The young adult romance, Elephant On My Chest, follows the story of Elena Hererra who grapples with the struggles of anxiety after witnessing her parents succumb to the difficulties of mental health. After a sudden panic attack, running Elena out of class, Kane Crawford, captain of the Maplewood Chargers hockey team, childhood best friend, and crush, follows her into the washroom to ensure she is okay. The two of them rekindle a friendship, bonding the rest of their friends: Carter, Fynn, and Vanessa, while Kane and Elena also begin to develop romantic feelings for each other. However, a new addition to the group: Liam, starts to grow close to Elena and must deal with the fact that she is off-limits and belongs to his best friend, Kane. Various secrets and personal struggles threaten to tear each character apart, but the strength of their friendships supports them through navigating these hardships.

This book is an absolute must read for not only all cancer survivors, but for their friends and family. With lots of heart and even a little humor, its a life-changing journey of twists and turns that will open your eyesMike Valentino, Editor.

The day that Anderson brought a gun to school was the day Aly's life changed forever. Her fellow classmates were murdered right before her eyes as her former best friend embarked on the deadliest high school massacre since Columbine. Now, nearly two years later, Aly sets foot in the halls that nearly cost her her life for the first time since the shooting, ready to face her demons. Unanswered questions linger, anxiety abounds and flashbacks are frequent as Aly struggles to understand how Anderson could've mercilessly gunned down her friends and classmates and how she's not only going to forgive him, but herself as well, for the role she might have played in influencing his actions. Was she to blame? Did she have blood on her hands? Could she have done something more? Could anyone have done anything more? Aly sets out to find the elusive answers to just that as she also attempts to rebuild the life that was shattered by gunfire that otherwise quiet Friday morning nearly two years prior. Jamila Mikhail pens a story of tragedy in After Anderson. Two years have passed since Aly Feldman's best friend, Anderson Massey, entered their high school and began shooting. “Twenty people paid with their lives for everyone’s collective failure.” Aly remains tormented by the massacre. She feels great remorse for all those who lost their lives, especially Anderson. Although she survived, Aly lost her life that day as well. Two years of therapy hadn’t really helped and, consumed with memories, her recovery is unrealized. The pain comes and goes, but never leaves; it has become part of her. Yet, it is time to somehow move forward, time to return to Belden High School, the place where her life changed forever. On her return to school, Aly discovers friendship and moral support from the Petrov twins. Her new found friends become instrumental in bridging the gap between Aly’s old life and a new one. Is it really possible to have a life “After Anderson?” “After you survive Anderson Massey your life doesn’t just pick up where it left off.” After Anderson by Jamila Mikhail wrenches your heart, challenges your soul, tests your personal morality and beliefs. I totally agree with the author’s statement in her commentary, if it “doesn’t bother you there’s something wrong.” We all need to learn to listen to the spoken and unspoken, and really pay attention to those around us. There were many aspects I admired, even more that I appreciated, and a few I could have done without. The story is multi-cultural, a bit political (honestly, my patriotism was battered a bit), yet very insightful. There is no denying, “The universe, with all of its flaws and disasters, was so beautifully and intricately crafted.” This line continues to echo in my mind. In saying that, how does one enjoy a book about a mass shooting? You don’t, but you do hope to gain an understanding of the cause of such a tragedy. Jamila Mikhail reveals the trauma that lingers long after such a violent act. After Anderson is the story of a survivor. Written in the first person, the heroine’s thoughts and emotions are explicitly described, thus felt. Page by page, her character grows and evolves beyond the tragedy. She befriends an unlikely duo, the twins who open her eyes, change her perspective and encourage her to move forward. One of the key elements within the narrative are the letters between Aly and Anderson; they create raw realness and depth of soul. The words exchanged in those passages are my favorite part of the story. As the story concludes, the denouement reveals that life truly goes on. There is life “After Anderson.” —Reviewed by Cheryl E. Rodriguez for Readers' Favorite

