Cobble Cavern by Erik Olsen

“What was that?” Pilt asked in alarm.

“Whatever it is, it’s coming our way, and fast!” Flin said. He searched futilely for a nearby refuge.

Another screeching hiss rose from below.

Flin took the torch and held it out in front of him. “I can see something moving down there!” he said, panic thick in his voice.

What starts out to be a fun field trip to Ireland for Flin and his school debate team turns into a life changing adventure when their bus ends up in an earthquake. Flin and his teammates get swallowed deep into the earth and become trapped under the ocean inside a clear dome where they discover an unknown civilization. Now they must fight their way back to the surface if they ever want to see home again. Join Flin and his classmates on a journey of a lifetime in this thrilling adventure story.

Read excerpt

Title: Cobble Cavern (Flin’s Destiny #1)

Author: Erik Olsen

Publisher: Sweetwater/CFI

Release Date: April 10, 2012 (originally self-published in 2010)

ISBN: 978-1462110094

Size: 304 pages, 5.5 x 8, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade/YA Fantasy


Molly Woodhaven by A.D. Duling

Molly Woodhaven is an eight year old girl with quite an imagination,or does she? Behind their Victorian and the wooden fence of their backyard are the woods; where Molly’s mother has said not to go in.

Molly doesn’t listen to her mother and does. Deep inside, she finds a little elf man named Mr. Pickett who takes her on an impossible sailing adventure to and on the great Atlantic Ocean.

Where she becomes a cabin girl, meets a mermaid King, goes to the Isles of Three for medicinal lily pads and collects Spitfire fireflies at the Spitfire Caves! And all this in one day! When she returns home, time has not turned, not even by a minute and Molly realizes she has not been caught.

She also realizes that tomorrow she can go on another adventure and the next day and the day after that…

Read excerpt

Title: Molly Woodhaven: Stories of Her Adventures & Other Extraordinary Experiences

Author: A.D. Duling

Publisher: Self

Release Date: April 12, 2012

ASIN: B007TVV8PY

Size: 54 pages, ebook

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

*This book may not meet the length requirements for a Whitney Award.



Pied & Prodigious by D.M. Andrews

‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a man in possession of a wife, must be in want of a good fortune.’

There is much excitement in Longlawn when two men with tall hats enter the district. Mothers buy new dresses for their daughters, fathers polish up on their fencing skills, and Mr Bayonet tackles the perilous journey through the stinging nettles to call upon the new occupants of Nettlefield Park.
The ditsy Jane Bayonet soon falls for Mr Blingley with all his gold jewellery, but her sister, the ever-prodigious Lizzy, very much dislikes Mr Blingley’s friend, Mr Dicey, whose pied coat and tall hat strike fear into the local populace.

This is a story of excessive fashion, high heels, large wardrobes, tall hats—oh, and romance!

Read excerpt

Title: Pied & Prodigious

Author: D.M. Andrews

Publisher: Self

Release Date: April 13, 2012

ASIN: B007U8V9XC

Size: 126 pages, eBook

Genre: Parody


Exodus: Leaving Home by Orson T Badger

In the year 2032: tyranny threatens to flood the Earth. Only a group of resistance fighters, called Freemen, can save humanity.

Psychopath, James Morstyn, newly appointed head of the Enlightened League of Nation’s, Compliance Army, has discovered mysterious documents. With the assistance of Miah, his biowired juggernaut spy, he sets out determined to find their origin while annihilating the last vestiges of resistance to the new global rule and destroying mankind’s last hope for freedom.

Outlaws to the Enlightened League of Nations (ELN), David and Cindy Corb must escape the League’s murderous compliance patrols on Earth and find a way to join the Freemen or die trying. The Freemen prepare a last desperate refuge for a people being systematically enslaved or killed by the blossoming evil of the ELN.

Thousands flock to their ranks hoping to avoid certain misery and death. But the Freemen are running out of time as Morstyn prepares to destroy them all in a last battle for freedom.

