Books with author Karen Ball

Wilderness and Weather Are Easily Overcome. But Betrayal? Annie Justice sees things differently. Her unconventional condition, synesthesia, helped make her one of the most sought-after stained-glass artists in the country. And teamed with her German shepherd, she’s just as successful in her work with the K-9 Search and Rescue Team, finding people seemingly hidden from others’ eyes. But no one knows her expertise for hiding the childhood insecurities that plague her—until Jed Curry comes along. Then the search for a missing child goes awry, and Jed must reveal his true identity. He’s prepared for Annie’s anger, but not the hurt. And neither of them is prepared for the real trial ahead—something far more sinister and dangerous than their search. Can Jed and Annie overcome their unknown enemy—and the insecurities and secrets keeping them apart—before it’s too late? Someone wants Annie to fail… either that, or he wants her dead. Annie Justice has always been different, thanks to a rare condition allowing her to see things others do not. It’s a blessing and a curse. The blessing? Annie and her dog, Kodi, have become one of the most effective search-and-rescue teams ever. The curse? It’s kept her from the only thing she wants: to fit in. But she doesn’t. Not anywhere. Jed Curry, a producer of hit reality TV shows, likes that Annie’s different. Different sells. Which is why he wants her on Everyday Heroes. But Annie has no interest in the show. Or the man. Then threatening e-mails kick off events that send Annie and Kodi—and the irritating Jed Curry—straight into the path of danger. Joined in a race against time and a cunning adversary, Annie and Jed struggle to work together. Because if they don’t, it could cost them—and a lost little girl in the Oregon wilderness—everything. READER’S GUIDE INCLUDED Story Behind the Book“After my mother died, I realized that the way I lived my life was essentially her legacy. This book grew from that realization. Annot (“Light”), known as Annie, has always felt like the ‘odd man out.’ For all her success, Annie still doesn’t feel like she really belongs. To give the story realism, I drew on my own experience as a member of the Jackson County Search and Rescue organization; on a friend who has Annie’s condition of synesthesia; and on my own struggles to find my place in life and to understand God’s calling and purpose for the gifts He’s given me.” —Karen Ball

A white American woman goes to live among the Zulus. She goes to teach English with the best of intentions. She will end up fleeing for her life…Fifteen years after the fall of Apartheid, Karen Baldwin accepts an invitation to teach elementary school in a rural village set in the stunningly beautiful foothills of the Drakensburg Mountains. So far, so good.But Baldwin’s naïve enthusiasm to assist the Zulus in their pursuit of modernization encounters stiff resistance. Twenty-first century medicine competes with witchdoctor magic, science succumbs to superstition, and tribal traditions know no bounds of physical and emotional cruelty. Adrift in a culture she cannot comprehend, Baldwin unintentionally incites gender and racial unrest and must abandon her students to save her own life.Ruby’s World is an extraordinary story, beautifully told. Candid, touching, hilarious, startling, and compelling, Baldwin carries her readers along every twist and turn in the journey. The narrative is deeply personal, yet universal, extending a raw invitation for readers to examine their own prejudices and ethics. Brace yourself to have your eyes opened and heart cracked in ways you won’t want to miss.This Kindle e-book is FREE when you buy the paperback.

The thrilling sequel to Dove Arising, featuring "a brilliant new YA heroine in a world of true science fiction.” (Bustle.com)Phaet Theta is a fugitive. Hiding in plain sight with her friend Wes’s family on the drowned planet Earth, Phaet discovers the rugged beauty of the world her ancestors once called home. All her life, she’s been taught to fear the “Earthbound,” and their generosity and kindness surprise and touch Phaet. But when the Lunar Bases attack Wes’s isolated village, Phaet’s past catches up with her, and she’s forced to choose: stay on Earth and fight beside the boy she’s falling for, or stow away on a Moon-bound ship so she can save her brother and sister from the government that killed their mother. This dramatic follow-up to Dove Arising plunges readers deeper into a complex and haunting world where freedom comes at a chilling price.

The thrilling sequel to Dove Arising, featuring "a brilliant new YA heroine in a world of true science fiction.” (Bustle.com)Phaet Theta is a fugitive. Hiding in plain sight with her friend Wes’s family on the drowned planet Earth, Phaet discovers the rugged beauty of the world her ancestors once called home. All her life, she’s been taught to fear the “Earthbound,” and their generosity and kindness surprise and touch Phaet. But when the Lunar Bases attack Wes’s isolated village, Phaet’s past catches up with her, and she’s forced to choose: stay on Earth and fight beside the boy she’s falling for, or stow away on a Moon-bound ship so she can save her brother and sister from the government that killed their mother. This dramatic follow-up to Dove Arising plunges readers deeper into a complex and haunting world where freedom comes at a chilling price.

