Showing results by narrator "Jessica Almasy" in All Categories

Everyone likes to be accepted and admired by others. During the teen years especially, this desire to be liked may lead to some difficult pressures. Should one cheat on a test or lie to a friend in order to be liked by others? And what should a person do when his or her peers start to drink, use drugs, and/or have sex? Friends are often a big influence, and it can be hard to know what to do or how to stand up for one's beliefs. This book deals with peer pressure, an issue every teen must cope with at one time or another.

The Lilac. The bard songs say that she’s the world’s most fearsome bounty hunter. That there’s no criminal she can’t catch, no mystery she can’t solve. None of that is true. Yet. In reality, the Lilac is just a kid, and the bard who wrote all that is her best friend, Dulcinetta. But the Lilac has set her goals on becoming the best bounty hunter in the Thirteen Kingdoms—and when a priceless artifact goes missing from the home of famed monster hunter Baron Angbar, the Lilac and Netta are eager to apprehend the thief and make a name for themselves.

Despite a toddler and a house full of Standard Poodles, Melanie Travis can't pass up an opportunity to help legendary dog breeder Edward March pen his life story. But her enthusiasm flags when the breeder's angry son Andrew demands she stop working on the book. Why becomes imperative once Andrew is killed by a seemingly intentional hit-and-run and Melanie becomes Suspect number one.

Quick thinking and loyalty have taken human Sophie Lawson a long way in the UDA - along with a healthy dose of magic immunity. But when her old boss Pete Sampson asks for help after a mysterious two-year disappearance, she's determined to find out what high-placed demon has put two ruthless werewolf killers on his tail.

Heartbroken by the handsome and enigmatic Clayton Astor Sinclair, Sophie Walker has put her whirlwind romance with him in the Maldives behind her and is determined to focus on her career as an artist. But when her new job in the south of France turns out to be too good to be true, she can't help but wonder if she is making a mistake. Their passion cannot be denied, but when Clayton shuts her out after a family tragedy, Sophie is determined to fight for what is right.

Sasha's mother, Sun, was once swept away from a ren faire to another world by a prince - literally - but there was no happy ending. Sun's prince disappeared, and a wicked king took the Khanerenth throne. In the years since, Sasha and Sun have been back on Earth and on the run. Mom and daughter don't quite see eye to eye on the situation - Sasha wants to stand and fight. Sun insists her prince will return for them one day; it's safer to stay hidden.

As Melanie learns, it's a dog's life at the Pine Ridge Canine Care Center - and life is good. Everyone seems blissfully happy. Everyone canine, that is, as Melanie soon discovers there are some simmering resentments among the Pine Ridge staff. And when Steve Pine, the center's charming, good-looking co-owner, is found shot to death on the floor of his office, there's no shortage of suspects.

Sophie Lawson was seriously hoping life at the UDA would get back to relative normal now that her boss Pete Sampson has been reinstated. Unfortunately, her new assignment is sending her undercover into a realm where even the most powerful paranormals fear to tread…her old high school. Being a human immune to magic is no defense against soulless picture-perfect mean girls - or a secret witch coven about to sacrifice a missing female student.

Three lonely riverside dwellers - a boy, a firefly, and a cricket - are all trying to make sense of unexpected changes in their world. Each has a secret dream, but each finds himself trapped. Becoming friends brings them happiness and solidarity, but more changes are in store. Each character stands up to his greatest fear, and, in doing so, finds his greatest strength.

When an amateur chef attempts to use food as his love language, Landra, who struggles with anorexia, finds his approach off-putting. In fact, she finds Brian to be rather annoying. Undeterred, Brian snags Landra in a friendship that eventually grows into something else, as she finally trusts him enough to sample some of his homemade gourmet treats. But things have not evolved to the level Brian would like, and soon he realizes Landra's issue isn't only with the food he makes.

This book presents puberty as an exciting time and assures readers that the changes are worth it. The facts are relayed in a clear, practical, and straightforward manner, separate chapters are devoted to discussing the changes in boys and girls. and a big picture view of why puberty happens and the function and significance of those changes is presented.

She hardly has time to pay much attention to her Aunt Peg's new protg, Nick Walden, a self-proclaimed "dog whisperer" with an uncanny gift for decoding dog-speak. The well-heeled dog owners of Fairfield County are lapping up his alleged talents, anxious to discover exactly what their pampered pets are thinking--that is until the pooches start spilling their secrets.When Nick is discovered dead in his home, his sister Claire enlists Melanie to help track down the killer.

Sophie Lawson is a human immune to magic, which comes in handy for helping paranormal beings transition into everyday life. But fallen angel Alex Grace and his search for the Vessel of Souls is one curse she never saw coming. Suddenly an unexplainable string of killings and destruction has even San Francisco's demons fearing for their immortal lives. And Sophie isn't about to trust Alex's all-too-vulnerable charm or his secret agenda.

The squirrels Jed, TsTs, and Chai are the very best of friends. So when Jed is snatched up by a hawk and carried away to another realm, TsTs and Chai resolve to go after him. New communities are discovered, new friends are made, huge danger is encountered (both manmade and of the fox and bobcat variety) and mysteries are revealed.

Changers Book One: Drew opens on the eve of Ethan Miller's freshman year of high school in a brand-new town. He's finally sporting a haircut he doesn't hate, has grown two inches since middle school, and can't wait to try out for the soccer team. At last, everything is looking up in life. Until the next morning. When Ethan awakens as a girl. Ethan is a Changer, a little-known, ancient race of humans who live out each of their four years of high school as a different person.

The sister of the pharaoh, Jasilia could easily spend her life at court, being waited on hand and foot. Instead, she and her twin brother Ojan are adventuring archaeologists, scouring Osirian’s deserts for relics of the ancient past, accompanied only by their elite bodyguard Nekhtep. Not all ruins are content to stay buried, however, and when Ojan is captured by the walking dead, it’s up to Jasilia and Nekhtep to free him before the tomb he was exploring becomes his own...

A week ago, Dinah’s cousin Claire cut her wrists. Five days ago, Dinah found Claire’s diary and discovered why. Three days ago, Dinah stopped crying and came up with a plan. Two days ago, she ditched her piercings and bleached the black dye from her hair. Yesterday, knee socks and uniform plaid became a predator’s camouflage. Today, she’ll find the boy who broke Claire.By tomorrow, he’ll wish he were dead.

Guess what? If youre not looking out for your career then nobody is. If you want to be both passionate about what you do and successful, then you must take control of your professional destiny. Only you can determine who you are, what you can do, and where you want to go. If you are stuck in your career, frustrated at your position within a company, or bored with the profession you have chosen, then it is time to change your thinking.

Niki Ky spends her days in a medicated haze, haunted by the ghosts of those she left behind 10 years ago after a confrontation against an unspeakable evil that left her shattered. To find peace, Niki must return to the house on the side of Red Mountain in Birmingham, Alabama-to face creatures no human should ever have to face.

Everyone has a secret. But Lucy's is bigger and dirtier than most. It's one she's been hiding for years: that her mom's out-of-control hoarding has turned their lives into a world of garbage and shame. She has managed to keep her home life hidden from her best friend and her crush, knowing they'd be disgusted by the truth.