December 4, 2022

The Quarry Girls Deleted Scenes

When I first wrote The Quarry Girls, there was no Beth. There were, however, more excerpts from Heather Cash's diary, including sketches. I envisioned Heather as a character who—like me, at her age—loved those gag gift ads at the back of comic books and created slightly twisted versions of them to express things she could not say.

If you've read the book, you know that it's crazy cakes that I almost wrote it without Beth. The diary excerpts and sketches, though? It's good my editor and I decided not to include them. They were too distracting.

In case you'd like to see them, however, I've gathered them here, along with corresponding page numbers (as well as chapter placement, if you're reading on a Kindle) so you know where in the book they would have gone. I hope you enjoy spending a little more time with Heather Cash, a girl I came to love.

p.s. I recently received fantastic news! The Quarry Girls has been chosen as The Girlfriend Book Club’s February book pick. The Girlfriend is AARP’s free weekly e-newsletter for Gen-X women with nearly 500,000 subscribers. Woot! Thank you, AARP! (Also, how is my generation now in AARP?!? Sigh. The universe giveth, and it taketh away.)

⭐⭐❤️⭐⭐

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October 13, 2022

New Foster Kittens!

I'm in the middle of my busiest month of the year, but I couldn't pass up fostering this batch of super-goobers. From left to right: Sprout (she's a torbie with one grey paw and the attitude of a lioness); Mustard (he's an easygoing chonk who convinces himself he's able to fly every time I pick him up); and Momma Liya (at one and a half years, she's a kitten herself; she's sleek, gorgeous, and playful).

They should all be available for adoption through the Golden Valley Humane Society in early November. By then, they'll be certified Writer Cats. 🤓

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October 1, 2022

The Quarry Girls Is Out!

Aiigggghhhh! I am THRILLED to report that The Quarry Girls has been chosen as an Amazon First Reads!!! That means it's available through Kindle a month early! Even better? It’s a free download for Prime members and only $1.99 for everyone else. Get yours today!

Killers hiding in plain sight. Small-town secrets. A girl who knows too much. From the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Unspeakable Things and Bloodline comes a nerve-twisting novel inspired by a shocking true crime.

Minnesota, 1977. For the teens of one close-knit community, summer means late-night swimming parties at the quarry, the county fair, and venturing into the tunnels beneath the city. But for two best friends, it’s not all fun and games.

Heather and Brenda have a secret. Something they saw in the dark. Something they can’t forget. They’ve decided to never tell a soul. But their vow is tested when their friend disappears—the second girl to vanish in a week. And yet the authorities are reluctant to investigate.

Heather is terrified that the missing girls are connected to what she and Brenda stumbled upon that night. Desperately searching for answers on her own, she learns that no one in her community is who they seem to be. Not the police, not the boys she met at the quarry, not even her parents. But she can’t stop digging because she knows those girls are in danger.

She also knows she’s next.

"Few authors can blend the genuine fear generated by a sordid tale of true crime with evocative, three-dimensional characters and mesmerizing prose like Jess Lourey. Calling it: The Quarry Girls will be one of the best books of the year.” —Alex Segura, acclaimed author of Secret Identity, Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall, and Miami Midnight

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