(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.

** Winner of the 2014 Wattys Instant Addiction Award ** Book 1 of the SEIZE THE DAY series In a world of magic and chaos, seventeen-year-old Lannie Brackenbury has only ever wanted to be alone in Aria. Two years after her mother's death, Lannie has finally found a place in the world where she can live peacefully. But when she is forced to tutor at Aria's castle and encounters the infuriating Prince Titus, her life takes a turn for the worse. Unwillingly forced into a realm of pompous Royals and unpredictable magic, Lannie must survive murderous naiads, man-eating water horses, and the antics of a prince who can't seem to leave her alone. But when Lannie discovers that someone is out to destroy the royal family, she must do everything in her power to uncover the truth before it's too late. Even if it means sacrificing all that she has ever known.