The action-packed finale of this explosive sci-fi series for fans of Ender’s Game and Star Wars. Shy, introverted Phaet Theta has gone from being a top student to an interplanetary fugitive to the reluctant but fierce leader of a revolution. With the Earthbound on their side, she and her friends finally have a chance at toppling the evil leaders who’ve held the Moon captive for decades. But as the death tolls rise, the cost of the war weighs heavily on Phaet, even as she’s forced to lead her siblings and Wes, the love of her life, into terrible danger. Phaet started this war because she lost someone she loved. Will she have to lose another to end it?

Fans of Ender's Game and The Maze Runner will love this smart sci-fi debut and its sequel, Dove Exiled!Phaet Theta has lived her whole life in a colony on the Moon. She’s barely spoken since her father died in an accident nine years ago. She cultivates the plants in Greenhouse 22, lets her best friend talk for her, and stays off the government’s radar. Then her mother is arrested. The only way to save her younger siblings from the degrading Shelter is by enlisting in the Militia, the faceless army that polices the Lunar bases and protects them from attacks by desperate Earth dwellers. Training is brutal, but it’s where Phaet forms an uneasy but meaningful alliance with the preternaturally accomplished Wes, a fellow outsider. Rank high, save her siblings, free her mom: that’s the plan. Until Phaet’s logically ordered world begins to crumble... Suspenseful, intelligent, and hauntingly prescient, Dove Arising stands on the shoulders of our greatest tales of the future to tell a story that is all too relevant today.

Phaet Theta has lived her whole life in a colony on the Moon. She’s barely spoken since her father died in an accident nine years ago. She cultivates the plants in Greenhouse 22, lets her best friend talk for her, and stays off the government’s radar.Then her mother is arrested.The only way to save her younger siblings from the degrading Shelter is by enlisting in the Militia, the faceless army that polices the Lunar bases and protects them from attacks by desperate Earth-dwellers. Training is brutal, but it’s where Phaet forms an uneasy but meaningful alliance with the preternaturally accomplished Wes, a fellow outsider.Rank high, save her siblings, free her mom: that’s the plan. Until Phaet’s logically ordered world begins to crumble...Suspenseful, intelligent, and hauntingly prescient, Dove Arising stands on the shoulders of our greatest tales of the future to tell a story that is all too relevant today.

A white American woman goes to live among the Zulus. She goes to teach English with the best of intentions. She will end up fleeing for her life…Fifteen years after the fall of Apartheid, Karen Baldwin accepts an invitation to teach elementary school in a rural village set in the stunningly beautiful foothills of the Drakensburg Mountains. So far, so good.But Baldwin’s naïve enthusiasm to assist the Zulus in their pursuit of modernization encounters stiff resistance. Twenty-first century medicine competes with witchdoctor magic, science succumbs to superstition, and tribal traditions know no bounds of physical and emotional cruelty. Adrift in a culture she cannot comprehend, Baldwin unintentionally incites gender and racial unrest and must abandon her students to save her own life.Ruby’s World is an extraordinary story, beautifully told. Candid, touching, hilarious, startling, and compelling, Baldwin carries her readers along every twist and turn in the journey. The narrative is deeply personal, yet universal, extending a raw invitation for readers to examine their own prejudices and ethics. Brace yourself to have your eyes opened and heart cracked in ways you won’t want to miss.The Kindle e-book is FREE when you buy this paperback.

The action-packed finale of this explosive sci-fi series for fans of Ender’s Game and Star Wars. Shy, introverted Phaet Theta has gone from being a top student to an interplanetary fugitive to the reluctant but fierce leader of a revolution. With the Earthbound on their side, she and her friends finally have a chance at toppling the evil leaders who’ve held the Moon captive for decades. But as the death tolls rise, the cost of the war weighs heavily on Phaet, even as she’s forced to lead her siblings and Wes, the love of her life, into terrible danger. Phaet started this war because she lost someone she loved. Will she have to lose another to end it?

Fans of Ender's Game and The Maze Runner will love this smart sci-fi debut and its sequel, Dove Exiled! Phaet Theta’s Plan: Live peacefully in the lunar colony, work hard, become a scientist, and enjoy a quiet future off the government’s radar. Then her mother is arrested. The New Plan: Enlist in the militia, learn everything she can from top trainee Wes, and become the youngest Militia Captain in history so she can save her family. It all seems perfect. Until Phaet’s logically ordered world begins to crumble…* With all-new Q&A and Playlist from Karen Bao! * “Fans of The 5th Wave, Divergent, and Legend will love this smart, futuristic thriller.”—Justine“Bao writes a brilliant new YA heroine in a world of true science fiction.”—Bustle.com“Fans of Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game…should flock to this well-written debut.”—SLJ