Resilient

by Patricia Vanasse

  Buy Here

  Against All Odds. Sometimes boy meets girl, and the stars align, and their future is laid out neatly before them. Together forever. Meant to be. But Max and Loren are not one of those couples.

  Seventeen-year-old Max DuPont is on the verge of becoming a ward of the state and foster kid. Contrary to expectations, Max is not from the "wrong" side of town. He's from a good home in a nice neighborhood, but his mother left after his father lost his job and turned to drinking. Max has been struggling to keep his head above water ever since. All he wants is to survive his senior year, play hockey, and move on to college. When his dad lands himself in jail, Max has no choice but to accept an offer to live with his father's do-gooder attorney, Mr. Larssi. The only contingency is that Max must stay far away from Larssi's beautiful teenage daughter Loren. Loren is aware that she's had every opportunity in her young adult life—at least, that is, every opportunity her parents designed for her. She excels in academics at a competitive prep school, she never parties, she never dates, and she's a budding ballerina and major hopeful for a Juilliard scholarship. But since her best friend Lily died tragically three months ago, Loren is lost. She knows just how precious life is. But she has no idea how to make the best of it. How can she live—really live—with obsessive parents breathing down her neck…and inviting the only guy who never noticed her to live right under their roof? Loren's first step in living her own life might be to get Max to notice her. Max's only chance at a solid future without foster care is to keep his distance from Loren. But their chemistry is undeniable. And they can't fight the odds forever…

  Thank You

  Now that you have finished my book, won’t you please consider writing a review? Reviews are the best way readers discover great new books. I would truly appreciate it.

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to thank my parents for teaching me to be strong, regardless of the rough patches. To my little cousins, Malu Gedeon and Beatriz Gedeon, thank you for putting up with me and helping me to maintain my sanity while writing Resilient. At the same time comforting me through my husband’s military deployment. You have helped more than you can imagine.

  I must thank my amazing friend Ann Owen for reading Resilient countless times and providing me with great insights. To Amber Davidson for loving Resilient when it was just a rough draft. My beautiful daughter Isabella, your determination has taught me to never give up. And my son Lucas, your big dark eyes are my inspiration. Sara Cypher, you do magic!

  My husband Jesse and my sister Camila, you are the only ones in the world I care to amaze. My heart isn’t big enough for the love I have for you. Next, I want to thank everyone at Pants On Fire Press, for believing in Resilient and giving it life. Last but not least, a big thank you to all of my friends who have touched my life. One way or another, you have helped me to get where I am today.

  Catalog Links

  See below for links to more young adult books by Pants On Fire Press.

  What happens when an unlikely trio is thrown together by circumstance? Fate intervenes and three lives are changed forever. Danny Simon, a 13 year old Jewish refugee, lost his entire family in Poland to the Holocaust. Now he must adapt to a new life in America -- with an aunt and uncle he never met. It is not easy for him. Images of his horrifying ordeal often come to visit him at night. And he must contend with neighborhood bullies. But his life takes a turn in a different direction when he tries to rescue a wounded pigeon. That’s when he meets Mike Delaney; a man whose past is filled with secrets. And so, a Jewish refugee, a battle weary war veteran, and a wounded pigeon form an unlikely bond. Together they will learn valuable lessons from one another. And together they must find a way to heal old wounds. Only then can they begin life anew.

  This is the story of how I died…repeatedly. J has been cursed for all eternity. In her very first life on Earth, she made the mistake of falling in love with her sister’s betrothed… and it was all downhill from there. In revolutionary France, J and the other members of Marie Antoinette’s court are forced into hiding, desperate to escape a wild uprising out for their blood. From there, she is reincarnated in America in the late 1800s, where she disguises herself as a man in the Confederate army and is surrounded by carnage and blood. In Austria in the 1930s, she became the only hope for her Jewish friends’ survival against the Nazi storm. Now, as a 21st century teenager, she faces mountains of extracurricular volunteer work and a ruthless bully all on her quest to get into a competitive college. Talk about a bummer. Beside her in each life, Sebastian finds himself on the wrong side of every battle. Always a soldier, he makes it his mission time and time again to rescue J with the hope that maybe someday they’ll get the chance to be together, if only that were possible. They say that everything happens for a reason, but can J and Sebastian find a way to break their curse and finally make a life together?

  Against All Odds. Sometimes boy meets girl, and the stars align, and their future is laid out neatly before them. Together forever. Meant to be. But Max and Loren are not one of those couples.

