Bonnie Swanson
@BB_Swann
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She/Her Lit agent at @FinePrintLit AALA member Author CLOSED FOR QUERIES
Illinois
Joined July 2012
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Finally able to share this big news!! Congrats to my client Sarah Broadway on her book deal!! I can't wait for you all to meet Lou &her quirky friends in QUEEN OF THE DEAD! Thanks to Desola Coker at
@AngryRobotBooks
for believing in the story! Creepy feels coming your way 11/25!
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We don't need a blue wave in Nov. Or even a blue tsunami. We need a blue apocalypse.
#GOPCoverup
#TrumpIsCorrupt
#TrumpIsGuilty
#GOPTraitors
#Resist
#WritingCommunity
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I’ve been seeing a few posts from authors disheartened by response times from agents who make a full request. Some think the agent “never intended” to read the full. Here are my thoughts on that. 🧵
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So I have some BIG NEWS to share! I have made the move to the fabulous
@FinePrintLit
! I am so excited and can't wait to get started with this new path in my agenting career. (short thread)
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I am FINALLY able to share my big news! Pelican Publishing has acquired my first
#PB
, KATIE COMMA!! I am super excited to become a part of the trad pub community & look forward to working with Pelican & my illustrator, Maja Andersen.
#amwriting
#kidlit
#AprWritingChallenge
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Most portray death as a cloaked-masculine figure with a big scythe and a quiet disposition. When I met Death, she sat on the hood of my car outside my best friend Connor’s house, wearing jeans and a pink tank top, snapping her gum behind a Hollywood smile.
#Btr2sDay
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I am 100% positive nobody is seeing my tweets. Give this a like or comment if you do. Considering closing this account to decrease my stress.
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I have my
#querymanager
down to under 80 undecided queries! I can see light at the end of the tunnel. ***ignores the fact she has about 40 fulls to read because so many fabulous authors sent their work***
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Spread some happiness today! Everyone needs a little love and care.
#SaturdayMorning
#amwriting
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Want to slow down time? Take a trip back to 1986 where everyone was bitchin'! (Not just the politicians) Fair warning: you might be humming Jesse's Girl or get a craving for The Breakfast Club! 1st 2 chapters FREE at
#YA
#romance
#80s
#amreading
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Absolutely ever single MS I received has the potential to get picked up. Every single one! Know that I fought for you all behind the scenes & you were well loved. We mentors shared many tears and frustrations together at our inability to choose you all! Keep writing!
#writementor
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More good news to share!! I am honored to announce that I have signed the fabulous
@OLRiesling
! Her story caught my heart (and my funny bone) and I can't wait to get it out into the world!
#petrocks
everywhere will love it! Welcome to the team Gretchen!!!
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I am so excited to finally share this pic! My first PB KATIE COMMA is slated to be published fall of 2019 by
@PelicanPub
(Pelican Publishing Company). She's strong, she's sassy, and she's purple! My kinda girl!
#PB
#amwriting
#wackywed
#maywritingchallenge
#writementor
#teacher
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I love my WIP because it was ultimately responsible for gaining me an awesome twitter peep (or 50), an agent, and a possible first book deal! Literally, I would not have any of that if I'd given up on this book.
#authorconfession
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When you're the only one who DOESN'T watch
#GOT
and you have NO IDEA what everyone is tweeting about.
#amwriting
#writementor
#WritingCommunity
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Good luck, everyone. Comment any questions and I’ll try to answer them… between queries.😉
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Good luck to all those submitting to
#querykombat
! I made it in last year and even though I got knocked out in round 1, the critique I received from everyone helped me polish my query enough and I found my agent! Learn all you can from the feed and tips! Every bit helps!
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1. I have 5 autoimmune diseases.
2. I have 8 years til retirement!
3. I'm the 1 teacher in my district w/purple hair!
#authorconfession
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Want to slow down time? Take a trip back to 1986 where everyone was bitchin'! Fair warning: you might be humming Jesse's Girl or get a craving for The Breakfast Club! 1st 2 chapters FREE at
#YA
#romance
#80s
#amreading
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I place client work ahead of queries because I already represent them and they depend on me to champion their work. This includes subs, nudges, and reading new material.
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I just want to clarify something for you
#writementor
hopefuls (&myself). The purpose of this contest is for us as mentors to choose the 1 person (thanks a lot
@StuartWhiteWM
) who we think we would be able to develop/encourage/educate/help the most. (1) But
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Here is a
#writementor
#amediting
#tips
If you need to cut word count from your MS, you don't have to do a major re-write. Trim 10-20 words on each page. In a 300 pg book you've knocked out 6000 words and tightened your writing. You may not have to kill off that character! 😂
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I get venting. Just please know, bad-mouthing/shaming agents isn’t helpful. And it can hurt your chances. Just like you don’t want to work with/someone who would do that to you, we don’t want clients like that either.
