Natalie C. Parker

14 Young Adult short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors make a splash in Mermaids Never Drown - the second collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida C rdova and Natalie C. Parker - exploring mermaids like we've never seen them before A Vietnamese mermaid caught between two worlds. A siren who falls for Poseidon's son. A boy secretly pining for the merboy who saved him years ago. A storm that brings humans and mermaids together. Generations of family secrets and pain. Find all these stories and more in this gripping new collection that will reel you in from the very first page Welcome to an ocean of hurt, fear, confusion, rage, hope, humor, discovery, and love in its many forms. Edited by Zoraida C rdova and Natalie C. Parker, Mermaids Never Drown features beloved authors like Darcie Little Badger, Kalynn Bayron, Preeti Chhibber, Rebecca Coffindaffer, Julie C. Dao, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Adriana Herrera, June Hur, Katherine Locke, Kerri Maniscalco, Julie Murphy, Gretchen Schreiber, and Julian Winters.

Take a journey through time and genres to discover stories where queer teens live, love, and shape the world around them. Seventeen young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens.From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier…to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain…to forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent…and an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods, and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten.“Readers searching for positive, nuanced, and authentic queer representation—or just a darn good selection of stories—need look no further than this superb collection.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewFeaturing original stories from:Malinda LoMackenzi LeeRobin TalleyKody KeplingerElliot WakeAnna-Marie McLemoreShaun David HutchinsonDahlia AdlerTess SharpeKate ScelsaNatalie C. ParkerSara FarizanNilah MagruderTessa GrattonTehlor Kay MejiaAlex SanchezScott TraceyRead the entire set of companion anthologies featuring queer teens in the past, present, and future!All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the AgesOut Now: Queer We Go Again!Out There: Into the Queer New Yonder (coming soon!)

A companion to The Assassin's Guide to Babysitting - action-packed speculative YA thrillers for fans of the Amazon Prime series The Boys and books by Marie Lu and Veronica Roth. The First Explosion of Lila Morgan Lila Morgan is a bombshell. Her superhuman ability, when not controlled, explodes and leaves destruction in its path. Underhill, the secret superhuman agency, views bombshells as unstable and dangerous - Lila has spent her life proving them wrong. The Second Explosion of Lila Morgan Now her actions and her heart rate are heavily monitored since no one trusts her to control her abilities. With this monitor, Lila can’t live a normal life, not when her heart races every time she sees her new girlfriend Tru, who she’s desperate to take on a first date. The Third Explosion of Lila Morgan Then she meets Ryan, a fellow bombshell who promises to show her how to embrace her powers away from Underhill. Will she come out unscathed with Tru by her side, or will everything blow up in her face. . . Shadowy enemies, lifelong secrets, dangerous powers and maybe even a first date in this high-action companion story to The Assassin's Guide to Babysitting by acclaimed US author Natalie Parker .

An action-packed speculative YA thriller for fans of the Amazon Prime series The Boys, books by Marie Lu and Veronica Roth's Divergent. 'A high-octane adventure with killer tension' - Chloe Gong, global bestselling author of These Violent Delights Lesson One: Never tell anyone what you truly are Tru and her friends are trainee assassins. But Tru has to keep the full extent of her skills a secret from everyone – if people knew, she’d be considered Dangerous. For now, she and her secrets are protected by undercover super-assassin turned guardian, Logan Dire, her protecter ever since her parents were murdered when she was 10. Logan bakes, he keeps house – and he secretly gives her lessons on how to stay alive. Lesson Two: When you think you’re beat – run Then Tru takes a random babysitting job one evening. When the house is attacked by assassins who’ve clearly come for Baby Thea, Tru has to put all Logan has taught her into action. She goes on the run, with Thea strapped to her chest and her three best friends at her side. Lesson Three: Trust is dangerous But at every turn there’s’ a new question about who they can really trust. Oh, and Tru also has a burning question about whether it’s ok to kiss a girl who's trying to hunt you down . . . 'This book is a good time' Dhonielle Clayton - bestselling author of The Belles

