Cover design by Tina Hays. You can find more of her work at TinaVHays.com.
Palm Springs was a relaxing vacation destination where seniors play golf and spend quiet days by the pool during their golden years.
That’s was. Because now it’s spring break, and Carlos and his family just showed up.
There will be fart jokes.
“People often look down on us just because their family is descended from explorers and our family includes the only guy to be arrested for trying to steal an aircraft carrier during the Zoot Suit Riots”
Introducing Spring Break Stories
Spring Break Stories is a new Troublemakers miniseries consisting of three books, each following one of the kids during Spring Break of seventh grade. The first installment follows Carlos on his trip to Palm Springs for his aunt’s wedding. Stay tuned for Byron’s and Tina’s episodes, which will be released as standalone books sometime between now and my 95th birthday in 2079.
“Jobs are for the poor. Rich people have money. Wealthy people have assets. The elite have concerns. You could have a railroad concern, a steel concern – I have several gummy concerns, an algebra homework concern, and of course my counterfeit Pizza Hut coupon concern.”
“Let me tell you a few things I know about women: first of all, they don’t enjoy it when you grab them by the hair and fart in their faces.”
Spring Break Stories, Vol. 1: Palm Springs
Carlos goes on Spring Break to Palm Springs, where his peace is shattered by his bonkers family, his first love, and a new diet that's driving him crazy.
It's Spring Break, and everyone is going out of town with their families. Unfortunately for Carlos, that means going to the desert for the wedding of his most-hated aunt. They have a strained relationship, something about his destroying her house on several occasions.
Carlos' mom makes him a deal: be good this week, and he'll get the juicer he's been coveting for his new healthy lifestyle. But then someone else makes him a competing offer. Everyone at this wedding has reasons they either do or don't want the ceremony to take place.
The groom's beautiful teenage daughter presents further complications, and we haven't even gotten to Carlos' war with the Palm Springs townies or his no-good cousins' attempts to thwart his every move.
Will Carlos be good or bad? Let's pretend we don't know the answer. The first installment in a new Troublemakers miniseries is packed with jokes and important life lessons about farting.
“Were you aware that when they blow stuff up in magic shows, they’re not really blowing it up? Sorry to ruin the trick. Also, not to dwell on past grievances, but if someone volunteers to get sawed in half, they volunteered to get sawed in half. I am not legally culpable for giving them exactly what they signed up for. ”