Desert 1: Inside the Wall
 By A. Tebbs

Questions can be dangerous . . .
Seventeen-year-old Alysse's senior year is stressful enough with exams, a harpy teacher, and a long-time crush falling for her best friend Tori.
Then Alysse starts questioning what she's taught about the enemy living right outside the city wall.  She soon faces guerillas, a seismic bomb, and a genocidal plot that could spark a war.
Alysse must decide who to trust as she and her friend Pete ask questions everyone else avoids. Probably because everyone else is afraid of the answers. And they should be . . .

"Inside the Wall by A. Tebbs is a fun and action-filled dystopian YA novel that really packs a punch! If you enjoyed The Hunger Games or The Divergent Series, you will love this one!" --Erica, Robyn Reads

"(Desert) is a futuristic picture of a society segregated by stations of wealth and privilege will make you think. In many ways (Alysse's) world is chillingly familiar." --Peter H., N.Y.

"Made the mistake of starting this book in the middle of the day and was unable to accomplish anything because I couldn't put it down! CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!!" --Kristi, Goodreads

Audience: Teen, Young Adult, Adult
Genre: Dystopia, Action, Sci Fi, Romance, Humor 

Famous by Default
by M.K. Harkins

Jax
Being raised as a Jayne, I'm under constant scrutiny. The rock band my brothers formed makes it impossible to stay under the radar. Paparazzi, tabloids, rabid fans--you name it and I've got it. It all makes me sick.
​Then I meet her. She's cautious, suspicious, and not interested in me at all. But that's fine by me. Sivan Holt may be beautiful and intelligent, but she's nothing I'm looking for.

Sivan
Growing up in the foster care system, I longed for a sense of belonging. All I wanted was a place to call home. At the age of seventeen, I'm finally starting to feel it here. Home.
When he comes along, it unsettles me. I don't want him to ruin everything we've built--everything that matters. Jax Jayne is arrogant, privileged, and I want nothing to do with him. But those green eyes of his keep drawing me in. If I let down my walls, will it be my final undoing?

"WOW...I'm not sure how to explain the "feels" I have after this book. Just...WOW! So, I feel like I need to explain. I completely stumbled across this book. I was looking for something new and different. Boy, did I find it. The title and cover grabbed my attention. I tried a sample and was hooked!!! This is an absolute must read for YA/NA romance readers. It will grab your heart and not let go."    --Eli Peters, Amazon

"I was overwhelmed with emotion so I can’t write this review without being emotionally involved. I am not saying much of the story because I would not know where to start. Famous by Default was simply wonderful and real. It shows that struggling with Love and Life has no age. One of the best epilogues, I have ever read."  --Yamikirki, Amazon

Audience: Teens, Young Adult, Adult
Genre: Romance, Peer Pressure, Coming of Age
​

The Collar
& the Cavvarach

by Annie Douglass Lima

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. 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, 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?​


"Lima's novel is (a) ... gripping tale of loyalty, captivity, and redemption."-Publishers Weekly
​"Lima has crafted a remarkable book that gives a scary reality to slavery and a well thought out martial art .... This is a good read, the reader will not be disappointed."  
​ - Yellow 30 Sci-Fi Review

"This is one of the most enjoyable books I have read recently, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys speculative fiction. A rare diamond in the sea of Indie rough." 
-David G. Johnson, author of the Chadash Chronicles
​
"A fun read ...  almost an urban fantasy in another world with strong parallels to ours.  (The author) gets us involved in her speculative world and the story is satisfying with many twists."
-David Bergsland, author of Daniel's Mighty Men, radiqx.com

Audience: Young Adult, Adult
Genre: Sport and Conflict Action, Coming of Age-Young Men, Sacrifice, Adoption, Slavery

The City Beyond
 the Glass

​By suzannah Rowntree

As a daughter of nobility in Renaissance Venice, Gemma Caloprini must marry - or die behind convent walls. When an unwanted betrothal goads her to defy her father, she risks her most dangerous secret: the Glass Doge, a sinister nobleman living behind the glass of her mirror.

Now Gemma faces a brutal dilemma. If the suitors competing for her youngest sister's hand discover her secret, she'll be locked in a convent. If the Inquisitors find out, she'll burn as a witch. And if she can't pay her debt to the Glass Doge, she'll lose her soul forever.

Audience: Teen, Young Adult
Genre: Coming of Age, Magic, Romance, Sacrifice, Fairy Tale 


The City Beyond the Glass is a dark and spellbinding YA retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

Augment
by Heather Hayden

 By Government-enforced mandate, genetic augmentation and implant technology cannot coexist in the same human body. Sixteen-year-old Viki's life has depended on her implants since she was five.

Now her implants are failing.

When Viki discovers that the malfunctions are due to illegal augmentation, she is determined to find those responsible. However, Agent Smith of the Search and Retrieval Bureau is also looking for the geneticists who augmented Viki, and his orders are to capture them by any means necessary--even if it requires risking Viki's life by using her as bait.

Viki's friend Halle, a rogue AI, is doing its best to help her search, but Halle has its own problems. Agent Smith had been closing in on the AI before being reassigned to Viki's case, and Smith's partner is still on the hunt. Searching for the geneticists risks exposing Halle, but Viki and her friend must find them first--they are her only chance for survival.

