Power. Lust. Betrayal. Murder. Blamed for the deaths of both her parents,
Zoey Tirado is raised under the cruel control of her wealthy Uncle
Max—an obsessive narcissist whose vicious deeds scar Zoey’s
future forever. Zoey manages to escape, but feeling powerless and alone,
lets her life spiral out of control. Finally ready for help, Zoey is taken
under the wing of a champion female fighter who guides her on a journey of
transformation and empowerment by helping her strengthen both her body and
her mind. Rising above her past, Zoey focuses on her ultimate goal: exacting
the perfect revenge.
This first installment of The Perfect Revenge series sets the stage for a sexy and thrilling saga, packed with romance, espionage, street justice, and more. In The Dragonfly Rises, Zoey’s emotion-filled metamorphosis from a guilt-ridden child into an inspirational success is a page-turner every woman can relate to.
About the Author
WilD is a storyteller and longtime philanthropist who’s dedicated
generous amounts of time and money to organizations that aid women with
troubled pasts. The drastic transformations he’s witnessed have proven
to him what is possible when people are given the right support system.
Today, he’s an ardent champion of female empowerment, driven to create
a lasting legacy by furthering the cause even more.
However, WilD realized early on he was not the ideal “face” of
the women’s movement. And so, with the goal of keeping the attention on Zoey
and her message, WilD has chosen to remain anonymous. But the impetus for
his commitment to this project need not be a mystery.
Like Zoey, WilD overcame heartbreaking adversity; in fact, many story
scenes are based directly on his and his mother’s distressing
experiences. But after being told he would never amount to anything, he
became the first in his family to attend college, went on to earn a graduate
degree, and most importantly, found personal fulfillment.
Crafting Zoey’s story is WilD’s first step toward inspiring
women to reach their highest goals, even when faced with the steepest odds.
He hopes that exposing the plight of girls like Zoey will help more women
find their own voices and will encourage others to join the mission.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author…“Remember Getting to Happy, Waiting to Exhale, and How Stella Got Her Groove Back? Well, you won’t likely forget Terry McMillan’s Who Asked You? either” (Raleigh News & Observer).
When Who Asked You? begins, Trinetta leaves her two young sons with her mother, Betty Jean, and promptly disappears. BJ already has her hands full dealing with her other adult children, two opinionated sisters, an ill husband, and her own postponed dreams—all the while holding down a job delivering room service at a hotel.
Her son Dexter is about to be paroled from prison; Quentin, the family success, can’t be bothered to lend a hand; and taking care of two lively grandsons is the last thing BJ thinks she needs. But who asked her?
Kofi Ajyei has never had time to fall in love. As the twentieth king of the Ashanti, the youngest ever, he’s determined to raise his country’s profile through education. When he hears school expert Ella Jenkins’ Ted Talk, he knows his country must have her. He didn’t expect his heart to want her for himself.
Ella Jenkins could care less about love. After a failed engagement, all her energy has gone to building a successful charter school network in Atlanta. Her ultimate dream comes true when she gets the chance to develop schools in Africa, but she didn’t know that dream would include a sexy, high-handed king.
Kofi’s dedication to the Ashanti crown and Ella’s commitment to her professional ambitions threaten to keep them a part. Kofi and Ella must find a way to balance love and service, but at what cost to their hearts?
This is the first book in a refreshing international romance series about the choices a devoted king and enterprising CEO make about love, personal ambition, and the crown. It ends without a cliffhanger and promises the reader a happily ever after. It is also hot and steamy!
Praise for Craving A King
“I could not stop reading! The book provided the international escape I’ve been hoping for during the pandemic.” –Danya Bacchus, Journalist
“I loved the story from the beginning to the end and didn’t want to put it down. I love a great love story and this was one.” –Crystal, Myluvofbooks blog
Crystal Harris has been in love with her best friend, Brendon Marks, since they were in high school. He was the perfect gentleman, always supportive and encouraging her, and she’s spent the last ten years loving him in secret, too scared to tell him how she feels.
