Category: Young Adult (Age 12+)

Beauty and the Beast by Jenni James

A prince by day and a wolf by night—

Prince Alexander has been turned into a werewolf and has one year to find someone to love the beast and break the spell, or he will be a wolf forever. He has nearly given up achieving the impossible, knowing no girl would ever fall in love with such a monster.

Just when he is about to abdicate the throne to his cousin, he meets Cecelia Hammerstein-Smythe, while a wolf, and begins to hope for the first time in months. Can he balance both worlds as a human and beast, gaining the love and trust of a girl who has every reason to despise him?

Cecelia detests the prince. She only knows Alexander as the arrogant monarch—the tyrant who has made her life miserable—though perhaps he’s changed right before her eyes. He’s not as full of himself as he once was. The prince is gentle now… but then again, so is the beast.

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Title: Beauty and the Beast (Faerie Tale Collection)

Author: Jenni James

Publisher: StoneHouse Ink

Release Date: June 4, 2012

ASIN: B008940W3Y

Size: 142 pages, ebook

Genre: Fantasy


Adventures of Lilli and Zane: The Golden Flute by Catherine Lanigan

She held up the flashlight and this time a very odd symbol caught her eye. It was a round ring and inside the ring was a pyramid and superimposed over it was a cross, like the cross hairs on a gun site.

Instinctively, she reached out to touch the symbol.

Just before impact, an electrical spark from the symbol on the wall to her fingers shot through her.

Teen treasure hunters Lilli and Zane have grown up in a world of ancient artifacts, coded messages, and long-buried mysteries. But there’s no telling what they’ll unearth when they face off against the infamous Zorav and his even-more-menacing advisor.

With the fate of the world in their hands, Lilli and Zane will have to stay one step ahead of danger, find the treasured artifacts, and keep them far away from their enemies or face death—and maybe even worse.

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Title: Adventures of Lilli and Zane: The Golden Flute

Author: Catherine Lanigan*

Publisher: Sweetwater/CFI

Release Date: June 12, 2012

ISBN: 978-1462110230

Size: 304 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: YA Fantasy

 

*I think she’s LDS. Anyone know for sure?


August Fortress by Andrea Pearson

Jacob Clark’s most dangerous quest yet is just beginning. He and his friends must rescue the powerful Shiengols from August Fortress, where they’ve been held captive for nearly fifteen years. But deadly Lorkon traps are everywhere and affect all involved—even Jacob. To succeed, he’ll have to master more of his powers and put aside distractions from his ordinary life.

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Title: August Fortress (Kilenya #3)

Author: Andrea Pearson

Publisher: Self

Release Date: June 11, 2012

ASIN: B008AYUYB8

Size: 237 pages, ebook

Genre: YA Fantasy

Kilenya Series: The Key of Kilenya (bk 1), The Ember Gods (bk 2)


Broken by C.K. Bryant

With Kira injured and dying, Octavion’s last hope is to plead with the king of Panthera for a cure. But King Ramla’s magic isn’t free. The price he asks Octavion to pay goes against everything he’s fought so hard to protect and could destroy his bond with Kira.

Will Octavion trade his crown and swear allegiance to a kingdom feared by all, or will he sacrifice the woman he loves to remain faithful to his father and Xantara?

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Title: Broken (The Crystor, book 2)

Author: C.K. Bryant

Publisher: CreateSpace/Self

Release Date: June 7, 2012

ISBN: 978-1477603000

Size: 362 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

The Crystor Series: Bound (bk 1)


The Shapeshifter’s Secret by Heather Ostler

She tried telling herself to stop, but it was useless. Something had fully claimed her mind and body. A sound began to erupt from inside her chest, a deep sort of growl that seized her entire being. She felt as if a grizzly bear were inside her, trying to escape. And then a deafening roar echoed from her mouth, only inches away from Lancer’s face.

It took everything inside of her not to attack him.

