"Papa said that the war would end soon. Said that we'd get milk and butter and cream and crisp red apples right off the tree. That the skies would clear and planes would stop passing by so often. But Papa was wrong. The skies never cleared, and I never took a bite of a ripe red apple ever again." 'The Mechanical War' is a piece that dives into the culture and politics of an alternative [steam punk] history. Enjoy!

Cara’s mother has disappeared. Her father isn’t talking about it. Her big brother Max is hiding behind his iPod, and her genius little brother Jackson is busy studying the creatures he collects from the beach. But when a watery specter begins to haunt the family’s Cape Cod home, Cara and her brothers realize that their scientist mother may not be who they thought she was—and that the world has much stranger, much older inhabitants than they had imagined. With help from Cara’s best friend Hayley, the three embark on a quest that will lead them from the Cape’s hidden, ancient places to a shipwreck at the bottom of the sea. They’re soon on the front lines of an ancient battle between good and evil, with the terrifying “pouring man” close on their heels. One chapter will be posted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until all 10 chapters are up. These will be followed by the second book in the series, The Shimmers in the Night. A Junior Library Guild Pick; Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011; Selected for the ABC Best Books for Children Catalog; Locus Notable Books.

Seventeen-year-old Gavin Hillstone is resigned to being miserable for the rest of his life. Left alone in the world after his parents died in a fire when he was four, he was placed in foster care, which for him meant ending up in an abusive home with an alcoholic adoptive father. Gavin’s only escape is in taking and creating images. His camera is his refuge from the unending torture and isolation of daily life in his “family.” Until he learns by accident that he isn’t alone in the world after all. His father’s parents are still alive and living in Washington DC. When he takes the plunge and travels 3,000 miles to find his grandparents, he learns that they—and he—are part of something much bigger, and more dangerous, than he could ever have imagined. Something that has always put his family at risk and that will now threaten his own life, while forever changing it. He learns that he is one of the last descendants of a small group of Photo Travelers—people who can travel through time and space through images. But his initial excitement turns to fear, when he soon discovers that he and his grandparents are being pursued by the fierce remnants of a radical European Photo Traveler cult, the Peace Hunters. What Gavin has, they want! His adventure will take him to past eras, like The Great Depression and the Salem Witch Trials. Gavin will have to discover who he really is and must make choices that spell the difference between life and death for himself, for the relatives he now knows and loves, and for the girl he will come to love. For Gavin, life will never be the same.

Faye is used to being set against the mysterious monsters known as Aed. She has dealt with those they give power to, the Aedly, for all of her life. Unfortunately this time her enemies are just people, and for the first time in a long time Faye is alone. And she knows from experience that people can be the worst kind of monsters.

Meet two teens whose worlds are about to change forever in this paranormal Young Adult novella, a prequel to Ink by debut author Amanda Sun. Katie Greene's worst nightmare comes true when her mother dies, and she's devastated to learn that she will have to leave the only home she's ever known. Desperate to find where she belongs, she must decide if she has what it takes to start a new life across the ocean. For Yuu Tomohiro, every day is a nightmare. He struggles to control his strange ability, and keeps everyone at a distance so they won't get hurt—even his girlfriend, Myu. At night, a shadow haunts his dreams, and a mysterious woman torments him with omens of death and destruction. But these haunting premonitions are only the beginning Shadow, a full-length novella will be updated every Tuesday and Thursday until complete. And don't miss the moment when Katie's and Tomohiro's worlds collide in Ink, book one of The Paper Gods series from Harlequin TEEN.

Aeden Rossam: 17, son of a nobleman, expert swordsman, spoiled, let's face it: he's a punk. Betha Solvinstra: 18, common shopkeeper's daughter, rising star in the Society of Healers. Oh, and she hates the nobility. After the sword tournament in the city of Elbeth, the master healer--leader of the secretive Society of Healers--invites Aeden to join him, and shares the Society's great secret: that all mankind are Rohvim--beings of metal, flesh, and fantastic powers that the uninitiated see as magic. After Aeden sees his beloved city overrun by a mysterious northern warlord's army, he and Betha are chosen to find and stop the warlord before the entire kingdom falls to ruin. To succeed, Aeden must master his Rohva nature, and with Betha's reluctant help claim the powers that only a Rohva with a true knowledge of himself can wield. And along the way, they will begin to unlock the secrets of Earth's troubled past.... Rohvim #2: Water and Blood, is now out on most retailers: Amazon, B&N, Apple, and Kobo.

