All Books
Synopsis: Love. Lust. Blackmail. Romance. Revenge. Is finding love worth getting even?
Shy, overweight Melinda Rhodes' sophomore year of high school isn't going so well. Her mother mocks her weight. She spends her weekends holed up in her room making what her friend calls "Freaky eyeball paintings." Her pants split in the middle of school, earning her the nickname, "Moolinda." She then loses first chair flute in band to Kathy Meadows, the pretty and popular mean girl who's tormented Mel for years.
Her luck changes when she catches the eye of Josh Kowalski, a rebellious trumpet prodigy and class clown. Josh has also been hurt by Kathy and asks Melinda to help take Kathy down. Mel figures that she has nothing to lose ... and Josh is adorable with gorgeous blue eyes and a winning smile. She agrees to team up with him and looks forward to finally getting back at her rival.
At first, the pair's pranks against Kathy are silly, and as they work together, Mel comes out of her shell. Wild, impulsive Josh gets her to do things she'd never done before and Mel enjoys being a bad girl. Even better, she and Josh fall in love and their teen romance blossoms.
However, as their schemes become more involved and dangerous, Mel begins to question her loyalty to Josh -- and is surprised to find how dark her dark side really is. Just how far will she be willing to go to get what she wants -- and is keepng Josh really worth the risk of going against her beliefs?
This is a coming of age tale about finding love, staying on top and staying true to yourself. Is it really possible for Melinda to have it all?
REVIEWS
"I liked the characters and found them to be real." -- Teena In Toronto Book Blog (www.teenaintoronto.com)
"Reading this was pure bliss. I had this smile plastered on my face the entire time." -- Jenny, via Goodreads
Shy, overweight Melinda Rhodes' sophomore year of high school isn't going so well. Her mother mocks her weight. She spends her weekends holed up in her room making what her friend calls "Freaky eyeball paintings." Her pants split in the middle of school, earning her the nickname, "Moolinda." She then loses first chair flute in band to Kathy Meadows, the pretty and popular mean girl who's tormented Mel for years.
Her luck changes when she catches the eye of Josh Kowalski, a rebellious trumpet prodigy and class clown. Josh has also been hurt by Kathy and asks Melinda to help take Kathy down. Mel figures that she has nothing to lose ... and Josh is adorable with gorgeous blue eyes and a winning smile. She agrees to team up with him and looks forward to finally getting back at her rival.
At first, the pair's pranks against Kathy are silly, and as they work together, Mel comes out of her shell. Wild, impulsive Josh gets her to do things she'd never done before and Mel enjoys being a bad girl. Even better, she and Josh fall in love and their teen romance blossoms.
However, as their schemes become more involved and dangerous, Mel begins to question her loyalty to Josh -- and is surprised to find how dark her dark side really is. Just how far will she be willing to go to get what she wants -- and is keepng Josh really worth the risk of going against her beliefs?
This is a coming of age tale about finding love, staying on top and staying true to yourself. Is it really possible for Melinda to have it all?
REVIEWS
"I liked the characters and found them to be real." -- Teena In Toronto Book Blog (www.teenaintoronto.com)
"Reading this was pure bliss. I had this smile plastered on my face the entire time." -- Jenny, via Goodreads
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
Synopsis: Over the years I have published a number of pamphlets based on specific business development techniques and decided that for the new business owner a compilation would be a better option than the individual pamphlets. This piece is about 32,000 words throughout about 105 pages; all from the compilation of five of my pamphlets: 1) Business Plan Development, 2) Franchising, 3) Location - Location - Location, 4) A Sales - Success Formula and 5) Selling - 101. By buying this compilation at the price of $2.99 the reader will be saving about $1.00 from the cost of buying all five individually.
These are the basic tools that I have learned throughout my 45+ years as a business development consultant.
Please note, my pamphlets are written for brand new business owners or those that want to be and they offer reference points for consideration and as a general guide with the minimum of the reader having a base of questions for asking others when looking for greater details or solutions. My work should be viewed as a starter option, packed with solid and useful information.