Like any sixteen-year-old, Julia’s used to dealing with problems. From her overprotective father to her absent mother to a teacher who definitely has it in for her. But everything changes when Julia’s reactions become oddly vicious and angry—more animal than human.

Julia is finally discovering what—not who—she is.

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Title: The Shapeshifter’s Secret

Author: Heather Ostler

Publisher: Sweetwater/CFI

Release Date: June 12, 2012

ISBN: 978-1462110339

Size: 328 pages, 6×9, hardcover

Genre: YA Paranormal


Rogue Wave by Christie Anderson

After five months of blissful pretending, Sadie and Rayne are practically the couple of the year. At least, according to Sadie’s friends at school they are.

But she knows the truth. Their feelings are just an illusion. Now, with graduation and college right around the corner, Sadie realizes she can’t put off the inevitable any longer. She has to make a choice. Take the easy way out and run away from her problems, as usual, or move forward with courage and discover her own destiny.

But when Ash Hastings, the son of the black-eyed man who almost drove Sadie to her death last November and Rayne’s supposed best friend, makes an unnerving appearance in Sadie’s life again, the path to her future takes an unexpected turn.

And this time, Sadie’s life isn’t the only one in danger.

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Title: Rogue Wave (The Water Keepers, book 2)

Author: Christie Anderson

Publisher: Self

Release Date: June 1, 2012

ISBN: X

Size: ebook (Print version coming soon)

Genre: YA Paranormal

The Water Keepers Series:  Deep Blue Secret (Book 1)


Altercation by Tamara Hart Heiner

The FBI promises Jacinta Rivera and her friends that they are safe. Jaci wants desperately to believe them but weeks of hiding from their kidnapper, alias “The Hand”, have left her wary. Hidden from the public eye in an FBI safe house, Jaci must reconcile both the mysterious disappearance of her father and the murder of her best friend.

A betrayal lands Jaci back in the grasp of The Hand, shattering her ability to trust and leaving her to wonder if she will ever piece together her broken life.

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Title: Altercation

Author: Tamara Hart Heiner

Publisher: WiDo Publishing

Release Date: June 5, 2012

ISBN: 978-1937178215

Size: 250 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: YA Suspense

Series: Perilous (bk 1)


Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram

Ellie’s sweet sixteen is a summer of firsts. First car. First kiss. First boyfriend. First serial-killing stalker?

Hockey-obsessed tomboy Eleanor Westley has never been the object of a guy’s affection before. So when the hottest boy she’s ever seen moves in across the street and starts treating her like she’s the center of his universe, naturally she’s going to be a little skeptical. But everything starts to make sense when girls who look just like Ellie start dying all around the city. Obviously the new guy is the killer, and of course he only likes her because he wants to slice her into tiny pieces. Right?

The more Ellie gets to know Seth the more she’s convinced he’s a psychopathic killer. The problem is he’s the sweetest psychopathic killer she’s ever met. Not to mention he’s brutally hot. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t help but fall for him.

Will Ellie find true love, or will her summer of firsts turn out to be a summer of lasts?

 

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Title: Serial Hottie

Author: Kelly Oram

Publisher: Bluefields (self)

Release Date: June 5, 2012

ISBN: 978-0985627713

Size: 404 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: YA Romantic Suspense


Surrender by Elana Johnson

Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…

Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn.

Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque….

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Title: Surrender

Author: Elana Johnson

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: June 5, 2012

ISBN: 978-1442445680

Size: 480 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Series: Possession (bk 1)


Frogspell by Danyelle Leafty

A fairy godmother on probation needs a certain kind of story. A story that lets her make the best possible impression. A story with a neat Happily Ever After just waiting to happen.

This isn’t that story.

Instead, Nerissa’s DID (Damsel in Distress) has a heart that only a mother could love, and a stepsister with a sweet disposition and a striking resemblance to the girls Nerissa has worked with in the past.

