After landing a lead role in the high school musical, freshman Liliana Faltin is hoping for some stability and happiness in her life. But her mom's live-in boyfriend has a thing for booze, touching, and telling dark family secrets. And the other people in her world aren't exactly role-model material, either. Her unreliable father cries a lot, wears blue tights, and drives a little beige car. Her backstabbing best friend cares more about being popular than being real. And her older, married sister is showing up with big purple bruises on her face. Then there's Paolo, who's cute and nice and makes Lily want to recite romantic movie lines.

To deal, Lily writes letters to John Wayne. Sure, he's a dead movie cowboy, but at least the Duke knew about doing the right thing, about being a hero.

Now, Lily just needs to figure out how to be a hero herself.

Praise for Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend and Love (and other uses for duct tape):

Provocative . . . The author's poetic prose ably captures her heroine's emotional upheavals.--Publishers Weekly

...honest, earthy, and appealing. --KLIATT

An emotional story that's true at heart. --Kirkus

Figuring out who you are is more than just picking drama club over cheerleading and Lily isn't the first high school freshman to be a bit confused over who she wants to be. When Lily wins a major role in the school's musical, she sees new ways to fit in, yet still be herself. Plus, Paolo, the totally hot guy who doesn't make fun of her rather vintage John Wayne obsession, is also going to be in the production.

The thrill of her new place in school dims when Lily returns to the real drama of her home life. Dangerous men swirl around her needy mother and traumatized older sister and the men who she used to count on are either inconsistent or dead. Lily wishes for someone to stand up and take charge, someone strong just like her movie hero, John Wayne. Writing letters to the dead screen legend, Lily struggles to find someone to believe in, ultimately finding a hero inside herself.

Dangerous men swirl around Lily's needy mother and traumatized older sister, and Lily wishes for someone to stand up and take charge, someone strong just like her movie hero, John Wayne. Writing letters to the dead screen legend, Lily struggles to find someone to believe in, ultimately finding a hero inside herself.