AWARDS: B.R.A.G. Medallion Recipient Semi-Finalist Genesis Contest (YA Fiction) Finalist (2nd Place) NORWA (YA Fiction) Finalist Women of Faith Full Manuscript Finalist Wisconsin RWA Honorable Mention (YA Fiction) "Tough and touching, resilient and raw -- Rajdeep Paulus has crafted a story of love and abuse with the deft touch of a master. SWIMMING THROUGH CLOUDS is profound, but never preachy. Paulus never allows her characters to be anything less than real and she never averts her pen from the realities that face far too many women and children." --Tosca Lee, NY Times bestselling author of HAVAH and The Books of Mortals series with Ted Dekker "Paulus is an exceptional writer The essence of the human spirit are illuminated through the characters who come to life in each page. Paulus captures the heart of the reader in SWIMMING THROUGH CLOUDS." - Diana Mao, President of Nomi Network "SWIMMING THROUGH CLOUDS is a heart-wrenching story of both suffering and courage. This book will haunt you long after you finish it." - Darby Karchut, author of Griffin Rising and Finn Finnegan "I'm trapped in the middle of someone's life... And it's only just begun I need more " - Teenage Reader "There is much to admire about Rajdeep Paulus's writing. Poetic, raw and thought-provoking, her words will indeed send you swimming through clouds." - Selene Castrovilla, author of THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, a GalleyCat Best YA Book (2010) __________ "I live in the in between. Between what if and what is. It's how I manage. It's the only way I know. Everyone has their way. This is mine." Senior year kicks off when the words on a Post-it note spark a sticky romance between two unlikely friends. Transfer student Talia Vanderbilt has one goal at her new school: to blend in with the walls. Lagan Desai, basketball captain and mathlete, would do just about anything to befriend the new girl. One Post-it note at a time, Lagan persuades Talia to peel back her heart, slowly revealing a world where hope seems to lie around the corner. She never turns. __________ RAJDEEP PAULUS decided to be a writer during her junior year in high school after her English teacher gave her an "F" but told her she had potential. She studied English Literature at Northwestern University, and she writes masala-marinated, Young Adult Fiction, blogging weekly at InSearchOfWaterfalls (dot) com. When Paulus is not tapping on her Mac, you can find her dancing with her four princesses, kayaking with her hubs, coaching basketball or eating dark chocolate while sipping a frothy, sugar-free latte. She secretly hopes to one day own a laptop that functions under water Oops. The secret's out.