This riveting, superpowered adventure unveils a shadow world of Talented bounty hunters--and plumbs the nature of identity, deadly secrets, and found family. Tru has been hiding all her life. Her parents taught her to conceal her bastion Talent: indestructible skin, muscles, and bones. In a world where Talents are common and varied, no one trusts a bastion--they're too powerful. Hiding failed to keep Tru's parents alive, but moments before their murder, Tru's mom pointed her to Logan Dire, a famed recluse assassin who adopted and trained orphaned Tru. At seventeen, she's still hiding. Not even her closest friends know her true name or Talent, or that she's balancing high school with knife and stealth training (while crushing on her BFF's older sister). When assassins interrupt a mundane babysitting job booked through BountyApp--where lethal hunters find work and babysitters for their kids--Tru flees with a one-year-old strapped to her chest and spiraling questions: Who killed her parents? Whom can she trust? What does it mean to be a bastion? And is it ever OK to kiss a girl who's trying to hunt you down? From an award-winning author comes a masterfully plotted thriller that holds character and relationship on a par with action and nail-biting suspense.

"Parker breathes new life into the assassin genre, seamlessly combining the action and world-building of John Wick with themes of power, found family, and what it means to step into the light and truly be yourself."--Rebecca Coffindaffer, author of Crownchasers Tru has been hiding all her life. Her parents taught her to conceal her bastion Talent: indestructible skin, muscles, and bones. In a world where Talents are common and varied, no one trusts a bastion--they're too powerful. Hiding failed to keep Tru's parents alive, but moments before their murder, Tru's mom pointed her to Logan Dire, a famed recluse assassin who adopted and trained orphaned Tru. At seventeen, she's still hiding. Not even her closest friends know her true name or Talent, or that she's balancing high school with knife and stealth training (while crushing on her BFF's older sister). When assassins interrupt a mundane babysitting job booked through BountyApp--where lethal hunters find work and babysitters for their kids--Tru flees with a one-year-old strapped to her chest and spiraling questions: Who killed her parents? Whom can she trust? What does it mean to be a bastion? And is it ever OK to kiss a girl who's trying to hunt you down? From an award-winning author comes a masterfully plotted thriller that holds character and relationship on a par with action and nail-biting suspense.

A spine-tingling LGBTQIA+ YA horror about queer teens who accidentally invoke a twisted spirit who promises help but delivers something sinister. Perfect for fans of Kayla Cottingham, Andrew Joseph White, and Ryan LaSala. "A searing and poignant portrait of queer identity wrapped in an unflinching tale of terror." --Kalynn Bayron, New York Times bestselling author of You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight "Modern horror at its best." --Bram Stoker Award Nominee Sarah Henning It's never been safe for Fern, Jaq, or Mallory to come out to their families. As kids their emerging identities drove them into friendship but also forced them into the woods to hide in an old, abandoned house when they needed safety. But one night when the girls sought refuge, Mallory never made it back home. Fern and Jaq did, but neither survivor remembered what happened or the secrets they were so desperate to keep. Five years later, Fern and Jaq are seniors on the verge of graduation, seemingly happy in their straight, cisgender lives--until a spirit who looks like Mallory begins to appear, seeking revenge for her death, and the part Fern and Jaq played in it. As they're haunted, something begins to shift inside them. They remember who they are. Who they want to love. And the truth about the vicious secrets hiding in their woods. This delightfully dark and pointed novel calls out the systems that erase gay and queer and trans identity, giving space to embrace queerness and to unleash the power of friendship and found family against the real monsters in the world.

Eleven fresh vampire stories from young adult fiction's leading voices fill this bestselling anthology--including V.E. Schwab's First Kill, now a major Netflix adaptation "Boundary-pushing... Stories that stake a new claim on old tropes." --Publishers Weekly, starred review In this delicious new collection, you'll find stories about lurking vampires of social media, rebellious vampires hungry for more than just blood, eager vampires coming out--and going out for their first kill--and other bold, breathtaking, dangerous, dreamy, eerie, iconic, powerful creatures of the night. Welcome to the evolution of the vampire--and a revolution on the page. Vampires Never Get Old includes stories by authors both bestselling and acclaimed, including Samira Ahmed, Dhonielle Clayton, Zoraida C rdova and Natalie C. Parker, Tessa Gratton, Heidi Heilig, Julie Murphy, Mark Oshiro, Rebecca Roanhorse, Laura Ruby, Victoria "V. E." Schwab, and Kayla Whaley. An Imprint Book "Vampire fans, sink your teeth into this satisfying collection." --Kirkus Reviews

