Books with author Jed Alexander

Zoe Miller is a 15-year-old witch with a talent for potions. She's working hard to find a substitute for toad slime. Since fat-free margarine has been found to be a substitute for dead man's toe, she's hopeful that she'll find one. Then there's all the so-called normal stuff. Like high school, her annoyingly selfish "friend" Anya, and her crush on Anya's ex-boyfriend Jake.Now, Zoe's dad is dating Jake's mom, and things are getting more and more complicated. If only Zoe could brew a potion or two and set everything straight. Zoe can't. If she brews a self-serving potion, bad things will happen to her appearance. Like a crooked nose, giant wart, green skin, rotting teeth--the whole ugly witch stereotype. Zoe's tired of fate interfering so cruelly in her life. Can you really blame her for putting her potions to not-so-good use and stirring up trouble?******************************************************Excerpt:“Should we leave?” I whispered to Jake to distract him.“No,” he said, leaning closer to me. Suddenly, he didn’t seem as stressed but more like his old self. “I think I should kiss you.”“What? No!” Oh my God! “Why not?” he asked in a low voice that sent shivers through me.I made myself look at him as I whispered, “Because you don’t want to kiss me, you just want to bother Anya. And she’s my best friend.”“Right,” he said, backing away. “I guess we shouldn’t then.”Of course, I’d really hoped that he would say that he did want to kiss me and not only to bother Anya.“Would it help that it would also drive our parents nuts?”Hmmm. “Let me think for a minute,” I said. It would really mess with Dad’s head. And that excuse would be good enough for Anya. I already had a major crush. How much worse could it get? Glancing at Anya and quickly judging how dark the theater was, I said, “Okay.” Stirring Up Trouble is a Young Adult Romance.

Sometimes, I dream that I'm someone else. A girl with dark hair who doesn't worry about hunger or thirst or running from flesh-eaters. In her world, those sorts of things don't exist…. Since the spring of 2036, when the world changed forever, Claudia and a small clan of survivors have roamed the streets of a very altered Nashville—polluted and desolate, except for the ever-present threat of cannibals. Together they must undergo punishing tests of endurance and psychological challenge—sometimes with devastating consequences—all just to live another day. With food and water in dwindling supply, and with danger lurking around every corner, no one can be trusted. And as her world starts to make less and less sense, Claudia begins to realize something terrifying: she is just a pawn in some sort of game, and all of her actions are being controlled from afar by a mysterious gamer. So when she meets a maddening and fascinating outsider named Declan, who claims to be a game moderator, she must decide whether to join him in exchange for protection and access to the border. If they play the game right, they are each other's best hope for survival—and a life beyond the only world Claudia's ever known: the terrifying live-action game known as The Aftermath.

A hurt leg kept Susan Stevens sidelined at the Halloween dance, and the flu ruled her out of the Christmas ball, but nothing can keep her away from the Peppermint Prom. Sue is ready to make her Taft Junior High debut, and she'll be wearing a perfect pink dress. The prom is as elegant as a fairytale, and it doesn't take long for Sue to meet her prince. Dave Young is dashing, graceful, with an attitude that Sue cannot resist. He offers his hand, and sweeps her into a dance that will change her life forever. Soon, she and Dave are an item, and Sue is a certified member of The Crowd. But popularity brings new pressures, and Sue will find that beneath their peppermint smiles, her new friends may have a darker side.

On the run from killers, a boy genius looks for strength in numbersWhen he steps on stage, Ronnie Cleveland feels his troubles slip away. He is the Blue Boy, a genius who sings, plays piano, and solves math problems faster than any calculator. His nightclub act is a great success, but he feels fear creeping into his heart. When a young Spanish girl warns him that trouble is coming, he knows she is right—and that it’s too late to stop it. Before his time in the spotlight, Ronnie worked for a pair of underworld accountants. Because he remembers every number he ever crunched, the Blue Boy’s head holds enough dirt to put the entire mob in jail—and that makes him a target. When his manager and bodyguards disappear, Ronnie runs to find the mysterious girl, and seek refuge in the most lonesome place in the world.

