Books published by publisher Val Collins Books

Where do you turn when you can’t trust your friends, your peers,your own husband?Aoife is a contented newlywed, temping while she awaits the birth of her first child. When her agency asks her to fill in on a temp position, Aoife witnesses a horrific tragedy at the office—one that will change the course of her life forever.Three months later, now employed full-time at the same workplace, Aoife’s learns that the ‘tragedy’ she witnessed was actually a cold-blooded murder. When she decides to investigate, Aoife discovers that everyone in the organisation has secrets they are desperate to protect. Even her friends cannot be trusted. An attempt on Aoife’s life proves that somebody is going to extraordinary lengths to ensure the past stays dead and buried—and Aoife along with it.What’s more, Aoife’s personal life is beginning to unravel. She’s positive she has a stalker but everyone thinks she’s imagining it. Her husband is turning into a stranger who doesn’t care that his wife’s life is in danger, even her mother-in-law is keeping secrets from her.Convinced that solving the case is the only way her she and her daughter will ever be safe again, Aoife rushes to uncover answers to a shocking scheme of greed, betrayal, and murder before the killer silences her for good.Girl Targeted is a perfect read for fans of Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn, Shalini Boland and B.A.Paris.“This book was incredibly thrilling,” - Dylan C, NetGalley.“The pacing was great, I was hooked from beginning to end,” - Shannon T, Librarian.“A real page turner with some imaginative twists that kept me guessing until the end,” - Denise P, NetGalley.Girl Targeted was awarded the B.R.A.G Medallion July 2018

She thinks it's all in her head. It's not.Sadie Lin: High school junior Sadie is desperate--to maintain her GPA, to score high on the SATs, for her dad to return from Afghanistan. Time seems to crawl and slip through her fingers all at once. She thinks it's all in her head. It's not. Gordon Bakersfield: Gordon--Sadie's ninth grade epic crush--has plenty of time and knows where to get more. He knows someone has been stealing Sadie's time. And while he's not sure how to make it stop, he's hoping to try. But can Sadie trust him? Only time will tell. This young adult paranormal novelette is approximately 8,000 words long (~35 pages).

Sometimes staying silent is the biggest lie of all. Sophomore Jolia does the one thing no one expects from the girl who has perfected the art of keeping quiet. She joins the speech team. Jolia can't confess the real reason - not to her best friend, her new teammates, or even to crush - worthy rival Sam who offers to coach her in secret. Keeping quiet might be the easy way out, but when what Jolia doesn't say starts to hurt those around her, it might just cost her a best friend, her spot on the team, and even Sam. But she isn't the only one with a secret. It's going to take words - her words - to make things right. If only Jolia can find them.

What's a geek girl to do when all's fair in love, war, and hacking ...Stung by an epic betrayal, Camy Cavanaugh relies on the sure things: her best friend, her job as peer tutor, and her safe spot on the sidelines of life. But when she hacks into a secret, trash-talking website, it ignites a war between the sexes that won't end until the whole school is turned upside down--and Camy's world is turned inside out. Now the hottest girls in school refuse to date the A-List boys. But with the Homecoming dance looming, everyone from the queen bee to the girl "most likely to" pushes Camy to hook them up with guys from the nerd herd. And then there's quarterback, A-lister--and former crush--Gavin Madison. He hasn't spoken to Camy in three years ... but he's talking now, begging her to pair the guys on the football team with girls from the Honor Roll. It's a contest of wills and everything is on the line--even Camy's heart. Will she retreat to the sidelines, or will she find the courage to get back in the game?This contemporary young adult novel won the 2016 International Digital Awards, in the Young Adult Novel category. Read on for a tech-savvy twist to Lysistrata.

The Definitive Edition of BASIL-Illustrations from the first illustrated edition-Complete, unabridged, and formatted for kindle to improve your reading experience -Linked table of contents to reach your chapter quickly “Basil, a man of high station, falls in love with Margaret Sherwin, the daughter of a linen draper, and the year following their secret marriage is fraught with dramatic conflict. This psychologically penetrating story of love and loss is recognized today as one of, if not the, first sensation novels of the nineteenth century.” J Eddy“Basil tells the story of a secret and unconsummated marriage, between the aristocratic Basil and Margaret Sherwin, the daughter of a linen draper, kept secret for one year. Basil struggles between the social pressures of his class, embodied in the character of his proud and honourable father, and his passion for Margaret.” The Thiessen Review“The elements which would become central to the age of sensation in the 1860s are all there – familial strife and secrets, violence, mental anguish with an almost proto-Freudian obsession with dreams and the subconscious and a focus on the destructive potential of female sexuality.” The Secret Victorianist“This was one of those books that sent my emotions reeling ~ the kind where I ran my fingers through my hair over and again in frustration, screaming, "NO!!!!" in my mind, pacing with anxiety and watching helplessly as the character is buffeted by winds he cannot control, albeit a result of a few misplaced efforts. Read it to the end.” Heidi“The more of Wilkie Collins I read the more I think I like him as much as I do his friend Charles Dickens” RichardBASIL features Wilkie Collin’s sensational novel in a specially designed edition for kindle. This suspenseful novel will shock and delight you. Read it as it’s meant to be read: complete, and unabridged with the original illustrations.

Sometimes staying silent is the biggest lie of all. Sophomore Jolia does the one thing no one expects from the girl who has perfected the art of keeping quiet. She joins the speech team. Jolia can't confess the real reason-not to her best friend, her new teammates, or even to crush-worthy rival Sam who offers to coach her in secret. Keeping quiet might be the easy way out, but when what Jolia doesn't say starts to hurt those around her, it might just cost her a best friend, her spot on the team, and even Sam. But she isn't the only one with a secret. It's going to take words-her words-to make things right. If only Jolia can find them.This contemporary young adult novel explores friendships, rivalries, and the ups and downs of finding your voice. A perfect pick for a mother/daughter book club.

Secrets—like war—have their own casualties.MacKenna’s mother died when she was a baby, a casualty of the first Gulf War. Now seventeen, MacKenna has spent her life navigating the minefield of her dad’s moods, certain of one thing: she is destined to follow in her mother’s combat boots. But when she pursues an ROTC scholarship, she finds herself at war before even enlisting.Her father forbids her from joining the military, inexplicable considering he’d raised her to be a “warrior princess.” MacKenna turns to her grandmother—who arms her with an ammo crate containing her mother’s personal effects from the war. Hidden in the crate’s false bottom is a journal, one her mom stashed there hours before her death.While MacKenna untangles the secrets of her parents’ tragic love story, her own life unravels. Dad’s behavior becomes erratic, her best friend grows distant and even hostile, and a boy from her past returns—with a life-threatening secret of his own.If ever a girl needed her mother, it’s now.The pen might be mightier than the sword, but are a mother’s words strong enough to slice through years of hidden pain? Can those words reach through the battlefields of the past to change MacKenna’s future?

It wasn't an ailing grandmother that tempted Red into the woods that day ... Anything can happen when you stray from the path. These are not your mother's fairy tales. Step into the world of sour magic. Duel with a scarred war-prince, defeat a (dashing) bandit king with your own army of toads, venture into the depths of the forest for your heart's desire. Forge a bond so strong it defies even death. Straying from the Path includes two brand-new novellas and four short stories in the (forthcoming)Sour Magic series of fairy tales, perfect for anyone who loves retellings and fairy tale adaptations. Remember, anything can happen when you stray from the path. Download your copy and begin your journey today.