  Seventeen-year-old Max DuPont is on the verge of becoming a ward of the state and foster kid. Contrary to expectations, Max is not from the "wrong" side of town. He's from a good home in a nice neighborhood, but his mother left after his father lost his job and turned to drinking. Max has been struggling to keep his head above water ever since. All he wants is to survive his senior year, play hockey, and move on to college. When his dad lands himself in jail, Max has no choice but to accept an offer to live with his father's do-gooder attorney, Mr. Larssi. The only contingency is that Max must stay far away from Larssi's beautiful teenage daughter Loren. Loren is aware that she's had every opportunity in her young adult life—at least, that is, every opportunity her parents designed for her. She excels in academics at a competitive prep school, she never parties, she never dates, and she's a budding ballerina and major hopeful for a Juilliard scholarship. But since her best friend Lily died tragically three months ago, Loren is lost. She knows just how precious life is. But she has no idea how to make the best of it. How can she live—really live—with obsessive parents breathing down her neck…and inviting the only guy who never noticed her to live right under their roof? Loren's first step in living her own life might be to get Max to notice her. Max's only chance at a solid future without foster care is to keep his distance from Loren. But their chemistry is undeniable. And they can't fight the odds forever…

  Resilient. Livia has never felt like she fits in. As normal as it sounds, Livia is anything but ordinary. She can feel every emotion of every single person around her, and it’s maddening. In pursuit of some psychic quiet, she moves with her family from New York City to Whidbey Island in the lush and sleepy Pacific Northwest. But when a horseback riding accident in her new home gives her a broken leg that heals in a day, she finds that another unexplainable ability has manifested, and her life isn’t about to get any easier. Adam has no problem fitting in and making friends. In fact, he’s the top of the school, the boy everyone knows and loves. However, people only see what he allows them to. No one knows what Adam is truly capable of.

  After witnessing Livia’s accident, Adam sees something intriguing in her quick recovery, something that gives him hope that he’s not alone. Adam is the only one whose emotions Livia can’t read. Afraid of not knowing what goes on behind his dark eyes, Livia decides to keep him at a distance. Yet the more she tries to ignore him, the more alluring he becomes, and while their personal quests for identity will inevitably bring them closer together, it is the confirmation of what they really are that threatens to tear them apart. Resilient, told in alternating point of views, is a gripping story of survival and romance, in which two teenagers face the consequences of being anything but normal.

  Awakened (Resilient 2). In an attempt to protect their families, Livia and Adam set out in a search for answers that would change their lives forever. While on the run, Livia and Adam crossed paths with Daniel, who had been searching fo
r genetically enhanced teens. But getting out from under The Agencys radar has not been easy. After being ambushed by the leader of The Agency that created thema desperate attempt to claim what they lost just over a decade earlierLivia was forced to leave Adam behind, barely escaping to safety with Daniel. Now under the control of The Agency, Adam is serving the purpose for which he was created. Manipulated to forget his love for Livia and his past, he lives a life crafted by fake memories that enslave him to a life of following the orders of the agency. Now Adam battles with vivid dreams of a life he does not remember and the strong connection he feels to the girl with familiar blue eyes. The desire for vengeance propels Livia and Daniel into a dangerous race to disrupt the destructive string of events that The Agency initiated seventeen years earlier. As they travel across parts of North America in search of other teens who are just like them, Livia will face an ethical battle over genetics, loyalty, and love. The race is on, and it is up to Livia to destroy The Agency and rescue Adam, but even if she succeeds at saving him, there are no guarantees shell able to save the deep connection they once shared.

  The Familiar. On a day that should have been just like any other, 17 year-old Hazel Smith wakes up naked, disoriented, and bleeding on an unfamiliar kitchen floor So begins a jolting series of bizarre events that lead Hazel to uncover her family's mystical secret that will change her world forever.

  The young "familiar" is summoned to a unique camp hidden deep in the forest to harness her newfound ability of shape-shifting into animal form. Camp Chameleon instantly offers welcoming friends, intriguing counselors, and a series of challenging activities that help Hazel to grasp her powerful gift. However, when the camp is suddenly threatened by age-old dark forces, Hazel must embrace her evolving power and finally follow in her mother's legendary footsteps.

  Son Of Blood

  Amongst the horror, her love was his salvation.

  Martin is a four hundred year old vampire. Together with his son, Christian, he protects the idyllic nature of the coastal town of Skerries, for a significant cost, the blood of the strangers who outstay their welcome. Martin knows his soul is cursed and that, when the time comes, he will burn for eternity in the depths of hell but he strives to ensure that Christian will never have to take a human life and thus be reunited with his human mother in heaven. Revered, respected and feared, the town's people know little about the vampires that coexist with them except that when they are called upon, they come. This is something that the seemingly unassuming town Mayor manipulates for his own benefit. It is not until he learns of the forbidden love between Christian and his daughter and the mysterious death of one of the town's teenagers, that the Mayor and residents turn on their supernatural guardians.

  Outbreak: The Zombie Apocalypse. It begins with a flight into Heathrow Airport. It ends up at Matt Hawkins’ front gate, in a crowd of savage, lumbering bodies. An epidemic is sweeping Great Britain, transforming countless victims into mindless predators and forcing Matt and his little brother, Danny, out of the safety of their late parents’ privileged legacy and into a rapidly changing world.

  Every day is vital. Every action counts. As the brothers make alliances and learn to defend themselves and their home against an unthinkable enemy, choices are made, some with devastating consequences. In the midst of this nightmarish fight to survive, Matt begins to learn what is truly important to him, and exactly what it means to be human.

