Darren Simon

Mr. Flores shook his head as his lips pursed. "A dragon that speaks English. Not something you see every day." He stepped closer to the beast, his hand still clutching the gun. "Listen, you overgrown lizard, I'm under no spell. And if you want to survive the night, you'll come with me."Charlee placed a hand on Kraannaannn's snout. "We can trust him. We have to trust him."The dragon huffed and licked his sharp teeth. He inched his head closer to Mr. Flores. "If you lie, you'll be my first kill."Sandra's dad scratched his chin. He eyed Charlee. "When this is over, you and I will have to have a talk about setting some boundaries. First off, no more witches or monsters-and definitely no dragons in my city." Fourteen-year-old Charlee Smelton is a Guardian, a path forced upon her by fate. She's come to accept this fact after fighting to save Earth, the world she thought was her home, and the magical world of Janasara, the true home of her bloodline.But the fight is not over.Once more, Charlee must stand against not only her great aunt, the sorceress Theodora, but also an ancient evil-the Brotherhood-seeking to be reborn and to conquer worlds. If she is to save the universe, she'll have to put her faith in the last person across the dimensional divide she would have turned to for help-a person who knows the truth about the cursed medallion that calls to Charlee.A war is coming, and her very soul is on the line.

Tripp Taylor is a teenager trying to hide his genetic disorder and live a normal life, but that's hard to do when the smallest morsel of food and the tiniest sip of liquid bring about a change in him-a metamorphosis he cannot control, making him a danger to himself and those around him. At least that's what he's been told by his father and the doctor who has devoted his life to finding a cure. By day, Tripp plays by their rules. By night, Tripp journeys through the city from one convenience store to the next to taste real food (frozen burritos are his favorite). Then comes the night when he chooses the wrong convenience store, for on that night an armed robber enters the store and threatens everyone's life. From that first transformation come others, and soon Tripp finds himself on a collision course with destiny as a madman pushes him to use his powers, a government that fears him tries to control him, and dark secrets lead him down a dangerous path-one that could make him a hero or twist him into a monster. And that all depends on whether he survives, and the odds aren't in his favor.

Thirteen-year-old Sam Every has traveled back in time to the Golden Age of Piracy to face Captain Jem Slayer, master of the dark arts. Deceived into handing Slayer the ultimate weapon, the Sword of Zel-Kar, Sam has lost his hands, sliced off in his first clash with the evil pirate. But all is not lost. ​ Sam's friends have found their way back in time, and with the help of the pirate hunter, Benjamin Hornigold, have rescued him from the island where Slayer marooned him. Now, aided by a new band of rogues and a mystery friend, Sam must rise above his injuries and find the strength to again face Slayer before it is too late--before the future is forever shattered. ​

A month has passed since fourteen-year-old Charlee Smelton discovered her magical abilities and faced her great aunt, Theodora, in a life or death struggle to protect Earth. A month has passed since she tricked Theodora back across the dimensional gateway that brought Theodora to Earth. Since then, Charlee-now fully aware that she is part of a noble bloodline from another world...another dimension...has grown stronger in her magic, aided by her protector, a shapeshifter sent to Earth to protect her.But the terrible dreams won't stop.Theodora lives, and if Charlee's dreams of death and fields of spilled blood are true, her great aunt has avenged herself on that world across the dimensional divide.Charlee knows what she must do. The fight is not over. She must travel across the gateway to the home of her ancestors and face Theodora one more time. But doing so may cost Charlee more than her life. The same medallion her great aunt desires so much-a medallion Charlee possesses-could make her just as evil as her great aunt.Can Charlee stave off the twisted tendrils of the medallion long enough to defeat Theodora-for good-or will evil consume her? Can she even survive so far from home? Her only hope may rest in the Lord of the Dragons, but that beast turned his back on her grandfather long ago...