"As one's world seems to break down around you, honesty seems quite out of reach. "Worlds Apart" is a story of David, a young man facing high school with his world falling apart around him. With gang war running rampant around him in 1980s New York City, it doesn't ultimately seem hopeful for his future. A coming of age thriller that deftly works in supernatural elements, "Worlds Apart" is a unique and much recommended read." - Helen Dumont, Midwest Book Review. The high school prom was the worst night of David's life, and twenty years later, he's unable to get over high school. But given the tragic circumstances of that night, who could? There are nine student deaths at Stanton High School every year. Surviving senior year has never been so stressful. In the 1980's, crime, gangs, and violence, have taken over New York City, making life a challenge for any student. The story follows David from the first day of his senior year, all the way to graduation. Doubts, a lack of direction, and regret are weighing heavily on his mind. He is a musical prodigy confused about college, life, and career choices. He can't trust his classmates at his ultra-competitive high school, where the goal is Harvard (no matter who gets hurt in the process.) Delancey is the girl of his dreams, but she is out of his league. The SATS, choices for college, school dances, and the prom, all start to overwhelm David. A fellow student, obsessed with the metaphysical world, befriends David. David must give the musical performance of his life in order to win back the girl of his dreams. An unforeseen supernatural plot twist leads the reader to a thrilling and suspenseful ending. Worlds Apart is a modern day retelling of the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Private Cathay's Secret depicts the determination and perseverance of a young slave girl, Cathay Williams. Thrust from her home on a Missouri plantation, she becomes a cook for the Union Army. Little does she realize this servitude throughout much of the Civil War will prepare her for her greatest challenge: impersonating a male soldier in the U. S. Army at the end of the war. Alongside her male companions, Williams endures hardships and performs her duties with them equally, during a time when women are not allowed to serve in the military. No one discovers her gender until she reveals it at the time of her discharge. Much has been written about the Buffalo Soldier 10th Cavalry, but infantry escapades are largely clouded in obscurity.

When Peter's parents are killed, he is sent to an orphanage in Warsaw, Poland. But Peter is Volksdeutscher-of German blood. With his blond hair and blue eyes, he looks just like the boy on the Hitler Youth poster. The Nazis decide he is racially valuable. Indeed, a prominent German family is pleased to adopt such a fine Aryan specimen into their household. But despite his new "family," Peter feels like a foreigner-an ausländer-and he is forming his own ideas about what he sees and what he's told. He doesn't want to be a Nazi. So he takes a risk-the most dangerous one he could possibly choose in 1942 Berlin. . . .Paul Dowswell weaves meticulous research into a thrilling narrative, exposing a different angle of the horrors of Nazi Germany.

Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new lifefor herself.Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.In Fateful, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray delivers paranormal adventure, dark suspense, and alluring romance set against the opulent backdrop of the Titanic’s first—and last—voyage.