4952 Book(s) Related to cordia s will a civil war story of love and loss

My mother was a lot of things but I never knew she would dare leave her Billionaire husband on the Alter stranded.

My soon to be step-father was a lot of things, but he wasn't one to accept humiliation. And for that reason he made me Amelia, the daughter of my runaway mother to take her place on the alter.

“An action packed fantasy sure to please fans of Morgan Rice’s previous novels, along with fans of works such as The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini…. Fans of Young Adult Fiction will devour this latest work by Rice and beg for more.” --The Wanderer, A Literary Journal (regarding Rise of the Dragons) The #1 Bestselling series! THE WEIGHT OF HONOR is book #3 in Morgan Rice’s bestselling epic fantasy series KINGS AND SORCERERS (which begins with RISE OF THE DRAGONS, a free download)! In THE WEIGHT OF HONOR, Kyra finally meets her cryptic uncle, and is shocked to discover he is not the man she expected. She embarks on a period of training which will test her stamina and her frustration, as she soon encounters the limits of her power. Unable to summon her dragon, unable to search deep within, and feeling an urgency to help in her father’s wars, Kyra doubts if she will ever become the warrior she thought she was. And when she meets a mysterious boy, more powerful than her, deep in the forest, she wonders what her future really has in store for her. Duncan must descend the peaks of Kos with his new army and, vastly outnumbered, launch a risky invasion on the capital. If he wins, waiting behind its ancient walls, he knows, will be the old king and his nest of nobles and aristocrats, all with their own agendas, all of them as quick to betray as they are to embrace. Unifying Escalon may, indeed, be harder than freeing it. Alec, in Ur, must tap his unique skills in the forge to aid the resistance if they have any chance of defending against the looming Pandesian invasion. He is awestruck when he encounters Dierdre, the strongest girl he has ever meet. The time she has a chance to make a stand against Pandesia, and as she bravely faces off, she who wonders if her father and his men will have her back this time. Merk finally enters the tower of Ur, and is stunned by what he discovers. Initiated into its strange codes and rules, he meets his fellow Watchers, the toughest warriors he has ever encountered, and he finds that earning their respect will not be easy. With an invasion looming, they must all prepare the tower; yet even all its secret passageways may not keep them safe from the betrayal lurking from within. Vesuvius leads his Troll nation across a vulnerable Escalon, devastating the land, while Theos, enraged at what becomes of his son, is on a rampage himself, and will not stop until all of Escalon is aflame. With its strong atmosphere and complex characters, THE WEIGHT OF HONOR is a sweeping saga of knights and warriors, of kings and lords, of honor and valor, of magic, destiny, monsters and dragons. It is a story of love and broken hearts, of deception, ambition and betrayal. It is fantasy at its finest, inviting us into a world that will live with us forever, one that will appeal to all ages and genders. Book #4 in KINGS AND SORCERERS is now available! “If you thought that there was no reason left for living after the end of the Sorcerer’s Ring series, you were wrong. Morgan Rice has come up with what promises to be another brilliant series, immersing us in a fantasy of trolls and dragons, of valor, honor, courage, magic and faith in your destiny. Morgan has managed again to produce a strong set of characters that make us cheer for them on every page.…Recommended for the permanent library of all readers that love a well-written fantasy.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (regarding Rise of the Dragons) “[The novel] succeeds—right from the start…. A superior fantasy…It begins, as it should, with one protagonist's struggles and moves neatly into a wider circle of knights, dragons, magic and monsters, and destiny.…All the trappings of high fantasy are here, from soldiers and battles to confrontations with self….A recommended winner for any who enjoy epic fantasy writing fueled by powerful, believable young adult protagonists.” --Midwest Book Review, D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer (regarding Rise of the Dragons) “A plot-driven novel that’s easy to read in a weekend…A good start to a promising series.” --San Francisco Book Review (regarding Rise of the Dragons)

“If you thought that there was no reason left for living after the end of the Sorcerer’s Ring series, you were wrong. In RISE OF THE DRAGONS Morgan Rice has come up with what promises to be another brilliant series, immersing us in a fantasy of trolls and dragons, of valor, honor, courage, magic and faith in your destiny. Morgan has managed again to produce a strong set of characters that make us cheer for them on every page.…Recommended for the permanent library of all readers that love a well-written fantasy.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto MattosThe #1 Bestseller! From #1 Bestselling author Morgan Rice comes a sweeping new epic fantasy series: RISE OF THE DRAGONS (KINGS AND SORCERERS—Book 1). Kyra, 15, dreams of becoming a famed warrior, like her father, even though she is the only girl in a fort of boys. As she struggles to understand her special skills, her mysterious inner power, she realizes she is different than the others. But a secret is being kept from her about her birth and the prophecy surrounding her, leaving her to wonder who she really is. When Kyra comes of age and the local lord comes to take her away, her father wants to wed her off to save her. Kyra, though, refuses, and she journeys out on her own, into a dangerous wood, where she encounters a wounded dragon—and ignites a series of events that will change the kingdom forever. 15 year old Alec, meanwhile, sacrifices for his brother, taking his place in the draft, and is carted off to The Flames, a wall of flames a hundred feet high that wards off the army of Trolls to the east. On the far side of the kingdom, Merk, a mercenary striving to leave behind his dark past, quests through the wood to become a Watcher of the Towers and help guard the Sword of Fire, the magical source of the kingdom’s power. But the Trolls want the Sword, too—and they prepare for a massive invasion that could destroy the kingdoms forever. With its strong atmosphere and complex characters, RISE OF THE DRAGONS is a sweeping saga of knights and warriors, of kings and lords, of honor and valor, of magic, destiny, monsters and dragons. It is a story of love and broken hearts, of deception, of ambition and betrayal. It is fantasy at its finest, inviting us into a world that will live with us forever, one that will appeal to all ages and genders. Book #2 in KINGS AND SORCERERS is now available! “RISE OF THE DRAGONS succeeds—right from the start…. A superior fantasy…It begins, as it should, with one protagonist's struggles and moves neatly into a wider circle of knights, dragons, magic and monsters, and destiny.…All the trappings of high fantasy are here, from soldiers and battles to confrontations with self….A recommended winner for any who enjoy epic fantasy writing fueled by powerful, believable young adult protagonists.” --Midwest Book Review, D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer

I was a herbalist, a healer who saved lives, but I was falsely accused of spreading plague and hanged on the gallows, awaiting the flames. Then I heard them—a swarm of rats emerging from the earth, gnawing through the noose and dragging me back to the world of the living. But this was not salvation, but the beginning of a curse. Plague swept across the land, the church peddled counterfeit medicines, and lords squeezed every last grain from the farmers. The rats looked at me and whispered to me — the end has come, and you will become the calamity.

On a research trip gone wrong, Assistant Professor Patrina Warden is tricked and trafficked into dark elf territory. In their realm, humans are seen as exotic beings to be seduced, tamed, and bound.

Nyxios, the charismatic and cunning Scion of House Keltos, uses allure and shadow magic to seduce Patrina into becoming his companion. As they play a game of power, humiliation, and submission, Patrina finds herself torn between her growing fascination for Nyxios and her fierce desire for independence.

Will Patrina escape the seductive grip of the dark elf, or will she succumb to the intoxicating blend of love and dominance?

[This closed-door romance is book one of a stand-alone two book duology. The second book planned is Midnight Crown. The books may be read in either order].

I’ve had the Sight for as long as I can remember.
Born into a matrilineal line of Salem witches, I can pierce the veil of the dead. I see the wandering souls and the lingering traces of magic left behind in the mortal world.
I always assumed this gift was nothing more than my own harmless little secret.
Until the night of our fifth wedding anniversary.
I lit the final taper candle on the long dining table. As the flame flickered, my Sight instinctively slipped open, my gaze drifting toward the deep shadows by the fireplace.
A spirit was huddled there in the dark.
It was my husband—Silas Blackwood.
Ice flooded my veins. What the hell is going on? Is Silas... dead?!
My hands shook as I fumbled for my phone, stumbling back in a frantic rush to dial his number.
But before my thumb could hit the call button—before my lips could even form the words of a banishing spell—
Click.
The front door opened.
Silas strode in, bringing the damp, fresh scent of the rain with him.
"Sorry I'm late, Evie."
My breath caught. If Silas was dead... then who the hell was standing right in front of me, wearing his skin?

I had just pulled the teddy bear cookies from the oven when my daughter Dora ran into the kitchen.
"Dora, sweetheart! Mommy's special cookies are ready!"
But the moment she saw the cookies, her face went white as a sheet. She screamed "Get away! Get away!" and bolted from the room.
I was completely stunned. Just then, Herbert walked through the door.
"Try one and tell me what's wrong," I said, pointing at the cookies.
Herbert was about to comfort me, but when he learned I'd made these cookies for Dora, his expression turned absolutely bizarre. "You really made these? If you did, I want a divorce. Immediately!"
"What?"
My mother-in-law Athena heard the commotion and came to console me, but the moment she heard these were cookies I'd made for my daughter, she slapped the entire tray out of my hands. "What kind of mother are you?!"
Cookie crumbs scattered across the floor. I stood there in shock, completely bewildered by what was happening.

On the day of the clan’s grand sea banquet, my mafia husband Victor took his beloved white moonlight Lilia to race jet skis in restricted sea waters without permission.
She twisted the throttle all the way open, and the jet ski crashed violently into the my luxury yacht.
The yacht quickly flooded and began sinking, yet Victor completely ignored the people screaming for help on board, only clinging tightly to the terrified Lilia and comforting her softly.
"Don’t be afraid. They trespassed into the restricted sea zone of their own accord; they deserve everything that happened to them."
Not until the entire yacht sank deep into the ocean and everyone aboard vanished without a trace did Victor dial my phone unhurriedly.
"Vera, your mom and Dante are gone in the sea."
In an instant, overwhelming terror swallowed me whole.
The very next second, I saw Mom shoving freshly cooked meat into my mouth just as she did when I was a child.
My brother hurried over with a grin to snatch a bite.
"Mom, you always favor my sister."
They are standing right beside me.
Then who on earth was trapped inside that sunken yacht?

I'd been out of Coldwater for two weeks when my family asked me to go back behind silver.

"It's three nights," Mom said. "You did three years. Three nights won't kill you."

They had no idea it would. I'm dying. The only thing still holding my body together is my mate bond, and three nights away from Silas is all it will take.

For three years in Coldwater, a parcel came for me every month. A blanket, a sweater—something that smelled like home. I slept wrapped in them every night, sure it meant my family hadn't given up on me.

It was my twin sister who sent them.

I didn't know what she'd soaked them in.

Betrayed and bleeding out, heiress Kira Summers dies at the hands of her treacherous family.

Across worlds, Alpha King Adrian Draven begs the moon goddess for redemption after losing his mate to his own fatal mistakes.

