Books with author Melyssa Williams

Eighteen year olds often have problems, especially those who constantly have to move to new towns where they don’t know a soul. Sonnet Gray however, is not your typical eighteen year old. When her family moves, they don’t just move to new towns, they move to new centuries. She and her family are members of the Lost; a group of time travelers who have no control over when and where their journeys take them.Hopelessly old-fashioned, and yet more modern than most girls her age, Sonnet is fluent in several different languages, and takes care of the motley crew she calls family by working in a coffee shop and playing the guitar.When she finds herself in 21st century America, she encounters a curious cast of characters. Some change her life for the better, while others seem to cause her nothing but heartache.With each journey through time, the Lost are forced to leave behind the ones they love. Though they make new friends along the way, no one will ever take the place of Sonnet’s sister Rose, who was left behind as a child in the fifteenth century. The ghost of her sister seems to beckon to her no matter where she finds herself, but are the sisters destined to be reunited, or does fate have other plans?A ghost story with a sci-fi Gothic twist, Shadows Gray will keep you up at night wondering if the redemptive power of love is enough to change history.

Africa, 1888. Trying to forget the past that took her best friend and her mother away, Sonnet Gray busies herself with helping to build a hospital, while at the same time taking care of a precocious child. Together with Israel Rhode, the one man she can trust, their safe haven is discovered by an old enemy who needs Sonnet to get back to where he came from.London, 1931. Bedlam Asylum has never been a safe place, and Rose Gray isn’t getting any better. Consumed with rage and insanity, Rose isn’t the only Gray who has learned to control her ability to travel through time.From the dark alleys of Jack the Ripper to the Spice Islands of Zanzibar, Sonnet and Rose make their way through the eras. One is controlled by love, the other by revenge, but only one of them will be strong enough to end their story. The other will simply remain lost.

Rose Gray is a troubled young woman who’s always been alone. When she’s finally reunited with her long lost sister Sonnet, her mental fragility pushes her to the point of murder.Sonnet has all but given up on her now. Unlike others of the Lost, Rose has the ability to manipulate her powers and can travel through time at will, deciding which eras she wants to travel to. Unfortunately, the traveling has taken a toll on her mind and body. For a perfectly sane girl, power of this nature could be a gift. For Rose however, it’s not only a danger to her, but also to anyone who’s had the misfortune of meeting her.Lizzie is an orphaned nurse resigned to a life of changing bedpans and fluffing pillows at Bedlam, the world’s most notorious insane asylum. Finding an old diary proves a welcome distraction from a medical world that doesn’t take nurses all that seriously. As Lizzie falls into the world of the diary’s author, Rose Gray, she finds herself swept into an ever deepening mystery.Although the diary in Bedlam Hospital may be old, Rose is not, and it appears as though she never really left. Will Lizzie’s curiosity lead to her becoming yet another of Rose’s victims?

It's shaping up to be the most dangerous of all Christmas Eves, and fifteen year old Ree Stahlbaum is in the midst of it. Apprentice to a mysterious inventor named Drosselmeier, Ree is swept up in his dark dealings as the clock strikes midnight. As she leaves her comfortable, safe hearth and home to uncover the secrets behind living toys and enchanted creatures, Ree finds friendship and enemies in unexpected places. Putting aside her knitting and embroidery, and the constant nagging of her sister are all tasks she can relish easily enough, but the choices and demands only get harder from there. Is Ree up to the task of righting Drosselmeier's wrongs, with only a nutcracker man, a clockwork doll, an irritating older brother, a handful of urchins, and her wits to help her? With an army of mechanical rats close on her heels and an air ship of sky pirates above her, time is running out, and Ree can't be sure who to trust.Drosselmeier's dark world is unlike anything Ree has ever known. A lifetime of needlepoint, piano forte, and etiquette lessons had hardly prepared her for this.

Africa, 1888. Trying to forget the past that took her best friend and her mother away, Sonnet Gray busies herself with helping to build a hospital, while at the same time taking care of a precocious child. Together with Israel Rhode, the one man she can trust, their safe haven is discovered by an old enemy who needs Sonnet to get back to where he came from. London, 1931. Bedlam Asylum has never been a safe place, and Rose Gray isn't getting any better. Consumed with rage and insanity, Rose isn't the only Gray who has learned to control her ability to travel through time. From the dark alleys of Jack the Ripper to the Spice Islands of Zanzibar, Sonnet and Rose make their way through the eras. One is controlled by love, the other by revenge, but only one of them will be strong enough to end their story. The other will simply remain lost.

Sonnet has all but given up on her now. Unlike others of the Lost, Rose has the ability to manipulate her powers and can travel through time at will, deciding which eras she wants to travel to. Unfortunately, the traveling has taken a toll on her mind and body. For a perfectly sane girl, power of this nature could be a gift. For Rose however, it's not only a danger to her, but also to anyone who's had the misfortune of meeting her. Lizzie is an orphaned nurse resigned to a life of changing bedpans and fluffing pillows at Bedlam, the world's most notorious insane asylum. Finding an old diary proves a welcome distraction from a medical world that doesn't take nurses all that seriously. As Lizzie falls into the world of the diary's author, Rose Gray, she finds herself swept into an ever deepening mystery. Although the diary in Bedlam Hospital may be old, Rose is not, and it appears as though she never really left. Will Lizzie's curiosity lead to her becoming yet another of Rose's victims?

