Sometimes winning is everything.Champion swimmer Aerin Keane is ready to give up her dreams of college swimming and a shot at the Olympics. As she starts senior year in her third high school, Aerin's determined to leave her family troubles behind and be like all the other girls at Two Rivers. She's got a new image and a new attitude. She doesn’t want to win anymore. She's swimming for fun, no longer the freak who wins every race, every title, only to find herself alone.But when her desire to be just one of the girls collides with her desire to be the best Two Rivers has ever seen, will Aerin sacrifice her new friendships to break a longstanding school record that comes with a $50,000 scholarship? Although Aerin has always excelled in the pool, swimming to surpass records and win races, life at home hasn't been easy. Her pool time was her escape time, from her parents' broken marriage to her mom's stressful experience serving in Afghanistan. Although being the best in the water didn't leave her much chance for friends or fun. Not to mention, she wonders if she could have helped her parents had she spent less hours at the pool? So in her senior year, at a new high school where no one knows her, Aerin decides to swim differently. She doesn't want to stand out as a champion anymore but wants to enjoy the feeling of fitting in! At first, her plan works. She forms quick bonds with new girlfriends and there is even a cute boy that likes her! Swimming slower seems to serve her swimmingly. If only it would stay so simple! Soon, keeping her slower pace becomes more and more difficult for Aerin. And as her new friends, coaches and competitors become suspicious of Aerin's swimming, she is forced to ask herself who she really is. The result is a story about facing your fears, finding true friendships and forging your own inner strength. As a former swimmer and a swim mom myself, I believe this rich, well written story with authentic characters participating in a demanding sport, accurately supports real life issues for teens. It will no doubt hold the interest of both swimmers and non-swimmers alike. It is a book that will inspire you to look deep inside yourself when managing complex times, to trust others to help you if you let them, and above all, to trust yourself. *I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.* - Kathryn Harrison, author of Weeds in Nana's Garden Thank you for considering Swim Season. This novel comes from my heart, inspired by my daughter and the girls (and guys) on her swim teams. As a Swim Mom for more than ten seasons, I've spent many hours sitting in the bleachers waiting - sometimes for hours - to watch my daughter swim for just a few seconds. All that sitting gave me more than a sore you-know-what. It inspired me to write a story about these swimmers and how hard they work, their dedication and commitment, the rigors of the sport, and the thrill of meeting their own goals, and sometimes excelling beyond their dreams. This book is for the swimmers who get up before daylight for morning practice, show up at the pool every afternoon for practice, put everything they have into their races, and dream of one day becoming Olympic athletes. And it's for the Swim Moms and Swim Dads, family, friends, and coaches who cheer them on. Marianne Sciucco is not a nurse who writes but a writer who happens to be a nurse, using her skills and experience to create stories that bear witness to the humanity in all of us. She writes contemporary, women's and young adult fiction.    A lover of words and books, she studied the craft of writing as an English major at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and worked for a time as a newspaper reporter in New England. She eventually became a registered nurse to avoid poverty.    With more than 20-years' experience as a staff nurse and case manager, she's worked with countless families dealing with issues related to aging, elder care, Alzheimer's, and nursing home placement. In 2002, she put the two together and began writing about the intricate lives of people struggling with health and family issues. She published her debut novel,  Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer's love story,  in 2013 to glowing reviews.    This book led her to become a co-founder and director of AlzAuthors, the global community of authors writing about Alzheimer's and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others. Visit AlzAuthors.com.   Marianne has written an award-winning prequel to  Blue Hydrangeas  called  Christmas at Blue Hydrangeas  and is currently working on  A Wedding at Blue Hydrangeas.  She is the author of  Swim Season , a young adult novel based on her 11-years' experience as a Swim Mom in club, high school, and collegiate swimming.    She has also written several short stories, including  Ino's Love,   Collection , and  Birthday Party .    All of her work is available in Kindle, audiobook, and paperback.    When not