Questions? I can be reached at the following link / contact form
http://www.ralsted.com/contact.html
These are the basic tools that I have learned throughout my 45+ years as a business development consultant.
Please note, my pamphlets are written for brand new business owners or those that want to be and they offer reference points for consideration and as a general guide with the minimum of the reader having a base of questions for asking others when looking for greater details or solutions. My work should be viewed as a starter option, packed with solid and useful information.
Questions? I can be reached at the following link / contact form
http://www.ralsted.com/contact.html
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Educational
Synopsis: WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE GODFATHER MET THE INCREDIBLES?
The Wagners are a superhero family dynasty who have always protected the city of Coreopolis. The grandpa, John Utticus Wagner, is revered in the superhero community. He’s consistently invited to speak at superhero symposiums, has dined with the President, and has a sterling reputation as a model superhero. Every young superhero wants to be like John Utticus Wagner.
Unfortunately, John’s son, Orville Wagner, is not the man his father is. He’s a terrible klutz who always manages to create disasters, like derailing subway trains and accidentally injuring innocent bystanders. Orville is mocked in the superhero community, and the family’s once sterling reputation is tarnished. They no longer are seen as the protectors of Coreopolis. They are the laughingstock of the city.
When a new super villian starts terrorizing Coreopolis, it’s up to John, Orville, and Orville’s son, John II, to stop the villain and restore the family’s honor. The question is, can an old man, a klutz, and boy stop a maniacal super villain?
The Wagners are a superhero family dynasty who have always protected the city of Coreopolis. The grandpa, John Utticus Wagner, is revered in the superhero community. He’s consistently invited to speak at superhero symposiums, has dined with the President, and has a sterling reputation as a model superhero. Every young superhero wants to be like John Utticus Wagner.
Unfortunately, John’s son, Orville Wagner, is not the man his father is. He’s a terrible klutz who always manages to create disasters, like derailing subway trains and accidentally injuring innocent bystanders. Orville is mocked in the superhero community, and the family’s once sterling reputation is tarnished. They no longer are seen as the protectors of Coreopolis. They are the laughingstock of the city.
When a new super villian starts terrorizing Coreopolis, it’s up to John, Orville, and Orville’s son, John II, to stop the villain and restore the family’s honor. The question is, can an old man, a klutz, and boy stop a maniacal super villain?
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: The Great War of 2185 is over, but my nightmare has just begun. I am being held captive in the Queen’s ship awaiting interrogation. My only possible ally is the princess, but I’m unsure if she is really my friend or a trap set by the Queen to fool me into sharing the secret of my gift. A gift I keep hidden even from myself. It swirls inside my body begging for release, but it is the one thing the Queen can never discover. Will I have the strength to keep the secret? I’ll know the answer soon. If the stories are true about the interrogators, I’ll either be dead or a traitor to my people by morning.
*Warning: Some violence*
*Warning: Some violence*
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Dan Hughes is an immature, Star Wars-obsessed 16-year-old, not enthusiastic about school or a career but when he discovers that his girlfriend, Emma, is pregnant, he has to grow up quickly. Then a routine scan shows that the baby is also likely to be affected with Down’s Syndrome and Dan and Emma must make the most difficult decision of their lives. Worse still, the timing of the scan means they have just seven days in which to do this. Luckily, Dan’s closest friends, the strangely-named Muppet, Dave the Goth and Flipper, help by planning a series of activities to test Dan’s potential as a father. Unluckily, this idea is made more difficult by heated arguments over a fishing trip to Scotland, who is the best Batman villain and how many children there were in The Waltons.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Have you ever felt as though your life was out of your control? Do exams and assessments send you into a tailspin? Are you too scared to pursue your passion, in case someone else does it better? Do you set targets only to find yourself drifting in another direction? Perhaps you are stuck in a wasteland of broken dreams? Or maybe you are a parent, desperately searching for a way to help your child navigate their teen years.
How would you feel if someone handed you a key - a key which opened a door to a fresh stage, a secure place where you could face your inner and outer audience without fear? Imagine having the confidence, courage, creativity and compassion to live your dreams, rather than watching others take them away.
