But for Aedan, a scruffy young adventurer with veins full of fire and a head full of ideas, this officer is not what he seems. The events that follow propel Aedan on a journey that only the foolhardy or desperate would risk, leading him to the gates of the nation’s royal academy – a whole world of secrets in itself. But this is only the beginning of his discoveries. Something is stirring in the land, something more ominous than the rising threat of hostile nations. Fearful travellers whisper of an ancient power breathing over Thirna, changing it, waking it. In the very heart of these stirrings, Aedan encounters that which defies belief, leaving him speechless with terror – and wonder.

    Her name is Jupiter. And he has never seen her.What Jack doesn’t know, at first, is how desperate Joseph is to find his baby girl.Or how urgently he, Jack, will want to help.But the past can’t be shaken off. Even as new bonds form, old wounds reopen. The search for Jupiter demands more from Jack than he can imagine.This tender, heartbreaking novel is Gary D. Schmidt at his best.

    On the other side of town lives Pony Boy, a member of a lower-class family—but Benfu’s best friend all the same. Their futures look different but guaranteed…until they’re faced with a perilous opportunity to leave a mark on history.At the announcement of China’s Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao’s Red Guard members begin their assault, leaving innocent victims in their wake as they surge across the country. With political turmoil at their door, both Benfu and Pony Boy must face heart-wrenching decisions regarding family, friendship, courage, and loyalty to their country during one of the most chaotic periods in history.The prequel to the beloved Tales of the Scavenger’s Daughters series, The Palest Ink depicts Benfu’s coming-of-age during the tumultuous years of the Cultural Revolution.

    But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

    He is entering high school, adulthood on the horizon not far off in distance, and contemplating a future away from his mother, father, and his precocious younger sister. And Dave is not the only one approaching adulthood and its freedoms on Wy'east that summer. Martin, a pine marten (a small animal of the deep woods, of the otter/mink family), is leaving his own mother and siblings and setting off on his own as well. As Martin and Dave's paths cross on forest trails and rocky mountaintops, they—and we—witness the full, unknowable breadth and vast sweep of life, and the awe-inspiring interconnectedness of the world and its many inhabitants, human and otherwise. Martin Marten is a coming-of-age tale like no other, told in Brian Doyle's joyous, rollicking style.

    To top it off, one of Simon's friends is revealed as a savior prophesied to destroy evil and save the realm.Prophecy has nothing to say about Simon.He has no special powers, no magical weapons, and no guarantee that he'll survive. But he sets off, alone and unarmed, to earn the power he needs to oppose the Travelers and topple their ruthless Overlord. It may not be his destiny, but Simon is determined to save the day anyway. Because who cares about prophecy, really?

    This journal, filled with quotes from "Wonder" and "365 Days of Wonder," furthers the spirit of the novel in a personal treasure for fans to fill with their own precepts, stories, and thoughts. Praise and accolades for "Wonder: " A #1 "New York Times" Bestseller A "Booklist" Best Children's Book A "Kirkus Reviews" Best Children's Book A "Publishers Weekly" Best Children's Book A "School Library Journal" Best Children's Book "A beautiful, funny and sometimes sob-making story of quiet transformation." --"The Wall Street Journal"" " "A crackling page-turner filled with characters you can't help but root for." --"Entertainment Weekly" "Rich and memorable." --"The New York Times Book Review"

    Two shoes that did. Intense and introspective, seventeen-year-old Hawthorne Macy knows all about being abandoned. She's felt the stark pain of being left behind by the people who are supposed to love her the most; her parents. Raised by her caring uncle on an old plantation, Hawthorne lives her life on the fringes of her small Southern town. Until she meets his shoe. Senior year, last period English class, and a pair of silent tennis shoes resting next to hers in the back of the room throws Hawthorne into a world she'd learned to stay outside of. His name is Max Vincent, but in her mind, he’s Heathcliff. The handsome eighteen-year-old boy behind the shoes will pull Hawthorne into a passionate and unforgettable adventure of self-discovery during a time when love seems impossible. Shoes can tell a lot about a person. The journey they take you on can tell a lot about how they'll hold up.

    Nice. He was extraordinary. And he wasn’t always nice.Moody and difficult, brilliant and beautiful, Kes scared me and he protected me. He could be incredibly hurtful and incredibly thoughtful. He wasn’t perfect, but he was perfect for me. He challenged me, he took me out of my safe little box and showed me the world could be magnificent. He was everything I wasn’t. Aimee Anderson is ten when the traveling carnival first comes to her nice little town. She doesn’t expect her world to change so completely. But meeting Kestrel Donohue puts her life on a different path.Even though she only sees him for the two weeks of the year when he passes through her home town, his friendship is the most important of her life. As a child’s friendship grows to adult love, the choices become harder, and both Kes and Aimee realize that two weeks a year will never be enough.

    Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory--even if it means traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door. Oddlot Entertainment has acquired the screen rights to The Thing About Jellyfish, with Gigi Pritzker set to produce with Bruna Papandrea and Reese Witherspoon.

     1943, Gosport, Hampshire. Pixie Saunders is 19 and employed in the local armaments factory. Not for the first time, her mother has run off with a dodgy-looking bloke, leaving Pixie to pay the rent and fend for herself. Pixie, along with her best friend Rita, Em, the factory overseer, and the rest of the girls are making the most of the war while trying to stay alive. The work is dangerous and the hours long, but in the evenings they take off their overalls and go to the pub or, better still, go dancing. Pixie meets American serviceman Cal and falls in love. But then Cal rejoins his ship. When Pixie falls pregnant, her life changes dramatically. Alone and unable to work, she has to rely on the kindness of friends to help her survive. Happiness seems like a thing of the past. Little does she know that there are plenty of surprises waiting for her - good ones at that. Love may be closer than she thinks.

    Creepily so. He makes art out of road kill, writes love letters to people he’s never met, and stares incessantly at pretty men without them ever noticing. He spotted the guy on the right walking his dog through fields, and made him his newest object of affection. Only problem was, when he started staring at this guy, he stared back.Photo Description: The backs of two teenage boys holding hands, one slightly leaning in toward the other. They’re walking through a field, illuminated by the sunlight in front of them. Around them are tall grasses and yellow stalks of wheat.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    He toils to keep their construction company afloat while the exes in his life enjoy their honeymoon. Jon meets Morgan when a flock of turkeys and a curvy mountain road aligns with one-in-a-million timing. Despite their attraction, her engagement, and the ire of her family, the pair embarks on a platonic friendship. As their relationship strengthens, they share secrets, but Morgan holds her most important secret tight to her chest, where it beats like a ticking time bomb. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Adult language and content. Beware of spoilers in the reviews.

     Before you can say Pensioner Barbie she’s in a stolen car, heading to the North Yorkshire coastal village of Kearton Bay in search of the father she never knew, with only her three-year-old daughter and a family-sized bag of Maltesers for company. Ignoring the pleas of her uncle, chat show presenter Joe Hollingsworth, Eliza determines to find the man who abandoned her mother and discover the reason he left them to their fate. All she has to go on is his name – Raphael – but in such a small place there can’t be more than one angel, can there? Gabriel Bailey may have the name of an angel but he’s not feeling very blessed. In fact, the way his life’s been going he doesn’t see how things can get much worse. Then Eliza arrives with her flash car and designer clothes, reminding him of things he’d rather forget, and he realises that if he’s to have any kind of peace she’s one person he must avoid at all costs. But with the help of beautiful Wiccan landlady, Rhiannon, and quirky pink-haired café owner, Rose, Eliza is soon on the trail of her missing angel, and her investigations lead her straight into Gabriel’s path. As her search takes her deeper into the heart of his family, Eliza begins to realise that she’s in danger of hurting those she cares about deeply. Is her quest worth it? And is the angel she’s seeking really the one she’s meant to find?

    At the center of his world was his larger-than-life father—a hunter, a fighter, a football coach, "a man better suited to living in a remote frontier wilderness of the nineteenth century than contemporary America, with all its progressive ideas and paved roads and lack of armed duels. He was a great man, and he taught me many things: how to fight and work and cheat and how to pray to Jesus about it, how to kill things with guns and knives and, if necessary, with hammers."Harrison, with his love of books and excessive interest in hugging, couldn't have been less like Pop, and when it became clear that he was not able to kill anything very well, or otherwise make his father happy, he resolved to become everything his father was not: an actor, a Presbyterian, and a doctor of philosophy. But when it was time to settle down and start a family of his own, Harrison began to view his father in a new light and realized—for better and for worse—how much like his old man he'd become.Sly, heartfelt, and tirelessly hilarious, The World's Largest Man is an unforgettable memoir—the story of a boy's struggle to reconcile himself with an impossibly outsize role model, and a grown man's reckoning with the father it took him a lifetime to understand.