The universe answers…with a vicious twist.

Kira awakens in his mate's body: fierce, powerful, and utterly unforgiving.

In a realm of wolves, witches, and pack politics, she trusts no one…least of all the Alpha who thinks he can tame her.

He wanted his lost mate back.
He got hellfire in heels instead.

And this new Queen? She's ready to burn it all down.

He accused her of seduction and was mean towards her after a one night stand. In retaliation, Mercedes threw a $1 note at him as payment for his service and a measure of his performance, which she graded to be below average. Meanwhile, her body ached terribly and her walls felt sore.

Two days later, she walked to her new office and was sent to the board room to begin her as a personal assistant to the President. Her heart stopped when she realized that the man she ridiculed was Nathan Legend. The multi-billionaire devil everyone whispered about. Graciously, he pretended to not know her to her great relief.

Yet, when she entered his office, he locked the door. His face carried no emotions, his eyes piercing, his voice chilled like ice. "You shall spend the rest of your life, paying for the insult you threw in my face, till I tear that $1 note off the wall." She shivered to his word and as if to read her mind, he seethed, "don't even think about resigning because, I would make sure, that no company employs you and if you run, I will find you."

My teammates viewed me as a mobile food supply and planned to butcher me before they ran out of rations.
They thought that as long as I died, they would win this "survival game."
However, they would never know that what I brought back from the depths of the ruins wasn't fear, but the highest-level administrative privileges of the entire logistics system. While they killed each other for a bag of expired biscuits, I had already locked the exit to this hell. Sorry, but in this settling of accounts, you aren't even qualified to be treated as bargaining chips.

I gave up my Harvard Ph.D. and lived in the slums for five years as a corpse restorer, all to save my dying boyfriend.
But when I brought the $72,000 I literally bled for to his VIP ward, I found him drinking champagne.
"Thanks for faking the medical records, Doc," Ethan smirked. "Her sob-story money is paying for my Senate run nicely."
His glamorous campaign manager, Sloane, chimed in: "Just be careful, Ethan. What if she figured out your family background and is just playing the long game? She might be a gold digger climbing the political ladder."
"Please," Ethan scoffed in disgust. "Marry a woman who scrubs dead bodies every night? I'll throw her out the minute the election is over."
A gold digger? Me? Climbing his ladder?
I looked at my calloused hands, then calmly messaged the most terrifying political patriarch in Boston.
"Dad, you were right. I'm coming home, and I'll marry the Federal Prosecutor.”

"Aveline Ashkaar." Rhaedon's voice was low as his golden eyes held mine. "The moment you offered yourself to become my Luna, everything about you became mine. Your life, your obedience, your blood... including the abilities that flow through it."

He paused, his gaze never leaving mine.

"And I don't share what's mine."

☆

I died on my son's death anniversary, betrayed by the man I'd devoted my entire life to, and the woman who stood by, smiling as I took my last breath… was my very own sister.

When I opened my eyes again, I was five years in the past—before the betrayal, before my death and before the beginning of it all.

This time, I refused to marry the man who destroyed me.

Instead, I walked straight into the arms of the only man the entire Empire feared—Crown Prince Alpha Rhaedon Ashkaar.

Rhaedon was everything Lucien wasn't.

Dangerous. Competent. Powerful.

And the perfect weapon for my revenge.

He wanted the throne. I wanted vengeance.

It should have been the perfect alliance, but revenge was never that simple.

With every step I took toward my revenge, another secret from my first life came to light. The deeper I dug, the more I realized I wasn't the only one playing this game.

And by the time I uncovered the truth...

Walking away from Rhaedon Ashkaar was no longer an option.

After twenty years of knowing and loving my destined mate, Alpha Martin, we were finally about to get married.
On the eve of the wedding, He skillfully picked out the lipstick shade I wanted from my makeup bag.
That's when I knew: Alpha Martin had someone else.
That girl was wearing the custom evening gown I'd prepared for the wedding banquet, clinking glasses with Alpha Martin in a mate's toast.
Our friends surrounded her, respectfully calling her "Luna."
I didn't cause a scene. Instead, I called the hospital.
"Dr. Fabian, please dispose of the eggs I had frozen."
Then I sent a message to that girl.
"Yvonne Jimenez, would you like to marry Martin Daniels in my place?"

First love.

They come in all shapes and sizes. They can be beautiful or painful and everything in between.

Sawyer and I were best friends once upon a time, until he followed his dream and left his old life behind. Including me. I held on to the hope that life wouldn’t pull us apart, but just like with most first loves it does and soon he becomes a stranger to me. When I finally muster up the courage to let him go and start my new life he shows up again.

His life is hanging on by a thread and this is his last chance to get what he’s been working so hard for. Now he thinks that includes me. He’s ready to repair what we lost, but I’m not interested in giving second chances. Unfortunately I’ve never been good at resisting him, and even after our time apart things don’t seem to have changed.

Well thats not true. A whole lot is about to change. So much more than we could have imagined, but it all started the first time I found love.

Now, it’s time to discover everything that comes after.

It was my fifth engagement party, and my fiancé, Adrian, didn't show up. Again.

Guests from every family showed up, and one by one, they left again.

Adrian was the Don of the Severino family. We'd been engaged for three years.

His father, Vincent, New York's old Godfather, had arranged the match himself. Every family in the city knew I'd be the next Severino Donna.

My mom, Diane, didn't rush in with Adrian until the last guest was gone.

She grabbed my hand. "Sweetheart, your dad got jumped today. He's hurt. Adrian was at the clinic with him all day. He couldn't get away. Don't be mad at him, okay?"