If Nerissa wants to bring about a Happily Ever After for this story, she’s also going to need a prince, a touch of criminal ingenuity, and a whole lot of luck.
But when the Prince Charming Nerissa kidnapped for the occasion falls for the stepsister instead of her DID, she’s going to need to make some tough decisions. Follow her heart and help the stepsister, unofficially, of course? Or fulfill her contract—even if that means helping her DID take over the kingdom?

Frogspell is a retelling of The Bluebird.

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Title: Frogspell (The Fairy Godmother Dilemma, Book 4)

Author: Danyelle Leafty

Publisher: Danyelle Leafty

Release Date: June 2, 2012

ASIN: B0088FUHNY

Size: 262 pages, ebook

Genre: YA Fantasy

Series: Catspell (bk 1), Firespell (bk 2), Applespell (bk3)


Mists of Darkness by M.J. Evans

Having braved the evil powers in the Dark Kingdom and rescued a lost soul in Behind the Mist, the first book of the Mist Trilogy, Nick and Jazz proved themselves worthy to become members of the Legion of the Unicorn. In a ceremony passed down through the ages, Jazz is endowed with a glowing, amber-colored unicorn horn and a new name: Lazari. Nick becomes his partner as the first-ever unicorn rider.

However, the celebration is short lived as word reaches Celestia of an ominous, dark mist that descended upon Churchill Downs in Kentucky. When the mist dissipated, several horses had vanished.

The unicorns knew immediately that this was the work of the ruler of the Dark Kingdom, Hasbadana. This wicked unicorn’s desire is to conquer the earth and rule everything on it, including mankind, with an iron hoof.

Again and again, the mist of darkness descends at horse venues around the world. Horses, of all types, breeds, and sizes, disappear in its oppressive gloom. Urijah, the Lord of Celestia, and his Council of the Twelve Ancients watch helplessly, never knowing where it will strike next. Hasbadana’s mist of darkness comes down upon horse shows, herds of wild mustangs, polo matches and rodeos, anywhere there are numerous horses. And when the mist is gone, so are the horses.

Deep in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Hasbadana begins training his army of horses, controlling them through fear and intimidation. The lord of the Dark Kingdom drills his army relentlessly as he strives to prepare them to conquer the earth, one barn at a time, one house at a time, one town at a time.

Will the Legion of the Unicorn be able to stop him?

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Title: Mists of Darkness

Author: M.J. Evans

Publisher: Self

Release Date: May 18, 2012

ASIN: B0084P7KJC

Size: 171 pages, ebook

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Series: Behind the Mist (bk 1)


The Breakaway by Michelle Davidson Argyle

When Naomi Jensen is kidnapped, it takes her parents two days to realize she’s missing. Escape isn’t high on her list of priorities when all she has to return to is an abusive boyfriend and parents who never paid much attention to her. For the first time in her life she’s part of a family-even if it is a family of criminals. But she’s still a captive.

In a desperate attempt to regain some control in her life, Naomi embarks on a dangerous plan to make one of her kidnappers think she’s falling in love with him. The plan works too well, and when faced with the chance to escape, Naomi isn’t sure she wants to take it.

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Title: The Breakaway

Author: Michelle Davidson Argyle

Publisher: Rhemalda Publishing

Release Date: May 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-1936850617

Size: 320 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: YA Contemporary


Angels and Promises of Silver Falls by Rebecca Woods

“So, now that I’m ‘yours’,” she ventured once again, “do you suppose we’ll ever have more of a family than just us?”

Nathan was quiet for some time. “Four years? I don’t know. It is in God’s hands, Hannah, and if he chooses to bless us that way we will count ourselves fortunate.”

When Hannah married her sweetheart, she thought all her dreams were finally coming true. But the family she longs for still hasn’t arrived. Now more than ever she’ll have to trust that God has a plan for her.

Meanwhile there are big changes coming to the folks of Silver Falls. Some of them are exciting and others might best be called blessings in disguise—deep in disguise.