  Breakout: The Zombie Apocalypse Book 2. In this sequel to Outbreak: The Zombie Apocalypse, Matt Hawkins strives for redemption following Britain's first zombie outbreak. His internal struggles and his psychological analysis of those around him lead him to question the ethics of humanity and himself as he fights to survive the apocalypse.

  Hawkins perception of the immoral decisions of the leadership in seeking a possible cure force him to reevaluate his past and question his own motives as he tries desperately to conceal a secret that could ruin him and prevent him from keeping the fragile promise which has become his only motivation to live. From the sanctuary of the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales to the promise of an escape through the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone, Kent, their only hope for survival and for the possibility of ending the zombie outbreak, the diverse group of people experience loss while they hope for success but all at a very high price.

  Becoming Zodiak. He has the looks, the skills and even the name, but is that enough to win... Becoming Zodiak?

  Zodiak. An unmatched, unbeatable team composed of twelve elite fighters. Their purpose? To rid the streets of crime and corruption, and to fend against a kind of wickedness that runs much deeper than any ordinary crime could. And they were unmatched, they were unbeatable. Until they weren’t.

  After the events of what should have been just another mission, Zodiak finds itself one member short—one member too few. The team is scrambling to fill their empty seat, to find a new number twelve, and this desperation bringsabout one of the largest media events the world has ever seen: a competition.

  My Water Path. Mississippi, the late 1950s. After the death of his father, eleven-year-old Jory Sheppard runs away from an unwanted life in foster care. Trying to make it on his own, he is caught in a violent storm on the Mississippi River, but when he is rescued from the raging waters by an old black man named Moses, it becomes the event that will change his life.

  Taken into Moses’ family as one of their own, Jory is introduced to a world so familiar and yet so very different from the one he once knew. As he learns and grows under the benevolent care of his new family, he struggles to make sense of the society in which he lives—a society that would spit on a man such as Moses simply because his skin is black, and make every effort to rip Jory from the family he loves.

  Quickly entrenched in a struggle that is much bigger than himself, Jory must learn the difference between what feels necessary and what is right, what pity is, and what hate is. If he wants to fight the injustice and uncertainty that surrounds him, he must learn what it really means to stand up for what he believes in.

  Like us on Facebook for giveaways and for all the latest information on all things Pants on Fire Press.

  Middle Grade Catalog

  The Kringle Chronicles: Catching Santa. High-tech gadgetry and ancient magic has done little to aid in the centuries old search for Santa's rogue assistant, Servant Rupert. But Servant Rupert has been searching for someone too –the fabled Pole, the one person who can see Santa. But the search hasn’t fared well for Servant Rupert. To make matters worse, his agents have contacted Santa’s forces wishing to defect. A risky plan is quickly set in motion by Santa’s Special Forces to divulge the location of Jakob Jablonski, the Pole, in hopes it will lead to the capture of Santa’s forever naughty helper. Wasting little time, Servant Rupert recklessly contacts Jakob. In the ensuing mayhem Jakob is drawn into the mystery of Santa and his dastardly rogue assistant when proclaimed a Pole by Servant Rupert. He quickly demands that Jakob catch Santa...or he will turn everyone Jakob cares for into coal! Jakob and his band of friends, partnering with elf spies and rogue agents of Servant Rupert, begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot involving more than just catching Santa. Ages 9 and up. Awards: 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Award Winner (Children's/Juvenile Fiction). Accelerated Reader Quiz No. 150476 EN - 9 Points.

  Tales From Farlandia: Ozette's Destiny (Book One). Ozette, a rare and beautiful white squirrel, must flee Earth World when she is wrongly blamed for the destruction of their sacred forest simply because she is different. Clutching only a golden acorn, which was gifted to her by her beloved grandmother, Ozette escapes to Farlandia, a magical kingdom where her grandmother has said the young squirrel will find her destiny. Ages 8 and up. Awards: 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist (Children's/Juvenile Fiction). Accelerated Reader Quiz No. 163448 EN - 4 Points.

  Tales From Farlandia: Ozette's Destiny (Book Two). After being crowned the queen of Farlandia, the white squirrel Ozette finds herself in the midst of a struggle to save the endang
ered and enchanted forest where she now lives. Can Ozette round up the help she needs to preserve the rhythms of nature that make Farlandia so special? In order to accomplish this gigantic feat, the white squirrel must enter the world of deep, forest magic in an attempt to save her chosen family. But is she ready to learn the truth about the land she loves? She enlists the help of ethereal fairies, elusive elves, and her newest friend Gizmo as they find themselves in a desperate race against Boardmore, Smiley, and time. Under the guidance of Princess Abrianna and the direction of Queen Beatrix, Ozette learns more about her new home than she could have imagined. The secrets that nature holds can only be unlocked when you embark on yet another magical journey with Ozette and her enchanting friends. Are you ready to learn the truth about Farlandia?