Hope Bolinger

Kevin and Himari didn't plan to be heroes.Henchmen and sidekicks aren't supposed to fall in love. Or save the world. They're supposed to brew coffee, take pics of their hero or villain for social media, and stay in the background.That was the plan for sidekick slash frat boy Kevin and henchwoman slash tech genius Himari, until a taxidermy-collecting villain robs Kevin's hero of his powers and leaves Himari's villain wounded. Now it's up to the sidekicks and henchmen to save the world.Without powers, they'll go up against the Shadow Assassins (a deadly organization that can't work a PowerPoint to save their lives), road trips slash kidnappings, and weird initiation rituals that may or may not involve singing campfire songs. Himari and Kevin will battle the odds, their insecurities, and a strangely polite Midwestern villain as they discover if they have what it takes to profess their love through Mexican food metaphors-and save the world from a nuclear disaster.The sequel to Dear Hero, this darkly humorous chat fiction novel told entirely through texts, transcriptions, and direct messages goes behind the scenes of the superworld.

There's an app for everything, even meeting a new nemesis.Up-and-coming teen superhero Cortex is on top of the world-at least, until his villain dumps him. If he's going to save his reputation, he needs a new villain to fight, and fast. Meanwhile, the villainous Vortex has once again gotten a little overeager and taken out a hero prematurely. Will any young hero be able to keep up with her? Maybe she should work on finding a steady relationship with an enemy she won't kill in the first round.Enter Meta-Match, a nemesis pairing site for heroes and villains. The two match right away, and after throwing punches at each other behind coffee shops, practicing their fight choreography, and hiring henchmen to do their bidding (mostly just getting them coffee), they realize they have a lot more in common than names that annoyingly rhyme. After all, they're still rising through the ranks in their respective circles, and their reputations need good press.But not everything in the superhero world is as it seems. Can a hero really trust a villain to do the right thing? And can a villain trust a hero not to screw them over? As darkness from the past threatens them both, they may need each other for the fight to come-one with much higher stakes than their choreographed meet-ups on weekends. Told entirely through texts, transcriptions, and direct messages, this darkly humorous chat fiction rom-com goes behind the scenes of the superworld.

She's a monster. He's a mortal. Killing each other should be easy...right?When Medusa and Tiresias rise from the Underworld as twenty-first-century teens and meet through Persephone and Hades' new dating app, it seems like a second chance. Dating is hard when you turn everyone to stone, but dating a blind prophet may be a loophole ... even if he does occasionally spout dire prophecies.But not everyone is pleased with an app designed to kindle romance between mortal enemies. As distrust grows between the heroes, monsters, and gods making up the app's user base, it's easier to fall into old habits than fall in love. With pressure building on both sides, Medusa and Tiresias accept their task: kill their date, no matter how much they bond over their love of dogs or the way the gods have wronged them in the past.Caught amongst meddling gods, murderous heroes, and a classic Greek bet, Medusa and Tiresias may have signed up for more than a dating profile. With war brewing at the hands of the gods, working together may be the only way to save mortals and monsters alike.Told entirely through instant messages and transcripts, this is one mythically funny romantic comedy you don't want to miss.

Tina is just a homeschooled high school senior trying to get into a good music program for next fall-and trying with her best friend Raphael to snap some senior pictures at northeast Ohio's famous mansion built in the 1920s.Little does she know that she's stumbled across a family gathering of the Daa s. A famous musical empire with a dark not so well kept secret: their son, Eric.Eric, who has climbed the ranks of video-sharing platforms on social media, hides half of his face. And any girl who has happened to get close enough to get a date has fled at the sight of what hides underneath the mask.When the Daa s hear Tina's angelic voice, they strike a deal. She'll go on tour with them-and if she can keep her silence about the family secrets the whole time-they'll help her find her way into a good musical program with a full scholarship.But she doesn't anticipate falling for Eric, nor for falling waist-deep into a tangled web of the family's dark history. And that could not only cause her to lose her scholarship, but get her killed in the process.

Harper hates crowds and has a strong distaste for humanity in general. A summer spent in the bustling city of London was not on her bucket list-especially not tagging along behind her nagging mother. But when a teen from the Greek Dark Ages mysteriously appears in the very crowded British Museum, Harper decides to rescue the boy who's even more out of place-and time-than she is. With the help of her uncle, they'll need to keep Homer away from the British authorities, evade a tomb-robbing ex-archeologist, and figure out how to get this Palikari man back to his own time before he's captured. As they escape near-kidnappings, terrible yogurt drinks, and Harper's mother's lectures, Harper finds herself warming up to Homer. Something that hasn't happened with anyone since the incident with her father back in Arizona. Will she learn to love again? Or will an ex-archeologist snag the historical find of the millennium-and the only person she's felt safe around in years?

On his first day back to school in 7th grade, Xander Carson discovers a large black dragon blocking his locker. Soon he's seeing wyverns, wyrms, and other lizard creatures, but no one else seems to notice them at all.Was he going crazy?His life was tough enough already. His older brother - his best friend - had been killed in a car accident during the summer.And now dragons.Through an unlikely business deal with a nerd named Zayn, Xander discovers that there may be a reason he's seeing dragons - and these discerning creatures may be just what he needs to solve his paralyzing grief. But doing the wrong thing could make them disappear, exactly when he's growing to need them.

