Tag: contemporary

Of Gods and Boys

Of Gods and Boys

Harry F. Rey

Teenager Achilles is fresh out of juvie.

It wasn't even for something he did; he took the fall for a crime committed by his father, a member of the Greek mafia. As hard as prison was for Achilles, being outside is proving even harder. He struggles to reconnect with his former girlfriend Carla while getting his GED and navigating the bizarre parole condition of qualifying for a Greco-Roman wrestling competition. At least his mom, an ardent follower of traditional Greek religion, is there to help Achilles win the favor of the gods with animal sacrifices in the back garden.

When Principal McKenna sets Achilles up with a student tutor, out-and-proud Hispanic math genius Jesús, things start to turn mythical. After saving Jesús from a violent homophobic attack, the Gods want a word with Achilles. With the help of Underworld boatman Charon (in full drag), Achilles' heroic actions spark an epic adventure of mythological proportions that will force Achilles to confront, and defeat, all his many, many demons in order to win what his heart truly desires.

Of Gods and Boys publishes Friday May 17th.

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Click here for Harry F. Rey's author page.

Of Gods and Boys is published by Deep Hearts YA, the young adult imprint of Deep Desires Press. For more information on Deep Hearts YA, please click here to visit the website.

You Can Call Me Cooper

You Can Call Me Cooper

Cali Kitsu

Eighteen and newly single, baseball all-star Coop Morgan should feel devastated, but instead he feels...ambivalent. That is, until Ethan Prescott, his coach's gorgeous son, joins the team. Coop and Ethan feel an immediate connection, one that Coop has never felt before.

Just when Coop is about to make a move on Ethan, he stumbles on his late mother's journal and learns old secrets—about his family, about the people around him, about his past, and about his present. Secrets that had forever altered the course of his life to bring him to where he is now.

Between these long-buried secrets, forbidden romances, baseball shenanigans, and more, Coop is driven to embrace what he truly wants—Ethan. It takes everything Coop has to free himself from the shackles of the past, but in doing so, he might just be the key to everyone getting their happy-ever-afters.

You Can Call Me Cooper publishes on Friday May 10th.

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Click here for Cali Kitsu's author page.

You Can Call Me Cooper is published by Deep Hearts YA, the young adult imprint of Deep Desires Press. For more information on Deep Hearts YA, please click here to visit the website.

Books by Cali Kitsu

Our L.I.F.E.

Our L.I.F.E.

L.I.F.E., Book Three

Felyx Lawson

Rider Williams is your typical College student. He has classes, plays guitar, is in a long distance relationship, is missing his boyfriend, and has become a teaching assistant in his first semester. Okay so he’s not your typical college student.

Being so far away from each other is more difficult than Rider or Cam could have imagined. They are struggling to stay connected, but when Rider meets Nixs, an older student who he has so much in common with, it’s not long till Rider starts having feelings and things get a lot more complicated. Cam is also struggling, not only with missing Rider but with a number of his teammates when they discover he’s dating a guy.

Is it just the distance that’s the issue, or will the potential of new love be to much?

Freshman year has only just begun but Rider already knows College L.I.F.E is a lot more complex than high school.

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Click here for Felyx Lawson's author page.

Our L.I.F.E. is published by Deep Hearts YA, the young adult imprint of Deep Desires Press. For more information on Deep Hearts YA, please click here to visit the website.

You Can’t Delete You

You Can't Delete You

Geneva Gordon

Gray is an actor surging in popularity with his big break. Carly is a research assistant for a tabloid TV show.

Given the overlap of their two worlds, they should have met before—indeed, opportunity has presented itself several times—but Carly is worried that actor-Gray will be different from the Gray she knows, and she doesn't want to confront that possible reality.

Gray and Carly met years ago as pre-teens playing online video games. It was a chance meeting and an unlikely friendship, maintained through gaming and online chat, but that friendship remained, even as their worlds evolved and eventually collided.

Despite Carly not wanting to meet the real Gray, fate has other plans and brings them together. Will this online spark between them fan into a flame of passion? Or will it be game over?

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L.I.F.E. Too

L.I.F.E. Too

L.I.F.E. #2

Felyx Lawson

Rider Williams is a typical high school student. He has classes, plays guitar, and dreams of being a journalist. He’s out at school, even if it wasn’t his choice, and he’s secretly dating a boy from the basketball team. Okay, so he’s not your typical high school student.

While Rider might be out, his relationship with Cameron Walker is not. Cam loves their time together. What he feels for Rider is something he’s never felt before, but despite being head over heels for each other, both struggle to say how they truly feel.

Maybe the class trip to New York City will be the push they need to grow even closer? Or maybe not. Turns out Rider and Cam have to share their room with Octavius Spencer and Michael Myers—two of Rider’s biggest enemies. Relationships are difficult in high school, and even more so when they’re half in the closet.

Can Rider and Cam survive their senior year?

There’s still plenty of the school year left, but Rider knows L.I.F.E. is just getting started.

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Click here for Felyx Lawson's Deep Desires Press page.

L.I.F.E. Too is published by Deep Hearts YA, the young adult imprint of Deep Desires Press. For more information on Deep Hearts YA, please click here to visit the website.

Geist

Geist

Phantasia #1

Mark Kelly

The Geist exist to ferry ghosts away from dead bodies and into the gates of the afterlife. At least, that’s what Ash Murphy was told after he died in a fiery car crash and became one.