    In this peeled-paint coal town deep in Appalachia, Kevin quickly falls in with a half-wild hollow kid named Buzzy Fink who schools him in the mysteries and magnificence of the woods. The events of this fateful summer will affect the entire town of Medgar, Kentucky. Medgar is beset by a massive mountaintop removal operation that is blowing up the hills and back filling the hollows. Kevin's grandfather and others in town attempt to rally the citizens against the "company" and its powerful owner to stop the plunder of their mountain heritage. When Buzzy witnesses a brutal hate crime, a sequence is set in play that tests Buzzy and Kevin to their absolute limits in an epic struggle for survival in the Kentucky mountains.

    Her dad expected Ozge, like her sister, to become an engineer. She tried to hear her own voice over his and the religious and militaristic tensions of Turkey and the conflicts between secularism and fundamentalism. Could she be a scuba diver like Jacques Cousteau? A stage actress? Would it be possible to please everyone including herself?In her unpredictable and funny graphic memoir, Ozge recounts her story using inventive collages, weaving together images of the sea, politics, science, and friendship.

    An emotional novel about family bonds and the difficult pull between home and heritage. In the year 1956, Anastacia Fotopoulos finds herself pregnant and betrayed, fleeing from a bad marriage. With the love and support of her dear friends Stavros and Soula Papadakis, Ana is able to face the challenges of single motherhood. Left with emotional wounds, she resists her growing affection for Alexandros Giannakos, an old acquaintance. But his persistence and unconditional love for Ana and her child is eventually rewarded and his love is returned. In a misguided, but well-intentioned effort to protect the ones they love, both Ana and Alex keep secrets - ones that could threaten the delicate balance of their family. The story continues in the 1970’s as Dean and Demi Papadakis, and Sophia Giannakos attempt to negotiate between two cultures. Now Greek-American teenagers, Sophia and Dean, who have shared a special connection since childhood, become lovers. Sophia is shattered when Dean rebels against the pressure his father places on him to uphold his Greek heritage and hides his feelings for her. When he pulls away from his family, culture and ultimately his love for her, Sophia is left with no choice but to find a life different from the one she’d hoped for. EVANTHIA’S GIFT is a multigenerational love story spanning fifty years and crossing two continents, chronicling the lives that unify two families.

    Owens grabbed a brick and hurled it at the trash picker. Arthur had his reasons, and the brick hit the Junk Man in the arm, not the head. But none of that matters to the judge—he is ready to send Arthur to juvie for the foreseeable future. Amazingly, it’s the Junk Man himself who offers an alternative: 120 hours of community service . . . working for him. Arthur is given a rickety shopping cart and a list of the Seven Most Important Things: glass bottles, foil, cardboard, pieces of wood, lightbulbs, coffee cans, and mirrors. He can’t believe it—is he really supposed to rummage through people’s trash? But it isn’t long before Arthur realizes there’s more to the Junk Man than meets the eye, and the “trash” he’s collecting is being transformed into something more precious than anyone could imagine. . . . Inspired by the work of American folk artist James Hampton.

    Now that the dust has settled, all that remains is their unwavering love and an impenetrable bond many have tried and failed to break.“Today. Tomorrow. Always.” is a glimpse into the life this couple has managed to build together and a chance to catch up with old friends you’ve grown to love throughout the Free Falling series.

    He'll Leave You Breathless... By: The best-selling and award-winning authors…. Kathleen Ball, Krista Ames, Cheryl Gorman, Melissa Keir, Lyssa Layne, and D’Ann Lindun Texas Haven Kathleen Ball Can love shine through the clouds of treachery and misunderstanding? Advertising for a wife seems like the answer to all of Burke Dawson's problems. He wants a wife and kids without emotional attachments, but he has no idea how much havoc one woman can cause. Annie Douglas has her heart set on her hunky cowboy's love and she isn't about to stop until she gets it. Take Me Home, Cowboy by Krista Ames When tragedy strikes, will building tension and pride destroy a growing attraction or show them the way home? Ally Kincaid returns to Rock Creek, Wyoming, to see her father after a two year absence. Anticipating a quiet family reunion, she finds herself butting heads with Matt Gentry—her father’s foreman—instead. The man’s arrogance and sexy drawl push all her buttons, making her wonder what he’s hiding beneath his cowboy swagger. When tragedy strikes, will building tension and pride destroy their growing attraction or show them the way home? Honeymoon Ranch by Cheryl Gorman Can two reluctant partners ride off into their own blissful sunset on Honeymoon Ranch? When wedding planner, Summer Conroy, discovers she has inherited half of Silver Creek Ranch, she is stunned to learn the other half is owned by sexy cowboy, Bryce Jericho. Her idea of turning the ranch into an exclusive wedding and honeymoon destination is met with a wall of resistance from Bryce who doesn’t want his ranch ruined with a bunch of wedding nonsense. He is determined to conceal his vulnerable heart that beats in fear of being betrayed again. Will this woman with dreams of happily-ever-after in her eyes transform his fear into love everlasting? Chalkboard Romance by Melissa Keir Will a One Night Stand prove to be their disaster or their salvation? Lauren Walsh, a divorcee and elementary teacher, wants to feel sexy again after her ex tosses her aside for a younger woman. Her best friend encourages her to sign up for The Playhouse--a renowned dating agency. Forced to stay away from his young son, Mac Thomas lost the ability to trust. After the death of his wife, he returned to care for his son but his sister wants more for him. She sets him up with The Playhouse. Passion ignites but Mac’s a parent of one of Lauren’s students. A teacher and a parent dating could cost Lauren her job and her chance at happiness. Will Mac be able to convince the school and Lauren, that love is the most important thing? Until You Fall in Love by Lyssa Layne Can a longtime friendship suddenly blossom into love? Single mom Jordan Glastetter doesn't know how she'd survive without her best friend, Abram Tomko. He's the father her son never knew and he's the rock she's always leaned on. When Abram's father suffers a heart attack, it's Abram's turn to depend on Jordan, finally seeing her as the woman she's become and not the little girl he grew up with. Will they risk their friendship for a chance at love? The Cowboy’s Baby by D’Ann Lindun Cat wanted to keep her baby: Tanner insisted she give it up...can they find common ground seventeen years later? Cat O’Brien left her heart in Granite, Colorado, seventeen years ago—her first love, Tanner Burke, and the baby girl she gave birth to at sixteen. Suddenly, both Tanner’s high school sweetheart and the teenage daughter they gave up for adoption are back in his life.

    She’s not a party hound like the others in her therapy group—but then again, she knows she can’t live without pills or booze. Raised by an abusive father, a detached mother, and a loving aunt and uncle, Randall both loves and hates her life. She’s awkward and a misfit. Her parents introduced her to alcohol and tranquilizers at a young age, ensuring that her teenage years would be full of bad choices, and by the time she’s twenty-three years old, she’s a full-blown drug addict, well acquainted with the miraculous power chemicals have to cure just about any problem she could possibly have—and she’s in more trouble than she’s ever known was possible.

    For one little second, they feel Possible. Take two sisters making it on their own: brainy twelve-year-old GiGi and junior-high-dropout-turned-hairstylist DiDi. Add a million dollars in prize money from a national cooking contest and a move from the trailer parks of South Carolina to the North Shore of Long Island. Mix in a fancy new school, new friends and enemies, a first crush, and a generous sprinkling of family secrets. That's the recipe for The Truth About Twinkie Pie, a voice-driven middle-grade debut about the true meaning of family and friendship.

    Surrounded by wealth, nannies, and material things, all he craves is the approval of his father. Sent away to the boarding school his father and grandfather attended, it’s assumed he will follow in their footsteps from Sydney’s prestigious Ivy League school straight into medical school.But Harrison doesn’t want to be a doctor.He dreams of music and classical piano. His only true happiness, his escape from the world expected of him, is dismissed by his intolerant and emotionally detached parents. Levi Aston arrives from London for a three-month student exchange program. Free-spirited and confident in who he is and what he wants to do with his life, Levi convinces Harrison not give up on his dreams.But convincing Harrison not to give up on his family might not be so easy.

    They have been published separately as the mini-collections Tower of Winter, Gardens of Mist, and The Lightning Wastes.These stories each follow a different Traveler on a journey through one of the mystical Territories that make up the fascinating world of the Traveler's Gate Trilogy.In Tower of Winter, Traveler Donia Sarkis comes face-to-face with the ancient powers hidden within Helgard's mysterious sixteenth floor.The Feathered Plains follows Denner Weeks of Valinhall in his attempts to avoid assassinating a fifteen-year-old Avernus Traveler who has seen the future.The Crystal Fields is a retelling of an ancient legend that Lirial Travelers have passed down for generations.In Gardens of Mist, one man finds out what happens when you trust your senses in the Mists of Asphodel.Maelstrom of Stone features an impatient young Ornheim Traveler named Chloe as she risks her life to rescue an enemy.In The Steel Labyrinth, a Damascan swordsman named Valin finds himself introduced to the treacherous clockwork maze known as Tartarus.In The Lightning Wastes, Leah hires a familiar bodyguard to help her recruit some wayward Travelers of Endross.Caverns of Flame features a young Traveler-in-training as he's faced with a rival he can't beat and a test he can't pass.In the final story, Ragnarus, the first Queen of Damasca gives her life fighting the Incarnation of Elysia.***These stories are set in the universe of the Traveler's Gate Trilogy, which begins in the novel House of Blades. If you have not read House of Blades or its sequel, The Crimson Vault, you will not understand the stories in this collection.***

    Of course, who could blame her? Paisley had been the one who read Shiloh's private texts in front of the whole cafeteria and forced her out of the closet. When Shiloh left for New York with her three best friends, she thought she had escaped Paisley. The only problem is, Paisley is back. Shiloh's sworn enemy shows up on their doorstep. But she's different. Completely different. Not the kind of 'different' you'd expect, either.

