Bubblegum pink is the nail polish of the day.
Matt Higgins will definitely like it – he’s into all things girly-girl, so I add another coat before blowing on my nails. Tonight we’re meeting at this field party and I fully expect we’ll make out in the bed of his truck.
Drew is lounging on my bed, reading Cosmo. “So I signed you up to be manager for my baseball team.”
“What?!” Careful not to mess up my polish, I mute the TV and sit up to face him. “Why?”
“I can’t stand the idea of you holed up in your room while I’m playing ball this spring. You should come to practice tomorrow morning.” He smells a perfume ad, cringing and sticking his tongue out.
My heart pounds faster than light speed. I hate baseball. I know, I know. That means I’m not a true American. It probably means I’m not human. But I gave up foam fingers, peanuts and the Atlanta Braves when my mom announced she’s a lesbian and ran off with her friend who was more than just a friend. A year ago January, she divorced my dad and I divorced her dreams of me playing softball for Hundred Oaks.
“No way,” I say, examining my nails.
“Come on, Parker!” He thumbs through the magazine. “Please?” he whines.
“What’s involved?” I try to act nonchalant, but Drew looks up with a knowing smile. He’s been my next door neighbor my whole life – I’ll do anything for him.
“Taking stats and helping with equipment.”
Taking stats is way easy. I could do it in my sleep.
“It’ll be a cinch,” Drew says, reading my mind. He focuses on a cartoon couple using a dining room table for Kama Sutra maximum effect, if you get what I mean. “Jesus Christ,” he says. “Is that move physically possible?”
“Try it out with Amy and let me know.”
He turns the magazine vertical and studies it closely. “I’m flexible but not that flexible.”
“Can you imagine needing a hip replacement at 17? You could get a cane with smoke and fire painted on it.”
“Or maybe one with skulls.”
“Pirate ships!”
“Don’t change the subject… So there’ll be plenty of guys for you on the team.” He snorggles. That’s mine and Drew’s special word for snorting and giggling. It’ll be in Webster’s any day now.
I have to admit I love the way cute guys look in baseball uniforms. Plus, I’d get to spend more time with Drew. Lately his idea of fun has been going to Hardee’s with Corndog and Sam Henry and acting like they’re the characters from Seinfeld, talking about nothing. Drew invites me along sometimes when they need an Elaine because I’m really good at punching Corndog (George Costanza) and yelling “Get out!” and Drew says I dance worse than the real Elaine. But it’s been getting kinda old. How many times can those guys debate who has better fries: Sonic or Jiffy Burger?
And what else do I have to do this semester? I’ve got a 4.0 and classes don’t matter at this point: the only way Vanderbilt could revoke my early admission would be if I encouraged Tennessee to secede from the union.
On the other hand, this could be a lot of work. I’d probably end up doing hard stuff like lugging water coolers around and washing dirty jockstraps or something.
On the other hand, I don’t want to be lonely.
Jockstraps, it is.
Add STEALING PARKER on Goodreads! This book will release in October 2012.
Carly
I am in love with Catching Jordan!! It is my all time favorite book! I can not explain how much I relate to Jordan. With her and the football team, Henry, and just everything in general! I am so excited for Stealing Parker!
noel
wait so the coach is higgins???
Miranda Kenneally
@Danielle – You’ll get to see plenty of Sam for sure. 🙂
@Noel – No, the Coach is not Higgins. Higgins is a teenager at Hundred Oaks High. He was in Catching Jordan too. 🙂
noel
yes ,i know absolutely loved the book,congrats on selling movie!! i just was confused didn’t realize the coach was gonna be a whole new character!! super excited though amazing!!!
Miranda Kenneally
@Noel – Yep, the coach is an all-new character! 😉
Mari
Oh my gosh I am so dang excited :)!
I fell head over heels for Catching Jordan and I LOVE the characters
I can’t wait for this book to come out and I just read the excerpt for Bad, Bad Thing and I am so excited for that too 🙂
But please don’t pass on writing a direct sequel for Catching Jordan
I really would like to find out what happens with Jordan and Sam’s relationship and about their lives in collage
Also are any of the football players from Catching Jordan playing baseball in this book :O!?