That made five times. Every single time, it ended just like this, with nothing settled.

"What about last time?" I asked.

Mom hesitated. "Last time... the Ricci family called a sit-down at the last minute."

"No." I looked right at her. "Last time you said there was a problem with a shipment at the docks. The Ricci sit-down was the time before that."

She smoothed it over fast. "Then I got them mixed up. Sienna, don't make such a big deal out of something this small."

"You know better than anyone how good Adrian is to you. Keep this up and you're just going to push him away."

I didn't say anything. My eyes were on Adrian's wrist.

That rosary bracelet belonged to my half-sister, Marissa. She never took it off.

Adrian sighed like he was worn out. "Sienna, I told you, something really came up. If you still don't believe me, I'll just go tell my dad to call off the engagement."

"Don't bother," I said.

He looked relieved. He probably figured I'd cave like I had the last four times.

"I'll go see him myself," I said. "From now on, you go your way and I'll go mine. You and I are done."

Haven Center for Omegas. A place where Omegas can be protected until they reach full maturity and move on to find the perfect pack.

Well, that's what they promised me. When I lost my parents at fourteen I was sent to Haven and promised the world. When my time came though, the pack I chose drugged and sold me. I woke inside a cage alongside rows of other Omegas. There I waited for two years until my number finally came up. I'm going up for auction tonight...

That is until my guard stumbles in drunk and I see my chance to escape. I'm too weak though and when he catches me and promises to keep me for himself I think my chance at freedom is gone. Then four Alphas storm in and save me, but my problems are far from over.

I'm too dangerous to keep alive, but I can't trust the one place in this country meant to protect me. Plus, these Alphas are not at all the sort of pack I would consider trusting or choosing for a lifetime. They are violent and rough. Yet, they promise to help and protect me until I get justice and I intend to take them up on their offer. The one request I have...I want them to teach me to be as bad as them. I want to be someone the people who screwed me over will fear.

Hell hath no fury than an Omega wronged...or something like that.

My name is Elise, and I'm about to get my unhappily ever after.

(This story takes place in the same universe as The Sweetest Sound and the two books are now combined as "Omegas of Haven" for better viewing:D )

The first birthday after we finally made up.

Shen Linze sent me a menu and told me to cook everything myself.

He invited all his close friends, plus the girl he was chasing, saying it was a birthday party for me.

On the long dining table were the stir-fried dishes I’d spent three hours rushing to make.

Shen Linze picked up a piece of sweet and sour spareribs and carefully held it to the girl’s mouth.

“Yaoyao, have a taste. I asked Su Qingyan to make them specially—they’re all your favorite dishes.”

The girl sitting in the main seat didn’t react at all.

Shen Linze put down his chopsticks and told the servants to wheel out a custom-made multi-layer cake.

“Do you like it? I designed this just for you. It has the place where we first met, your prettiest smile,
your favorite flowers, your favorite color purple, the wedding you’ve always wanted, and the initials of your name: ZY…”

Three months ago, I’d seen that exact cake design in Shen Linze’s office.

After he finished the design, he brought in several top pastry chefs from abroad and spent three months making it.

My birthday was coming soon, and I’d thought the “ZY” on the cake stood for the last characters of both our names.

I never knew it was just my own foolish wishful thinking.

When I was six, my father and his mistress drove my mother to jump to her death. Suicide is a sin, and the Church said her soul could not enter Heaven. So I set out to save her the only way I could: with my Rh-null "golden blood," I worked ninety-nine miracles of life.

Then came the hundredth call. The hospital needed me to save my father's illegitimate son.

My husband betrayed our Mate Bond for one reason—he wanted an heir.

He told me the child meant nothing. It was just IVF. No feelings. No affair. No betrayal.

I tried to believe him.

Until I heard him admit that he'd fallen in love with the Omega carrying his child. That was when I finally understood.

The marriage I'd spent three years believing in had never been as solid as I thought.

So I told him I wanted to sever our Mate Bond. But the man who'd betrayed me was suddenly the one refusing to let me go.

Then the brother I'd never told him about showed up.

He was the Alpha of the Sterling Pack—and the only family I had left in this world.

He didn't ask why I'd endured it for so long. He simply looked Clark in the eye and said coldly,

“If you couldn't treat my sister right, then I'll make sure you pay for what you did to her.”

"On. Your. Knees."
"Do it, Yvette," my tone held finality, but almost sounded like a plea.
"Tsk tsk, Knox, my boy. You better watch daddy cum or no deal for you."
"Please, Mr. Christopher," Yvette's voice finally broke after the long silence. "Anything but this,"
"Shhhh…"
I peered from my side to see my father position himself between Yvette's legs.
"You won't know a better experience after—"
"Enough!" I snapped, rising to my feet.
"Sit back down, boy," he threatened.
I ignored him completely while helping Yvette down from his desk.
"I am talking to you, Knox!" He snapped. "This is your only chance to get everything stated in your mother's will."
I ignored him.
"You just breached a necessary condition in this deal, Knox. Don't tell me you have feelings for this slut—"
I slapped him twice as hard as he slapped Yvette earlier before he could finish his sentence.
"You won't call her a slut or lay a fucking finger on her ever again," I lowered my voice while my eyes imprinted the seriousness of my words into his.
Hell!
"You dare to raise your hand at me because of her? I will make you pay heavily for this."
I smirked without uttering a word. If only he knew how badly I wanted to devour him right now.
"Touch her again, and we'll see who pays dearly for what."


