Sacred Bloodlines

Sacred Bloodlines, by Wendy Owens, free

After a troubled childhood, and bouncing from home to home, Gabe discovers he is meant for bigger things. Finding out he is half Guardian angel and half human isn't the biggest secret he uncovers. When he discovers he is an important part of a prophecy he must decide if he is willing to risk his life for the a chance at a life that might hold happiness in it for him. 

Tragedy has defined Gabe’s short life in this world. An ominous darkness lurked on the edge of his existence until one day, in a subway, strange things start happening. A series of events lead Gabe into a new and fascinating life, filled with angels and demons, but he isn’t sure if he wants to be a part of it.

After being thrust into the middle of a world filled with strange creatures and magic all around him, he finds a chance at the friends and family he has been wanting on most of his life. The problem? His dreams come with constant and terrifying dangers that Gabe fears he may not be able to survive. 

Broken (Reflections)

Broken (Reflections), by Dean Murray, free

Adri Paige is too busy dealing with the emotional fallout from losing half of her family to deal with boys. At least she thought so until the two most intriguing guys in her new school take an interest in her.

Both boys are gorgeous and blessed with obscene amounts of money. They should have the emotional depth of note cards, but instead display undercurrents she doesn't fully understand. Rumors the pair destroys peoples' livelihoods seem ludicrous until she gets caught in the crossfire and her family almost loses their home. She's increasingly unsure either boy is really human, and their rivalry is rapidly turning deadly.

The Battle for Arcanon Major (The Lost Dacomé Files #1)

The Battle for Arcanon Major (The Lost Dacomé Files #1), by Alexandra May, free

“As daughter of our ruler I grew up in the crossfire of an ongoing war... All I’d ever wanted to be was a great warrior and ultimately lead my people into victorious battles."

With only a small army at her command Halíka Dacomé, a skilled warrior and daughter of the Elemental King, is ready to lead one final battle to save her planet. A battle against the savage, bloodthirsty Primords who want to extinguish the diminished race of Elementals once and for all.

But before battle commences her father is given an ultimatum from the enemy leader, Arfron Uhnok. If the king agrees, Halíka Dacomé must marry Arfron Uhnok to prevent further bloodshed. If the king disagrees they, as a race, will all perish.

Horrified by her fathers decision Halíka Dacomé leads her army onward regardless of the consequences. Because her heart belongs to another. A love that blossomed many years ago. A love that her father has forbidden.

Halíka faces her toughest battle yet and learns that not all battles are those fought with a sword...

Free eBooks for 'Read an eBook Week'

It's Read an eBook Week, so that means it's the best week of the year to find new authors and new books. With so many of them FREE, it's like like being able to browse for days in a book store and walk out with a ton of new books to read. The best place to find these free eBooks this week is at Smashwords. There's lots of Free eBooks for Young Adults, so let the week begin!

Faelorehn - Book One of the Otherworld Trilogy

Faelorehn - Book One of the Otherworld Trilogy, by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson, free

Meghan Elam has been strange her entire life: her eyes have this odd habit of changing color and she sees and hears things no one else does. When the visions and voices in her head start to get worse, she is convinced that her parents will want to drag her off to another psychiatrist. That is, until the mysterious Cade MacRoich shows up out of nowhere with an explanation of his own.

Cade brings her news of another realm where goblins and gnomes are the norm, a place where whispering spirits exist in the very earth, and a world where Meghan just might find the answers she has always sought.  Books 2 and 3 of the Trilogy are also available.

Playing the Son Card

Playing the Son Card, by Wilson James, free

At age 9, Troy Evanson lost his father in an accident. Ever since then, he’s been steadily losing confidence in himself and his ability to make his way in the world. 

It certainly doesn’t help that his mother has had her own difficulties coping with his father’s death, and Troy has been on his own a lot. He’s stopped doing all the extra things he did with his Dad and he’s just barely hanging on. He had been a good swimmer and was becoming a talented diver, but he just hasn’t been able to convince himself to go near the pool since his father died. 

The kids at his school have really started to pick on him, and Troy has become the victim of bullies. It was just verbal bullying at first, but now in middle school it’s starting to get physical. He is bright and likes learning, but he hates the daily nightmare that school has become. Any kind of socializing has become torture, and he basically just hates being around people.

Now, at age 12, he has a one-time chance to change his life and start new. Will he meet the challenge, or will remain the victim he has become? Will he be able to pull himself together and become the man that his Dad was trying to help him be, or will be forever be the lost little boy whose life ended when his father died? 

Find out if this is the uplifting story we all hope for. Find out what choices Troy makes in Playing the 'Son' Card. 

