Penny Boudreaux didn’t believe in ghosts…until they started talking to her.
Ever since her mother’s death five years ago, 16-year-old Penny has had a fascination with death, even opting for part time work at her mother’s old funeral home. Between the stresses of school, work and toxic friends, Penny could use a mother’s guidance. But she never believed anyone could return from the dead.
Then she begins hearing whispers in quiet rooms and seeing strange figures nobody else can see. And when she meets a mysterious boy named Stephen Campbell, she realizes he may provide the answers she seeks about the Gift she suspects she possesses — the Gift of necromancy.
With her newfound Gift — and Stephen’s help — Penny sets out to resurrect her mother. But her experience is limited and her patience thin, especially when an otherworldly encounter leads her to believe her mother’s death wasn’t the accident she thought. Now Penny must bring back and avenge her mother without harming Stephen — or herself.
An equal mix of romance and horror, Penny Dreadful will appeal to fans of Stephenie Meyer and Stephen King alike.
Meet Mary Hallberg
As a child, Mary Hallberg’s mother wanted her to read HEIDI and CADDIE WOODLAWN, so she grew up reading Goosebumps books under the covers. As soon as she was old enough for a Blockbuster card, she graduated to horror classics like Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Evil Dead. Her parents still wonder where they went wrong in raising her. She lives in Mississippi.
“I loved the combination of history, lore, education, entertainment…and I absolutely loved Eleu and Molawa.” -Tara Lewis, former Director, Disney Publishing Worldwide “Islanders comes steeped in Hawaiian culture, mythology, and legends.” -D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer for Midwest Book Review “Enormously entertaining, [the] tale deeply respects the myths that have inspired it.” -Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers’ Favorite “Islanders is clearly a product of love… love of nature, love of Hawaii, and love of good storytelling.” -Reviewed by Jake Vander Ark, author of Put the Cat In the Oven Before You Describe the Kitchen: A Concise, No-Bull Guide To Writing Fiction
When eleven-year-old Kilikina and her brother, fourteen-year-old Kaimana, are unknowingly given access to a hidden and legendary world in their native O’ahu in the Hawaiian islands, they are also gifted with an unexpected set of magical abilities. Soon, they find themselves on an adventure, one in which they experience the interconnectedness of the world around them and begin to learn firsthand about the islands’ vast history and traditions.
Guided by a quirky and silly duo from a mythical race of tiny people, the siblings soon learn they have been chosen to help protect their island and way of life from a great evil. Are they up to the challenge?
Meet James Eldridge
Children’s book author James Eldridge and his illustrator brother Richard Eldridge were raised in Hawaii and were inspired to bring the beauty and mythology of their homeland to young readers with their middle-grade fantasy novel, Islanders, the first installment in The Pacific Chronicles series. James is married to the lovely, real-life Kilikina and together they have four children. Richard is married to his childhood friend, and together they have their own island girl.
After a near-fatal experience with COVID in 2021, including forty-five days on a ventilator in the ICU, multiple blood transfusions, being in an induced coma and having several live-saving surgeries, James’s road to recovery was both mentally and physically challenging. He and his brother worked together to bring this story to life, using their home as a background, as a way to focus on something creative and inspiring to help James put the nightmare of COVID behind him.
James and Richard explain that there is a fascinating concept of duality in the animal world in Hawaii: there are native species and invasive species, yet many people (especially visitors) cannot tell the difference. For their series, they enjoy using the idea that these species are secretly at war with each other for control of the island and nearly no humans are aware of it except for a chosen few.
The brothers hope their young readers come away from their stories having tasted a small part of the beautiful Hawaiian language, the soft strength and humor of its culture, a respect for its history, and a desire to visit. James now lives in Bentonville, Arkansas, while Richard lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. Islanders, book one in The Pacific Chronicles series, is their debut novel.
Larkspur Academy is a five book young adult paranormal mystery series featuring a smart teen heroine, powerful friendships, and sweet romance along with magical secrets. This bundle includes all five books, which must be read in order as each installment moves the story forward. Join Mina and her new friends as they discover the life-altering secrets hidden within the walls of Larkspur Academy. 1. Mirror: Mina must adjust to her new life at Larkspur Academy, but her mean cousin and frightening secrets make her wish she was back home. 2. Illusion: Sweet, popular Gavin comes to Mina’s rescue, but she wants to save herself. Can she deal with the knowledge she must save everyone? 3. Spiral: Mina no longer knows who to trust after a shocking revelation and a devastating confession. Which secret, she wonders, will be the one to cause her downfall? 4. Mirage: The summer semester class trip promises adventure as well as an escape from Larkspur’s walls, but the dangers of Moon Lake prove all too real. 5. Glow: Will Mina’s time at Larkspur Academy end in triumph or tragedy?
