Not everything melts

Hockey is everything in Cherry Grove, Wisconsin. So when superstar Thomas Maxwell-Pruitt arrives from California, the whole town is on alert. It's been years since Cherry Grove North last hoisted the State Trophy, and their hopes of winning are finally starting to feel real again.

But a new friendship with the team manager, Alexis Tate, is dredging up emotions and a past that Thomas hasn't wrestled with in a long time. Meanwhile, Alexis is wrestling with college applications, her senior year, and so much more.

As the temperature between them heats up, the ice begins to thin. Will Thomas and Alexis be able to hold on? Or like so many things, will their friendship melt away?

Nicholas Acosta is a Filipino-American author living in Washington, DC. He was born in northeastern Wisconsin, where he grew up spending summers on the lake and winters at the ice rink.

After leaving Wisconsin, Acosta moved to the east coast. He holds masters degrees from Yale and Georgetown University, and currently works as a foreign policy and communications professional. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and tennis, writing, listening to Maisie Peters, and rock climbing.

His work is influenced by the long history of coming-of-age literature and film that defined his childhood. This includes works by Chaim Potok, Lowis Lowry, K.H. McMullan, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and Kevin Williamson.