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Tomorrow, many of you will discover you have been given a gift & many more will go back to the query/edit/what-do-I-do-now? trenches. No matter what, remember this is just one more step in the life of a writer. As long as you keep moving, you win. So keep on writing!
#writementor
On Dealing with Rejection by Hannah Kates
In advance of the
#WriteMentor
announcement tomorrow,
@HannahKates1
has written this post to help you through it, if you're not selected this time.
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Came home today from a short trip & decided to finally plant my spring flowers. Somebody else had decided to use my planter! Mama rabbit left 6 babies under the dirt. They are back in the pot for her. Hope she moves them so I can get the flowers in!
#writingcommmunity
#bunnies
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It seems kind of quiet in
#writementor
world, but believe me, LOTS is going on in the mentor private page! Wheeling and dealing (and a little bit of begging may be involved.)
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This is a long process. And just because I dive into my QM doesn’t mean the rest of the job stops to wait. Clients need help. Editors need info. Nudges need sent. Agencies have meetings. And *gasp* I do have a family & a life.
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5704 words today and good news *******FIRST DRAFT IS FINISHED!!!!!!!!! Now to spend time relaxing, reading, and Christmas shopping!
#decwritingchallenge
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My heart tried to escape through my skin. He closed the gap, his lips so close I could feel their heat.
“Jax?” I brushed my lips against him.
He backed off.
“What?”
“Don’t tease me.”
He backed up again. Dammit.
“I’m not.” He smiled. “Well, maybe I am just a little."
#1linewed
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In my head I knew they were both right. But the part of me she commanded wouldn’t budge. “I can’t risk losing you, to save someone else.”
“You aren’t going to lose me.” She held my face between her hands. “We need to stop this. We’ll never be free if we don’t.”
#1linewed
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First, I only speak for myself, so if you haven’t queried me, this wont apply to you. But it might give you some insight into the process. I opened to queries recently for only a month and received close to 400 queries. This is a small number compared to other agents.
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Her long red hair flared out like fire. No, wait. It was fire. Flames crackled on the ends like tiny orange snakes. I gagged on the rotten stench of sulfur, & if I wasn’t frozen, I would have passed out. Who the hell was she? Or should I say, what the hell was she?
#1linewed
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I do my best to balance it all, but I am not perfect. Neither are other agents. We all try our best and want to be there for our current and future clients. But life happens.
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I pictured Grace’s smiling face covered with pink ice cream, her cheeks flushed when I kissed her on her bed, her gut wrenching sobs when I left her with her dad. At what point my thoughts became dreams, I wasn’t sure. But I found no relief in sleep. Grace haunted me.
#Thurds
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I welcome nudges from authors through QM. If it’s been 3 months (or more) please, send a gentle reminder. And of course if you get an offer from an agent or publisher, let me know. But I ask that you give a bit of grace, too.
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I ALWAYS intend to read the ones I request. Does every agent? IDK. I’m only in my head, not theirs.😉
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And this is why form rejections are a thing. It only takes a few to ruin it for everyone. Editors and agents follow each other and nobody wants to work with a problematic author. Nothing nice to say... you know the rest.
#amquerying
#writingcommunity
#askanagent
For my own mental health, I’m pausing on giving specific reasons for my query responses and switching to forms for a bit. I hate to do that but my attempt to be helpful has led to harassment from multiple authors this week and I need a break.
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I cranked the water to hot and used the toilet. Steam clouded the mirror and I climbed in, shivering as the hot water hit my cold skin.
Shower. Brush teeth. Dry hair. Get dressed. Same routine every morning, no matter where we lived. At least I had that.
#1lineWed
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A few min later, Mom sat in the driver’s seat, cheeks flushed. She pressed her lips together then smiled. “Ready?” she asked.
“If you and Dad are finished.”
The blush increased but she laughed. “Watch it, or I’ll buy you a pink frilly dress with ruffles and sequins.”
#1lineWed
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7 hrs and edits are FINISHED!!!! Off to the agent for a final read and then hopefully it's time to query!
#septwritingchallenge
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She's here! She's here! My
#debut
#PB
is available NOW!!! It's been a long wait, but worth every second!