Meet Molly Lavenza
I love my home state of Ohio, where I live with my family and attend Kent State University. I couldn’t live without my cats, potato chips, and my boyfriend, whose dark curly hair and obsession with Converse sneakers was the inspiration for The Changeling Covenant hero, Declan.
Just City is an award-winning novella about 21-year-old Nathan who dreams about creating a cool start-up with his friend Jack. To get money for the start-up Nathan starts playing a virtual reality game as part of a scientific experiment. The game forces Nathan to discover what it is like to be in the skin of somebody else, for whom the cards have been dealt differently. The depressing experiences of playing the game make Nathan question his belief in meritocracy and pick a fight with Jack. What is just and what do we really deserve? This is only the beginning of Nathan’s search for a new life credo that will have both love and reason at its core.
Meet Olga Tymofiyeva
Olga Tymofiyeva, PhD, was born in 1981 in Kyiv, Ukraine. After having lived in Ukraine and Germany, she now lives in the US and works as an Associate Professor of Neuroimaging at the University of California in San Francisco. The award-winning novella Just City is Olga’s first fiction book, which reflects her passion for science and critical thinking.
“A riveting tale of resistance, romance, and betrayal, […] a blistering rollercoaster ride from start to finish.” – Readers’ Favorite® Review
The final safe haven. A test of belonging. Deception of epic proportions.
Sheltered inside a dome city, Emery believes she’s safe from the worst danger imaginable: a ravaging pandemic. But when her beloved brother falls victim to a strange and deadly disease, she risks everything to save him, illegally crossing the Wall of Fire that divides their city in search of the medicine that will save his life. When her plan goes awry, she becomes an unwilling participant in a gauntlet of trials she must pass or be exiled forever.
While fighting for her life, she unexpectedly meets up with Eason, the guy she’s secretly loved forever and never dreamed she’d ever see again. Suddenly, everything she thought she knew is thrown into question, and trusting the wrong person could mean the difference between life and death—not only for Emery and her brother, but for everyone she’s ever known.
Could the one thing that was meant to protect her actually be her biggest threat?
For fans of the Hunger Games, Divergent, andDelirium series comes a gripping, fast-paced story of deception, intrigue, hope, and enduring love. Wall of Fire is the first book in the young adult, post-apocalyptic, dystopian Wall of Fire Series.
Meet Melanie Tays
Melanie Tays is an author of young adult, speculative fiction. She loves stories with twists you don’t see coming, intriguing questions, and satisfying answers. She spends her days imagining how the world could be different and then takes readers along for a surprising and exciting ride. Melanie lives in Arizona with her husband, Chris, and two brilliant daughters who keep life interesting.
★★★★★ GOLD MEDAL WINNER, 2021 READERS’ FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS (Young Adult – Sci-Fi) A mysterious star could bring stability to her world…or lead her to a blistering end.
Quiet and introverted twelve-year-old Sam Sanderson is comfortable living a simple life on her family’s peaceful farm. That is, until a mysterious visitor arrives one night, thrusting her on a formidable and dangerous journey across galaxies.
With little direction and no training manual, her mission is to find the elusive Hopewell Star to save a dying planet. But with time running out, a destructive business mogul tracking her every move, and deadly disasters threatening her community, she’ll have to rely on her wits, courage, and friends to make things right and restore peace to both worlds…all while surviving seventh grade.
From discovering the secret of the Hopewell Star to locating a lost civilization, this book has it all: exhilarating adventures, mystery and intrigue, and fascinating characters—you won’t be able to put it down!
Praise for Journey to the Hopewell Star:
★GOLD MEDAL WINNER, 2021 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards ★WINNER of the Literary Titan Gold Award (December 2020) ★GOLD AWARD RECIPIENT, MOM’S CHOICE AWARDS® ★“A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended” – The Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2020 (UK) ★A Must-Have New Brunswick Book of 2020 – Atlantic Books Today ★LONGLISTED for The Miramichi Reader’s “The Very Best!” Book Awards 2021
“[A] spellbinding story that is impossible to put down.” – Readers’ Favorite
“A well thought out, entertaining fantasy adventure that works on several levels.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Young adult author Hannah D. State effortlessly blends science fiction and fantasy in Journey to the Hopewell Star, an engaging story featuring an alien culture and a destructive megacorporation that is as enjoyable as it is timely.” – IndieReader (starred review)
“Wonderfully imaginative!” – Cary Caffrey, bestselling author of The Girls From Alcyone
“Five stars for a fine debut novel!” – The Miramichi Reader
“A wonderfully engaging fantasy adventure for YA. Cleverly plotted and totally unique, I’d highly recommend it.” – A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
“Refreshing…well-written and thoughtful.” – Literary Titan
“A page-turner full of surprises.” – The Prairies Book Review
Meet Hannah D. State
Hannah D. State is a Canadian author. She graduated from McGill University with a BA and earned her MPL from Queen’s University. Hannah is bothered by inequality, violence, greed, complacency, snakes, entering a dark room, and not getting enough sleep. She enjoys writing about strong-willed characters who don’t fit the norm and who overcome great obstacles with perseverance, self-discovery, and help from others. Sometimes Hannah can’t keep up with her characters’ ideas and plans, so she takes breaks, drinks coffee, does yoga and tai chi, and takes nature walks to calm her mind and really listen. Journey to the Hopewell Star is her first novel. You can find her author page on Facebook.
