Scents and Senses: Supernatural Friends. What the fairy tales didn’t tell you Playing the role of a knight in shining armor is more complicated than it seems in the storybooks, as sixteen-year-old Joy discovers when she repeatedly comes to the rescue of a fifteen-year-old human. But when she meddles in the girl’s social life, Starra sends her packing. Starra is determined to completely dissociate herself from the subterranean creature that has manipulated her life and cast her into the limelight. However, her resolve is soon tested when she becomes involved in a critical situation where supernatural assistance can enable her to carry out a daring plot. Eventually, Starra’s involvement with her new other-wordly friends extracts a heavy price when she is beset by challenges that range from the down- to-earth struggles of a typical teenage student, to the realm of the fantastic. Nothing prepares her, however, for the ultimate challenge.
Author Loren Secretts
Loren Secretts was raised in a book-filled home, in a sleepy east coast suburb of the US. These factors are undoubtedly responsible for her early design of a number of exciting imaginary worlds that she could escape to from time to time during her childhood.
In her teen years, between schoolwork and lending an ear to her friends, Loren had less opportunity to go AWOL. Instead, her experience as a confidant to others inspired her to major in psychology in college and earn her M.A. in the field on the west coast.
As an adult, Loren has found fulfillment in her work with children and families for more than a decade. Her passion for writing was revived when she discovered that she enjoyed delving into the human psyche to write psychological reports.
But clients' reports are safe with Loren, who guards secrets fastidiously. Indeed, one of her aspirations is to work as a psychotherapist for the CIA, but since she now lives with her family in Canada, that dream will have to await its turn…
How I Survived High School Horrors
“Just you wait and see, one day you’ll be wishing you were in high school again,” claimed my teachers. Well, almost two decades have passed, and if I were offered a free ticket back in time, I’d still refuse.
Why would I ever want to voluntarily go back? To take notes till my fingers cramped? To wake up nauseous every morning fearing what tortures the staff had cooked up for the day? To have around twenty individuals wield control over my life?
Were my teachers under some illusionary spell that made them believe I’d pine for our time together?
Scents and Senses is a YA fantasy, but our heroine, Starra, contends with the same challenges many typical high school students do.
We have yet to see how Starra will reminiscence about this era in her life, so I will speak only for myself. It’s embarrassing to admit, but my high school nightmares revisited and plagued me even after I entered the workforce, married, and became a mom. Yet if some mad scientist transported me against my will, and I had to re-earn my high school diploma, I’d choose my school all over again.
No, I don’t have an agenda, like setting the record straight, or anything of the sort. Then, given my laments, what am I going back for?
My friends.
The thought of them was what made me work past the queasiness and get my penny loafers out the door every morning.
It was their smile that sanded down the affect of a sourpuss look or disparaging comment of a teacher. I had no fear in facing the snobby cliques down either, as they had my back. Truth be told, bullies didn’t target my friends and I unless they slipped up, for that very reason.
Most significantly, hanging out with my friends during breaks recharged my battery pack, and transformed school to a survivable habitat.
When midterms and finals rolled around, and our calendar crammed with monstrosities threatened to pull me under, it was weathering the experience together with my friends that got me to the finish line.
Studying for exams was a great excuse for slumber parties on a school night. Of course, our parents questioned the effectiveness of our reviewing strategy with all the racket coming from the room, the late night runs to grab some more fuel, and the giggling. My mom wanted to know since when did high school subject material get so amusing.
I’d never admit it to our parents, but I kind of saw their point when the birds’ morning calls woke me up for school after a measly couple hour nap. (Eureka! Maybe this is the cause of my bird aversion.) Yeah, we stayed up late, way too late, because we did indeed cram in some studying.
Come to think of it, if I’m going back in time, this is one practice I’d like to change. In the spirit of full disclosure, staying up late to get work done has become a lifelong bad habit that was set in motion then.
If I value my sanity though, I won’t give up on the sleepovers. I’ll just insist we study first, then chill and pig out.
Umm, should I spoil the party and tell them the latest research on trans fats?
I’m proud to introduce you to some of my friends in Scents and Senses. I believe readers will agree that they’ve proved once again, how special friends can help you get through the most challenging of times.
Oh, I forgot to mention, the best part was after our exams. First we’d let out our tension, doing activities like trampoline jumping, screaming from the hilltop, and running in the forest. Then we’d go out to celebrate.
Hey guys, where are you?
Scents and Senses is now out after years of work and late nights. Although I had lots of fun telling Starra and Joy’s story, I struggled fiercely with the finer points of comma placement. My stress is about to fizzle over.
Meet me at the summit of the next hill.
It’s time to party.
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Thank you for hosting me, Beth! BTW, your blog just entices me to get into bed with hot cocoa and a good book:)
ReplyDeleteWishing you many great reads!