New Release: COLLIDE by Christine Fonseca!

Okay, so yay! My good friend Christine Fonseca has a new book out! It's titled COLLIDE, and it looks really good! (I already have my copy, and I'll be reading and then posting a review this week.)

About COLLIDE: The most dangerous secrets are the ones that kill.

When a surprising mental breakdown draws too much attention from a secret government group call the Order, 17-year-old Dakota discovers that her so-called boring life isn’t so boring after all. Between the lies, secrets and assassins out to kill her family, Dakota discovers there’s more to paranormal activity than ghosts and cheap mind tricks. Now she must uncover the truth before a new breed of terrorism takes everything away – including her life.



Buy!!

Amazon

About Christine: Critically acclaimed nonfiction and YA author Christine Fonseca is dedicated to helping children of all ages find their voice in the world. In fiction, she explores the darker aspects of humanity and delivers gothic thrillers that take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

In addition to writing, Ms. Fonseca is a frequent presenter and trainer on subjects ranging from writing to behavior and understanding the unique needs of gifted children. She blogs regularly on many sites and participates in events throughout the country. See the News/Events page for upcoming events.

When Christine isn’t crafting her next book and working with kids, she can be found sipping too many skinny vanilla lattes at her favorite coffee house or exploring the world with her family.

Find her online!
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

There's a fabulous giveaway going on during the release blitz! Be sure to enter below for a chance to win a $25 gift card, fabulous books by Christine and a few other authors, including my new futuristic fantasy, Elemental Hunger!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Just Try Not to Laugh

Okay, so here we are today, with the lovely Christine Fonseca! Her novella, DIES IRAE, is a fast, fun read. If you haven't gotten it yet, you should.

Here's a little insight into what Christine and I do with our free time... Just try not to laugh...

You can purchase DIES IRAE:

• At Amazon.com
• At B&N.com

There's also a print version coming soon! Add it to your Goodreads list so you don't forget about it.

What do you spend your free time doing? Wait... do I want to know the answer to that?

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

Dude, today is the official release day of DIES IRAE by Christine Fonseca. Now, I'm part of her blog tour, and trust me, you are not going to want to miss the hilarious video we have planned. It'll be up on Wednesday, February 15.

But I couldn't let today go by without a major shout out to her awesomeness! Her novella is finally here -- and her novel, LACRIMOSA, is set to follow in March.

Yay!

And it's party time!

For the release, I am giving away 5 copies of DIES IRAE. Leave me a comment here and I'll draw winners tomorrow morning.

About the book: Mikayel lives by one rule—obey the orders of the angelic Council at all costs. That is, until he and his friends, Azza and Demi, are sent to Earth. Assigned as Watchers while they await their decision of which angelic order to serve, the three assume the bodies of teenagers and experience life as human.

The sensations are overwhelming as the angels experience a host of human emotions—rage, terror, love—and come ever closer to breaking one of the unbreakable rules—never fall in love.

But being human isn’t the only problem facing the three angels. Unbeknownst to the Council, demonic activity is on the rise, threatening to break a tenuous peace that has existed for a millennia; a peace Azza seems bent on destroying.

Caught in a struggle for power with unseen demonic forces and Azza, and fighting against his rising emotional attachment to Demi, Mikayel must now decide how much he is willing to sacrifice for his new found love—a decision that could reignite an ancient war and will threaten the only thing that matters to the angels, the survival of humanity.

Better yet, buy your copy here for Kindle. Or here for Nook. You can also add it to your Goodreads list.

And you can follow all the blog tour action by going to Michelle McLean's blog today.

What do you think of the cover? Does this sound like something you'd like? (Just trying to give you something to talk about in your comment so you can WIN this amazing novella!)

Good News Friday!

Dude, not my good news. I suppose I could bore you with my weight loss, or the fact that today is the last day of school until 2012, or that I have ALL my Christmas shopping done.

But that would be boring.

And this is Good News Friday!

I'll go first.

My friend, Christine Fonseca, will be a published fiction author very soon! (Her non-fiction has been out for a little over a year now and is FABU.)

First, she has a prequel novella, DIES IRAE that will be out February 22, 2012. Here's what it's about: Some sacrifices should never be made – even for love.

Mikayel lives by one rule – obey the orders of the angelic Council at all costs.That is, until he and his friends, Azza and Demi, are sent to Earth. Assigned as Watchers while they await their decision of which angelic order to serve, the three assume the bodies of teenagers and experience life as human.

