“No, you may not. Once you eat, you will practice piano before starting your studies.”
Her mother left, and Nari fell back against her pillows. Piano to her mother meant difficult to play pieces from long-dead composers. Nari couldn’t tell her of the songs she played with the band that were a combination of rock and country. The kind of music that made her want to continue playing.
But who was Nari kidding? Her life had never been her own. She dragged herself from bed and readied herself for another day of living for someone else.
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Note from Ann Maree
Peyton is a very special character to me. She is me—or the me I wished I could have been when I was her age. So many of Peyton’s experiences with bullying come straight from my own life as a teen with a weight problem. The “F” word has haunted me my whole life, but as an adult, I’ve learned to be happy with who I am. When writing Peyton’s character, we both knew we wanted her to be a fighter. She tries so hard to stay positive and love herself as she is, but the world refuses to let her. So she fights back and through her journey to acceptance, she finds the fighter within. (I secretly want to be her when I grow up!)
As a teen, I suffered under so many labels that never made sense to me, but I could never seem to shake them. The fat girl, the weird girl, the shy girl and the nerdy girl—I’ve been them all. Today, I refuse to let those labels hinder me. I know I'm the girl who never does anything like everyone else—and I’m cool with that. I know I have never been, nor will I ever be, “the shy girl” everyone always insisted I was. Introvert does not mean shy. It just means I don’t do small talk. I’m not great with social situations, and I’m super awkward sometimes with strangers. But “shy” means something totally different. I still struggle with my weight, but I see it more as a battle for my health than a battle for acceptance from others. I decided a long time ago that the people who judge others for the way they look don’t belong in my tribe anyway.
It’s taken me a lifetime to realize these harmful labels don’t mean anything. If Peyton and Cameron’s story helps even one reader learn that oh-so-important lesson, then my job is done. Be strong and confident with who you are and never let a label someone else gives you weigh you down.
Note from Michelle
I’m going to preface this by saying I’ve never lost a leg. I have ever limb in tact, but that wasn’t the point of Cam’s story. The title of this book - The F Word - only addresses Peyton’s label, but each character in this series represents a different label. Cam is the ‘D’ word. Disabled.
Now, this, I do relate to. Some people see disability as a dirty word, but I own it. I’ve had episodic ataxia since I was eight years old. It’s pretty debilitating most of the time.
But I’m not the only one. People everywhere are struggling with illnesses or injuries. Some are visible. Others are not. And that’s why we wrote Cam as we did.
Sometimes we have to forgive our own limitations.
We felt it was important to include a character who struggled so much with his identity. Running was his life. He was so single minded in the pursuit, he didn’t see everything else around him.
Once we took that away, once we gave him a reason to need people, he became more himself than he’d ever been on that track. He let himself love. His relationship with his parents improved.
Even his friendships were repaired.
Cam is a warrior. He also cries and gets angry and feels sorry for himself. But that doesn’t make him any less of a warrior. The next time you look at someone struggling with disability or illness, imagine the battle armor they wear to protect themselves from the world, to battle for their place in it.
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The K Word: Cameron
Can one simple kiss change everything?
Cameron Tucker has only ever had one person he could count on: his best friend Peyton. She’s been everything to him. Friend. Family. Confident. He needs her more than he needs his dream of becoming an Olympic runner or his desire to make his demanding father proud.
A Christmas Eve party could ruin everything when a cruel joke crushes Peyton. And the only way to make Peyton see just how beautiful she is might be to reveal the feelings Cam has tried so hard to hide.
About Michelle
Michelle MacQueen is a USA Today bestselling author of love. Yes, love. Whether it be YA romance, NA romance, or fantasy romance (Under M. Lynn), she loves to make readers swoon.
The great loves of her life to this point are two tiny blond creatures who call her “aunt” and proclaim her books to be “boring books” for their lack of pictures. Yet, somehow, she still manages to love them more than chocolate.
When she’s not sharing her inexhaustible wisdom with her niece and nephew, Michelle is usually lounging in her ridiculously large bean bag chair creating worlds and characters that remind her to smile every day - even when a feisty five-year-old is telling her just how much she doesn’t know.
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www.michellelynnauthor.com
Also by Michelle MacQueen
Redefining Me:
Dating My Best Friend
Dating the Boy Next Door
Dating My Nemesis
The Invincible series:
We Thought We Were Invincible
We Thought We Knew It All
Discovering Me:
Dating Nashville
Dating Washington
Dating Texas
The New Beginnings series
Choices
Promises
Dreams
Confessions
Fantasy and Fairytales (Written as M. Lynn)
Golden Curse
Golden Chains
Golden Crown
Glass Kingdom
Glass Princess
Noble Thief
Cursed Beauty
Legacy of Light (Written as M. Lynn)
A War For Magic
A War For Truth
A War For Love
About Ann Maree
Ann Maree Craven is an Amazon bestselling author of Young Adult Contemporary Fiction and YA Fantasy (her Fantasy fans will know her as Melissa A. Craven). Her books focus on strong female protagonists who aren’t always perfect, but they find their inner strength along the way. Ann Maree’s novels will appeal to audiences of all ages and fans of almost any genre. She believes in stories that make you think and she loves playing with foreshadowing, leaving clues and hints for the careful reader.
Ann Maree draws inspiration from her background in architecture and interior design to help her with the small details in world building and scene settings. (Her degree in fine art also comes in handy.) She is a diehard introvert with a wicked sense of humor and a tendency for hermit-like behavior. (Seriously, she gets cranky if she has to put on anything other than yoga pants and t-shirts!)
Ann Maree enjoys editing almost as much as she enjoys writing, which makes her an absolute weirdo among her peers. Her favorite pastime is sitting on her porch when the weather is nice with her two dogs, Fynlee and Nahla, reading from her massive TBR pile and dreaming up new stories.
Visit me at Melissaacraven.com for more information about the series and discover exclusive content.
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Also By Ann Maree Craven
Redefining Me:
Dating My Best Friend
Dating the Boy Next Door
Dating My Nemesis
Discovering Me:
Dating Nashville
Dating Washington
Dating Texas
Emerge Series (Written as Melissa A. Craven):
Emerge: The Awakening (Book 1)
Emerge: The Edge (Book
1.5)
Emerge: The Scholar (Illustrated Character Journal)
Emerge: The Volunteer (An Emerge Short Story)
Emerge: The Judgment (Book 2)
Emerge: The Catalyst (An Emerge Short Story)
Emerge: The Captive (Book 3)
Emerge: The Assignment (An Emerge Novella)
Emerge: The Heir (Book 4)
Emerge: The Betrayal
Dating My Best Friend (Redefining Me Book 1) Page 19