Yvette Morgan would do anything to save her dying mother. Anything. Even sign her mind, soul and body over to a man she doesn't know.
Knox Luther doesn't do feelings. He does strategy. And Yvette— desperate, fierce and unknowingly irresistible, is the perfect instrument for burning his father's world to the ground. The arrangement is never supposed to feel like anything until it feels like everything. Whose walls will crack first, and whose will crumble the hardest?
WARNING: This book contains explicit scenes and very mature content. If you enjoy dark romance with morally grey characters, intense passion and heart-wrenching tension, then, welcome and happy reading!

When you're the adopted kid and nobody ever liked you,
One day, a stunning man stood in front of your door, with flowers and presents in his hands
"So you are the lost kid of Mr.Wilson？"
"...sorry? What?"
"I’m your fiancé. "
Wait…Wilson…The Billionaire Wilson？
And…You're only 18.

Arianna finally stopped holding back when she felt Pierce’s tongue replace his finger. She screamed her release. It was so good that she was slapping the bar top with one hand, wanting to cry uncle and for him to keep going at the same time. She ground against Pierce’s face, trying to ride out the rest of her orgasm. She silently fell back on the counter and released him. She was speechless. Not only from the soreness she felt in her throat from the yelling but also from the mind-blowing orgasm that she just had.

Pierce stood up, wrapped a hand around Arianna’s neck, and pulled her up. His tongue found hers, and the next thing they knew, her legs were wrapped around his waist, and he was jogging upstairs for round two.


Welcome to Elite San Antonio, the most premier country club in the world, which caters to the wealthiest clients and their every whim. Arianna Carter (18) completed high school and is now working as a receptionist at the exclusive country club due to her parents’ unfortunate gambling issues. They gambled away her college tuition, forcing her to take a gap year or two to save for college. Arianna is fed up with all the married men hitting on her and propositioning her for an entanglement. She even heard there was a running bet to see who could get her in bed first! Arianna considered swearing off men until she gives a tour to handsome and recently divorced Pierce White. The 32-year age gap should’ve turned her off. Still, Arianna figured with age came experience, and Pierce White might be worthy enough to give her virginity to. Arianna isn't the only one feeling the instant attraction. Once Pierce lays eyes on the young receptionist behind the front desk, his first thought is to bend her over it and have his way with her.

Sparks instantly fly between the two, resulting in a steamy, scandalous age-gap romance that rocks the country club. Will Arianna and Pierce make it in the long run, or will his hang-ups about their age gap, future, and his conniving ex-wife end their relationship?

In Darya's first life, she got betrayed by her husband- leading her to die with her unborn child. After losing her first, second, and third life where she had undergone a lot of trauma, she went crazy. What keeps on happening is she dies and then lives another life in another body. This repeated course happened fourteen times. So then, on her 15th life to which she miraculously came back to her first life, she got a chance to have revenge. She decided to live a different life where she fights for herself and become a strong woman that cannot be controlled by her feelings. She becomes the Emperor again and gathered all the men who ruined her life and twirled their worlds around her fingers.

"Mommy's just a housewife! I don't want Mommy anymore—I want Aunt Jessica!"

Those words from my eight-year-old son, Jimmy, hit harder than any physical blow. I stood frozen in our living room, surrounded by the shards of the vase I’d just smashed. My husband, Robert, didn't even flinch. He just pulled Jessica closer, his hand resting possessively on her waist.

"Stop being dramatic, Scarlett," Robert sneered, his eyes cold. "Jessica is my soulmate. She understands my work. You? You just clean."

Eight years of devotion. Eight years of sacrificing my career to build this home. And now, my husband and son were looking at a stranger with the love that belonged to me.

I tried to reach for Jimmy, but he pushed me away with his small, angry fists. "Bad Mommy! Aunt Jessica buys me candy! You're just an ugly hag!"

My heart twisted until it snapped. I watched them leave for Jessica's award party—an award for a paper I practically wrote but couldn't claim. I was left alone in the silence of the house I paid for, bleeding from the glass cuts on my hands.

Later that night, at the hospital, after I’d been injured by Robert’s own hand, the nurse asked Jimmy who I was. He looked me dead in the eye and said, "I don't know her. Jessica is my mom."

That was the moment the old Scarlett died. I wiped the blood from my face, picked up my phone, and dialed my lawyer.

"Mr. Owens," I whispered, my voice trembling but resolute. "Let's redraft the agreement. I don't want custody. They can have each other."

Betrayed and creatively blocked, erotic artist Lucia Lane has sworn off love until her infuriatingly gorgeous new neighbor crashes into her life. NHL bad boy Noah Lawson is loud, arrogant, and impossible to ignore… especially after he saves her from a violent attack and the world mistakes them for lovers.

A fake relationship should be simple. No feelings. No rules broken.

But Noah isn’t just hockey’s golden god he’s a cursed Alpha werewolf hunting a killer and fighting a destiny written by the Moon Goddess. From the moment he catches Lucia’s scent, his wolf knows the truth: she’s his fated mate.

As hate turns to scorching desire and secrets about Lucia’s bloodline surface, their pretend romance becomes dangerously real. Under the full moon, one bond could break his curse… or destroy them both.

"Kane Wilder," I walk up to him. "You're under arrest."
He smirks.
"Are you going to tie me up, Officer Sin?"
I glare at him as I bring out my handcuffs. "More like chain you."
He holds out his hands for me to cuff him. As I put the cuffs on him, he brings his mouth closer to my ear, and he says, "You know, you can bring this when you decide to have dinner with me."
"In your dreams, Kane," I hiss, moving him to my car.
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Sin."


