Lara Zielin

Picking a winner for the Implosion of Aggie Winchester contest was tough. All those prom stories and entries? Were amazing. Just totally fabulous. And hilarious. And, okay, a little heartbreaking. You guys really jerked my heart-strings. In a good way.

So it is with much applause and fanfare for all the entrants that I announce the winner is …

Susannah!

The combination of unrequited teen love, a bad four-way date, and an aqua zoot suit totally got me. I was laughing (leaving room for the Holy Ghost, hahaha!) — and also cringing. I love that Susannah also offered a bit about what she’d do differently if she had to do it all over again: lighten up, laugh at it, realize it’s not the end of the world, even though it sure felt like it at the time.

So congratulations, Suz! You’re el winner-o! I’ll get a copy of Implosion to you asap.

Huzzah! And thanks again to all of you for bringing me into the gym and under the lights with you.

More giveaways! My next book, THE IMPLOSION OF AGGIE WINCHESTER, won’t be out until August, but you can win an advance copy now!

Much of the book centers around the prom and what a big deal it is to the small Minnesota town where Aggie Winchester lives. In the comments, please tell me a prom story — or one you heard, or even one you made up if you haven’t actually been to prom — and I’ll choose one of the stories as the winner! I will base the selection on originality and heart, which are totally subjective but it’s my blog so, uh, there.

I’ll leave the comments open until June 3 and pick the winner that day.

And, even though I’m not eligible to win, here’s my story anyway:

I went to my junior prom with my friend Chris, who is my pal to this day. He was a total gentleman the whole time, and I kept telling him he made me feel like Cinderella.

A few days after the prom was over, Chris visited my house and gave me a miniature glass slipper.

Cinderella indeed.

** Oh, oh, and for the record, Chris’s daughter just went to prom! So, like, I totally feel old but I love that his daughter went to prom the same year my book about prom (and, okay, a lot more than prom) is coming out. Yay!