I went into Chapters today, which for those of you who don’t live in Canada is like this mega-big bookstore – think Barnes & Noble in the US or Waterstones in the UK – and my book was right there on a display table entitled “Teens’ Most Wanted.” I’m not being modest when I say I seriously doubt that, though I did appreciate the vote of confidence. But I don’t think there are any teens actually wandering the streets thinking, “If only I had a book, by an unknown author, about an angsty 16-year-old living in Pakistan, my life would be complete.”

In Canada, the only thing I’m reasonably confident teens want is a snow day; that and a mocha latte. Who doesn’t want a mocha latte? Still, just because they don’t want it, doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy it. One can always hope, right?

So after years of dreaming, hard…