She is surprised to find the solution to her problem has been right next to her all along.It's the Fourth of July and more than one kind of fireworks are going to explode.

    Mom is "sick in the head." In an era when speaking of mental illness was taboo, Linda learns from an early age not to talk about her mother's bizarre behavior. Now her mother's escape from a would-be killer threatens to expose the family secret. They are not a normal family. Finally, after her mother's extended stays in mental institutions, Linda accepts that her Mom will never be normal. That, she assumes, makes her abnormal as well. She wrestles against her father's abuse and constant shaming of her and her faith. Will she ever feel normal in an abnormal family? Did God make a mistake? Why is she in a home where she doesn't feel loved or accepted? Is there a way for her to break away from the shame that holds her captive? An Illusion of Normal is the riveting and award-winning memoir of the life of a child whose mother suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. At times shocking and heartbreaking, her story exposes the darkness in a home tormented by a parent's mental illness and the light that shows the way out. "Schoonover's harrowing remembrance is unflinching, remarkable for a level of candor that demands courage. Her spare but moving prose tenderly portrays the terror and isolation she weathered as a child. Yet this is not a scornful lament but rather an inspiring account of personal triumph; the author writes affectingly about the love and sympathy she still has for her mother. This brief memoir is untainted by cloying self pity and full of wise counsel for others who have suffered similarly. An affecting look at childhood trauma." Kirkus Reviews

    As her high school friends and boyfriend Murph head off to college, Anna still struggles to overcome the wounds of her past while navigating the challenges of the future. Anna wants to confide in Bridgett and Frances, the youngest and oldest of her siblings, but her family’s reticent past, despite their efforts to change, stops her. Meanwhile, as Anna’s friends of the fifth floor are released, they go on with their interrupted lives, and each is tested differently on the lessons they learned together. Nine years later, everyone receives a mailed letter from Jonny Love, a friend who Anna hasn’t seen or heard from since her days on the fifth floor. In the third book of The Fifth Floor trilogy, author Julie Oleszek reunites the patients of the locked psychiatric ward at Advocate Hospital.

    He's been in love with her for years and never had the guts to tell her. Now it's too late. Because after that night, Jake will never be able to talk again.When Jake returns to his small island home, population 5,000, he'll have to learn how to deal with being mute. He also finds that his family isn't limited to his six brothers and sisters, that sometimes an entire island is watching out for you. And when he gets the chance to spend more time with Samantha, she'll help him learn that not being able to talk isn’t the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Maybe, if she'll let him, Jake will finally tell her what he didn't say before, even if he can't actually say it.

    Magic’s memory is longer, and far more dangerous. After a century spent as a tree, Finn awakens into a world she barely recognizes. Dark shapes lurk just out of sight, watching her every move as she tries to regain the memories of her past. As if by fate, travelers are drawn to her side. Scholars, thieves, and Iseult, a sellsword who seems to know more about her past than he’s letting on. When one of Finn’s companions is taken by the Faie, she will be forced to make a choice: rescue a woman she barely knows, or leave her newfound friends behind in search of an ancient relic that may hold the answers she so desperately seeks. Enter a world of Enchantment, filled with Celtic lore, magic, and just a touch of romance. Now a complete series! This set includes: -Tree of Ages -The Melted Sea Other books in the series: -The Blood Forest -Queen of Wands -The Oaken Throne

    Michael Frescato, a sheriff in Paterson by day and a brownstone renovator by night, teaches Lily that heroes are often where you least expect them but where they are most needed. He is there for her when she needs a home and when she looks for help protecting children and their caseworkers. But Lily is committed to her long-term boyfriend, even though the spark has gone out of their relationship. As Lily gets to know Michael, she has to decide if he and his warm, close-knit family are exactly what she has always been looking for.

    My friend Adam jumped to his death.

    Her surprise at the unexpected hold the prince has on her heart mirrors his shock at falling for the one girl he can’t have. As the young couple’s feelings for each other grow, the fragile alliance between the two kingdoms threatens to break apart. With a vengeful duke and an enraged king fast on their trail, Thor and Araya must decide how much they’re willing to risk for love. Even if staying together means starting a war.

    Just a silly college dare. I’m the quarterback and I had to prove to my team that I would do anything. So I kidnapped the rival school’s cheerleader. The look in her eyes was priceless. And the throb in my jockstrap was unmistakable. I wanted her. Bad. Now I can’t get her out of my mind. My studies are off. My social life is off. And most importantly of all, my game is off. What did she do to me? Am I really in love with someone who cheers every time my team drops the ball? My mind tells me no. But my body can’t survive without her. Bailey He kidnapped me. Can you believe it? That’s how we met. He pulls this ridiculous stunt to prove he’s a team player, and kidnaps me. I wanted to hate his guts. Before I knew it, he had me breathless with desire. He’s more than just some cocky jock. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s built like a brick house. I’m still dreaming about those washboard abs. The thing is, I have to forget about him. I’m certainly not allowed to date the rival quarterback. Team loyalty means everything, right? But those rock hard abs! Those dreamy eyes. And that massive bulge! Even worse, I’m being forced to date my school’s quarterback. I don’t love him. I don’t even like him. It’s just to keep up appearances. How did I get into this mess? And when will I get to run my fingers over those rock hard abs again? Jockstrapped is a New Adult and Contemporary, Enemies-to-lovers Romance

