orphans

A young governess who suffered a violently abusive childhood finds love unexpectedly with her new employer, but secrets from his past--involving madness and old passions--may prove to destroy her happiness.

"Carole and Tuesday have come a long way since their impromptu collaboration on the streets of Alba City, and now they've finally secured an official stage for their performances: the televised competition, Mars Brightest! But while their soulful music wows the judges and audience, dissonance grows between them, threatening to tear their group apart. Can Carole and Tuesday come out of Mars Brightest as the winners--or even as a team . . .?"--Back cover.

"When orphan Carole meets runaway Tuesday, an uptown girl who wants nothing more than to make music, it's as if they were fated to find each other. With their shared dream, the duo charges headfirst into the world of entertainment--but on colonized Mars, with a consumer base accustomed to 'perfect' A.I.-produced songs, is there any hope their organic sound and heartfelt lyrics will reach their audience?"--Back cover.

"Carole and Tuesday aren't the only ones searching for stardom on Mars! Former child actor Angela will stop at nothing to achieve her singing debut--even if she has to become the puppet of a mysterious genius to do it. As Carole and Tuesday continue chasing their dreams, can this brash young star avoid butting heads with her songwriter long enough to make it onstage?"--Back cover.

Having survived the monster, Kohl Obsidian, Wiliam Wilde had hoped his life would settle down; that he'd finish his senior year of high school with no further adventures. But life isn't so simple for a potential magus, especially one who's overcome as deadly an enemy as Kohl. Instead, William has unwittingly earned the raptor gaze of even greater foes. One is someone he thought he could implicitly trust while others are even more dangerous. And all are from the island of Sinskrill. They are mahavans, powerful magic-users bent on humanity's enslavement. They seek to capture William and chain him to their needs, to bind him in perpetual servitude upon Sinskrill. William finds himself caught amongst people for whom deceit and pain are simple coins to be traded, and his best hope to survive these new challenges might lie with someone he'd always thought to be his mortal enemy.

William survived Sinskrill, but he's unable and unwilling to forget what he suffered there. Some hardships endure. And despite his wonderful, new life on the lush paradise of Arylyn, nightmares continue to haunt him. But closure will only come if he finds a means to reconcile himself to that terrible chapter of his life. Only then can he save the loved ones who remain on Sinskrill: the wise troll, Travail, and William's teacher and one-time tormentor, Fiona. Both remain trapped under the boot-heel of the Servitor, Sinskrill's terrifying ruler. William has promised to return and free them, and while he's gained powerful allies, such as Rukh and Jessira, to aid in his quest, saving Travail and Fiona will only happen when he masters his own magic and summons his own courage. But will courage alone be enough against the Servitor's terrible power?.

On a cold winter's night, just shy of his seventeenth birthday, William Wilde became an orphan. It was a simple car accident that claimed the lives of his family. Eight months later, at the start of his senior year of high school, a beautiful, mysterious girl enters William's life. Captivating and confident, she holds secrets about William's heritage, secrets of which he himself is unaware: rare magic flows in William's veins. And watching William from afar is Kohl Obsidian, a monstrous, undead horror. He won't rest until the tragedy he started eight months ago culminates with William's death. William's life hangs in the balance, and he must discover a means to vanquish a creature that has never been defeated.

"Eleven-year-old Mor was used to hearing his father's voice, even if no one else could since his father's death. It was comforting. It was also a reminder that Mor had made a promise to his father before he passed: keep your sisters safe. Keep the family together. But almost as soon as they are orphaned, that promise seems impossible to keep. With an aunt from the big city ready to separate him and his sisters as soon as she arrives, and a gang of boys from a nearby village wanting everything he has--including his spirit--Mor is tested in ways he never imagined. With only the hot summer months to prove himself, Mor must face a choice. Does he listen to his father and keep his heart true, but risk breaking his promise through failure? Or is it easier to just join the Danka Boys, whom in all their maliciousness are at least loyal to their own?"--Amazon.com.

"Handsome Ebenezer Tweezer has lived comfortably for nearly 512 years by feeding the magical beast in his mansion's attic whatever it wants, but when the beast demands a child, they are not prepared for Bethany"--Publisher.

"Notorious prankster Bethany, along with her new friend Claudette, is determined that she and Ebenezer are going to de-beast their lives but neither of them are sure what 'good people' do"--OCLC.