Sweet Oblivion

Sweet Oblivion, by Bailey Ardisone, free

sweet adjective ˈswēt a : pleasing to the mind or feelings : AGREEABLE, GRATIFYING - often used as a generalized term of approval

​

obliv·i·on noun ə-ˈbli-vē-ən, ō-, ä- 1: the fact or condition of forgetting or having forgotten; esp : the condition of being oblivious 2: the condition or state of being forgotten or unknown

​

Have you ever wanted to forget? Nariella Woodlinn has. Many times. Especially when her already frustrating life gets turned upside down by a mysterious boy who randomly shows up in her small town and she can’t seem to understand anything about him, despite how much she tries. Nari hates everything about her life except for her best friend Rydan, but now that they’ve been separated during their senior year of high school, she has to learn to make new friends without him. When strange unexplainable phenomenons start becoming an every day part of her life, Nari struggles to come to grips with reality. And with love.

​

Naminé has responsibilities. Duties. It is her obligation to fulfill all that is asked of her by their King. But when a glimmer of hope is introduced to her by a prisoner she tends to and it means life or death for her and her people, she does all that she can to turn that hope into reality and finally end the vicious war that has been ensuing since she was born. Even if that means keeping it secret from her King. Even if it means carrying out the biggest betrayal against the King ever seen during her time.

​

She has hope. She will fulfill her duty. She will not let her people down.

Socialpunk (Socialpunk #1)

Socialpunk (Socialpunk #1), by Monica Leonelle, free

Ima is just a teenage girl trying to make it in The Dome, an encapsulated, 5-mile radius of downtown Chicago that remains after natural disaster has overtaken most of the earth. When she meets a hooded figure named Vaughn at a party, he takes her on a whirlwind escape that jolts her from her current reality into Silicon City, where humans are upgraded, currency is clout, and bionic eyes are the only way to get information among the glass and metal spiraling buildings that dot the skyline. Oh, and the year is 2198, not 2052 like she thought it was.

But this new city comes with dangers of its own, from degenerates to replications, from hostile hashes to a dictator who seems determined to control the population. To top it all off, Ima has to find some way to get back to The Dome to save her best friend Dash before the powers of Silicon City find a way to destroy it.

Something sinister is brewing in Silicon City, and Ima is determined to figure out how to stop it. Along the way, she will have to give up parts of herself to save the ones she loves. Can she survive the future long enough to fix the past?

Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow

Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow, free at author's website

(cover art depicts print edition for sale in UK)

Marcus, a.k.a “w1n5t0n,” is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems.

But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days.

When the DHS finally releases them, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself.

The long-awaited sequel to this book, Homeland, is to be released on February 6, 2013. See Cory Doctorow's comments about the sequel here, on HuffPostBooks.

Dented Cans

Dented Cans, by Heather Walsh (update Feb. 11th -- no longer free)

A family secret is revealed during an ill-fated—yet hilarious—trip to Disney World.

Hannah’s parents inflict one last family vacation on the Sampson children, a trip that goes comically wrong almost from the get-go. Hannah is forced to confront her family's past in Disney World, of all places, when an emotional argument prompts her parents to disclose a secret they have been keeping from the children for sixteen years. Ultimately, she must decide whether to leave her hometown and not look back, or to focus on helping her family.

Kool Brother Rat

Kool Brother Rat, by Jon Sindell, free

In this fast, funny tale, a thirteen–year–old boy in the Wonder Years era searches for cool. Can he live up to his big brother's rep? Tastes a little like Stand By Me, A Christmas Story, and The Wonder Years. Previously published in The Write Side Up. 

Wraith

Wraith, by Angel Lawson, free

Freak. Weird. Crazy. These are the names tossed around seventeen-year old Jane Watts by her fellow classmates. But things aren’t always as they seem. Sometimes there’s a reason for talking to yourself in the hallway at school. 

Jane struggles with adjusting to her new home and school after an abrupt move. She wants one thing in life—to be like everyone else at school, but that’s hard to do when you’re the new kid. But she does manage to make one friend, Evan—he’s sixteen, charming, and protective. Everything a girl could want in a best friend…with one minor caveat. 

He's dead.

Caught somewhere between life and death, Evan is tied to Jane and the living world unable to complete the journey to the other side. She thinks he’s here to be her friend, to take care of her, and that’s why no one can see or hear him.

That is until a new boy shows up at school after a rumored stretch in Juvie. Connor can see Evan and he’s not convinced the ghost is being completely honest. From his own experience ghosts tend to need something from the humans they connect to and Evan, despite his arguments isn’t any different.

Jane is resentful of Connor’s intrusion but realizes soon enough he’s right. Evan has secrets about his past and not only did his life end tragically but members of his family are still in danger. Jane must face her fears and battle Evan’s human demons to free both of them.

Wraith is part one of a three book series.

