Books with author Shirley Miranda

How would the course of your life change if someone new sat next to you?Meet Liz. She’s sixteen, the daughter of immigrant parents, doesn’t fit in at home and hides in plain sight in school. She’s an outsider until she’s rescued by an unlikely friendship that changes her life.FALLING (first in the Bits and Pieces Series) is a coming of age friendship story about Liz that chronicles parts of her life during the fall of her junior year. She’s had a rough year and managed to get through it without anyone’s support, including her parents’. Her life changes when her physics teacher assigns new seats in class and Patrick, her new lab partner, befriends her. Unlike her past partners, Patrick challenges her to see the true meaning of teamwork and friendship. With him as her new best friend, she learns what friendship is really about and starts to find herself in the process.

It’s the dead of winter and Liz’s first relationship ended in disaster. Breaking up with her boyfriend had bigger consequences than she could have ever imagined. With finals around the corner, Patrick’s stalker lurking about, and opening night rapidly approaching, Liz desperately tries to hold it together, but she finds it’s far from easy. Pressure is coming from all sides. Can the crew help her get through this or will they just make things worse? Heartbreak. Betrayal. Loss. Secrets. It’s enough to make Liz want to hibernate until spring. Along the way, without realizing it, she discovers that sometimes a friendship can evolve into a deeper relationship.

Liz and Patrick have survived the winter party being closer than ever. It’s now the holidays and Liz can’t wait to share Christmas and New Year’s Eve with Patrick and the rest of the crew. She has a lot to look forward to – her first kiss and her first boyfriend. It’s exciting and confusing. She likes him, he likes her, and most importantly, her mom is thrilled. Life is good. Or is it? He’s had a girlfriend before and wants so much more than Liz feels comfortable with. If she doesn’t do what he wants, she’s afraid he’d break up with her. Liz must decide how far she’s willing to go to keep him. On top of that, there’s Becca, the auditions for the school musical, Patrick’s basketball games, and how to balance everything and keep everyone happy. How will the crew react to this new relationship? With Patrick by her side, what else will the winter bring?

Junior year is the most stressful one of high school. That’s what they say. And so far Liz agrees but she hopes that this spring everything will pay off. After the winter she’s had, she looks forward to the science fair, fun with the crew and Joey, and unraveling the mystery of Patrick’s secret admirer. But she’s still haunted by her past. It’s the anniversary of the worst day in Liz’s life and she handles it the only she knows how—badly. Relationships are tested. Liz begins to fall harder for Joey until his college acceptances and trips out of town threaten to tear them apart. Will Patrick help Liz and Joey get back together or break them up for good? Who can she trust with her secrets and her heart? With everything the next few months brings for Liz, can she bounce back and come out on top or will everything come crashing down?

How would the course of your life change if someone new sat next to you? Meet Liz. She’s sixteen, the daughter of immigrant parents, doesn’t fit in at home and hides in plain sight in school. She’s an outsider until she’s rescued by an unlikely friendship that changes her life. FALLING (first in the Bits and Pieces Series) is a coming of age friendship story about Liz that chronicles parts of her life during the fall of her junior year. She’s had a rough year and managed to get through it without anyone’s support, including her parents’. Her life changes when her physics teacher assigns new seats in class and Patrick, her new lab partner, befriends her. Unlike her past partners, Patrick challenges her to see the true meaning of teamwork and friendship. With him as her new best friend, she learns what friendship is really about and starts to find herself in the process.