Eternal Spring A Young Adult Short Story Collection
Read Eternal Spring A Young Adult Short Story Collection Online
Authors: Various
| Eternal Spring A Young Adult Short Story Collection |
| Various |
| CreateSpace (2012) |
Flowers, vacation, baseball, prom...what does spring mean to you? From unicorn hunters and teenage exorcists to Egyptian princesses and aspiring ballerinas, this collection of thirteen stories by some of the most exciting authors in Young Adult fiction explores young love and new beginnings during the most beautiful time of the year.
"Camp Cauldron" by Juli Alexander
Forced to spend Spring Break as a counselor at a camp for troublesome young witches instead of drooling over hotties at the beach, Emma relinquishes her hopes for romance. Could the perfect guy be waiting in the midst of poison ivy, s'mores, elephant trunks, and kangaroo feet?
"Barre Hopping at Midnight" by Amanda Brice
How can aspiring ballerina Dani Spevak concentrate on performing at a spring arts festival when her not-quite-boyfriend is in town filming the lead in a hot new vampire movie and he was seen kissing his costar?
"The Vanishing Spring" by Carey Corp
More than a century earlier, Eleanor Quimby tumbled into the water to escape an arranged marriage and disappeared. But was that the tragic end or a brave new beginning?
"The Princess of Egypt Must Die" by Stephanie Dray
A lonely Princess of Egypt is tempted by a forbidden love and forced to make a heartbreaking choice that will upend a kingdom and change her forever.
"Spring Perfection" by Leslie DuBois
Star athlete Scott Kincaid is about to make history and pitch a perfect game. But when he realizes that true perfection lies in the relationship he has with his best friend, Reyna, will he risk everything in order to keep a promise to her?
"Picture Not Perfect" by Lois Lavrisa
Seventeen-year old Tim wants to go to senior prom. Why doesn't his girlfriend Gabrielle want to go with him? Is she not who she says she is?
"Potionate Love" by P.R. Mason
Math geek, Tina, has found a way to get the popular jock, Ronny, to fall for her: a love potion. It'll work unless her best friend Nathan gets in the way.
"1:30, Tour Eiffel" by Jennifer McAndrews
A kiss in the dark will ruin Spring Break and lifelong friendships unless Rachel Healey can prove she is a pawn in someone else's game.
"Off Balance" by Renee Pace
Jennifer's secret is big, but she loves Charlie enough to know ending their teenage relationship will set him free and enable him to join the Army. When Charlie discovers the truth, it's up to him to convince Jen their young love was meant to be.
"On a Field, Sable" by Diana Peterfreund
After the shocking events of Ascendant, what awaits the unicorn hunter Melissende Holtz on the mountaintop where she watched her comrades fall?
"The Language of Flowers" by Rhonda Stapleton
Chrissy, a clerk at her aunt's flower shop, starts getting her own romantic surprises -- flowers with a special secret meaning. Can she bury her longstanding unrequited crush on her best friend's brother to take a chance on mysterious love?
"Dating After Dark (With Clowns)" by Tawny Stokes
All teenage exorcist Caden Butcher wants is a demon-free night to take his new girl to the spring fair. Is that too much to ask for?
"Sometime" by Alicia Street Sixteen-year-old mythology buff Terry Conn finally gets the after-school museum job she wanted so badly, but who knew those ancient dragon figures would dredge up images of a past she only half-remembered? Or that drool-worthy Jerrod Pierce would be part of it?
Collectively, the thirteen authors in Eternal Spring have published over 90 books, and have received or have been nominated for several prestigious awards, including the RITA,® the Golden Heart,® the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, the Cybil Award for Best Young Adult Fiction, the EPIC e-book Award, the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and the New York Public Library's Books for the Teen Age list.
Collectively, the thirteen authors in Eternal Spring have published over 90 books, and have received or have been nominated for several prestigious awards, including the RITA,® the Golden Heart,® the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, the Jasmine, the Maggie, the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, the Cybil Award for Best Young Adult Fiction, the EPIC e-book Award, the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age list.
ETERNAL SPRING
Anthology
Flowers, vacation, baseball, prom…what does spring mean to
you? From unicorn hunters and teenage exorcists to Egyptian princesses and aspiring
ballerinas, this collection of thirteen stories by some of the most exciting
authors in Young Adult fiction explores young love and new beginnings during
the most beautiful time of the year.
Praise for Eternal Spring
“
Eternal Spring
blooms with the freshest
voices in the YA genre.”
- Gwen Hayes, author
of
Falling
Under
"
Fun, fresh and imaginative, these
thirteen tales will delight readers of all ages. A breath of fresh air for the
YA world."
- Mari Mancusi,
award-winning author of the Blood Coven Vampire Series
"Readers will
fall in love with this diverse and exciting collection of stories by current
and future YA fiction stars."
- Maureen McGowan,
author of
Deviants
,
Book One of The Dust Chronicles
Eternal Spring
Copyright © 2012.
Smashwords Edition
“Camp Cauldron”
Copyright © 2012 by Juli Alexander.
“Barre Hopping at
Midnight” Copyright © 2012 by Amanda Brice.
“The Vanishing
Spring” Copyright © 2012 by Carey Corp.
