for breakfast, tea when i'm cold, sick or eating at McDonalds. Too much caffeine late in the day keeps me up all night.

Short Pitch

For three years, a bully has harassed, ridiculed and even assaulted Mandy, but she never told anyone, not even Luke, her best friend and secret crush. When Luke starts dating the bully, Mandy finally has a reason to fight back. Today, Tomorrow, Forever is told through 3rd person dual POV's.   

Writing Sample 

Mandy

She entered the locker room, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Exhaling slowly, she tried to mentally block out the sounds of girls talking and laughing around her. She heard Luke’s name through the din and strained to hear the conversation.

“How tall is he anyway, like 6’8” or something?” She heard one girl ask.

 Another replied with obvious distaste “Too tall for what’s-her-name, that’s for sure!”

 She sighed and headed to her locker, of course, it always came back to her. Winnie made sure of that.

 Luke built like the statue of David, tall and lean with chiseled chest muscles and flowing hair. Only his brown hair didn’t flow, it fled in every direction; making him appear carefree and sexy. 

She recalled a moment last summer; when they were at Lake Roesinger. She was lying on the dock half asleep when Luke climbed out of the water. Her eyes went wide behind her sunglasses; his broad shoulders were flecked with tiny water droplets glistening in the afternoon sun. Her heart fluttered as she watched his long sinewy legs bringing him closer. With a mischievous grin on his face, he was breathtaking. And with almost no effort he scooped her into his arms. Her pulse jumped at the contact. She was about to wrap her arms around him when he indelicately threw her in the water. He laughed when she came up swearing. She shook her head to dislodge his image from her mind, but he refused to budge.