Books published by publisher Kensington -Teen/Dafina

It's official: South Bay High's finest, Jayd Jackson, and its coolest white boy, Jeremy Weiner, are a couple. And if that's not enough interracial drama for South Bay's mostly white, wealthy student body, Jayd and her bold, beautiful, black renaissance crew have more on the way. . ..Friends and teachers at South Bay High may be hating, but Jayd and Jeremy are falling in love, and if anyone has a problem with their happiness, especially an ex who's back in Jayd's life aiming to sweep her off her feet—well, that's no surprise. This is Drama High after all. And Jayd is no stranger to controversy—it's in her blood, and it seems it's in her girl Nellie's blood too.Homecoming is just around the corner, and South Bay High has never had a black princess, queen, or royalty of any kind for any event. But that's about to change. The Drama Club is sponsoring Nellie to run for the junior class, hoping to give the Cheerleaders and Athletes a run for their money. If Nellie wins, she'll make history. In fact, Nellie is so deep in the zone, Jayd's afraid she'll forget to watch her back because the students of South Bay are serious about their crowns. As Nellie's chances for victory heat up, so does the hostility from the smartass opposition. Nellie may be flying too high to notice, but Jayd can see the drama coming. And as usual, she's on it—with a little help from her magical Mama and her mystical ancestors, of course.

Logan Quinn was trying to kill me.My Spartan classmate relentlessly pursued me, swinging his sword at me over and over again, the shining silver blade inching closer to my throat every time. A smile tugged up his lips, and his ice-blue eyes practially glowed with the thrill of battle. . .I'm Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Academy, and I have no idea how I'm going to survive the rest of the semester. One day, I'm getting schooled in swordplay by the guy who broke my heart--the drop-dead gorgeous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invisible archer in the Library of Antiquities decides to use me for target practice. And now, I find out that someone at the academy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I'm afraid if I don't learn how to live by the sword--with Logan's help--I just might die by the sword. . .Praise for Touch of Frost"An intriguing start to an exciting new series!"

It's not easy being best friends with a celebrity. . .I'm invisible at my high school and I'm fine with it. It's kind of inevitable with a name like Jane Smith. But when the school newspaper staff insisted that I write a cover story, I decided to find out just how much scandal one geeky girl could uncover. Except I never expected to find myself starting a fist-fight, auditioning for the school's Romeo &Juliet musical, running away with a Romeo of my own, befriending the most popular girl in school, or trying to avoid one very cute photographer, who makes it impossible to to be invisible. . ."Fans of Meg Cabot will find Marni's voice equally charming and endearing."--Julie Kagawa, New York Times bestselling author

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they are more than you dream.As an air Elemental, 17-year-old Emily Morgan doesn't have much power. That's okay--she knows what happens to kids who do. Like Michael Merrick. He's an earth Elemental, one with enough power to level cities. Which makes him sexy, dangerous, and completely off limits. At least according to Emily's family. But her summer job puts her in close contact with Michael, and neither of them can help the attraction they feel. When forces of nature like theirs collide, one misstep could get someone killed. Because Emily's family doesn't just want her to stay away from him. They want him dead. Praise for Brigid Kemmerer and The Elemental Series"Magic, suspense, and enough twists to keep you reading until sunrise. An incredible start to the series!" --Award winning author Erica O'Rourke"Overflowing with action, snappy dialog, and hot guys--The Elemental Series will take your breath away." --Kim Harrington, author of Clarity"Plenty of romance and non-stop action. . ..Elemental is the new series to watch." --Inara Scott, author of The Marked12,000 Words

"Fans of Meg Cabot will find Marni's voice equally charming and endearing." --Julie Kagawa, New York Times bestselling authorIt's prom season at Smith High School and love is in the air. . .for some people.Melanie Morris knows she shouldn't keep flirting with her best friend's brother, Dylan Wellesley, even though the last thing she feels is "sisterly" around the cute soon-to-be freshman. But attending prom with somebody else might mean losing him for good. . . Isobel Peters accepts the fact that she's a huge geek, but she never expected renowned player, Spencer King, would want to get his hands on. . .her reputation. What begins as a bargain could turn into something real--or a Notable disaster! Corey O'Neal is dating the boy of his dreams, rockstar Timothy Goff. But it isn't easy to trade in anonymity for instant celebrity status, especially now that swarms of protesters want them both banned from prom. Dating Prince Charming in real life is a whole lot harder than it sounds in fairytales. Happily ever after? Try awkwardly ever after! "Relatable characters, hot guys, and sassy high school drama!" --Seventeen Magazine on Invisible"Light and fun. . .Notable captures the essence of today's teen culture." --VOYA on Notable

In the town of Eden in northwestern England stands the exclusive boarding school known as Archangel Academy. Ancient and imposing, it's a place filled with secrets. Just like its students. . .For Michael Howard, being plucked from his Nebraska hometown and sent thousands of miles away is as close as he's ever come to a miracle. In Weeping Water, he felt trapped, alone. At Archangel Academy, Michael belongs. And in Ciaran, Penry, and especially Ciaran's enigmatic half-brother Ronan, Michael finds friendship deeper than he's ever known. But Michael's only beginning to understand what makes the Academy so special. Ronan is a vampire--part of a hybrid clan who are outcasts even among other vampires. Within the Academy's confines exists a ruthless world of deadly rivalries and shifting alliances, of clandestine love and forbidden temptations. And soon Michael will confront the destiny that brought him here--and a danger more powerful than he can imagine. . .Michael Griffo is an award-winning writer and one of six playwrights whose career will be tracked by WritersInsight.com until 2010. He is a graduate of New York University, has studied at Playwrights Horizons and Gotham Writers Workshop, and has written several screenplays.

