Read Clean YA with CJ
Episode Forty-Eight

Welcome to another episode of Read Clean YA with CJ, where we explore clean, engaging books for teens and young adults. In this compelling episode of Read Clean YA with CJ, author Candace Kade discusses her Hybrid trilogy, the power of cultural authenticity in storytelling, and how brokenness can become beauty.

Episode Show Notes Below

Links to Things Discussed in this Episode:

The Hybrid Trilogy (Affliate Link)

Piecing Together the Broken: Candace Kade’s Augmented Finds Beauty in Brokenness

Episode 48

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Candace Kade

Author

Candace Kade spends her time dreaming up stories typically involving tech, psychology, culture, and/or swords. She is the author to The Hybrid Series and a certified Krav Maga assistant instructor who loves writing action-packed martial art scenes. A third culture kid, she considers Chengdu and OKC to be her homes. When she’s not exploring new countries, she enjoys hiking in national parks, moving, teaching her husband Mandarin, and keeping two baby humans alive. She can be bribed with boba tea, fluffy puppies, and breakfast tacos.

About Your Host

Award-winning author CJ Milacci writes stories for teens and young adults with heart-pounding action and hope. As the podcast host for Read Clean YA with CJ, she loves talking about books and the deeper themes woven into the pages of each novel. She’s passionate about crafting stories of good overcoming evil, finding hope in the midst of seemingly hopeless circumstances, and true acceptance.

Always willing to get real about hard issues, C.J. also enjoys the cheesiest of puns. She chats about writing, her faith, bubble tea, and other fun adventures online (@cjmilacci) and at cjmilacci.com.

CJ Milacci is the award-winning author of The Talionis Series, and she writes stories for teens and young adults with heart-pounding action and hope. As a referee, she’s always relearning the hard lesson that it’s impossible to make everyone happy, and she’s discovered that stories can be found anywhere, even on a lacrosse field. She’s passionate about crafting stories of good overcoming evil, finding hope in the midst of seemingly hopeless circumstances, and true acceptance.

Recruit of Talionis, Book 1

A teen with a dark past. A secret military force that kidnaps new soldiers. Can she survive as a Recruit of Talionis?

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Fugitive of Talionis, Book 2

They kidnapped her. Trained her. And now they’re hunting her.

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The post Piecing Together the Broken: Candace Kade’s Augmented Finds Beauty in Brokenness appeared first on C.J. Milacci.

Christmas time is here!

Christmas songs are playing.

Lights are twinkling in the darkest of nights.

And that….uh…delightful? stress of discovering the perfect gift for the teens in your life? Yeah. It’s that time of year. 😅

So what do you get for that teen in your life whose answer to the question of, “What do you want for Christmas?” is “I don’t care.”?

Or maybe you’re that teen, and you really just don’t know how to answer the question…without giving a list of very high-ticket items.

Well I don’t have all the answers, and I have definitely been the teen without an answer to Christmas gift conundrum. I mean question. But do you know the gift I’ve discovered that’s great for ANYONE? Teens, parents, Great Uncle Joe — yeah, you can cover everyone with this…

BOOKS!

Now before you roll your eyes and write me off by thinking I have to say that because I’m an author, hear me out.

When you give a book, you give an adventure. An experience. Hours of a journey into the imagination. Plus, when you give a book, you’ve already done the hard work of sorting through the millions of options and selecting one you think they’ll enjoy.

Not to mention, books are notoriously easy to wrap. And when you’re facing mountains of presents to “Christmas-fy”, easy wrap jobs are a must.

Okay, have I convinced you? Are you ready to charge off and start buying boatloads of books?

The answer’s yes, right? 😉

Then YAY! Because I’m here to help you with your list. I’ve already curated a selection of options for you to choose from — and you can even listen to a podcast episode of Read Clean YA with CJ for each of these books to get a behind-the-scenes look and “meet” the author!

Ready?