Brendon has a secret himself…he’s in love with his best friend and doesn’t know how to tell her. He doesn’t want to ruin their friendship, but as the days go by, his feelings for Crystal continue to grow stronger and stronger.
What do you do when you feel like your feelings are about to bubble over? When is the perfect time to tell your best friend you’re in love with them? What makes you say, “It’s now or never?”
Power. Lust. Betrayal. Murder. Blamed for the deaths of both her parents,
Zoey Tirado is raised under the cruel control of her wealthy Uncle
Max—an obsessive narcissist whose vicious deeds scar Zoey’s
future forever. Zoey manages to escape, but feeling powerless and alone,
lets her life spiral out of control. Finally ready for help, Zoey is taken
under the wing of a champion female fighter who guides her on a journey of
transformation and empowerment by helping her strengthen both her body and
her mind. Rising above her past, Zoey focuses on her ultimate goal: exacting
the perfect revenge.
This first installment of The Perfect Revenge series sets the stage for a sexy and thrilling saga, packed with romance, espionage, street justice, and more. In The Dragonfly Rises, Zoey’s emotion-filled metamorphosis from a guilt-ridden child into an inspirational success is a page-turner every woman can relate to.
About the Author
WilD is a storyteller and longtime philanthropist who’s dedicated
generous amounts of time and money to organizations that aid women with
troubled pasts. The drastic transformations he’s witnessed have proven
to him what is possible when people are given the right support system.
Today, he’s an ardent champion of female empowerment, driven to create
a lasting legacy by furthering the cause even more.
However, WilD realized early on he was not the ideal “face” of
the women’s movement. And so, with the goal of keeping the attention on Zoey
and her message, WilD has chosen to remain anonymous. But the impetus for
his commitment to this project need not be a mystery.
Like Zoey, WilD overcame heartbreaking adversity; in fact, many story
scenes are based directly on his and his mother’s distressing
experiences. But after being told he would never amount to anything, he
became the first in his family to attend college, went on to earn a graduate
degree, and most importantly, found personal fulfillment.
Crafting Zoey’s story is WilD’s first step toward inspiring
women to reach their highest goals, even when faced with the steepest odds.
He hopes that exposing the plight of girls like Zoey will help more women
find their own voices and will encourage others to join the mission.
Some secrets draw people closer………after they tear them apart.
Marybeth and Hollister moved to rural New York to escape—both the city life and a checkered past. Their lives were unassuming, until they bought a grandfather clock. They just wanted something to fill the space under their stairs, but they got much more than they bargained for. What secrets could the clock possibly hold?
Jane was sent to Callicoon to find the Eagle diamond, which was stolen from the Museum of Natural History in the ‘60s and never recovered. Convinced she won’t find what she’s looking for, she grudgingly takes the assignment. When she arrives, things aren’t what they seem and Jane finds more than she ever expected.
Excerpt
Brenda Loring was far too small for the overstuffed capacious couch. She appeared uncomfortably absorbed by the cushions, hardly consoled. At first glance, she looked swallowed by the plush off-white arms. It could be assumed that her body had found a semblance of solace, but the truth was, there really weren’t any sacred places to turn for comfort; the fluffed-up cotton squares were far too affectionate and they consumed her behind their good intentions, providing only a pretense of succor.
Brenda sat up straight and reached for her glass; next was the cigarette. Comfort was better found in a nicotine binge and a scotch devoid of ice or water.
Brock was still not sure if he should believe her, even though she’d been insisting for months. “I’m not hallucinating,” she kept repeating. “I know what the hell I’m talking about. It’s all going to hell.”
His thoughts raced ahead as he watched her light the tip of her cigarette with a lit butt from an old dish with more ash than a crematory.
Brenda was birdlike but hardly unattractive, just sticky and twiggy, unlike his wife, who was a full hug, an eye level kiss. Brenda took a deep drag and looked at him through smoke.
“What a fuck,” she said. “Both of them. They are both fucks. I’m telling you, Devon has bought Glen off, paid him well to screw us over, though I don’t know why he would, disloyal asshole.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s hard to believe, can’t wrap my head around it, that’s all.”
