“But if you let me explain some more, maybe it’ll help you understand,” he said, desperate.
“No.” She could barely get the word out. “I don’t want to talk to you or see you again tonight.”
“Fine.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his valet slip. “There was a house party I was going to check out after this, anyway. Can’t hurt to get a head start.”
“You’re driving?” She must have misunderstood. He’d already finished off most of his flask.
“Of course.” He smirked. “I didn’t get my license and ask for the Maserati for my birthday so I could have the chauffeur take me everywhere in the Town Car.”
“But you’ve been drinking,” she said. “You can’t drive.”
“I’m fine to drive.” He watched her closely, daring her to contradict him. “Besides, it’s nothing for you to worry about. You don’t care about me.”
“Don’t be an ass,” she snapped. “I’m angry and hurt about what happened, but that doesn’t mean I want you putting yourself in danger.”
“I’m giving you space.” He pushed his chair back and stood up. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“If you’re trying to manipulate me into forgiving you right now, it’s not going to work, and your safety isn’t worth whatever point you’re trying to prove.” She made a grab for his valet slip, but he lifted it out of her reach.
“Everything’s not always about you.” His eyes blazed. “You called me selfish, but you’re no saint yourself. I didn’t have as much to drink tonight as you think. So back off, and stop telling me what to do.” He stormed out of the club.
Her eyes heated, and a tear escaped. Oliver had been there for her through the past few weeks, but none of it had been real. He’d lied to her and betrayed her, just like everyone else in her life.
She looked around at the party guests, having so much fun. Happy, loved, carefree. Why couldn’t she feel like that? Instead, her chest was hollow, her heart empty. The tears forced their way out in streams, and she hurried to the bathroom, hiding her face behind her hair so no one could see her falling apart.
She locked herself in the far stall, and finally allowed herself to cry.
www.campusbuzz.com
High Schools > Nevada > Las Vegas > The Goodman School
Oliver Prescott :(
Posted on Sunday 12/14 at 12:23 PM
I don’t know Oliver that well, but I heard what happened to him last night. He looked so happy at Savannah’s party…it’s scary how quickly everything can change. My thoughts are with him and his family in this awful time <3
1: Posted on Sunday 12/14 at 12:35 PM
what happened to oliver???
2: Posted on Sunday 12/14 at 12:47 PM
I don’t know the full story, but he got in a car accident after leaving Savannah’s party. His friends are writing on his Facebook wall that they hope he pulls through this. It sounds like they’re not sure if he’s going to make it :/
3: Posted on Sunday 12/14 at 12:58 PM
He got in a big fight with Madison before leaving the party. I bet she feels like a bitch now!
4: Posted on Sunday 12/14 at 1:06 PM
Lay off. You have no idea what happened with Oliver and Madison, and no right to say anything about how she feels. She probably feels awful, and your post isn’t helping. Have some consideration.
5: Posted on Sunday 12/14 at 1:18 PM
His family and close friends have been at the hospital all night. No one’s saying much other than that they’re waiting for more news. It doesn’t sound good.
6: Posted on Sunday 12/14 at 1:28 PM
Let’s all pray for Oliver…
* * * * *
Acknowledgments
First of all, a super major shout-out to Natashya Wilson, my editor at Harlequin TEEN. Diamonds in the Rough wouldn’t be half of what it is today without your incredible insight and ideas about how to make this book the best it could be. Thank you for pushing me to “torture my characters,” and to add more drama and tension throughout the story. Reworking the book was a challenge, but your guidance shaped it in ways I never thought possible, and I’m so proud of the final product!
My agent, Molly Ker Hawn—thank you for answering all my questions and being patient with me! While it’s been a year and a half since signing my first book deal, I still feel like a newbie to the industry. You’re always there for me whenever I have questions about random things, and to help me get over any bumps that might arise!
My publicist, Dana Kaye—thank you for believing in Diamonds in the Rough and taking it on to help spread the word about the series. I’m writing this only a few days after you agreed to take on the book, and I just know that Kaye Publicity is going to do a great job with getting the word out. I can’t wait to see what happens!
My in-house publicist, Jennifer Abbots—I’m writing this very recently after you joined the Harlequin TEEN team, so welcome to the team! (Although by the time this book is out, you’ll have been a part of it for months.) I’m looking forward to working with you to spread the word about the series!
Lisa Wray, my publicist for The Secret Diamond Sisters—thank you for all your hard work with getting The Secret Diamond Sisters out there. From getting reviews by awesome sites, putting together my blog tour, getting beautiful drawings made that represent the personalities of the sisters and helping with event planning, you’ve been great!
Erin Craig and the cover design team—another BEAUTIFUL cover that perfectly represents the inside of the book and pops on the shelves! Thank you!