Would you to learn how to direct your own life?
Is this MyStory provides a phased sequence of ten steps to help you find your way through a wilderness of study, social pressure, familial expectations and identity recognition. Although primarily written for young adults, contained within the pages are important clues for parents, teachers and anyone else interested in supporting students who feel confused and directionless. Each chapter offers young people the functional tools they require to take ownership of their life and responsibility for their actions. These strategies can help them become the author of their own life, rather than being a character in someone else's. We like to call this a Learning Rite.
Readers join characters Tania, John and Liz as they tread the learning path. This is a quest that leads toward greater self-awareness. Using a unique combination of short stories, reflective questioning and easy to follow theories, readers are shown strategies that can help them become aware of, and accountable for, their own behaviour. Therefore, Is This My Story could be described as a lifelong learning strategy which offers young adults the opportunity to actively and consciously direct their own life. Is This MyStory will encourage readers to stop believing that someone else dictates their thoughts, feelings and actions and instead, show them how to become critically literate individuals who consciously direct their own life.
Too often students attend classes, listen to teachers and recount what they have heard, without really understanding what they are doing, why they are doing it, or how the learning applies to them. Is This MyStory aims to address this problem. Readers are encouraged to take an active role in the learning process. Author, Nicole Feledy is an English teacher with over fifteen years classroom experience. The strategies offered in Is This MyStory are the same strategies she uses in the classroom. These are strategies that work. Nicole discovered that by giving young people a voice and teaching them skills required to express themselves, she was also empowering them to take responsibility for their actions.
The four Chapters in Is This MyStory are:
MyKEY –The strategies offered here will help you uncover the tools of critical literacy so you can control your learning.
MyDOOR –The strategies offered here will help you identify your strengths and values so you can become more confident in your choices.
MySTAGE –The strategies offered here will help you gain mastery over your thoughts and emotions so you can achieve what you want to achieve.
MyAUDIENCE –The strategies offered here will help you choose a mindful direction so you can be who you want to be.
Is This MyStory is also available as a separate four part series;
MyKEY: Practical Strategies to Help Young Adults Access the Door of Lifelong Learning
MyDOOR: Practical Strategies to Help Young Adults Discover Who They Really Are
MySTAGE: Practical Strategies to Help Young Adults Manage Their Emotions
MyAUDIENCE: Practical Strategies to Help Young Adults Become More Aware
Visit our Website to signup for study tips or leave a comment on our blog, www.isthismystory.com
How would you feel if someone handed you a key - a key which opened a door to a fresh stage, a secure place where you could face your inner and outer audience without fear? Imagine having the confidence, courage, creativity and compassion to live your dreams, rather than watching others take them away.
Would you to learn how to direct your own life?
Is this MyStory provides a phased sequence of ten steps to help you find your way through a wilderness of study, social pressure, familial expectations and identity recognition. Although primarily written for young adults, contained within the pages are important clues for parents, teachers and anyone else interested in supporting students who feel confused and directionless. Each chapter offers young people the functional tools they require to take ownership of their life and responsibility for their actions. These strategies can help them become the author of their own life, rather than being a character in someone else's. We like to call this a Learning Rite.
Readers join characters Tania, John and Liz as they tread the learning path. This is a quest that leads toward greater self-awareness. Using a unique combination of short stories, reflective questioning and easy to follow theories, readers are shown strategies that can help them become aware of, and accountable for, their own behaviour. Therefore, Is This My Story could be described as a lifelong learning strategy which offers young adults the opportunity to actively and consciously direct their own life. Is This MyStory will encourage readers to stop believing that someone else dictates their thoughts, feelings and actions and instead, show them how to become critically literate individuals who consciously direct their own life.
Too often students attend classes, listen to teachers and recount what they have heard, without really understanding what they are doing, why they are doing it, or how the learning applies to them. Is This MyStory aims to address this problem. Readers are encouraged to take an active role in the learning process. Author, Nicole Feledy is an English teacher with over fifteen years classroom experience. The strategies offered in Is This MyStory are the same strategies she uses in the classroom. These are strategies that work. Nicole discovered that by giving young people a voice and teaching them skills required to express themselves, she was also empowering them to take responsibility for their actions.
