When Janet Clay's body is found in a local gym pool, every authority dismisses it as just another case of drug-overdose. Ridden by the guilt of not being able to save the young journalist while she still had a chance, Aurora Steller visits the memorial service, only to end up suspecting that things aren't as simple as they appear.
Her determination to find out the truth only draws her further into an intricate web of greed and deceit, where some will stop at nothing to protect their well-crafted masks. With several events unfolding around her, it becomes terrifyingly clear that more lives might have been lost already.
Suddenly, her beautiful, sleepy little town seems to be harvesting some sinister secrets; every fact seems tainted with lies; everyone she loves is in mortal danger.
With no evidence, no witness, and very few allies, Aurora must risk everything, including her own life, to uncover the truth and bring justice to the numerous shattered lives before it's too late...
Avery is a sweeping, romantic fantasy novel about loss and identity, and finding the courage to love against all odds.
The people of Kaya die in pairs. When one lover dies, the other does too. So it has been for thousands of years – until Ava. For although her bondmate, Avery, has been murdered and Ava’s soul has been torn in two, she is the only one who has ever been strong enough to cling to life.
Vowing revenge upon the barbarian queen of Pirenti, Ava's plan is interrupted when she is instead captured by the deadly prince of her enemies. Prince Ambrose has been brought up to kill and hate. But when he takes charge of a strangely captivating Kayan prisoner and is forced to survive with her on a dangerous island, he must reconsider all he holds true.
In a violent country like Pirenti, where emotion is scorned as a weakness, can he find the strength to fight for the person he loves, even when she’s his vengeful enemy?
Luna is a no-hoper with a secret: in a world of illusion, she can see what is real. But can she see the truth before it is too late?
Luna has always been able to exist in virtual and real worlds at the same time, a secret she is warned to keep. She hides her ability by being a Refuser: excluded by choice from the virtual spheres others inhabit. But when she is singled out for testing, she can’t hide any longer.
The safest thing to do would be to fail, to go back to a dead-end life, no future. But Luna is starting to hope for something better, and hope is a dangerous thing...
In a future world, life is tightly controlled by the all-powerful PareCo. Standing out from the crowd is dangerous, so misfit Luna hides her secrets carefully, not realizing her own power. Unlike her friends and family, Luna has never been able to plug into Realtime, PareCo's virtual world, where almost everyone now lives their lives.
So how do PareCo know about Luna, and why do they want her for their elite think tank? The truth is hidden in a web of shining silver secrets, and the corrupt authorities would do anything to keep it that way. Can Luna find a way to use her own hidden powers and bring the truth to light before it's too late?
Serafina, Neela, Ling, Ava, Becca, and Astrid, six mermaids from realms scattered throughout the seas and freshwaters, were summoned by the leader of the river witches to learn an incredible truth: the mermaids are direct descendants of the Six Who Ruled—powerful mages who once governed the lost empire of Atlantis.
The ancient evil that destroyed Atlantis is stirring again, and only the mermaids can defeat it. To do so, they need to find magical talismans that belonged to the Six. Serafina believes her talisman was buried with an old shipwreck. While researching its location, she is almost discovered by a death rider patrol led by someone familiar. The pain of seeing him turned traitor is devastating.
Neela travels to Matali to warn her parents of the grave threat facing their world. But they find her story outlandish; a sign that she needs to be confined to her chamber for rest and recovery. She escapes and travels to Kandina, where her talisman is in the possession of fearsome razormouth dragons.
As they hunt for their talismans, both Serafina and Neela find reserves of courage and cunning they didn't know they possessed. They face down danger and death, only to endure a game-changing betrayal, as shocking as a rogue wave.
Young Lara is being groomed in the family tradition to take over as Count Voronstov's next kennel steward, breeding borzoi dogs worthy of the Tsar. But then, Lara's baby brother is born, and she finds herself supplanted as her father decides to make her brother the next kennel steward.
Going against her father's wishes and becoming increasingly sure of her special gift of understanding these incredible dogs, Lara risks everything when she reveals the truth about her visions. Now she must save Zar, her favorite borzoi and the one she raised from birth, from a hungry pack of wolves. Only then can she find her own, extraordinary destiny...
In a scarred and brutal future, The United Commonwealth teeters on the brink of all-out civil war. The rebel resistance plots against a government that rules with cruelty and cunning. Gifted student and Testing survivor Cia Vale vows to fight. But she can't do it alone.