Read excerpt

Title: Exodus: Leaving Home (book 1)

Author: Orson T Badger

Publisher: Self

Release Date: April 17, 2012

ISBN: 978-1469931364

Size: 368 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Science Fiction


Tanned, Toned and Totally Faking It by Whitney Boyd

Mikayla: Cute Canadian college girl turned world-famous, super- sexy pop-star practically overnight. And still figuring out if she belongs in this celebrity wonderland.

Jordan: The only genuine guy in all of L.A. Law student, and extremely attractive. Also happens to hate the Hollywood celebrity scene.

Matt: Stupid, lying, money-loving ex-boyfriend trying to get back into Mikayla’s life and ruin every hope she has with Jordan.

Kurt: Personal trainer, confidant and only true friend Mikayla has in her new life. Questionable fashion sense included.

Cheryl: Completely psychotic manager.

The next three months? Happily ever after with Jordan. Or social and career ruin with no hope of ever finding true love…

Read excerpt   View trailer  Book Site

Title: Tanned, Toned and Totally Faking It

Author: Whitney Boyd

Publisher: WiDo

Release Date: April 10, 2012

ISBN: 978-1937178123

Size: 236 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Romance


A Royal Elf of Abalon by Anna del C. Dye

The deep relationship between Amaria, the princess of Abalon, and Marken, the chancellor’s son, comes to a halting stop after their kingdom is almost annihilated. However, death isn’t the only thing this battle brings. Elfs come to their rescue and, as a souvenir, take the princess home with them.

Blinded by fury, the overprotecting queen orders the extermination of the mighty elfs. Her captains know they can never win, so they are pleased when Amaria intervenes so desperately that she loses her mother. The unprepared princess is left to care for a kingdom that will demand her true love.

Read excerpt

Title: A Royal Elf of Abalon

Author: Anna del C. Dye

Publisher: CreateSpace

Release Date: April 17, 2012

ISBN: 978-1475216318

Size: 460 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Elf and the Princess (bk 1), Trouble in the Elf City (bk 2), Elfs in a Conquered Realm (bk 3), Curse of the Elfs (bk 4)


Prince Tennyson by Jenni James

Ten-year-old Chelsea Tennyson decides to take matters into her own hands and prove once and for all if an invisible God is really there.

Chelsea’s dad, Prince Tennyson—the nickname he earned for being so dashing in uniform—died last year in the Iraq war. After a mental breakdown, her mother moves the family to live with their grandmother in Phoenix. But before long, it becomes clear the entire family is suffering the loss of a man who was pivotal in the shaping of their lives. Her mom doesn’t believe God exists anymore, but Chelsea is afraid to believe it too, because if He doesn’t exist then she’ll never see her prince again…

Read excerpt

Title: Prince Tennyson

Author: Jenni James

Publisher: StoneHouse Ink

Release Date: April 16, 2012

ASIN: B007V512OA

Size: 126 pages, ebook

Genre: Middle Grade


Étude by Melinda R. Morgan

The cold rain drummed the memory of the horrible crash into my mind—Mom dead, my hand ruined. Then a year later, coming out of a coma to realize my full-ride scholarship was gone and I’d never play the piano again. But the worst of it was nobody believed me—the voices, someone holding me in the mangled car, Mom being ripped away from me.

So here I am in Anderson, Wyoming, living with Uncle Connor while Dad’s on assignment in Europe. School started and I met Jonathan, amazingly handsome Jonathan. He made me feel like life was beginning again—until I discovered that Mom’s death wasn’t an accident, that a supernatural realm was trying to draw me into a coterie hundreds of years old, and that my friend Eric wanted to destroy me.

Not the easiest way to begin my senior year..

Read excerpt   View trailer  Book Site

Title: Étude

Author: Melinda R. Morgan

Publisher: Silverton House Publishing

Release Date: April 2, 2012

ISBN: 978-1600650109

Size: 456 pages, 5.5×8.5, softcover

Genre: YA Paranormal


Deep Blue Secret by Christie Anderson

California teen Sadie James thinks her life couldn’t get any better. She has great friends, an energetic mother she adores, and the beach practically in her own backyard. But her carefree life is turned upside down when she’s rescued by a mysterious and strangely familiar boy who won’t even tell her his name.