Grief is the shadow, and anger is the silhouette is casts… Orion can't stop thinking about Katrina Hoert. So much so, he stops at nothing to track her down. When he has his eyes on something he wants, he's a force to be reckoned with. If she's hiding, he'll find her. As it turns out, she's not hiding at all. She's just living her life back in her hometown. Until Orion shows up at the school where she teaches. Wary of Orion's invasion, but curious as to why finding her mattered so much to him, Katrina invites him into her life. She's cautious, and so is her father. They've gone through the worst kind of pain together. Orion can see they need help, and with his connections, he promises to do his best to find out what happened to her brother. But nothing is ever that easy. Someone in town has been watching Katrina and when Orion catches wind of the danger the marine inside him rages to life. He'll do anything to protect the woman he's falling in love with, whatever the consequences may be. Enemies to Lovers Series Book 1 – Respecting the Outcast Book 2 – Concerning the Sinner Book 3 – Relating to the Beast Book 4 – Referring to the Devil Book 5 – Touching the Rebel Book 6 – Stunning the Traitor Search Terms: enemies to lovers, romantic suspense, mafia romance, dark romance, sexy hero, hot and steamy, romance, ageless romance, Scottish romance, outlander, FICTION / Romance / Contemporary FICTION / Romance / New Adult FICTION / Romance / Romantic Comedy F, sexy, sport romance, hired wife, fake girlfriend, happily ever after, sweet love story, bully romance academy romance, high schol bully romance, coming of age romance, bully romance dark romance, bully romance high school, bully romance college, bully romance reverse harem, new adult romance, contemporary romance, stockholm syndrome, drama, inspirational romance

I am Ren of Atikala. Kobold. Prisoner. Experiment. My father owns me and my days are full of pain. I have many stories to tell. This one is about death. Kobolds die every day. Even hatchlings are familiar with death, taught to understand it from an early age. Death is our nursemaid. By the time a hatchling has reached adulthood it has seen a hundred lives ended. Humans do things differently. Humans avoid talking of death. It is spoken in whispers, avoided in conversation. When they must discuss it they use euphemisms, silly phrases like “passed on” or “sleeping” or “gone away”. They are hoping, perhaps, they can pretend such euphemisms will not one day apply to them. Ultimately, though, they always do. These are some of the hardest times I have ever faced and some of my sweetest joys. I have so many stories to tell but this one should come next. It will take some time. This is the story of how I came to truly understand death, and what it means to take a life. The Kobolds series: #1: Ren of Atikala #2: Ren of Atikala: The Scars of Northaven (Now available for preorder!) Other stories set in Drathari, the World of Shattered Dreams: - The Gods are Silent, a short story (Coming early 2015!).

Cat thought the Hydra epidemic was over, but when new cases pop up, she must team up with an enemy to fix the vaccine before the virus spirals out of control in this thrilling sequel to This Mortal Coil, which New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman says “redefines ‘unputdownable.’” The nightmare of the outbreak is finally over, but Cat’s fight has only just begun. Exhausted, wounded, and reeling from revelations that have shaken her to her core, Cat is at a breaking point. Camped in the woods with Cole and Leoben, she’s working day and night, desperate to find a way to stop Lachlan’s plan to reprogram humanity. But she’s failing—Cat can’t even control her newly regrown panel, and try as she might to ignore them, she keeps seeing glitching visions from her past everywhere she turns. When news arrives that the Hydra virus might not be as dead as they’d thought, the group is pushed into an uneasy alliance with Cartaxus to hunt down Lachlan and fix the vaccine. Their search takes them to Entropia, a city of gene-hackers hidden deep in the desert that could also hold the answers about Cat’s past that she’s been searching for. But when confronted with lies and betrayals, Cat is forced to question everything she knows and everyone she trusts. And while Lachlan is always two steps ahead, the biggest threat to Cat may be the secrets buried in her own mind.