This is the chance to lead that Cia has trained for - but who will follow? Plunging through layers of danger and deception, Cia must risk the lives of those she loves - and gamble on the loyalty of her lethal classmates.
Sixteen-year-old werewolf princess Ashling Boru is different from other wolves—she was able to shift to wolf form at birth. Rather than bringing pride to her family, it brings fear, and as a result, she is forced to live in seclusion in Ireland’s countryside.
Ashling’s reputation is further blackened when she refuses her betrothed and defies the ancient laws. When her pack’s oldest rivals begin hunting her, she finds herself in the small town of York Harbor, Maine—far from everything she’s ever known.
In Maine, she crosses paths with the dark and rebellious Grey Donavan, and something ignites within her soul. There’s just one problem: Grey is human. Their instant connection turns into a passionate romance, and Ashling begins to believe she can create her own life outside of wolf laws.
When she begins to uncover long-buried pack secrets—secrets that threaten to destroy all she holds dear—Ashling’s courage and tenacity are tested. Will she choose her deep and enduring love for Grey, or will she follow Old Mother’s path to her destiny?
An unthinkable danger. An unexpected choice. Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf’s bailiff—a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past.
Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff’s vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf.
As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger. Ranulf’s future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart.
When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.
Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.
Return to the intense, erotic, and imaginative world of the national bestselling Black Jewels novels with this sequel to The Shadow Queen. In Anne Bishop's vividly painted realm, witches and warlocks channel their power through magical jewels - and one Queen has emerged from the shadows to bring hope to an impoverished people.
For years, the Shalador people suffered the cruelties of the corrupt Queens who ruled them, forbidding their traditions, punishing those who dared show defiance, and forcing many more into hiding. Even though the refugees have found sanctuary in Dena Nehele, they have never been able to call it home.
Now that Dena Nehele has been cleansed of tainted Blood, the Rose-Jeweled Queen, Lady Cassidy, makes it her duty to restore the land and prove her ability to rule. She knows that undertaking this task will require all her heart and courage as she summons the untested power within her, a power capable of consuming her if she cannot control it.
And even if Lady Cassidy survives her trial by fire, other dangers await. For the Black Widows see within their tangled webs visions of something coming that will change the land—and Lady Cassidy—forever.
Once upon a time is timeless. When a storm brings the dashing Prince Richard to her family's farm, Violet falls in love at first sight. Richard also gives Violet his heart, but he knows his marriage is destined to be an affair of state, not of passion.
For the king and queen have devised a contest to determine who will win their son's hand in marriage. To be reunited with her prince, Violet must compete against princesses from across the land. It will take all of her wits—and a little help from an unexpected source—if Violet is to demonstrate the depth of her character and become Richard's bride.
Settler Elizabeth Bonner must cross the frozen wilderness of New York State in the winter of 1794 in a desperate bid to save her husband from being hanged as an American spy. This thrilling narrative is the exciting sequel to Into the Wilderness.
Elizabeth and Nathaniel Bonner have settled into their life together at the edge of the New-York wilderness when Elizabeth gives birth to healthy twins. But soon, events in Canada draw Nathaniel far away from his new family. Word reaches them that Nathaniel's father has been arrested by crown officials in British Canada. Nathaniel reluctantly leaves Hidden Wolf Mountain to set out for the distant city, determined to see his father freed. Instead, Nathaniel is imprisoned and finds himself in imminent danger of being hanged as an American spy.
In a desperate bid to save her husband, Elizabeth bundles her infants and sets out on the long trek to Montreal. Accompanied by her stepdaughter, Hannah, their wise friend Curiosity Freeman, and Runs-from-Bears, a Mohawk warrior and lifelong friend of Nathaniel's, Elizabeth journeys through the snowy wilderness and across treacherous waterways. But she soon discovers that freeing Nathaniel will take every ounce of her courage and inventiveness. It is a struggle that threatens her with the loss of what she loves most: her children.
Torn apart, the Bonners must embark on yet another perilous voyage...this time all the way across the ocean to the heart of Scotland, where a destiny they could never have imagined awaits them.
A sweeping epic of romance and adventure, Dawn on a Distant Shore establishes Sara Donati as one of today's most gifted storytellers. With well-drawn characters and an evocative love story intricately woven into the rich history of the past, this extraordinary novel will enthrall readers and sweep them away to another time and place.
Exuberant, ambitious, fascinating, and sublime, in The Secret of the Sundance Caves, Sharla Shangeling writes the wild escapades of a young girl whose destiny and courage meet the power of faith head on.
