Eleven years prior, Auburn Maine | Hollis |“I don’t get why I can’t just stay at our apartment while you’re gone over the weekend. This is wicked stupid. I’m seventeen, not seven." An annoyed Hollis grumbled, turning her back to Dalton so she could peer out of his white Chevy truck’s window with a soft huff. It was a bitter, cold February afternoon in Auburn and the heater was going full blast, making all four glass barriers fog up relentlessly. The windshield wipers were working diligently to keep Dalton’s ability to drive safely consistent. Hollis felt like she was observing her surroundings submerged under water, despite squinting as hard as she could. Still, the familiar outline of their parent’s woodsy street almost made her want to pass out from sheer anxiety.I don’t want to be here...I really DON’T want to be here. “It wa

Roughly a month later| Dalton |An unexpected summer rain storm swept over Auburn during the earliest hours of June 25th, somewhere between four and six A.M; Leaving behind a pleasantly cool fog and dewy touch in the air several hours later. An abundance of white cedar trees surrounding the Androscoggin County Superior Court rustled and swayed gently in the calm breeze. Blanketed by hovering clouds, the massive judicial branch was especially frenzied today.An arrogant Preston Clay, accompanied by his ridiculously wealthy parents, sauntered into their assigned courtroom wearing a dark grey suit worthy of any ‘Daddy’s little rich boy’. His icy blue eyes fell on the opposing side to where they’d be sitting, and he scoffed outwardly at the native Mainer who turned down his father’s millions and for what? To embarrass himself no doubt. At least, that’s where his narrow minded brain had stretched

| Kendra |The goodbye party turned celebratory victory lasted for another three and a half hours as everyone continued drinking and helping themselves to various refreshments. Hollis, Whitney, and Kendra had been the first to depart. It’d been an exhausting day, and a very drunk Hollis in particular was begging Kendra to make her famous no-bake strawberry cheesecake non-stop.No, really. Non. Fucking. STOP. The whole time they were making their rounds before leaving, and even in the Uber on the way back to her town home. Drunk and with no plans to relent, Kendra and Whitney both had to sit there and listen to her plead over and over for the tasty, fluffy treat as she made herself comfortable against the smallest girl’s shoulder.Just like always, whiny Hollis got her own way and was groaning with gratitude from where she was draped across Kendra and Whitney’s couch an hour later.“Thank you, Ken Dollllll.&rdq

If you've made it this far, I officially (read that in your best ditzy, Californian accent) LOVE you all! <3 (I'm from San Diego California myself, no shade Golden State :)) What can I say? It's been a journey writing this novel, this entire series really. At first, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to create a sequel for "Not All That Glitters" but I'm so glad I did. I hope you are too, and would be ever so humbled if you let me know what you thought of my little part two. Being able to explore my characters through their own points of view was an eye opening experience, and I hoped you loved tuning into Dalton, Kendra, and Jake's thoughts just as much as the lead's, Hollis and Whitney's. Despite this book taking five months to write, a month less than two of my other novels, "Not All Who Wander Are Lost" is by far my longest book, nearing 600 pages. I couldn't avoid it since there was so much