"A perfect read for every kid and every kid at heart who's ever felt like they weren't enough. This story of family in all its many forms is as deliciously fun to read as it is deeply relevant." --Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Sweet Pea A queer tale about kid werewolves, big bad mistakes, and terrifying creatures, perfect for fans of Katherine Arden and R.L. Stine. Little wolf, little wolf, here I come. It's the eve of the first full moon of summer and twelve-year-old Riley Callahan is ready to turn into a wolf. Nothing can ruin her mood: not her little brother Milo's teasing, not Mama N's smoth-ering, and not even Mama C's absence from their pack's ceremony. But then the unthink-able happens--something that violates every rule of wolf magic--Riley and four other kids don't shift. Riley is left with questions that even the pack leaders don't have answers to. And to make matters far worse, it appears something was awoken in the woods that same night. The Devouring Wolf. The elders tell the tale of the Devouring Wolf to scare young pups into obedience. It's a terrifying campfire story for fledging wolves, an old legend of a giant creature who consumes the magic inside young werewolves. But to Riley, the Devouring Wolf is more than lore: it's real and it's after her and her friends.

A perfect read for every kid and every kid at heart who's ever felt like they weren't enough. This story of family in all its many forms is as deliciously fun to read as it is deeply relevant. --Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Sweet Pea A queer tale about kid werewolves, big bad mistakes, and terrifying creatures in Natalie C. Parker's exciting middle grade debut. Little wolf, little wolf, here I come. It's the eve of the first full moon of summer and twelve-year-old Riley Callahan is ready to turn into a wolf. Nothing can ruin her mood: not her little brother Milo's teasing, not Mama N's smoth-ering, and not even Mama C's absence from their pack's ceremony. But then the unthink-able happens--something that violates every rule of wolf magic--Riley and four other kids don't shift. Riley is left with questions that even the pack leaders don't have answers to. And to make matters far worse, it appears something was awoken in the woods that same night. The Devouring Wolf. The elders tell the tale of the Devouring Wolf to scare young pups into obedience. It's a terrifying campfire story for fledging wolves, an old legend of a giant creature who consumes the magic inside young werewolves. But to Riley, the Devouring Wolf is more than lore: it's real and it's after her and her friends.

Anything is possible. From We Need Diverse Books fifteen award-winning and celebrated diverse authors deliver stories about a princess without need of a prince, a monster long misunderstood, memories that vanish with a spell, and voices that refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. Alucard and Prince Rhy’s relationship in V.E. Schwab's Shades of Magic series is finally revealed, Anna-Marie McLemore gives “Cinderella” a trans retelling, while letters supernaturally cross borders between Gaza and California in Tochi Onyebuchi's “Habibi”. Close your eyes. Make a wish. The universe is yours for the taking.

Eleven diverse vampire stories from YA’s leading voices, including V.E. Schwab's First Kill, now a major Netflix adaptation! SINK YOUR TEETH INTO THIS... In this delicious new collection, you’ll find eleven fresh vampire stories from young adult fiction’s leading voices. Enter ‘The House of Black Sapphires’ by Dhonielle Clayton, and discover the secret world of vampires and magic behind the doors of New Orleans. Meet ‘The Boys From Blood River’ by Rebecca Roanhorse and their enticing power and terrible sacrifices. And in V.E. Schwab’s ‘First Kill’, witness the centuries-old struggle between vampire and slayer – and the thrill of forbidden love. Vampires lurking on social media, vampires hungry for more than just blood, vampires coming out – and going out for their first kill – this collection puts a new spin on the age-old classic. WELCOME TO THE EVOLUTION OF THE VAMPIRE – AND A REVOLUTION ON THE PAGE SAMIRA AHMED DHONIELLE CLAYTON ZORAIDA CÓRDOVA AND NATALIE C. PARKER TESSA GRATTON HEIDI HEILIG JULIE MURPHY MARK OSHIROM REBECCA ROANHORSE LAURA RUBY VICTORIA “V. E.” SCHWAB KAYLA WHALEY