    This work is part of the Paradisi Chronicles. Mei Lin Yu should have been looking forward to the next stage in her life. As a descendant of one of the ten Founding Families who led the exodus from a dying Earth and now rule New Eden, her choices are endless. But she has never felt part of that Founding Family or the world of technological marvels and genetic perfection they created. All that will change the summer she spends at Mynyddamore, her ancestral home in western Caelestis, wedged between Mynyddeira, New Eden’s highest mountain, and the Sapphire Sea. Here, living among the Ddaerans, the original inhabitants of New Eden, she will discover secrets her family want to keep buried and a truth about herself that will forever change her destiny.

    He’s homeschooled by his eccentric and philosophical great-uncle, who’s a stickler for logic, reason, and intellectual honesty. Despite his uncle’s reverence for veracity, inconsistencies arise regarding the old man’s shady past and the teen’s parents.Through a harrowing sequence of events, Matt is forced to attend a public school. The feral teen finds it difficult to cope with the hypocrisy, propaganda, and misinformation that adults and children so readily accept. Faced with the possibility of expulsion, arrest, and ostracism, he must make a choice. Will he choose the easy lie or the hard truth?

    The abuse begins at age nine and doesn't end until she begins to fight back, finally, at age fourteen. Her father, a larger-than-life Norwegian, assumed full custody of Leslie and her two sisters and moved the family from their 63-acre rustic ranch in Northern California to a 45-foot sailboat in Southern California. The family spent two years living aboard their boat preparing for the trip of their father's dreams: a trip around the world. On February 5, 1975, the family set sail for French Polynesia. Intense and inspiring, Fourteen is a coming-of-age adventure story about a young girl who comes into her own power, fights back against abuse, becomes an accomplished sailor, and falls in love with the ocean and the natural world. The outer voyage is a mirror of her inner journey, and her goal is to find the strength to endure in a dangerous world, and within a difficult family.

    He is, above all, the most unlikely hero ever known. Through friendship with alien outcasts, Moojie discovers his healing powers and a surprising destiny ... if only he can survive one, last terrifying trial. Welcome to Moojie's mythical world of mayhem and merriment, where miracles are standard fare, mistaken identity is rampant, and the desire to belong can be dangerous.   From screenwriter and award-winning novelist, Robin Gregory, comes a masterful debut about family and first love--brimming with compassion, lyricism, and originality. Winner of 24 awards.

    Some are real. Some are made up. But they are the stories that tell us who we are. Without them we are nobody.Hattie's summer isn't going as planned. Her two best friends have abandoned her: Reuben has run off to Europe to 'find himself" and Kat is in Edinburgh with her new girlfriend. Meanwhile Hattie is stuck babysitting her twin siblings and dealing with endless drama around her mum's wedding. Oh, and she's also just discovered that she's pregnant with Reuben's baby.Then Gloria, Hattie's great-aunt who no one even knew existed, comes crashing into her life. Gloria's fiercely independent, rather too fond of a gin sling and is in the early stages of dementia. Together the two of them set out on a road trip of self-discovery — Gloria to finally confront the secrets of her past before they are erased from her memory forever and Hattie to face the hard choices that will determine her future.Non Pratt's Trouble meets Thelma and Louise with a touch of Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey, Clare Furniss' remarkable How Not To Disappear is an emotional rollercoaster of a novel that will make you laugh and break your heart.

    Stripped of everything that made life a swanky, booze and babe-filled breeze, Josh embarks on a grueling and often hilarious two-year regimen of self-discipline that targets his mind, body, and spirit.Along the way, skeptics mock him; his own past taunts him; and saboteurs resolve to stop him. But Josh is determined to complete his "bucket list from hell," and prove that who he was is not as important as who he can become.Operating in unfamiliar territory, Josh turns to a cast of quirky characters to aid him on his secret journey; persons he'd have previously shunned. Upbeat and inspiring, The Will is an enthralling story of goofs and grit, of the regenerative power of friendship--and if Josh doesn't blow it--real love.

    My younger brother is getting worse, and my job - my duty - is to help him at all costs. We’ve tried everything modern medicine has to offer and nothing works. Nothing. Deciding to turn to unconventional treatments, we end up at Fire-on-the-Mountain, a holistic resort deep in the Rockies. In our search for medical marijuana, I find beautiful, free-spirited Hudson Shavell - a girl who may not only hold the key to heal my brother, but to fix me as well. Even though I can’t afford distractions right now, she’s all I can think about. All that I want. It’s funny how everything can change with one little SPARK.

    A shy child, Jenn turned to film because, unlike life, there can always be a do-over. Really Professional Internet Person offers both an insider's guide to building a successful YouTube channel and an intimate portrait of the surreality of insta-fame and the harsh reality of high school. Brimming with honesty, heart and Jenn's patented sense of humor, Really Professional Internet Person features top ten lists, photos, screenshots, social media posts and never-before-posted stories chronicling Jenn's journey from an anxious middle-schooler just trying to fit in, to a YouTube sensation unafraid to stand out.

    That one moment where you could have chosen a path that would lead you down a certain road. A different life. It was easier to pretend that we were still best friends, and that she was my girl and I was her boy. Pretending was better than knowing the truth...I. Ruined. Us.I had her. I lost her. I love her.All I did was complicate us.STANDALONE series. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Strong language and sexual content, not intended for readers under 18.

    As the number of balloons grew, his mother fell deeper into alcoholism, drinking away her sorrows every night in front of the television, where her love of Regis Philbin provided a respite from the sadness around her. When their house was foreclosed upon, Kenny's mother absconded with him and his beloved dog and fled for the Arizona desert, joining her heroin-addicted brother on a quixotic search for a better life. What followed was an outlaw adolescence spent in constant upheaval surrounded by bizarre characters and drug-addicted souls. In the wake of unspeakable loss, Kenny convinced a college to take a chance on him, and turned to the mentors, writers, and poets he found to rebuild the family he lost, and eventually graduated from the Ivy League with a new life. Porpora's memoir is the story of a deeply dysfunctional but loving family, and follows his life from the chaos of his youth to his triumphs in the Ivy League. At times darkly comic, at times elegiac, The Autumn Balloon is a beautifully written testament to the irreplaceable bonds of family, even under the most trying circumstances, and one that marks the debut of an exciting new writer.

    It was just like when they went to get their hair cut for Locks of Love; only one of them walked out with a new hairstyle, and it wasn’t Pansy. But Pansy never got the chance to make it up to Anna. While at camp, Anna contracted meningitis and a dangerously high fever, and she hasn’t been the same since. Now all Pansy wants is her best friend back—not the silent girl in the wheelchair who has to go to a special school and who can’t do all the things Pansy used to chicken out of doing. So when Pansy discovers that Anna is getting a surgery that might cure her, Pansy realizes this is her chance—she’ll become the friend she always should have been. She’ll become the best friend Anna’s ever had—even if it means taking risks, trying new things (like those scary roller skates), and running herself ragged in the process.Pansy’s chasing extraordinary, hoping she reaches it in time for her friend’s triumphant return. But what lies at the end of Pansy’s journey might not be exactly what she had expected—or wanted.

    Lila Velez desperately wants to lose her virginity before the troops visit her town and take it away by force. She makes plans to seduce her only friend. Lila does not love him, but he is the only man who has shown her true affection, an affection she is willing to take as a substitute for love.Lila hides a secret that will bring her closer to Aleksey Fürst, a foreign, broody man who she distrusts because of his links to the troops and his rough, yet irresistible appearance. He offers Lila an alternative to her plans, a possibility that terrifies her…and tempts her in spite of herself.With threats looming at every turn and no way to escape, Lila fears that falling in love will only lead to more heartache. The consequences of laying down her arms for Aleksey and welcoming hope might destroy more than her heart. They might force her to face the worst of her nightmares becoming a reality. Is love possible in a world that has forgotten what the human touch is?

    Infused with laughter, tears, love, loss, and hope, the story follows fourteen-year-old cousins Nettie, J.D. Eric, and Sam as they navigate the summer of their discontent, struggle with the physical and emotional turbulence of puberty and disappearing childhood, feel the excitement of first love, and run for their lives after they uncover an evil secret hidden in the shadows of the small town they love. Their story promises to stay with you a lifetime.

