2013 Nicholas Sparks Challenge (from Debra's Book Cafe)

She falls for two handsome vampire brothers. Now, she must choose.... Lovers of VAMPIRE DIARIES or TRUE BLOOD will enjoy this story. Discovering the mother that you thought was dead for over a decade is very much alive can shake your world. Even more so would be to discover that she has become a mutant-vampire leader and has promised you in marriage to a wicked vampire king in order to unite the two kingdoms. Now, let’s combine that with the fact that the bearer of such news is a hot and sexy guy who turns out to be a vampire and he steals your heart. Then, complicate it even more with the fact that he has an equally hot vampire brother vying for your love and who you also have feelings for and you get an idea of Casey's dilemma in this sizzling, action packed first book of paranormal romance thriller trilogy.

*You love me? No… you can’t love a maid—a daughter of a prostitute, a one-night mistake like me. We’re not from the same world. We can never be together. It’s a dream that won’t come true.* *Lily, that doesn’t matter. I don’t care where you’re from or what your past is. I love you—and that’s the only truth that matters.* Lily has always known her place—silent, invisible, and unworthy of love, especially from someone like Sebastian Kingsley, heir to a billion-dollar empire. Her life has been shadowed by the shame of her past—being the daughter of a high-class prostitute and born from a one-night mistake. Desperate for income as her mother’s illness worsens, Lily takes a job as a maid in the Kingsley mansion. She never expected to steal the heart of the city’s most powerful billionaire. But Sebastian, weighed down by family expectations and haunted by addiction and sleepless nights, sees something in her that no one else does—peace. Hope. To the world, Sebastian has everything. But behind the wealth and status is a man slowly breaking. Only Lily sees the truth behind the mask. Their love is passionate… but forbidden. Sebastian is already engaged—to Lily’s sister. The woman society believes is perfect for him. Lily is just a maid—powerless and easily disposable. She wants to run, to protect herself from the heartbreak she knows is coming. But how do you walk away from the only person who’s ever made you feel truly alive? Can their love survive the storm of betrayal, societal expectations, and painful truths? Or will duty and deception tear them apart ? In a world ruled by power, status, and secrets, Sebastian and Lily fight for a love that was never meant to be.

Multiple Reincarnations and finally awakening again to just have fun. How will Ren and the Reap System do things this time? With little care in the world besides seeing new things, things go pretty easy. Corpses mounting up mean nothing if they never have any real value. But the thing about relaxing, duty and Promises will always change things up. Good thing Ren can change his attitude if he needs to. With the Reap System bringing in Quest like crazy to shape Ren back up, it will not take long for things to turn back on course. To many things from his previous Reincarnations have found there way to the World.

My childhood sweetheart who promised to marry me the moment I graduated proposed to Camille Willow, my sister, during my graduation ceremony. At that moment, Dennis Malcolm, the most eligible and admired bachelor in Blington City's elite circle, stepped forward and confessed his love for me immediately after my childhood sweetheart's proposal was accepted. For five years after our marriage, Dennis showered me with devotion, treating me with such tenderness that it felt as though I were the center of his world. But everything shattered the day I overheard a conversation between him and his close friend. "Dennis, now that Camille's on top, are you really going to keep pretending with Tracy?" "It doesn't matter. I'll never have Camille. Besides, as long as I'm here, she'll never disrupt Camille's happiness," he answered. The paper notes he held dear, each one carefully preserved, revealed a harsh truth. Each one carried her name, accompanied by heartfelt wishes: "May Camille be released from her burdens. May she find peace within herself." "May Camille achieve all she dreams of, and may her heart love freely." "Camille, we were never meant to be together in this life. I can only hope that in another, we will walk side by side." … Five years of devotion shattered in a single moment of clarity. I crafted a false identity and planned an elaborate drowning to vanish without a trace. From this day forward, in this life and all others, we shall never cross paths again.

When Caterina Mari Santelli--daughter of a Capo--was born, she became a living curse. It was against the Italian mob to fraternize with the Russian enemy. And when her father decided to marry her late Russian mother, their family was walking on a thread in the Mafia industry. So, here comes Lucas De Marchi--a Boss--pure Italian from the greatest and legendary bloodline. His goal is to marry Caterina for her to be stripped off from being a curse, for him to be, someday, head of both clans and another dark mission he has to fulfill. But Caterina isn't a damsel in distress. When she met Lucas and discovered the truth, she knew there was blood to be shed. Only she didn't know whose.