Catch up with all your favorite characters in the second installment of this beloved series. With a sweet story that evokes the romance of a forgotten era, Angels and Promises of Silver Falls is a taste of small town life that’s sure to bring a smile to any reader.

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Title: Angels and Promises of Silver Falls (book 2)

Author: Rebecca Woods

Publisher: Sweetwater (CFI)

Release Date: May 8, 2012 (previously published)

ISBN: 978-1599559971

Size: 208 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Young Adult

Series: Hannah of Silver Falls (bk 1)


The Overtaking by Victorine E. Lieske

Shayne Barlet has been kidnapped, his powers disabled and his memory altered. He’s having a bad day—and he doesn’t even know it.

Shayne believes he’s living the ideal life. He attends a great school in the Midwest, gets along with his roommate, and has even met a girl who seems perfect for him. But it’s all a lie. His girlfriend is deceiving him, his roommate is in on it, and perhaps most unbelievably of all: he’s not from Earth. He’s not even human—and neither are they.

As he discovers his own buried psychic abilities, Shayne realizes the only truth he’s been told is perhaps the most improbable one: his girlfriend, a member of the invasion force, seems to truly love him, even though her actions are rife with deceit. Shayne soon uncovers a vast conspiracy involving planetary conquest, erased memories, holographic worlds, and dark agendas. He vows to expose the truth, set his people free, and stop The Overtaking—once, and for all.

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Title: The Overtaking

Author: Victorine E. Lieske

Publisher: Self

Release Date: April 2, 2012

ISBN: 978-1461189459

Size: 288 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

*This may have been previously published and therefore not eligible for a Whitney Award. Amazon says 2012; GoodReads says 2011. ??

 


Aligned by RaShelle Workman

An Immortal Essence short story.

Worlds divided them.

Chance brought them together.

Only love can save them.

A half-Eternal boy and an Eternal girl must free millions of tortured souls from a creature who has been feasting on their pain and suffering.

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Title: Aligned (short story)

Author: RaShelle Workman

Publisher: Polished Pen Press

Release Date: May 6, 2012

ASIN: B008198CIY

Size: 32 pages, ebook

Genre: YA Sci-fi Romance

Immortal Essence Series: Exiled (book 1), Beguiled (book 2)

Caution: This book may contain objectionable language. Author says PG-13.


Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams

Growing up, London and Zach were as close as could be.

And then Zach dies, and the family is gutted.

London’s father is distant. Her mother won’t speak. The days are filled with what-ifs and whispers: Was it London’s fault?

Alone and adrift, London finds herself torn between her brother’s best friend and the handsome new boy in town as she struggles to find herself—and ultimately redemption.

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Title: Waiting

Author: Carol Lynch Williams

Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Release Date: May 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-1442443532

Size: 352 pages, hardcover

Genre: Young Adult


Shayla Witherwood by Tamra Torero

A brief moment of disappointment washed over me as I approached Jace’s motionless body. Here I was, about to kiss a boy on the lips for the very first time, and he was completely comatose—possibly paralyzed—and would never even know or remember the experience. This was not how I’d envisioned my first kiss—me invisible, him unconscious.

Shayla Witherwood is not exactly normal. First, she’s spent her entire life being homeschooled, traveling in an RV around the country with her grandparents. And second, there’s the kind of inescapable fact that her mom was a genuine faerie.

But now that she’s starting a real life in a regular high school, Shayla desperately needs to stay out of trouble in both worlds, because even her faerie powers might not be enough to protect her from what’s coming.

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Title: Shayla Witherwood: A Half-Faerie Tale

Author: Tamra Torero

Publisher: Sweetwater/Cedar Fort

Release Date: May 8, 2012

ISBN: 978-1599559636

Size: 312 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy


Charlie’s Girl by Mary-Helen and Daniel Foxx

“Are you Rosalind?” Grace asked with doubt in her voice as she searched the young girl’s face for some sign of recognition. But there was none, just a blank expression that greeted her. How strange. She’d always pictured her granddaughter as a blond.

