Take A Picture: A Short Story by Lena Goldfinch

In this short story Troy Alexander is trying his hardest to get a picture of Ashlyn Sunshine, a teen pop sensation. Having exhausted his dream in New York to become a singer he is now trying to earn money to go back to his home outside of Boston. He's been hired by a tabloid and promised a thousand bucks to get the perfect picture of Ashlyn. Hiding in dark doorways and ducking behind garbage dumpsters is not where Troy wants to be, but he is determined to get home. His fortune turns when he accidentally bumps into Ashlyn and a tentative friendship develops.

I thought this was a sweet short story and actually kind of wanted more when it ended. I liked Troy's desire to protect Ashlyn from her fans while shopping. It was interesting to see two young adults from different backgrounds try and find some common footing. Ashlyn's character seems a cross between naive and worldly and Troy's character insecure and still trying to "find" himself which makes for a cute romance between the star and a young boy on the brink of manhood. I enjoyed the story very much, a quick read, it may have taken me an hour to finish it.

BONUS:

An added bonus to this short story is the short story prequel to Haunting Joy called CHAIN REACTION. If you haven't read Haunting Joy yet I highly recommend it. It is a sweet ghost story. In Chain Reaction Joy receives a chain letter in which she is required to write down the name of her secret crush. When her letter gets into the wrong hands Joy is determined to get it back. Joy doesn't realize at this time that the cold feeling she gets when she opens and closes her binder is actually her first "haunting." A cute prequel to the Haunting Joy series. Go HERE to read my review.