She lives, writes, dreams and dances in the rainy Portland, OR area.Iris Goldsztajn is the morning editor at Marie Claire, covering the latest celebrity and royal news before the East Coast wakes up.

Iris believes in the two-year “fish or cut bait” dating rule and has a 20+ year marriage and two teenaged sons as proof of concept. Thank goodness writing requires less hand-eye coordination, punctuation errors notwithstanding. In high school she was voted most likely to win at Monopoly and Clue, but least likely to throw a ball anywhere near a target. No matter what genre she writes, she prefers witty, insecure heroines and kind, persistent heroes able to break through to the gooey heart inside. (Her alter ego Tatiana Ivanadance also choreographs gravity-defying routines in those fantasies, but that’s another bio.) Clair is the pen name for a long-suffering cubicle worker by day, a Walter Mitty-like dreamer by night. With her ability to trust as shaky as a chastity vow on prom night, Ellen must decide if she has enough remaining courage to speak up about her teacher and risk retribution, to tell Rex how she feels and risk heartbreak, or hold all her secrets inside, the only safe place she knows. He’s put Ellen on the perma-pal shelf and shifted his romantic attentions to her arch-rival.Įven worse, the teacher who tried to seduce her is still misbehaving with impunity. By the time Rex’s charming persistence wears down her resistance, it’s too late. Though his quick wit and confidence draws her in, she’s not letting him get too close, not til she’s sure she can trust him. Best to keep all the sordid details of her life to herself.Įnter Rex Jacobi, a cocky teen recently transplanted from New York and fellow summer camp employee.

Trusting a popular teacher with her troubles should have been safe, shouldn’t have led to an unwelcome seduction attempt, shouldn’t have sent her running to the girls’ bathroom for the final moments of her Junior year. Her dad’s dead, her mom is numbing the grief with drugs and alcohol, and her so-called friends are slowly abandoning her.

Disappointment has been on speed dial in Ellen Grayson’s life lately.

Louder Than Words by Iris St. Clair