    Through a computer screen, a high-school boy falls in love with his oldest friend; in a dorm room, a college boy opens up to his newest. At a hospital, a young man looks into his future; on snowy Cape Cod, he connects with his past. In the passenger seat of his car, a grown man seizes the day with a soldier; under summer fireworks, he shares his story.Ollie shows us how even the most ordinary days can move us in profound ways. In "The Youth & Young Loves of Oliver Wade," we see that our lives may be just a series of moments, but it's these moments that become our momentum.A stand-alone companion to "The Painting of Porcupine City."

    SEX. LIES. From New York Times best selling author Cassia Leo, comes a tumultuous love story filled with secrets and betrayal. Five pages... A letter holding a secret buried for more than five years... A secret neither of them wanted to know. Will the truth tear them apart… again?Aurora “Rory” Charles has loved her best friend Hallie’s brother, Houston Cavanaugh, since she was eleven years old. But her friendship with Hallie meant too much to her to risk taking a chance with Houston. Until one snowy afternoon, Houston and Rory find themselves thrust together by the grief of Hallie’s death, catapulting them into a passionate and toxic relationship that will test the boundaries of their loyalty to each other and to Hallie’s memory, ultimately, leaving them in ruins.Five years later, Houston and Rory run into each other and, to Rory’s horror, Houston doesn’t recognize her. She hasn’t changed much, but he certainly has. He’s still as sexy as he was five years ago when he broke her heart, but time, grief, and a loveless marriage have dulled his vibrance. The moment he recognizes Rory, all his memories and long-buried passion and secrets come rushing to the surface. And Houston finds himself once again choosing between the secret of Hallie’s letter and the only girl he’s ever loved.

    If Maps ruled the world, his best pal would still be living next door, and there wouldn’t be any gap-toothed new guy staring at him as if he’s bonkers.Pity Maps doesn’t rule the world . . .

    She lives in San Diego with a husband she adores, and they are trying to adopt a baby because they can't have a child on their own. But the process of adoption brings to light many questions about Molly's past and her family—the family she left behind in North Carolina twenty years before. The mother she says is dead but who is very much alive. The father she adored and whose death sent her running from the small community of Morrison's Ridge. Her own birth mother whose mysterious presence in her family raised so many issues that came to a head. The summer of twenty years ago changed everything for Molly and as the past weaves together with the present story, Molly discovers that she learned to lie in the very family that taught her about pretending. If she learns the truth about her beloved father's death, can she find peace in the present to claim the life she really wants?

    The moss-covered cypress trees are a canopy of protection for the thoughts that are her own. Slowly, a gentle, insistent ripple of difference stirs within her. A ripple that leads her away from her mother's Southern Baptist values to thoughts that betray the very core of what she believes is right and wrong. When she leaves the bayou for medical school the ripple expands until she is knocked unsteady by a powerful wave in the charismatic Samantha LeJeune. But when tragedy strikes back home, the pull of cross currents traps Rayne in what seems an insurmountable struggle between her heart, which now knows the true meaning of happiness, and doing what she has been taught all her life. Is she strong enough to keep navigating through unfamiliar but thrilling waters or will she give in and paddle down the path of least resistance? When it Raynes was originally released in General Contemporary Lesbian Fiction for which it received a 2015 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention and was a 2016 Golden Crown Literary Society Finalist for the Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award. For as proud as CD Cain was of the story, she always felt she left something missing from the original publication. So, she went back to the keyboard and revised the powerful love story of Rayne and Sam to publish as a Lesbian Romance with Fleur-De-Lis Books.

    Who cares if he doesn’t know any other gay people? Bradley has friends and basketball—that’s all he needs. Even if that means always sitting on the sidelines when the guys go out looking for girls.When cute film-boy TJ tries to flirt with Bradley while his friends are doing their thing, he freaks. Yeah, he’s gay, but he’s never had the opportunity to go out with a boy before. He’s never had to worry about how his friends will react to seeing him with a guy.Bradley accompanies TJ on a road trip to film TJ’s senior project documentary. In each city they visit, they meet with people from different walks of life, and Bradley learns there’s a whole lot more to being honest about himself than just coming out. He still has to figure out who he really is, and learn to be okay with what he discovers.

    However, the longer she stays with Jo and Lydia, the more they start to feel like a real family. But each of the three women is keeping secrets from the others that threaten to destroy the lives they’ve come to know.Honor’s secret threatens to rob her of the independence she’s guarded ferociously for eighty years.Jo’s secret could destroy the “normal” family life she’s fought so hard to build and maintain.Lydia’s secret could bring her love―or the loss of everything that matters most to her.One summer’s day, grandmother, mother and daughter’s secrets will be forced out in the open in a single dramatic moment that leaves them all asking: is there such a thing as second chances?

    Take it from someone who learned the hard way: nineteen-year-old Lysander Shepherd – son of movie stars, spoiled brat, enthusiastic proponent of drugs and orgies... and now, unwilling resident of Oak Hill Manor, a retreat for troubled teenagers.Before he knows what's happening, his designer duds have been switched for tie-dye shirts in therapy team colors, and he is surrounded by an assortment of misfits: a timid nerd, a mute girl, a hyperactive kid... and captivating loner Cai Fields, who is admittedly pretty hot, but seems to hate the world in general and Lysander in particular.Soon Lysander struggles with lies, withdrawal, and several uncomfortable revelations that he never intended to make, but he also gains surprising amounts of support right in the middle of secret late-night parties, fisticuffs over doing the dishes, and, of all things, croissant blackmail. Even as Cai and Lysander finally give in to the irresistible attraction between them and make a grasp for happiness, their darkest secrets remain – secrets with the power to destroy everything they've fought so hard to have.

    But as their neighborhood goes from rough-and-tumble to up-and-coming, suddenly filled with pretty coffee shops and boutiques, Nikki is thrilled while Maya feels like their home is slipping away. Suddenly, the sisters who had always shared everything must confront their dissenting feelings on the importance of their ethnic and cultural identities and, in the process, learn to separate themselves from the long shadow of their identity as twins.In her inspired YA debut, Renée Watson explores the experience of young African-American women navigating the traditions and expectations of their culture.

    They had no idea that a deeply confused fourteen-year-old boy was watching. Their dyed hair, fishnets, and eyeliner were his first evidence of another world—a place he desperately wanted to go. He just had no idea how to get there.Somehow David Crabb had convinced himself that every guy preferred French-braiding his girlfriend’s hair to making out, and that the funny feelings he got watching Silver Spoons and Growing Pains had nothing to do with Ricky Schroeder or Kirk Cameron. But discovering George Michael’s Faith confirmed for David what every bully already knew: he was gay. Surviving high school, with its gym classes, locker rooms, and naked, glistening senior guys, would require impossible feats of denial. What saved him was finding a group of outlandish friends who reveled in being outsiders. David found himself enmeshed with misfits: wearing black, cutting class, staying out all night, drinking, tripping, chain-smoking, idolizing The Smiths, Pet Shop Boys, and Joy Division—and learning lessons about life and love along the way.Richly detailed with 80s pop-culture, and including black and white photos throughout, Bad Kid is as laugh-out-loud funny as it is poignant. Crabb’s journey through adolescence captures the essence of every person’s struggle to understand his or her true self.

    She may not have had much direction, but she loved her family and had plenty of fun. Then Lizzie’s vlog turned the Bennet sisters into Internet sensations, and Lydia basked in the attention as people watched, debated, tweeted, tumblr’d, and blogged about her life. But not all attention is good…After her ex-boyfriend, George Wickham took advantage of Lydia’s newfound web-fame, betrayed her trust, and destroyed her online reputation, she’s no longer a naïve, carefree girl. Now, Lydia must work to win back her family’s trust and respect and find her place in a far more judgmental world.Told in Lydia’s distinctive, eccentric, and endearing voice, The Epic Adventures of Lydia Bennet picks up right where The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet left off and “offers a fresh take on Pride and Prejudice without ruining it” (The Washington Post, on The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet). Featuring fresh twists, wonderful new characters, and scores of hilarious texts, doodles, and tweets, The Epic Adventures of Lydia Bennet takes you behind the webcam and into the lives of your favorite sisters in a way that’s sure to satisfy existing fans and delight new ones.

    Ten-year-old Ana Jurić is a carefree tomboy who runs the streets of Croatia's capital with her best friend, Luka, takes care of her baby sister, Rahela, and idolizes her father. But as civil war breaks out across Yugoslavia, soccer games and school lessons are supplanted by sniper fire and air raid drills. When tragedy suddenly strikes, Ana is lost to a world of guerilla warfare and child soldiers; a daring escape plan to America becomes her only chance for survival.Ten years later Ana is a college student in New York. She's been hiding her past from her boyfriend, her friends, and most especially herself. Haunted by the events that forever changed her family, she returns alone to Croatia, where she must rediscover the place that was once her home and search for the ghosts of those she's lost.

