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Synopsis: "It is a truth universally assumed that a stupidly rich boy must be in want of a girlfriend. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a girl who has just travelled half a world must be in want of a bed."
From her first day at pompous boarding school Netherfield, fiery Australian Lily Brewer comes up against the arrogance of Austin Cooper. Austin and his twin Jax are the hottest guys in school. And the richest. It’s quick wits and sass versus suave intelligence and abs, and they refuse to fall for each other. The rest of the school ignores Austin’s behaviour for his pretty face and fat wallet. But, Lily can’t get past his cold character even while her insults are enough to bring a smile to Austin’s usually dour face. As Lily’s roommate Anne is getting closer to Jax, Austin and Lily are always at each other’s throats despite the sizzling chemistry that both of them deny simmering below the surface.
Between an ardent proposal from her step-mother’s simpering nephew, a dashing young fellow-Aussie from the Military College, the twins’ scheming bitch of a cousin, Lily’s embarrassing family, Austin’s intended fiancée, the antics of the twins’ best friend, the overbearing Lady Celia, and a whole lot of stubbornness, love seems off the dance card for everyone.
Will pride and prejudice ruin them all? Or will love win the day?
Get ready to spot all your favourite characters in this Young Adult modern reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, told in dual POV.
Please be aware that this story uses Australian English spelling and syntax.
What People are Saying:
"...this was lighter and funny version of the old, heavy, royal, mannerly, and serious pride & prejudice. This is ‘Pride & Prejudice’ story for younger generation." - Yesha (Books Teacups and Reviews.)
"Jovial and light-hearted, Netherfield Prep made me smile, gush and laugh the way the original Jane Austen novels always have..." - Zoe (Attic Salt Reviews)
"I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!" – Kimberly
"Austen aficionados may enjoy finding the hidden little links to other Pride and Prejudice spin-offs..." - Anna
From her first day at pompous boarding school Netherfield, fiery Australian Lily Brewer comes up against the arrogance of Austin Cooper. Austin and his twin Jax are the hottest guys in school. And the richest. It’s quick wits and sass versus suave intelligence and abs, and they refuse to fall for each other. The rest of the school ignores Austin’s behaviour for his pretty face and fat wallet. But, Lily can’t get past his cold character even while her insults are enough to bring a smile to Austin’s usually dour face. As Lily’s roommate Anne is getting closer to Jax, Austin and Lily are always at each other’s throats despite the sizzling chemistry that both of them deny simmering below the surface.
Between an ardent proposal from her step-mother’s simpering nephew, a dashing young fellow-Aussie from the Military College, the twins’ scheming bitch of a cousin, Lily’s embarrassing family, Austin’s intended fiancée, the antics of the twins’ best friend, the overbearing Lady Celia, and a whole lot of stubbornness, love seems off the dance card for everyone.
Will pride and prejudice ruin them all? Or will love win the day?
Get ready to spot all your favourite characters in this Young Adult modern reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, told in dual POV.
Please be aware that this story uses Australian English spelling and syntax.
What People are Saying:
"...this was lighter and funny version of the old, heavy, royal, mannerly, and serious pride & prejudice. This is ‘Pride & Prejudice’ story for younger generation." - Yesha (Books Teacups and Reviews.)
"Jovial and light-hearted, Netherfield Prep made me smile, gush and laugh the way the original Jane Austen novels always have..." - Zoe (Attic Salt Reviews)
"I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!" – Kimberly
"Austen aficionados may enjoy finding the hidden little links to other Pride and Prejudice spin-offs..." - Anna
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Mark Sills, 16, found the car on Craigslist --the ad read RUNS GOOD -NO REVERSE. He buys the car and, along with his pal Fred, decides to fix it up, but he doesn't have much experience. Oh, Mark once oiled the chain on his bike and Fred added a quart of oil to his Dad's car, but that was about it. A car with no reverse soon finds Mark in trouble with his girlfriend, her mom and his school's Vice Principal. He finds some new friends too -- an ex-Marine junkyard owner and an old lady named Agnes. The title describes the car, and also the boys --and a girl named Karen.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
John Lennon fought for world peace, but sixteen-year-old hippie hopeful Kale Oswald's only made it as far as tie-dying his T-shirts with organic grape juice. Now he’s ready to cement his new hippie identity by joining a local human rights organization, but he doesn’t fit in as well as he’d hoped.