Karys Kitane is not like other girls her age. Just as Persephone ate Hade's pomegranate seeds and became a captive of the underworld, Karys eats the shadon beni bud—a mysterious shoot of green in her father's garden. Upon eating the scarlet sprout she discovers Dream and Darkness, which she swallows whole and splits wide open.
Now, she sees the world differently and it does not matter so much that she is invisible to her parents or that her schoolmates are terrific wretches because she has courage, wanderlust, and curiosity in spades. Beckoned by her great aunt to the furthest hillsides of the Caribbean where she lives, she will embark on an enchanted, unforgettable adventure of mystic mayhem and explore a cave that has deeper secrets than she—or anyone—could ever imagine.
Rara Mendut, a captive who boldly refused to be wed to Tumenggung Wiraguna for her love for Pranacitra. Raised in a northern coastal fishing village of Java, she grew into a fierce and outspoken young woman. Her demeanor was deemed rebellious against the palace norms where women were expected to be delicate and obedient. Yet, she was undaunted. To her, it was better to meet death at the edge of the Tumenggung's keris than to be forced to satisfy the desires of the old commander.
Genduk Duku, Rara Mendut's confidant, assisted her in breaking through the Keraton Mataram fortress and escaping from Tumenggung Wiraguna's pursuit. After the deaths of Rara Mendut and Pranacitra, Genduk Duku witnessed the silent rivalry between Wiraguna and Pangeran Aria Mataram, the crown prince destined to be Sunan Amangkurat I, who too harbored feelings for Rara Mendut - the captive woman gifted by his father to his meritorious commander.
Lusi Lindri, the daughter of Genduk Duku, was selected by the Queen Mother to join the guard unit of Sunan Amangkurat I. Lusi Lindri led a vibrant life behind the palace walls that harbored thousands of secrets and malicious intrigues. As the wife of a Mataram spy officer, she knew much... perhaps too much... Her conscience was increasingly disturbed by her lord's tyranny. She had no other choice! Her resolve was firm, better to die a rebel against tyranny than to live comfortably amidst luxury.
Lady Sandrilene fa Toren knows all about unusual magic - she herself spins and weaves it like thread. But when she witnesses a boy dancing a spell, even she is confounded. To her dismay, Sandry learns that as the mage who discovered the power of the young dancer, she must be his teacher.
Before lessons can begin, however, Sandry and her uncle, Duke Vedris, get news of a mysterious murderer stalking a clan of local merchants. The killer employs the strangest magic of all: the ability to reduce essence to nothingness.
As the murders mount and the killer grows bolder, Sandry's teaching takes on a grave purpose. For it becomes clear to everyone that the killings can only be stopped by the combined workings of two people: the young teacher and her even younger student.
Somewhere in the world I have a tiara in a little box. It is not safe for me to wear it... It is not safe for me even to tell anyone who I really am. But I know—I have always known.
Cecilia knows that she is not just another peasant girl; she is actually the true princess, in hiding until the evil forces that killed her parents are vanquished. A commoner named Desmia is on the throne as a decoy.
As she gets older, Cecilia finds it harder to study statesmanship and palace protocol secretly at night and then pretend that she has nothing on her mind other than scrubbing the gruel stains out of her best apron by day. Cecilia knows that it is time to take charge. Along with her best friend, Harper, she flees to the capital city, determined to reclaim her throne and face the danger head on.
When Harper and Cecilia reach the famed Palace of Mirrors, they discover complications: Princess Desmia believes an entirely different version of the story.
Acclaimed author Margaret Peterson Haddix returns to the charmed world of Just Ella, where a princess-in-hiding and a pretender to the throne discover that nothing is as it appears.
The sheriff's deputy at the front door brings hard news to Ree Dolly. Her father has skipped bail on charges that he ran a crystal meth lab, and the Dollys will lose their house if he doesn't show up for his next court date.
Ree's father has disappeared before. The Dolly clan has worked the shadowy side of the law for generations, and arrests (and attempts to avoid them) are part of life in Rathlin Valley. But the house is all they have, and Ree's father would never forfeit it to the bond company unless something awful happened.
With two young brothers depending on her and a mother who's entered a kind of second childhood, Ree knows she has to bring her father back, dead or alive, or else see her family turned out into the unforgiving cold.
Sixteen-year-old Ree, who has grown up in the harsh poverty of the Ozarks, learns quickly that asking questions of the rough Dolly clan can be a fatal mistake. She perseveres past obstacles of every kind and finally confronts the top figures in the family's hierarchy.
