Pretty Obsessed

A brave teen recounts her debilitating struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder—and brings readers through every painful step as she finds her way to the other side—in this powerful and inspiring memoir. Until sophomore year of high school, fifteen-year-old Allison Britz lived a comfortable life in an idyllic town. She was a dedicated student with tons of extracurricular activities, friends, and loving parents at home. But after awakening from a vivid nightmare in which she was diagnosed with brain cancer, she was convinced the dream had been a warning. Allison believed that she must do something to stop the cancer in her dream from becoming a reality. It started with avoiding sidewalk cracks and quickly grew to counting steps as loudly as possible. Over the following weeks, her brain listed more dangers and fixes. She had to avoid hair dryers, calculators, cell phones, computers, anything green, bananas, oatmeal, and most of her own clothing. Unable to act “normal,” the once-popular Allison became an outcast. Her parents questioned her behavior, leading to explosive fights. When notebook paper, pencils, and most schoolbooks were declared dangerous to her health, her GPA imploded, along with her plans for the future. Finally, she allowed herself to ask for help and was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. This brave memoir tracks Allison’s descent and ultimately hopeful climb out of the depths.

Pretty Obsessed is an out-for-you romance, with a dirty-talking, obsessive rockstar who falls for a cinnamon roll writer. This is book one in The Pretty Broken series. All books follow a different couple.

The ultimate guide to building confidence in your body, beauty, clothes and life in an era of toxic social media-driven beauty standards. “A self-confidence bible that every woman should read.”—Caroline Dooner, author of The F*ck It Diet Empowering, insightful, and psychology-driven, Beyond Beautiful is filled with proven, no-BS strategies for proactive self-care. This stylish and practical handbook takes a deep-dive into all of the factors that make it hard to feel good about yourself, and offers sage answers to tricky questions, like: • Why do I hate the way I look in pictures? • How can I stop feeling like a total slob compared to everyone on social media? • How exactly does this "self-love" thing work? • How do I find the confidence to use less make up, stop shaving, or wear what I want? • Is body positivity really the answer? Illustrated with full-color art, Beyond Beautiful is a much-needed breath of fresh air that will help you live your best life, know your worth, and stop wasting any more precious energy and mental space worrying about the way you look. Praise for Beyond Beautiful “This compact book delves into every aspect of the body-image problem and sets forth feasible ideas for accepting one’s physical appearance to enhance confidence and joy.”—Library Journal (starred review) “Rees’s emboldening message will surely help any reader struggling with self-confidence.”—Publishers Weekly

"The story’s message, that people should choose joy even (and especially) in difficult and painful times, seems tailor-made for this moment. A timely, uplifting read about finding joy in the midst of tragedy, filled with quirky characters and comforting warmth."—Kirkus (starred review) From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and hope. Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living. But she wasn’t always that way. Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen. But he wasn’t always that way. And Sam knows it. Because she knew him before—at another school, in a different life. Back then, she loved him—but she was invisible. To him. To everyone. Even to herself. She escaped to a new school, a new job, a new chance at living. But when Duncan, of all people, gets hired as the new principal there, it feels like the best thing that could possibly happen to the school—and the worst thing that could possibly happen to Sam. Until the opposite turns out to be true. The lovable Duncan she’d known is now a suit-and-tie wearing, rule-enforcing tough guy so hell-bent on protecting the school that he’s willing to destroy it. As the school community spirals into chaos, and danger from all corners looms large, Sam and Duncan must find their way to who they really are, what it means to be brave, and how to take a chance on love—which is the riskiest move of all. With Katherine Center’s sparkling dialogue, unforgettable characters, heart, hope, and humanity, What You Wish For is the author at her most compelling best.

Summer Wright grows up an only child in Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey, an affluent town situated next to the Atlantic Ocean. But when she is sixteen, Summers idyllic childhood is transformed into a nightmare when her parents die in a car accident. Stricken with grief, she turns to her friends for comfort and help through the remainder of high school and college. Chase has been Summers friend since she was born. Their families have always vacationed together and the teens share a love for night surfing. Although both sense there is something deeper under the surface, neither wants to pursue it for fear of losing their friendship. During college, both Chase and Summer date others. But just as college is ending and Summer is facing a big decision about whether to stay in Avon-by-the-Sea or move for a job, Chase finally gets the nerve to tell Summer how he really feels. As Summer struggles to understand her feelings for Chase, she must learn to trust her heart, for it never lies. For the Love of the Ocean is a nostalgic tale of romance, self-discovery, loss, and new beginnings as two childhood friends face a monumental turning point in their relationship.