Libby Sternberg—thank you for getting through the copy edits at lightning speed!
There are also TONS of people behind the scenes of Harlequin TEEN whom I’ve never met, who are part of the process of getting the book out there. So even though we’ve never met, thank you, and I hope to meet you in the future!
Brent Taylor—you have had so much enthusiasm for this series from the very, very beginning, and I will never forget that! I hope you enjoyed Diamonds in the Rough. <3
Jackie Bach—your support after the release of The Secret Diamond Sisters amazed me. Thank you for going around to bookstores, taking pictures of the book and telling all your friends about the book. But most of all, your support as a fellow writer has been incredible. Thank you for your great advice and for listening to me vent about writerly things. I can’t wait for the day when both of our names grace the YA shelves. J
Kaitlin and Tiffany—you both know how important you are to me! I hope you enjoyed your characters in this book.
Jackie and Brooke—my teen cousins! You two are awesome, and I always have a blast with you at family events. I hope you liked having your names in the book, and I hope you know that I know you’re both much nicer people than the characters named for you! ;) (And Jackie, I hope you enjoyed your house being in the book! I knew when I first saw it that people would jump from your balcony into the pool.)
Alicia—you’re a great friend, and you were the inspiration for the character of Alyssa. She was originally a supernice girl (like you!), but I ended up changing her entire personality to add drama to the plot. So I hope you enjoy your character, even though she’s evolved to be quite different from you!
Devan—you’re an amazing friend! We always seem to be on the same wavelength, and thank you for knowing when I need to talk.
Wendy—my freshman-year college roommate, who inspired the character of her name. Your kindness and acceptance of others has always been something I admire!
The YouTube artists who inspired Savannah’s story—Emily Harder, Tiffany Alvord, Megan Nicole and Madilyn Bailey. You are all incredibly talented. Everyone go check out their channels! They’re fantastic.
My parents, Anne and Richard Madow, my brother, Steven Madow, and my g
randparents, Lois and Selvin Madow, and Paul and Phyllis Lichtenstein—THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. I couldn’t have done this without you. As always, I hope you all enjoy the inside family jokes. And Steven, thank you for the info on Habitat for Humanity!
My amazing Street Team members—you have all been so encouraging and helpful with spreading the word about my books. Thank you for reminding me why I write! Aishah Qazi, Ali Byars, Alice Zheng, Allyson Bright Meyer, Aly Phanord, Alyssa Susanna, Amanda Leigh Morey, Amanda Price, Amanda Welling, Amber Garcia, Amy Halbern, Ana Sana, Anatea Oroz, Andrea Caito, Angela Chen, Annie Lai, Aparajita Basu, Ashley Hopkins, Becca Jayne, Beckie Voigts, Becky Earl, Betsy Diaz, Brooke DelVecchio, Cameron Yeager, Cara White, Carissa Miller, Cary Morton, Catherine Sanchez, Chandra Haun, Christina Madison, Chyna Go, Ciara Byars, Colette Grubman, Danii Calcagno, Darcus Murray, Deena Edwards, Destiny Sparks, Eli Madison, Elizabeth Weibley, Ella Zegarra, Emily Mahar, Emily Nesheva, Emily Rasmussen, Erin Prefontaine, Erin Sawyer, Erin Westlund, Gabbie Johnson, Gabby Matlock, Genissa Daly, Gina Scarcella, Hannah Newlin, Heather Sheffield, Heidi Keil, Hira Mushtaq, Holly A. Letson, Iris Kwakernaat, Ivy Leung, Jackie Wostrel, Jacqueline Bach, Jen Stasi, Jennifer Weiser, Jesselle Villegas, Jessica Recio, Jessica Reid, Jessica Sun, Jessica Woodward, Kaitlin Dang, Kat Colvin, Kat Fleming, Kathy Coe, Kelly Hager, Kendall McCubbin, Kirsty-Marie Jones, Kristen Ana Vazquez, Larissa Hardesty, Lauren Goff, Leanne Maala, Lily Velez, Lis Carcamo, Louisse Ang, Margie Cortina, Marie Landry, Melody Sosa, Michelle Adams, Michelle Minton, Myra White, Natasha Evans, Natasha Vahora, Nicola Wilkinson, Nicole Hackett, Nicole Mainardi, Nicole Miniuk, Nora Deret, Paige Murray, Paola Benavides, Patrice Zurek, Patricia Lopez, Paul E. Petty, Queenielyn Dahilan, Rachel Hoyt, Raizza Mae Cinco, Rebecca Greer, Ren White, Roger McClellan, Saloni Lad, Samantha Panda, Samantha Randolph, Samantha Wallace, Sarah Blackstock, Sarah Brown, Selina Xu, Sophie Hedley, Stephanie Ehmann, Stephanie Ward, Sue Fabianova, Susan Schleicher, Tabitha Williams, Tanya Sydor, Tiffany Fowler, Valerie Burleigh, and Vi Nguyen.