Along the way to a shocking revelation, Ree discovers unexpected depths in herself and in a family network that protects its own at any cost.
The Icemark is a kingdom in grave danger. Its king has been killed in battle, its enemy lies in wait, and its fate rests on the shoulders of one girl. Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, a beautiful princess and an intrepid warrior, must find a way to protect her land from a terrible invasion.
She will forge an extraordinary alliance of noble Snow Leopards, ancient Vampires, and ferocious Wolf-folk. She will find unexpected strength in her friendship with a young warlock. And she will lead her allies to victory with her fierce battle cry: Blood! Blast! And Fire!
Roses for Mama is a captivating story of a young girl who must assume responsibility for raising her younger siblings. Instead of the new life she and her family expected to forge out west, seventeen-year-old Angela is thrust into the role of caring for her three younger siblings after the tragic death of their parents.
With the help of her older brother and a steadfast trust in God, Angela is determined to raise the children as her mother would have wanted. As the youngsters grow, the questions and challenges intensify, leaving Angela feeling trapped and overwhelmed.
Surely no man will ever want a woman who comes with three children in tow. Is this the plan God has for her life? Will she ever find a way to balance her own dreams with the promises she made to her mama?
This heartwarming tale explores themes of family, faith, and the courage to face life's unexpected challenges.
As a child, Hester Wyatt escaped slavery, but now the dark-skinned beauty is a dedicated member of Michigan's Underground Railroad, offering other runaways a chance at the freedom she has learned to love. When one of her fellow conductors brings her an injured man to hide, Hester doesn't hesitate, even after she is told about the price on his head.
The man in question is the great conductor known as the "Black Daniel", a vital member of the North's Underground Railroad network. However, Hester finds him so rude and arrogant that she begins to question her vow to hide him.
When the injured and beaten Galen Vachon, aka the Black Daniel, awakens in Hester's cellar, he is unprepared for the feisty young conductor providing his care. As a member of one of the wealthiest free Black families in New Orleans, Galen has turned his back on the lavish living he is accustomed to in order to provide freedom to those enslaved in the South. However, as he heals, he cannot turn his back on Hester Wyatt. Her innocence fills him like a breath of fresh air, and he is determined to make her his.
But traitors have to be found, slave catchers have to be routed, and Hester's refusal to trust her own heart has to be overcome before she and Galen can find the freedom only love can bring.
Book 1 in the 5-book biblical historical fiction series by the New York Times bestselling author of Redeeming Love and A Voice in the Wind.
Betrayed by the men who controlled her future, she fought for her right to believe in a loving God. Meet Tamar, one of the five women in the lineage of Christ. She risked her life and her reputation to be the woman she was called to be. Her story serves as an example of how God uses our circumstances and our steps toward Him, however faltering, to fulfill His plan.
Unveiled is book one in the popular Lineage of Grace series about five unlikely women who changed eternity.
This novella includes an in-depth Bible study perfect for personal reflection or group discussion.
Set in the medieval fantasy kingdom of Valdemar, this unique and exciting novel continues the story of Talia. Having mastered the powers necessary to become a guardian of the kingdom, she faces the final preparation for her initiation as adviser and protector of the Queen.
Talia could scarcely believe that she had finally earned the rank of full Herald. Yet though this seemed like the fulfillment of all her dreams, it also meant she would face trials far greater than those she had previously survived. For now, Talia must ride forth to patrol the kingdom of Valdemar, dispensing Herald's justice throughout the land. But in this realm beset by dangerous unrest, enforcing her rulings would require all the courage and skill Talia could command—for if she misused her own special powers, both she and Valdemar would pay the price!
After the war, many suffered a great loss. It was for a good cause. But for Alex? Hardly.
The war has caused Alex to move into the packhouse. No one ever truly knew what she has been through after the war. The pack knows her to be one of the strongest fighters.
And what’s more, she has to face again another dreaded war, to save someone she hasn’t even met… yet.
But where did such a brave soul earn her strength?
From a New York Times bestselling author comes a journey of loss and rebirth with a startling premise inspired by historical fact. Estrella is a Marrano: one of the Spanish Jews living double lives when those who refused conversion risked everything.
Estrella's discovery that her family secretly practices the ancient way of wisdom known as kabbalah leads her to her true self and true love—but also to a devastating confrontation with unimaginable evil, unleashed by the betrayal of a friend.
With themes of faith, friendship, and persecution, Alice Hoffman's tragic and beautiful novel resonates profoundly in our times.