Brenda leaned forward and crossed her tiny legs, shapely but thin. Her fingers seemed long as arms, her elbows stuck out like wayward bones.
“Peter has lost control of his people. He’s too old to run the organization. That’s what I think. I have my spies, you know, people who hate Devon and will tell me the truth when I ask for it. You think he’s above screwing his brother?
“Why let the organization go to shit now?”
“Why not now? I heard Peter was sick; maybe that’s why he’s losing control. Maybe it’s serious. Maybe Devon doesn’t want anything going to Peter’s idiot wife if he should die. Imagine Delilah in charge of the LVAJ? Ha!”
“I don’t think Delilah would want it. Advising Peter in business is not quite the same as running the entire organization. That’s a mammoth job.”
“Ha!” Brenda took a sip of scotch. “I wouldn’t underestimate her, Brock. She has a degree in art, after all. You sound like a misogynist, just because she’s blonde and beautiful. She’s far from stupid.”
“I didn’t say she was stupid.”
“Didn’t say she wasn’t either.”
“Look, you think we ought to go to Peter with this?” he asked, “he should know about our suspicions.”
“No, I don’t think we should go to Peter.”
Brock took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “So, you’re saying the Prince was a phony, but what if he wasn’t?”
Brenda threw back her head and laughed loudly. He noticed that her hair didn’t move, so stiff it seemed to stand at attention. Her hair is obedient, he thought.
“Oh, come on,” she said. “The whole thing was a scam. I’ll bet my ass that the Yellow Diamond is sitting behind some asshole’s velvet pull in Saudi Arabia and nowhere near that little turd that calls himself ‘Prince Vizueta.’ She drew out the syllables of the prince’s name and made a face. “Prince of bullshit.”
Brock thought for a moment. “So, if the Yellow Diamond buy was a scam, what’s next?”
Brenda did all three things at once. It was quite impressive. She laughed and took a drag off her cigarette as she put the scotch glass to her lips and drank.
“I wish I knew.”
Brock stood up and looked at his watch. He hadn’t called home. It was after ten p.m. in San Francisco. Jane would be angry. One should make a point of calling home when one is suspected of having an affair.
“It’s getting late,” he said.
He’d spent months on the phone with Brenda, ever since she first uncovered what she believed to be a conspiracy. He wasn’t quite so sure. He thought she was a bit hysterical over nothing. Besides, he was cautious. He liked absolute proof. But with their constant phone calls, he couldn’t blame his wife for suspecting him of infidelity. Once Brenda got to Philadelphia for the Yellow Diamond Buy, she called him several times a day so she could give him the scenario of treachery; so she could share her anxiety as she nervously sucked on her cigarette and drew him into her fears like the nightmare fairy.
“Why don’t we wait for Devon’s next move, see where he’s going with this,” Brock said, putting Jane out of his thoughts, he’d deal with it in his own way. “No sense making a big deal out of something that could just be gossip,” he added. “Or paranoia.” He stared at her.
“Well, it’s been months since this phony prince put out a bid on the Yellow Diamond and went back to his phony country with it.”
“Right, and there hasn’t been anything since, no bids out on any precious stones at all.”
“But it doesn’t mean there won’t be,” she said. “I sense it in my bones that we’re being screwed with.”
“Look, if someone out there really has the Yellow Diamond other than the Prince, wouldn’t they have contacted Peter and told him he was being made an ass of, that you can’t purchase what someone else owns?”
“Why should they say anything? Anonymity is what matters to us, not friendship, you know that.”
Brenda stood up tall but barely reached his chest. She went to a wall of windows and looked out from her thirty-second-floor Manhattan condominium. The night was dark, but the city shone against the sky. It seemed like a false movie set, almost too perfect to be real.
She turned to face him. “Let’s confront Glen, find out what the hell is going on. If he knows we’re aware he’s a turncoat, he’ll tell us everything. When it comes right down to it, he’s a wimp and he’ll play both sides. Glen has no loyalty. “
Brock raised his eyebrow. “And you think Glen is going to admit he has his own agenda?” he said. “Just like that?”