#writingcommunity
#kidlit
#pbchat
#TEACHers
#writementor
#bookbirthday
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Next I start reading. This includes the query, the synopsis, about the author, and the sample. It takes me about 10 minutes from start to finish for each query. X 400. If the query doesn’t hook me, I will peek at the pages to get a feel for the writing to see if I want to pass it
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“What’s going on here?”
The principal, glancied between me & Austin.
“He punched me for no reason.” Austin frowned, wiping the blood from his nose w/his hand.
Mr. K lowered his chin to stare over his glasses. “Is this true?”
“No, I punched him because he’s an asshole.”
#Thurds
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#FF
Teacher style!
P
@stone4031
L
@LexiIsAWriter
E
@authorecfarrell
A
@C_H_Armstrong
S
@WriterSkyeMcD
E
@ellekarmawrites
S
@GameOverStation
E
@ericlahti1
N
@WillieHandler
D
@winkchii
C
@CordialWords
O
@tammy_oja
F
@chipmunkofpower
F
@MuseAlaCarte
E
@essdotcurr
E
@Fiction_Editor
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Happy Mother's Day to all the writerly moms out there! May all your dreams come true! (Clean house, meals made, and time with a good book!) :)
#writementor
#MothersDay
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Once I get through all the queries, that’s when I start reading fulls. Occasionally a manuscript grabs me completely and it gets pushed to the top of the pile. More rarely I start reading that night!
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Summer is typically slower paced in the publishing world as there are limited releases and industry professionals take this time to go on vacations or sabbaticals to recharge their batteries.
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If you have a concern, go to the agent directly, or maybe their agency. Querying is time consuming though so 3-6 months is a typical timeframe for me to respond.
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Yes, the picks are coming in. Several of us have chosen 1...2....(ahem) or 3 mentees. If we could each choose 50 you’d all get a mentor! So many great subs came in but we can’t help everyone. 😟 Keep working and NEVER GIVE UP!!
#WriteMentor
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(4) to make friends on the
#WriteMentor
page and form CP groups. Meet new people who have the same passions you do. Network with your fellow authors who someday will be your fellow PUBLISHED authors. Because we know many of you are almost there! Keep writing!
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Woke up to 26 degrees today for my 52nd bday, but so far, it’s been great!
#middleaged
#overthehill
#oldenoughtoknowbetter
#AuthorsOfTwitter
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So, I cleaned the house, walked the dog, finished up reading my
#writementor
subs, made notes, critiqued for a couple friends, and wrote 3050 words for my
#WIP
. (Yes, I found a place to add 1 word to make that even number! 🤪)
#maywritingchallenge
Time for some brothers I think!
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I don't want to go back to school. I don't want to go back to school. I don't want to go... Oh wait. I'm the teacher! In honor of all my teacher peeps, 8/1
#wackywed
theme is BACK.
@writevent
#julywritingchallenge
#writementor
#amwriting
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This is also a great time for me to dive into the queries. First, I look for the ones who ignored my instructions and submitted a manuscript that doesn’t fit my preferred genre. (ie, I had PB subs when I strictly opened for adult only.)
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To another agent at FinePrint. If not, I will send a pass to the author. If I like the sample and want to read more, I send a request for a full. Then I move to the next query.
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I've searched untraceable poisons, how to traffick drugs, repercussions for stabbing. Pretty sure I'm on a list s'where.
#AuthorConfession
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Big news!!! I am now rep' d by the amazingly sweet Cathrine Hedrick of the Purcell Agency! So excited!
#AugWritingChallenge
#amwriting
It's been an awesomely, incredible, fantastic, exciting day. That's all I have to say rn!
#amwriting
#AugWritingChallenge
#teacherlife
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I write for me. Totally selfish. I want it. I need it. Sorry, but there is no deeper meaning. Sometimes you have to do something for yourself.
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“So, if I’m a wizard, are you both wizards, too?”
“Yep.” Dad leans back. “And it’s nice to finally quit hiding from you.”
Mom snorts. “Technically, I’m a witch.”
“Only when you’re mad, honey.” Dad caresses her arm and she throws her napkin at his face.
#SaidSun
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Yes please!
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I'm so excited to be a mentor in
#WriteMentor
and I can't wait to get started. So I am giving away a first 5 pages edit to warm up my brain (and calm down my excitement!) Comment and RT and I will draw a winner on Tuesday, May 1st! Good Luck!
#amwriting
#amediting
#payitforward
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I swore (to myself anyway) I wouldn't put
#writementorteasers
on here because I didn't want to stress anyone out.🤐😐😐😗😏😜😂 SORRY! I can't stop myself. I have made not one but TWO choices! And I'll battle til the end to get them! Hurry up June 1st!
