Combining pieces of nonfiction, fiction, and parody, this collection of writing reflects contemporary women's lives as they struggle with coming of age, relationships, and parenthood.

A plastic Virgin Mary and a fortune teller are a girl's best friends in this laugh-out-loud novel about a superstitious young woman who doubts herself when it comes to finding love and living her life. Jessica Luna is your typical 26 year old: she has man trouble, mom trouble, and not a clue what to do with her life (though everyone else in her family seems to have plenty of suggestions!) After a lifetime of being babied by her family, Jess is incapable of trusting herself to make the right choices. So instead, she bases all of her life decisions on signs. She looks to everything for guidance, from the direction her rearview-mirror-Virgin-de-Guadalupe sways to whatever Madame Hortensia, her psychic, sees in the cards. When her sort-of boyfriend Guillermo, a gifted unmotivated artist, disappoints her again, Jessica thinks it's time to call it quits. Just to be sure, she checks in with Madame Hortensia who confirms that yes, it is time for a change. (Who knew $20 could buy so much security!) Right on cue, Jess meets Jonathan; he's the complete opposite of Guillermo--of all Jess's boyfriends, in fact. He's successful, has a stable job....and is white. Jess isn't sure if Jonathan is really the change Madame Hortensia saw. Sure he gives great career advice, but is he advising her on a career she actually wants? And yes he's all about commitment, but is it Jess or her mother who really wants marriage? Jess runs back to Madame Hortensia for advice, but even she is out of answers. Now there's only one thing that's certain: no one--not her mother, her sister, her boyfriend or her psychic--can tell her what to do. For better or for worse, Jess will have to take the plunge and make her own decisions if she wants to have any future at all.

Debunks common dating myths that breed cynicism, insecurity, and anxiety, and provides advice on dating more effectively from both male and female perspectives.

When Natasha's ex ups the ante and exposes some disturbing news about her friends, she's forced to cut ties, but can she really walk away from the women who have been standing by her side? Some friends help us heal . . . If you ask her, Natasha Davila will tell you there's nothing more important to her than her kids. She'll do anything for her son and daughter-even play nice with her ex-husband. Only now she's facing a problem she never expected: her ex is re-marrying and suing for full custody. She could fall to pieces . . . or she could call on her friends. Some help us change . . . There's Sara, whose tough talk hides a soft-and loyal-heart, and Haley, who has so much more to offer than a pretty face. When they're together, Natasha doesn't have to be someone's wife or someone's mother. She can just be. And some remind us what true friendship is really about . . .

An aspiring young journalist stuck blogging for a gossip site stumbles across a story that gives new meaning to the word legendary from "master wordsmith" award-winning author, Gwendolyn Zepeda (Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, New York Times bestselling author of The Dirty Girls Social Club). If she can find the time, Sandy Saavedra will stop to breathe. New management has turned work upside down and her father's upcoming marriage-something he forgot to mention to Sandy-means there's no peace at home, either. But it's okay. No matter what's thrown her way, Sandy can deal. Because Sandy has a secret, and his name is Tío Jaime. A short drive out of Austin delivers Sandy into the wide-open spaces of the Hill Country, to the front porch of grandfatherly hermit Tío Jaime. There, in the company of pepper plants, a shaggy dog, and fresh squeezed lemonade, the old man imparts down-to-earth advice. Overbearing boss? Work smarter; she'll leave you alone. Disrespectful boyfriend? Pack your bags; a real woman tolerates only a real man. His simple perspective reminds Sandy she can make her own choices-something she's been forgetting lately. Feeling inspired, Sandy posts their chats online. But as she introduces the world to her personal Eden, her own life heads straight to hell . . .

Men Really Can Be Jerks* *But Only If You Let Them. Like millions of women, Daylle Deanna Schwartz had a habit of falling for jerks--until she had enough. This cycle wasn't going to change until she made a change herself. And now in this anniversary edition of her groundbreaking relationship book, she shows you how to do the same. This book tells it like it is. The only person who can make you happy is you, and the only person who can change a guy is himself. It's time to take control and make him prove he's not a jerk, or move on. As a relationship expert and self-empowerment counselor, Daylle's guidance will motivate you to develop a satisfying, healthy relationship, without playing games. With fresh insight and new stories throughout, this updated edition of All Men Are Jerks - Until Proven Otherwise makes your happiness your first priority. Men can act like real jerks, but complaining about them won't get you anywhere. It's time to take control of how men treat you--and get the love you deserve!

An anthology of suspenseful short fiction by Latino authors for teenagers.