    No, not because his mom died—although she did, and it sucks. But he wears the suit for his gig at the local funeral home, which pays way better than the Cluck Bucket, and he needs the income since his dad can’t handle the bills (or anything, really) on his own. So while Dad’s snagging bottles of whiskey, Matt’s snagging fifteen bucks an hour. Not bad. But everything else? Not good. Then Matt meets Lovey. She’s got a crazy name, and she’s been through more crazy than he can imagine. Yet Lovey never cries. She’s tough. Really tough. Tough in the way Matt wishes he could be. Which is maybe why he’s drawn to her, and definitely why he can’t seem to shake her. Because there’s nothing more hopeful than finding a person who understands your loneliness—and who can maybe even help take it away.

    She is restless, curious, and wry. She listens to Black Flag, speaks her mind, and joins her grandmother’s fight against mountaintop removal mining almost in spite of herself. “I write by ear,” says Robert Gipe, and Dawn’s voice is the essence of his debut novel, Trampoline. Jagged and honest, Trampoline is a portrait of a place struggling with the economic and social forces that threaten and define it. Inspired by oral tradition and punctuated by Gipe’s raw and whimsical drawings, it is above all about its heroine, Dawn, as she decides whether to save a mountain or save herself; be ruled by love or ruled by anger; remain in the land of her birth or run for her life.

    My dreams of college, career, boyfriend(s), love, marriage, and family were all within reach.Then out of nowhere it literally and figuratively blew up in my face, causing me to crash and burn.After the incident, I existed in the darkness, hidden away from the rude stares, and ugly comments. But my heart clung to my dreams, so I forced myself out of the shadows. What I found in the light were two special boys who would change my life forever.Risher fulfilled my dreams.Benton fulfilled my purpose.Both made my life extraordinary.*Hidden Scars was previously published under the title Stop.**This book contains sensitive subject matter.

    They can never know how much he struggles just to get through each day, overwhelmed by the pain and loss of everyone around him. As he fights a constant battle to control the gifts that threaten to push him over the edge, he dreads the day his world will look to him to fulfill a prophecy that he doesn’t even believe in.  As Aidan’s equal, Allie Carmichael endures the same isolation, but in complete ignorance of her true nature. When she meets Gavin, Allie sees a tiny glimmer of the life she wants to live, and the person she wants to be, but her instincts tell her it will never work.  Allie and Aidan have led parallel lives on opposite ends of the earth, but their paths are about to converge. With others making decisions for them, will they ever truly understand the immeasurable power they posses, or the prophecy that might not be about Aidan after all?

    After a turbulent few months, a spot of quiet in the countryside is just what she needs. A shoulder to cry on wouldn't go amiss either - so when Daisy comes across Elaine and Jo, she breathes a sigh of relief. But her new friends are dealing with dramas of their own… As Daisy wrestles the garden into something resembling order, her feelings for handsome Irishman George begin to take root. Daisy’s heart’s desire − her parent’s garden − is under threat, and Daisy's forced to confront nosey neighbours and fight greedy developers. Village life is turning out to be far from peaceful.

    It was inspired by the diary entries of young English blacksmith John Jewitt during his time aboard the brigantine The Boston and also during his sojourn at Nootka Sound, on North America's western seaboard, from 1802 to 1805.Written by father-and-son writing team Lance & James Morcan (authors of The World Duology and The Orphan Trilogy), INTO THE AMERICAS is a tale of two vastly different cultures – Indigenous North American and European civilization – colliding head on. It is also a Romeo and Juliet story set in the wilderness.Nineteen year-old blacksmith John Jewitt is one of only two survivors after his crewmates clash with the fierce Mowachaht tribe in the Pacific Northwest. A life of slavery awaits John and his fellow survivor, a belligerent American sailmaker, in a village ruled by the iron fist of Maquina, the all-powerful chief. Desperate to taste freedom again, they make several doomed escape attempts over mountains and sea. Only their value to the tribe and John’s relationship with Maquina prevents their captors from killing them.As the seasons pass, John ‘goes Indian’ after falling in love with Eu-stochee, a beautiful maiden. This further alienates him from his fellow captive whose defiance leads to violent consequences. In the bloodshed that follows, John discovers another side to himself – a side he never knew existed and a side he detests. His desire to be reunited with the family and friends he left behind returns even stronger than before.The stakes rise when John learns Eu-stochee is pregnant. When a final opportunity to escape arises, he must choose between returning to civilization or staying with Eu-stochee and their newborn son.

    Together, they achieve this goal by robbing drunken sailors in the brothel district of the city—until one night they accidently kill their victim. To avoid arrest, they leave the city, conning their way into an island school that only accepts boys with squeaky-clean pasts. But the pressure of keeping their stories straight soon fractures their friendship—and when the cracks begin to show, they find out that they are not as safe from the law as they had hoped.

    But fate had something else in mind Soron and Velaina left the royal life behind, with all its intrigues and dangers, for the small village of Elderwood. For fourteen years, they lived a peaceful and simple life, until one day their son Nathan showed signs of possessing magical abilities, and all their plans were thrown into question. Before they could share their secret pasts with their son, a tragic series of missteps by an ambitious duke leads to tragedy. Nathan's quest finds him pitted against deadly bandits, vicious mythical creatures, and a northern king who will either kill him or call him grandson. Watch as the young boy leaves a sheltered childhood and enters into perilous adventures with life or death situations threatening his very existence.

    "The Sage Wind blows Cold" is a finalist in Chanticleer Dante Rossetti Awards 2014, New Adult Thriller. Author Clint Hollingsworth studied tracking under Tom Brown, Jr., consultant on Benicio Del Toro's "The Hunted" and is a black belt in Goju Ryu karate. "Bagging a killer should have been the end of it, but it was only the beginning. Young tracker Mackenzie Crow, working at his uncle’s bounty hunting business, is ambivalent when an old flame pleads for help. Not sure where he stands with Kailee, Mac soon finds out: she is married to his old rival and has kept this from him in order to solicit his expertise. Once in the woods with the Search and Rescue team, Mac comes into his element and within a short time has found both the lost child’s trail and something completely unexpected: a strange set of tracks following the girl. Before this is through, he will be hunted by a psychopath and a cadre of mercenaries, all wanting to remove Crow from the land of the living."

    During the election, the boys are paid by the Small Party to cause trouble. When their attempt to burn down the opposition’s local headquarters ends in disaster, Dantala must run for his life, leaving his best friend behind. He makes his way to a mosque that provides him with food, shelter, and guidance. With his quick aptitude and modest nature, Dantala becomes a favored apprentice to the mosque’s sheikh. Before long, he is faced with a terrible conflict of loyalties, as one of the sheikh’s closest advisors begins to raise his own radical movement. When bloodshed erupts in the city around him, Dantala must decide what kind of Muslim—and what kind of man—he wants to be. Told in Dantala’s naïve, searching voice, this astonishing debut explores the ways in which young men are seduced by religious fundamentalism and violence.

     Gemma Lennon has spent nearly all of her 21 years focused on one thing: winning a Grand Slam. After a disastrous and very public scandal and subsequent loss at the Australian Open, Gemma is now laser-focused on winning the French Open. Nothing, and no one, will derail her shot at winning until a heated chance encounter with brilliant and sexy Andre Reyes threatens to throw her off her game. Breaking her own rules, Gemma begins a whirlwind romance with Andre who shows her that love and a life off the court might be the real prize. With him, she learns to trust and love at precisely the worst time in her career. The pressure from her home country, fans, and even the Prime Minister to be the first British woman to win in nearly four decades weighs heavily. As Wimbledon begins, fabricated and sensationalized news about them spreads, fueling the paparazzi, and hurting her performance. Now, she must reconsider everything because in the high-stakes game of love, anyone can be the enemy within...even lovers and even friends.

    For Jackson Roanoke, the greatest consequence of his parents’ divorce was watching his mother drive away with his twin brother Ben, putting thousands of miles between them. Eight years later and with college looming, Jackson is tasked with reroofing his father’s house. After a tempting offer of help from a young man, Jackson finds himself caught up in a growing attraction he’s hesitant to embrace. But when his brother Ben reappears at the front door, Jackson is confronted by more than he’s prepared for. Brought together by circumstance, the estranged brothers are forced to navigate a relationship that persists only in their memories. Marked by the heat of a Midwest summer and rolling wheat fields, the short months are punctuated by scattered moments of closeness between the two brothers, hinting at the possibility of rekindling the connection they once shared.

    I vow that I will never forget her kindness to me, and I will use this book as she told me to—that I will write in it with truth and refinement…But who could be refined living at Steeple Farm?Fourteen-year-old Joan Skraggs, just like the heroines in her beloved novels, yearns for real life and true love. But what hope is there for adventure, beauty, or art on a hardscrabble farm in Pennsylvania where the work never ends? Over the summer of 1911, Joan pours her heart out into her diary as she seeks a new, better life for herself—because maybe, just maybe, a hired girl cleaning and cooking for six dollars a week can become what a farm girl could only dream of—a woman with a future. Inspired by her grandmother’s journal, Newbery Medalist Laura Amy Schlitz brings her sharp wit and keen eye to early twentieth-century America in a comedic tour de force destined to become a modern classic. Joan’s journey from the muck of the chicken coop to the comforts of a society household in Baltimore (Electricity! Carpet sweepers! Sending out the laundry!) takes its reader on an exploration of feminism and housework, religion and literature, love and loyalty, cats, hats, bunions, and burns.

