Books with author Ally Williams

What if the world is controlled by an elite few who are responsible for keeping it in balance, and every country, government, military, media, and business is being skillfully manipulated to protect the planet from destruction? Twelve-year-old Emily Jones is an average pre-teen--or so she believes until she is invited to attend North Shore Academy, where she quickly discovers that she's anything but ordinary. People she's never met are strangely familiar, the curriculum is unlike any school she's ever imagined, and all the students have an affinity towards an element. Unlike the other students, though, Emily has more than one affinity. As she struggles to control her elements (and her temper), she learns that her soul has lived many lifetimes. She must complete the Awakening to understand how her past lives fit with her current one. While balance is the premise taught at North Shore, some believe that power combined with modern technology is the correct path to take. How will Emily reconcile the struggle between power and balance, all while trying to deal with normal teenaged circumstances in her not-so-normal world?

“I can’t forget about that kiss, Elsie.” His hand comes up to cup my cheek, stroking the skin gingerly. “I don’t want to,” he whispers so lowly I almost don’t hear. His gaze falls to my lips once again. It’s probably the alcohol that forces the next sentence out of me, or it’s the sheer terror that I’ll never be able to tell him how I really feel. “Neither do I.” Elsie Archer and Hayden Jones have been best friends since they were four; the two are almost inseparable. But that is when Hayden isn’t falling for a new girl. Elsie thinks her best friend’s only flaw is that he falls too quickly and too hard. She has seen him charm many girls and has cheered him on. Little does he know that her feel-ings for him have been growing steady for years. Now on their senior year, will Elsie find the courage to tell Hayden what she really feels? Or will she remain in the safety of the friendship they’ve nurtured for years? This young adult romance story will surely break your heart, but it’s worth the bittersweet hurt. Grab your copy now!

What would happen if elephants disappeared? Trace the repercussions of a world without elephants in writer and illustrator Lily Williams' third picture book about loss and conservation.The Congolese forest is home to many types of animals. Some are strong. Some are slippery.Some are loud.And some, like the elephant, are BIG.The elephant has become synonymous with the image of African wildlife. They can grow over 10 feet tall and eat up to 300 pounds a day. While these giants are beloved figures in movies and zoos, they also play a large role in keeping the forest ecosystem healthy.Unfortunately, poachers are hunting elephants rapidly to extinction for their ivory tusks, and that could be catastrophic to the world as we know it.

When the twelve-year-old Kate and her sister Gracie, find themselves stranded on a mysterious island, which is under the control of a band of giants, they are thrown into a quest to free the enslaved islanders by finding the legendary Sword of Retribution, an emblem of the kingdom which is rumored to be in the possession of Emperor Mali, the leader of the giants; overthrowing the emperor; and restoring the rightful King Wilhelm to the throne. They and the third member of the team, a thirteen-year-old boy by the name of Charlie, journey their way to the palace, facing the dangers of the forest and the giants and meeting with aid in the most unlikely places. As challenge after challenge arises, the children must learn the complexities of defense and attack and what makes the right right and the wrong wrong. A classic tale of friendship and adventure with a unique twist.

When the twelve-year-old Kate and her sister Gracie, find themselves stranded on a mysterious island, which is under the control of a band of giants, they are thrown into a quest to free the enslaved islanders by finding the legendary Sword of Retribution, an emblem of the kingdom which is rumored to be in the possession of Emperor Mali, the leader of the giants; overthrowing the emperor; and restoring the rightful King Wilhelm to the throne. They and the third member of the team, a thirteen-year-old boy by the name of Charlie, journey their way to the palace, facing the dangers of the forest and the giants and meeting with aid in the most unlikely places. As challenge after challenge arises, the children must learn the complexities of defense and attack and what makes the right right and the wrong wrong. A classic tale of friendship and adventure with a unique twist.

Summer is winding down and strange days have hit the town of Needles, Massachusetts. Barry Drinkwater, a pool-boy for his parents, is unsure how to proceed when cryptic messages land in his lap while floating in the backyard. Whenever Barry thinks he is alone, he catches someone spying on him from behind shrubbery, gazing at him from around the corner, or peering at him over a newspaper. Then, one day, he happens upon a peculiar help wanted ad: an open position for a Courtroom Abstract Artist via Mirro Enterprises. Meanwhile, his guilt-ridden, morbid, and eccentric friend, Wayne, is obsessed with preparing for the impending apocalypse and introduces Barry to a fantastical realm – a realm that raises more questions than answers. While pursuing the truth, Barry finds himself haunting the local cemetery, wandering through an abandoned mental hospital, and exploring a mysterious highway off-ramp. Important questions remain: Can Barry exist as a pool boy forever? Will Wayne perish as he fears? Will their fates intertwine? And, most importantly, what is the story behind Exit-Thirty-Three-B?