Let’s dive in! (The below links are affiliate links)

• Recruit of Talionis by CJ Milacci Okay. Yes, this is my book. It has to be included though, right? If you’ve already read book one in the Talionis Series, you can also check out book two: Fugitive of Talionis. You can listen to me talk more about book one in this episode: Why Stories Can Change Your Life and you can find out more about book two in this episode: Behind the Scenes of Fugitive of Talionis and Living Courageously
• The Eternity Gate by Katherine Briggs This book was one of my favorite reads of 2023! Katherine has such a beautiful way of writing, and I know you are going to fall in love with these characters and get swept away in the adventure. You can listen to us talk about this incredible fantasy story in this episode: How a Fantasy World Can Teach You About Self-Worth and the Weight of Your Choices with Katherine Briggs
• The Wonderland Trials and The Looking-Glass Illusion by Sara Ella. If you’re looking for a fantastical fairy tale retelling of Alice in Wonderland, you will love the Curious Realities Duology! Sara is a wonderful storyteller, and I thoroughly enjoyed both of these books. You can listen to us discuss the adventure in this episode: Finding Wonderland and Believing in the Unseen with YA author Sara Ella
• Sides by Bradley Caffee If you have a teen guy in your life who loves gaming, he’s going to enjoy this book. Sides takes you on an adventure where a video game takes over and lives are at stake. It’s a fun and exhilarating read! Check out the conversation I have with Bradley in this episode: What would happen if a video game became reality? With YA author Bradley Caffee
• Enhanced by Candace Kade If you’re looking for an exciting Sci-Fi read with an awesome story world, incredible tech, and some very cool Hunger Games type vibes, then Enhanced is for you. There are epic twists and turns, high-stakes, and mysteries to be unravelled in this story, and book two, Hybrid is also available for pre-order now. Listen in on my conversation with Candace in this episode: Enhancements, Finding Your Identity and Belonging with YA author Candace Kade
• Emberhawk and Silverblood by Jamie Foley If you’re looking for an engaging world, fascinating fantasy elements, and relatable characters, then this series is for you. Jamie has crafted a world you want to get lost in and she’s an incredible storyteller. You can listen in on our chat here: Elementals, Engaging Characters, and the Beginnings of a Revolution with YA author Jamie Foley
• Mortal Sight and Realms of Light by Sandra Fernandez Rhoads If you love urban fantasy, high action-adventure stories, and intriguing plots, then you’re going to thoroughly enjoy the Colliding Line Series. These books are an adventure to the very end, with epic twists and turns. And you can listen to the sweet conversation I had with Sandra in this episode: Battling Evil, Discovering Your Gifting, and Finding Community with YA author Sandra Fernandez Rhoads
• The Wayward by Tabitha Caplinger Now, I do have to say, this book isn’t strictly YA — the characters are older (early twenties) so it would fit more into the New Adult category — but without all of the bad connotations that come with a typical NA story. It’s a dystopian story with hope — which I personally love. You can hear more about it in this episode: Freedom vs. Comfort, Purpose in Life’s Detours, and Pie Matchmaking with author Tabitha Caplinger
• Suspended in the Stars by EA Hendryx This book is SO MUCH FUN! If you’re looking for an intergalactic adventure, with a sweet romance, and a fun sci-fi fantasy escape, you’ll love Suspended in the Stars. And a fun fact: EA Hendryx is not only a crafter of epic stories. She’s also my amazing cover designer! You can listen to our fun chat here: Exploring Space, Identity, and Adventure with Young Adult Author EA Hendryx
• Steal Fire from the Gods by Clint Hall AI, elemental magic, loads of action, and deep questions — this story has it all! This is another book that’s not strictly YA, but the protagonist is young, and I think the themes are ones many young people will relate to. Not to mention, it’s another great pic for guys. Check out the episode with Clint here: Fighting for Faith and Battling Machines with author Clint Hall
• Once I Knew by Victoria Lynn If you enjoy character-driven stories, with lots of world building and whimsical descriptions, I think you’ll enjoy this non-magical fantasy. My conversation with Victoria was so sweet, and you can listen to it here: Exploring Themes of Redemption and Courage in the Face of Weakness with YA author Victoria Lynn
• Escape the Everglades by Tim Shoemaker If you’re looking for edge-of-your-seat adventures, especially books that will appeal to boys, I encourage you to check out Tim’s books. They have intense moments, but Tim’s heart for his readers shines through. My conversation with Tim was a delight and so full of richness, I know you’ll enjoy it! You can listen to it here: Crafting Authentic Christian Themes in Fiction with YA Author Tim Shoemaker
• The End of the Dream by RJ Conte The End of the Dream is a bit different from other books in our lineup. It’s more contemporary, with a sweet romance, deep conversations, and a bit of a mystery. If you’re looking for an emotional adventure, with engaging characters, a small-town setting, and conversations that make you think, you’ll love this book. And be sure to listen to my chat with RJ here: Journeying Through Faith and Relationships with YA Author RJ Conte