    She says and does what she likes without regard for hurt feelings on the way. Living in the 1840s in rural Pennsylvania, her passionate, impulsive behavior confounds her sisters and appalls her peers. Life only gets more complicated when Tatiana befriends Jonny Creek, a mischievous young man whose Native American blood puts him on the fringes of society. Jonny is trouble; Tatiana is intrigued. Together they spell out disaster. From being chased by wolves, to bashing around fancy gatherings, the unlikely pair get into one scrape after another. When tragedy strikes the Bergman family, Tatiana is compelled to leave the security of her childhood home to live in the bustling city of Philadelphia. There, she is forced into adulthood as she deals with a mysterious young co-worker and an unsavory employer. Tatiana struggles to subdue her wild spirit and keep her heart pure while making the right choices and wrestling with her own selfish nature. As Tatiana matures into a confident young woman she finds herself in a battle of her will between two young men and the God she serves.

    From her aunt’s oppressive household, from memories of her messed-up childhood, and out of her Southeast Washington DC neighborhood where everyone seems to be going nowhere fast. Then she meets Skylar, whose life couldn’t be more different from her own; and lands a job in an affluent part of the city where privileged young men and women live rarefied lives, and seem to have everything but appreciate nothing at all. Deeply intrigued by the stylish, carefree—but sometimes selfish and callous—Skylar, Trinity manages to blend seamlessly into her new friend’s world, relieved that no one notices that she’s different. Until someone does. With good-looks, talent, and a bright future, Ethan, Skylar’s boyfriend also has a discerning artist’s eye. He knows there’s much more to Trinity than she’s telling. But as Ethan gets close figuring out Trinity’s secrets, he just may find that Skylar has a few of her own.

    Shrinkwrapped Pack Of 3 Books In The Delirium Trilogy By Lauren Oliver - Delirium, Requiem, Pandemonium - Cover Images Are As Shown

    Has Naila’s fate been written in the stars? Or can she still make her own destiny?Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.

    Sophie wanted to be a movie star. Her mother said not to worry about it—Aunt Daphne was daffy. When Sophie is called to the reading of Daphne’s Will, she is given a pair of glasses that will change her life. But that’s not all she acquires. Along with the glasses, Sophie ‘inherits’ a protector—the handsome and powerful Lukas Lens; plus brooding Detective Murdoch Ashcroft who is keen for Sophie to fill her aunt’s shoes and put her talents to work for him. Sophie has to decide if she will focus on her acting career or explore her new-found clairvoyant skills. But danger lurks around the corner...

    You’re born. You live. You die. She has no cause to believe that equation works differently for her, but there has to be a reason the world treats her like a pariah. When an unexpected move to Kelleys Island brings Aidan McBrien crashing into her life, Allie is thrown by his reaction. He doesn’t shrink from her touch. He doesn’t stutter or make a quick exit. He smiles and welcomes her into his circle of friends, who aren’t exactly comfortable with Allie, but they seem to get her in a way most people don’t. Finally, Allie has a real shot at normal and rides that high right up to her sixteenth birthday when she wakes in agony—an experience Aidan insists they have all faced. She struggles in ignorance, uncertain of what is real and what isn’t. When she emerges, Allie is different. She has always been different, but even among her extraordinary friends, she and Aidan are special. As Allie struggles to maintain her tenuous grasp on the power that threatens to overwhelm her, she worries she will lose herself in this strange new world. A dangerous world where she will have to fight tooth and nail to defend the power and freedom that is her birthright. …only Allie hates to fight.

    Blonde, stick-thin Bridget is training for a triathalon. Vonn is working out her teenage rebellion at eight thousand feet, driven by family obligation and the urge to escape her mistakes. Still reeling from the tragic accident that robbed him of his best friend, Wolf Truly is the only experienced hiker among them, but he has come to the cliffs on his eighteenth birthday without food or supplies because he plans to take his own life.When a series of missteps strands this unusual group together in the wilderness, they soon realize that their only defense against the brutality of nature is one another. As one day without rescue spirals dramatically into the next, and misadventure turns to nightmare, these four broken souls begin to form an inextricable bond, pushing themselves and one another further than they ever could have dreamed possible. The three who make it home alive will be forever changed by their harrowing days on the mountain.From the New York Times bestselling author of The Girls, The Mountain Story is a fast-paced, suspenseful adventure and a gorgeous tribute to the resilience of the human spirit. Braving a landscape both unforgivingly harsh and breathtakingly beautiful, Nola, Bridget, Vonn, and Wolf find themselves faced with an impossible question: How much will they sacrifice for a stranger?

    Rachel has always found solace in her beliefs, but now she can’t shake the feeling that her devotion might destroy her soul.

    But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?

    Clair tries to ignore the ugly junk, choosing instead to dream of a future beyond her rural New Hampshire town. But when a black dog named Wally is chained up to a pole in the yard next door, Clair can’t look the other way. Because Wally isn’t just another piece of trash.Clair takes it upon herself to save Wally, and the immediate connection she has with the lovable dog catches her off-guard. Even more surprising is her developing relationship with eighteen-year-old Danny Stewart, a boy trying to escape the violent storm cloud that hangs over his family.Over the course of one fateful spring in rural New Hampshire, two teenagers will ask: Doesn’t everyone—and every dog—deserve a chance at happiness?

    A suspicion. A shattered heart. Ripley Bradford’s world is torn apart. Her lover and best friend, Joe, has mysteriously disappeared without trace, and everything points to her father, who she suspects has been involved in foul-play in the past. Years pass, and with the realisation that Joe is gone forever, Ripley marries. Her husband, Alex, is a controlling, manipulative bully who gives her everything money can buy, but no love. She had doubts on her wedding day and escapes with her life only a few months later. Settling for a life alone, a family secret is revealed threatening once more to break her heart. Only one person can unlock the past and set Ripley free to love again. If you like riveting, fast paced romance fiction, you’ll love Jacqui Penn’s dramatic look at lost love. Download this free book today and discover how a burning secret can set your world ablaze. What people say about Ripley: “BRILLIANT! Just finished it and I have a huge lump in the back of my throat.” “I really liked the story and rooted for the main characters throughout.” “Great read… couldn't stop once I started.” “I loved this book! Didn't want it to finish.” “A lovely romantic read with lots of twists and great characters.”

    She isn’t sure where she can turn and is facing a lot of harsh realities about how life works. Richard wants to help, but he discovers that he’s been doing the right things for the wrong reasons for a long time. Everything begins to fall apart as he realizes he's swept problems under the rug for so long he might no longer be able to fix them. Can they overcome and get a second chance?

    But when her dad is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Missy is forced to step up and take over as his primary caregiver and the principal of the firm.After her father’s death, Missy finds a letter from him in which he praises her for being a dutiful daughter but admonishes her for not taking any risks in life.Devastated, Missy packs her suitcase and heads for Italy. There she meets a new friend who proposes a radical idea. Soon, Missy finds herself in impoverished India, signing away her inheritance and betting on a risky plan while rekindling a lost love.The Light of Hidden Flowers is a deeply felt story of accepting who we are while pushing our boundaries to see how much more we can become. It’s a reminder that it’s never too late to pursue our dreams.

    This book is dark. If you have issues with abuse, deep-seated psychological issues, steamy sex scenes and bad language please take that into consideration before reading. 18+ Enjoy!**Unconditional love and unredeemable souls, not everyone can be saved.Synopsis:Madison Harper is no stranger to monsters. After surviving an unimaginable childhood, she fights her past every day and dreams of working for the FBI to protect the innocent from monsters like her own father. Her plans are clear: finish her PhD, then join the next class of trainees. Her father’s escape fast forwards her plans. The two agents assigned to protect and instruct Madison offer her so much more than she ever expected. They teach her about love and pain, trust and loss. But not everyone can or should be saved. Will Madison avoid being her father’s last Beautiful Masterpiece?