The sensations are overwhelming, especially for Azza. Determined to experience everything humans do – rage, terror, love - he tempts Demi to break one of the unbreakable rules – never fall in love. But being human isn’t the only problem facing the three angels. Unbeknownst to the Council, demonic activity is on the rise, threatening to break a tenuous peace that has existed for a millennia; a peace Azza seems bent on destroying.

Caught in a struggle for power with unseen demonic forces and Azza, and fighting against his rising emotional attachment to Demi, Mikayel must now decide how much he is willing to sacrifice for his new found love – a decision that could reignite an ancient war and will threaten the only thing that matters to the angels, the survival of humanity.

I haven't read this yet, but I have no doubt it will be awesome. I've read enough of Christine's other stuff to know.

Including LACRIMOSA. This full-length novel will be out in March 2012, and it is simply amazing. Deep, and heart-wrenching--and you know I like that kind of stuff.

About LACRIMOSA: As if casting out demons isn’t hard enough, five-hundred-year-old Nesy has to masquerade as a teenage girl to do it.

Nesy is the best of an elite group of angels – warriors called Sentinals – charged with the job of vanquishing the fallen. She’s never made a mistake, never gotten emotionally involved. But when she comes face-to-face with Aydan, she freezes.

He is evil incarnate. A fallen angel that feeds off the souls of others. Everything Nesy is supposed to hate. But she can’t, because he’s also the human love of her former life as a teen; a life that ended too soon, tying her to the emotions she was never supposed to feel. Now she must choose between doing her duty – damning Aydan to the fiery depths of hell – or saving him, and condemning herself.

This series is going to KILL. But don't take my word for it. The trailer says it all.



So yay Christine! Visit her on her blog -- go tell her congrats yourself!

And what good news do you have this fine Friday?

Launch Day Madness: Picture Proof

Dude, holy bar coded cows! Yesterday was amazing. So many blog comments. So many twitter messages. I knew that if I didn't consciously decide to stay offline, I would feel this great need to respond to them all.

So I decided to stay offline for the most part. I appreciate the book birthday wishes and all the comments and everything. I did read them all.

Today, I present you with picture proof of what actually happens on your typical launch day.

Up first: tennis. Bright and early at 7 AM. This is me afterward, in my unshowered condition.

Next: breakfast. My husband with his hot chocolate. He was all like, "Take my picture with my face covered with cream." #keeper

Wha? It's BACON.

Yum.

After eating: the bookstore. In the window, at the local Barnes & Noble.

On the shelf at the local Barnes & Noble. It took a few minutes to find them, and I was seriously getting nervous. But there they are!! I didn't cry, for the record.

Off the shelf at the local Barnes & Noble. I thought, "They have SIX copies! Yay!"

We shopped a bit, and were going up to buy the books, and I stopped short and said, "OH MY HECK, THAT'S MY BOOK." There was a whole display at the front of the store!! We'd walked right by it coming in. (We were focused on the Nook, in our defense.)

The whole family. My husband sold a copy to the girls taking our picture. I signed it. :)

After that, I went to the spa to get a hot stone pedicure. I got blue polish and butterfly decals!

Then: Dinner with writer friends!! Christine Fonseca, me, Jamie Harrington. One word: epic.

And my favorite: A card from my six-year-old daughter. I get a little teary when I see it, and I'm currently using it as a bookmark. <3

Tonight, I'm participating in the launch party of amazingness. There will be prize packages and talking and music and cookies. If you're in the area, please come! It's at The King's English (1511 S. 1500 E. in Salt Lake City). If you're not in the area, mark your calendars for the virtual launch party, which will take place on my fansite (www.insidetheresistance.com) on Thursday, June 16. All day, so be prepared!

Thank you again for all the well-wishes and whatnot. I swear I won't be blogging about my book forever.

Also, planning a release day takes time. What will you do on yours? Because you will have one. Oh, yes, you will.

101 SUCCESS SECRETS by Christine Fonseca

Okay, so it's no secret that Christine is one of my best buddies. Even though we've never met, we've had an online friendship that's spanned years. And I know we'll meet one day soon.

Well, Christine's second book was officially released on May 1. And it's fantastic. But instead of listening to me (which I'm sure you're sick of), I'm going to let my 12-year-old son take the mic for a minute.

