Guest Post: Heather Dearly, PROM DATES TO DIE FOR!

You guys, I'm so super excited to have Heather Dearly, author of The Bone Flower in the PROM DATES TO DIE FOR anthology, guest posting on my blog today! I won't keep her...


What Would Nika Do?

When I received my invitation to write a short story for the PROM DATES TO DIE FOR anthology, my first thought was WWMRD?

WHAT WOULD MOLLY RINGWALD DO?

Nostalgic for (and biased by) a John Hughes vision of this major event, I sent a message on Facebook to my humorous duet partner from high school drama (then cheerleader, now high school teacher and mother of a teenager) asking her to set me straight on modern day prom. Her parents owned the local men’s formal wear shop where most of the students would rent their tuxedos, and she loaned me the red dress I wore to prom with my now husband. She currently chaperones various school functions, so contacting her was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, her reply kind of crushed my pretty (in pink) mental picture.

Let’s just say her version is nothing like the 2011 Disney movie PROM my pre-teen daughter has watched more than once.

In this “My Super Sweet 16” era of milestone events, I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the price tag placed on today’s pre-prom spa parties and haute couture would have left me sitting at home alone in the late eighties. Also, the current shift from romantic rite of passage to public display of risqué is not really my style.

Mulling over what prom might mean to readers, writer me decided that while each and every teen is entitled to their personal expectations of prom, my character, Nika—an extension of the teen I might dream to be today—is entitled to her own, too.

So I glued my sentimental self back together and began to write.

What resulted is a bit dramatic, a little romantic, and inspired in part by Ian Somerhalder for, um, contemporary relevancy.

My short story, THE BONE FLOWER, is not an outright homage to the inimitable Ms. Ringwald, but it is a unique paranormal prom experience I hope readers will enjoy.

I cannot say thank you enough to Heather for stopping by today, and I'm really looking forward to reading her short story, and all the others in PROM DATES TO DIE FOR!

If you'd like to keep up with Heather, you can find her on Pinterest, Twitter and her website!

And be sure to add PROM DATES TO DIE FOR to your goodreads list here!!

As a special thank you for stopping by today, the lovely folks at Buzz Books is offering up a copy of PROM DATES TO DIE FOR to one lucky commenter! Simply comment on this post with your most memorable prom experience (try your best to keep it semi-short, lol) between now and Wednesday, May 2nd. I'll announce the winner on Thursday, May 3rd!! Contest is open to residents of USA and Canada!! 


Okay, comment away!