    Jocelyn Albrecht is one such Black Swan. Infected by the biotechnology her parents sought to develop, she has become human enhanced—an H+.The accident that gave Jocelyn new powers also killed her family. In their place she is raised at Camp Holliwell by her "uncle”—a government funded scientist—and his league of doctors who study and test Jocelyn daily in the hopes of learning how to replicate her. The military has another goal in mind—to make her an asset. After losing one family and the home where she belonged, Jocelyn strives to keep her Holliwell family happy, as odd as they might be. That is until she finds out the truth…Uncle Laurence is using her as a guinea pig, her brother and sister are still alive, and she doesn’t have long to live.Now Jocelyn only cares about finding her real family. The problem—breaking out of a highly classified, military facility before the next experiment kills her.Seth Johnson had nothing left to lose when he volunteered to go to Camp Holliwell. Now he would do anything to get out. He wants to help Jocelyn escape, but with a target on both of them, survival means he needs to look out for number one.Georgie Washington is a straight A student and only child of middle class Virginians. Raised on civil rights and the horrors of American slavery, Georgie has a keen sense of what’s right and what’s not. She secretly befriends Jocelyn, and when no one else will help, commits to breaking her out of Camp Holliwell. Graeme Rochester knows something is wrong, he just hasn’t figured out the connection to his family. One thing he does know—he would do anything to keep them safe. When the world at Camp Holliwell threatens that safety, Graeme wants to know why, even if it means a collision course with the government’s best-kept secret.These four people, from vastly different worlds, learn the true meaning of friendship and sacrifice when unpredictable events once again collide, and create the possibility of another Black Swan.

    All named after jewels and the months they were born. Being the youngest in an all girl family isn't easy. It sucks. It's hard to stand out in a sea of high heels. So when she meets Archie Leopold Smathers in the fifth grade, he seems like the perfect friend; a guy and an only child. Who could ask for more? Senior year, and they're still best friends. It's been a give and take relationship full of comic book mayhem, video games, and sneaking across lawns. Until an embarrassing experience with the star quarterback has eighteen-year-old Amethyst asking Leo to take her virginity, and it puts a whole new spin on their friendship. Can their friendship survive beyond the boundaries of desire and unexpected revelations? Thursday night dance confessions, a neighborhood full of quirky characters, and a comic book store full of off-the-wall advice will teach these two about life, love, sex, and each other in a way they never expected. It takes more than one person to help Amethyst find herself. It takes a neighborhood. Excerpt: "You know something?" he asked. I peered at him, our eyes clashing before sliding away. "You can always count on me. You do know that, right?" My heart heavy, I studied his profile. "You can always count on me, too." Leo had been spending most of our friendship protecting me from things, and that scared me. What happens to a friendship when that protection is gone? NOTE: This is a coming of age new adult book that contains adult language and content.

    Confessional and provocative, their memoir is also a touching meditation on ambition, absence and family that will resonate with every parent and child who've ever struggled to connect and understand each other. Kevin Newman wanted to be a family man in an era when fathers are expected to be more engaged than ever before; he also wanted to reach the top of a profession that demands 24/7 commitment. The higher he climbed, the more irreconcilable those aspirations seemed. Meanwhile, his artistic, solitary son, Alex, was wrestling with his own competing ambitions: to be the sporty, popular son his dad wanted, and to be true to himself. Paradoxically, their attempts to live up to expectations--their own, and each other's--were driving them apart. Then, two parallel identity crises forced a reckoning. Kevin reached the summit of American network television, becoming co-host of Good Morning America--where he was instructed to develop a "quarterback" persona and change his accent, mannerisms, personality, hairstyle and everything else that made him Kevin. At the same time, Alex was realizing he was gay, but frantically trying to mask and change that fact. Both felt like failures and hungered for one another's approval, but didn't know how to bridge their differences. Today, a decade later, they retrace their steps (and missteps) to reinventing their relationship and becoming one another's role models for what it means to be a man in our culture. All Out is a moving chronicle of all the ways that fathers and sons misunderstand and disappoint one another--and a powerful reminder that they can become closer not despite their differences, but because of them.

    Pursued by Hunters, an elite group of humans tasked with extinguishing the entire shifter species, Tess stumbles upon a safe haven. Due to a long-standing feud, she receives an icy reception. Determined to reunite with her loved ones, she reluctantly accepts the help of, Nate, a werewolf. The attraction to Nate is instantaneous, and Tess finds herself trusting him despite his packs archaic beliefs and traditions. Werecats can’t be trusted. They are the enemy. That’s the motto Nate Tucker grew up with, but when he meets Tess, he can’t help but feel protective of the beautiful feline. He knows that he shouldn’t care about her, and he definitely shouldn’t be attracted to her, let alone desire her, but the feelings are undeniable. Tasked with escorting her to a nearby pride, Nate must fight his passion for Tess. An interspecies romance is strictly forbidden. But as they unravel secrets from the past and discover new threats, a taboo romance is the least of their concerns.

    It's been a good life, too -- she mounts her wealthy students on European warmbloods, competes her horses on Florida's rigorous A-circuit, and runs the nicest barn in the neighborhood. Then, suddenly, it's the only barn in the neighborhood. As Grace's country town becomes a sun-drenched playground of pools and golf courses, she vows that no bulldozer will ever touch her farm. With her neighbors selling their farms and moving to more isolated corners of Florida, she finds herself fighting off land-hungry developers alone -- until Kennedy comes along. Kennedy is everything Grace doesn't want around her bustling show barn -- a pleasure rider who would rather wander in the woods than tackle a show-jumping course. Kennedy might make for an unlikely sidekick, but she's just the inspiration Grace needs to fight back against the developers who want to bulldoze her corner of Floridian wilderness -- and, eventually, against the wilderness itself.

    Rather than dealing with the fall-out, she locks herself in her studio and works tirelessly toward completing her art school portfolio. Unfortunately, fate isn't done with Daly quite yet. Time and time again, a handsome stranger refuses to be ignored, forcing her to come to grips with the loss she's been harboring for years and to trust herself to love again. Their whirlwind romance transports her from the drab Midwest straight to the bold and colorful capitol city of India where a slew of quirky characters cast a stark contrast to her world at home. Will Daly continue to fade into the background of her own life, or will her journey transform her into exactly who she needs to be? A Colorful Life Drawn in Broken Crayon weaves a tale of friendship, ambition, and adventure while illustrating that sometimes what we want the least is what we need the most.

    Feral! If I had a shilling for every time a Scott Street boy said he was doing something when he was doing something else entirely I’d be living in Cardiff in a house made of Lardy cake. What did I say? Bad things will happen!’The idea of the war coming to their small, impoverished Welsh mining village always seemed remote, but with one explosive event and the arrival of the Americans preparing for the invasion of France, the people of Treherbert find their world turned upside down.But war brings distrust, lies and danger. And as the villagers find themselves hopelessly divided, Anthony, an 11-year-old who hasn’t had a pair of shoes in years, is going to have to choose between what is popular and what is right.Joyous, thrilling and nostalgic, Emma Kennedy’s Shoes For Anthony will have you wiping your eyes one moment and beaming from ear-to-ear the next.

    Born a lowly peasant girl, Mae has to come to terms with being the only person left in the world with the ability to use magic. Can Mae face her destiny, and rid the kingdom of Aegunlund from its oppressors? Book One - White Hart Mae never asked to be craft-born. She never wanted that burden. The realm needs magic again, and the the King of Aegunlund has been waiting for the first craft-born girl to marry his son, Prince Casimir. In Mae's town of Halts-Walden, the ambitious miller claims his daughter Ellen is craft-born. Mae knows this is a load of hogwash, but she's glad Ellen will have the unfortunate pleasure of becoming queen instead of her. All she has to do is sit back and wait until Casimir and Ellen are married, then she will finally be free of the threat of her fate. But on that day an event so shocking and terrible occurs that Mae finds herself entering the neighbouring cursed forest on a quest she never thought she'd have to follow. Join Mae as she rides her white stag through the Waerg Woods with a pampered prince at her heels. She's out for revenge and nothing, no one, will get in her way. Book Two - Red Palace I am here when you run from me, You cannot touch me, but I make you cold. I am there in the faint of heart, But rarely with the daring, and bold. One by one the members of court fall, cursed into a deep sleep. Silence spreads through the castle, and only Mae Waylander stands. To break the curse, Mae must face a formidable opponent. She is the only one with a chance to restore order to the Red Palace, but she is unprepared for the trials that await her. She is brave at heart, but is her bravery enough? In this thrilling follow up to White Hart, Mae faces her toughest challenge yet. With temptation, fear, and evil in her path, can she complete her task? And what will she lose in doing so? Book Three - Black Crown I will survive. I will become stronger. I will reach my destiny. Weakened, but not broken, Mae must face her destiny in this thrilling conclusion to the White Hart trilogy. Heroic Mae Waylander travels across the desert in search of a way to defeat the tyrannical king and stop him finding immortality. With dangerous beasts and a war in her way, can Mae achieve her goal and set the kingdom of Aegunlund free?

    It was as if everything else in my world muted: the album my band was about to release, the coast-to-coast tour we were preparing for, all the adoring fans who were going to eat us up. Even the drama and bullsh*t from my bandmates couldn't bring me down when CJ was around.But he tells me I'm too young.And we're going to be thousands of miles apart.Add to it, his adoring fans will drop to their knees for him.So what's a girl to do?At least I sill have sex, drugs, and rock & roll...An alternate cover edition can be found here.

