Linked Through Time (19 page)

Jessica Tornese’s debut novel
Linked Through Time
was inspired by her home town Baudette, MN. She graduated from high school there and continued her education at Minnesota State University-Moorhead where she earned a degree in education. She spent several years coaching in the Junior Olympic volleyball program for Lake of the Woods and taught fifth and sixth grade for two years before becoming a stay-at-home mother in 2003.

Jessica is married and has three children. Her family recently relocated to the town of Jensen Beach, FL, where Jessica hopes to continue her career in writing.

To find out more about the author and books she has written, visit www.jessicatornese.com .

I would like to thank Editor in Chief Nik Morton for supporting my first YA novel, and for his kindness and understanding in helping me through the process.

I would like to thank my editor, Candy Stone, for her hard work, help, and encouragement. She made the whole process smooth and easy!

I would like to thank Doc and Rose, and the original eleven – Louise, Jerry, Sharon, Rodney, Dad, David, Patrick, Mike, Joyce, Janice, and Janet. You all have been my support system for years, and I love you and thank you for inspiring me to create.

I want to thank my original “book club”, the first readers and critics of
Linked –
Mom, Kristin, Erika, and Carrie. You helped me believe it could happen!

Other Young Adult adventures from Solstice Publishing

Jeanne Bannon

Lola’s not pretty. Lola’s not popular. Lola wishes she could disappear … and then one day she does just that...

             
For seventeen-year-old Lola Savullo, life is a struggle. Born to funky parents who are more
in
than she could ever be, Lola’s dream of becoming a writer makes her an outsider even in her own home. Bullied and despised, Lola still has the support of her best pal Charlie and Grandma Rose.

             
Not only is she freakishly tall, Lola’s a
big
girl and when forced to wear a bathing suit at her summer job as a camp counselor, Lola’s only escape from deep embarrassment seems to be to literally vanish. Soon after, she discovers the roots of her new “ability”.

             
Slowly, with Charlie’s help, Lola learns to control the new super power. The possibilities are endless. Yet power can be abused, too…

             
Then, when tragedy strikes, Lola must summon her inner strength, both at home and at school. She has to stand up for herself, despite the temptations and possibilities of her newfound super power.

             
A coming-of-age story that will warm the heart.

Terese Mason

After 185 immortal years of traveling the world, the teenage twins Thea and Kane and their adoptive mother, Caroline, want to settle down in a nice, quiet town, away from their restless government. Ashville, Oregon, seems like the right place…

             
In one summer, all her BFFs (and her grandmother) move away and Mallory Harper’s starting high school with no one to hang out with. Well, she could always try to talk to Leigh-Anne, the grade’s most popular girl—who happens to be Mallory’s neighbour—but Leigh-Anne’s weird. Besides, Mallory wants something more, something interesting…

             
When they meet, horrible things happen…

Ever since she introduced herself to her new neighbours, Mallory suspected that there was something off about the Blackthorn twins, like how they had bright, violet eyes, and how they observed everything, and how everyone wanted to know them. When she asks, the twins tell her—and
prove
to her—that they’re Vampires, and that there’s a whole other world with creatures just like them: the Shadow World.

             
But just as Mallory’s starting to adjust to this impossible phenomenon, disaster strikes. When the neighboring city, Langstone, receives anonymous funds to boost their police force, the local gangs and criminals migrate to the unsuspecting Ashville and soon control the small town. Kane and Thea decide to do something—they’re Vampires, after all, legend’s most powerful predators, and they
like
Ashville—even if it means blowing their cover and moving
again
.

AUTUMN MAGIC, PLAYGROUND SKY

Edward T. Keller

What if you met the girl of your dreams – inside your dreams?

Would this be enough for you?

Or would you want more?

When the season of school and homework returns, the magic of summer fades into an echo of a dream. But for Tim, the magic is just beginning, and soon the girl he meets every night will tell him who she really is.
 

Tony Jacks

Bullies prey on the weak. Essentially, they’re cowards. Public exposure hurts them.