Each time the boy appears, Sadie’s unexplainable attraction to him deepens along with her need to unravel his secrets. The boy is there to protect her, but as wonderful and exciting as it might be to have an irresistible boy with crystal green eyes protecting her every move, every minute of the day . . . why does Sadie need one?

As Sadie finds answers, she realizes her life isn’t as perfect as she thought. Not only is she caught in a world of dangerous secret agents she never knew existed, but it turns out her true identity may be the greatest secret of all.

Read excerpt   View trailer

Title: Deep Blue Secret

Author: Christie Anderson

Publisher: CreateSpace/Self

Release Date: April 14, 2012

ISBN: 978-1463768591

Size: 351 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, softcover

Genre: YA Paranormal


Trouble Blows West by Monique Bucherger

Putting her body in motion before her brain is in gear creates a mountain of problems for 12 year-old Ginnie West. She is certain that defending her twin brother, Toran, from the biggest bully in sixth grade was the right thing to do. But Ginnie couldn’t be more wrong.

She quickly figures out that Toran doesn’t appreciate being rescued by a girl any better than Charlie likes being knocked down by one. When Charlie seeks revenge on Ginnie, Toran sets aside his anger and helps her plot a playback prank at Charlie’s house.

Sadly, Ginnie learns that Charlie has a reason for being a bully when she sees his dad drop him to the floor like a ragdoll with one awful blow to the chest. Realizing he’s a boy in big trouble, Ginnie switches gears and decides to be his ally, even if he won’t let her be his friend.

Read excerpt

 

Title: Trouble Blows West (A Ginnie West Adventure)

Author: Monique Bucherger

Publisher: True West Publishing

Release Date: April 13, 2012

ISBN:

Size: 212 pages, softcover

Genre: Middle Grade

Ginnie West Series: The Secret Sisters Club (bk 1)


Fire Gate by Pendragon Inman

In a world where a Mystic’s torn flesh is worth more than six month’s wages and death-auctions are whispered about in every Okoru city, seventeen-year-old Mystic twins, Wyan and Lor, are determined to change it all—and survive.

Despite straining beyond his physical limits (not to mention his all ready thin patience), Wyan never inherited his Mystic abilities, and so mastery of Lor’s element would mean sanctuary for both of them. But when Lor’s plan unravels, Wyan is forced to take action on his own before the last of their kind—and his family—are sold to their graves.

Within a land of unforgiving Fire and Ice, Wyan must find the one ally and master-warrior he never would have trusted before: himself.

Read excerpt     Book Site

Title: Fire Gate (Shenehah Saga, book 1)

Author: Pendragon Inman

Publisher: Self

Release Date: April 9, 2012

ISBN: 978-1468038019

Size: 356 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, softcover

Genre: YA Dystopian


Desert Intrigue by Linda Weaver Clarke

When Julia’s brother announces that his dude ranch is haunted, she believes that someone is trying to sabotage his place and force him to sell.

The mysterious happenings have to do with Superstition Mountain, the lost Dutchman’s goldmine, and the great Thunder God. Is it possible that the legend of the Thunder God is actually true?

After a terrible thunderstorm, everyone begins to wonder. John and Julia quickly head to Mesa, Arizona and discover a few mysterious events.

Will they find out who is behind these disasters before Uncle Kelly’s dude ranch is ruined?

While Julia’s daughters, Sharlene and Faith, are busy helping their uncle save the ranch, April and Matthew are planning their wedding but everything seems to go wrong.

Read excerpt   View trailer

Title: Desert Intrigue

Author: Linda Weaver Clarke

Publisher: CreateSpace

Release Date: March 27, 2012

ISBN: 978-1470084219

Size: 246 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: Mystery

John and Julia Evans Series: Anasazi Intrigue, Mayan Intrigue, Montezuma Intrigue


Lightning Tree by Sarah Dunster

The truth lies locked inside her dreams.

