SCRAP WISHES

A companion title to YOU NEVER KNOW THE LAST TIME, this 18,000-word, novel-in-verse, contemporary YA, follows sixteen-year-old Evelyn whose dementia-ridden grandfather’s dying wish propels her to find her father, a secret search she can never share with her mom and nonna.

The day Buppa dies, his memory returns for the briefest moment during their last walk together as he tells Evelyn to find her dad. Buppa’s last wish feels like a burning candle centered in her esophagus that echoes the birthday wish she made when she was seven years old. Evelyn secretly connects with her biological father, longing to fit into his family, but there’s little room for her amongst his four, younger children. When she drives her half-brother to swim practice one icy Michigan evening, she is powerless to protect any of them from the blended-family challenges her choices create.

Authors are encouraged to write what they know. I met my biological father when I was 16 years old. I have exaggerated that experience in SCRAP WISHES to help tell Evelyn’s story.

In May/April 2023 and October/November 2023, I participated in two novel-in-verse workshops through Highlights Foundation with Cordelia Jensen where I revised SCRAP WISHES, the book of my heart. I was also fortunate to work with Cordelia through a full-novel critique March-April 2024. I love the power of revision and how every manuscript gets better through commitment, collaboration, and connection.