Books with author C. J. Darlington

Ever since Grey Alexander’s parents disappeared five years ago, she’s had one goal—to keep herself and her younger sister Rin alive. But surviving in the North American Wildlife Preserve isn’t easy, especially for the unconnected who can be shot on sight by border patrol robot drones. Through the guidance of their eccentric old neighbor Mrs. March, Grey and Rin get through by smuggling contraband into the Mazdaar government’s city zones. But when Grey is captured by the merciless General Evangeline Yurkutz and is forced to become bait for her mother and father, she questions everything she thought she knew about her life in the Preserve and her missing parents. Is it possible Jupiter isn’t uninhabitable? And could this planet, whose sky swirls with orange vapors and where extinct-on-Earth creatures roam free, hold the key to reuniting her family? A fast-paced, character-driven space adventure that's reminiscent of science fiction's golden age.--KATHY TYERS, author of the The Truce at Bakura: Star Wars Legends and Balance Point: Star Wars Legends

Only a week ago Grey Alexander thought she and her sister were orphans. And like everyone else she believed Jupiter was uninhabitable. Now she’s standing on its surface, reunited with her mom and dad and on the brink of an interplanetary war. The government of Mazdaar is ruthlessly determined to claim Jupiter like they already have Earth, but Grey has joined her parents and Commander Fleur March in the Yien Dynasty’s resistance effort. Jupiter, where extinct animals roam free and seem to have an uncanny ability to communicate with her sister, is the last hope for the freedom of mankind.When Mazdaar unexpectedly descends with a fleet of their terrifying Triangle jets, Grey and her family barely escape with their lives. Cut off from reinforcements and traveling in a ship full of strangers, who can they trust? Surely not Dana Yurkutz, the traitorous prisoner who even though she inexplicably saved Grey’s life is still loyal to Mazdaar.Deception is their enemy’s most powerful weapon, and light and darkness soon blur on this new frontier. Nothing is as it first seems, and Grey and Dana must each choose sides before it’s too late.

Teen sisters Grey and Rin Alexander are barely surviving as Mazdaar resisters in the North American Wildlife Preserve. Danger lurks around every sandstone rock, but the girls are resourceful and have become smugglers to make ends meet. They have no idea their most perilous mission is about to begin. Are these outlawed siblings up to the challenge? Under the Wire is a 10,000 word short story that takes place two years before the events of the novel Jupiter Winds.

After being picked on at school yet again, Alison Henry seeks refuge in her favorite place, the woods behind her cabin home. Her day couldn't get any worse. At least that's what she thinks before she spots the magnificent buck. Desperate to protect the deer from a teenage gang out to shoot him, Ali has no idea she's about to begin the adventure of a lifetime. This buck is no ordinary deer, and it turns out Ali is no ordinary girl. When she suddenly begins to hear the buck talking in her head, she thinks she's going crazy. She certainly can't be The Interpreter this buck named Artemis says she is, the one destined to bring together the men and creatures of his realm. She's just a kid who misses her deployed father and gets teased at school for wearing the wrong clothes. But Artemis is convinced. She must follow him. Before the full moon sets Alison Henry finds herself in the strange land of Torone where evil beasts trap and devour the creatures of the woods and the rightful heir to the throne is hunted and on the run. What can one girl possibly do?

After being picked on at school yet again, Alison Henry seeks refuge in her favorite place, the woods behind her cabin home. Her day couldn't get any worse. At least that's what she thinks before she spots the magnificent buck. Desperate to protect the deer from a teenage gang out to shoot him, Ali has no idea she's about to begin the adventure of a lifetime. This buck is no ordinary deer, and it turns out Ali is no ordinary girl. When she suddenly begins to hear the buck talking in her head, she thinks she's going crazy. She certainly can't be The Interpreter this buck named Artemis says she is, the one destined to bring together the men and creatures of his realm. She's just a kid who misses her deployed father and gets teased at school for wearing the wrong clothes. But Artemis is convinced. She must follow him. Before the full moon sets Alison Henry finds herself in the strange land of Torone where evil beasts trap and devour the creatures of the woods and the rightful heir to the throne is hunted and on the run. What can one girl possibly do?