After surviving the tragic deaths of her parents and her baby sister and a harrowing trek across the plains to Utah, it s no surprise that Maggie’s nights are plagued by nightmares.

But after years of harsh treatment by her foster family and memories that seem to hint at an unthinkable crime, Maggie is forced to strike out on her own to separate the facts from the lies.

 

Read excerpt  |  Book Site  | Trailer

Title: Lightning Tree

Author: Sarah Dunster

Publisher: Bonneville Books/Cedar Fort

Release Date: April 10, 2012

ISBN: 978-1599559599

Size: 384 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, softcover

Genre: Young Adult Historical


Emerald City by Alicia K. Leppert

Olivia Tate is a broken shell of a girl haunted by the tragic events that fill her past. She has closed herself off from the world, each day grasping at something—anything—to live for. Convinced there will never be a way out, she seeks solace in the depths of her medicine cabinet.

When she wakes up days later in the hospital she is introduced to Jude, the quiet stranger responsible for saving her life. She never could have guessed then that her mysterious rescuer would end up saving her life a second time, while simultaneously turning her world upside down.

A modern-day romance with a twist.

Read excerpt   Book Site

Title: Emerald City

Author: Alicia K. Leppert

Publisher: Sweetwater/Cedar Fort

Release Date: April 10, 2012

ISBN: 978-1599558646

Size: 320 pages, hardcover

Genre: Paranormal Romance


Elliot and the Last Underworld War by Jennifer Nielsen

WARNING:

If you care at all for planet Earth, you will pay very close attention to the lessons inside these pages. We usually ask you to run away from dreadful things. But now, you are warned to turn the pages as fast as you can read them. You must know what happens inside this book to learn whether Earth gets destroyed. Because let’s face it—that would be a bad thing.

As King of the Brownies, Elliot has battled Goblins, tricked Pixies, and trapped a Demon. But now, that Demon has escaped and he’s ready for revenge. Elliot will face a challenge unlike any he’s seen before.

The Last Underworld War is about to begin

Read excerpt

 

Title: Elliot and the Last Underworld War

Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen

Illustrator: Gideon Kendall

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Release Date: April 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-1402240218

Size: 208 pages, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Series: Eliot and the Goblin War (book 1), Eliot and the Pixie Plot (book 2)


Dorchester Terrace by Anne Perry

Thomas Pitt, once a lowly policeman, is now the powerful head of Britain’s Special Branch, and some people fear that he may have been promoted beyond his abilities. He, too, feels painful moments of self-doubt, especially as rumors reach him of a plot to blow up connections on the Dover-London rail line—on which Austrian duke Alois Habsburg is soon to travel to visit his royal English kin.

Why would anyone destroy an entire train to kill one obscure Austrian royal, or are the rumors designed to distract Pitt from an even more devastating plot? He must resolve this riddle at once, before the damage is done.

Meanwhile, in a London sickroom, an old Italian woman—at the end of a romantic career as a revolutionary spy—is terrified that as she sinks into dementia, she may divulge secrets that can kill. And a beautiful young Croatian woman, married to a British power broker, hoards her own mysteries. Apparently all roads lead to the Continent, and Pitt suspects that between them these two fascinating women could tell him things he desperately needs to know. But as the hours tick by, it seems that the only woman Pitt can count on is his clever wife, Charlotte.

Read excerpt

Title: Dorchester Terrace (Thomas Pitt #27)

Author: Anne Perry

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Release Date: April 3, 2012

ISBN: 978-0345510624

Size: 352 pages, hardcover

Genre: Mystery


The Marshal’s Prize by Rebecca Winters

Abandoned as a baby, federal marshal Mitchell Garret doesn’t know his family history, or even his given name. But he’s made an impressive identity for himself: hero, protector, Marine, and most recently, private investigator. Which is how he falls into Heidi Norris’s life. Someone’s been stealing secrets from Heidi’s family-owned doughnut dynasty, SweetSpuds, and she suspects it’s a relative.

