Treading Water

Treading Water teaches some lessons about life. Author Carrie Wills has been writing since the age of nine. She says, "I've always fantasized about having a summer love of my own, and it wasn't until I sat down on the porch of my beach house in Acapulco that I found myself dreaming up a story about a boy that meets a girl during their last summer before they both go off to college. I think it's important to remind ourselves that it always gets better, and even if I changed the story a couple of times, it was always clear to me that Claire, my main character, had to overcome something that had happened to her, because at the end of the day, we all have to forget the past and move on." A student in Mexico City, author Carrie Wills loves living there. "There is something about our culture that sets us apart from the rest. It might be the warmth and passion we Mexican people have toward everything and everyone that makes us so special. Sure we may have our problems, but what country doesn't?" She would love to be a full-time writer someday. "I like to think of writing as my day job because I spend most of my time coming up with stories inside my head wherever I am. Just give me a pen, a paper and my iPod, and I can literally sit and write for hours on end." After a traumatic event that turns her world upside down, Claire Evans, a once free-spirited young girl, embarks on a journey to her grandmother's beach house for the summer, looking to start her life over before going to college. By taking a summer job in a flower shop, Claire begins to realize the true meaning of friendship and loyalty, and slowly crawls out of her shell, leaving behind all the feelings and memories that held her back from enjoying the life she thought she had lost forever. Jake Conway, on the other hand, is outgoing and successful. He finished his last year in school as football captain and top of his class, making all the girls fall in love with him. Little do they know that behind those blue eyes and soft smile lies a secret that is eating him up inside. With the weight and responsibility of being the man in charge of his family after his father's death, versus the dream of leaving for the big city someday, Jake must choose between having a life of his own for once, or being there for his family. When Claire and Jake's paths cross under the hot summer sun, both try to forgive and forget the past and start on a new path. This romantic novel shows that we all need to forget the past and move on, sometimes by Treading Water. About the Author First-time author Carrie Wills is a student in Mexico City. Publisher's website: http: //sbprabooks.com/CarrieWills Cover Design Regina Luna and Belen KNW