After landing herself in the hospital by washing down a Ziploc bag of pills with a bottle of Gatorade, Julian Mendez came clean to her mother: she is a girl who has been seen as a boy since birth. Puberty blockers have stopped the maturing of her body. They’re also supposed to give her time to be sure she wants to make a more permanent decision, but she’s already Julia in her heart. What she’s not sure she’s ready to face is the post-transition name-calling and bathroom wars awaiting her at school.
When Kale and Julian come face-to-face at the human rights organization, attraction, teenage awkwardness, and reluctant empathy collide. They are forced to examine who they are and how they want to present themselves to the world. But until Kale can come to terms with his confusion about his own sexuality and Julian can be honest with Kale about her gender, they cannot move forward in friendship, or anything more.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
When Lily Lane first accepts the job in the small town of Lakeview Shores, she thinks she’s destined for a lazy summer serving food at the local hangout. She couldn’t have anticipated the disastrous turn her life takes before it ends.
Lily dies on the lake, but she has no idea who killed her. Instead, she is stuck in limbo as a spirit. Lily can observe others but has no way of affecting the physical world—that is, until Rose shows up. Rose, a magazine reporter, is Lily’s biological mother. Rose is determined to get justice and shares a special psychic connection with the daughter she has never known.
Together with Lily’s best friend, Jeremy, Rose begins investigating a series of crimes occurring in Lakeview Shores. Is Lily’s death connected to the thefts plaguing the community, or is it due to the actions of someone no one would have suspected? As Rose and Lily grow closer, both mother and daughter will discover that nothing is as it seems in this quiet community. Rose’s mission is important, but if she isn’t careful, it may just doom her to the same fate her daughter suffered.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: “This is one for the ages.” —Gayle Forman, author of the #1 bestseller If I Stay
“A book everyone should read right now.” —The New York Times Book Review
“A vital and heartbreaking story that brings together the #MeToo movement, the effects of gun violence, and the struggle of building oneself up again after crisis.” —Elle
“Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful.” —BookPage
Each step on Annabelle’s 2,700 mile cross-country run brings her closer to facing a trauma from her past in National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti’s novel about the heart, all the ways it breaks, and its journey to healing. Because sometimes against our will, against all odds, we go forward.
When everything has been taken from you, what else is there to do but run?
So that’s what Annabelle does—she runs from Seattle to Washington, DC, through mountain passes and suburban landscapes, from long lonely roads to college towns. She’s not ready to think about the why yet, just the how—muscles burning, heart pumping, feet pounding the earth. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t outrun the tragedy from the past year, or the person—The Taker—that haunts her.
Followed by Grandpa Ed in his RV and backed by her brother and two friends (her self-appointed publicity team), Annabelle becomes a reluctant activist as people connect her journey to the trauma from her past. Her cross-country run gains media attention and she is cheered on as she crosses state borders, and is even thrown a block party and given gifts. The support would be nice, if Annabelle could escape the guilt and the shame from what happened back home. They say it isn’t her fault, but she can’t feel the truth of that.
Through welcome and unwelcome distractions, she just keeps running, to the destination that awaits her. There, she’ll finally face what lies behind her—the miles and love and loss…and what is to come.
“A book everyone should read right now.” —The New York Times Book Review
“A vital and heartbreaking story that brings together the #MeToo movement, the effects of gun violence, and the struggle of building oneself up again after crisis.” —Elle
“Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful.” —BookPage
Each step on Annabelle’s 2,700 mile cross-country run brings her closer to facing a trauma from her past in National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti’s novel about the heart, all the ways it breaks, and its journey to healing. Because sometimes against our will, against all odds, we go forward.