Emma and Luca have spent the past six years apart, during which time their mutual trust has progressively diminished. However, a significant life event has brought them together once more: their parents have orchestrated their marriage. This matrimonial union is strategically devised to unite their opposing mafia families, presenting itself as the most formidable business arrangement of the century. Conscious of the ramifications of defying their parents' mandates, both Emma and Luca acquiesce to the matrimonial contract with apprehension. Yet, beneath the facade of compliance, they each harbor profound sentiments for one another, emotions that have remained suppressed over the years. Will they succeed in transcending their animosity and rekindling their affection before external forces orchestrate their separation? Only time will unveil the outcome.

18 year old Caitlin Paine finds herself uprooted from her nice suburb and forced to attend a dangerous New York City high school when her Mom moves again. The one ray of light in her new surroundings is Jonah, a new classmate who takes an instant liking to her. But before their romance can blossom, Caitlin suddenly finds herself changing. She is overcome by a superhuman strength, a sensitivity to light, a desire to feed--by feelings she does not understand. She seeks answers to what’s happening to her, and her cravings lead her to the wrong place at the wrong time. Her eyes are opened to a hidden world, right beneath her feet, thriving underground in New York City. She finds herself caught between two dangerous covens, right in the middle of a vampire war. It is at this moment that Caitlin meets Caleb, a mysterious and powerful vampire who rescues her from the dark forces. He needs her to help lead him to the legendary lost artifact. And she needs him for answers, and for protection. Together, they will need to answer one crucial question: who was her real father? But Caitlin finds herself caught between two men as something else arises between them: a forbidden love. A love between the races that will risk both of their lives, and will force them to decide whether to risk it all for each other… "TURNED is an ideal story for young readers. Morgan Rice did a good job spinning an interesting twist on what could have been a typical vampire tale. Refreshing and unique, TURNED has the classic elements found in many Young Adult paranormal stories. Book #1 of the Vampire Journals Series focuses around one girl…one extraordinary girl!...TURNED is easy to read but extremely fast-paced....Recommended for anyone who likes to read soft paranormal romances. Rated PG." --The Romance Reviews

Tara lyle arrives back home with responsibilities she never imagined to incur and in this comes the need to protect A young man Maximus Simmons.

“Tomorrow morning, I’ll leave. It’s raining thunderstorm outside..,,” “No,” he thundered, taking me by surprise. My head snapped up. “What?” “You want to divorce me right?” he bellowed. “Then leave this instant. We are no longer married.” He spat, looking at me with rage and fury burning in his eyes. He looked nothing like the calm gentleman I fell in love with. “Adrian—” “I hope you get torn into pieces by an unknown creature you homeless parasite!” he spat. “Huh?” I gasped. Me? Homeless? “I'll give you few seconds to change your mind Elara…” he sneered. “Because the moment you set your feet off this mansion… you will be worth nothing!” ******* Three years ago, Elara Sanz-Alonso walked away from a billion-dollar legacy to marry for love. But when she discovers she is nothing more than a shadow of another woman in her husband’s eyes, her perfect world shatters. Betrayed and heartbroken, Elara makes a choice that will shake the nation’s elite—she reclaims her place as heir to the Alonso dynasty, but the price of her return is an arranged marriage to the one man she once ran from: Killian Dreven, the Ice Monarch. They meet again and Elara sets firm boundaries, but what happens when the man who was rumored to be ruthless, starts to shower her with care and attention, so much that it scares her. Why is Killian keen on marrying her even though she ditched him in the past? What secret does he hold and why the hell does he treat her like she's the only person that matters? Will Killian break down her walls? Or will she end up breaking his?

Years later Nora's and Jace's daughter Mallory turns of age. With no wolf and no powers, Mallory feels weak and unworthy. The world has been at peace since the last war but now attacks on all packs have begun and they are building. Someone is wanting revenge; someone is wanting to take it all. During an attack Cross River is taken and Jace and Nora held captive. Mallory escaped only to forget who she is. Running into a stranger who cannot turn her away no matter how badly he wants to. The stranger is not who he seems and may be her secrete enemy. Can he help her remember who she is? Can Mallory find a way to save her family and pack?