The four Chapters in Is This MyStory are:
MyKEY –The strategies offered here will help you uncover the tools of critical literacy so you can control your learning.
MyDOOR –The strategies offered here will help you identify your strengths and values so you can become more confident in your choices.
MySTAGE –The strategies offered here will help you gain mastery over your thoughts and emotions so you can achieve what you want to achieve.
MyAUDIENCE –The strategies offered here will help you choose a mindful direction so you can be who you want to be.
Is This MyStory is also available as a separate four part series;
MyKEY: Practical Strategies to Help Young Adults Access the Door of Lifelong Learning
MyDOOR: Practical Strategies to Help Young Adults Discover Who They Really Are
MySTAGE: Practical Strategies to Help Young Adults Manage Their Emotions
MyAUDIENCE: Practical Strategies to Help Young Adults Become More Aware
Visit our Website to signup for study tips or leave a comment on our blog, www.isthismystory.com
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Nonfiction
Synopsis: hardcover with dust jacket
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Series
Synopsis: NEBADOR - the incredible journey of five young adults from poverty and oppression to respected citizenship in the wide universe ...
This epic young-adult science fiction adventure continues as the women of a mysterious mountain monastery rescue the group and allow them to witness their most sacred ritual. One student fails the ultimate test, and Ilika makes the biggest mistake of his life. Finally, the selection is made and the new crew members learn the basics on their ship, even as the priests stir up the people against them. -
BOOK THREE: SELECTION is the third book in the NEBADOR series. These stories are filled with wit-sharpening and skill-honing challenges - mental, emotional, and spiritual - for both the characters and the reader. It is truly a grand adventure in which the characters come to understand a beloved saying of the Nebador Transport Service: Personal power is the ability to stand on your own two feet, with a smile on your face, in the middle of a universe that contains a million ways to crush you. -
This is the EBOOK for the KINDLE reader, revision 2.
This epic young-adult science fiction adventure continues as the women of a mysterious mountain monastery rescue the group and allow them to witness their most sacred ritual. One student fails the ultimate test, and Ilika makes the biggest mistake of his life. Finally, the selection is made and the new crew members learn the basics on their ship, even as the priests stir up the people against them. -
BOOK THREE: SELECTION is the third book in the NEBADOR series. These stories are filled with wit-sharpening and skill-honing challenges - mental, emotional, and spiritual - for both the characters and the reader. It is truly a grand adventure in which the characters come to understand a beloved saying of the Nebador Transport Service: Personal power is the ability to stand on your own two feet, with a smile on your face, in the middle of a universe that contains a million ways to crush you. -
This is the EBOOK for the KINDLE reader, revision 2.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Educational
Synopsis: Bigfoot is not the missing link...
It's an alien.
It's inhabited Earth for thousands of years. Watching. Waiting. Guiding.
But when 16 year old Danny and his friends encounter one of these legendary creatures, he uncovers a secret the Bigfoot race has sought to hide.
A war brews on Earth. Between two alien races. One dedicated to peace. The other to conquest.
What stands between our world and total annihilation is this band of troubled teens.
And all they have is their smarts, their courage, and their loyalty to one another.
Author Eric Kent Edstrom will take you on a whirlwind, page-turning adventure in this YA science fiction epic. From high tech subterranean cities, to encyclopedic brain implants, to magic-like powers over emotions.
The Bigfoot Galaxy series is your next binge!
Buy your copy today!
It's an alien.
It's inhabited Earth for thousands of years. Watching. Waiting. Guiding.
But when 16 year old Danny and his friends encounter one of these legendary creatures, he uncovers a secret the Bigfoot race has sought to hide.
A war brews on Earth. Between two alien races. One dedicated to peace. The other to conquest.
What stands between our world and total annihilation is this band of troubled teens.
And all they have is their smarts, their courage, and their loyalty to one another.
Author Eric Kent Edstrom will take you on a whirlwind, page-turning adventure in this YA science fiction epic. From high tech subterranean cities, to encyclopedic brain implants, to magic-like powers over emotions.
