I Can't Tell You!

Three-Book Day Alert! And here's the one I can't tell you about yet. As my faithful non-readers know, I vacation in the same paradise every year and have quite a reputation. More than a few times a day, the folks who are "regulars" here - meaning they have also been coming back year-after-year for more than a decade - come by my cabana and ask, "What's the count?" or "How many so far?" or "Got one to recommend?" Most people know that I'm a teacher, that I love books, and so I always stop and chat for a while (me? social? shocking!)

Today, an old friend walked over with a 5-pound box. Inside, a wonderful secret: her daughter's first novel. Considering that she's only 16, and that I am a teacher, she asked, "Could I read it?"

Folks: She can write. It's wonderful. And I can't tell you any more than that until I send it off to my friend, the book agent in New York! Two years from now, when she's got a bestseller, I'll tell you the name. Until then, it's my "Lauren-loving" secret!