His review of Christine's 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids: I really like this book because it had many great tips and tricks to be successful in school and life.

I really liked one of the tricks it is called the Hula Hoop Trick. It says that you should imagine that there is a hula hoop on the ground and you can only control yourself which is inside the hula hoop everything outside of the hula hoop you can't control like what people think about you. I thought that was interesting.

I recommend this book to all gifted kids out there and parents and teachers of gifted kids. (I solemnly swear that I didn't edit this. Please tell me you can tell!)

And here's Christine with some of her favorite things!



So. You seriously need this book, and you need to follow Christine on twitter and her blog.

I am giving away a signed copy of 101 Success Secrets! All you need to do is leave a comment on this post by Sunday night. The winner will be announced next week!



Check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week at the Reading Room.

Or on their blogs:

• Shannon Messenger adores THE DAY BEFORE plus a giveaway
• Shelli Johannes-Wells gives us THE ROYAL TREATMENT
• Carolina Valdez Miller is passionate about POSSESSION and gives away an ARC
• Carrie Harris is PUTTING MAKEUP ON DEAD PEOPLE
• Beth Revis shares some SOLSTICE cover love
• Shana Silver shows her desire for DEMONGLASS
• Sarah Frances Hardy wants to be just LIKE MANDARIN
• Lisa and Laura Roecker and Stasia Ward Kehoe marvel over MOONGLASS
• Megan Miranda and Veronica Rossi delve into DIVERGENT
• Christine Fonseca is in love with DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES with a giveaway

One Piece of Advice

In celebration of the early release of Christine Fonseca's 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids, I'm offering up some advice today.

If I could give a child one piece of advice for life, it would be: Take many classes, explore many options, travel many roads so you can find what it is you like. Then do what you like.

What would you say?

Grab the graphic if you want, post on your blog!

I Want To Be Like Christine Fonseca

Okay, so major big stuff today. First off, I want to spotlight Christine Fonseca as part of my #IWantToBeLike week.

See, she's a great person. More than great. Phenomenal. She writes young adult fiction and I've read almost all of it. She is a master of emotions. Fantastic at setting. An artist of character development. She's one to watch, my friends. She will be hitting the fiction debut shelf sooner rather than later.

In the non-fiction world, she's already a giant. Her first book, EMOTIONAL INTENSITY IN GIFTED STUDENTS hit the shelves last October. It's brilliant and powerful and everything you need if you've ever even seen a child.

And her next one? Due out May 1. Or so she thought. It's actually being shipped and released NOW!

101 SUCCESS SECRETS FOR GIFTED KIDS will rock your world. Order your copy today--and I'm willing to bet you'll get it BEFORE it's released!

So yeah. I want to be like Christine Fonseca.

OTHER NEWS:

• The chance to win a piece of Possession-inspired jewelry is rapidly closing. Only one more week! Just go to the Facebook fanpage and write on the discussions wall about your greatest POSSESSION.
• Hastings is hosting a Dystopian Prize Package! You can find the details on my brand spankin' new Contests & Giveaway page, and you can win one of ten prize packages. Each package has 12 amazing dystopian novels--including POSSESSION! (Look on the far right side for the cover! *squee!*)
• Jon Arntson and Theresa Milstein are participating in a pre-launch POSSESSION tour happening in the month of May. There will be ten tour stops, and I'm working with each one to offer 100% completely unique content. That's where you come in. Both Jon and Theresa are letting you ask me a question!
  
  Three questions. Two blogs. One Elana.
  Go to Jon's blog to enter your question. He'll be choosing two.
  Go to Theresa's blog to enter your question. She'll be choosing one.
  
  Answers will be filmed in NEW YORK CITY, where I will be going in just 22 days!

Whew. I think I made it through everything. Wait. Just kidding!

Do you know about the Cornucopia of Dystopia event going on over at A Tapestry of Words and The Bookish Type? No?

Well. Dude, you need to know! From March 21 (that's Monday) to April 18, there will be a plethora (yes, I just used the word plethora) of dystopian deliciousness for some 2011 dystopian releases--including XVI by Leaguer Julia Karr, Memento Nora by Leaguer Angie Smibert, and Possession by Leaguer Elana Johnson! (Yeah, okay, that's me.)

So click on this button, and be sure to check out the complete line up of events!

Go check out my whole post at The League of Extraordinary Writers for more information.

Did I overload you? That was like four posts worth of information. Sorry!