#writementor
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I'm torn between wanting time to slow down so I can finish my MS before my June 1st deadline and wanting it to speed up so my mentee picks can find out who they are! I hate keeping secrets!
#writementor
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It would be a lie to say I didn’t want her. She had my respect, but if she offered, I wouldn’t say no. That fell under the idiot response category. I groaned, dropping my pencil on my notebook. Taking a deep breath, I lay back on the bed. Maybe a cold shower would help.
#1lineWed
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Tomorrow is another day. Another chance to shine! Join me for
#wackywed
where the theme is 2nd chances! Does your MC beg? Does s/he sneer? Special invite to the
#WriteMentor
family. Take your mind off that sub &show us your funny stuff!
#amwriting
#maywritingchallenge
@writevent
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Her eyes returned to mine and sucked me back in time, to tire swings and bike rides, pirate games and adventures in the creek behind our houses, and staying up late to look at the stars, and laughing, and friendship, and love and dammit—I wanted it back.
#1linewed
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Congrats to my client Angelique Burrell for her upcoming
#YAdebut
A MARK IN THE ROAD! Her YA thriller is full of heart and suspense and all the teen angsty romance you could need! It was an honor to help her achieve her dreams.
@Tpurcellagency
@jenlowrywrites
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So, I feel the need to add to the latest
#writementorteasers
trend. Ahem... I will be giving feedback to all those who subbed to me.... unless ....somebody else picked you!!!
#writementor
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My brain is fried but I know I wrote 10,000+ words today. Yesterday. Whatever day. 7-1 And my WIP IS FINISHED!
#JulyWritingChallenge
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To my future mentees (4 of you🥰) When the anouncements start streaming at 11:00am CST here in Illinois, I will be on a field trip with 28 first graders in the rain. I MIGHT not be able to respond. But when we get back on the bus and they all fall asleep, IT'S ON!!
#writementor
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Another less busy time is December. Most agents (and editors) try to clean out their inboxes, at least the ones I know. So maybe you’ll get responses then.
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Archaeologist 1: Hey, look I've found something odd.
A2: What is it?
A1: I'm not sure. *pokes at it* Oh! I think I know what this could be!
A2: *eyes grow wide* OMG. That hasn't been seen in the wild since the early 2000's.
A1: We've finally unearthed it. COMMON SENSE.
#FriDare
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Congrats to
@FinePrintLit
's very own Lauren Bieker, named one of
@PublishersWkly
rising stars in their 2024 Star Watch!
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Whew! Dodged a battle for a mentee behind the scenes. Thanks to the other mentor for blessing me! Had to sweat it out there for a while! 🤣
#WriteMentorTeasers
#writementor
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“I’ll see you around, Ava.”
I rushed to my car as fast as my tired legs could go. Ugh. What an asshat. It wasn’t until I’d started my car & drove away thinking of all the things I should have said to him, that a cold sweat covered my face. How had he known my name?
#1linewed
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Rare tears sparkled in her eyes, I ran a finger across her cheek to erase the wetness.
She whispered, “Are you breaking up w/me?”
Was I? I frowned into her deep brown eyes. No, I could no sooner end it than I could solve a Rubik’s cube w/o pulling off the stickers.
#lovelines
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She stepped in & closed the door. She wrapped her arms around me, & damn she felt good, like playing catch on a Saturday & climbing trees in the back yard. I clung to her, the warmth of her body easing the coldness in my own. I inhaled the rain and roses from her hair.
#1linewed
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If you are the praying kind, send some my way. My pup is undergoing a blood transfusion to save her life right now. Her name is Kiah and she’s 3.
#amwriting
#janwritingchallenge
#dogsoftwitter
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For
#Halloween
the theme for
#wackywed
10-31 is TRICK OR TREAT!!!! What are your characters in the mood for? Something sweet or a salty trick? Come&play!
@writevent
#amwriting
#writementor
#octwritingchallenge
#BOO
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I lightly touched her lips with mine, testing her reaction. Then, our lips fully met and it was the sweetest kiss, but not because of the ice cream. Her warm fingers caressed my cheek and I held them closer to my skin. My heart melted like the ice cream.
#sunwip
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I answered, quiet, like we were playing sardines at the church lock-in, lying under the pews in the dark sanctuary to hide from the others. Pressing my fingers into my eyes, I sighed. I’d give anything to be lying next to her again, bc this time I wouldn’t let her go.
#MuseMon
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