The Secret Side of Empty , in bookstores Spring, 2014, is the story of a high school senior, M.T., who is hiding a big secret: she’s “illegal.” Her parents brought her over as a baby and overstayed their visas. She’s American in every way except one: on paper. No one knows, not even her best friend Chelsea and her sweet boyfriend, Nate. With senior year coming to a close, she has to figure out how she’ll build a life with no social security number, no college, no driver’s license and no way to get a real job. But first she’s got to make it through senior year. Five things about my book that might surprise you: 1. There is a car chase. It doesn’t involve any cops, but it’s how the main character meets her boyfriend. It’s kind of fun. And loosely based on how I met my high school boyfriend. 2. The New York Daily News has already done a story on it! It’s pretty exciting to see the book getting such good buzz.  3. It’s based on real life. I was an undocumented immigrant ...