             
When Jack finds out his little sister is being bullied by three girls from his class, he is shocked. He’s also worried about his father, who is in the early stages of dementia. Determined to stamp out bullying in his school, Jack attempts to set up a Bully Squad network to aid the victims and expose the perpetrators.

After being beaten up by two older male friends of the three bullies, he ends up in hospital, but he’s undeterred. And all the time his father's health is deteriorating. Will Jack win out in the end and set up his Bully Squad and help stamp out the scourge of bullying in his town?

HIKE UP DEVIL’S MOUNTAIN

Penny Estelle

Ten-year old Andy Thompson disobeys his mother and sneaks into the basement of an old abandoned house that’s due for demolition.  He stumbles upon a mysterious box under an old cabinet.

And his troubles begin when he looks inside. 

             
The Crew brothers, twelve-year old Jason, and ten-year old Danny, also find their way to the basement.  New to town, Jason has established himself as the school bully.

A struggle ensues between Andy and Jason and the bully ends up as a toad.

             
Somehow, the boys must reverse the magical spell. And that means hiking up the dread mountain: fast pace, fast action and just a few scares and surprises on the way!

The lives of all three boys seem destined to change forever,
if
they survive…

Erika Lindsen

Blood runs across the floor like a winter’s creek.
 
It always puts a smile on his face. As a Taker – a demon sent to entice humans to commit suicide in order to gain their
soul for Lucifer – Drebin is at the top of his game. He has already claimed 421 souls and there is no sign of him slowing down. Much like a fine wine, Drebin gets better with age.

 
             
Alexia Downer is just a few months into her freshman year of college and still undecided about a career. Ally is more than eager to meet new people and live up to the college stereotypes. But her gentle nature may cause her to put trust in the wrong person.

 
             
The stage is set, the hound is released, but Drebin begins to have second thoughts about his next victim, Alexia, his 422
nd
victim. Her beauty is mesmerizing and her spirit is captivating.

             
As much as he tries, Drebin cannot bring himself to destroy her, yet he must. He has a higher, more vicious power to answer to, after all…

MONARCH

Capt.
H. C. Loetzerich

Chris Young makes a living as a trapper in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. He finds a bear cub cuddled to the dead body of its mother and takes it into his care and gives him the name Jack. However, not long afterwards, his canoe capsizes in the rapids of a river and he loses all his possessions, and the bear cub.

Abandoned, the little bear must learn to survive in a violent wilderness. Using his wit and lots of luck, over the years the bear grows into a powerful monarch of the forest...

             
To survive, Jack attacks ranchers’ cattle. But he always escapes the hunters. Eventually, the ranchers hire an experienced hunter and tracker, Chris Young.

             
Yet, even Chris finds it difficult to outsmart the Monarch.

             
Then, one fateful day, rifle in hand, Chris faces the Monarch, the bear he once called Jack...

             
A moving parable about the relationship between man and beast. A cry from the heart.

Capt.
H. C. Loetzerich

Tekumsee, son of the great chieftain White Raven of the Pawnee Indians, explores a valley whose entrance is blocked by a waterfall and mystically veiled. The Indians believe this is a holy place dedicated to Manitou and avoid it.

Beyond the veil, Tekumsee discovers a herd of mustangs led by a marvelous stallion with a silver-gray coat. Tekumsee discloses his discovery to his father and the chieftain dispatches a party of his warriors to capture the mustangs. With the arrival of the Indians, the peaceful and carefree days for the mustangs are over.

All save the lead stallion are caught, but the silver-gray constantly outsmarts them.

Disillusioned at his unthinking betrayal of the mustangs, Tekumsee hikes the mountains, stalking and observing all kinds of game. One day he discovers the cave of a puma where the cubs play. Suddenly the puma returns and surprisingly spares Tekumsee. Perhaps his life was spared for a reason?

             
Eventually, the silver-gray mustang is caught, but he can’t be tamed.

Tekumsee spends all his time at the stallion’s coral but the horse remains sovereign and unapproachable.

             
At risk of severe punishment, Tekumsee decides that the silver-gray
must
be set free. Yet his decision goes against all that he has been taught. Must he answer to his family and tribe – or to his heart?

A novel about nature and the majestic bond between man and horse
.

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