Missy’s sweet sixteenth is just around the corner, but her last three birthdays haven’t exactly been cause for celebration. Her beloved little brother died when she turned thirteen and now birthdays are just painful reminders of the void in their lives. If only she had walked him to school that morning, like she was supposed to …

To add fuel to the fire, Missy’s mom was arrested just before she could blow out the candles on her fifteenth birthday.

To escape her guilt and her father’s alcohol-induced rages, Missy volunteers at a nearby store where she busies herself to shut out the feelings that her therapist seems to be pushing her to feel.

But then Missy meets Luke — a new classmate she cannot stop thinking about. Luke understands what she is going through more than anybody, but will Missy ever be able to let him in?

Key Selling Points

• A teen girl comes to grips with her younger brother?s death and learns that it?s okay to feel her emotions.
• Examines how grief affects mental health and the emotional behaviour of young teens.
• One of the author?s screenplays earned an Honourable Mention at Sundance Film Festival.
• De Waard is a teacher with hands-on experience of the mental health crisis plaguing today?s teens.
• Author is a go-getter and active self-promoter. She has appeared on the YouTube channel Around the Campfire to talk about her writing.
• Will have endorsements from Eric Walters and Kelly Anne Blount.,/li>