Irving Wishbutton and the Questing Academy


Brian Clopper - 2013
    While their authors toil at getting their stories written and printed, these characters are killing time at The Questing Academy. As their stories take shape, they endure many changes, some good, and some bad. At the academy, heroes learn the plotting ropes alongside villains, supporting characters and even window dressing castmates such as guard three whose only contribution to his scene is a poorly timed sneeze. Ah, but the academy stresses there are no small roles. Plopped into the middle of things is a grand hero, Irving Wishbutton. As he adjusts to life on a literary campus, he has to also deal with the twists and turns of his character and story development. It isn’t always pretty. For one, he arrives a smudge, his only distinct feature, a gaudy red button on his chest. Everything else about him is hazy and not defined yet due to his writer who has avoided describing him early on. Two, he immediately gets on Dean Harmstrike’s bad side when a pack of emberhounds from Irving’s own story attack him at the Office of Fine Aunts. Three, there are a plethora of mysteries and entanglements afloat at the academy. Irving’s creator has marked him as acutely curious. While the faculty tells him to dig into what makes himself tick, he can’t help but unravel the mysteries and secrets that abound on campus. On his quest of self-discovery, he is befriended by another fellow smudge, a beautiful fairy from another book’s supporting cast. He also gets mixed up with a confused vampire whose fickle writer is constantly making revisions, including writing her twin brother out of her story. Lord Raggleswamp, a short-statured short-tempered braggart of a villain and Gared, The Golden Knight, whose silver tongue can command any and all monsters, are both constant thorns at Irving’s side as he seeks answers and to fit in. With the help of an equally headstrong cast, Irving tackles the big questions: Who built the academy? What’s Dean Harmstrike’s true agenda? Why is being branded a smudge so very wrong to others on campus? What lurks beneath the library? What happens to each character upon graduation?

Legend Series sampler: featuring excerpts from Legend and Prodigy


Marie Lu - 2012
     Praise for LEGEND: "LEGEND doesn't just live up to the hype, it deserves it." - The New York Times Book Review "Fine writing and excellent execution. Sequel please!" - Entertainment Weekly "...like Les Miserables meets Blade Runner." - USA Today "A gripping thriller...distinct and richly drawn...a cinematic adventure featuring endearing, compelling heros." - Kirkus, starred review "Will resonate with a broad range of teens...a well-written, emotionally satisfying read...Debut author Lu has managed a great feat." - VOYA, starred review "Manages to keep readers on the edge of their seats...nonstop action...delicious details keep pages turning...you've got the makings for a potent sequel." - Booklist, starred review "Lu's debut is a stunner...the action is kinetic and the emotional development is beautifully paced...utterly satisfying." - Publishers Weekly, starred review "...many dystopian books are filling the shelves, but this book stands out." - LMC, starred review "...lightning-fast pacing and nonstop action..." - The Horn Book Review "Forget the hype and comparisons; enjoy this story for what it clearly portrays: a legend in the making." - New York Journal of Books

A Higher Calling


Willow Cross - 2012
    For twenty years life couldn’t have been better, until the day her daughter showed up on her doorstep bloodied and bruised. They say, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” But the wrath of a mother, whose only desire was to protect her child, is unfathomable. Those pure of heart can rest easy. However, if you carry the slightest tinge of darkness, beware the Higher Calling.

Twilight


Stephanie Meyer
    

The Frame-Up


Meghan Scott Molin - 2018
    By night, she lives them.MG Martin lives and breathes geek culture. She even works as a writer for the comic book company she idolized as a kid. But despite her love of hooded vigilantes, MG prefers her comics stay on the page.But when someone in LA starts recreating crime scenes from her favorite comic book, MG is the LAPD’s best—and only—lead. She recognizes the golden arrow left at the scene as the calling card of her favorite comic book hero. The thing is…superheroes aren’t real. Are they?When the too-handsome-for-his-own-good Detective Kildaire asks for her comic book expertise, MG is more than up for the adventure. Unfortunately, MG has a teeny little tendency to not follow rules. And her off-the-books sleuthing may land her in a world of trouble.Because for every superhero, there is a supervillain. And the villain of her story may be closer than she thinks…