Alien invaders plunge earth into a post-apocalyptic world of shapeshifters and alternate realities. Below the surface of everyday life, humans are being used in dramas that help the alien civilization find a new god for their society. Strange new gods appear on earth.
Young college student Kristen-Kate McCutchan and biomedical engineer Stephen D. Spiros are on separate quests to expose the alien threat. Both are subverted by strange controlling forces and find themselves merging minds with a mysterious other. They team up and try to put a face on this other, the fate of the human race in the balance.
A laugh-out-loud coming of age story of one teen’s preposterous experience in a wilderness therapy program.
Daniel grew up in the shadow of his older sister, the brash, self-assured, and utterly reckless Jackie, now living with her dirtbag boyfriend and wandering through dead-end jobs. When his parents find her marijuana stash in his closet and decide they do not want him to turn out like his sister, Daniel suffers the “trickle-down parenting” effect and is sent to Quest Trail.
Surrounded by other similarly uprooted teens, Daniel endures a series of preposterous self-discovery exercises and gets caught up in a rivalry with Troy, a too-tough poser, as they vie for the attention of Vera, a charismatic California teen who grew up with too much money and not enough emotional connection.
Just as Daniel’s confidence begins to grow and things start to look up, the Quest Trail program dissolves into complete chaos.
Sometimes humorous, sometimes painful, Off Trail shows an authentic account of all the embarrassing and heart-wrenching moments of being a teen.
Creatures in your basement? Undead spooking your castle? Infestation of goblins? Beast Be Gone will clear out those pesky pests and save your health and business – (no dragons)
Adventurers rampage across the land, stealing everything from bread rolls to ancient heirlooms, slaughtering countless innocent monsters in their hunt for glory.
Eric, the owner of Beast Be Gone pest control, knows that most creatures can be removed with a bit of repellent, however the adventurers want to do things the flashy way; blowing up half of the dungeon with fireballs in the process.
With no work left, Eric is broke and desperate. That is until a young woman equipped with mechanical gadgets becomes his apprentice. Together they uncover the mystery of a diabolical plot that answers the timeless questions about adventuring…
Why are there so many Chosen Ones? Are goblins inherently evil or are they just misunderstood? Why do all the shopkeepers say they have the best swords in the land? What are the socio-economic implications of all these sword merchants?
Somebody wants a world full of adventurers, but why…?
Terry Pratchett meets Ghostbusters in an RPG world.
Beast Be Gone is a new fantasy comedy novel, which explores the stories of the underdogs of fantasy tales, sometimes known as NPC’s. They’re normal folk just wanting to go to the shops without getting stabbed by a sneaky guy in a cape who got bored of hunting goblins.
A must-read for anyone who loves Dungeons & Dragons, RPG’s and online games (although you’ll never be able to play them again without feeling bad for the men who have to clear up the mess you left behind in dungeons).
Suitable for adults, YA and teens. Available in hardcover (hardback), kindle, ebook and paperback. First published August 2021.
Meet A L Billington
Who is A L Billington? Some say he is just a myth, a phantom, a whisper on the lips of a kindly gentleman. Or maybe he’s just some bloke with access to a word processor and too much time on his hands. Who calls them word processors these days anyway? Turns out A L Billington is old enough to use the term ‘word processor’, yet only ironically, which should tell you exactly how old he is. He’s also the one writing this bit, so it’s very strange that it’s in the third person.
In case you were wondering, the ‘A’ stands for Arthur, and the ‘L’ stands for a secret that he’ll never tell you unless you get him drunk at an awkward party.
Anyway, you all have access to your own word processors, so you can look him up using the magic of the internet. He’s the cheeky chap who set up ‘Billington Publishing’ (in case you hadn’t made that connection based on the narcissistic naming)
