New Releases by C. L. Stone

Forgiveness and Permission is the fourth book in The Academy Ghost Bird Series. Sang Sorenson’s abusive mother is secure in a hospital, and her father has vanished to a new family of his own, leaving Sang and her sister to fend for themselves. Sang is hanging by a thread, and her only hope is a group of boys she feels she barely knows. She’s never really alone. The Academy team has stepped in, promising to protect and care for Sang. Kota, Victor, Silas, Nathan, Gabriel, Luke and North take over, showing Sang they can be depended on for anything. But just because the parents are away, doesn’t mean Sang’s life has become any easier. The newfound freedom will have a higher price than any of them had imagined. Principal Hendricks now wants to use Sang to exploit Academy secrets. Mr. McCoy has his own dark plans for her. Enemies are closing in. Sang will need to learn to believe in the boys, and the boys will need to learn to trust her if they want to survive their rivals. And each other. The Academy, Relentless Trust Keywords: spies, family, young adult, child abuse, coming of age, friendship, action, adventure, YA, mysteries, thrillers, Charleston, academy, menage, reverse, harem, dysfunctional, relationships, social situations, sleuth, private detective, neglect, family, families, high, school, sibling, bullies, bullying, love, romantic, romance, teen, drama, love triangle, contemporary, secrets

Friends vs. Family is the third book in The Academy Ghost Bird Series. Sang Sorenson is forced to suffer through another of her mother’s extreme punishments. It almost kills her. The Academy boys vow it will be the last. They''re determined to keep Sang safe, especially from her own family. Their solution: complete invasion of her life. Kota, Luke, Silas, Nathan, Victor, Gabriel and North do everything within their power to show Sang what true loyalty means. It takes more than blood to make a family and they want Sang in theirs. In this third book of The Academy series Sang experiences a taste of freedom and what it’s like to truly be cared for...to be wanted. Sang learns a bit more about the boys’ broken families and the boys discover more than they could ever have bargained for about Sang’s. The Academy was the answer to their problems. Could it be hers? Sang’s actions will force her mother to reveal a startling truth. A truth that will change Sang’s life and the boys’ lives in unpredictable ways. Forever. The Academy, Allegiance Keywords: spies, family, young adult, child abuse, coming of age, friendship, action, adventure, YA, mysteries, thrillers, Charleston, academy, menage, reverse, harem, dysfunctional, relationships, social situations, sleuth, private detective, neglect, family, families, high, school, sibling, bullies, bullying, love, romantic, romance, teen, drama, love triangle, contemporary, secrets

From the author of the wildly popular Academy Series! Note: This book was originally published as Spice God. Newly divorced, Melody ran away from a drugged out ex-husband and a controlling mother with little more than the clothes on her back. She needed a new home and a new job, not to mention a new life. Juniper Island, a thriving and posh hideaway known for its bustling summer tourism, held a promise to be exactly the change she needed. Without a second thought, Melody buys a one-way bus ticket. Directed to the North Shore by the bus driver, she meets Tonac, the unusual chef and owner of Mayana, a restaurant tailored to serve the hard-working island locals. He gives his delicious meals away for free, but that''s not the strangest part; he doesn''t serve people what they want, only what they need. When Melody tastes the food for the first time, she finds out why the customers keep coming back, and it''s not just to eat for free or to be served by a rude waiter with no people skills. The food influences people in unique ways: sometimes it gives them visions, sometimes bravery, and in others it casts a new light into the darkest and faintest of memories -- whether they wanted to remember or not. Knowing she can do better as a server than the crabby waiter, Melody applies for a job at this strange restaurant. Tonac takes her on, but under his care, she comes face-to-face with the secrets of what he really is and who (and what) else inhabits the island. But not all of the residents of Juniper Island are happy with Tonac and his special meals. And when Melody gets caught up in the middle, it''ll take more than a few spiced apple tarts or a bowl of pumpkin soup to uncover the deep and dark secrets that some inhabitants of Juniper Island want to keep buried.

First Days is the second book in The Academy Ghost Bird Series. Sang Sorenson used to be the invisible girl in class. As a new student to Ashley Waters High School, Sang hopes that her new friends will be the change she’s been craving and will make fitting in a breeze. But Academy students aren’t there to take it easy. The high school is overcrowded and rife with violence. When fights begin, Sang will uncover the true reason the boys traded in their private school life for a public one. This year, Sang will no longer be invisible. This year, Sang is a target. The principal and vice principal are hot to take Sang down, and her own mother is determined to entrap Sang forever in her belief that the safest place to be is in the shadows. Despite this, Nathan, Luke, Kota, North, Silas, Victor, and Gabriel will discover Sang’s unyielding loyalty. And they will sorely need it. The Academy, supremely influential. Keywords: spies, family, young adult, child abuse, coming of age, friendship, action, adventure, YA, mysteries, thrillers, Charleston, academy, menage, reverse, harem, dysfunctional, relationships, social situations, sleuth, private detective, neglect, family, families, high, school, sibling, bullies, bullying, love, romantic, romance, teen, drama, love triangle, contemporary, secrets

With an agoraphobic mother and a barely-there father, Sang abhors the isolation keeping her in the shadows. The only thing Sang craves is a fresh start and to be accepted as ordinary by her peers, because for her being different meant being cast out alone. When her family moves to a new school district, Sang infiltrates a group of boys nearly perfect in every way. Grateful for an influence outside of her parents’ negativity, she quickly bonds with the boys, hoping to blend in and learn from them what it means to have a natural relationship with friends. Only the boys have secrets of their own and they’ll do anything to keep her safe from the knowledge of the mysterious Academy that they''ve sworn allegiance to. Bit by bit, Sang discovers that her friends are far from the normalcy she expected. Will her loyalty change when she''s forced to remain in the dark, or will she accept that she''s traded one house of secrets for another? Meet Kota, Victor, Silas, Nathan, Gabriel, Luke and North in a story about differences and loyalty, truth and mystery, friendships and heart-throbbing intimacy. The Academy, ever vigilant.

With Homecoming and everything else that’s been going on in their world, everyone is on edge. But what better time to take in a few Halloween traditions like watching scary movies and carving pumpkins? Maybe kissing can be a new Halloween tradition now that Sang has joined the crew… Follow Sang and Kota, Victor, Silas, Nathan, Gabriel, Luke and North in this short slice of life story leading up to the homecoming dance. The Academy, Eerily Spooky Warning – if you haven’t yet read House of Korba, this story will give away mild spoilers – read at your own peril!