Surviving: High School

Surviving: High School, by Bronsen Hawkins, free

Breslin returns to Clearveil, a town he knew very well before he lost his father in a fatal car accident. That was when his mother packed up everything and he and his brother left town. When trouble found Breslin once again, they returned to Clearveil. Breslin was very anti-social growing up, and while that hasn’t changed, he’s attempting to take on the role of an extrovert. Students at his new school show an eerie interest toward him. It seems like people from every social class in the student body hierarchy are volleying for his attention. But something’s not right. There’s nothing extra ordinary about Breslin. Even he knows that. 

The Rose Hotel

The Rose Hotel, by Rahimeh Andalibian, free for a limited time 1/15 - 1/18 only.

A country in chaos and a family torn asunder... In the midst of the upheaval and violence of Iran's 1979 revolution, a young girl struggles to make sense of a complex swirl of mystery and change.

In the novel, The Rose Hotel, Dr. Rahimeh Andalibian tells the true-life story of her Iranian Muslim family and two brutal crimes - one that her father solved and another of which her brother is accused. 

The Iranian-born author takes us first into the early intimacy of her pious family as they lived in prosperity in their luxury hotel in Mashhad, Iran. Their life of beauty and tranquility is ruptured by revolution, followed by a fall from grace, as her homeland is forever altered and her family uprooted, first to London, and finally to California, where they suffer a different kind of revolution. Struggling to acculturate and adjust to a new host culture in America, they soon discover that although they escaped Iran, they were not free from their own lies and hidden truths.

Heartbreaking and intimately told, The Rose Hotel is a story of healing, rebirth after tragedy, and hard-won redemption.

Dark Fires

Dark Fires, by Paul Telegdi, free

Caught helplessly by the tides of the Inquisition sweeping through Europe, Justin, a youth of the streets with no memory of his origins, rescues a renowned scholar from street tugs and is adopted into the family and acquires a sister. Unfortunately they fall into the clutches of the Inquisition and through extraordinary efforts Justin rescues them. What follows is a chase through Europe as the family tries to find safe haven from persecution. They end up in a neglected corner of the continent, where unexpectedly Justin comes into his own. 

The Greenwich Interplanetary Society

The Greenwich Interplanetary Society, by Stuart Boyd, free

A space voyage to the phantom quadrant, battling with space pirates, saving the galaxy from the fearsome Greddylick - all in a days work for The Greenwich Interplanetary Society. Stella Mayweather always knew she was different… But even she never realised how different things can get! 

Wizard Dawning

Wizard Dawning, by CM Lance, free

In his last semester of high school, mysterious Great-Grandfather Thor shows up with injuries sustained in a battle with a Dark Wizard. He bestows upon Sig, his only male heir, a magical family heirloom. Sig is to take Grampa Thor’s place, leading the fight against Dark Magic. Unfortunately, Sig can only access a small portion of his power. Will he find it before the Dark Wizard finds him? 

Volume 1 of the Battle Wizard Saga.

Christmas listings of Free eBooks for Young Adults

This site lists FREE eBooks for Young Adults, featuring Smashwords books, and is hosted by Smashwords authors, but all books for (and about)(and by) Young Adults are welcome. The listings are updated weekly, (usually) on Mondays. Listings include genre and length.

Did you get an eReader for Christmas? Did you get a Tablet, and now you want some Free eBooks to load on the Tab? Did you get someone an eReader, and now you want to put a few books on it?

Well, here's your opportunity.  This link will take you to a whole bunch of books available that are normally priced free, at Smashwords.  On this site, regular weekly updates will resume on Tuesday, January 1st.  

The Entirely Strange and Miraculously True Christmas Tails of Mia and Eve

The Entirely Strange and Miraculously True Christmas Tails of Mia and Eve, by Robert William Duder, free

Kittens, Mia and Eve, head to Helmston with their Aunts for some Christmas shopping. While there they find some new friends that they will have to help find the meaning of Christmas and help Helmston save a ship full of Christmas passengers! 

Rouge

Rouge, by Leigh T. Moore, free for a short time: Dec 19-21 (only)

Trapped in the underground theater world of 1890s New Orleans, Hale Ferrer has only one goal: escape. But not without Teeny, the orphan-girl she rescued from the streets and promised to protect.

Freddie Lovel, Hale's wealthy Parisian suitor, seems to be the easy solution. If only his touch could arouse her interest like Beau's, the penniless stagehand who captures her heart.

Denying her fears, Hale is poised to choose love until an evil lurking in their cabaret-home launches a chain of events that could cost her everything. (Recommended for mature readers.)

The Wards of Clovis Gloober

The Wards of Clovis Gloober, by Duance L. Ostler, free

Maddie has never cared much for the stars, her world revolving around normal eight-grade life at Centennial Middle School. Then she befriends an exchange student named Asteria, a girl with glowing white skin.