Emotional Intensity!

Okay, so Christine Fonseca is one of my most fabulous friends. She brutally lovingly reads all my stuff, even in first draft form, and doesn't tell me how badly I suck. She talks me off the ledge, or just sets up a party out there.

And she's an amazing author. Her book, EMOTIONAL INTENSITY in Gifted Students: Helping Kids Deal with Explosive Feelings hits shelves TODAY!!

I've read this book, and let me tell you: It. Is. Fabulous. Everyone who has a child should buy and read this book. Everyone who has a niece or nephew should buy and read this book. Everyone who teaches children (of any age) should buy and read this book.

I strongarmed Christine into a few questions. Take it away Christine!

About THE BOOK:

The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less:

You are trying to kill me, aren’t you? Okay – here it is:

Helping parents and educators embrace intensity and teach life-long coping and behavior management strategies to gifted children. (11 characters to spare. Nicely done.)

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

A month ago I would have said “NO”. But as I was cleaning out some things recently, I discovered an old journal from elementary school in which I recounted my fantasies of living in NYC and being a full-time writer. So, I guess I really did plan on writing books when I was young. I do remember writing stories and myths as far back as kindergarten (and no, I will NEVER share them! Just sayin’)

What made you decide to go that “extra step” and seek publication?

HA! YOU did!!! No serious, seeing EMOTIONAL INTENSITY in print was always the goal for that book. I wanted to be able to help more families than I could by teaching my classes within my school district. Publishing a book seemed the most logical next step. Given the fact that I had NO IDEA how to go about that process, I focused on writing a great book and finding an agent who could help show me the ropes. I found that in Krista Goering.

Now, my YA fiction writing…I blame my passion for that ALL of that on YOU! (and BTW, thank you for that!) (Well, we all have flaws...I take no responsibility for turning you to the dark side. *wink*)

What else are you working on? Secrets? Inside scoops? Give us the juicy stuff!

My second nonfiction book, 101 SUCCESS SECRETS FOR GIFTED KIDS comes out in late Spring. So, getting that one ready for publication is my first priority. Otherwise, I am working on several other NF projects that I can’t quite talk about right now.

Being a fiction author as well, I have my YA gothic novel A BEAUTIFUL MESS that I am seeking representation for, and a couple of other WiPs in various stages of completion.

Never a dull moment in Christine-land!

About THE AUTHOR:

Quick! You’ve been chosen to be a contestant on Survivor. What luxury item do you take?

Way to ask a hard question! Hmmm…I guess I’d take my wand. After all, it’s all Harry needed when facing a dragon – maybe it’s all I’ll need when facing a whole team of them!!!

Tell us something about yourself we don’t know.

Something you don’t know??? I once cage-snorkeled with sharks. No dude, really!!! About 40 of them. Coolest experience of my life. Wanna see the video? (Um, heck yeah. Sharks? Why haven't I seen this video before?? *pouts*)

And the most important of all: bacon or chocolate?

Dude, no question –CHOCOLATE!!! (Wrong answer, but whatever. We don't hold grudges here.)

Find Christine around the web:

• Website
• Blog
• Facebook or Twitter
• Order EMOTIONAL INTENSITY.
• Want an e-reader version? Order here.
• Read the first chapter here.

So there you have it. Any questions for Christine? Are you Emotionally Intense? (Dude, I so am.)

Oh! You want more? Of course you do. Today, one lucky commenter on this post gets a FREE signed (SIGNED) copy of Emotional Intensity! Suh-weet! Comment to enter. Cross your fingers to win. Embrace the crazy to...uh, yeah. Just embrace the crazy.

They're Just Words

Full credit for this topic goes to my crit buddy and personal oxygen tank, Christine Fonseca.

We were chatting last week. Basically, I was freaking out, as per my usual, and...well, I'll just copy and paste the transcript of the chat. I'd just gotten a critique and my wall had gone up. Remember that wall? Yeah, I'm breaking that down brick by painful, heavy brick.

me: Things I can probably do in a few hours.
Christine: way to move past the "funk"....
:D
me: And she wants part two, which I guess is good, right?
Christine: Very good!!
No major suckage!
me: Part three is a train wreck, so...
Christine: I love your confidence....
all fixable...
they are just words!
right?
me: They are just words!!
Holy crap!
I never realized that!
Christine: LOL!
me: Ah, my chest is expanding the right way now.
Toldja you're like oxygen.
Christine: very very good......
me: <3
Christine: and you are very sweet to say so....
okay -
so 20/5?
me: Yes. 20/5
go!

