New Age Fiction

Katherine Maddock's life goes from medically predictable to dishing one near-death occurrence after another over the course of a summer she will never forget. She's almost sad to see it end, thinking her return home means a return to maintaining her mother's issues. It doesn't. The home Katherine returns to is not the one she left, and as the secrets she's grown up with unravel around her, she's left to deal with the fact that it never really was.

West Finch is one hurricane away from falling into the sea. Yet 16-year-old Harlow Prout is determined to save her small Maine hometown. If only she could stop getting in her own way and find someone - anyone - willing to help. But her best friend, Ellis MacQueen, “fixes” problems by running away from them - including his broken relationship with his twin brother, Tommy. And Tommy’s depression has hit a new low, so he’s not up for fixing anything. In the wake of the town’s latest devastating storm, Tommy goes out for a swim that he doesn’t intend to survive.

Seventeen-year-old Reagan seems like the perfect small-town girl. Dubbed a saint by her older brother, Lincoln, she serves the community, makes straight A’s, attends church, spends her summers working with special needs children, and is a piano-playing prodigy. When you’re the daughter of the mayor and the police chief in a sleepy Kansas town, toeing the line is easier than the alternative. That is, until her brother’s best friend changes the rules.

Nia Martins believes that a fresh start will help her leave her traumatic past behind. Moving to a different country, she seeks to shake off her demons by doing the one thing that sets her free from her destructive thoughts - teaching dance. But change doesn't come easy, and all Nia really wants is to take the next breath without the perpetual suffocation that follows. Reeves Mitchell has looked death in the eye so many times that it has become habitual. That is, until his best friend's life was on the line.

Tasha was right. I couldn't forget about him. Not until we were even. Sex. Betrayal. Revenge. Friendship. Love. Family. It's all here in this hard-to-put-down novel. Back Cover: Wedding bells follow the loss of Sidney Shane's virginity to the handsome Damon Campbell. Only she's not invited to the wedding. After losing her virginity to one of the worst guys on the planet, 22-year-old Sidney Shane packs up her wounded heart - and her blood money boots - and takes her high hopes of a fresh start at finding love to sandy beaches Florida.

The National Book Award finalist for Refund returns with a new collection of stories that boldly examines the changes in American culture over the last two years through the increasing presence of violence, bigotry, sexual harassment, and the emotional costs of living under constant threat. In the title story, the competition between two middle school cellists is affected by a shooting at their school, and it is only years later that they realize how the intrusion of violence affected the course of their lives.

Still reeling from the death of her father, Alexandria hopes to find both independence and reprieve from her grief by heading off to college. However, life throws her a serious curveball when she discovers that her roommate isn't quite the person she had imagined. Smoking, tattoos, and street racing for fast cash are Elijah's only interests. A harsh life has made him apathetic and indifferent, until Alexandria enters his life. When their paths cross, turmoil abounds.

This is a book for everyone. As a parent, grandparent, teen, or adult, you will find one, perhaps many, of the characters in New Neighbors to be like yourself in many ways. As the story progresses, the diverse characters display their traits and emotions. While subtle in the book, they become recognizable no matter your state in life—as a teenager, parent, or a best friend—as the story progresses. Discovering yourself in New Neighbors is a part of the enjoyment of listening as well as recalling memories from your past.

Annie's a shy fifth grader with an incredible memory and a love of making lists. It helps her keep track of things when they can seem a little out of control, like her family, her friends, and her life in a new place. Annie has: 1. An incredible memory (really, it's almost photographic) that can get her in trouble; 2. A desire to overcome her shyness; 3. A brother who is mad at her because he thinks she is the reason they had to move to Clover Gap, population 8,432; 4. A best friend who she is (almost) certain will always be her best friend; 5. New classmates, some of whom are nicer than others; and 6. A rocky start finding her place in her new home.

