Top 5 Things You Need to Survive Being a Head Counselor at Camp Chinooka

1. Know the Lay of the Land: Inevitably, campers are going to try to sneak over to the boys’ side of camp every chance they get. That’s the beauty (and torture) of wrangling teenagers. In One S’more Summer, Gigi’s campers try sneaking over to Birch (the boys’ side) on the very first night of camp but are quickly thwarted because Gigi, a former Chinooka camper herself, knows the grounds waaaay better than they do. Checkmate, kiddos.

2. Find the Counselor Hangouts: After spending almost 24 hours a day with campers, it’s not only important, but imperative, for the counselors to have a place blow off steam during off hours. In One S’more Summer, that place is Rosie’s, a local dive bar in Milbank, where all the counselors like to chill out and whoop it up on their nights off.

3. Make Friends with your Co-Counselor: Every counselor needs an ally and friend to commiserate with. Gigi’s ally is her co-counselor Jordana Singer - her summer confidant and bestie. You definitely need a second-in-command when going into battle and are supremely outnumbered. Jordana Singer = bestie and battle-mate!

4. Be Ready to Give Color War Your All: Color War is the quintessential and most iconic activity of the entire camp experience! It is the culmination of all activities, memories, and events at the end of summer camp, all wrapped up in one glorious competition. Bragging rights from winning Color War, as well as the general thrill of competition are HUGE. In One S’more Summer, Gigi’s named Color War General and determined to bring home a victory.

5. A Summer Romance: The thing about summer romance is that even if you don’t plan for one, it’s usually exactly what you need. The last thing Gigi is looking for is a romance. After having her heart broken by her lifelong crush, she’s decided to steer clear of all things boys and relationships. But then, she meets Perry Gillman who changes everything!

One S’more Summer

The Campfire Series #1

Beth Merlin

Published by: Ink Monster LLC

Publication date: May 30, 2017

Genres: Adult, Contemporary

If you love Sophie Kinsella and Emily Giffin, you’ll love this heartwarming debut from a fresh voice in contemporary chick-lit that offers a lighthearted and fun take on friendship, love, and how to recover from past mistakes.

For twenty long years, Gigi Goldstein has been pining away for her best friend’s guy. She knows it’s wrong and it has to stop, but she hasn’t been able to let go ever since they all met on the bus to summer camp back when they were 7 years old. The same week that her best friends finally announce their wedding date, Gigi loses her high-profile design job. With all of her dreams unravelling, she runs to the last place she remembers being happy.

Taking the Head Counselor position at Camp Chinooka, Gigi hopes to reclaim the joy she felt as a camper, but the job isn’t all campfire songs and toasting marshmallows. Gigi’s girls are determined to make her look bad in front of the boys’ Head Counselor—the sexy but infuriating Perry—and every scrap of the campground is laced with memories.

When Gigi finally realizes she can’t escape the present by returning to her past, she’s forced to reexamine her life and find the true meaning of love. But will she be able to mend fences and forgive herself before she loses her one real shot at happiness?

About the Author

Beth Merlin has a BA from The George Washington University where she minored in Creative Writing and a JD from New York Law School. She’s a native New Yorker who loves anything Broadway, rom-coms, her daughter Hadley, and a good maxi dress. She was introduced to her husband through a friend she met at sleepaway camp and considers the eight summers she spent there to be some of the most formative of her life. One S’more Summer is Beth’s debut novel.

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