Homecoming Queen

A teen girl’s rising star attracts the attention of a sinister figure in this chilling young adult thriller from Goosebumps author R.L. Stine. Tania is having the best year of her life. She has a hot new boyfriend, she landed the starring role in a student film, and she’s just been voted homecoming queen. But someone is jealous of Tania and plans to ruin her perfect year—even if that means killing her. Will Tania live to see the homecoming dance?

Twenty-five years after the last homecoming queen at Westdale High was murdered, Melissa is nominated as a contestant for the newly-revived tradition, and she is horrified when the other contestants begin to fall victim to deadly accidents.

Tania is having the best year of her life. She has a hot new boyfriend, she landed the starring role in a student film, and she’s just been voted homecoming queen. But someone is jealous of Tania. Someone plans to ruin her perfect year—even if that means killing her. Will Tania live to see the homecoming dance?

Twenty-five years after the last homecoming queen at Westdale High was murdered, Melissa is nominated as a contestant for the newly-revived tradition, and she is horrified when the other contestants begin to fall victim to deadly accidents.

With six teenage girls living under one roof, things are bound to get interesting. Mix six teenaged girls and one ’60s fashion icon (retired, of course) in an old Victorian-era boarding home. Add guys and dating, a little high-school angst, and throw in a Kate Spade bag or two ... and you’ve got The Carter House Girls, Melody Carlson’s new chick lit series for young adults!The Carter House experiences a shake-up as one of its own returns home after an unnerving disappearing act. Then, friction grows as a school Homecoming Queen race heats up, turning friends and housemates against one another. DJ, Eliza, Taylor, Kriti, Rhiannon, and Casey show they have plenty of lessons to learn as the votes roll in. Some grow smarter and closer to God, while others seem to make the same mistakes over again. Despite all their differences and disagreements, the Carter House girls continue to grow together, forging a bond that strengthens through hardship. Hearts CAN change and friendship paves the way for at least one girl to move closer to God.

“It’s hard for me to keep a straight face at the thought of living in a place called Queens with my husband and former homecoming queen wife,” Jackson thinks when his spouses inform him of their desire to move back to their hometown following the death of a parent. In Homecoming Queens, this decision sets in motion events that will dramatically transform the three spouses, their understanding of the past, and the town itself. As Jackson Garner leaves Tampa, he introduces us to Queens, a small town in Georgia situated between Atlanta and Augusta. In Queens, Jackson, Crystal and Lee encounter supportive regulars at the diner they take over from Crystal’s father as well as hostile locals who find bisexuality, polyamory, and other “alternative” lifestyles unsavory. They also confront the traumatic event that led Crystal and Lee to leave town after high school. Along the way, they face the history and ghosts of the town, the tension between an LGBT friendly pastor and some of his anti-LGBT congregants, the struggles of a kid seeking gender transition, and the ongoing battle between progress and tradition in the American south. Homecoming Queens can be read purely for pleasure or used as supplemental reading for courses in sexualities, gender, relationships, sociology, families, religion, the life course, the American south, identities, culture, intersectionality, and arts-based research. “Witty, action-packed, and full of surprises, Homecoming Queens will speak to anyone who has ever tried to go home again. Sumerau’s novel is an eye-opening read that sheds light on the dynamics of polyamory and queer presence in the Deep South. Secrets and mysteries intertwine with friendships new and old as the three spouses navigate Queens as sexually non-conforming adults.” – Katie Acosta, Ph.D., Georgia State University and author of Amigas y Amantes: Sexually Nonconforming Latinas Negotiate Family “Homecoming Queens educates you about being queer, trans, and poly in the South while also entertaining you with a captivating story from start to finish. Seriously, this story should be turned into a play or movie – or both!” – Eric Anthony Grollman, Ph.D., University of Richmond and Editor of Conditionallyaccepted.com “Homecoming Queens shows that while the past may sometimes reverberate into our present, it does not necessarily have to define our present or the futures we seek. This book will keep you guessing and wondering long after you’ve read it.” – Lorena Garcia, Ph.D., University of Illinois Chicago and author of Respect Yourself, Protect Yourself: Latina Girls and Sexual Identity J. E. Sumerau is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Tampa. Their writing focuses on sexualities, gender, religion, and health in the interpersonal and historical experiences of sexual, gender, and religious minorities. They are also the author of two previous novels – Cigarettes & Wine and Essence. For more information, visit www.jsumerau.com

Lizzie McVay realizes that someone is murdering the five Prom Queen candidates one by one--and that she may be next on the list! Can she stop the murderer before the dance is over--for good? Stine's Fear Street books are every bit as popular as Pike's.--School Library Journal.

At fifteen years old, Kelechi left Nigeria for the United States, leaving her family and her culture behind. Fifteen years later, she is now a best-selling novelist and must return to Nigeria to care for her ailing father. Before she can say goodbye, however, she must relearn the traditions she had wiped from her memory. Kelechi’s homecoming soon becomes a head-on collision with her culture, trauma, family history, and the love of those who never forgot her.