And then we work for 20 minutes on our MSs and then chat for 5. Okay, maybe like 15, but whatev. I could breathe again.

So srsly, they're just words. You can move them around. Change them. Delete them. Manipulate them until you have them in just the right order and saying exactly what you want.

So don't be afraid of those words! After all, they're just inanimate objects. Don't get attached to them. And don't worry if they suck! You can change them.

And that's how I broke down my wall. What has powered you through your writing? How are those words flowing for you?

Gangsta Style

Okay, let's have some fun. First, I'll let you inside my head. I had to go to a meeting a month or so ago. It was not a meeting I was looking forward to. It was summer, I didn't want to go, and the meeting was about making a schedule for a bunch of other people to follow.

Luckily, the three other people in the meeting are some of my favorite people who breathe oxygen. So I'm at the meeting and we're hammering out the schedule. Checking how many kids are in each class. Calling other principals. Reading a chart that someone from Jupiter made, cuz that thing was a beast. In order to read the chart, you had to attend graduate school for four years and obtain two Ph.D's. So since I'm the one with the math minor (not two Ph.D's, mind you) I've got the chart. I finally figure it out and the four of us think we've worked out a schedule that everyone is just going to love. How could they not? (insert snarfage and heavy sarcasm here)

With me still? So since I'm also sort of witty sometimes, (usually only on Mondays, which this meeting was on a Monday) I was designated as the official email writer. So the other three people are dictating and I'm typing the email.

And I happened to give one of the people a nickname. I'm all over nicknames. I really like them. My DH gives them to our kids, his students at school, even me. He calls them rapper names, I call them Gangsta names. Details, schmetails.

So I made one up for this guy. Let's call him Zach Attack. So ever since then, he's been trying to come up with a gangsta name for me. Which, I must admit, thrills me to no end. I've always wanted to have a gangsta name. (In high school, I went by "Lane" or "Lanie" or pretty much anything else that started with an L or an E.)

Problem: my name is, well, not that easily adapted to gangsta style. But he's been working on it with his team. That's right. A whole team. So he comes in the computer lab last week to run a couple of the names by me.

The one we like best: EJ Jamma.

My DH hates it. He thinks E-Jamma would be better. So I need some help. What should my gangsta name be?

Here's some I've come up with for some gangsta friends of mine. If you imagine a gangsta accent and like me swinging my arms with my fingers splayed out and some baggy pants and my hat on sideways and some serious bling, it really helps. Trust me.

Christine Fonseca: Fonz-C. (Yo, yo, yo, Fonz-C. How's the WiP?)

Suzette Saxton: Z-Shizzle (Have your peeps call mine, Z-Shizzle. We'll do lunch.)

Bethany Wiggins: Wigs (He-ey! Wigs is in da house! *imagine the heavy gold chainz and you'll be there with me*)

Michelle McLean: Triple M Stack (Triple M Stack is bustin' out the wordage, yo.)

Heather Dyer: HDMD (Dude, HDMD, keepin' it real.)

So...so many of your are uber-creative. What have you got for a name like Elana Johnson? And this picture totally made me laugh. Cuz, well, E-Jamma and Zach Attack, yeah, we're pretty much like these guys. Can't...stop...laughing!

Associating With Greatness

Okay, since the whole Michael Jackson funeral/spectacle last week, I've been thinking. I know it's a dangerous pasttime similar to skydiving, but hey, sometimes I like to live on the edge.

And I was watching the funeral from my couch, in my pajamas cuz I had it DVR'ed. And there was this woman who had flown all the way from Brooklyn or somewhere in New York just to stand on the street like three blocks away.

This stunned me. I was like, For real?

But why?

I mean, I grew up in the eighties, so I get the adoration of MJ. We (meaning me and my sister) choreographed moves to some of his songs, and who didn't learn Thriller? So I get tuning in to see the funeral, but I stayed in the comfort of my own home. I don't get flying across the country just to stand on the street.

Here comes the thinking part.

And I've finally concluded that it all has to do with Associating Oneself with Greatness. Think about it. Wouldn't you want to associate with Michael Jackson (as perhaps messed up as he was) or Oprah or say, Holly Root or Rachelle Gardner or Jessica Faust or Kristin Nelson or Nathan Bransford?