Sara
OMG!!!!! i love Catching Jordan!!!! i stayed up until 3am to finish reading it…i just could not stop!!! now…i can’t wait for Stealing Parker and Bad, Bad Thing!!!!!
marta
catching jordan was amazing and im so sad it had to end! a sequel would be amazing and there is so much you can write about how tough college football is, her new teammates, what happens to carter and jj, and of course my favourite charactor henry! please please please consider it would mean so much to so many of us 😀
Brianna
I have to say Catching Jordan was the best book ever wrote! I read the book in one day! I hope I get to read this one and its just as good….I’m really going to miss seeing things heat up with Jordan and Henry though! 🙂 I hope you get to make the movie for Catching Jordan too! <3
Madison
I absolutely loved Catching Jordan! I bought it without even reading the back! I was really happy when I started reading it. I couldnt put itdown after I started reading it! I have friends asking to read this wonderful novel. 🙂
Tania
i’m absolutely and totally in love with Catching Jordan, i just can’t put this book down! i was so hooked that i even searched for your works. luckily i found this one, and i’m so gonna buy Stealing Parker!! i’m gonna miss the characters in CJ but i know that i’ll see them here, and also new characters.. looking forward to this book!!
Jonnae
I was wondering what the second book/seuel is called. I absolutely adored Cathcing Jordan. It was my favorite book in the world!!!
Isabel Brehm &Sarah Kluesner
WE ABSOLUTLY LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!! We had a waiting list of 10 girls at our school, and half of us read it in less than a week!!!!!!! IT WAS the BEST book I read all year….CAN NOT wait for the next book to come out. Literally can. not. wait. AHHHHHHHHHH october is sooo far away!!!!!
irem
I Love catching jordan , it’s defiantly my favorite book of all time , and this book sounds even more amazing , can’t wait to order it and read it :3
Dee
I LOVED catching Jordan, its now one if my favourite books! I love Jordan and Sam<3 their so cute… I really want there to be a sequel!
Kate
I love Catching Jordan and am really excited about Stealing Parker! I play Softball and don’t know much about Football (Eventually I figured it out and understood what the plays meant) but am happy I am going to read the next book about Baseball so I will understand. I was wondering if you countinue the series will you have the seprate books about diffrent sports? I would love it if you would do one about Softball or Swimming! I am really into the Hunger Games and love to read so i will probably end up reading Stealing Parker until October 1st!
Imani
I’m really exited about this book. I love how in your books the main characters are independent and strong woman who love sport. I can really relate as I play in a boys Australian rules football team, the guys treat me like one of them and they know I’m just as good even though im a girl and love doing Girly things sometimes. I love how you don’t stereotype females as the weaker gender cause not all of us ae. I can not wait until this book, you are amazing! Also a quick question do you have an official release date for this book?
Miranda Kenneally
@Imani – Thanks so much for your kind words! The official release date is October 1, 2012.
Danielle
i was just wondering if this book is based before or after sam and jordan got together?loved caching jordan by the way 🙂
Miranda Kenneally
@Danielle – STEALING PARKER takes place during the spring after CATCHING JORDAN. Glad to hear you loved the booK! 🙂
Isabel Brehm &Sarah Kluesner
OMG we LOVED (no seriously) LOVED Catching Jordan Can’t wait to read Stealing Parker, and we are already ready to read the next ones. Thanks for writing the BEST book of all time. Seriously….loved it. Thanks again!!! 🙂
Tatiana Snedeker
isnt drew “bates” as jordan and sam call him? because i remember a part of a conversation with JW and SH
“i couldnt get the timing right on that screen pass”
” But you saved it By hading it off to Bates”
am i correct
Miranda Kenneally
@Tatiana Yes – that is the same Bates. Drew Bates is in Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker, and he might make an appearance in my 3rd book too. 🙂
Tatiana Snedeker
I think you should make a book of what happend in Catching jordan but in Sam’s point of veiw with his thoughts or at least a short story i think your fans including me would love that
Miranda Kenneally
@Tatiana I’ll think about it. 🙂 Maybe after I finish writing my next book.
Tatiana Snedeker
Yayyyy
Ashley Scales
OMG I love CATCHING JORDAN! Such an amazing book. Read it twice on the day I got it. I can’t put it down. Love everything about it. I need more. I need STEALING PARKER to come out now. I am excited for new characters but also reading more. I love how you created such bada** female characters. The book makes me want to go back to high school. Please please please do a sequel to CATCHINH JORDAN. Thanks for being awesome!!!!
Ange
Catching Jordan is such a great book! I’m so looking forward to your new book. Plus, I play softball since I was 5 and I’m so excited that this new one is about baseball and softball.
Olivia
I really hope Henry and Jordan stay together in this book! And are Henry and Jordan going to be main characters?
Brooke
OMG! I loved Catching Jordan soooo much! It is absolutely my most favorite book i’ve ever read! When I first got the book i finished it in a day, and i keep rereading it! Im so excited for the next book!
