Looking for your next read? The Competition by Cecily Wolfe hits shelves at the end of September, telling the story of four aspiring writers struggling friendships and their future… and we have five copies up for grabs!
For Mary Sofia, The Penultimate writing competition is more than a chance at a free college education; she wants to show her younger siblings that they can all rise above their violent family history. For Raiden, the pressure to succeed comes from within, although he knows that family traditions play a part in his determination. For Camara, writing fiction is almost compulsive, but her own dark secret may be the best story she can ever tell. For Michael, swimming and writing fit his introverted personality perfectly, but meeting a smart and beautiful girl at The Penultimate makes stepping outside of his comfort zone easy. All four will compete against each other along with 96 other high school juniors for the chance of a lifetime: a full scholarship to a prestigious private college. Some students will do anything to win, but others may pay the price.
The Competition releases on September 18. Keep scrolling to read a short excerpt before entering the giveaway below!
“This has been some kind of crazy morning.”
Raiden nodded thoughtfully.
“I don’t think I did too well, but there’s no way to tell, not when it’s really about what everyone else wrote, too, and the judges’ comparing us all. At least we get a tour, and a night here to see the campus.”
Camara rested her cheek on her fist, her elbow on the table not far from the pizza box.
“I can’t win.”
He blinked, unsure of what she meant, but kept quiet. Was this why she had been upset?
“I can’t have that last piece read out loud, in front of everyone.”
The room seemed to fall a little more quiet, just enough that Raiden could hear the loud intake of breath from the other side of the table. Camara’s head turned just as his did, and he saw Mary Sofia watching them, her mouth opened into a tiny O. Camara sat up straight beside him, and he watched the two girls stare at each other for a long, almost uncomfortable moment before Jada spoke to Mary Sofia, turning her attention away from Camara.
Mary Sofia had written something she didn’t want anyone else to see, too. What could these two girls have shared, what defining moments had they spilled onto their pages, that was unspeakable, and why had they done it, knowing that winning would mean publication, publicity, and attention? The right stories in the hands of the right judges would win, but who could say how the judges would be swayed, and since the stories could be fiction or nonfiction, whatever Mary Sofia and Camara had written could be explained as fiction if either of them won. Unless someone in their lives would recognize it. Unless someone they loved might be hurt. Unless they would be held accountable for whatever secret was shared.
The Competition releases on September 18. Want to read The Competition ? Fill out the form below to enter to win one of five copies. Prizing provided by Cecily Wolf. Open internationally. Void where prohibited.