Seventeen-year-old Zelene had never believed in magic or prophecies; until the day she was attacked by an assassin with unnatural powers. Now, her life has been thrust into a war between two worlds she knows nothing about and told that she must fight against an enemy determined to snuff out her existence-all because of some ancient prophecy that claims five girls from her bloodline will unite and end the war between the worlds. As their enemies strike, the girls are forced to flee back to their home world after being hidden away for so long. There, Zelene meets Rhaya, Terrena, and Isauria and discovers the familial bonds tying them together and to the powerful Duillaine who rule over the worlds. Zelene sees this connection as a prison rather than protection and can think of a place or two she'd like to shove the crown she supposedly inherited. When she learns Ariana, her long-lost twin sister, has been captured by the rebels, Zelene's attitude changes. With whispers of Ariana being the sacrifice needed to fulfill the prophecy, Zelene knows she has to act. She doesn't know how she is supposed to go against an army of magic-wielding rebels when her own ability to manipulate the elements is still locked within her. But can she trust the Duillaine to rescue Ariana when it seems their medieval politics are what brought about the war in the first place? With all that is at stake, the answer becomes clear to Zelene. Screw the worlds. She's getting her sister back.

Sixteen-year-old Mara Westray has just lost her mother, and now, being shipped off to live with the father she doesn’t know is not how she imagined grieving. She’s already counting down the days until she turns eighteen and can leave the tiny island of Swans Landing. But from the moment she steps off the ferry, nothing is as ordinary as it looks. Whispers of a haunting song on the wind make her see impossible things, and she isn’t sure she can trust her judgment about what is real and what isn’t anymore. Maybe she can’t even trust her judgment about quiet Josh Canavan, whose way of speaking in riddles and half-truths only confuses her more, luring her deeper into the secrets hidden beneath the ocean’s surface. As she tries to unravel the events that led to her mom fleeing the island sixteen years ago, Mara finds that the biggest secret of all is only the beginning. SURFACING is currently available in ebook format from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, iTunes, Smashwords, and other ebook retailers. Available in audiobook from Audible, and in print at Amazon. Visit my website for more information on the Swans Landing series and where to purchase the ebooks: http://www.shananorris.com/surfacing/

NOTE: If you read Untraceable, please consider POSTing an honest review on Amazon (or other platform). If you post a review, email me the review link at shelli@srjohannes.com and I will offer you a free copy of Uncontrollable (Book 2)! :) Limited Offer! Untraceable is an award-winning teen wilderness thriller. Uncontrollable (Book 2) & Unstoppable (Book 3) are out. Book 4 is coming soon! :) "With wilderness survival, a juicy love triangle, and more twists and turns than a roller coaster, this fast-paced novel had me holding my breath until the very last page!" - Kimberly Derting (author of the popular Body Finder series, The Pledge series, and her the Taking sci-fi series ) "This thrilling story is a dramatic entanglement of mystery, deception and teen romance. The action flows like a brisk mountain stream interspersed with rapids, holding suspense to last page."- Kirkus Review ======================= Grace has lived in the Smoky Mountains all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival. When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he's dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him. One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father. Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she's enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it's going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

Sixteen-year-old Keegan is struggling to keep her huge secret from her friends—she’s an elf, descended from a long line of elves that lives in secrecy alongside humans. In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are 18. Against tradition, Keegan’s brother Thad told her Rourk’s name because his visions warned him she’d need Rourk’s protection, especially since Keegan will play a key role in the coming war between the dark and light elves. Rourk finds himself drawn to Keegan’s side every time she thinks his name. He wants to talk to her but remains in the shadows, silently guarding her every time she mentally beckons him. A twist of fate thrusts the two of them together when Rourk is forced to step up his protection and make his presence known. An ancient prophecy deeply entwines Keegan’s family in the future of their society. Depending on the outcome of the battle Keegan and Rourk may never have their life together.