The Master's Chair


Mackenzie Morgan - 2010
    Long ago, magical and non-magical creatures lived together in harmony on both worlds, but as life on Earth evolved in the direction of science and technology, the use of magic deteriorated and soon magical creatures and sorcerers became the subject of myths and legends.Meanwhile magic flourished on Terah, and as sorcerers became more powerful, they became more influential, and soon they were the heads of government. The Council of Sorcerers became the ruling body, with the chairman, the Master Sorcerer, the highest position on Terah, a position that comes with tremendous responsibility and formidable enemies.When Master Sorcerer Badec realizes that his unborn son, Myron, will be his one and only heir, he protects the child by arranging for him to grow up on Earth. Myron is scheduled to be returned to Terah on his twenty-fifth birthday, at which time he’ll learn who he is and begin to study magic as well as everything else he’ll need to know in order to assume his role as Terah's next Master Sorcerer.For twenty-three years, things go as planned, and Myron goes about his life as Kevin, a typical nerd, who is more comfortable with computers than with people. Then Badec becomes quite ill and the decision is made to bring his son home early. One morning Kevin is an accountant living and working in Omaha, and the next he is in the middle of a field with six complete strangers, surrounded by huge stones and a forest. Before the day is out, Kevin learns that he is actually a sorcerer named Myron and that he’s next in line for the Master’s Chair. While he’s still reeling from that bit of information, he finds out that due to his father’s illness, he has a little less than one year to learn enough about sorcery to be able to defend his life and chair against sorcerers who have been practicing their craft longer than he’s been alive.Welcome to Terah.

Across the Creek


Jeremy Asher - 2012
    An unlikely childhood romance between a poor boy and a wealthy girl began the day Jesse decided to do the impossible and cross the creek. A love was born, one that would become their shelter, protecting them from the storms of their lives, until the day Jesse witnessed his mother’s murder, forcing him to leave his childhood home…and first love. Ten years later, life has finally gotten better for Jesse. He has a loving family, a charming pet shop to run, and one semester left before graduating with a degree in architecture. Everything is great, until the day fate intervenes and his long-lost love walks into his shop and back into his life.Sarah, engaged to a budding attorney, is struggling to keep everything together. Her father, diagnosed with terminal cancer, is running out of time. Sarah races to build their dream business while planning her wedding in time for her father to walk her down the aisle.Their brief encounter starts a series of events that neither Jesse nor Sarah expects. After a decade of running, Jesse is now forced to face the demons from his past, while Sarah has to choose between her handsome attorney and her first love. Just when they think love has given them a second chance, Jesse is faced with an impossible decision, one that will change their lives forever.Across the Creek is the first in a 2-book series. Beneath the Willow is the second.

Return of the Darkening: The Complete Series


Ava Richardson - 2016
    Books 1, 2 & 3. Dive into a dragon filled adventure! When scruffy Seb and noble Thea are paired as dragon riders, they never imagined they'd be the Kingdom's last hope... Book One: Dragon Trials High-born Agathea Flamma intends to bring honor to her family by following in her brothers’ footsteps and taking her rightful place as a Dragon Rider. With her only other option being marriage, Thea will not accept failure. She’s not thrilled at her awkward, scruffy partner, Seb, but their dragon has chosen, and now the unlikely duo must learn to work as a team. Seventeen-year-old Sebastian has long been ashamed of his drunken father and poor upbringing, but then he’s chosen to train as a Dragon Rider at the prestigious academy. Thrust into a world where he doesn’t fit in, Seb finds a connection with his dragon that is even more powerful than he imagined. Soon, he’s doing all he can to succeed and not embarrass his new partner, Thea. When Seb hears rumors that an old danger is reemerging, he and Thea begin to investigate. Armed only with their determination and the dragon they both ride, Thea and Seb may be the only defense against the Darkening that threatens to sweep the land. Together, they will have to learn to work together to save their kingdom…or die trying. Book Two: Dragon Legends Ever since scruffy Sebastian Smith and Lady Thea Flamma were paired as Dragon Riders, their lives have been forever changed. The unlikely duo forged an unbreakable bond, but now with dark stirrings in the south their bond will be put to the ultimate test. Seb discovers Lord Vincent has returned and he wants to unleash an ancient evil that will destroy the lives of everyone in the kingdom – The Darkening. In order to defend the realm against unspeakable foes, Seb, Thea, and their shared dragon, Kalax, set out on an arduous journey to find the sacred Dragon Stones – before their dark power ends up in the wrong hands. But to conquer an old enemy, Thea must find a way to overcome her own inner demons, and Seb has to muster the courage to become the brave leader his kingdom needs . . . Book Three: Dragon Bonds The Darkening has risen... Agathea Flamma and Sebastian Smith now face an overwhelming enemy. The rapid spread of the Darkening, a threat arising from the mists of legend, looms over the entire land. With both their families torn apart by the conflict and betrayal lurking around every corner, one mistake could doom the kingdom. They'll have to decide where to put their faith: blood ties or newfound friends? After the destruction of the Dragon Academy, it’s up to Thea and Seb to gather their loyal comrades—and forge uneasy new alliances—to quell the ancient menace and face the evil Lord Vincent. With civil war raging, the Dragon Riders must race against time to find the legendary Dragon Stone, the only tool they have to fight against the endless darkness that threatens to swallow them all.