The Bigfoot Galaxy series is your next binge!
Buy your copy today!
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Synopsis: Some secrets should never be revealed…
Brylee Branson begrudgingly made the excruciating move with her family from the warm sandy beaches of California to small town living in New Jersey. As if she wasn’t miserable enough, they’ve moved into a creepy old house that everyone in the area claims is haunted. Brylee dismisses the idea of ghosts and hauntings, until she begins to see and hear things that can’t be explained…
Brylee has no choice but to seek the help of new friends to unlock the secrets of this place she now calls home. But some secrets should never be revealed. Can the teens find a way to release the spirits imprisoned within the walls? Or will the curse claim them, too?
Brylee Branson begrudgingly made the excruciating move with her family from the warm sandy beaches of California to small town living in New Jersey. As if she wasn’t miserable enough, they’ve moved into a creepy old house that everyone in the area claims is haunted. Brylee dismisses the idea of ghosts and hauntings, until she begins to see and hear things that can’t be explained…
Brylee has no choice but to seek the help of new friends to unlock the secrets of this place she now calls home. But some secrets should never be revealed. Can the teens find a way to release the spirits imprisoned within the walls? Or will the curse claim them, too?
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Romance
Synopsis: Join three siblings on an unforgettable journey in the year 1782. Peace not yet signed with England , and the Foot siblings are walking up into the Republic of Vermont in search of their father.
Like other settlers, they’d fled when Tories and Indians raided their cabin, capturing their Pa, and shocking their mother into silence.
Though the journey is often lonely and filled with misadventure, there is fun and laughter, too, especially when the three meet up with a winsome young cobbler named Remember Jones.
Told by the middle child, 13-year-old rebel Deborah, who has a secret she longs to reveal, but cannot, this is the tale of a girl coming to terms with her conscience, her imperfections, and her budding sexuality. For all three, it’s a search for love and family.
******
** The journey through unsettled wilderness filled with threats of catamount, bear and wolves, makes an exciting background for sibling rivalry, loyalty and jealousy. Unforgettable.”
Ida H. Washington, co-author of Carleton’s Raid.
** A good introduction to middle schoolers interested in the American Revolution.
Historical Novels Review.
** Finely drawn, sensitively portrayed characters make this historical novel a standout!”
Nancy K.Wallace, author, youth services librarian, and Voya reviewer.
Like other settlers, they’d fled when Tories and Indians raided their cabin, capturing their Pa, and shocking their mother into silence.
Though the journey is often lonely and filled with misadventure, there is fun and laughter, too, especially when the three meet up with a winsome young cobbler named Remember Jones.
Told by the middle child, 13-year-old rebel Deborah, who has a secret she longs to reveal, but cannot, this is the tale of a girl coming to terms with her conscience, her imperfections, and her budding sexuality. For all three, it’s a search for love and family.
******
** The journey through unsettled wilderness filled with threats of catamount, bear and wolves, makes an exciting background for sibling rivalry, loyalty and jealousy. Unforgettable.”
Ida H. Washington, co-author of Carleton’s Raid.
** A good introduction to middle schoolers interested in the American Revolution.
Historical Novels Review.
** Finely drawn, sensitively portrayed characters make this historical novel a standout!”
Nancy K.Wallace, author, youth services librarian, and Voya reviewer.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Educational
Synopsis: Raf and his family live high up in the colossal trees of the Aeril Forest where they are preparing to host the famous annual Festival. Raf isn’t too bothered about it. All he wants to do is finish school and go traveling. But having both parents on the village Council isn’t easy and he feels increasingly frustrated at the pressure being heaped on him. His stubbornness is challenged though, when he discovers he has a powerful talent that lets him use music in unexpected and magical ways.
Things quickly fall apart in the Forest when a mysterious disease starts killing the trees - no small problem when they live hundreds of yards above the ground - and rumors spread of a military invasion in the north, as well as of a violent stranger who seems to somehow be the cause of the tree decay.