Farrington High School Junior, Kate Kellner, has her whole future planned and a list of high-priority goals aligned. This season, she’s going to lead the Fighting Falcons to their first ever Midlands Conference title, break all the school pitching records, and impress a boatload of college recruiters so she can pick where she wants to go after she graduates from high school. But then, one day in the middle of a training session, Grady Hughes walks into her multipurpose room.

I've always wanted a family of my own, but never dreamed I could have one. Now Parker's ready to make my dream our reality. But sometimes our dreams are haunted by our deepest fears. Fears of failure, having a child, and in our case...death. How do I help the person I love get over his fear when I'm still trying to overcome that same fear myself?

I've found it's easy to share my body but not my soul. I need no one, yet I crave her. Self-assured and independent, she doesn't need me, but she wants me, and undeniably I want her too. At war with myself as I battle the secrets of my past, I don't know if I can allow her to see the darkest parts of me, the parts I've left untouched - undone. As she chips away at the walls I've built for years, I fear those secrets will hold me hostage from love forever.

Melanie Crane has always been the perfect daughter, friend, student - she's been perfect at everything. But when she lets her insecurities get the best of her, she falters in her pursuit of perfection. Melanie crumples under the pressure and buries her pain. Numbed by sadness and guilt, she is determined never to let anyone find out how broken she really is. Bryan Mahoney may appear to have everything in order. He's charming, witty, and completely swoon-worthy.

Some stories aren't easy to tell. Some situations aren't easy to relive. But I was raised to be strong - to hold my own. Because of it, I was hurt, torn down, beaten, and even had my heart snatched right out of my chest. But I'm ready now. It's time for me to speak up. You want to know what really goes on inside my head? Well, I'm right here. Real. Raw. Intense. This is all me. Roy Sykes. This is my story, and trust me… it's far from pretty.

Rivers Young was the popular, untouchable guy. He was like a star: bright, consuming, and otherworldly. The thing about stars, though, is that they eventually fall - and Rivers was no different. He fell far, and he fell hard.

Tanner and I abided by the rules. We stayed on our designated sides of the relationship circle. Ignoring swarming butterflies. Brushing off skipped heartbeats. Here's the secret...a hand extended over that invisible line once, exponentially changing the equation. I was convinced we could make our relationship work until Tanner broke the trust he embedded in me from the age of seven. One deceit of mega proportions and the relationship we built for that short month vanished. I swore never to speak to him again, and it's worked.

Eight months. That's how long it's been since Eliza last saw Gage, and they both feel as if they don't deserve one another's forgiveness. He screwed up. She walked away without looking back. They'll try and make up all the time they've lost with one another, that is, until they're facing the choices of either going their separate ways, or hanging on and fighting for dear life. The fights will be endless. The heartache will be real. The demons will return, and they won't back down without a fight.

For 26-year-old Dylan Hopkins, the answer is easy. He's become no one. Memories of the happier times are all he has left, as he finds himself meandering numbly through his now dull life. Though he cares about his work and family dearly, he has yet to let himself find love again. Afraid of letting go of what he once had, Dylan chooses to keep his heart buried, where it belongs, having died a long time ago.

Leah certainly never could have imagined finding herself torn between her best friend and her best friend's father. Sure, Leah's mother had always talked about Mr. Nolan as "a catch," but Leah herself had never thought of him as anything other than just Erica's dad - until the girls discover something darkly erotic under Mr. Nolan's bed, a deep, shameful secret that not only will lead them into temptation but will deliver them into a far greater revelation than any of them could ever have imagined.

Maysie Ardin is soaking up the summer before her junior year of college, shopping, hanging by the pool, and shopping some more. But when her black belt in spending lands her in trouble with her parents, she is forced to take a second job at a local bar to dig herself out of a deep financial pit. She thought she'd be miserable. But then Maysie didn't count on Jordan Levitt, the hot, pierced and tattooed, drum-playing bartender who also happens to be very interested in her. And the feelings are totally mutual. It had the makings of the perfect romantic setup. Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl. Boy has girlfriend? Okay, maybe not....