There you have it! A nice hearty list of books to get you started. If you check out any of these books, I’d love to hear what you think! Contact me and let me know.

Do you have any books you think should be added to this list?

The post Christmas Gift Ideas 🎁 For Teens appeared first on C.J. Milacci.

Well I don’t have all the answers, and I have definitely been the teen without an answer to Christmas gift conundrum. I mean question. But one thing I’ve found is that books make excellent gifts!

When you give a book, you give an adventure, an experience, and hours of a journey into the imagination. Plus, when you give a book, you’ve already done the hard work of sorting through the millions of options and selecting one you think they’ll enjoy. Not to mention, books are notoriously easy to wrap. And when you’re facing mountains of presents to “Christmas-fy”, easy wrap jobs are a must.

Okay, have I convinced you? Are you ready to charge off and start buying boatloads of books?

Then awesome! I’ve already curated a list of excellent options. Let’s dive in! (The below links are affiliate links)
**Quick note: I’ve read several of these books, but others are high on my TBR list because I’ve heard fantastic things about them from friends who have wonderful book taste. 

• Recruit of Talionis by CJ Milacci A teen with a dark past. A secret military force that kidnaps new soldiers. Can she survive as a Recruit of Talionis?
• Calculated by Nova McBee This entire series is one of my all-time favorites (Book 2 is Simulated and Book 3 is Activated)! Perfect for the adventure loving reader in your life…or for you personally. Zero judgement if you want to buy all these books just for yourself!
• Dust and Shadow by Kara Swanson. This duology is a fantastical retelling of Peter Pan. I was captivated from the start, and I know you will be too!
• The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella This book surprised me. It is a fairytale retelling mixed with dystopian elements. Definitely worth the read!
• A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes If you’re looking for a great dystopian story that’s clean and has Christian elements woven in, you’ll love this series by Nadine Brandes. She’s one of my favorite authors and this series is one I loved!

The following books are the ones I haven’t read, but plan to read very soon!

• The Chase by Bradley Caffee “Win the chase. Be the hero. Or die trying.” A dystopian story.
• Seconds by Abigail Wilkes Forbidden children. Forgotten history. A power no one has witnessed in living memory.
• Wishtress by Nadine Brandes Her tears grant wishes. Her next tear will end her life.
• Drawn in Ash by John W. Otte Forced to marry the man sworn to destroy her kind. (An Esther retelling with fantastical elements)
• Alight by JF Rogers Three friends. Evil seeks to corrupt them. If they survive…what will it cost?
• Sacred Fire by Karen Grunst A dream of belonging. A populace seething with malice. Can this budding peacemaker stand strong in the face of darkness?
• Ignite by Jenna Terese What if superhumans weren’t considered heroes?
• And for the middle grade reader in your life: Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key by SD Smith and JC Smith

There you have it! A nice hearty list of books to get you started. If you check out any of these books, I’d love to hear what you think! Contact me and let me know.

The post What do you get for the teen who has everything? appeared first on C.J. Milacci.