I would.

And why?

Because we believe they're great.

Enter more thinkage, and a few MJ lyrics.

Heal the world

Make it a better place

So that's my thing. I want to make the world a better place. With my books, my blog, my life. I used to listen to my favorite Michael Jackson song, Man In The Mirror, everyday on the way to school. It helped me to realize that I couldn't change those kids, their life circumstances or make the right choices for them.

But I could--and can--change myself. What I say. Do. Think. React to. Ignore. All of it.

So I've associated myself with greatness. Pat, Heather, Suzy, Carolyn and Mary are the kewlest critmates, blogging buddies and downright best friends ever. They are the epitome of what it's like to live your life intending to make the world a better place.

Christine, Lisa, Laura, Michelle, and Katie make my world a better place with their constant encouragement and uplifting emails. Thanks, guys.

I love hanging out in the QueryTracker forum. I think the people there make the world a better place. I also love going to my Writing Throwdown forum and reading the support people show each other there. That is a small slice of the world that is made better--and most of those people are you guys, the Mindless Musing blog readers. So thanks.

I'll be gone to Yellowstone the rest of this week, enjoying the beauty of this world. I could write a bunch of posts and set them to autopost, but I like to discuss with all of you, so I'm not going to do that.

I'd like to open the blog this week for you to talk about greatness. Who out there has influenced you? Made your life better? Made your world a better place to live? I want to associate with those people. All of them.

I want to be great. And to do that, I must Associate With Greatness.

A Wednesday Wave

I know I'm a day late and all that. But Christine threw out a topic for a short story writing exercise in June, and I didn't have time to post mine. So here it is.

Her topic: Waves

My story:

The day he met her, his hair fell in inky waves across his forehead. It shone in the weak autumn sunlight as he flagged down a cab. He caught her staring, and raised his hand in a half-wave before realizing that she was a complete stranger. For a moment, the way she watched him felt familiar. Then the cab was there and the driver was yelling at him to get in already.

Time passed. His hair went through an auburn stage. Then blond. Then back to the midnight black that came from a bottle. He'd forgotten what color his hair really was the next time he saw her.

This time, she wore a skirt that slapped at her legs in the winter wind. Her hair fell to her shoulder in gentle waves the color of ripe wheat. He inhaled, almost smelling the grainy scent from his childhood. Almost as fast as a blink, the bus crossed between them and he was left standing on 72nd Street, waving at an empty space.

He crunched numbers in a tall building overlooking the Hudson River. Christmas came. He spent most of that cold day at his desk, the white lights on the tree in the office dark. He watched the waves lap the shore of the river, and he thought of the woman.

Before he left that Christmas day, he booked a single ticket to Kansas for New Year's Eve. The wheat wouldn't be waving, but he knew it was time. With any luck, his father wouldn't be waving a gun in his face as part of the welcoming committee.

He didn't expect to find the woman in another state. But there she was, sitting in the airport with a black leather carryon, her wheat-colored hair pulled loosely into a ponytail. Her eyes mirrored his surprise, a deep blue, the color of the summer Kansas sky.

"Robert Flagstone," she said, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

He didn't know her. But she had haunted him these past few months. "I'm sorry, I don't know who you are."

"Yes, you do," she replied, the grin now taking over her face.

And that was it. She wouldn't give her name, despite his repeated requests. He offered her a ride, but she would only go if he could produce her name.

He couldn't, so he climbed into his rental car alone, flustered and wondering how this woman knew him and he didn't know her. He drove through town, noticing how the holiday flags lining the street whipped and waved in the cruel wind.

Halfway home, he realized who she was. A wave of repressed memories flooded his mind. He pulled the car next to the "Wild Waves" hair salon. With shaking fingers he scrolled through the numbers on his iPhone.

There she was.

"Nora," he whispered, "Flagstone."

When she answered, he asked, "How long has it been this time?"

"Five months, dear."

He couldn't answer. He knew he didn't have to.

"Your parents are waiting," Nora continued. "You seem to know the way."

Robert nodded to himself. He ran a hand through the waves of his inky hair, remembering the familiarity of that first sighting in the fall. He considered going back in time to make that meeting turn out the right way.

But the time travel was the reason he lost his memories in the first place.

-----------

So did you wave it up this month? If not, I'm sure you still can. Let me know if you do! Oh, and let me know if you saw that one coming. I know I didn't as I was writing it.