Books

Offsetting Penalties

Isabelle Oster has dreamed of being a prima ballerina her entire life, so when the only male dancer backs out of the fall production, she’s devastated. Without a partner, she has no hope of earning a spot with the prestigious Ballet Americana company. Until hot jock Garret practicing stretches in one of the studios gives Izzy an idea, and she whips out her phone. But does she really want this badly enough to resort to blackmail?   


All-state tight end Garret Mitchell will do anything to get a college football scholarship. Even taking ballet, which surprisingly isn’t so bad, because it means he gets to be up close and personal with the gorgeous Goth girl Izzy while learning moves to increase his flexibility. But Izzy needs him to perform with her for the Ballet Americana spot, and he draws the line at getting on stage. Especially wearing tights.     


Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains a bit of blackmail, a lot of sarcasm, and an ending guaranteed to melt your heart.


Find it here:

Amazon    Barnes & Noble    Kobo   iBooks   AmazonAU  AmazonUK  AmazonCA


What reviewers are saying:


5 Stars  I devoured this book in a day!  I loved the banter between the two of them. Highly recommend! ~Jaime M., Goodreads Review


5 Stars  I found myself sucked into this book and easily could have finished it in one sitting if I didn't have to go to work.  I literally had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading it.  ~Lauren, SERIESous Books 


5 Stars  I really adored this book! ~Michelle, Goodreads Review


5 Stars  A fresh cute story that is about blackmail, football and ballet. ~Carmel, Bookablereads Reviews


5 Stars This is a fun YA that once I started reading I couldn't put down.  I highly recommend it. ~Bette Hansen, Goodreads Review




My Playlist


These are the songs I listened to while I wrote Offsetting Penalties. Click on the titles to link to YouTube.


Wherever This Goes - The Fray

Runaway - All Time Low

Leave Out All the Rest - Linkin Park

Just Like Heaven - The Cure

Life of the Party - Shawn Mendez

Battle Symphony - Linkin Park

Pictures of You - The Cure

Love Story - Barcelona

Forever - Corey Gray & Max Schneider


Fright Before Christmas: 13 Tales of Holiday Horrors

It's the most wonderful time of year...or is it?


Christmas Eve is a night of mystery and magic, but not always in ways we expect. Things lurk in the shadows and they're not the least bit jolly or merry. Let's just say some presents are better left unopened.


‘Tis the season to be screaming along with our thirteen tales of holiday horrors. Ghosts. Monsters. Demons. And more! This Christmas, be careful what you wish for... 

About

Ally lives in Texas and is convinced her house is shrinking, possibly because she shares it with three kids, four dogs, two cats, a rabbit, and assorted reptiles. Oh, and her husband. She likes to curse in Russian because very few people know what she's saying, and spends most of what would be her spare time letting dogs in and out of the house and shuttling kids around. She has many stories in her head waiting for the opportunity to escape onto paper.


When she’s not writing, you can find her reading or binge watching Psych, MTV's Scream, Younger, and all the superhero movies. She loves to cook but hates to clean up afterwards, and strongly believes that Disney World is truly magical. You can find Ally on  Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, though she makes no claims of using any of them properly. 

Support and resources

Whether you are thirteen or thirty, everyone experiences doubt, insecurity, challenges, and moments of sorrow and loss. It’s what we do with these feelings we experience, and how we react to our challenges, that makes us all wonderfully different. I write books because I want to provide a place for readers to go to escape from the pressures of everyday life. It’s why I’ve always been an avid reader and why I choose to put the stories in my head onto paper.   I wrote Moment to Moment because I want to reach out to readers to let you know that we all feel lost and alone sometimes, but you are never really alone. No matter who you are or what you’re going through, there are people who care about you. You mattter.   


Moment to Moment 


Time to start over
Hoping for a second chance
This time it might work 


First day at new school
No one acknowledges me
Don’t give up so soon 


Choose a place to sit
The empty table mocks me
All alone again


Last period ends
Nobody notices me
I’m invisible 


Mom sheds hopeful tears
A new school is always hard
Was it a good day 


It was fine I guess
Not great but not horrible
No one talked to me 


My mom starts crying
Doesn’t know how to help me
I have no answers 


Dad thinks I don’t try
You have to make an effort
Just talk to someone


Little sister cries
None of them understand me
Don’t want to hurt her 


I glance at my scars
Not going down that road twice
Things might get better 


Why can’t I change this
Make my own happy ending
How do I do that 


Second day of school
I am still invisible
No better, no worse 


Mom hides her worry
Dad masks his anger for now
We eat in silence


A badge of honor
Lines shimmer across my arm
They’re not scars of shame 


My sister is scared
She’s too young to understand
Why I hurt myself 


The same the next day
Nobody sees me or cares
I could be a ghost 


So complicated
Why do I care what they think
A waste of my time 


They think I’m worthless
How could anyone like me
When I loathe myself 


Must end this cycle
If only there was a way
I don’t have the strength 


They know I’m broken
Don’t try so hard to fix me
Maybe I’m worthless 


Go to the doctor
Adjust your medication
Can’t feel anything 


Cut back on the meds
You can do this on your own
Now I feel too much 


I need to decide
Do I stay or do I go
Will anyone care 


Time is running out
Need to make a decision
Choose darkness or light 


I’m spiraling out
The pain inside amplifies
Why does no one care 


Gravity mocks me
There’s nothing to hold me here
The blade sings to me 


Class lasts forever
I retreat to my own world
Art helps me focus 


One guy talks to me
Popular football player
Could this change the game 


He waves in the hall
Others notice and wonder
Why he talks to me 


He finds me at lunch
Asks if he can eat with me
What about his friends 


You’re a good artist
These illustrations are rad
Where’d you learn to draw 


It doesn’t matter
I don’t need your charity
Go save someone else 


Show me how to draw
I’m the one who needs your help
Why can’t we be friends 


Why would he ask me
Other people can draw well
And they’re not losers 


Help a guy out please
I want to create something
Teach me how to draw 


Can’t be seen with me
It’ll ruin your image
Find somebody else 


My brother is gone
They told him no one loved him
Don’t listen to them 


I couldn’t help him
It was already too late
But I’ve got your back 


Moment to moment
Too hard to make up my mind
Don’t know what to do 


Would it be better
If I never existed
Maybe it is fate 


What is this feeling
Something new and different
It’s optimism 


Are you teachable
Because I don’t waste my time
You have to work hard 


He shoots me a smile
I think I can handle that
So when do we start 


Mom sees the change first
Dad and my sister grasp it
They are so relieved 


It only takes one
To change the situation
It’s worth the gamble 


They care about me
No matter how bad it gets
I am not alone 


This one of my favorite songs that makes me feel better when I’m down. The Messenger by Linkin Park. Vocals by Chester Bennington  ❤️     



If you’re feeling lost or alone, or are in crisis, please reach out to someone.   


National Suicide Prevention Hotline 

1-800-273-8255   


Crisis Text Line 

Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the USA, anytime, about any type of crisis.   


Trevor Lifeline – The only national 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention lifeline for LGBTQ young people (ages 13-24), available at 1-866-488-7386. 


TrevorChat – A free, confidential, secure instant messaging service for LGBTQ youth that provides live help from trained volunteer counselors, open daily from 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PT.  


 TrevorText – A free, confidential, secure service in which LGBTQ young people can text a trained Trevor counselor for support and crisis intervention, available Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PT at 202-304-1200.    

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Contact

I love to hear from readers! You can use this contact form, find me on 

Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, or send me snail mail at: 


P.O. Box 93652

Southlake, TX 76092