“Where is it going to leave us if Devon takes over the American operation?”
“Under Devon’s employ, that’s where.” He realized Brenda was being too emotional; one of them had to be rational.
Brenda sat and puffed; taking deep drags and pushed the smoke out through her teeth.
Brock paced a bit around the room. “So, according to you, Devon paid the commission out of his own pocket? To make it all look legit?”
Brenda moved her head, barely a nod but he knew that’s what she’d intended.
“Right. He has a plan,” she said. “I just don’t know what it is. I mean, a phony bid? A phony buy? I don’t get it.”
Brock sat on the arm of a chair so thin it hurt his backside and he moved quickly onto the couch with false substance.
“It has to have something to do with discrediting Peter, that’s what I would guess. What else could it be? Devon has finally gotten sick and tired of sharing his customers.”
Brenda squashed her cigarette out. He was relived she didn’t relight. His throat felt raw from her smoke, and the nicotine stunk.
“Devon has thought this whole thing up, a fake prince, a ludicrous bid ─ and he sent it all to Peter on a silver platter. I watched Glen go through the motions of recovering the Yellow Diamond; it was clear bullshit.” She looked back out at her seven-million-dollar view. “I never saw the diamond with my own eyes; I never watched any money exchange hands. He had me answering the phone and reporting back to Peter all day while he said he was doing business.”
Brock wet his lips with his tongue. “Why would Devon approach Glen and not me, or not you, for that matter, if he’s plotting against Peter? I mean, why Glen?”
Brenda rocked her body just a bit. She was flirting, which was always her way, her constant affectation around men. Brock smiled, but only to himself. He’d never wanted any other woman but Jane from the moment they’d met. It was absurd that she now thought he did, especially Brenda, whose scantily fleshed out body reminded him of an adolescent boy. He wanted to flip open his cell phone and call his wife, just to tell her that her father was a bastard and the only thing he wanted from Brenda was assurance. If all this were real, it changed everything.
“Because you’re married to Jane and Peter was always more of a father to his daughter than he was. Jane would never let you betray Peter. And me?” Brenda winked at him. “My few one-night stands with Peter could be interpreted as loyalty, though God knows, I have none.”
Brock stood up. He towered over her and nearly reached her eight-foot ceiling.
“Listen, if what you’re saying is true, I want a takeover. I want no part of this war between Peter and Devon. Let them chew each other up. You and I together have enough contacts to go on our own.”
He stared at her. He was surprised at his own words, but he meant it. If he had wanted to work with Devon, he would have stayed in England. Devon was a mean bastard. He was also greedy; his split had been an absurd five percent.
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Brenda lit another cigarette without leaving his gaze.”
“That would make us partners,” he said, “just you and me, I’m not opening this up to anyone else.”
“I’m yours,” she said, sending him smoke rings. “Peter is getting too old for this and Devon is a creep; we can’t trust him. This idiot ploy of his is going to splinter the whole operation, so let’s take our contacts and run.”
Brock slipped on his jacket. “Let me think this through,” he said. “I’ll be back in touch. Id this is real we’re bound to hear of another false buy very soon. If this is Devon’s plan, to discredit Peter, he won’t wait very long to send him more bullshit about a precious stone that’s surfaced.”
“Maybe art this time, who knows? What about Jane, will you tell her?” she asked.
“Of course, I tell her everything,” he said and paused at the door. “Not right away though, she might not like it.”
About the Author
I am an award-winning hybrid author of southern and women’s Fiction,
including Dancing Backward in Paradise, The Story of Sassy Sweetwater, Where
the Wildflowers Grow, Pleasant Day, Marybeth, Hollister & Jane and Lies
a River Deep. As my alter ego, Olivia Hardy Ray my books include Annabel
Horton, Lost Witch of Salem, Annabel Horton and the Black Witch of Pau, and
Pharaoh’s Star. The first novel I ever wrote, Dancing Backward In Paradise,
won an Eric Hoffer Award for publishing excellence and an Indie Excellence
Award for notable new fiction, 2007. The Story of Sassy Sweetwater and
Dancing Backward in Paradise received 5 Star ForeWord Clarion Reviews and
The Story of Sassy Sweetwater has been named a finalist for the ForeWord
Book of the Year Awards. I have published in ESL Magazine, Christopher
Street Magazine and I have also written early childhood curriculum for
Weekly Reader and McGraw Hill.