But there a number of strange things about Asteria. Why does she claim she's never been outside to look at the stars at night? Where is the strange place called 'Rana' she says she comes from? Who is the mysterious 'Clovis Gloober' who acts as her guardian? And why is the dark-eyed boy named Ukrat so determined to ruin Asteria's budding friendship with Maddie?

Asteria unexpectedly takes Maddie on a fantastic journey among the stars, a voyage beyond Maddie's wildest dreams. But not long after, Maddie and Asteria are faced with a terrible choice that threatens to destroy them both ... 

Playing with Matches

Playing with Matches, by Lee Straus, free at Smashwords and Amazon and Kobo

Oops. Update: this book is no longer free.

Emil Radle is a dedicated Hitler Youth member. He’s loyal to the Fuehrer before family, a champion for the cause and fan of the famous Luftwaffe. Then one day they take the Jews away, including his childhood friend, Anne. Still, there must be a good reason, right? It must be for the good of a great and glorious Germany. When his friends Moritz and Johann discover a shortwave radio, everything changes. Now they listen to BBC broadcasts, news reports that tell both sides. Now they know the truth. The boys band together to write out the BBC news and covertly distribute flyers throughout their city. An act of high treason that could have them arrested or...worse. But when Germany’s losses become immense, even their greatest resistance can’t prevent them from being sent to the eastern front.  Will Emil survive the battle? And will he ever see his family again?

New Breed (#1) (Dragon's Fire)

New Breed (#1) (Dragon's Fire) by Danielle Kazemi, free

Annabel Wells works at a job she hates and her boyfriend just dumped her. Things couldn't get worse.

While out, she is attacked by the Unseen - a creature made of pure darkness that kills mortals. When she is saved by a mysterious hero, she uncovers the world that operates behind the scenes of the normal world. Dragons live among us, disguised as humans. 

With the aide of Crispin, Henry, Sera, and Jules, Annabel is going to need their help to protect herself from another attack. She only hopes it won't take them long to discover how to hide her.

Book 1 of the epic Dragon’s Fire series. 

Sunset Rising

Sunset Rising, by S.M. McEachern, free on 11/25 only

February 2024: the world is about to devastated by a global nuclear war and a Hitler-like madman has seized control of the only shelter from the bombs. So when a group of civilians come to the Bio-Dome seeking refuge from the nuclear storm, they are forced to make a deal with the devil; submit to slavery or get out. Subjected to the inhumane living conditions of the Pit, the ragtag group of refugees are forced to agree to strict population control laws, including the Cull: execution at the age of thirty-five.

283 years later… Sunny O’Donnell, a slave born in the bowels of the Pit, has reached a breaking point in her life. In the wake of her mother’s execution, Sunny is torn between caring for her grieving father and protecting her own future by marrying Reyes Crowe. At seventeen years old, Sunny is already middle aged and past the time when most girls secure a husband, but she knows her father will lose his life if she leaves him now. 

Through a twist of fate, Sunny meets Leisel Holt, the daughter of the Dome’s insane President, and sees a spark of hope for the future of the Pit. In an effort to fan that spark into a flame, Sunny agrees to pose as the bride at Leisel’s wedding to Jack Kenner in order to save the bride from a possible assassination attempt. But instead of saving Leisel, Sunny unknowingly plays into her political game and ends up marrying Jack Kenner herself. Now on the run for crimes of treason, Sunny and her new husband discover that together they possess the power to raise an army.

Sunset Rising is the first book in a series. It is the tale of how the human spirit can be revived to rise up and fight the bonds of oppression.

Skid

Skid, by Doug Solter, free on Amazon 11/26 and 11/27 only

RACING IS A GAME THAT KISSES DEATH ON THE LIPS...

Samantha Sutton drove the car that killed her dad. Now the seventeen-year-old can’t rest until she becomes the racing champion her dad molded her to be. Samantha exploits the system and earns a spot on a German racing team struggling to be relevant against the elite teams of Formula 1.

Samantha pushes herself, pushes her car, pushes her luck at 200 miles per hour. She battles Emilio Ronaldo, seven time world champion and Ferrari racing god. A hero to young girl, but now a rival to a young woman.

To keep herself sane, Samantha relies on her best friend Manny. But she doesn’t know quite what to do about his deep feelings for her. She would love to ask her sisters for advice, but they won’t talk to her. Not since Samantha told them the truth about Dad’s accident. The truth about that dark and rainy night.

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium. Blind turns cutting deep into the lush forest of the Ardennes. Drivers have died on these turns. Samantha must beat Emilio here to be crowned world championship. But she smells the moisture in the air. Samantha knows that Formula 1 drivers are expected to race flat-out, even in the rain.

And that thought terrifies her.