When explosive personalities collide, can a control-freak director and last-chance actress work together to win a film competition?Ryan Torino loves the feeling of control, especially when it comes to his photography work and indie movies. And when he gets the opportunity to enter an indie film festival-rumored to have Hollywood bigwigs attending-he can't afford for anything to be less than perfect, especially the casting of his leading role.Enter Zinnia Preston, who has been trying to break into the acting scene since college. Now in her late twenties and working the not-job-of-her-dreams, Zinnia knows this indie film project may be her last chance to make it onto the screen.Ryan is intimidated by Zinnia's strong personality, but he can't deny she's the one for the job. Meanwhile, Zinnia wants to throttle Ryan for his perfectionistic tendencies, but she needs this gig. The tension between the two threatens to derail the project, and to both of their frustration, clashing visions aren't the only reason sparks seem to fly every time they interact.When an old nemesis arrives back in town, Zinnia and Ryan will need to set aside their differences and work together to have a chance at winning. If not, they can kiss that Hollywood riding-into-the-sunset ending goodbye.

With their future in theater on the line, can a newbie actress and overwhelmed playwright put on a production to remember?Part-time thespian Griffith Williams can't seem to do anything right in his parents' eyes, especially compared to his brother, a missionary in the Dominican Republic. But if he can pull off the biggest play of the year, the Christmas play, he could win a job as a full-time director, and prove to himself-and his family-that he hasn't mistaken his calling to the arts.Would-be actress Hadassah Wright spends her days teaching and corralling her many, many younger siblings in a large homeschool family. Her only escape seems to be through marriage to a childhood not-so-sweetheart-until a casting call for a local play provides an opportunity to act, perhaps for the last time.When the two end up as leads in the play, the chemistry they feel isn't just on the stage. Hadassah finds refuge from familial pressures through helping Griffith at the theater, and Griffith finds a kindred spirit in Hadassah's longing to pursue the art she loves.But when an envious stage manager, a director with far too many demands, and a relentless suitor threaten to derail the show, will the curtains close on any chance of romance?

Can two people-pleasing musicians win the grand prize, or will they be forced to give up music for good?Newly hired worship leader Elijah Peterson can't seem to catch a break with his church's congregation. With conflicting demands from congregants, he struggles to find a way to make everyone happy, especially Don, a man who's rumored to have driven out the last worship leader.Music teacher Olivia "Liv" Wilson says yes to everything-piano lessons, church volunteering, extra shifts-all while struggling to help pay her dad's medical bills. As jobs fall through, she's hit with even worse news-with bills piling up, they could lose her childhood home.When their meddling roommates force Elijah and Liv into a cooking class together, the two come up with a plan. They'll enter an indie songwriting competition-with a cash prize that could be enough to save Liv's house. And maybe if Elijah can win, his musical family and congregation will finally take him seriously.But winning the competition might mean losing themselves in the process. Can they find a way to strike harmony between writing songs they love and songs the audience wants to hear?

Can you actually kill someone with kindness?Charity's acts of kindness always end in disaster, but when one clown costume too many lands her in the Vice Principal's office, she receives a mysterious note from "The Cassandra Coalition" offering to help get rid of her curse. The coalition members all have the same curse-which just happens to attach itself to kind 13-year-olds-and it seems to be coming from the greyscale mirror world of Delphos-which just happens to be portal-connected to their hometown. As the curse expands, and people start turning into zombies, they suspect a full Delphos invasion is looming. But when Charity's best friend goes missing, the coalition realizes they must track her down, close the portal, and find a way to end the curse-before it ends all of them.

Can a struggling career woman and a procrastinating artist save a beloved nonprofit?Aspiring novelist Caroline Penn expected a promotion, not a picture book assignment. But when her employer, the non-profit Helping Hope, runs into financial trouble, this book might be the solution. With the company struggling to stay afloat, she and the illustrator will need to collaborate on a strict deadline-no problem for a workaholic like Caroline, right?Andy Jackson, a "starving" artist, pays the bills by taking on graphic design gigs, but his perfectionism gets in the way. If only he could focus on a project for once, perhaps he could achieve his dream to make art for children for a living. When the two are thrust together to create a book, Caroline can't seem to write for children, and Andy can't meet a deadline to save his life. As time ticks down to release day, the two must face their pasts and insecurities. If they can avoid strangling one another for long enough, they may just bring to the table what the other is missing. If not, the fate of their careers-and a beloved nonprofit-hangs in the balance.

If you want to stay sane, don't remember. After Danny Belte ends up with a gunshot wound to the head, he's shipped off to a local psychiatric center under the assumption he'd attempted suicide. Knowing that a classmate had tried to kill him, and having a photographic memory to prove it, keeps him sane. After meeting the fun and playfully rebellious members of his ward, he suspects that some underlying connection ties them all together. Haunted by revealing visions, he may have a chance at discovering one conflict of interest that will buy their ticket out of the ward. But memories are dangerous things. He may just make as many enemies as friends. Enemies who want his memories erased. Or worse, want him dead. The Blaze Trilogy answers the question, what would the book of Daniel look like if it was set in a modern high school? Vision brings the adventures of Danny Belte to a satisfying conclusion.

If you can't stand the heat, don't walk into the fire.