Audience: Teen, Young Adult, Adult
Genre: Sci Fi, Action, Medical, Genetics
​

Follow Christa

Follow Cassidy

The Mysterious Package
​
​by Christa Nardi and Cassidy Salem

Two sisters, strangers on a train, and a mystery to solve ...
Hannah and Tamar are looking forward to spending Thanksgiving break with their grandparents. On the long ride to Vermont, the sisters are quick to offer assistance when a fellow passenger – a girl in her late teens – is hassled by a rough-looking young man. Grateful as she may be for their help, Gwen is in no hurry to make friends, not even as she thrusts a mysterious package into Tamar’s hand and disappears in the Rutland train station. Puzzled by her behavior, Hannah and Tamar set out to locate Gwen and unravel the secret of the mysterious package.

"This is a lovely book for (teen) girls. I liked both Hannah's and Tamar's personalities, and their relationship with their grandparents is great. ...This is a sweet and family oriented book. The author has an easy way of writing that I really like, and the book is very well written. I'm waiting for the next book!"  --M. Bon

"I liked Hannah and Tamar as soon as they stood up for a girl being hassled on a train by a scuzzy dude. Even though they are teenage girls still in high school, they fearlessly came to the mysterious girl’s aid … this is a fun, clean mystery in the vein of Nancy Drew, suitable for all teens."
--Kyla S.

"Nice, enjoyable story. Sisters Hannah and Tamar find themselves unwittingly involved in a mystery. Will they be able to solve it ? I loved the relationship between the girls and their grandparents. This is a lovely book with a good mystery and although aimed at YAs, it can be enjoyed by any age."  --Anne Stanmore

Audience: Teens, Young Adult, Adult, Golden Years
Genre: ​Mystery, Family, Romance

Sand and Storm
​
by Stella Dorthwany

    When junior mage Faryn is offered an internship with Professor Shaun Valerian--famous for edgy magic and breaking hearts--she can't afford to say no, even at the expense of her own archaeological dig.
    But when they join an expedition in the middle of the enchanted Caladoner desert, Shaun reveals he's up to far more than excavating dragon sarcophagi. Growing high above the sands is a storm so massive it could destroy the planet's magical balance. There's just one chance to stop the cataclysm--a lost super weapon, long buried in a forgotten temple. A temple that Faryn must rob.
    Faryn's cousin Cora has also been drafted into the temple expedition. Newly married to a man she barely knows, Cora is more interested in kindling romance than digging up artifacts. But as the desert's strange enchantment infiltrates the magical bond that ties her to her husband, Cora begins to burn with a power that's been forbidden for centuries. It could kill her, but it may be the only way to unlock the legendary weapon.
   As the storm clouds darken, Faryn and Cora will have to choose: between safety and sacrifice, between duty and love, between old dreams and a new magic that will change the world--if the world can survive it.

The Royal Deal
​ by D. G. Driver

A pampered princess is told she must marry a prince she doesn't like, let alone love, on her nineteenth birthday. Desperate to find a way to stop this arranged marriage, she makes a bargain with her father. If she can survive for three months in the forest with no help of any kind and return healthy and unharmed, then she can choose the man she will marry. The King accepts the wager, knowing he can't possibly lose. Princess Faith knows she must win this deal, but once she ventures into the forest, she has no idea how she can possibly succeed.

"The Royal Deal . . . has all the ingredients of a compassionate and exciting tale to suit the reader's fanciful desires: a princess seeking true love, an arrogant prince that she doesn't like . . . and a missing prince.  And who is this other character, the one she meets in the woods? A short little dose of excitement, fantasy and romance. A good read."    - Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite 

"This isn't a sparkly fairy tale with the prince rescuing the princess - it possesses a more modern spin, with the princess learning independence and building self-esteem . . . " - Books and Such

"From the very start, it is made very clear that Faith is not your typical princess. Just as well, as this is not your typical fairy tale. Faith is outspoken, strong-willed, and enterprising . . .  " - Amazon Review


"This modern take on a fairy tale was a quick and very pleasant way to while away an hour or two. Faith was a lovely, genuine character, I was willing her to succeed even though it looked very unlikely . . . Lessons are learned during her time in the forest, about herself and what is important in life – anything worth having is worth fighting for." - Between the Lines

Audience: Teens, Young Adult, Adult
Genre: Medieval, Royalty, Chic Lit, Self Reliance, Perseverance,

Finding Peace
Rebecca, Wife of Enos
Ancient Matriarchs, Book 3
​
​by Angelique Conger

They stole her food, her freedom and her children. Is there peace for Rebecca?
For Rebecca, life in drought stricken Shulon becomes more complicated when ancient feuds explode. Struggling to survive, she is further stricken when raiders take her brother’s life and steal her two young children.
Confronting continued brutality and loss, can she overcome hatred and discover the strength to endure continued confrontation and loss?
Ancient Matriarchs Book Three: Finding Peace, Rebecca Wife of Enoch is a fascinating historical fiction with a compelling feminine perspective and an engaging story of a determined woman encountering overwhelming loss.


“I enjoyed this. It is a great point to start thinking of meditating. The tenderness among family and friends harkens back to old ways. I became nostalgic for my grandparents time, simple living and teaching out to help others.’"
“Trials and tribulations that people face when they have a strong faith are met with non believers. Rebecca and Enos's lives were hard and sorrow came at a point they struggle, but do not give in to it. They struggle to overcome it.”


“ I had the feeling I was right there suffering yet gaining a greater love and faith in and of the great Jehovah!!! The author certainly is well versed in the words of the Old Testament. I felt the spiritual love she has of these great women.”

Audience: Young Adult 18+, Adult
Genre: Religion, Marriage, Persecution, War, Perseverence