     For ten long years young Dirk Blackthorn has followed his drunken father from one city to another, always having to cheat and steal for his next meal, and never knowing what the future might hold. A magician turned con artist, Dirk’s father Thad has taught him everything he knows. After being driven out of just about every southern city in Agora, they have come to Kell-Torey in search of a new beginning. With winter on its way, and all but a rusty coin spent on his father’s drinking, Dirk must make full use of his skills if they are to survive the harsh northern cold. As Thad descends deeper into his drunken delirium, Dirk becomes determined to make a name for himself in the city’s criminal underworld. Featuring two of Legends of Agora’s most beloved characters, Blackthorn Rising is a fast-paced coming of age tale wrought with sword and sorcery, it is a story of failure and triumph, and a testament to the unrelenting spirit of defiance and adventure within us all. FROM THE EDITOR Blackthorn Rising is a book that sticks with you. Michael Ploof’s stimulating prose and evocative cast of characters are incapable of boring you on any single page. The plot is sharp, charged with dark wit, adventure, intrigue, and emotion. Enjoy Dirk Blackthorn’s bumbling journey to manhood as he rises to become a great thief, and an even greater man. I loved every minute of editing this tale, and I know you’ll love every minute of reading it. --Holly M. Kothe, espressoeditor.com

    Starting from their shared love of theater, the girls move into a wider world that shimmers with intellectual and artistic possibility, but at the same time, is dense with threat. This unrelenting novel shines a spotlight on paradoxes of Western culture. It asks impossible questions about the media's obsession with sexual violence as it twins with a social unwillingness to look at real pain. It asks what it feels like to be a girl, simultaneously a being and a thing, feeling in a marketplace. Wherever they are whether in a dance club in El Paso or an art lecture in Vancouver these characters find themselves in a brutal landscape. This is a portrait of the recent past, seen through the cloudy lens of now, of friends struggling within self-destructive realities. Part bildungsroman, part performance, part passionate essay, part magic spell, what DOUBLE TEENAGE ultimately offers is a way to see through violence into an emotionally alive place beyond the myriad traps of girlhood.

    Cat’s mother believes magic ruins lives, and even as Cat’s passion for magic grows over the years, no one suspects she has the gift. But she has indeed inherited the coveted magic gene of her famed great-great-grandmother Mabel, a discovery she makes in a most surprising way. Cat is a witch! And when she comes across a book called The Late Bloomer’s Guide to Magic, she finds the encouragement she needs and spells that work. Then the town of Potts Bottom is threatened by a notoriously feared witch, and Cat has the chance to help her family and town—and to prove herself in the process. Because, as The Late Bloomer’s Guide to Magic proclaims, “believing in your magic and yourself is half the battle.”

    Her godfather sent her on a secretive hunt for clues and each discovery unraveled more of the puzzling otherworldly mysteries of her existence. She ultimately uncovers an astounding secret beyond her imagination, she is a blue mage, and her skills will lead her to a formidable ally, an animal bondsmate. However, instead of joy, the revelation of her magical talents has serious repercussions that include bloodshed and dark danger. As she is backed into a corner by vengeful forces intent on her destruction, Emily finds her budding gifts are the only truth that she can rely on. Thirsting for more knowledge and power, she reaches a precipice. She will have to decide whether to remain on Earth or embark on a perilous journey which involves plunging through a portal where travelers must trade in the modern world for swords and spells. This saga chronicles two planets, two times, brought together by pure passion, epic battles, and an ambitious struggle for supremacy filled with sharp steel and wonderful wizardry

    Told through the eyes of a young man who yearns to find excitement, truth, and a deeper family bond in his life, Weaver's approachable and revealing stories, lists, fragments, and memories delve into the weird, funny, and sometimes unsettling world of a midwest kid finding his own path."Thank god you can come across a writer like Troy James Weaver. In the future people will just say these stories are like Troy James Weaver stories and you'll know exactly what they mean." --Scott McClanahan "There are moments, reading Witchita Stories, where everything dropped away, and I was speechless, or at least whatever the equivalent of speechless is when you're not talking in the first place. There is a deep sadness to these stories, and humor, but most importantly, honesty. This feels real and heavy and it's just about the best thing I've read in a long time." --J. David Osborne

    He was the man that Hunter needed to emulate. The only problem is the whole story is a lie, all of it. The truth, which Hunter discovers as he begins his sophomore year of high school, is that his father has actually spent the boy’s entire life in jail, paying his debt to society, but not mending his ways. A wild mustang mare, is rounded up by the BLM. The spring rains had been sparse, the forage on the plains even more so. The mare and her herd are rescued from certain starvation and placed for adoption. In a sandy corral at Promise Ranch, a home for troubled teenage boys, the boy and the mare meet. A weathered, old cowboy brings them together – a mentor for one, a trainer for the other. The bond that forms between boy and horse becomes one that saves the lives of both.

    It started out simple enough. Step one, outsmart Adam with wit and flair, goad him into doing something stupid, and land him in detention. Step two, play video games with Kai all night and laugh about it. Go to bed. Repeat tomorrow. Only, Adam and Kai are about to change the rules on him. First, Adam's bullying turns suddenly violent, leaving Dylan to wonder if his bully really needs a friend. Then, Kai makes an unexpected move Dylan has only imagined in his most secret fantasies. Only he'd never dreamed it might come at a price. While Adam opens up, coming closer to revealing a secret he’s kept his entire life, Kai pulls away even as they get closer than ever. With everything he thought he understood turned upside down, Dylan must decide what he really wants from the men in his life—before inaction loses him the very relationships he's always relied on.No pressure, Dylan. You got this. It's just love. How hard could it be?

    I’ve always been too much and yet not enough. Sugar Legowski-Gracia wasn’t always fat, but fat is what she is now at age seventeen. Not as fat as her mama, who is so big she hasn’t gotten out of bed in months. Not as heavy as her brother, Skunk, who has more meanness in him than fat, which is saying something. But she’s large enough to be the object of ridicule wherever she is: at the grocery store, walking down the street, at school. Sugar’s life is dictated by taking care of Mama in their run-down home—cooking, shopping, and, well, eating. A lot of eating, which Sugar hates as much as she loves.When Sugar meets Even (not Evan—his nearly illiterate father misspelled his name on the birth certificate), she has the new experience of someone seeing her and not her body. As their unlikely friendship builds, Sugar allows herself to think about the future for the first time, a future not weighed down by her body or her mother.Soon Sugar will have to decide whether to become the girl that Even helps her see within herself or to sink into the darkness of the skin-deep role her family and her life have created for her.

    Tally can't wait to turn sixteen. Only then will she be able to have an operation to turn her from a repellant ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and live in New Pretty Town a high-tech paradise where her only job will be to have fun. But when Tally finally becomes pretty, everything isn't as perfect as it seems. Underneath all the beauty and luxury is a nagging sense that something is wrong. Very wrong. Searching for the truth, Tally discovers a whole new side of the pretty world and it isn't very pretty. Now Tally has a choice to make: fight to forget what she knows or fight for her life.

    After ruining his cousin’s chances of college, he goes from job to job, from place to place, making sure he doesn’t have to face them—or himself.Beatriz Morales is set. She has a plan, a schedule, and a dream. Life has thrown her a few curve balls, but nothing keeps a derby woman down.She’d never admit it, but she’s stretched too thin. Something has to give.Love doesn’t just choose a person to see our strengths—sometimes love chooses the person we trust with our weaknesses.The choice is hers.

    Two books. One story of love. Side A tells the story from the outsider's perspective.The odds were stacked against Max Rosser when he was born sixteen years ago. A month before his birth, his father was put in jail for breaking parole, assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest. His single mother was an alcoholic, struggling to keep her job and her home. Already, she could barely take care of eight-year-old Will and twelve-year-old Jon.Max's older brothers hid their mother’s disease from him as best as they could, and they made sure Max had everything he needed to be a normal, well-adjusted kid, despite the fact that they lived at or below the poverty line for much of his childhood. When his oldest brother became engaged to Livvy Holland, the daughter of the richest man in the state, Max befriended her little brother, Trey, and the two remained best friends even though their home lives couldn’t be more different.Through Trey, Max made more friends, including star athlete Callen McNare. Over the years, the boys played team sports, went on group dates, and worked summer jobs together. They became close; closer than anyone would have guessed. Before a real relationship could even begin, Max and Callen were forced apart when their secret was discovered. In LOVE LIKE WE DO - SIDE A, family and friends reevaluate their associations with the boys. Callen’s parents are in denial. Trey feels betrayed by his two closest buddies and wonders how their friendship will change. Jon struggles to keep his family together, despite his mother’s devout beliefs and his brother Will’s immoral ways. Interactions with the people around them could bring enlightenment and understanding, or they could keep Max and Callen apart while doing irreparable damage to their families.This is Trey and Jon's side of the story.

    The story graphically blends our new century's domestic and global themes - race, country, family, identity, love, loss, joy, and redemption - set within a soul grabbing backdrop of international and interracial child adoption and a new, breathtaking American Dream, the story takes the reader on an unforgettable, inspirational journey beyond all expectations and experiences.

    Only anger and bitterness remain.Don't miss this final installment as destiny's path is ultimately unraveled in Chaysing Destiny.