And yet, it was like someone or something was there.
And then I heard a whisper.
Not even a whisper,
Something else.
A silent message in my brain.
Make sure Brooklyn is okay.
The curtains fluttered.
A slight shadow emerged on the wall.
And then, he was gone.
The room warmed up.
My goose bumps disappeared.
And I ran out of my room.
Here’s a peek at Lisa Schroeder’s next novel
Far from you
day four
We’re alone
with only
the cold
and dark
to keep us
company.
I know them
so well now,
they’re like
old friends.
Familiar.
Old friends
who have stayed
too long
and need to go.
I wish
the angel
would have stayed.
I For a second,
I felt warmth.
I felt safe.
I felt love
as she whispered
my name,
“Alice,”
and floated
toward me
before she
disappeared.
Was I dreaming?
Hoping?
Hallucinating?
So hungry.
So tired.
Cold.
I look out the window,
and although it’s dark,
the moon
illuminates the scene
as if a faraway
floodlight
is hung
from the sky.
So much whiteness.
Everywhere.
Come back,
angel.
Let us fly
away
from
here.
Please.
Come back.
Softly Snowing
Memories
fall
like
snowflakes
upon
my dreams.
Me and Mom,
a piece of art,
a promise,
a hug.
Me and Dad,
a thousand tears,
a bouquet,
a loss.
Me and Blaze,
an autumn day,
a walk,
a kiss.
Me and Claire,
a flowing skirt,
a song,
a fight.
The snowflakes
toss and tumble,
each different
and yet
the same.
The snowflakes
of my life.
About the Author
ALTHOUGH LISA SCHROEDER HAS BEEN A FAN OFVERSE NOVELS for a long time, she’d never written one until she had a dream about Ava and Jackson. She was literally haunted by their story until she finally wrote it down.
Lisa, a native Oregonian, lives in a yellow house surrounded by lots of lovely flowers and plants (thanks to her husband, who has an entire green hand). She is mom to two fabulous sons and is the official dog walker in the family. Since the age of eight, Lisa has been writing books, and to prove it, she has one about a lion that her grandma stuck in a drawer and saved. If you peek into Lisa’s house in the wee hours of the morning, you’ll usually find her typing away at the keyboard with a cup of tea by her side. You can visit her at www.lisaschroederbooks.com.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgments
A Way of Black
Colorless
Broken Promises
I Will Always Remember
No Words
The Boy
He Spiced Up My Life
The Final Good—bye
It’s Not Fair
As Two Names No More
Jump In
Nothing to Do Now
Lashing Out
Wishful Thinking
I Need Mr. Sandman
Company’s Coming
Mirror, Mirror
Food for Thought
Okay or Not Okay?
Cali
Wondering
The Way My Life Changed
Who Are You?
The Other Side
Awake
Home Is Where the Heart Is
It’s nick Again
What Did It Mean?
A Strange Sensation
Smells Like Sandelwood
Music Says It All
Skinless
I Can Hear You
Dancing in the Moonlight
Trust Me
The Next Morning
Lovely Lemons
A Gift
Life with a Ghost
Not a Pity Party
Hard to Say Yes
Zoe
Am I Suited for This?
Beauty Everywhere
You Can’t Go Back
Cold Shoulder
Freaky Saturday
Messing with Me
That’s My Boy
The Sea of Love
Question of the Way
Christmas in Paris
You Lift Me Up
Daddy’s Little Girl
I Do What I Have to Do
Don’t Be Blue
Let the Sunshine In
Jessa
The Truth Hurts
The Closest Thing to Talking
Road Trip
Let’s Dance
Ghostly Tales
Lost
Flying Alone
Good Morning
Silly Nothingness
In the Moment
So Long, Farewell
Independence Day
It Doesn’t Make Sense
Back Home
Light the Way
What’s Going On?
To Go or Not to Go
No Secrets
Stop It!
Absolutely Perfect
I’m the One
What a Surprise
A Rush of Emotions
Feeling Woozy
All. My. Fault.
When Two Became One
I Need Dorothy’s Shoes
Tears of What?
My Nose Rejoices
A Real, Live Boy Friend
So Long, Again
Thinking Too Hard
Forever in Debt
Normal Is Nice
I Want to Know How
No Rest for the Weary
Thanks, Mom
A Million Apologies
A Real—Life Nightmare
Hard to Believe
One Boy and Two Girls
Friends
Mother Knows Best
Get Me Out of Here
Who Are You?
I Have to Say It
It Hurts to Breathe
On One Condition
But How?
Letting Go
I See You
Good—bye Forever
Wake—up Call
Matchmaker
I’m Definitely a Dog Person
The Perfect Gift
Another Good Friend
Ava
Chasing Brooklyn
Gabe was one of those guys
Gabe and my brother
I fall asleep hoping to dream
Something happened last night
Far from You
Day Four
Softly Snowing
About the Author
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