“Yes, and you are…” the girl hesitated for words.

“I’m Grace Matthews. I’m your grandmother,” the older woman said a little too stiffly.

By the time fourteen-year-old Rosalind arrives in Grayson, South Carolina, she’s spent nearly her whole life in the foster care system without a family, without a past, and without a home.

But the sudden discovery of a long-lost grandmother and a house full of momentos from her father’s childhood isn’t quite the happy ending Rosalind was hoping for. Instead, it’s just the first step in uncovering the secrets from her past—and maybe even the key to her future.

Set in the 1960s, this unique novel breathes life into a forgotten era and illustrates how much you can discover from your own family’s history. This unforgettable story of family, friendship, and faith is perfect for readers of all ages.

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Title: Charlie’s Girl

Author: Mary-Helen and Daniel Foxx

Publisher: Bonneville/Cedar Fort

Release Date: May 8, 2012

ISBN: 978-1599559681

Size: 200 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: YA


At Season’s End by Eric Hendershot

Even the river didn’t stop Paw. Clothes and all, he jumped into the whirlin’, swirlin’ waters of the great Columbia.

At this Maw let out a scream. Mebby she thought Paw was goin’ to end it all. Then Tim yelled, “Oh, no, Paw!” But I was too surprised and scared to say anythin’.

I suppose it was just a second or two, but it seemed like minutes before he came up again to show us he had two heads and four arms. Then the mighty water turned him over to prove he had four legs. That was when we realized Paw was holdin’ on for dear life to a young drownin’ boy.

Hit hard by the Great Depression, Sal’s family loads up an old Buick and heads out to find work wherever they can. Driving from place to place, living off the little they can make, they soon realize they’ll never be able to afford to settle down again.

Then, when tragedy strikes, Sal and her brother must learn to fend for themselves. In a world of harsh realities, there’s no room left for romance. But that can’t stop Sal from dreaming of a life with Ben—a boy from another migrant family—even though she knows she may never see him again.

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Title: At Season’s End

Author: Eric Hendershot

Publisher: Sweetwater/CFI

Release Date: May 8, 2012

ISBN: 978-1599559957

Size: 176 pages, 5.5×8.5, softcover

Genre: Young Adult Historical


My Heart for Yours by Stephanie Campbell & Jolene Perry

For Tobin and Delia, everything was always equal.

A bargain, a trade, a deal to be struck.

A kiss for a kiss.

Your shirt for mine.

Break my heart, I’ll break yours.

Their disastrous split was no different. Tobin’s spent the last year pretending Delia never existed, and Delia’s been in D.C., pretending to be anything but the country girl that she is.

When tragedy brings her back to town, Tobin and Delia realize that time apart hasn’t healed either one of them. But staying away from each other is harder than they imagined, especially in small town Louisiana, and old feelings are quickly brought back to the surface.

In the mess they’ve created, is there anything to be salvaged of a love that they both thought would be forever?

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Title: My Heart for Yours

Author: Stephanie Campbell & Jolene Perry

Publisher: CreateSpace

Release Date: May 4, 2012

ISBN: 978-1475280906

Size: 254 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, softcover

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance


Azure by Cheree Alsop

Azure, the fifth book of the Silver Series, is about an alpha werewolf who rescues a human from the vengeful grasp of his pack. Nora is the only person who is not afraid of Vance’s size or strength, and in return she gains his respect. When Vance is pushed to the edge of survival, his heart is torn between loving Nora and a werewolf who befriends him with the kindness that is greatly lacking in his life.

Azure is a story of strength beyond the endurance of the body. In a world turned upside down by violence, the choice between what the heart wants and the safest solution can be the most important decision of all.