In 2160, a teenager becomes the bait to capture her missing revolutionary parents she thinks are long dead. Grey Alexander has one goal—to keep herself and her younger sister Orinda alive. Not an easy feat living unconnected in the North American Wildlife Preserve, where they survive by smuggling contraband into the Mazdaar government's city zones. If the invisible electric border fence doesn't kill them, a human-like patrol drone could. When her worst fear comes true, Grey questions everything she thought she knew about life, her missing parents, and God. Could another planet, whose sky swirls with orange vapors and where extinct-on-Earth creatures roam free, hold the key to reuniting her family? A fast-paced, character-driven space adventure that's reminiscent of science fiction's golden age. --KATHY TYERS, author of the Firebird series

Only a week ago Grey Alexander thought she and her sister were orphans. And like everyone else she believed Jupiter was uninhabitable. Now she’s standing on its surface, reunited with her mom and dad and on the brink of an interplanetary war. The government of Mazdaar is ruthlessly determined to claim Jupiter like they already have Earth, but Grey has joined her parents and Commander Fleur March in the Yien Dynasty’s resistance effort. Jupiter, where extinct animals roam free and seem to have an uncanny ability to communicate with her sister, is the last hope for the freedom of mankind. When Mazdaar unexpectedly descends with a fleet of their terrifying Triangle jets, Grey and her family barely escape with their lives. Cut off from reinforcements and traveling in a ship full of strangers, who can they trust? Surely not Dana Yurkutz, the traitorous prisoner who even though she inexplicably saved Grey’s life is still loyal to Mazdaar. Deception is their enemy’s most powerful weapon, and light and darkness soon blur on this new frontier. Nothing is as it first seems, and Grey and Dana must each choose sides before it’s too late.

Area 51, Dreamland, Groom Lake, Paradise Ranch, Watertown Strip, the Box: all refer to the top-secret research installation, located a hundred miles north of Las Vegas, which, for many, has come to stand for all that is shadowy and nefarious about the military-industrial-intelligence complex. Built under the direction of the CIA in the 1950s, the base served as the original test site for the U-2 spy plane and F-117 stealth fighter jet. In more recent years, Area 51 has spurred public interest from its role in the government's $30 billion "Black Budget," from legal claims of worker illness due to toxic burning, and from sensational charges about captured alien spacecraft. It has also given birth to a feisty guerrilla subculture bent on exploding the secrecy surrounding this mysterious spot. David Darlington unfolds the history, legs, and characters involved with Area 51, weaving a weird tale of intrigue and outrage that speaks volumes about popular culture and American democracy at the of the twentieth century.

Area 51, Dreamland, Groom Lake, Paradise Ranch, Watertown Strip, the Box: all refer to the top-secret research installation, located a hundred miles north of Las Vegas, which, for many, has come to stand for all that is shadowy and nefarious about the military-industrial-intelligence complex. Built under the direction of the CIA in the 1950s, the base served as the original test site for the U-2 spy plane and F-117 stealth fighter jet. In more recent years, Area 51 has spurred public interest from its role in the government's $30 billion "Black Budget," from legal claims of worker illness due to toxic burning, and from sensational charges about captured alien spacecraft. It has also given birth to a feisty guerrilla subculture bent on exploding the secrecy surrounding this mysterious spot. David Darlington unfolds the history, legs, and characters involved with Area 51, weaving a weird tale of intrigue and outrage and UFOs that speaks volumes about popular culture and American democracy at the of the twentieth century.

I was inspired to write this book, when I started to notice many kids not feeling good about themselves, because of negative peer pressure/bullying. Sometimes, kids can be mean to other kids. This is when we should focus on loving ourselves, and ignoring the negative, challenging situations that may come our way. Layla the ladybug is another example on how we should handle the negative remarks from our peers. Just “smile”, and let it go in one ear out the other.