When everything has been taken from you, what else is there to do but run?
So that’s what Annabelle does—she runs from Seattle to Washington, DC, through mountain passes and suburban landscapes, from long lonely roads to college towns. She’s not ready to think about the why yet, just the how—muscles burning, heart pumping, feet pounding the earth. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t outrun the tragedy from the past year, or the person—The Taker—that haunts her.
Followed by Grandpa Ed in his RV and backed by her brother and two friends (her self-appointed publicity team), Annabelle becomes a reluctant activist as people connect her journey to the trauma from her past. Her cross-country run gains media attention and she is cheered on as she crosses state borders, and is even thrown a block party and given gifts. The support would be nice, if Annabelle could escape the guilt and the shame from what happened back home. They say it isn’t her fault, but she can’t feel the truth of that.
Through welcome and unwelcome distractions, she just keeps running, to the destination that awaits her. There, she’ll finally face what lies behind her—the miles and love and loss…and what is to come.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Praise for War World
“*****FIVE-PLUS STARS to War World - deliciously unpredictable fiction from an expert storyteller - it's a well-written winner.” —Publishers Daily Review
“Killer gnomes, wizards, prehistoric monsters— War World grabs readers from the first page and doesn't let go – the action is high-octane, pulling teens and adult readers alike - about as far from H.G. Wells as you can get.”—Midwest Book Review
“Spence has created an exciting world, one that sinks its claws into you - this is definitely one Sci-Fi series that I can get behind.”—Abooktropolis
One planet - 6 teenagers - a million light years of terror.
School field trips shouldn't be this dangerous.
Jeremy Austin never asked to save a planet--it's bad enough being a "B"average student as the son of a world-famous geneticist for crying out loud! He didn't ask to be attacked by Gnome assassins, didn't choose to become food for a prehistoric monster, would never have thought consorting with wizards a wise concept, and he definitely would never, ever sign up to do sword combat against the bloodthirsty Gnome King.
Note to self: say NO to portals and wormholes.
His father's expedition to a planet 2.4 million light years from Earth has gone missing. Jeremy and five high school friends embark on a rescue mission. Surrounded by an army of mercenaries, they travel through a high-tech portal and discover a nightmare planet on the other side--a violent world of alien races and man-eating monsters--a world in despair; anxiously awaiting the arrival of a savior who will defeat the evil Shadow Lord.
For Jeremy, the search for his father becomes lost in a struggle for survival... and escape from those who would put the mantel of planet savior on his shoulders.
A doomed expedition. Surrounded by aliens. Running out of time.
Note to readers: This young adult, sci fi, fantasy contains a lot of action and adventure (think Jurassic Park meets Lord of the Rings), high school teens with issues (murder, bullying and juvenile pranks gone awry), genetic engineering (the world must have a new super soldier) and survival skills put to the test (monsters, aliens and mercenaries... oh my). So if you like a fast pace, some comic banter and a mysterious, deadly world to explore, this book series is for you!
Includes preview of Book 2 of War World: Paladin.
Q & A with the Author
Q - How would you describe the War World series?
A - Survival... in the vein of Crichton's Jurassic Park. Life on planet Genesis was supposed to be controlled, safe. It's anything but... The planet's humanoid races are violent killers. War World sends a group of high school students on a field trip to hell. There is lots of action, adventure, fantasy settings, and magic. There are even nefarious government agents and an army of mercenaries who think they can go through a portal and tame the dangers of the alien planet. Right...
Q - Where did the idea for War World come from? What was the inspiration?
A - My first big novel to read as a teenager was The Sword of Shannara- that led to reading The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings novels while recuperating from having four wisdom teeth removed one Christmas. So fantasy became a favorite of mine. Additionally, I've always been a fan of Michael Crichton's novels and his technothriller movies: Westworld, Jurassic Park, Sphere- the idea of technology running amok.
