500 Essential Graphic Novels

When my colleagues find out that I'm pretty good at cooking, they start organizing dinners at my place. Lucy Holt, one of the junior accountants, suggests that we split the groceries evenly between us. As a result, I don't think I can reject their request without being rude. On my last day of work, the group gathers at my place for one last meal. "You're such a good cook, Jess! We'll all be transferring you 500 dollars later. It's just a token of our appreciation," Lucy declares with a bright smile. But the very next day, she sends me a message. "Hey, Jess. You know it's illegal to operate an unlicensed catering business from your home, right? Your house will get sealed off for further investigation. More importantly, the value of goods has passed the threshold of 10,000 dollars, which means the fine you'll have to pay is probably going to be about 20 times that amount. "Since we worked together, we decided not to report you to the authorities. We'll just settle this matter privately. All you have to do is give us the fine you would've had to pay instead." This is how I realized that, combined with yesterday's meal, the total amount they've given me for groceries thus far is exactly 10,001 dollars.

On the day we receive our bonus, one of the staff members of the finance department gives me 500 dollars worth of vouchers for the fast food restaurant downstairs. He tells me that my wife, Jillian Dunn, who is also the company's president, specifically ordered him to do so. In utter disbelief, I seek out Jillian and question her. "Didn't we agree that whoever secures the project will get a 50,000-dollar bonus? Stop messing around! I still need to pay for Freya's cochlear implant!" "I'm not messing around with you," Jillian answers seriously. "These vouchers can last you for a whole month. I wouldn't even give them to you if you were anyone else. "Money is tight right now at the company. Besides, Freya has been deaf for more than a decade now. She can survive being deaf for another decade." The next day, Jillian gives one of the interns a sports car that's worth 50,000 dollars. I look at the photo she uploads of her and the intern grinning widely as they sit in the car and give it a like. Jillian must assume that everything is proceeding smoothly since she has signed the contract. However, she misses the additional condition that's printed on the last page of the contract. I dial her rival's number, asking, "Ms. Swan, are you interested in Project Charlie?"

MORTAL is book #1 in a new paranormal romance series by bestselling author Bella Lore, whose series MY TRUE MATE and THE ALPHA’S MATE have over 500 five-star reviews.. “I couldn’t stop reading.”--Amazon review (My True Mate)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐When her father suddenly dies, Winter Grace, 17, is forced to fly across the country and attend a mysterious prep school, an ancient castle in a fog-covered island on the coast of Maine. Nothing here is what it seems, and it isn’t long before Winter, feeling a surging power for the first time, realizes that she is not who—or what—she thinks she is.But when Winter feels an inexplicable crush for an elusive and dangerous boy at the school, she realizes a greater destiny is at play. She knows the relationship might destroy them both—yet she also knows that they can never be apart.Will Winter sacrifice it all to be with the one she loves?Creating an unforgettable world of vampires, werewolves, shifters and magic of all sorts, a world of fantasy, love and sacrifice, MORTAL will take you to another place, rife with shocking twists and turns. Fans of books such as Vampire Academy and Twilight and Crush are sure to fall in love!Future books in the series are also available."The story was very well written and was unique as compared to other shifter stories.”--Amazon review (The Alpha’s Mate)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Excellent from start to finish and leaves you wanting more.”--Amazon review (My True Mate)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Trudy Valcoas was studying to become a physician assistant. On a study abroad trip in Scotland, Tru’s long-term boyfriend, Bryan, asks her to move in with him. When she refuses, he becomes angry and threatens to leave her stranded with no money to get home. Heartbroken, Tru finds herself in a mysterious cave where she meets Taran. He offers her a deal. He will give her money in exchange for her help in finding a special stone and navigating this time. Will Tru give Taran more than just her energy and help? Or will she end up with Bryan after discovering Taran’s true intentions when he rebuilds his kingdom? Taran is the dragon prince. The Dragon Stone, the key to their magical power and what allows them to shift from human to beast, is stolen by humans. In a desperate attempt to save their kind, Taran encased in stone. He wakes 500 years later to a new world and a hunger for revenge. Taran plans to enslave humanity since dragons need their energy to power the stone. This requires Taran to find a human companion. Finding a woman named Tru, he offers her a deal. He offers her money in exchange for her help finding the stone and navigating this new time. Will Tru make Taran reconsidered enslaving humanity as revenge for stealing the stone? What will happen when Tru finds out about his plans? Can he convince her to stay his human companion, or will he lose her to the wolf, Bryan?