In this epic conclusion to the Seafire trilogy, which Booklist called "Mad Max by way of Davy Jones," Caledonia Styx will risk everything--her heart, her crew, and even her life--to defeat Lir and take back the Bullet Seas once and for all. Aric Athair is dead. But the fight for the Bullet Seas is far from over. Caledonia's nemesis, Lir--the one responsible for destroying her family--has seized control of the warlord's army. Caledonia and her crew have fled to Cloudbreak to prepare for an all-out war. And they are not the only ones. Rogue ships and even a few defecting Bullets show up to join their fight. But Lir always seems to be one step ahead of Caledonia, anticipating her every more as he secures the seas for himself. With the fight growing desperate, Caledonia is forced to make an unlikely and unsteady alliance with a new enemy. It's a gamble that could cost her everything, but with the fate of the seas in her hands, Caledonia will do whatever it takes to win the war.

"One of the year's most anticipated new fantasies." --Entertainment Weekly "A fast-paced, thrilling tale." --BuzzFeed "The best kind of fantasy. . . . impossible to put down." --Paste " Seafire] will leave readers craving more." --School Library Connection, starred review After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains her ship, the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, who have lost their families and homes because of Aric and his men. The crew has one mission: stay alive, and take down Aric's armed and armored fleet. But when Caledonia's best friend and second-in-command barely survives an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect, Caledonia finds herself questioning whether to let him join their crew. Is this boy the key to taking down Aric Athair once and for all...or will he threaten everything the women of the Mors Navis have worked for? The first in a heart-stopping trilogy that recalls the undeniable feminine power of Wonder Woman and the powder-keg action of Mad Max: Fury Road, Seafire reminds us of the importance of sisterhood and unity in the face of oppression and tyranny.

You may think you know the love triangle, but you've never seen love triangles like these.A teen girl who offers kissing lessons. Zombies in the Civil War South. The girl next door, the boy who loves her, and the girl who loves them both. Vampires at a boarding school. Three teens fighting monsters in an abandoned video rental store. Literally the last three people on the planet.What do all these stories have in common?The love triangle.These top YA authors tackle the much-debated trope of the love triangle, and the result is sixteen fresh, diverse, and romantic stories you don't want to miss.This collection, edited by Natalie C. Parker, contains stories written by Renee Ahdieh, Rae Carson, Brandy Colbert, Katie Cotugno, Lamar Giles, Tessa Gratton, Bethany Hagan, Justina Ireland, Alaya Dawn Johnson, EK Johnston, Julie Murphy, Garth Nix, Natalie C. Parker, Veronica Roth, Sabaa Tahir, and Brenna Yovanoff. "Upends expectations and poses 'questions about self-determination and what it means to embrace the power of choice.'" --USA Today

You may think you know the love triangle, but you've never seen love triangles like these.A teen girl who offers kissing lessons. Zombies in the Civil War South. The girl next door, the boy who loves her, and the girl who loves them both. Vampires at a boarding school. Three teens fighting monsters in an abandoned video rental store. Literally the last three people on the planet.What do all these stories have in common?The love triangle.These top YA authors tackle the much-debated trope of the love triangle, and the result is sixteen fresh, diverse, and romantic stories you don't want to miss.This collection, edited by Natalie C. Parker, contains stories written by Renee Ahdieh, Rae Carson, Brandy Colbert, Katie Cotugno, Lamar Giles, Tessa Gratton, Bethany Hagan, Justina Ireland, Alaya Dawn Johnson, EK Johnston, Julie Murphy, Garth Nix, Natalie C. Parker, Veronica Roth, Sabaa Tahir, and Brenna Yovanoff."Upends expectations and poses 'questions about self-determination and what it means to embrace the power of choice.'" --USA Today

A haunting, chilling, and atmospheric southern swamp tale--perfect for fans of Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver.In this companion to Beware the Wild, the book New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White called "American myth at its very best," Natalie C. Parker takes readers on a journey back to an eerie Louisiana swamp town.Candace "Candy" Pickens has been obsessed with the swamp lore of her tiny Louisiana town for . . . forever. Name any ghostly swamp figure and Candy will recite the entire tale in a way that will curl your toes and send chills up your spine.That doesn't mean Candy's a believer, however. But with swamp haunts appearing in town every day, a suspicious new family in town, and her own mind starting to betray her, Candy must come to terms with the one piece of swamp lore she's never heard before. It's a tale that's more truth than myth, and may hold all the answers . . . and its roots are in Candy's own family tree.