War World grew out of a 'what if.'
- What if modern weapons interacted with Middle Earth?
- What would normal teenage American high school students do if suddenly thrust into a world dominated by Gnomes, Trolls, Elves, Dwarves, knights and wizards?
- What if this world was a lot like the television series, Lost? Hidden bunkers, new and old technology and a mysterious expedition gone missing.
“*****FIVE-PLUS STARS to War World - deliciously unpredictable fiction from an expert storyteller - it's a well-written winner.” —Publishers Daily Review
“Killer gnomes, wizards, prehistoric monsters— War World grabs readers from the first page and doesn't let go – the action is high-octane, pulling teens and adult readers alike - about as far from H.G. Wells as you can get.”—Midwest Book Review
“Spence has created an exciting world, one that sinks its claws into you - this is definitely one Sci-Fi series that I can get behind.”—Abooktropolis
One planet - 6 teenagers - a million light years of terror.
School field trips shouldn't be this dangerous.
Jeremy Austin never asked to save a planet--it's bad enough being a "B"average student as the son of a world-famous geneticist for crying out loud! He didn't ask to be attacked by Gnome assassins, didn't choose to become food for a prehistoric monster, would never have thought consorting with wizards a wise concept, and he definitely would never, ever sign up to do sword combat against the bloodthirsty Gnome King.
Note to self: say NO to portals and wormholes.
His father's expedition to a planet 2.4 million light years from Earth has gone missing. Jeremy and five high school friends embark on a rescue mission. Surrounded by an army of mercenaries, they travel through a high-tech portal and discover a nightmare planet on the other side--a violent world of alien races and man-eating monsters--a world in despair; anxiously awaiting the arrival of a savior who will defeat the evil Shadow Lord.
For Jeremy, the search for his father becomes lost in a struggle for survival... and escape from those who would put the mantel of planet savior on his shoulders.
A doomed expedition. Surrounded by aliens. Running out of time.
Note to readers: This young adult, sci fi, fantasy contains a lot of action and adventure (think Jurassic Park meets Lord of the Rings), high school teens with issues (murder, bullying and juvenile pranks gone awry), genetic engineering (the world must have a new super soldier) and survival skills put to the test (monsters, aliens and mercenaries... oh my). So if you like a fast pace, some comic banter and a mysterious, deadly world to explore, this book series is for you!
Includes preview of Book 2 of War World: Paladin.
Q & A with the Author
Q - How would you describe the War World series?
A - Survival... in the vein of Crichton's Jurassic Park. Life on planet Genesis was supposed to be controlled, safe. It's anything but... The planet's humanoid races are violent killers. War World sends a group of high school students on a field trip to hell. There is lots of action, adventure, fantasy settings, and magic. There are even nefarious government agents and an army of mercenaries who think they can go through a portal and tame the dangers of the alien planet. Right...
Q - Where did the idea for War World come from? What was the inspiration?
A - My first big novel to read as a teenager was The Sword of Shannara- that led to reading The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings novels while recuperating from having four wisdom teeth removed one Christmas. So fantasy became a favorite of mine. Additionally, I've always been a fan of Michael Crichton's novels and his technothriller movies: Westworld, Jurassic Park, Sphere- the idea of technology running amok.
War World grew out of a 'what if.'
- What if modern weapons interacted with Middle Earth?
- What would normal teenage American high school students do if suddenly thrust into a world dominated by Gnomes, Trolls, Elves, Dwarves, knights and wizards?
- What if this world was a lot like the television series, Lost? Hidden bunkers, new and old technology and a mysterious expedition gone missing.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: “Eclectic, eccentric, and original. Fast-paced. Absurd. Whimsical.” ─ Suidae Gazette
“Cheeky, original, and witty. Wickedly fun!” ─ Bacon Daily News
Sam is a twelve-year-old boy from a family of pigs. His mom is a prize sow, a British Lop of very high breeding. His dad is a warthog, the pedigree, no one is quite sure. Sam's parents are swine, but he's perfectly normal.