To her, she’s just another foster kid. To them, she’s the queen who will save them all.From when she was little, Lanie has known she was meant for more than just the girl who was abandoned at birth –little does she know the truth behind her history is much more than she could have ever imagined.The prophecy of a dead man names Lanie the future queen and savior of Yvaeka, a world she’s never known. Lurking in the shadows are those who would see her true identity kept from her forever.In her seemingly average high school girl world, the truth lies in the eyes of a Hummer-driving mystery boy and behind every mirror she walks by.From a band of brothers who desire her birthright for themselves to her own people, all of the odds are against her.Will the obstacles Lanie must face be enough to twist fate away from her destiny?Will her lioness heart be enough to make her irrepressible?

What do you get when ordinary e-mail spam becomes infused with magic? Spellspam—and it's not supposed to exist. As far as Thea and her friends know, computers are meant to be inert vehicles for storing magic spells, not magical processors themselves. But all that seems to have changed as students at Wandless Academy find themselves the victim of practical jokes—with magical consequences—simply by opening an e-mail.Now the spellspams are getting worse, and it's possible there's someone behind them who is not just bent on stirring up trouble but has a much scarier and more wide-reaching agenda. Until now, Thea has been the only person she's ever met who can reach through the computer using magic. But someone else is out there, and even her friends can't help her track down the source of the spellspam before it gets much, much worse.This sequel to Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage ups the ante on a fantasy world that is rich and nuanced, like our own, but with a core of wildly original magic.

On his deathbed, Alex Roy's father dropped tantalizing hints about the notorious Cannonball Run of the 1970s, the utterly illegal high-speed non-stop races from New York to LA. Inspired by his father's dying words, and against the advice of his friends, Roy enters this mysterious world - trying both to find himself, and to locate 'The Driver' - the anonymous organizer of the world's ultimate car race. In this riveting memoir, Roy straps you into his highly modified BMW M5, takes you on a terrifying 120 mph lap of Manhattan, then tackles the Gumball 3000 and the Bullrun - the two most infamous road rallies in the world. His bogus Polizei Autobahn Interceptor sticks out among the Lamborghinis and Ferraris driven by millionaire playboys, software moguls, Arab princes, movie stars, leggy Czech supermodels, gearheads, and tech whizzes.Armed with myriad radar detectors, laser jammers and police scanners, and his trunk crammed with a variety of fake uniforms, the obsessively prepared Roy evades arrest at almost every turn, wreaking havoc on his fiercest rivals and gaining the admiration of police forces around the globe. Filled with insane driving and Roy's quixotic quest to win both for his late father and himself, "The Driver" is the tale of one man's insatiable drive beyond life in the fast lane.

When Ally’s mother moves to Seattle to try out a relationship with an internet boyfriend, the fourteen-year-old has to live with her dad, her wicked stepmonster, and her way too beautiful stepsister. Ally’s list of brutal teen truths is growing by the minute. Can change actually bring something good this time around, or is Ally doomed to live out her life as the ugly stepsister?

Annie LaFaye is a small town girl going to college in the big world. She’s talkative, polite, fun and… single. She dreads going to the holiday dinners by herself, until her roommate suggests something that’s so out of Annie’s comfort zone that it just might work!Annie finds a date for the holidays in Marcus, a confident, handsome curly-haired blond who has everything going for him. Annie feels lucky to be with someone who has it so all-together. But complications arise when Annie and Marcus find they can’t hide behind appearances. Will Annie’s feelings ruin everything?Light, fun and full of romantic moments, this sweet story will have you falling in love all over again!

A hurt leg kept Susan Stevens sidelined at the Halloween dance, and the flu ruled her out of the Christmas ball, but nothing can keep her away from the Peppermint Prom. As a ninth grader, Sue is ready to make her Taft Junior High debut, and she’ll be wearing a perfect pink dress. The prom is as elegant as a fairytale, and it doesn’t take long for Sue to meet her prince. Dave Young is dashing, graceful, with an attitude that Sue cannot resist. He offers his hand, and sweeps her into a dance that will change her life forever. Soon, she and Dave are an item, and Sue is a certified member of The Crowd. But popularity brings new pressures, and Sue will find that beneath their peppermint smiles, her new friends may have a darker side.