Eighteen year olds often have problems, especially those who constantly have to move to new towns where they don't know a soul. Sonnet Gray however, is not your typical eighteen year old. When her family moves, they don't just move to new towns, they move to new centuries. She and her family are members of the Lost; a group of time travelers who have no control over when and where their journeys take them. Hopelessly old-fashioned, and yet more modern than most girls her age, Sonnet is fluent in several different languages, and takes care of the motley crew she calls family by working in a coffee shop and playing the guitar. When she finds herself in 21st century America, she encounters a curious cast of characters. Some change her life for the better, while others seem to cause her nothing but heartache. With each journey through time, the Lost are forced to leave behind the ones they love. Though they make new friends along the way, no one will ever take the place of Sonnet's sister Rose, who was left behind as a child in the fifteenth century. The ghost of her sister seems to beckon to her no matter where she finds herself, but are the sisters destined to be reunited, or does fate have other plans? A ghost story with a sci-fi Gothic twist, Shadows Gray will keep you up at night wondering if the redemptive power of love is enough to change history.

The works of 75 young authors and illustrators, grades 3 through 12, is showcased in this short story and poetry compilation brought to you by the iWRITE Literacy Organization. Enjoy the imaginative stories, poems and drawings of our talented authors and artists as they express their love of literacy through the written word and art. Please visit iWRITE.org to find out how to become involved in our next short story project.

Inspired by E.T.A. Hoffman’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, and the beloved holiday ballet, this is the nutcracker tale like you’ve never heard it before. Later, the party goers would comment on the delicacy of the cakes, the frivolity of the entertainment, and the becoming headwear of the ladies, but as polite society at all times behaved appropriately, they never mentioned the deaths. This was of great comfort to the host and hostess. It’s shaping up to be the most dangerous of all Christmas Eves, and fifteen year old Ree Stahlbaum is in the midst of it. Apprentice to a mysterious inventor named Drosselmeier, Ree is swept up in his dark dealings as the clock strikes midnight. As she leaves her comfortable, safe hearth and home to uncover the secrets behind living toys and enchanted creatures, Ree finds friendship and enemies in unexpected places. Putting aside her knitting and embroidery and the constant nagging of her sister, are all tasks she can relish easily enough, but the choices and demands only get harder from there … Is Ree up to the task of righting Drosselmeier’s wrongs, with only a Nutcracker man, a clockwork doll, an irritating older brother, a handful of urchins, and her wits to help her? With an army of mechanical rats close on her heels and an air ship of sky pirates above her, time is running out, and Ree can’t be sure who to trust. Drosselmeier’s dark world is unlike anything Ree has ever known. A lifetime of needlepoint, piano forte, and etiquette lessons had hardly prepared her for this …

The works of 75 young authors and illustrators, grades 3 through 12, is showcased in this short story and poetry compilation brought to you by the iWRITE Literacy Organization. Enjoy the imaginative stories, poems and drawings of our talented authors and artists as they express their love of literacy through the written word and art. Please visit iWRITE.org to find out how to become involved in our next short story project.

Sonnet Gray has problems, and not just those of a typical 18 year old. Her family is one of the Lost; time travelers who have no power over their journeys. Hopelessly old fashioned and yet more modern than most girls, Sonnet speaks several languages and takes care of her motley crew back home by working in a coffee shop and playing guitar. Over time, the Lost leave behind those they love and pick up new characters along the way. In twenty-first century America, Sonnet meets Emme, a Lost young woman with a questionable line of work, Luke, a mysterious photographer, and Israel, a young doctor . But no one can take the place of Sonnet's sister, Rose, who was left behind as a baby in the fifteenth century. The ghost of her beckons from each time and place; but what's real and what isn't? Is Rose Gray trying to contact her before it's too late? A ghost story with a sci-fi, Gothic romance twist, Shadows Gray will keep you up at night, wondering: is the redemptive power of love enough to change history?

It's shaping up to be the most dangerous of all Christmas Eves, and fifteen year old Ree Stahlbaum is in the midst of it. Apprentice to a mysterious inventor named Drosselmeier, Ree is swept up in his dark dealings as the clock strikes midnight. As she leaves her comfortable, safe hearth and home to uncover the secrets behind living toys and enchanted creatures, Ree finds friendship and enemies in unexpected places. Putting aside her knitting and embroidery, and the constant nagging of her sister are all tasks she can relish easily enough, but the choices and demands only get harder from there. Is Ree up to the task of righting Drosselmeier's wrongs, with only a nutcracker man, a clockwork doll, an irritating older brother, a handful of urchins, and her wits to help her? With an army of mechanical rats close on her heels and an air ship of sky pirates above her, time is running out, and Ree can't be sure who to trust. Drosselmeier's dark world is unlike anything Ree has ever known. A lifetime of needlepoint, piano forte, and etiquette lessons had hardly prepared her for this.