COVER REVEAL: INFLUENCED

coming from Scholastic Press on August 19th, 2025!

Over the last two years, you might have heard me mention or post about a mysterious co-written book.

It all started back on January 4th, 2022, when my friend Cindy L.Otis said we should write a book together. I was still finishing edits on Some Kind of Hate, but was excited by the idea of co-authoring a novel. Here’s the entry from my 5 Year Thought A Day Journal.

Fast forward to a year later. After brainstorming and writing and revising and revising the proposals, we sold the book to Scholastic. We signed contracts on March 30th, 2023. Here’s Cindy signing at her end:

And here’s me signing while waiting at the car dealership for them to finish switching my wheels for the summer.

I flew to visit Cindy the following month so we could hash out the plot - not to mention and having some fun actually being together in person!

Needless to say, the story changed a lot from our first plot spreadsheet to the final novel, and it took a while to figure out the title, but we finally got to share more specific news in the Publisher’s Marketplace announcement on July 31st of this year.

As I’ve told students when I’ve spoken about a writing career, publishing is NOT a field for people who need immediate gratification.

Well, today we’re very excited to reveal the cover, designed by the wonderful Maeve Norton! (Drumroll please….)

Isn’t it beautiful and evocative?

Here’s the flap copy:

Tenth grade isn’t going according to plan for Lainey. Her twin brother moved across the country to live with their dad and stepmom, leaving Lainey—and her anxiety—behind. And Lainey’s starting to realize that maybe most of her friends were really her brother’s friends. Thank god for Bliss.

Bliss is navigating her own tough sophomore year, determined to find her place. But no matter what’s going on in her life, Bliss is really good about being there for Lainey. She’s confident and fearless, all that Lainey wishes she could be. It seems like Bliss is getting everything she’s ever wanted, including a new boyfriend and becoming the first wheelchair user to land a lead role in the school production.

What no one knows is that Bliss is struggling. At school it feels like everyone is always watching her, and at home, she’s overwhelmed by her parents’ expectations. When things get worse for Bliss, Lainey stops hearing from her completely. Panicked that something awful has happened, Lainey rushes to find out what’s going on. But when Lainey arrives at Bliss’s apartment, nothing is what it seems, and everything Lainey thought she knew about her friend is a lie . . .

Cindy and I are so excited for you to meet Bliss and Lainey. And you can pre-order signed copies through Cindy’s bookstore, The Stacks!