“The Princess of
Egypt Must Die” Copyright © 2012 by Stephanie Dray.
“Spring Perfection”
Copyright © 2012 by Leslie DuBois.
“Picture Not Perfect”
Copyright © 2012 by Lois Lavrisa.
“Potionate Love”
Copyright © 2012 by P.R. Mason.
“1:30, Tour Eiffel”
Copyright © 2012 by Jennifer McAndrews.
“Off Balance”
Copyright © 2012 by Renee Pace.
“On a Field, Sable”
Copyright © 2012 by Diana Peterfreund.
“The Language of
Flowers” Copyright © 2012 by Rhonda Stapleton.
“Dating After Dark
(With Clowns)” Copyright © 2012 by Tawny Stokes.
“Sometime” Copyright
© 2012 by Alicia Street.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights reserved
under copyright above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by
any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise)
without the prior written permission of the copyright owner(s) and publisher of
this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places,
brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination
or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and
trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which
have been used without permission. The publication of these trademarks is not
associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Edited by Rhonda
Helms (
www.rhondaedits.com
),
Amanda Brice, and Tawny Stokes.
Formatted by Patricia
Mason.
For information on
the cover illustration and design, contact Amanda Kelsey at Razzle Dazzle
Designs (
http://www.razzdazzstock.com
).
Table of Contents
Camp Cauldron by Juli Alexander
Barre Hopping at Midnight by Amanda Brice
The Vanishing Spring by Carey Corp
The Princess of Egypt Must Die by Stephanie Dray
Spring Perfection by Leslie Dubois
Picture Not Perfect by Lois Lavrisa
Potionate Love by P.R. Mason
1:30, Tour Eiffel by Jennifer McAndrews
On A Field, Sable by Diana Peterfreund
The Language of Flowers by Rhonda Stapleton
Dating After Dark (With Clowns) by Tawny Stokes
Sometime by Alicia Street
About the Stories in Eternal
Spring
By
Juli
Alexander
My phone vibrated and I hit Ignore for the fifth time. I
wasn't ready to talk to Sophie after the stunt she'd pulled. Turning back to
the television, I tried to convince myself I was watching the show. If I'd
known she'd be so stupid, I would have taken out that dusty cauldron and unused
potion book and learned how to brew a common sense potion.
Mom had been on the
land line
for
twenty minutes. Finally, I heard her hang up, and she stepped into the family
room to check on me.
“Emma, I talked to Sarah.”
“Mm,” I said.
Mom had already kicked off her heels and was walking around
in her top, skirt, and pantyhose. "She told me you're ignoring Sophie's
calls."
“Yep.” I picked up the remote and muted the television.
Mom sat down at the other end of the overstuffed couch and
sighed as she sank into the cushions. “I hate it when you girls fight. It takes
so much of my energy.”
My mother and Sophie's mother were good friends, which was
great most of the time, but not so great when we fought. “She told you why,
didn't she?” I maybe whined as I said it.
Mom's brown hair, frizzy from her long day at work, bobbed
as she nodded. “I'm sorry, honey. I know you were looking forward to that
Spring Break trip.”
“What kind of idiot gets caught sneaking out of the house
three weeks before Spring Break!”
My mother narrowed her eyes. “I'm going to ignore your
emphasis on 'getting caught' for now.”
Sophie and I were finally old enough to have a modicum of
freedom when her mother took us to the beach. I had been looking forward to
this for months! My first Spring Break trip in high school. "Mom, this
stinks! I'm already packed!”
With a frown, Mom said, “I noticed, and I'm pretty sure you
would have needed some of that underwear before your trip."
“Mother!”
“I am sorry, Emma. I wish we could take you somewhere, but
your father and I both have to work.”
“I need a new best friend.” Sophie and I had grown up
together. Our families were magic, and there weren't a whole lot of witches in
Athens, Georgia. At least, not real witches. A whole lot of crystals and
flowing skirts though.
“She let you down,” my mother said.
I had the perfect bathing suit ready to go. Five shopping
trips and two Internet orders wasted. Instead of flirting with hot guys on the
beach, I'd be stuck here in town. Alone. Everybody went to the beach for Spring
Break.
The grinding of the garage door opener alerted us to my
father's arrival.
“Don't tell Dad!” I pleaded.
My mother paused, and I knew I had her. “We have to tell him
that the trip is off, but maybe we could postpone telling him some of the
details.”
Mom and I were well aware of my dad's opinion of Sophie. He
didn't much like her. He thought Sarah was too easy on her, and every time he
saw Sophie, he said, “That girl is headed for trouble.”
Dad walked into the room, taking off his suit jacket and
laying in across the armchair. “Honey, I'm home.”
Dad said that every day. He thought it was funny. I guess.
He leaned down and kissed my mother. Then me.
“How was your day, Em?” he asked.
I glanced at my mother.
“Not so great,” I said.
“Sarah canceled the beach trip,” Mom added. “Emma's a little
disappointed.”
“What?” He looked from Mom to
me and back
.
“Isn't it a little late for that?”
“You would think,” I grumbled.
“She must have a reason?” Dad sat down in the recliner and
waited to hear the rest.