Nia Sinclair is a police officer new to the town. Nia quickly earns a reputation for being relentless—especially when it comes to Kane Wilder, a notorious biker with a criminal record and an attitude that makes her want to put him behind bars every chance she gets.
But when a dangerous gang sets its sights on Nia and makes it clear they want her gone—or dead—the police realise they have a problem. They need someone who understands the criminal underworld, knows the streets, and can keep Nia alive.
Unfortunately for Nia, that person is Kane Wilder.
As the threats escalate, Kane becomes Nia’s unlikely protector, putting himself between her and the people determined to silence her. The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes for Nia to see the outlaw she once knew only as a criminal.
Somewhere between the arguments, the danger, and the forced proximity, the cop who was always on his ass becomes the woman he would risk everything to protect. But when the law meets the outlaw, neither of them is prepared for what happens when duty becomes desire—and protection becomes love.

"Aveline, a world without you means nothing to me."
The dragon's scalding blood splattered across my tombstone, melting the thick blanket of snow.
Five minutes ago, he had severed the crimson fox's head—vengeance for me.
I died at the hands of my most cherished companion, died in a carefully orchestrated betrayal. I'd wielded the full power of the Court to elevate that pitiful low-born wretch to godhood, only for him to join forces with my dear sister and plunge a blade into my heart from behind.
And the dragon war god I had scorned—the one I'd humiliated and treated as nothing more than a beast slave—defied imperial decree, razed an entire city, and severed his own life force. All for me.
I watched his dragonfire extinguish completely in the bitter cold. My soul reached out to embrace him, but passed through nothing but endless snow.
Until a blinding light pierced through my vision.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself staring up at the familiar domed ceiling of the Celestial Hall.
I had returned to three years ago, to the Binding Ceremony that sealed my fate.
Reborn into a second chance, those vermin who climbed to power on dragon bones will finally get the hell they deserve.

Warning: 18+ Readers. Reader discretion is advised!
This book collection contains explicit romantic scenes, mature themes, age-gap relationships, emotional intensity, complex dynamics, and strong adult language.
If dark, steamy, and emotionally charged stories are not your preference, this collection may not be for you.
But if you enjoy powerful attraction, intense emotions, and unforgettable romance, get ready to be intrigued... to ache... to feel... and to fall deeply into these captivating stories.

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.In A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, follows a fresh lead for her abducted daughter. It leads to a violent confrontation with The Collector—which, in turn, offers more clues that may, after all this time, reunite her with her daughter.Yet at the same time, Keri is assigned a new case, one with a frantic ticking clock. A teenage girl has gone missing in Los Angeles, a girl from a good family was who duped into drugs and abducted into a sex trafficking ring. Keri is hot on her trail—but the trail is moving fast, with the girl being constantly moved and with her abductors’ single, nefarious goal: to cross her over the border with Mexico.In an epic, breathtaking, cat and mouse chase that takes them through the seedy underworld of trafficking, Keri and Ray will be pushed to their limits to save the girl—and her own daughter—before it is all too late.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF VICE is book #3 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)Book #4 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

Walking in on her husband with her own sister should have destroyed her. But Steffy doesn't fall apart-she slaps him and walks out.
What does break her is the DNA test her sister waves in her face. Not a Willson. Not their blood. Not their daughter.
Steffy has lived twenty-seven years in a family that may not be hers, while her sister claws for an inheritance she believes is rightfully hers alone.
But the deeper Steffy digs into the truth of who she really is, the more the wrong questions start getting answered.
Because if that DNA test was wrong about her... then who in this family is actually who they claim to be?

I found out I was pregnant the same week our savings hit zero.
I didn't tell my boyfriend, Jovan. He was already hauling bricks all day and running deliveries half the night. One more thing on his shoulders, and I was scared it would break him.
So I said nothing. Just started picking up more work.
A friend got me a serving job at a private club downtown. Cash tips, she said. Pour tea, carry trays, nothing dirty about it.
I took it without telling Jovan that either. I told myself I'd surprise him with the extra money. I told myself this was me carrying my share of the weight, quietly, the way a good partner should.
That night, I pushed open the door to the biggest room in the club, tray balanced on my arm.
And there he was.
Center seat. A dozen people leaning toward him like he was the only light in the room.
Eighteen thousand a bottle. Seven or eight empty already on the table.

Lucy Foster thought her second chance at life would be simple—until she woke up nineteen again, in a world where lions walk as humans.

Once an ordinary woman nearing forty, she is now a university student with a past life full of regrets—and a future tangled with secrets. Her heartbeat stirs an ancient prophecy, one that makes her the most sought-after prize in the royal werelion world.

Kenneth Paige Jr., crown prince and king-in-waiting, is dangerous, captivating, and undeniably hers—if fate has its way. But the throne comes with enemies, and Lucy’s rebirth has upset centuries-old rivalries. Patricia Bratton, a cunning royal werelioness, holds an old treaty that promises Kenneth’s hand to her. And she’s not about to lose without a fight.

With love tested by politics, betrayal, and a supernatural war brewing in the shadows, Lucy must decide—will she embrace her royal destiny, or will history repeat itself?

In the game of lions, only the strongest survive.

