There may be two sides to every story, but sometimes there's only one way to set things right...
Music is Elijah's life. His band plays loud and hard, and he'll do anything to get them a big break. He needs that success to help take care of his sister, who has special needs. So he'd rather be practicing when his friends drag him to a musical in the next town...until the lead starts to sing.
Kristen dreams of a career on stage like her grandmother's. She knows she needs an edge to get into a competitive theater program—and being the star in her high school musical isn't going to cut it. The applause and the attention only encourage her to work harder.
Elijah can't take his eyes off of Kristen's performance, and snaps a photo of her in costume that he posts online with a comment that everybody misunderstands. It goes viral. It goes viral. Suddenly, Elijah and Kristen are in a new spotlight as the online backlash spins out of control. And the consequences are bigger than they both could have ever imagined because these threats don't stay online...they follow them into real life.
Logan Hall is a Vagrant, one of the disenfranchised living beneath the mega city of New Washington. The Vagrants have to hide from the Company who is rounding all of them up and shipping them to newly discovered planets to work in the mines. That’s what happened to Logan’s father. Shayna is one of the privileged. She has a chip, a credit disc, and lives in a shiny stainless steel and glass high-rise above ground. Shayna is allergic to corn so she is one of the few above ground people who is not stoned on Sopore. Sopore is a drug found in genetically altered corn. It’s in almost all food. The Vagrants know about Sopore and avoid it. These two teens from wildly differing environments meet by accident and fall in love. Logan will stop at nothing to rescue his friend Raj, captured and sent to the moon. Together, he and Shayna will follow his dream of finding his father who was sent to work in the mines of Gliess 67.
Despite the years of bullying in school, Jewel Hart has remained sweet and kind. She has it all--a great life, a great family, and beauty--but she has never been able to obtain the one thing she wants--to belong.
When Jewel meets Kaiden Carter, a good-looking, charming new student at York Mills High, things start to look up. On the surface, he is perfect, but Jewel can't shake the feeling that everything is not as it seems.
When the devastation of the rising suicides in her school hits too close to home and drives Jewel into a deep despair, she clings to Kaiden's strength to find her way back. Through the pain and fear surrounding her, she finds hope and the will to go on. But just as she picks herself up, tragedy strikes again, threatening to steal her last glimmer of hope. How will she go on? Can she ever find her place in the world?
Two city kids from California move out to the country, to the Great State of Texas! With doubts as to whether they will fit in, they run into barbed wire attitudes and a lot of hard work. Can they last long enough to experience the warmth, good manners, and compassion that the good people of Texas have to offer?
Arthur Rhodes knows he’s different. Severely OCD, he dreams of popularity and Ashley Green, a girl who won’t even look at him. His older brother, Keith, was in the Army. He’s currently at home taking out all his PTSD-induced rage on Arthur. Arthur’s mother is rarely home. She donates all her time to veterans’ organizations. His father, an anally-retentive Major in the Marine Corps, is currently head of security at Ames Research Center. Between his OCD and his family life, Arthur’s only friend is Emilio Luna who has Tourette Syndrome.
Emilio’s symptoms are twitching and inappropriate outbursts. Arthur barely notices his friend’s idiosyncrasies. As a pair, they’ve suffered torture, bullying and ostracizing through every level of school since Arthur’s family moved to the Silicon Valley.
When Arthur’s military father forces him to go camping, Emilio accompanies him. A space pod crashes in the deep woods on Mt. Shasta and the two sixteen-year-old boys discover Tonigen Dweezil Emyris, a cryonically preserved young Nysian from the Cygnus system. They take the alien home and defrost him, and that's when their entire lives begin to change.
Other than their looks, cousins Connie Sherman and Shellie Cochrane have nothing in common. They don't like each other. They don't try to get along. And they never, ever like the same boys. Until Dave Barbour - and he has eyes for only one of them. Now their unfriendly rivalry is about to crash head-first into the California high desert town of Yucca Valley. Because hell has no fury like a cousin scorned.
Merritt Adams was used to taking care of herself. With her mother's selfish abandonment, and her father's shocking suicide, she is convinced that nobody will ever stick around for long. However, after she is mysteriously rescued from a fiery crash, Merritt needs to learn how to accept help, and love - even when it comes from an unexpected source. Trying to create a new life for herself will be difficult, and so will resisting the charms of someone she swore she would never show interest in. In addition to the buzz surrounding Merritt's tragic headlines, everyone is talking about the charismatic Chase Brooks' return home after spending two years in California aspiring to become a rock star. What people don't know is the real reason why he had to leave his dreams behind. Saddened by his return, Chase is even more saddened to see how broken and alone his childhood classmate, Merritt, is. Two sad souls could be good for each other, couldn't they? Merritt isn't so sure... and after she finds out who pulled her from the mangled car that night, her life will be changed forever.