Ash is forced to leave his old life behind and join the ranks of the mostly invisible, seemingly immortal Geist. And they all seem pretty perky for people who deal with death on a daily basis.

After years of rejection and isolation, Ash finally has a group of friends he's willing to fight for. Of course, not everyone believes that Geist are doing God's work. Ash discovers this when he attracts the ire of The Brotherhood of Eternity, who believe Geist are actually murdering those they reap. And they will stop at nothing to exorcize every Geist on Earth.

Ash will do whatever it takes to defend his new family and take down the Brotherhood…or he'll die (again) trying.

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Click here to visit Mark Kelly's Deep Desires Press page.

Geist is published by Deep Hearts YA, the young adult imprint of Deep Desires Press. For more information on Deep Hearts YA, please click here to visit the website.

Blowin’ My Mind Like a Summer Breeze

Blowin' My Mind Like a Summer Breeze

Benjamin Roesch

Fifteen-year-old Rainey Cobb never thought meeting someone could actually change her life. But, then again, she’s never met anyone like Juliet.

It’s 1995 and The Cobb Family Band, led by Rainey’s rock star parents, has arrived for a week-long gig at the Midwestern resort owned by Juliet’s family. Dazzled by Juliet’s carpe diem attitude, DIY tattoos, and passion for grunge, Rainey falls hard. And when Juliet gives Rainey a mixtape that unlocks her heart’s secret yearnings, Rainey starts seeing herself—and her vagabond, show-biz life—through new eyes.

If Rainey quits the band, her parents’ fading career might never recover. But if she doesn’t leap now, she might be stuck forever in a life she didn’t choose…and always wonder who she could have been.

Teacher's guide / discussion guide can be downloaded here.

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Also available as an audiobook, narrated by Nicola Fordwood! The audiobook is currently nominated for a VoiceOver award from SOVAS!

Listen to a preview below!

<strong>This book has a Spotify playlist!
</strong>Listen to the mixtape that Juliet makes for Rainey!
<a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7weWMyYQiC6ZfSZ15RFXUB?si=019e6463640b43af" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to visit Spotify</a>

Click here for Benjamin Roesch's Deep Desires Press page

Blowin' My Mind Like a Summer Breeze is published by Deep Hearts YA, the young adult imprint of Deep Desires Press. For more information on Deep Hearts YA, please click here to visit the website.

Symphony for Connor

Symphony for Connor

Shane Ulrrein

David Schoenberg is shy, nerdy, and has big dreams of becoming the next great composer. Those dreams seem to become reality when he is newly-admitted to the Barnard School of Music, a selective academy for future musicians and artists.

It's here that David meets and falls in love with fellow freshman, Connor Pfief. Connor is handsome, a gifted composer, and the biggest flake in school. He’s everything the studious, hard-working David isn’t, and no matter how David feels about him, it seems Connor would never return that affection.

This all changes when the truth comes out after a wild party and David and Connor form a deeper bond than either of them has ever known.

But with this newfound love comes a dark side as he learns terrible truths about his new boyfriend—unfinished relationships, a history of reckless behavior, and suicidal tendencies. Things turn tragic and ugly, putting David to the ultimate test as he must decide if he can stand with the greatest love of his life.

Publisher's note: Symphony for Connor contains scenes of suicidal ideation and the death of a lead character.

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Abhorrence

Abhorrence

Marco May

Art is a spineless Christian who's been bullied at school for being a dork and treated poorly by his devout parents for being gay. He can't seem to defend himself no matter how hard he tries, especially because he believes God wouldn't like it. He's relieved to graduate high school, and he plans to move out of his parents' house to a toxic-free environment. It's the one escape route he clings to.

In what first seems like a stroke of good luck for once, Art meets Cole at a restaurant while Cole waits his table, and they hit it off rather quickly. They swap numbers and plan to meet up later on, only for it to be the last that they see each other.

Soon after, Art encounters someone he knows very well who changes his life for the worst, and Art tries to end his life after the incident. His parents don't believe him when he tells them what happened, nor do they support his mental health. Therefore, he feels he has no choice but to leave as soon as possible. Little does he know, Cole—the one guy he thought he'd never see again—could end up becoming more important than he ever imagined.

But will Art open up and give Cole a chance?

Publisher's note: This novel contains "off-page" sexual assault, suicidal ideation, and a suicide attempt.

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Misled by a Monster

Misled by a Monster

Marco May

When Mitch meets twin brothers, Stan and Wes, the experience becomes a howling one when Mitch learns he isn’t quite human. Will he be stuck on a situation he’ll regret for the rest of his life, or is there hope for a better life that makes room for a better man?

Mitch has never quite fit in. He’s always felt...different somehow, though he could never put his finger on it. When he meets Stan, a strange and mysterious man, he feels an instant attraction and like someone finally truly understands him.

The allure of Stan is so powerful and all-consuming that Mitch soon packs up and leaves everyone behind to move in with Mitch in his rural community. But once ensconced there and separated from everything he used to know, Stan changes. And Mitch is trapped. And there are strange things going on around him...otherworldly things.

Stan’s twin brother Wes seems to be Mitch’s only hope of escape—and of love. For where Stan is evil, Wes is good. Will Mitch be stuck in misery with Stan? Or is there hope for him and happiness with Wes?

The secrets soon spill and the truth comes out. And the most shocking revelation of all for Mitch? He might not be quite human himself.

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