The hilarious story of two brothers, a truckload of batteries, and a brilliant plan to bring light--and new business opportunities--to Ghana.At age 47, Whit Alexander, the American co-founder of the Cranium board game, decided to start a new business selling affordable goods and services to low-income villagers in Ghana, West Africa. His brother Max, a journalist, came along to tell the story. Neither of them could have anticipated just how much of an adventure they’d find there.In Ghana, Whit's initial goal is to market a high quality rechargeable AA battery that off-grid villagers could use to power their flashlights and radios, as well as to charge their cell phones. If successful, he planned to grow a larger for-profit business based on those batteries--creating a trusted African brand that would provide life-enhancing products, services, and jobs, without relying on charity.Ghana, however, presents extraordinary challenges, and the brothers wage daily battles against deadly insects, insane driving conditions, unspeakable food, voodoo priests, corrupt officials, counterfeiters, and ethnic rivalries on their way to success. From signing up customers who earn a few dollars a month at most to training employees with no Western-style work experience, the brothers quickly learn that starting a business in Africa requires single-minded focus, a sense of humor, and a lot of patience.Along the way, Whit and Max relive their own childhood, bickering across the African bush and learning a great deal about Africans as well as themselves. Irreverent, hilarious, and ultimately inspiring, Bright Lights, No City challenges accepted notions of charity, shows the power of broadening your horizons, and suggests that there is hope and opportunity in Africa.Praise for Bright Lights, No City:"An affectionate, good-humored and finally inspiring account of one American's determination to make good things happen."--Kate Braestrup, New York Times bestselling author of Here If You Need Me"My boss, Bill Gates, coined the phrase 'creative capitalism' to encourage the use of market forces to address the needs of the poor. But my friend, Whit Alexander, moved creative capitalism from ideas to bold practice. Bright Lights, No City will scratch your travel bug, tickle your business brain, and touch your heart."--Patty Stonesifer, former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation"I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure, which helps to prove that what much of the developing world needs is a hand up, not a hand out." --John Wood, founder of Room to Read and author of Leaving Microsoft to Change the World"I loved, loved, loved Bright Lights, No City. A tour de force! Bravo. It's perceptive, informative, thoughtful, engaging, funny."--Carey Winfrey, editor emeritus, Smithsonian magazine and former Africa correspondent, New York Times"Max Alexander has woven a compassionate and oft-times hilarious tale of the Brothers Alexander's attempt to save the world, one rechargeable battery at a time. If you have any interest in a great story or helping the other 4 billion, read this book, now."--W. Hodding Carter, author of Westward Whoa and A Viking Voyage"A lyrically written universal testimony to the humanity that binds all people together on this fragile planet, Bright Lights, No City is a deeply moving and funny, can't-put-it-down book."--Frank Schaeffer, author of Crazy for God"This book is filled with the passion and relentless pursuit that it takes to make dreams come to life, and reminds you that it takes compassion, luck, and humor to make history. A must read for every entrepreneur."--Richard Tait, Co-Founder, Cranium; CEO, Galazo

In the Carolina hills, a friend reaches out from beyond the graveHis parents dead, Timor is brought to America to live with his uncle in rural Appalachia. Although half-American, this shy young boy has never lived outside of Indonesia and finds it hard to adjust to life in the mountains. His only friend is Wiley Pendergrass, a mysterious old hermit who sees magic in discarded wood. For Timor, Wiley makes a ladder-back chair out of sassafras—a hard yellow wood with powers that will change Timor’s life forever. Accused by a local gem collector of stealing a precious box, Wiley pushes his ancient pickup as hard as he can to escape the police. Screaming around a hairpin mountain turn, he loses control and sails off the side of a cliff. Soon after, the chair begins speaking to Timor in Wiley’s voice. His friend may be gone, but with the help of a little Appalachian magic, Timor has a chance to clear Wiley’s name.