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Title: Azure (The Silver Series, book 5)

Author: Cheree Alsop

Publisher: Self

Release Date: May 2, 2012

ISBN: NA

Size: 172 pages, eBook

Genre: YA Paranormal

Series: Silver (bk 1), Black (bk 2), Crimson (bk 3), Violet (bk 4)


Destined by Aprilynne Pike

Tamani looked at her gravely, and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear.

He hesitated for an instant, then his hands found the sides of her face, pulling her to him. He didn’t kiss her, just held her face close to his, their foreheads resting together, their noses almost touching.

She hated how much it felt like good-bye.

Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful—and deadly—of all, and Klea plans to use her to help conquer and destroy Avalon. But Klea’s reach extends far beyond one wild Winter faerie. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares to face what may be Avalon’s final days, in the stunning conclusion to the Wings series.

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Title: Destined

Author: Aprilynne Pike

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: May 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-0061668128

Size: 320 pages, hardcover

Genre: YA Fantasy

Wings Series: Wings (bk 1), Spells (bk 2), Illusions (bk 3)


What I Didn’t Say by Keary Taylor

Getting drunk homecoming night your senior year is never a good idea, but Jake Hayes never expected it all to end with a car crash and a t-post embedded in his throat.

His biggest regret about it all? What he never said to Samantha Shay. He’s been in love with her for years and never had the guts to tell her. Now it’s too late. Because after that night, Jake will never be able to talk again.

When Jake returns to his small island home, population 5,000, he’ll have to learn how to deal with being mute. He also finds that his family isn’t limited to his six brothers and sisters, that sometimes an entire island is watching out for you. And when he gets the chance to spend more time with Samantha, she’ll help him learn that not being able to talk isn’t the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Maybe, if she’ll let him, Jake will finally tell her what he didn’t say before, even if he can’t actually say it.

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Title: What I Didn’t Say

Author: Keary Taylor

Publisher: CreateSpace/Self

Release Date: April 30, 2012

ISBN: 978-1475156454

Size: 326 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, softcover

Genre: Young Adult


Curse of the Beast by Ashley Lavering

A dark shadow stalks the night, watching her—waiting to claim what is his.

Seventeen-year-old Tayla Jonas longs for a simple life, but after a traumatizing family loss, she is forced to be both mother and sister to her cousins while caring for her mentally unstable aunt. Moving to her grandma’s quiet town of Cody, Wyoming, Tayla finds some normalcy with her quirky green activist friend, Chel, who spends no time converting her to vegetarianism.

A few weeks into her new school, Tayla catches the eye of Kyle Harrington—the high school quarterback and resident millionaire—who can seduce any girl with his charismatic charm, including Tayla. But Kyle is anything but what he seems.

Walking through City Park, Tayla is unaware that an ancient curse has her in its crosshairs. The silver moonlight illuminates the path to her van, sprinkling shadows like evil twinkling eyes. Tayla’s skin prickles, and she turns. Something—or someone—is watching her.

A powerful werewolf steps from the shadows. An iridescent blue chord shoots from him and slams into her stomach, dissolving instantly. Pain wracks her body, and she tries to scramble to safety, but his silver eyes freeze her in place as the curse binds them together. The chord settles deep inside her body, coiling with dread around her heart.

Dismayed by the prospect of a werewolf for a shadow, Tayla fears for the safety of her friends and family. How will she keep the werewolf’s insatiable hunger in check? Her plans for a vegetarian lifestyle quickly dwindle away, and Tayla wrestles to fit her frazzled life back together—piece by piece. But what she didn’t expect was her attraction to the werewolf or the power of the full moon.

Will Tayla be strong enough to survive the Curse of the Beast? Or will it consume her like so many before? Find out in the first installment of this unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

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Title: Curse of the Beast

Author: Ashley Lavering

Publisher: Silvermist Publishing

Release Date: April 29, 2012

ASIN: B007YVYJUK

Size: 257 pages, ebook

Genre: YA Paranormal