Lauren Emily Whalen

Stakes are cutthroat, scheming is creative, and loyalty is ever-changing in this queer, female-driven YA retelling of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

Take Her Down

Kristin Jacques

Candace Robinson

Elle Beaumont

Leslie Rush

Jess Moore

C. Vonzale Lewis

Pam S. Dunn

Meg Dailey

"'I wear the chain I forged in life, ' replied the Ghost. 'I made it link by link...'"-Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol Link by Link is a collection of 9 stories of ghosts, spirits, and creatures unnamed, all come to teach lessons we won't soon forget. From sweet Christmas tales to terrifying holiday hauntings, these stories take a dive into the past in the hopes of creating a better-or at least different-future.

An Anthology of Haunted Holidays

Link by Link

The winter of 1997 is a tragedy waiting to happen. Small-town life isn't easy for seventeen-year-old bisexual and closeted Paulina, especially when her best friend Mia becomes pregnant. A devout Catholic, Mia doesn't want to tell her parents, see a doctor, or even tell the baby's father, Paulina's other best friend, Tesla. Meanwhile, Paulina'ssecret relationship with volleyball star Ani is about to go public in the worst way. It all comes to a head one fateful night, and everything changes forever. Fast-forward to the winter of 2014, where Perdita, bi and proud in Chicago, is weeks away from turning seventeen. Her life is perfect--well, almost. She loves her two moms, but why do they refuse to tell her anything about her adoption? When Perdita meets Fenton, her handsome improv coach who's taking a gap year before college, she discovers both a kindred soul and a willing accomplice in her search for the truth. Will Perdita find what she's looking for as she discovers the truth of the winter of 1997? And if not, can time really heal all wounds?

Two Winters

Carefree sixteen-year-old Levon and contemplative seventeen-year-old Harmony are best friends and family - his DJ dad and her yogi father have been in love for years, and they all live together in Chicago's vibrant Boystown neighborhood. So what if the dads have been arguing more lately, Levon's latest girlfriend just had a pregnancy scare, and two summers ago, Levon and Harmony's relationship crossed a very important line? They don't need anyone but each other - until one September afternoon when Levon returns home to a half-empty apartment. Harmony and her father have moved to Los Angeles, where Harmony discovers a new side of herself, including an attraction to enigmatic classmate Elke. Meanwhile, back in Chicago, Levon tries to adjust to life without Harmony and with an increasingly distant dad, throwing himself into a choice role in The Nutcracker and considering a professional dance career that would take him far away from the city he's always called home. But as Levon and Harmony drift apart and back together, a sudden tragedy reveals a secret kept by their blended families - a secret that could change their already-complex relationship forever. Told in Levon and Harmony's alternating perspectives, with flashbacks to the times when life was easier (or was it?), Satellite is both an exploration and celebration of the messiness of love.

Satellite

In this queer YA retelling of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, stakes at Augustus Magnet School are cutthroat, scheming is creative, and loyalty is ever-changing. Overnight, Bronwyn St. James goes from junior class queen to daughter of an imprisoned felon, and she lands in the care of her aunt and younger cousin Cass, a competitive cheerleader who Bronwyn barely knows. Life gets worse when her ex-best friend, the always-cool Jude Cuthbert, ostracizes Bronwyn from the queer social elite for dating a boy, Porter Kendrick. Bronwyn and Jude are both running for student body president, and that means war. But after Bronwyn, Porter, and Cass share a video of Jude in a compromising position, Jude suddenly goes missing. No one has seen her for weeks and it might be all Bronwyn’s fault. Will Jude ever be found? Or will Bronwyn finally have to reckon with what she’s won—and what she’s lost? Content Advisory: Depictions of sexual assault.

Lauren Emily Whalen

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