Sam and his family live in a medium sized town called Suidae Valley somewhere in the middle of California between Porterville and Salinas. His mom enjoys gardening and mud baths. His dad is a booming, retired plumber. He's a little rough around the edges. The family is piggly, but they fit right in with everyone in town, who call themselves Suids.
Told in first person, episodic format, Sam is a precocious kid with a talent for imagination, observation, and occasionally, even curious profundity. The narrative is eccentric, novel, and original, ranging from the orthodox to stream of consciousness and reverse chronology.
The Swines ─ Anecdotes Of A Piggly Family, is at times thoughtful, at times absurd, but most of the time compelling, as the author takes readers on a journey into an unconventional world at the intersection of humans, pigs, and boy.
Praise for The Swines:
• “Irreverent, precocious, and self-mocking, the Swines are compelling, and Suidae Valley's native son sparkles with humor.” ─ Suidae Valley Times
• “Written in the first person, twelve-year-old Sam dazzles with inquisitive observations and keen philosophical meanderings sure to delight adults and precocious kids of every age. A page-turner.” ─ Porcine Book Review
• “A crossover novel that will appeal to everyone regardless of age, sex, background or genus.” ─ Bovine Society
• “Satirical, ludicrous and bold. Animal Farm meets Aesop's Fables. An incisive lesson in every chapter.” ─ Weekly Porker
• “Politically incorrect. Genius!” ─ Young Hogs
• “A smorgasbord of subjects, from Law of Attraction to North Korea. A topical tour de force!” ─ Suidae Globe
• “Page after page of non-stop chortles . . .” ─ The Boarish Post
• “Cache of lexical brilliance!” ─ Sus Semantic Academy
“Cheeky, original, and witty. Wickedly fun!” ─ Bacon Daily News
Sam is a twelve-year-old boy from a family of pigs. His mom is a prize sow, a British Lop of very high breeding. His dad is a warthog, the pedigree, no one is quite sure. Sam's parents are swine, but he's perfectly normal.
Sam and his family live in a medium sized town called Suidae Valley somewhere in the middle of California between Porterville and Salinas. His mom enjoys gardening and mud baths. His dad is a booming, retired plumber. He's a little rough around the edges. The family is piggly, but they fit right in with everyone in town, who call themselves Suids.
Told in first person, episodic format, Sam is a precocious kid with a talent for imagination, observation, and occasionally, even curious profundity. The narrative is eccentric, novel, and original, ranging from the orthodox to stream of consciousness and reverse chronology.
The Swines ─ Anecdotes Of A Piggly Family, is at times thoughtful, at times absurd, but most of the time compelling, as the author takes readers on a journey into an unconventional world at the intersection of humans, pigs, and boy.
Praise for The Swines:
• “Irreverent, precocious, and self-mocking, the Swines are compelling, and Suidae Valley's native son sparkles with humor.” ─ Suidae Valley Times
• “Written in the first person, twelve-year-old Sam dazzles with inquisitive observations and keen philosophical meanderings sure to delight adults and precocious kids of every age. A page-turner.” ─ Porcine Book Review
• “A crossover novel that will appeal to everyone regardless of age, sex, background or genus.” ─ Bovine Society
• “Satirical, ludicrous and bold. Animal Farm meets Aesop's Fables. An incisive lesson in every chapter.” ─ Weekly Porker
• “Politically incorrect. Genius!” ─ Young Hogs
• “A smorgasbord of subjects, from Law of Attraction to North Korea. A topical tour de force!” ─ Suidae Globe
• “Page after page of non-stop chortles . . .” ─ The Boarish Post
• “Cache of lexical brilliance!” ─ Sus Semantic Academy
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction