Showing results by narrator "Kate-Rudd" in All Categories

Mags has a lot to wish for — a nice house with a mama who isn’t tired out from work; a normal little sister; a brother who doesn’t mooch for food; and, once in a while, she’d like some new clothes for school. When her sister Hannie finds a stuffed unicorn, Mags’s wishes start to come true. She knows the unicorn can’t really be magic, but she won’t let anything jeopardize her newfound luck - even if it means telling her own sister to believe something that can’t possibly be true.

Araminta Palomer, the oversheltered child of a wealthy family, enlivens her life by imagining a near-invisible animal playmate: Willbe. But "Minta" possesses an unsuspected psychic talent, and so she unwittingly creates a tulpa, an envisioned being that gradually becomes tangible, first to herself and then to others. Willbe seems a loving companion at first, but as Minta matures, he changes into an increasingly perilous and unreliable friend.

Here are 34 stories of self-esteem, dating and doing the right thing for older teens, including "Happy to Be Me", "Dating, Crushes, and Just Friends", "Doing the Right Thing" and "Love Gone Bad".

Lisa Hawley is perfectly satisfied living on her own. Having fully recovered from a brutal divorce nearly two decades earlier, she has successfully raised her kids, Juliet and Theo, seeing them off to college and beyond. As the owner of a popular boutique on Nantucket, she’s built a fulfilling life for herself on the island where she grew up.

Marrying Glenn Lambert was either the smartest thing Maggie Kingsbury has ever done or the craziest mistake of her life. Best friends as children, they went their separate ways until a chance encounter at a wedding inspires this spontaneous leap of faith. How could she resist the sweet spell of a moonlit night and whispers of devotion guaranteed to melt her heart? But past disappointments and unhealed emotions soon start to wreak havoc with their vows.

After Caroline Myers gets her heart broken, her beloved great-aunts send her on a spur-of-the-moment northern adventure, equipped with little more than a batch of their special spiked tea. But soon after hopping a plane to Gold River, Alaska, a still loopy Caroline takes part in an odd ceremony that ends with a kiss from her personal tour guide. The next thing she knows, she wakes up with a ring on her finger.

Lily Morrissey knows exactly what she wants in a husband: a big bank account. Not that she’s greedy or shallow; she just needs the security for herself and her beloved grandmother. But husband-hunting is harder than she expected, especially with her best friend Jake in the way. In fact, Jake - who would be perfect for her if he weren’t so committed to everything money can’t buy - is becoming downright distracting, with those jade eyes and that disarming grin.

Carly Grieves is made of strong stuff. Tough and adventurous, she journeys to the wilds of Alaska looking for a new beginning. She finds more than she bargained for in Brand St. Clair, a rugged bush pilot who stirs something primal inside Carly that shocks her with its intensity. But he’s also a man with wounds, a widower stuck in the past. Carly desires him deeply, but she can’t compete with a dead woman for a place in his heart.

The small town of North Harbor, Michigan, is just not big enough for the two of them: flamboyant phony Maria Romanov and feisty Nana Jo. The insufferable Maria claims she's descended from Russian royalty and even had a fling with King Edward VIII back in the day. She’s not just a lousy liar, she's a bad actress, so when she nabs the lead in the Shady Acres Senior Follies—a part Nana Jo plays every year in their retirement village production—Nana Jo blows a gasket and reads her the riot act in front of everyone.

To the town of North Harbor, Michigan, MISU quarterback Dawson Alexander is a local hero. To Samantha Washington, owner of the Market Street Mysteries Bookstore, Dawson is more than a tenant—he’s like an adopted son. But to the police, he is their prime suspect after his ex-girlfriend is found murdered. It’s more than enough real-life drama for Sam to tackle, but her role as a mystery writer also calls. Returning to the English countryside between the wars, she finds Lady Daphne Marsh in quite the quandary.

After a car accident took the lives of both her parents, Mira Caine's transition to adulthood was hard and fast. Solely responsible for the welfare of her intellectually disabled younger brother, she's searching for a better life for them both when she's approached by an enigmatic woman with an offer that seems like the answer to their problems. Allison Wyndclyffe, the young heir to an enormous fortune who's suffered her own trauma, is in need of a mentor and companion.

November 13, 2015. It was a Paris night that began like so many others - until a series of terrorist attacks brought darkness to the City of Light. Stirred by the tragic events at the Bataclan music club, One Night in November locks into the hearts and minds of all those whose paths crossed that fateful fall evening...

It sucks being with Grandpa in this new town. It sucks that they left the old place without finding Rosco. Travis doesn’t want to do anything, especially try to get by in his classes, which never seems possible, anyway. He’s a Bluefish - stupid, angry, alone. Then, suddenly, there’s a girl. Velveeta. She’s up in his face and she’s not backing down. She is as loud as he is quiet, as outgoing as he is shut in. She’s pretty, in a funky, scarf-wearing sort of way, and she’s smart - way smart - smart enough to figure out that Travis has a secret.

Ketilsey Island, 1960. Near this deserted island off the western coast of Iceland, the dawning of spring brings with it new life for the local wildlife. But for the decaying body discovered by three seal hunters, winter is a matter of permanence. After it is found to be a Danish cryptographer missing for months, the ensuing investigation uncovers a mysterious link between him and a medieval manuscript known as the Book of Flatey. Before long another body is found on Flatey, another tiny island off the western coast.

Finding love was not on the agenda for John-Michael, but he knew there was no harm in taking a second to enjoy these warm, fuzzy feelings. As a single father, he ultimately had to put his son first, and a fleeting romance was simply not an option. Still, his heart raced as his gaze reached Sadie's mouth. He would never act on it, but he would love to kiss her. He was definitely attracted to this woman, there was no denying it.

Sadie Wilson’s heart stops the moment the phone rings. Deep in her soul, she knows what’s coming, and the voice on the other end only confirms her fears: Emma never made it to school. Her sweet, scared five-year-old climbed onto the bus for her very first day of kindergarten…and then vanished.

If Hallie McCarthy is going to get married and start a family the way she wants to, she’s going to need a plan. And a man. Since Hallie’s an organized, goal-setting kind of person, she gives herself a year to meet Mr. Knight in Shining Armor. But all her dates are absolute disasters. Aren’t there any nice, normal guys out there? Too bad she can’t just fall for her good-looking neighbor, Steve Marris. He’s definitely not her type. Anyway, Steve’s busy trying to win back his ex-wife, who’s busy getting married—just not to Steve.

The first time I met Daniel King, he had a busted nose. He was also a couple of years younger than me, which seemed like a lot back then. I had always thought of him as more of a little brother or friend.

I was in high school when I fell in love with Bradley Clark, the star of the football team. Things happened with us, and I ended up being homeschooled during my senior year. I am now the single mother of a three-and-a-half-year-old boy named Mac whose football star father has never so much as met him.

Mac Klein had made a series of disciplined life choices. He was now thirty years old and a successful professional athlete. He certainly would never think of looking up his childhood crush on social media so he could contact her in an effort to reconnect.