“I could not put it down! I rarely give a book 5 stars and can’t put it down but this one deserves it!… I read it in three days only because my iPad was running out of battery so I couldn’t read it sooner… A captivating story.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
She didn’t notice the corn stalks shiver a few feet to her right. By the time she looked up, the man towered above her. In a single movement he wrapped one thick hand around her waist, the other he clamped over her mouth, muffling her screams.
Detective Clara Jefferies has spent years running from her childhood in Alber, Utah. But when she hears that her baby sister Delilah has disappeared, she knows that the peaceful community will be shattered, her family vulnerable, and that that she must face up to her past and go home.
Clara returns to find that her mother, Ardeth, has isolated her family by moving to the edge of town, in the shadow of the mountains. Ardeth refuses to talk to the police and won’t let Clara through the front door, believing she and her sister-wives can protect their own. But Clara knows better than anyone that her mother isn’t always capable of protecting her children.
When Clara finds out that two more girls have disappeared, all last seen around the cornfields near her family’s home, she realizes it’s not just Delilah who’s in danger. And then she gets a call that a body has been found…
Clara will have to dig deep into the town’s secrets if she’s going to find Delilah. But that will mean confronting the reason she left. And as she gets closer to Delilah, she might be putting her more at risk…
Gripping and spine-chilling, readers will love Detective Clara Jefferies, reading The Fallen Girls deep into the night. Fans of Kendra Elliot, Lisa Regan and Melinda Leigh won’t stop turning the pages of this unforgettable new series from bestselling and award-winning author Kathryn Casey.
99c for a limited time! Check price before downloading!
A woman scared of being hurt again is bent on playing it safe. A man determined to stay focused and never experience poverty again. One night on the wild side that changes everything.
Darius Gray Become a self-made billionaire by thirty. Love was never an option, acquiring the next investment was Deal after deal, I ferociously and ruthlessly operated with that mission in mind. Years later, mission accomplished. Today, I celebrate another chain of hotels under my belt and then I heard her voice… Mixing business and pleasure was never my style Going after her would be a mistake One I might just be willing to make…
Safiya Nadar I used to live my best life One shattered heart, a bucket of tears and shame turned it into my worst life Now, I could care less what anyone said, love and the risk it came with was overrated. If only I could get my bestie off my back. Tuh! That’s easier said than done, so now we’re in Las Vegas Three days, in and out, that’s her promise. Nothing extra Until she pawns me for an exclusive, she’s writing Just have drinks with him she said Twenty-four hours later… I wake up with a ring, a contract of two million dollars, And a man, who for sure would leave me with a broken heart and a bucket of Ben & Jerry’s
This is the first book in the Billionaire Pact Series. It was formerly titled His Sweetest Mistake. Book 2 is titled Second Shot.
Random circumstances brought them together. Love made them family.
With Jo O’Malley’s busy career as a lawyer in Chicago, she
rarely gets home to Idaho, but this year is different. Her little sister is
getting married on Christmas Eve and she has two whole weeks to spend in the
snow-covered mountains, with the three foster sisters she loves and Maddie,
the woman who made them a family fifteen years ago.
Things get off to a rough start when the wedding is canceled, but Maddie
asks them to enjoy their holidays together at the festive lodge as planned,
in order to console their sister. It’s straight forward enough until
Jo, through a chance encounter with a gorgeous golden retriever, runs into
Luke, a boy she knew from her early childhood when she spent all her time at
the local library.
Jo’s not sure how to handle the unexpected attraction and her new
feelings for Luke, who is all grown up now, handsome, and as kind as ever.