Before Mitch returns to the Marshals Service, he’ll take this one last case. Besides, going undercover will get Mitch closer to Heidi and her lovable son, Zack. Temporarily, that is. Mitch is ready to reclaim his life, and that means finding his real family…in Florida. Only for this P.I., what he really wants is in the last place he expects.

 

Read excerpt 

Title: The Marshal’s Prize

Author: Rebecca Winters

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: April 3, 2012

ISBN: 978-0373754021

Size: 224 pages, 4×6.6, softcover

Genre: Contemporary Romance


Precious Cargo by Jean Holbrook Mathews

Last time Julia Wentworth visited the Philippines, she barely escaped from a terrorist group. Now, four months later, she is again called to visit the tropical archipelago to find out why some microloan cooperatives her company financed are falling apart. This time, she promises her boss she will stay out of harm’s way and tries to convince herself that there will be no danger involved in this simple, fact-finding trip.

However, when she arrives in Manila, Julia discovers that danger is the reason the coops are failing. The young daughters of one of her clients have been kidnapped, and the family has decided that repaying their loan is no longer a priority in case a ransom is demanded.

Determined to find the girls, Julia recruits an old friend to help, a detective affectionately known as Monty. As the investigation unfolds, along with their growing attraction for each other, the pair uncovers a crime ring much more elaborate and dangerous than they could have ever anticipated.

Read excerpt

Title: Precious Cargo

Author: Jean Holbrook Mathews

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: April 2, 2012

ISBN: 978-1621080763

Size: 212 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Suspense


The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point — he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

Read excerpt   View trailer

Title: The False Prince

Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release Date: April 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-0545284134

Size: 352 pages, 6×8, hardcover

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy


Steamship to Zion by Jerry Borrowman

It is the spring of 1850, and the Chandler family is quietly leaving England for a well-deserved vacation earned by family patriarch Henry Chandler, a clerk for the Cunard shipping line. The holiday is a pretense. In actuality, the family does not plan to return to their home. They have recently joined the Mormon Church and are journeying west to join the Saints in Utah. But as they prepare to board ship, they encounter a desperate young woman attempting to travel alone.

The Chandlers graciously offer to chaperone Gloria Palmerston to New York City. Little do they know this strong-willed young lady holds a dangerous secret. Upon arriving in the United States, the Chandlers’ passage west is unexpectedly interrupted and the family is forced to work on a steamship bound for Panama as they inch closer to their goal of the Great Salt Lake valley.

With hopes of reaching the Zion of the West through a San Francisco route, the Chandler family and Miss Palmerston embark on a heroic undertaking as they face stormy seas, dishonest confidants, unending toil, strife, and betrayal, but also the helping hands of the famous Sam Brannan and Porter Rockwell. But there are some things worth sacrificing everything for.

Read excerpt

Title: Steamship to Zion

Author: Jerry Borrowman

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: April 2, 2012

ISBN: 978-1621080176

Size: 246 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Historical


My Lucky Stars by Michele Paige Holmes

High-powered, highly pampered Tara Mollagen couldn’t imagine a worse start to the holidays than boarding a crowded plane. A stolen wallet and lost suitcase later, she finds herself stranded in unfamiliar territory, Salt Lake City, after being rerouted to avoid a Colorado blizzard.

With her temper running as wild as her red curls, Tara realizes her only option out of town is with Benjamin Whitmore, her reluctant knight in shining armor, er, overalls. For being a nice guy, Ben is rewarded with one aggravating situation after another with sassy, spoiled Tara. While doing his best to bring her pride down a notch, he begins to see another side to her, and a side of himself he’s not overly fond of. When tension between them reaches a crescendo, he takes matters into his own hands and Tara into his arms.

Unable to forget her experience with Ben, Tara returns to Seattle and long-time friend Jane, who offers possibilities Tara had never even considered. But change is difficult, and she’s not so sure she has what it takes to make that leap of faith, or if she has the courage to leave her old life behind.

