On the cordoned-off street, strings of flags crisscrossed the blue sky. I couldn’t wait to taste every single one. The scent of sizzling quesadillas, bubbling soups, and slow-roasting meat made my mouth water. Think! Come up with something coy, something cute. “Nothing.” Heat flames from my forehead to my fingertips. “What’s wrong?” His breath tickles my nose, minty fresh. Or I’d have to flee the country and return to Mom. What if I’m terrible, and I turn into the laughing stock of her entire social circle? I’d be alone the rest of the summer. What if I’m a horrible kisser? Rosa’s friends are a chatty group. My body reacts to instincts I didn’t know I possessed. With a slight sway, I find myself closing the distance. “Qué bonita,” he murmurs, leaning forward.

As he pushes my bangs behind my ear, his fingertips brush my skin. Leaning forward, I hide my hot cheeks behind a veil of wavy, brown hair Rosa somehow coaxed straight. I bolt upright in bed, adrenaline pounding through my system.Ī grin splits my face. Her lazy kisses usually help me fall right back to. The chimes fade, and my hand searches the cotton covers for Shelby, my supersized puppy, who inhabits one side of my bed. Light dances across my eyelids and nudges me to wake, but it’s summer. With a slow roll to my side, I nuzzle my pillows and will myself to return to the dream world in which such music plays. For seventeen years, no bells have chimed outside my window. Great read.' - Nancy Rue, Christy Award winning author of the Real Life seriesĮxcerpts - Choose 1 & delete the other 2 prior to posting ExcerptĬheery bells push at the fog of my sleep. Gonzalez gives us a vivid look at life for an American teenager in Mexico and an even clearer picture of what happens when you decide to embrace who God made you to be.

I highly recommend it to teen readers.” - Krista McGee, Inspy Award winning author of First Date and Starring Me 'This modern coming-of-age story has it all - humor, heart, genuine characters, and spiritual depth.

Will her trip end in disaster or will she find the strength for which she’s been searching? Her heart, her art, and even her safety are at risk as she struggles to find a balance between cultural differences, old assumptions, and strange romance. Soon Mila is questioning her choices and the beliefs she’s held dear. While her host family and the two boys vying for her interest are nothing but smiles, all may not be as it seems. Mila must find the courage to step out from behind her sketchbook and get to know the people and culture around her. But life in the land of tacos is a far cry from her sheltered life back home. Teenage artist Mila Gulick travels to Mexico to get away from warring influences and find herself.

Sketchy Tacos by Meg D. Gonzalez