Faced with the desperate need to find a cure for the Forest and seek out a
teacher to help him harness his new found powers, Raf is swept away on an
unexpected journey far from his home into the heart of the desert, where even greater challenges await him...
Things quickly fall apart in the Forest when a mysterious disease starts killing the trees - no small problem when they live hundreds of yards above the ground - and rumors spread of a military invasion in the north, as well as of a violent stranger who seems to somehow be the cause of the tree decay.
Faced with the desperate need to find a cure for the Forest and seek out a
teacher to help him harness his new found powers, Raf is swept away on an
unexpected journey far from his home into the heart of the desert, where even greater challenges await him...
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: UNBELIEVABLE MAGIC + REAL LIFE + LOVE TRIANGLE + DEATH = 17-YEAR-OLD CAT TOWNSEND'S LIFE.All her life, Cat couldn't shake the deep rooted feeling that something... was about to happen. That's why the night she suddenly woke to find an unknown man sitting on the edge of her bed, she wasn't afraid. Rather, in a strange sort of way, she was expecting him. Their eyes locked, he gently touched her hand, and as a brief shock passed through her, deep down Cat knew her life had forever changed. Then the man disappeared before her eyes. She blinked away the blur but in that undefined place between asleep and awake, the moment felt hazy and surreal. A chill ran down her spine, and Cat glance at the time - it was 2:32 a.m.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Paranormal
Synopsis: RONE Award Winner Best YA Paranormal Work of 2012
Whether she likes it or not, eighteen year old Celeste Garrett has come to terms with being the Chosen One. She knew having a “normal life” would be tricky, between intense training sessions and epic demonic battles, but she didn’t know at what cost it would come. That is, until a dear friend is harmed by the malicious forces hunting her.
Now, she’d like nothing more than to retreat into a hermit lifestyle to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. But startling revelations, amazing new abilities, and mortifying moments in front of insanely hot guys won’t allow time for that. Soon, Celeste finds herself surrounded by darkness and wondering who she can trust—if anyone.
BONUS MATERIAL:
The Sidekick Chronicles Vol I, A Gryphon Series Novella
and Original Graphic Novel Style Artwork of key Gryphon Series Moments!
Whether she likes it or not, eighteen year old Celeste Garrett has come to terms with being the Chosen One. She knew having a “normal life” would be tricky, between intense training sessions and epic demonic battles, but she didn’t know at what cost it would come. That is, until a dear friend is harmed by the malicious forces hunting her.
Now, she’d like nothing more than to retreat into a hermit lifestyle to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. But startling revelations, amazing new abilities, and mortifying moments in front of insanely hot guys won’t allow time for that. Soon, Celeste finds herself surrounded by darkness and wondering who she can trust—if anyone.
BONUS MATERIAL:
The Sidekick Chronicles Vol I, A Gryphon Series Novella
and Original Graphic Novel Style Artwork of key Gryphon Series Moments!
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Series
Synopsis: Cassie Craig is not the chosen one. Not even Close.
She's just an ordinary, 15-year-old California girl with a few problems. She talks too much. She has a crush on a guy in her school. She worries about her dad who is a Marine in Afghanistan.
Then, there's her new friend, Violet Starkey. The weirdest girl in school, Violet comes from a group of magical people who claim to be the first on earth.
When Cassie discovers that Violet has powers over nature, she will do anything to be her friend--all for the chance Violet might help bring her dad home.
But Cassie isn't the only one who wants Violet's powers, and she soon finds out just how dangerous it is to be the true friend of one of the most powerful magical beings in the world.
She's just an ordinary, 15-year-old California girl with a few problems. She talks too much. She has a crush on a guy in her school. She worries about her dad who is a Marine in Afghanistan.
Then, there's her new friend, Violet Starkey. The weirdest girl in school, Violet comes from a group of magical people who claim to be the first on earth.
When Cassie discovers that Violet has powers over nature, she will do anything to be her friend--all for the chance Violet might help bring her dad home.
But Cassie isn't the only one who wants Violet's powers, and she soon finds out just how dangerous it is to be the true friend of one of the most powerful magical beings in the world.
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Paranormal
Synopsis:
Publication Date:
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fantasy