There's a story in the story Like a wheel within the wheel Spiraling forever Through the world we see and feel. There's a tale within the fable Like a gear within the gear Marking time forever Until the secret is revealed . . .
In every age, across time and space, there have been Folktellers. These are the select few who have been chosen to collect and share the stories that must be told.
Aaron is an average midwestern teen or so he thinks. When his grandfather disappears under strange circumstances, Aaron's ordinary existence changes forever. He will soon discover a mysterious world where stories are powerful and dangerous, where deadly enemies and dark forces lurk just out of sight.
Accompanied by his friend Jake and an odd girl from another dimension, Aaron must save his grandfather from the gathering darkness, and the shadowy creatures that thrive within.
In time, Aaron will learn that whoever holds the story, wields the power, and that the choices he makes will change the destiny of the entire universe.
Based on the real memoirs of Mr. Watson’s grandfather, this story follows Kid Clay through the Old West in search of a cowboy adventure. During his escapades, Kid Clay leaves his comfortable Kentucky home at the age of fifteen and sets out to discover what it’s like to be a real cowboy. During this time, he encounters many colorful characters such as Indians, Buffalo Bill, and members of the Dalton Gang. Along the wagon trail, he encounters typhoid, cattle rustlers, stampedes, bank robbers, and a beautiful Indian maiden. Kid Clay has the determination and bravery he needs to survive, but as he makes his way along the trail, he discovers that the West is beginning to change. That’s when he makes a momentous decision that will affect the rest of his life. Was the West more than Kid Clay bargained for?
What if the worst thing isn't that they don't believe you? What if the worst thing is that they just don't care? Seventeen year-old Emily has accepted the truth of her past trauma and made peace with her battered egos. She's won the first battle...barely...but the war in her psyche still rages. The same day Mom is released from rehab and Emily finishes detox, Dad announces he's ready to be a family again, throwing Emily into panic. Determined to protect her younger brothers and sister from Dad, she gathers the strength to do the hardest thing she's ever done: speak her Secret. But it isn't enough. Nobody will intervene. Emily is more alone and helpless than ever. Her therapist suggests that the key to resolving her crises lies within the mysterious First Realm, where Emily has access to her Fae abilities and where she can find her Champion...the one person with enough power to end the destructive cycle of abuse and help Emily transform from victim to survivor. Desperate for guidance, Emily returns to the First Realm only to discover the Seven Kingdoms in total chaos. She has just a few days to find her Champion before Dad comes for her. Can she complete her task and return to the Second Realm in time to save her family, or will her dreaded premonition turn out to be true: that she is her own worst enemy? *Non-Explicit Trigger Warning: This book deals with the issues of child molestation and child abuse.
This first novel tells the story of Alice and Tucker, the young stewards of Jasper Spring. Tucker's family has lived on the ranch for generations, and the two look forward to filling the homestead with children of their own. After two miscarriages, their hope of a family is fading quickly and they feel farther apart than ever before. The only living thing that either one of them feels truly connected with is their border collie, Tommie, a dog with an uncanny sense of their needs.
Enter Ray -- an ill dressed 11-year-old boy sorely neglected by his single mother. Ray stumbles across the gorgeous and isolated valley while out on an aimless spin with his dilapidated bicycle. When Tommie finds Ray, the boy is transfixed by the beautiful dog, and the collie's natural instinct to herd spurs him to drive the boy into Tucker and Alice's empty arms. The couple develops affection for the forsaken boy, and he feels truly at home for the first time in his young life. As their relationship deepens, shocking twists and turns are presented by the boy's peripheral mother--with one that leads to catastrophe. The the close trio is drawn into battle to preserve the land they love. Additional outside forces loom (drought and development). Though they have the help of two horses and a heroic dog, the struggle is intense and not without loss.
Jasper Spring is a heartwarming tale of a couple that experiences trials that would test any marriage, and the boy and dog that bring them back together again. A series of dramatic events renders Alice and Tucker's characters in a nuanced and sympathetic manner, with their plight moving the most hard hearted reader.
The author's experience in training border collies inspired his description of Tommie, Tucker and Alice's loyal and beloved companion.
In 1984 Connecticut, sixteen-year-old Hannah Zandana feels cursed: She has wild, uncontrollable hair and a horrid complexion that she compulsively picks, and as if that weren’t bad enough, her emotionally unavailable parents mercilessly ridicule her appearance and verbally shame her.
Wanting to change her pathetic life, Hannah attempts to impress a group of popular girls—an ill-fated effort, except that she captures the attention of Deacon, a handsome and mysterious boy who also happens to be her school’s resident drug dealer. Suddenly, Hannah’s life takes an unexpected detour into Deacon’s dangerous and seductive world—but when her relationship and family unravel around her, she is forced to reexamine what she believes about herself and the people she trusts the most.
Perfect for fans of Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland, 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, and All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. I Like You Like This is a poignant young adult read about addiction, sexuality, peer pressure, and first love.
Nyx Estrella is a princess from Gexalatia, a world on the other side of a portal. Unfortunately, she has no idea. Sent to Lucky, Texas, when she was a baby to protect her from the evil King Paraximus, her biggest concerns are grades and seeing her friends. She has no idea that she possesses magical abilities and that her reality is about to become really strange. Jet Lamia is a war prisoner, sent from Gexalatia by the queen, Liana Estrella, to bring Nyx back home to the kingdom of Ymber. The portal only opens on the winter solstice, so Jet finds himself trapped on Earth, trying to blend in. Fortunately, he has help in the form of the queen’s chosen assistant, Seth Alvar. But playing well with others has never been one of Jet’s talents. It is a race against the clock to tell Nyx her true identity and try to train her, while also keeping her alive. Nyx and Jet struggle to defeat the assassins sent to kill them both, while trying not to kill each other. Can this duo put their differences aside and return to Gexalatia?
Dying wasn’t on seventeen-year-old Xander Hemlock’s summer to-do-list. Finding ways to spend more time with his girlfriend, Lila, was the most critical thinking he planned on doing. But that was before he found himself trapped in a realm of only darkness with thirty days to convince Lila he’s not actually dead?well, not completely, anyway.
As Xan tries to show Lila she isn't alone, she struggles to comprehend how her life has changed so completely. Six months ago her life was perfect: she was on her way to becoming a professional dancer, her parents were still married, and her boyfriend was alive. But now, with her anorexic tendencies stronger than ever, she must decide which is the lesser of two evils: letting go to be with a boy she doesn't love, or holding on to the unreasonable, yet overpowering, feeling that Xan is still within reach...and trying to show her something.
Improbable and endearing, Within Reach is a story of two soulmates discovering that sometimes it takes more than one lifetime to get it right.
After defeating the Volgrim witches, life in Orkney is quiet. Too quiet. Before Sam Baron can catch his breath, an army of fire giants led by Surt gather in the Eighth Realm of Musspell, determined to destroy Orkney—and it's all Sam's fault. After all, he took Odin's life with an ancient cursed dagger, and now, mankind has lost its protector. To make matters worse, the God of Mischief, Loki, is on the loose and determined to reunite with his evil wife, Angerboda, and their three children: Fenrir the wolf, Jormungand the sea serpent, and Helva, Goddess of Death.
Orkney's only hope lies with Sam and his stalwart friends. As Surt prepares to launch his forces against Orkney, Sam and two of his fellow witches, Perrin and Mavery, set out on a journey to rescue Odin, aided by Skidbladnir, a magical ship of the gods that can fly over land and sea, and Geela, a Valkyrie who can transform into a battle-ready goose. Meanwhile, Leo and Keely travel north to stop Loki from starting a war between the Eifalians and the Vanir, while Howie is left to watch over Skara Brae. With time running out, our heroes try frantically to prove once again that they can find the courage to do what's needed when the odds are stacked against them—even when the sacrifice asked is greater than any of them could imagine.
From the award-winning author of WhipEye Chronicles comes the new epic fantasy series, Divided Draghons--an action-packed thriller with mystery, romance, and battles set in a world as beautiful, dangerous, and mysterious as the three heroic women--Famere, Jennelle, and Camette--who must fight for their people's survival and the men they love.
The debut fantasy book from Geoffrey Saign, Wyshea Shadows, is a new addition to the great epic fantasy tradition of Dean Murray, Marc Secchia, and Ava Richardson.
A mystical vision of an airship appears to fifteen-year-old Juanita. The ethereal captain commands her to prevent California's thrown-away people--including young children--from boarding trains to an asylum. That institution's director plots murder to reduce the inmate population. Yet to save innocent lives Juanita must take lives of the corrupt. How can she reconcile her assignment with her belief in the sacredness of all human life? And will she survive to marry her betrothed?
