Ghosts are in the house! With her parents away, seventeen-year-old Alyssa Dempsey is taking care of her two younger brothers for the weekend. On their first morning alone, Alyssa discovers that her baby brother Sean received a magical, glass wand from a pair of ghosts, who he calls the Buddies. Along with their thirteen-year-old brother Bradley, the three Dempsey children begin interacting with a dark and dangerous spirit-world, in which the sinister owner of the wand lives, and from whom it was stolen. "The Essence (A Ghost Story in Three Days) is a fun and quick read that will entertain young adults and their young-at-heart parents. Author Vel Grande brings his characters to life with dialog and humor and paints both dark and light imagery with deft strokes. Krystle Carkeek's plentiful illustrations capture the emotion of the scenes, cementing each character's details in the reader's mind. The Essence is great escapism." -Gary W. Stout, Readers' Favorite (5-Star Selection) "The narration feels authentic, the characters are likable and loathsome in the right doses, and unlike many other modern young adult books, the charming uses of foreshadowing and suspense are reminiscent of traditional ghost stories, not ultra-violent animes or comic books . . . Vel Grande has succeeded in both building a memorable plot with engaging characters and, more importantly, making me want to know what happens next." - Bruce Duboff, Middler Books and More

hi.. um.. im winter... I.. ive been abused by my father... my big brother is doing all he can to save me and my little sister from that man. my moms not much help though... all we are to her is assurance that she'll get money when he leaves her... im... well im terrified... hes almost killed us all at one point or another... but theres always some light in the darkness right? I think so... that's why I believe I met ashter... but what if my dad tries to hurt him too!? how could I be so dumb!? I have to protect ashter... I have to forget him.. but can I? mean I definitely have a lot on my mind... from school to escaping my dad to secretly still loving ashter... oh, what am I gonna do!?

Julie has always been the shy type. Her world changes when she finds wattpad, a very popular ebook community. She becomes addicted to it and even starts posting her own stories. But are friends, fans and votes all she will get from this site? Or is it possible to find love as well?

It's customary for Gothic romance novels to include a mysterious girl locked in the attic. Hannah Smith just wishes she wasn't that girl. As a narcoleptic and the companion to an earl's daughter with a strange affliction of her own, Hannah knows she's lucky to have a roof over her head and food in her belly when so many orphans starve on the streets. Yet freedom is something Hannah longs for. She did not, however, want her freedom to arrive in the form of kidnapping. Taken by handsome Jack Langley to a place known as Freak House, she finds herself under the same roof as a mad scientist, his niece, a mute servant and Jack, a fire starter with a mysterious past. They assure Hannah she is not a prisoner and that they want to help her. The problem is, they think she's the earl's daughter. What will they do when they discover they took the wrong girl? A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: When I set out to write the Freak House series, I wanted to put my own spin on the Gothic novels of the Victorian era. I've always loved their creepiness, the secrets, and the romance too, but I wanted to see the story from the perspective of the character that is often present but never the heroine - the girl kept in the attic. I hope you'll enjoy this trilogy as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Brooke is the head cheerleader and the most popular girl in her school, with her best friend Courtney and Cheerleader posse. No one can bring her down. But what happens when she falls in love with the mysterious emo, Slayter? Will she sacrifice her friends for him or will they get rid of her before she gets the chance to decide? Confused and hurt, love struck Brooke chases the boy whose life she made hell. Finding herself and the real friends in her life, follow Brooke as she unveils the story behind the suicidal emo she’s so awed by. Did I mention he hated her?....

Stories of ordinary kids in need of help. we all have a story to tell...