(Chapter 1 only) In the winter of 1941-1942, Leningrad is under siege, and Karen Hamilton, a seventeen-year-old American musician, finds herself trapped and struggling to survive. Throughout the city, people are dying of starvation and frostbite, and Karen knows that if she doesn't escape immediately, she will share their fate. If she has any hope of leaving Russia and reuniting with her fiancé, Bobby, in New York, she must do the impossible: cross enemy lines and then stow away. On her harrowing journey, Karen encounters Petr, a young conscripted Russian soldier. She isn't sure she can trust him-he is equally wary of her. But as the two join forces in order to stay alive, an unexpected romance takes root. Now, as Karen gets closer to the reality of escape, she has a choice to make: Will she return to a safe life in America with Bobby, or remain in war-torn Russia with Petr? This is a sample chapter of the book that will be available October 18 from Lake Union Publishing.

Twelve-year-old Carmen has a secret: she can talk to her cat Grim. But the powerful Brotherhood has banned pets, and the penalty is death. Ward is the most wanted boy in the world. The only thing standing between him and the hangman's noose is master criminal Saint Nick. In exchange for Nick's protection, Ward must find the long-lost horn called the Oliphant, said to have the power to wake legendary beings known as the Sleepers, whom Nick believes can aid him in his guerilla war against the Brotherhood. This leads Ward to Carmen, whose family has a long and mysterious association with the Oliphant. Ward and Carmen are soon hot on the trail of the horn, but the Brotherhood are closing in on Carmen's family. Ward and Carmen realise that waking the Sleepers may be the only thing that can save Carmen's parents from certain death. If only they knew how. FOR READERS WHO LIKED Scarlett & Browne - Jonathan Stroud Fly By Night - Frances Hardinge His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

*Wattpad Featured Story* Grand prize winner of the Slash Fic contest by @Fanfic A year before his 111th birthday, Bilbo Baggins talks to young Frodo about the special friendship that he shared with Thorin Oakenshield. *Not part of my "Forget and Forgive" AU series* (Cover art: edit of official IMAX poster for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey")

Credits: 'MsChallenjour' for the amazing yet beautiful book cover and 'Daring2BeMe' for trying to edit the first few chapters of the book. Also, the tons of readers reading this. The Noble Academy has a group of people that are born with special abilities besides the other humans. They are called Elementals. These people are at the top of the school. So far, the known abilities are fire, water, earth and air. These people wear red cloaks and mask to protect their identities. What happens when there is a person that has all the abilities and more? Meet Winter Valentine. She knows what she is and she knows it must be kept as a secret. The elders of the Academy keep a close eye on her. Fearing that she can be a dangerous threat as she controls very strong powers. A dangerous power is approaching and not all the Elements can defeat them. They need Winter to fight with it but how can they do so if they don't know Winter? (It isn't fully edited. I wrote it when I was 14 so be aware it's probably not going to make a lot of sense) - 18 year old self

The #1 Bestseller! From #1 Bestselling author Morgan Rice comes a sweeping new epic fantasy series: RISE OF THE DRAGONS (KINGS AND SORCERERS—Book 1). Kyra, 15, dreams of becoming a famed warrior, like her father, even though she is the only girl in a fort of boys. As she struggles to understand her special skills, her mysterious inner power, she realizes she is different than the others. But a secret is being kept from her about her birth and the prophecy surrounding her, leaving her to wonder who she really is. When Kyra comes of age and the local lord comes to take her away, her father wants to wed her off to save her. Kyra, though, refuses, and she journeys out on her own, into a dangerous wood, where she encounters a wounded dragon—and ignites a series of events that will change the kingdom forever. 15 year old Alec, meanwhile, sacrifices for his brother, taking his place in the draft, and is carted off to The Flames, a wall of flames a hundred feet high that wards off the army of Trolls to the east. On the far side of the kingdom, Merk, a mercenary striving to leave behind his dark past, quests through the wood to become a Watcher of the Towers and help guard the Sword of Fire, the magical source of the kingdom’s power. But the Trolls want the Sword, too—and they prepare for a massive invasion that could destroy the kingdoms forever. With its strong atmosphere and complex characters, RISE OF THE DRAGONS is a sweeping saga of knights and warriors, of kings and lords, of honor and valor, of magic, destiny, monsters and dragons. It is a story of love and broken hearts, of deception, of ambition and betrayal. It is fantasy at its finest, inviting us into a world that will live with us forever, one that will appeal to all ages and genders. Book #2 in KINGS AND SORCERERS is now available!

10 Billion People. The human population in the year 2052. The year the Last Plague hit. 98% of humanity was wiped from the face of the Earth in a year. Before the scattered 250 million survivors could begin to rebuild civilization, the second phase of the Last Plague hit. Half of the 250 million immunes were susceptible to this phase of the virus. It transformed them into inhuman. creatures dubbed "gollums" by the survivors. The immunes fought the gollums for three years, but we're eventually hunted into near extinction. The last of the 25 million immune humans not hunted down finally found the source of the Last Plague. A highly advanced race of extraterrestrials had engineered the virus in order to exterminate the natives, allowing them to colonize without resistance. When all seemed lost, the Zenith arrived. The Zenith was a god-like extraterrestrial that had no physical form, and could travel the space time continueuom with ease. The Zenith contacted 10 million of the 25 million humans left, and told them it would transport them to a solar system it had created 10,000 years beforehand, just for this purpose. The Zenith informed them they could take one item with them, along with clothing to take with them, and also that it had selected many different species throughout Earth's history to create the ideal conditions for life. Some individuals would be given abilities to assist them in surviving in this new place that they would call home. This is the world they live in now. This is planet Priad, and these are the stories of its people.

Lorelai seems like your typical friendly, adventurous girl on the outside. Being a hunter, she's traversed the wilderness of Lucis, culling pests and helping people, and even earning a name for herself. But deep inside is someone who feels all alone in a foreign land. Having lost everything as a child, she is unable to let go of her past. But things will change when the crown prince and his retinue request her help in seeking out the royal tombs. She will be tasked with aiding them. Friendships will form and be put to the test as Lorelai is forced to place her trust in her friends. But will she be able to fully trust them enough to reveal the secrets she carries? And how will a certain blond gunman influence that? I do not own Final Fantasy XV or any of the pictures I use in this. I only own my OC, some side characters, and the storyline of this book.