Juanita sets out despite inner trepidation to sabotage the railroad. Her ancestor Billy guides her. Then bit by bit, she discovers the gut-wrenching truths all of her ancestors neglected to reveal.
Come visit Juanita's world--an alternate nineteenth-century California--where spirits meet steampunk, where both love and anger emanate from beyond the grave.
Phoebe Spring is just coming to terms with her parents’ separation when her mother suffers a breakdown. Unable to visit her mom, and with her freshman year almost finished, her distant dad offers her an incredible riding camp experience for the summer while her mom is undergoing treatment. When a deep secret emerges from her parents’ past, nothing is the same, leaving Phoebe to her own devices to deal with the fallout. With the help from an unexpected ally and her best friend, Phoebe learns some valuable lessons about self-reliance, trust and perseverance.
Duncan, a young college student, is called to an unexpected mission. Hesitant, he accepts and is immediately immersed in a crisis and a universe, known by many as Reality. . .The new environment has mysterious connections to Earth and to his personal life. Duncan starts a journey in the stellar navy of the race that made contact with him. During his deep-space assignments and visits to trans-universal worlds, his heart is tried and his views are challenged. Duncan receives enigmatic signs with a powerful restoring message. However, he is haunted by doubts, struggles with alien love, and is eventually exposed to darkness. Yet he possesses a hidden power, a pervasive gift. Only by accepting it will he find his purpose in Reality, the strength of love, and the key to freedom.
Brody Yates has fallen on hard times. Fired from his job as a sports reporter for a major newspaper, he decides to masquerade as a trainer in order to infiltrate the backstage world of figure skating. He has one chance to save someone’s life and to turn his around by breaking the story of a lifetime. The Chosen Ones, though fictionalized, reveals the secrets behind the sequins against the backdrop of the high pressure sport of world class figure skating. In this non-stop thriller, only one person can win. Not everyone will survive.
Karen, a typical younger teen, could not envision the year of adventures that awaited her and two special friends, Fredrick, a gifted and wise butterfly, and Malibu Kool Kat, an ordinary cat she rescued, who turns out to be “not so ordinary.” Together they carry an important message of peace and love to a far away country despite real danger. Combining creative ideas, the trio also manage to survive in New York City on their own, hob-nob with celebrities on a tropical island, then, finally, are honored in a unique way by the citizens of Karen’s hometown. The adorable characters are memorable and relatable as they become involved in relevant issues that young people care about. Determined to “do something” when she sees a need, Karen, along with Fredrick and Kool Kat, set out to make a difference in the world anyway they can. Their exciting adventures will inspire other kids to care and get involved. The action-packed and charming book echos themes of love and hope throughout. Readers will finish the last page then want to know what further adventures await the fearless threesome. Amazing Adventures of Fredrick the Butterfly Plus Karen & Malibu Kool Kat are loosely based on some of the author’s actual true-life experiences! “May Peace and Love be With You Always!” ~ Karen Smythe
One boy…one Rite… And a world of deadly secrets that could change the course of history—forever
And so begins the tale of Mierta McKinnon. When a horrible fate reveals itself during his Rite of Wands ceremony, he must find a way to change not only his destiny but also the land of Iverna’s.
Forbidden from revealing the future he foresees to anyone, he is granted a wand and his magical powers, but still must master the realm of magic in order to save himself and those he loves.
But Mierta is not the only one with secrets…especially when it’s impossible to know who to trust.
From the creator of the award winning Bartholomew the Adventure Trilogy comes Book Four of the Orville Wellington Mouse series.
When Orville Mouse wakes up from a terrifying nightmare to find a mysterious red book in his bed, he and his best friend Sophia set out to decipher the cryptic manuscript, convinced the book is connected to the disappearance of Orville's neighbor, Aislin Mouse. Their quest takes them to the lost city of Cathne where an astonishing turn of events catapults the adventurers into a desperate interdimensional race to save Aislin. Accompanied by their old friend Proto the Rabbiton, Orville and Sophia enter the bewildering and terrifying world of Elysian in search of Aislin Mouse. With help from a beautiful ghost mouse, Orville's cantankerous neighbor Ebenezer, Puella the Wise One, crusty old Captain Tobias, an austere monk named Brother Solus, dreamy Madam Beasley, and Charon the Ferrymouse, the stalwart adventurers must uncover the secret of the last Metaphonium and confront the horrific burning charcoal stick creature known only as the Shadow King.