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense. A TRACE OF HOPE is the final book in the Keri Locke series, bringing the series to a dramatic conclusion.In A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, is closer than she’s ever been to finding her daughter. Finally, she gets a fresh lead—and this time, she will do whatever it takes to bring her home alive.At the same time, a new, urgent case is assigned to Keri: an 18 year old girl has gone missing after being hazed by her sorority. As the race is on to find her, Keri plunges deep into the world of pristine college campuses, and comes to realize that all is not what it seems.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF HOPE is book #5 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.In A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, follows a fresh lead for her abducted daughter. She winds her way through a twisted underworld, and step by step, she gets closer to finding her daughter.Yet she has no time. Keri is assigned a new case: a dad calls from an affluent community and reports that his teen daughter vanished on the way home from school.Shortly after, ransom letters arrive. Twisted, filled with riddles, they make it clear that there is little time to save the girl. They also make it clear that this is the work of a diabolical killer who is toying with them.Keri and the police must scramble to find the kidnapper, to understand his demands, to decode the letters, and most of all, to outwit him. But in this master game of chess, Keri may find herself up against a foe even she cannot understand, and for the missing girl—and her own daughter—she may just be too late.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF CRIME is book #4 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)Book #5 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, remains haunted by the abduction of her own daughter, years before, never found. Still obsessed with finding her, Keri buries her grief the only way she knows how: by throwing herself into the cases of missing persons in Los Angeles.A routine phone call from a worried mother of a high-schooler, only two hours missing, should be ignored. Yet something about the mother’s voice strikes a chord, and Keri decides to investigate.What she finds shocks her. The missing daughter—of a prominent senator—was hiding secrets no one knew. When all evidence points to a runaway, Keri is ordered off the case. And yet, despite pressure from her superiors, from the media, despite all trails going cold, the brilliant and obsessed Keri refuses to let it go. She knows she has but 48 hours if she has any chance of bringing this girl back alive.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF DEATH marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)Book #2 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

In my last life, I fell for every word out of Ryan's mouth.
To save his shot at attending physician, I volunteered to take the fall for his medical malpractice case.
My license was revoked. I went from being a surgeon to being a housewife trapped in his family's home, wasting ten years of my life chained to a kitchen stove.
I thought my sacrifice would earn me his gratitude for the rest of our lives.
Turns out, he'd been sleeping with that doe-eyed little nurse, Lily, for God knows how long.
When years of exhaustion finally caught up with me and my heart gave out, I collapsed on the freezing basement floor.
My husband Ryan was upstairs, arms wrapped around Lily, sleeping in the master bedroom we'd bought with my dowry.
"That bitch is finally kicking the bucket. Once she croaks, this house is ours."

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.In A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, remains haunted by the abduction of her own daughter. Encouraged by the new lead that has landed, the first in years, she pursues it with all that she has, determined to find her daughter and bring her back alive.Yet Keri, at the same time, receives a phone call from a frantic husband, a famed Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, who reports that his wife has been missing for two days. A wealthy socialite with no enemies and little reason to leave her life, he fears the worst has become of his wife.Keri takes on the case, assigned a new partner whom she hates, as Ray still recovers in the hospital. Her investigation leads her deep into the elite Beverly Hills world of the idle rich, to encounters with lonely housewives, and those with shopping-addicted, empty lives. Keri, in over her head in this world, becomes increasingly puzzled by the conflicting signals: did this woman, with a stalker and a lurid, secret past, run away, or was she abducted?Or did something far more sinister happen?A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF MURDER is book #2 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)Book #3 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

She called him a shameless con man. She didn't know he was a killer the whole underworld feared.

Elizabeth Williams doesn't trust charming men—especially ones who show up out of nowhere claiming to be her savior. Caesar doesn't care what she thinks. He's not here to charm her. He's here to keep her alive, one way or another.

She sees an arrogant fraud chasing her money.
He sees a woman too stubborn to admit she needs him.

Neither one is ready for what happens when the mask finally comes off.

“My husband is back. We’re breaking up.”

I slid a bank card loaded with one million dollars across the table to Leon, convinced it was nothing more than the end of a simple arrangement.

Three years ago, my husband, William Grant, disappeared on our wedding day, leaving me to become the laughingstock of Oakland. While everyone believed he was dead, I sacrificed everything to save the collapsing Grant family and keep their empire alive. Then he returned—with a pregnant mistress on his arm—and had the audacity to demand that I take care of the woman carrying his child.

That was the moment I decided our marriage was over.

What I never expected was that the male escort I had been keeping for the past three years wasn't an escort at all.

Leon was actually Roderick Harris—the mysterious billionaire behind the Harris Group, the most powerful and untouchable business empire in Oakland.

And just hours before discovering the truth, I had handed this ruthless business tycoon a one-million-dollar breakup fee... and told him never to contact me again.

While my cheating husband believed I would lose everything without him, and everyone waited to watch me fall, the man I had cast aside stepped back into my life, his dark eyes locking onto mine with dangerous intensity.

“Violette... what makes you think you're the one who gets to decide when this is over?”

After the woman Adrian Cole had always loved pushed her out of a helicopter as it lifted off, Summer Bennett handed in her notice.
She remained the most dependable assistant in Cole Group's executive office. But everyone noticed small changes.
She no longer carried Adrian's coffee into his office herself. Lunch came from the company cafeteria instead of the private chef who had prepared his carefully balanced meals. At business dinners, she stopped drinking on his behalf to protect his bad stomach.
Even when the pain nearly made him pass out, she simply called an ambulance and went back to work. Before, she would have crouched beside him in a panic, rubbing his back and trying to ease his discomfort.
In the hospital, Adrian watched her deliver a perfectly businesslike update.
Her dated hairstyle, heavy black glasses, plain features, and dull complexion were exactly the same.
But when she looked at him, there was no warmth left in her eyes.