More than 99 percent of the evidence proves the Shroud of Turin is the authentic burial cloth of Jesus Christ. Only one test says otherwise—the carbon date performed in 1988. A serial killer with a fetish for fire targets the faithful of Tucson, Arizona. Homicide detective, Pete Johnston, works to catch the killer before more clergy are killed, before more churches are burned. His daughter, Amari, is a criminal justice major at the University of Arizona. When the Shroud is carbon dated at her university, the results reveal that the relic is a 650-year-old forgery. Amari investigates this ancient cold case file for a class project and makes a shocking discovery that could alter the fate of Christianity. She teams up with Dr. Kevin Brenner, a brilliant young experimental physicist, and together they gather evidence so they can plead their case to the Vatican—unless the killer can stop them first. Her father desperately tries to protect her and catch the killer before she becomes his next victim.

A UFO cult tries to steal the Shroud of Turin in a preposterous scheme to gain eternal life. Amari Johnston is a feisty private investigator fresh out of college. In 1988, she made the national news after debunking the carbon dating performed on the Shroud of Turin. Her boyfriend, Dr. Kevin Brenner, is a brilliant young physicist with his own theories as to why the carbon dating is wrong. One year later, they find themselves in another dangerous situation, one that could land them in the headlines again—and the obituary section as well. A devout Christian named Ernesto Galliano shares Amari and Kevin’s passion for proving the Shroud is the authentic burial cloth of Christ. As sole heir to his father’s vast fortune, Ernesto is determined to use his inheritance for good. He hires Amari and Kevin to join his own personal A-Team, an organization he formed to right the world’s wrongs, one mission at a time. At first reluctant to join this team, Amari’s father, veteran homicide detective, Pete Johnston, finally agrees to take the job so he can protect his daughter from harm. Amari’s bizarre first mission comes after a UFO cult attempts to steal not only the Shroud of Turin but also the Sudarium of Oviedo. However, in a surprising twist of fate, she and Kevin find themselves captured by the very cult they pursue. Desperate to save Kevin and his daughter, Pete unravels clues previously discovered by Amari in a frantic attempt to rescue them before they fall victim to the cult leader’s suicidal vision. Although this novel is Volume 2 in the Amari Johnston series, it can easily be read as a standalone title.

Seventeen-year-old Austrian, Emily Hoffman, has been a shy, exemplary, does-nothing-wrong A-student all her life. The upcoming senior trip, a two-week exchange program with the high school in the quaint little town of Ennis, Montana, might be just what Emily needs to break out of her shell, find out who she really is and unearth the courage to pursue her dream of studying overseas at the University of Washington. Immersed in a different culture, Emily gets a taste of American high school life and is faced with an array of situations she could have never imagined – especially dealing with her less than friendly host-sister and unexpectedly falling for sexy musician Ben. In just a short amount of time Emily explores the fine balances between playing it safe and taking risks, making new friends and dealing with unexpected foes, and falling in love and letting love go. Celebrating friendship, exploring first loves and delving into that so familiar search for one’s own voice, ‘Big Sky’ offers a unique coming of age story which shows how teenagers who seemingly live worlds apart are brought together by similar life experiences, a yearning to discover who they are and a desire to find their place in the world.

What would happen if elephants disappeared? Trace the repercussions of a world without elephants in writer and illustrator Lily Williams' third picture book about loss and conservation.The Congolese forest is home to many types of animals. Some are strong. Some are slippery.Some are loud.And some, like the elephant, are BIG.The elephant has become synonymous with the image of African wildlife. They can grow over 10 feet tall and eat up to 300 pounds a day. While these giants are beloved figures in movies and zoos, they also play a large role in keeping the forest ecosystem healthy.Unfortunately, poachers are hunting elephants rapidly to extinction for their ivory tusks, and that could be catastrophic to the world as we know it.