It's a town of heartthrobs, drama queens, and bullies. Now two teens who are new to L.A. are about to get a crash course in it all--and learn that getting the guy isn't always what it's cracked up to be. . .Kassidy Maddox has everything--beauty, brains, and confidence to spare. Fresh off the New York A-list, she knows what she wants: Shooby, Romero, and Carsen, three extremely fine, must-have boys. And she isn't about to choose between them--until she meets Diggs. He's a hot property--and he doesn't like to share. Will Kassidy finally have to give up the spotlight? Jacobi Swanson is a late bloomer with a major crush on her neighbor, Malone. He's got a serious case of the perfects--perfectly popular, perfectly smart, and perfectly rich. Determined to break out of her shell and into his heart, Jacobi turns to Kassidy for beauty and boy tips. But when Jacobi finally captures Malone's attention, she'll have to figure out whether he's for real--along with everything else in la-la land. . . "An amazing tale that is sure to delight, teach, and intrigue teens everywhere!" --Ni-Ni Simone on Boyfriend Season

Mina Mooney's parents are killing her social life. It's time to fight back. . . Mina's fantasy has finally come true. Craig Simpson--the hottest guy at Del Rio Bay High--has just invited her to the biggest bash of the year. There's just one hitch: her parents aren't down with letting Mina date a boy they know nothing about. Now she has thirteen days to give her parents a crash course in Craig, or else figure out how to get her fine self to the soiree--without alerting mom and pops. Whatever she decides, she's going to need reinforcements. . . Unfortunately, her peeps are caught up in their own twists and turns. Jacinta's boyfriend has been getting on her nerves about spending so much time in 'burbville, while rich and sheltered Kelly just might kick it with Angel, a cute, slick-talking hustler from the projects. And ever since JZ made varsity basketball, his mind has been glued to the game instead of schoolwork, which means his dad might make him drop all sports. As for Mina, if she doesn't succeed in enlisting the help of her friends--and fast--her social life just might hit skid row. . . A fast-paced novel about loyalty, love, and friendship, Don't Get It Twisted shows what it takes to have a blast while breaking all the rules. . .

For one talented girl, reality bites. . . Sunday Tolliver is gifted, smart, and ready to take the music industry by storm now that she's signed a record deal. All she has to do is survive touring with her diva cousin, Dreya, and she'll finally get a shot at her own R&B dreams. But the tour's mega-bad-boy star, Truth, refuses to believe that Sunday isn't feeling him--and a jealous Dreya is doing everything to make Sunday pay. When filming for a behind-the-tour reality show starts, Sunday's live-and-on-camera humiliation is threatening to derail her chances--and help Dreya cover up stealing her songs. Now Sunday has one last chance to prove herself. And with the spotlight heating up, all bets are off--and this battle is on. . . Praise for Nikki Carter ". . .sure to capture the attention of every teen who's ever dreamed of becoming hip-hop's next overnight superstar." --Mitzi Miller, Essence® bestselling author on Not a Good Look "Nikki Carter is a fresh, new voice." ?ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Essence® bestselling author

All sixteen year old Yvette Simmons wanted was to disappear. Problem is: she has too many demons for that. Yvette’s life changed forever after a street fight over a boy ended in a second degree murder charge. Forced to start all over again, she’s sentenced to live in a group home far from anything or anyone she’s ever known. She manages to keep her past hidden, until a local cutie, known as Brooklyn, steps in. Slowly, Yvette lets him into her heart and he gives her the summer of her dreams... But in Yvette’s world things are never as they seem. Brooklyn has a few secrets of his own and Yvette’s past comes back with a vengeance. Will she face life head-on? Will she return to her old ways? Or will an unexpected letter decide her fate?“Simone’s story is reminiscent of Sistah Souljah’s groundbreaking The Coldest Winter Ever…a hard hitting tale of the inner city’s unforgiving streets.” —Library Journal “Simone knows how to tell a story…and she can also bring the drama.” —RT Book Reviews

Pledging wasn't in Malloy Murray's plans, but it might be exactly what she needs. . . Malloy Murray has never had any close girlfriends, so she wasn't really feeling the whole "sorority" thing, but Malloy has to pledge?her mother, the National President of Beta Gamma Pi, is counting on it. After meeting some of the sisters at a party, the idea of becoming a Beta isn't actually so bad. And when Malloy runs into Kade, the guy she's been crushing on, things heat up fast, especially when Sharon--a Beta sister and Kade's girlfriend--vows to do everything to keep Malloy away from Kade and out of the sorority. Now to survive the school year, Malloy's got to look deep into her heart to find the real meaning of sisterhood.

Love can lead you astray. . .All Xavier Hunter wants is to stay out of trouble, keep his grades high enough for a college scholarship--and get out of the ‘hood for good. But when he spots hot new girl Samantha Fox, he'll do anything for her--even try to live on both sides of the fence. To prove he's everything she could want, he's convinced he'll have to up his game--and score way, way out of his league. . .Samantha is used to guys thinking they can roll right up on her. But she can tell Xavier is about a lot more than just racking up mad paper. What she's starting to feel for him is getting all too real. And every move they make is bringing them--and bad news--dangerously close. . .