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE SECRET DIAMOND SISTERS by Michelle Madow.
www.campusbuzz.com
High Schools > Nevada > Las Vegas > The Goodman School
First Post :)
Posted on Sunday 07/03 at 12:51 AM
It’s about time campusbuzz got a high school forum. I’m sure we’ll have lots to talk about. We’re young, we’re beautiful, and Vegas is our personal playground. But let’s save the whole “who’s the hottest girl/guy in the school” stuff for later (although I fully expect to be mentioned in that discussion), because I just discovered something much better to talk about.
You know how the school started building a new (and much needed) gym in the beginning of summer? It’s going to be named the Diamond Sports Center. And yes, by “Diamond” I mean Adrian Diamond, the owner of the new Diamond Hotel and Casino, along with a bunch of other hotels on the Strip.
An anonymous source told me that three new girls with the last name of Diamond will be starting at the Goodman School in the fall. My guess is they’re somehow related to Adrian and the school let them in because of the money he gave for the gym. Makes sense, right?
Except that I checked online and couldn’t find anything about Adrian Diamond having a daughter—let alone three of them!
Anyone got any info?
1: Posted on Sunday 07/03 at 01:31 AM
the internet says nothing about adrian diamond having any kids. sounds like your “sources” don’t know what they’re talking about. maybe you can find something on facebook?
2: Posted on Sunday 07/03 at 01:47 AM
Facebook’s got over 165,000 people on it with the last name Diamond. Dumb idea.
3: Posted on Sunday 07/03 at 06:20 PM
i don’t go to goodman but my mom works at the diamond and said their getting a 3 bedroom condo on the top floor ready for some “special guests” who will be staying there for an extended period of time…
4: Posted on Sunday 07/03 at 06:40 PM
Poster #3—interesting to know. But you should consider applying to Goodman. If you manage to get in, then you can learn the difference between “their” and “they’re.” Just a suggestion :)
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Chapter 1: Savannah
“You’re definitely coming to the movies with us tonight, right?” Savannah’s best friend, Evie, asked as Savannah got out of the car. “And sleeping over again?”
“Of course.” Savannah shared a conspiratorial smile with Evie, knowing that “movies” was code for pretending to walk into the theater while Evie’s mom was watching, then having Evie’s current boy toy pick them up and drive them to the unsupervised party five minutes away. They could only stay at the party for three hours, but it was better than not going.
“Thanks for driving me home from volleyball, Mrs. Brown,” she said, waving to Evie’s mom. She was always glad Mrs. Brown didn’t mind dropping her off, because Evie was the only friend of hers who had seen where she lived. If the other girls on the volleyball team saw the ramshackle apartment building where she lived with her mom and two older sisters that looked more like a run
-down motel than a home, they would probably laugh about it behind her back.
“It’s no problem, Savannah,” Mrs. Brown said from the driver’s seat. She had the same strawberry-blond hair as her daughter, and the two could almost pass as sisters. “Are you sure you don’t want me to pick you up tonight?”
“I’ll get one of my sisters to drop me off.” She didn’t want to make Mrs. Brown come out of her way twice in one day. It was already more than enough that Evie’s mom drove her home every day after practice during volleyball season, and that she didn’t mind when Savannah stayed the night for two or three days at a time over the summer.
Anyway, her sisters owed her after making her come home now, when she was supposed to have stayed the rest of the day at Evie’s before they went out for the night. Life would be so much easier once she got her license. Of course, she would have to figure out how to borrow Peyton’s car. Convincing her sister would be difficult, because Peyton had saved up for years for that beat-up piece of crap whose engine sounded like it could die any day, but the possibility was better than nothing.
“See you soon, S!” Evie called as her mom pulled away from the curb.
“Bye, E,” Savannah replied, and they both made the sign-language letter for C with their hands. Savannah and Evie called themselves S.E.C., which stood for the “Savannah/Evie Club,” and the letter C was their special symbol. “See you tonight!”
She walked down the sidewalk to the door with the peeling blue paint, wondering what was up. Her sisters never made her come home when she had plans, but Courtney’s voice on the phone had sounded so strained that Savannah knew something was wrong.
She let herself inside and found Peyton and Courtney standing around the stained kitchen table, their grandma and a man Savannah didn’t recognize sitting in the two chairs. He wore a fancy brown suit that probably cost more than everything in Savannah’s wardrobe combined, and his expression was so solemn that he looked like he was at a funeral. Her grandma and sisters looked equally upset.
Diamonds in the Rough Page 37