     What if humans were more powerful than they thought? What if an alien race had a reason to keep humanity entrenched in fear? And what if ancient beings that we've met before were still trying to protect us? And just what if the fate of Earth depended upon an average 17-year-old girl with a few secrets of her own? Would she discover that the power of love was truly the strongest of all? "The Glass Wall" - Book One of the "Glass Wall": - A mysterious and dangerously handsome stranger ... - A slightly jaded 17-year-old girl ... - A paranormal world hidden within our own ... 17-year-old Sydney's only interest in life is flying under the radar. But destiny has other plans when the tall, handsome, and unusual Rafael Channing moves into the neighborhood. Athletic and with killer looks, he wears black eyeliner like a magician and always seems to be there when she needs him the most. What starts out as a light-hearted investigation with her gadget-happy foster father takes a serious turn when she discovers that Rafael isn't human. Add Jareth, the country's latest rock sensation, into the mix and Sydney is swept into a mysterious world of Tulpas, the Fae, and the Brotherhood of the Snake. Sydney doesn't know she's a Blue Thread of Fate. She doesn't know the fate of humanity depends on her choice of whom to trust--Jareth or Rafael. And she certainly doesn't know that she's taken the first step on the unexpected path of love. "The Brotherhood of the Snake" - Book Two of the "Glass Wall": - The first kiss ... - A secret revealed ... - The arrival of the Mesmers ... After breaking the Glass Wall, Sydney finds herself on the run with Rafael. And as her feelings for him awaken, danger arrives in the form of Mesmers, agents of evil sent by the Brotherhood of the Snake. But when Jareth struts back onto the scene, it isn't long before Sydney finds herself immersed in sinister secrets, and the subsequent whirlwind of events leaves her wondering just who is right and who is wrong? "The Inner Circle" - Book Three of the "Glass Wall": - A love is born that cannot be denied ... - The Brotherhood of the Snake just might be winning ... - A Decision of Fate is made ... As Sydney navigates through the supernatural dangers surrounding her, she seizes control of her destiny and begins to fight back. And as she spies on the Inner Circle and the Brotherhood of the Snake, she discovers the power of human thought. And finds out she can no longer deny the love that she feels. But then both Rafael and Jareth's secrets are revealed and a Blue-Threaded decision of fate is made. But is it the right one? "The Egg" - Book Four of the "Glass Wall": - A death ... - A beginning … - An egg to change the world ...

    Join Loren, a girl from the Selvan forest, as she runs away from her abusive home and embarks upon an epic adventure that will take her across the nine kingdoms. Ever since she was a little girl, Loren has dreamed of becoming a renowned master thief, capable of slipping through any security and stealing the rich blind. When the fugitive wizard Xain passes through her village on the run from the law, Loren sees her chance and joins him. But the world beyond her forest is both more complex and more dangerous than she imagined, putting her wits and bravery to the test as she tries to become the woman she always hoped she would be: Nightblade, the most feared thief in all the land.A new episode of this heroic fantasy releases every Thursday. Order your copy direct from the author and start the adventure NOW.

    Determined to find the girl, Annalisia disguises herself as plain Anna and slips away from the palace. She tracks down Jovanni, her maidservant's daring older brother, and they soon begin to search together. As they uncover clues, Anna also discovers a kindred spirit in Jovanni. But would he be so free with her if he knew who she really was? Doubtful. Even so, she reveals her secret gift of visions to him, and in so doing disobeys the orders of her beloved grandmother, the queen.With Jovanni, Anna can almost imagine she’s like any other seventeen year old girl, free to pursue the longings of her heart. When she learns that he also has a secret—he's a sentinel, an ancient shapeshifter who can take the form of a falcon—it seems as if they were destined to be together, as in the legends of il Sentiro. Though Anna is tempted to wish otherwise, she can’t forget that she’s a princess and it's her duty to marry another. Meanwhile, their hunt leads Anna ever closer to danger, for she herself is being hunted.A princess and a commoner. They never should have fallen in love...but they did.AIRE is a lush, romantic fantasy, inspired by ancient Italy and Turkey.YOUNG ADULT FANTASY ROMANCE

    NIMBUS is steampunk for people who don't know they like steampunk, as well as being steampunk for people who already love steampunk!--Seedy corporations and airship factions, demons and rogues, zealots and thieves…Nimbus is an epic tale of power, greed, and corruption.Jude Finley is a new recruit aboard the Gangly Dirigible, an airship that extracts water from rainclouds. While working aboard the ship, Jude and his friends uncover a secret which may or may not help them against a growing uprising that could spell doom for everyone on the planet. Meanwhile, Demetrius Rucca, the wheelchair-bound son of a prominent religious leader, begins recruiting followers for his own subversive cause. As allegiances are sworn to him and his followers grow, he begins to discover the new powers that lie within him. This power could be the salvation Demetrius is looking for–or it could be the destruction of the known world.

    To help support her two-person family, Kip grits her teeth, puts aside being a news photographer and becomes a paparazzi.Kip’s first photo is of Alex Milne, the handsome and volatile young actor. That one photo changes both their lives. An evening being detained in the Beverly Hills Police Station expands Kip’s world and opportunities both wanted and unwanted confront her. To lasting shock and pain, Kip learns the identity of her father and she sets out to solve a murder that’s been gossiped about in Hollywood for the last 80 years, tainting the Milne family to the present day.One thing Kip learns to her core is that life is real even in a city dedicated to creating illusions.PG-13 Some mature themes

    Having lost both her parents and grandparents, and with nowhere else to go, Layla is moving from Florida to a small town in North Carolina to live with the only family she has left: her estranged uncle and aunt.The last five years of Layla’s life were spent appeasing her less-than-loving grandmother, followed by being her grandfather’s caretaker. Growing old before her time, Layla lost her identity. Now she must learn how to allow herself to be the one cared for and loved.Life takes an unexpected turn when Layla meets Will Meyer. His breathtaking good looks are enough to catch her eye, but his sincerity and passion are everything she needs to find the strength and confidence she lost — and lead her into love.When tragedy once again strikes Layla’s life, her hope is all but completely crushed. Through it all, Layla learns what it means to truly love and be loved.