My Bright Before Sunrise Night

Wow. Another post from me this week, and it's not even Wednesday yet. If I'm not careful, y'all are going to get spoiled. ;)

But this is a special week! Another one of my fabulous critique partners, Tiffany Schmidt, has a book coming out soon (Feb. 18, to be exact). 

Pretty, huh?  

The tagline for Bright Before Sunrise is: 

“One night can change how you see the world. One night can change how you see yourself.” 

To help get the rollout started, a whole bunch of Tiffany's friends and fans are recounting how one night changed our lives. Here's my effort:

So, which night changed how I see the world and myself?

Oddly, I slept right through it.

It was the night my father died. I was twelve years old, and had just started junior high. Tall and gawky and awkward, I'd always counted on my dad for a daily dose of knowing I was beautiful to someone. His eyes were my Mirror of Erised—they always showed me what I most wanted to believe about myself.

I grew up when he died (at forty-five—way too young—of a heart attack). A world that could take your father from you was no safe place to be a kid, so that part of me—the carefree, somebody-else-will-take-care-of-the-scary-stuff part—was altered. I still had my mother, of course, but my father's death had shown me how tenuous even the most permanent parts of your life can be.

The one adult who won't—who can't—check out before you do is yourself, so I became that adult. Oh, I still laughed and played with my friends, but my inner adult was always on guard. Still is.

Fortunately, my inner adult has a sense of humor, and is willing to turn a blind eye to occasional bouts of immaturity. I hope my dad--wherever he is--is, too. 

But enough about me. Here's a little more info about a really fantastic book:

BRIGHT BEFORE SUNRISE description:

Jonah and Brighton are about to have the most awkwardly awful night of their lives. For Jonah, every aspect of his new life reminds him of what he has had to give up. All he wants is to be left alone. Brighton is popular, pretty, and always there to help anyone . . . but has no idea of what she wants for herself. Her seemingly perfect life is marred only by Jonah, the one person who won't give her the time of day, but also makes her feel, well, something. So when they are repeatedly thrown together over the course of one night, anything can—and does—happen. Told in alternating chapters, this poignant, beautiful novel's energy and tension, amidst the humor and romance, builds to a new beginning of self-acceptance and hope.

About Tiffany Schmidt:

TIFFANY SCHMIDT lives in Pennsylvania with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of mischievous puggles. And while she thinks sunrises are quite beautiful, she'd rather sleep through them. Send Me a Sign was her debut novel. Find out more about Tiffany and her books by following her on Twitter @TiffanySchmidt or visiting www.TiffanySchmidt.com.

And now, how about you? Was there one night in your life that changed how you saw yourself and/or the world?