He’s set on staying close to his family in Granite Ridge and she has a
plane ticket back to her life in Chicago after the new year. Are the sparks
between them merely due to the nostalgia of the season, or will Luke open
Jo’s heart to the prospect of passion for something beyond her
career?
If you’re a fan of small towns, heartwarming holiday stories, and
second chances, along with a few furry friends, you’ll fall in love
with Jo and her soul sisters in CHRISTMAS WISHES, Book 3 of Soul Sisters at
Cedar Mountain Lodge, from USA Today bestselling author, Tammy L.
Grace.
✓
Don’t miss a Soul Sisters book – download them all today!
Book 1: Christmas Sisters – perma-FREE prologue book
Book 2: Christmas Kisses by Judith Keim
Book 3: Christmas Wishes by Tammy L. Grace
Book 4: Christmas Hope by Violet Howe
Book 5: Christmas Dreams by Ev Bishop
Book 6: Christmas Rings by Tess Thompson
About the Author
Tammy L. Grace is a USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author who
entertains readers with perfect escapes in women’s fiction and clever
whodunit mysteries. Her works in women’s fiction include her
best-selling Hometown Harbor Series set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest
and Beach Haven, the first in her new Glass Beach Cottage Series, set in
coastal Washington. She also writes the Cooper Harrington Detective Series,
featuring a quirky private detective and his faithful golden retriever. Her
heartwarming Christmas in Silver Falls novellas are perfect for readers who
enjoy Hallmark Christmas Movies
She is a fan of dogs and includes furry companions in all of her books and
has published two dog-centric novels for Bookouture, under her pen name,
Casey Wilson.
Born and raised in Nevada, Tammy L. Grace loved reading at a young age.
With the help of her middle school teacher, she discovered the joy of
writing. When Tammy isn’t working on ideas for a novel, she’s spending time
with family and friends or supporting her addiction to books and chocolate.
She and her husband have one grown son and a new golden retriever
puppy.
Random circumstances brought them together. Love made them family.
Hailey Kirby plans to spend a wonderful Christmas holiday at the Cedar
Mountain Lodge with her family, celebrating her sister’s wedding as
Maid of Honor. Things go awry when the wedding is called off. Hoping to
comfort her sister, her mother and three sisters decide to go ahead with
their winter vacation plans at the Lodge.
Hailey works in town as the children’s librarian, and under the pen
name of Lee Merriweather is secretly the author and illustrator of picture
books. Young children adore the stories of Charlie and his dog, Zeke,
including Regan, the niece of Nick Hensley, a rock star musician who’s
recently moved back to Granite Ridge. When he reaches out to the author to
seek permission to write songs to go with the stories, Hailey is forced to
confess who she is and the painful reason why she’s been hiding behind
a pseudonym.
As Hailey and Nick put their creative minds together, they form a
friendship that quickly grows to much more. Hailey learns to trust and
discovers some chances in life are worth taking.
Find more books in the Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge series on
The entire Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge series include:
Christmas Sisters by Tess Thompson, Tammy L. Grace, Ev Bishop, Violet Howe,
Judith Keim
Christmas Kisses by Judith Keim
Christmas Wishes by Tammy L. Grace
Christmas Hope by Violet Howe
Christmas Dreams by Ev Bishop
Christmas Rings by Tess Thompson
About the Author
Judith Keim enjoyed her childhood and young-adult years in Elmira, New
York, and now makes her home in Boise, Idaho, with her husband and their two
dachshunds, Winston and Wally, and other members of her family.
While growing up, she was drawn to the idea of writing stories from a young
age. Books were always present, being read, ready to go back to the library,
or about to be discovered. All in her family shared information from the
books in general conversation, giving them a wealth of knowledge and vivid
imaginations.
A hybrid author who both has a publisher and self-publishes, Ms. Keim
writes heart-warming novels about women who face unexpected challenges, meet
them with strength, and find love and happiness along the way. Her
best-selling books are based, in part, on many of the places she’s lived or
visited and on the interesting people she’s met, creating believable
characters and realistic settings her many loyal readers love. Ms. Keim
loves to hear from her readers and appreciates their enthusiasm for her
stories.