Emily
Hey miranda. I am absolutely in love with catching jordan. Can you please write another book with just the characters from catching jordan? I would love to know more about sam and jordan’s relationship.
Miranda Kenneally
@Emily – Hey, thanks for your kind words. I’m not planning to write a sequel, but Sam and Jordan are in the other books I am writing. I think Sam and Jordan are pretty happy and I can’t imagine finding enough conflict between them to write a sequel!
Shalini
I just re-read Catching Jordan (for the millionth time ) and I just wanted to state how much i absoolutely loved it !!!! I just read the book for the first time this summer and I have to say that I fell in love with it.
I was re-reading it recently and my jaw dropped open when I found out there are 2 more books and counting!
I litterarly ran to my computer and reserved those books from my library!
I just wanted you to know you are n amzing author and I adored (as in re-read a billion times) Catching Jordan
Nicole
I’ve read both catching jordan and stealing parker multiple times and i cant stop reading them! are you writing another book? and they going to be in it?!
Miranda Kenneally
@Nicole – Yes, my third book THINGS I CAN’T FORGET comes out on March 1, 2013. You will get to see characters from both Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.
Gemma
When will this book be available on iTunes. Just finished reading CJ and can’t wait to read this one.
Miranda Kenneally
It is already available on iTunes. Try searching STEALING PARKER instead of Miranda Kenneally. I think they have my name tagged wrong on there. Thanks for reading my books! 🙂
Angela
I just got catching Jordan a few days ago and finished in one day and neglected all my homework…but it was soooo worth it 🙂 I told my friend to read and she finished a one day too! We both LOVE your books and sooo excited for the rest of the series 🙂
Light
I have read catching Jordan 7x in 3 days. I have a few ?s. Are u going to wrie a direct sequel to Catching Jordan. My friends and i are addicted + we find Jordan’s brother’s friend idea of math hilarious (add the bed…. ) and has being used in conversation 2x a day. Secondly what inspired you to write this book, Thirdly are any of the characters based on real people, and finally who does Tyler hand up with? Okay one more then I’ll stop what is your next book about? I haven’t been able to gain access to its so pretty please just a little hint
Jayneca
Hi Miranda! I just read CJ and SP and I must say you really are brilliant. While reading the books, I imagined it as a movie already with recurring characters and all. I like your style of writing.
If I may just ask though, did Sam played baseball in CJ? I know he plays football but I don’t think it was mentioned he plays baseball too.
Miranda Kenneally
@Jayneca Thanks! Glad you liked the books. Sam didn’t mention that he plays baseball in Catching Jordan, but at Hundred Oaks, football is played in the fall and baseball is in the spring, so the sports don’t overlap.
Holle
I love love love Catching Jordan so I decided to read Stealing Parker! I’m a little confused though… Not sure if it’s because I haven’t read far enough in the book or not but still a little confused. In Catching Jordan Sam Henry is a senior like Jordan is on a football team and are beginning their college journey at the end of the book so my question is! In Catching Jordan Sam is a senior looking to go to college how is he playing on the Hundred oaks high school baseball team in Stealing Park?
Miranda Kenneally
Catching Jordan takes place in the fall. Stealing Parker takes place in the spring.
Holle
Ohhh silly me… That makes since now that I think about it 🙂 Thank you for clearing that up for me!
Amanda
I was able to finish CJ in less than a day!! That’s how good it is. And dont worry about me coz i’ll be getting a copy of your next books for sure! It’s amazing how you got me guessing on what’s gonna happen next the whole time. Im gonna make sure everyone here in the Philippines gets to read books by you!!
Lexi
Hi, so this doesn’t even begin to sum up how much I loved CJ, SP, TICF, and RS (I really related to CJ cause I play football) but I loved the books and I was wondering what the next 2 are going to be named/about? Is there a volleyball book? Hitting (on) Lexi, a volleyball book, would be a hilarious title (I just used my name cause, yeah) but anyways, you are basically a goddess, I love your writing, keep doing what you’re doing!
carolyn
I really enjoyed reading stealing park. It was to the point where I couldnt put the book done. Is there a second part to it because I really want to know what happens to will and parker or tate and drew or brian
Miranda Kenneally
@Carolyn Yes, you can learn more about them in Things I Can’t Forget and Racing Savannah.
Katt
Hi, I’m Katt. One of Grace’s friends (Grace is the daughter of Blair Beggan) Anyways…. What’s Carter’s last name? It doesn’t say it in Catching Jordan so I was just wondering
Miranda Kenneally
Hi Katt! Sorry I missed your comment earlier. Carter’s full name is Joe Carter. Please tell Grace I said hello. 🙂