Ya Unleashed Author Event

Get ready to explore dystopian realms, enchanting romances, and supernatural secrets at our YA Unleashed author event on Thursday, July 16 from 6-7:30!

What to expect:
- 3 Authors in-store for a Q&A and book signings
- Cafe Themed Flight Board (4 signature drinks for $15)
- Scavenger Hunt through the bookstore, which enters participants into a drawing to win a raffle basket at the end of the event!

All 4 books are intended for audiences ages 12+ (perfect for adult gothic/supernatural fans too), and will be available for purchase the night of the event!

Learn more about each book and visiting author below:

The Assassin Trials by Amy Kulp

​In a world where the government controls your every belief, refusing to comply can land you on the Assassin's List. Every year, families bid for their children to complete in the brutal trials to become elite assassins. Others are chosen against their will. They must survive seven deadly challenges - or be killed. When Bridget is ripped from her family and erased from existence, she faces the ultimate test: prove herself or die. As the trials unfold, she catches the eye of Colt, a privileged contender who sees her as a threat. With only one goal - to be one of the last six standing - will Colt strike first, or can Bridget outwit and outlast them all?

​Amy Kulp is a middle school STEM teacher and theatre director with a passion for writing novels that break YA genre norms. An avid reader and writer since childhood, Kulp now enjoys creating stories that investigate darker, more challenging topics and help young adult readers feel less alone in their struggles. She is especially passionate about championing sexual assault survivor justice, promoting LGBTQ+ rights, and lessening negative stigmas around psychotherapy. When she isn’t writing, Amy Kulp loves watching cartoons recommended by her students. Check out her newest YA book, The Assassin Trials, today!

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Mystery Royale & Hunting the Strange by Kaitlyn Cavalancia

Mystery Royale follows sixteen-year-old Mullory Prudence who all she has left of her mom is a warning: “Run if the strange finds you.” But mysterious warnings don’t pay the bills or help take care of her sick Gran. And they certainly don’t make her miserable after-school job any more bearable. When unexpected letters start appearing in peculiar places––sealed in bags of dog food and hidden in the refrigerator––Mullory knows she should avoid them to heed her mother’s warning, but her curiosity thinks otherwise. She uncovers an invitation from Stoutmire Estate to compete in a game of Mystery Royale for the chance at a sizable inheritance.
Dizzy with the prospect of billions, Mullory enters the game only to unearth the true prize––the illusionary magical properties of Xavier Stoutmire, a recluse without an heir. A recluse who was expected to keep his magic in the family, especially when there isn’t enough for each member. With a prize worth killing for, the game is simple: be the first to solve the mystery––who killed Xavier Stoutmire? One week full of lavish parties dripping with enchantments, in a mansion brimming with clues of the past, and everyone’s a suspect. To win, Mullory will need to untangle a twisted family web and decide who she can trust… But most of all, Mullory must ask herself, why? Why her? A question most strange, indeed. Family secrets and threats abound in this thrilling sequel to Mystery Royale as Mullory returns to Stoutmire manor amidst new powers, puzzling questions, and an even deadlier mystery. One thing she knows for certain: the games are far from over.
Mullory Prudence was supposed to die. Not only that, she was never supposed to inherit Xavier Stoutmire’s moody magic. But nothing about the Mystery Royale went according to plan. Now Mullory’s left with more questions than answers, the most pressing one being how to use her mother’s grave-defying shadow. And when her mother sends her on a dizzying scavenger hunt that spans everywhere from the Stoutmire estate (now all the more glamorous in its winter splendor) to a hidden magical corner of Coney Island, she’ll have to team up with unlikely allies to find her way.

Kaitlyn Cavalancia grew up devouring mystery and fantasy novels, certain that the right wardrobe would contain a door to another world. She's an orthodontist who fights crooked teeth during the day and writes books brimming with murder and magic at night. Currently she lives in western Pennsylvania with her husband, son, and dog.

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Metamorphosis: A Grove Hollow by Shelby Nicole

A teen girl is swept into an opulent world of love, lies, and ghosts after she moves in with the wealthy, mysterious family she never knew she had in book one of the Grove Hollow series. The year is 1985, and seventeen-year-old Jade Whitney is about to discover that her family holds a dark secret that will change her life forever. Sent to live with her great-aunt Ruth, Jade moves into Blythe House, her family’s sprawling, gilded mansion—but picturesque Grove Hollow, New York, is anything but welcoming. At Jade’s new private school she’s shunned by everyone except the Misfits, the school’s outcasts, who spend their weekends exploring abandoned haunted mansions and listening to The Cure. But Jade’s eye keeps wandering back to Brad, the charming, handsome rugby captain—and the only other kid at school to welcome her. Everything changes when Jade finds a cursed locket in a derelict estate. The locket is connected to a Victorian ghost named William, who desperately needs Jade’s help, and who Jade feels an undeniable attraction to. The closer they grow, the more urgent it becomes for Jade to decide where her heart truly lies—and if she’s willing to let Will go.

Shelby Nicole is a multi-talented author, business owner, artist, and graphic designer known for her captivating Grove Hollow series. Her attention to detail immerses readers in a world of secrets waiting to be unraveled, while her skilled characterization explores complex relationships and the transformative power of love. Fearlessly tackling profound themes, Shelby invites reflection on the human condition and the enigmatic nature of life itself.