On my birthday, my husband ditched me for his "innocent" adopted sister, mocking me as a useless housewife. He has no clue that I, Sophia, am actually "Sue"—the legendary designer his company is desperate to recruit!

Fed up, I slammed the divorce papers on the table, ready to crush his arrogance and expose his sister's lies.

But the moment I stopped caring, this icy CEO lost his mind. He pinned me against the wall, his eyes burning with dark obsession: "Sophia, trying to escape? Over my dead body. Tonight, I’ll show you exactly whose wife you are..."

"You don’t even know what you’ve stepped into, Elena."

Alexander Moretti- a name Elena Rossi never wanted to hear anymore- is arrogant and cold. The billionaire who embarrased her in front of an entire gallery. But when he offers her the opportunity of a lifetime—a commission that could change her dwindling career—she has to make a choice. She’ll accept his money, complete the job, and forget he ever existed or that they even crossed paths.

But forgetting Alexander Moretti is quite impossible. His presence alone is suffocating, his eyes filled with something she can’t decipher—something capable of causing her harm. The closer she gets, the more she realizes he has a secret. And then, she finds the photograph.

One picture.
One lie.

Elena's world crumbles when she fins out that her family’s tragic accident wasn’t an accident at all. The Morettis had a hand in it. And now, Vincent Carter—a man with a vendetta—is using her as a pawn in a deadly game.

"Run, Elena."

But it’s too late.

She’s trapped between the man who might have destroyed her life and the one willing to kill to protect her.

I thought I was dead for sure. Hell, my blood has already run cold.
I snapped my eyes open only to realize the gunshot wasn't meant for me. But now, I'm being used as a human shield.
The first thing I saw was a man in all black holding a gun to my face.
He stands gallantly menacing, less than five yards from me. And despite the low light, I can see his shirt is only buttoned halfway as a jacket drapes loosely over his broad shoulders.
He is like Hades in a shirt.
"Answer me, motherfucker! Or I swear I'll kill her!" Blondie yelled, jabbing his gun at me and pulling me closer to shield himself.
"Who the fuck are you!"
The stranger returned his attention to my captor;
"You seem to have misunderstood this situation," He said with such calm and vindication, you'd think my life didn't matter.
He continued;
"I'm not the hero that saves the damsel in distress..." He paused,
"...I'm the Grim Reaper."

< Gunshot...! ><<
I froze in my spot, but I didn't feel dead.
"You're safe now." He said, walking up to me. He brushed hair from my wet cheeks as he pulled me closer.
And I just fell on him.
Without hesitating, I rise to my toes and capture his lips in mine.





***

Sapphire Sanchez is just a girl looking for momentary happiness when she makes a rather impulsive move.
Life hasn't exactly been fair to her, and her mother's condition isn't making it easier for her. Then everything turns upside down when a stranger saves her from three hoodlums.
Or maybe the right side up?
Either way, she just met Dimitri Griot, the terror of Silicone City, the Grim Reaper himself.
He has built his empire with the same ruthless vindication he delivers his judgment. And fussy romance wasn't on his agenda when a lowlife cunt got his heart beating in the wrong manner.
He wants her just as much as he hates the weakness.
She wants him even though he incites terror in her.
The condition of romance is clear, and the rules for power are final. It's one of nothing: Power, Vengeance, or Love
Neither of them can have it all. But the question is, which will either of them choose?

WARNING: THIS IS A DARK ROMANCE BOOK WITH MATURE AND TRIGGERING CONTENT INCLUDING VIOLENCE, NON-CONSENSUAL ELEMENTS, TORTURE, EXPLICIT SEXUAL SCENES, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA. 18+ ONLY!
One night, two women wake up in bodies that aren't theirs.
Elara has suffered two brutal years chained in the Draconian Lord's secret dungeon where she was tortured, violated, and left alive only to break. Fueled by rage over her father's murder, she wakes up to suddenly finds herself in soft silk sheets, in the lush, untouched body of spoiled heiress Anya Vale who is married to Helson, the Lord's dangerous son-in-law.
Now armed with luxury, secrets, and a body untouched by pain, Elara unleashes years of denied desire. She dominates Helson with slow, commanding touches, grinding passion, and raw, addictive pleasure that leaves him begging for more—while she steals codes, drains accounts, and plots to burn his empire from the inside.
But in the dark dungeon below, innocent Anya awakens in Elara's scarred, broken body—facing chains, cruelty, and the same horrifying violations that nearly destroyed a soul.
Swapped by a mysterious force, one woman savors forbidden ecstasy while weaving deadly revenge, the other fights to survive pure hell.
Will vengeance consume them both? Or will twisted desire and hidden strength change everything?
(THIS BOOK CONTAINS EXTREMELY DARK THEMES, BODY SWAP, REVENGE, AND STEAMY SCENES. READER DISCRETION ADVISED!)

Delilah can’t wait for her boyfriend to turn 17, for him to meet his Alpha wolf, and finally sense his fated mate. She has long since been predicted as his fated mate by all in their pack having been childhood sweethearts. They make a perfect couple so this would be the perfect love story for them. Surely fate couldn’t take an unexpected twist sending her on a painful path she didn’t expect? That painful path could change the person she once was but may bring an unexpected ally……could it be in a bitter twist of fate Delilah all along had held her hopes on the wrong Alpha?