Maggie McKendrick's movie director father tries to blackmail her into dating the boy who is starring in his new movie, but Maggie loves English boy Preston, and despite the family risks, she decides to go for it all.

The eighth book in the Amaranthine series plunges back into darkness, steeped in superstitions and death, where vampires are once again vicious creatures of the night. After three months away, Katelina and Jorick return home. But, so does Sarah, Katelina's best friend everyone thought was dead. How did she survive being tortured - and killed - by vampires? Though Sarah's not eager to share the details, Katelina knows it's the kind of story that leaves scars. She almost welcomes the distraction when they're sent to guard an exclusive vampire party - until Sarah claims she's being stalked. Who among the ancient guests would be interested in them? Then they find a dead child with a missing heart, just like the murders in the Heartless killings. Is the serial killer a vampire - and a guest at the party? Could it have anything to do with their stalker, or is it simply too much evil in one place? It's hard to tell who the culprit is when everyone seems suspicious, but they'd better figure it out before they end up with a dagger between their ribs - or a chandelier on their heads. Includes the Thirteen Guests short story collection.

Once upon a time not long ago, two responsible college professors, Lynn the psychologist and Kathy the literary scholar, fell in love with the television show Supernatural and turned their oh-so-practical lives upside down. Plunging headlong into the hidden realms of fandom, they scoured the Internet for pictures of stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki and secretly penned racy fan fiction. And then they hit the road—crisscrossing the country, racking up frequent flyer miles with alarming ease, standing in convention lines at 4 A.M. They had white-knuckled encounters with overly zealous security guards one year and smiling invitations to the Supernatural set the next. Actors stripping in their trailers, fangirls sneaking onto film sets; drunken confessions, squeals of joy, tears of despair; wallets emptied and responsibilities left behind; intrigue and ecstasy and crushing disappointment—it’s all here. And yet even as they reveled in their fandom, the authors were asking themselves whether it’s okay to be a fan, especially for grown women with careers and kids. “Crazystalkerchicks”—that’s what they heard from Supernatural crew members, security guards, airport immigration officials, even sometimes their fellow fans. But what Kathy and Lynn found was that most fans were very much like themselves: smart, capable women looking for something of their own that engages their brains and their libidos. Fangasm pulls back the curtain on the secret worlds of fans and famous alike, revealing Supernatural behind the scenes and discovering just how much the cast and crew know about what the fans are up to. Anyone who’s been tempted to throw off the constraints of respectability and indulge a secret passion—or hit the road with a best friend—will want to come along.

She's sworn to protect her heart After what Laura Vennetti and her son have been through, she's avoided all contact with the police. Then her son brings detective Ethan Winter into their lives. Despite how appealing—and gorgeous—he is, it's safe to say Ethan isn't her dream man. Immediately, though, Laura can see how different he is from her late husband. Ethan is thoughtful, considerate and a good influence on her son. Add in the intense attraction between her and Ethan… The temptation to give in is irresistible. To her surprise, Laura feels the wounds of the past healing, making her wonder if she could love this cop forever.

Twenty Tiny Tales is a collection of twenty-two moralistic, humorous and heart-warming short stories. Some are inspired by the freedom and music of the 1960s, others are tales about wildlife, birds, dogs, caravans– even motorcycles. Let the stories transport you to the rural settings of the West Coast of Scotland and Northumberland. ‘Flower Power’ has all of the charm of the Sixties– a time of pacifism, love and euphoria, and follows the story of Clara and her florist business. ‘The Museum of Childhood’ follows Sadie, a twenty-two year old graduate who secured a temporary post at The Museum of Childhood, an old four storey building full of childhood related memorabilia, with a ghostly secret. Twenty Tiny Tales will appeal to dog lovers, and readers who enjoy emotional, moving reads with the power to transport you to an array of settings and characters. The stories feature captivating plots, alluring depictions of the characters involved and most have a unique, shocking twist.