 

Read excerpt

Title: My Lucky Stars

Author: Michele Paige Holmes

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: April 2, 2012

ISBN: 978-1621080350

Size: 314 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Romance

Series: Counting Stars (book 1), All the Stars in Heaven (book 2)


Into the End by Bonnie R. Paulson

America’s end is near.

After being weakened by countless natural disasters, America opens its airspace for aid. But instead, what is left of the devastated west coast finds itself nearly obliterated from above.

The key may belong to tests designed by a Pacific Northwest psychologist, Rachel Parker. Rachel loses the love of her life in a house fire as they escape with their children to the nearby Rocky Mountains following the first round of air raids. In refuge, she faces her husband’s best friend, Joshua, but doesn’t want to face his ill-harbored feelings or her own inability to face fear. Her sister, Brenda, escapes the fallen city, and, mistaken for Rachel, is captured.

Terrified and alone, Brenda is protected by the enigmatic Daniel even while he helps keep her captive. Through torture and mind games, Brenda discovers information about her sister’s work that could spin the free world into a tumultuous frenzy where the unknown is safer than reality.

Read excerpt

Title: Into the End

Author: Bonnie R. Paulson

Publisher: CreateSpace/Self

Release Date: March 31, 2012

ISBN: 978-1470142469

Size: 296 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Speculative


The Sweetest Touch by Marie Higgins

Louisa wakes from a deep heavy fog, surrounded by strangers and horrified to discover she’s been the sole victim of a terrible buggy accident. Worse… she remembers nothing.

Trevor Worthington, Duke of Kenbridge, can’t trust women. Yet after nearly killing the amnesiac Louisa, he has little choice but to open his home to her. His heart softens to the straggly woman in beggars garb as he strives to help her regain her memory. As proof of Louisa’s scars, both physical and those lurking beneath the surface, come to light, Trevor finds himself more and more drawn to the mysterious woman. However he is hesitant to enter another nightmarish entanglement like his first marriage.

Louisa is all too happy to accept employment in the Duke’s household though it quickly becomes apparent she doesn’t fit in at all! For starters she speaks French and has no skills to speak of. Bits and pieces of conflicting memories flash through her mind, lending more confusion to the puzzle of her life. Fortunately the duke proves ever patient with her myriad of mistakes and Louisa finds herself falling in love with the kind, brooding man. As their budding relationship progresses from improper to scandalous Louisa’s memory begins to return. Dare she tell Trevor the horrible truths of her past? That she belongs to an evil man known only as Macgregor.

As the heartbreaking facts of Louisa’s past are exposed and decade old questions come to light, will the truth keep these lovers from happiness? Will Trevor be able to give love another chance? Or will Louisa’s sweet touch prove yet another forgotten memory…

Read excerpt

Title: The Sweetest Touch

Author: Marie Higgins

Publisher: Canyonland Press

Release Date: March 31, 2012

Size: eBook

Genre: Regency Romance

Brothers of Worthington Series: The Sweetest Kiss (book 1)


Anasazi Exile by Eric F. Swedin

Archeology wasn’t supposed to get him killed.

For two decades, Harry Deacon had served as a skilled and loyal soldier, and it’d cost him his marriage and many dead friends. His new career of digging for artifacts and esoteric knowledge seems safe enough—until he finds an Anasazi tomb in Chaco Canyon that shouldn’t be there. Only hours after Harry emails news of his discovery to a fellow archeologist at a conference in Scotland, she and her students are murdered—and Harry and his assistant are attacked by two hired killers.

Harry must turn to his old skills as his life becomes a frenzied struggle for survival when more assassins close in. Who was buried in the tomb and where did he come from? What was in the strange container housed in the coffin?

As Harry begins to solve the mystery of Chaco Canyon, he learns an astonishing secret: the history of our planet is NOT what we’ve been taught!

Read excerpt

Title: Anasazi Exile

Author: Eric F. Swedin

Publisher: Borgo Press

Release Date: March 19, 2012

ISBN: 978-1434444035

Size: 308 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Science Fiction