The Silver and Orchids Collection


Shari L. Tapscott - 2019
     Moss Forest Orchid: What happens when a feisty adventuress, a lord looking to make his own way in the world, and a handsome sea captain set out to find Kalae’s rarest and most valuable flower? Trouble—and lots of it. Greybrow Serpent: The captain of the Greybrow Serpent is the last man Lucia’s willing to trust. But he’s the only one who can save her. Wildwood Larkwing: “Till death do us part” might come sooner than Lucia imagined. Lily of the Desert: Avery swore he would return, but one question haunts Lucia's every waking moment: Can anyone truly trust the word of a pirate?

We Were Here


Daisy Prescott - 2016
    
This is the story of seven friends. We met in college, completely free for the first time in our lives and determined to enjoy every minute of it. For four years, we gossiped and flirted, partied and road-tripped. We were inseparable. Each of us has our own story of falling in or out of love. Of finding out who we are. Of growing up. We thought we knew everything. We knew nothing. We Were Here is where the Modern Love Stories begins, in a standalone that perfectly captures the humor, angst, and sheer chaos of college.

The Mating Ceremony


Angela Foxxe - 2016
     Elena's pack now consider her to have reached the age of maturity and when this happens she is to participate in the mysterious mating ceremony which is to confirm her status as an adult of the pack. Elena is nervous about what is to be her first ever sexual experience but when she discovers that she will be mating with a handsome muscle-bound wolf called Jackson Masters, all her worries turn to excitement and she can not wait for the ceremony to being. However, Elena is unaware that life after the mating ceremony will never be the same again in more ways than one.. If you are looking for a paranormal romance with the right amount of sensual scenes, romance and action then this is the perfect read for you! Scroll up and start reading right away! WARNING: CONTAINS SCENES OF A SEXUAL NATURE 18+

The Undead Heart


Tate Jackson - 2010
    Hunters who, centuries ago, had vowed to slay all vampyres. A vow they set aside to protect the family that they had come to love, knowing that the outcome of that decision would be an eventual battle. A battle of decapitation and blood; a battle they may not survive.She was leaving a life she would kill to get away from for a family she would gladly die to protect, but could she do it? Could she make it back alive? Did she possess the strength and courage it would take to change the past and save their future?She was about to find out.The Undead Heart is a tale of love, life, horror, humor and family and is the first novel in The Blood Thirst Series.

The Shameful Diary of a Hopeless Romantic


Suzi Case - 2011
    She wants to write a bestselling children's book, lose weight and fall in love before she hits 30. Unfortunately nothing seems to be going according to plan and she finds herself in the middle of a love triangle and signed up for a marathon when she can't even run a mile. What's a girl to do but write about it of course?

The Scarlet Thread


D.S. Murphy - 2016
    After I saw my little brother’s death but failed to stop it, my parents abandoned me to a juvenile detention facility. I don’t let people touch me anymore. Not my fingertips, not my skin, not my heart. I make my own clothes by stitching together the donations we get; usually a bunch of crap that fits like a parachute. My sweater is a patchwork of different shades of inky, dark squares. I make plain gray skirts that hang to my knees, with cute or funny T-shirts sewed in. They clash ironically with my unsmiling face. My Allstar high-tops are black and frayed, like my soul. I also wear a chunk of brightly colored legos around my neck. My little brother was working on it the day he died. The day I failed to save him. It’s unfinished, so I’ll never know what it was meant to be. Most days, I just try to get by. But then I got a visit from a cute guy, who tricked me into giving up my secrets. He said I was special. That he needed me. For a while, I believed him. But once I found out what I could really do, I learned everybody wanted the power I possessed. The power to destroy deities. To kill gods. To end the world... or to save it. My heart is torn, and those I loved most betrayed me. I'm trying so hard to do what's right, but nobody can tell me what that is anymore, and the moral boundaries I'd always let define my life have been shattered. Whose rules should I obey now? Or do I have to make my own? The Scarlet Thread is a dark fantasy for fans of Greek mythology and Gothic romance. Fans of Fallen and Percy Jackson will be captivated by this mashup of fallen angels and forgotten gods.

Second Chance


Virginia Jewel - 2011
    Tired of being harassed by the same kids who used to be her playmates, she faded into the background of Burton. Ten years later, she still lives in town and even works in the local bar owned by her dad. But she’s still just as invisible as she was in high school.Nothing is working out the way Rob Clairon planned. Jobless, alone, and playing nurse to his dying father, Rob is not pleased to be back in Burton. Despite the depressing state of his life, he finds himself drawn to Tallie, the girl he thought he knew a long time ago. What he needs right now is to start over.Sometimes life gives you a second chance to do what you should have done the first time. Tallie and Rob just might get that second chance, as long as life doesn’t get in their way.