I gave my full support when my father decided to set aside $2.1 billion in trust funds for his three illegitimate kids. Things had been very different in my previous life. At the time, the company urgently needed capital for a new project, and I had convinced my father to postpone setting up the trusts. I never imagined the three of them would take it as an attempt to seize the family fortune for myself. Furious, they went street racing to vent their anger. The result was a fatal crash. The car was destroyed, and none of them survived. Under my leadership, the company continued to grow at an astonishing pace and eventually secured a place on the Fortune Global 500 list. Yet on the very day I received the title of Young Entrepreneur of the Year, my father got me drunk and ordered my limbs broken. As I lay there screaming in agony, I demanded to know why he was doing this to me. His reply was filled with venom as he crushed my fingers one after another. "If you hadn't been so greedy for the inheritance, Ethan and the others wouldn't have gone out to clear their heads. They never would have died in that crash." In the end, my father beat me to death. When my critically ill mother learned the truth, the shock took her life as well. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day my father decided to establish the trust.

When my mother won a million dollars from a lottery ticket, she prepared an envelope for each of her three children. After we opened them, my younger brother and younger sister each found a bank card inside. But from my envelope, two 1-dollar coins clinked onto the floor. Seeing me freeze, a trace of unease flickered across Mother's face. "Cassian," she said hesitantly, "Logan and Sienna suffered a lot growing up because your father passed away so early. So I gave each of them 500 thousand dollars as compensation. "You're the eldest son—like a father to them. Don't fight with them over this, okay?" I glanced down at the faded down jacket I had worn for years, the fabric so worn that it had lost its color. Then, my eyes drifted to my younger brother's limited-edition sneakers and to the designer bag slung over my sister's shoulder. Mother seemed to have forgotten that when Father died, I had only been eight. I smiled faintly. "Alright. I won't fight them for it." Hearing this, Mother let out a long breath of relief. The next second, my voice turned cold. "Then I won't fight for the responsibility of supporting you in your old age either."

During the ten years since I was found and brought to my biological family, Sonia Baxter, the girl who took my place, and I have been as close as real sisters. Even Mom says that Sonia cares more about me than a real sister would. I once swore I'd give my life to protect our special family of four. When Sonia is rushed into emergency surgery with a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, I am in my office, calmly practicing a basic suturing technique on a surgical simulator. On the screen, the robotic arm threads the needle with such precision that it looks like a work of art. A few minutes later, my boyfriend, Oliver Lyons, slams open the office door and shouts at me, "Amelia Baxter! Sonia's in critical condition. Only your micro-dissection skills can save her! Every expert in the hospital is waiting for you! We've got less than an hour before the window closes!" He looks at me with hopeful eyes. I'm the only person in the country capable of performing a surgery this complex. My hands are even known as the "Hands of God". However, I simply reply with a hum and continue fiddling with the model. Suddenly, my parents rush in. Mom grabs my arm and cries out, "Amelia! That's your sister in there! How could you just stand by and watch her die?" I gently pull away from her and hold my right hand out in front of them. This hand, which had once created countless medical miracles, is now trembling slightly. "Unfortunately, since yesterday, I've been showing symptoms of essential tremor. Dad, Mom… this hand is ruined."

"You may be mine, but I am not yours." Kalmin’s emerald eyes blazed with fury as he turned away, slamming the door and locking Nuri inside. "I didn’t ask to be your mate, Alpha,” Nuri hissed at the door. “And if I had a choice, I wouldn’t choose you either.” But choices mean nothing when fate decides for you. __________ Nuri is a half-wolf, half-human hybrid—unclaimed by any world, unwanted by her mate, and trapped in a bond forged by fate. Kalmin is the ruthless Alpha of the Blue River Pack, feared for his brutality and worshipped for his power. The only thing he despises more than weakness… is her. She didn’t ask to be his. He refuses to be hers. But there’s no severing the mating bond. No escape from the pull that drags her closer every time he pushes her away. And no hiding the way her body betrays her when he gets too close. What begins as a battle for survival becomes something far more dangerous—an unraveling. Of secrets. Of control. Of hearts. Because hating someone is easy. Wanting them is not. In a world where strength is survival and love is a luxury neither of them can afford, Nuri must decide if she’ll run—or rise. __________ Dark. Addictive. Fated. This gritty werewolf romance is for 18+ readers only. Contains graphic sexual content, violence, and themes some may find triggering. Proceed with caution—and maybe a safe word.

WARNING: Not suitable for young readers or sensitive minds. Some parts contain graphic sex scenes, adult language and situation intended for mature readers only. TESSIMOND COUSINS SERIES #2 Bilang isang nag-iisang anak ng pamilya Fortezo, si Myca ay nakatakdang ipakasal sa mapipili niyang lalaki sa magaganap na isang salu-salo kasama ang kanyang buong angkan at malalayong kamag-anak. Hindi siya kailanman naniniwala na magkakaroon siya ng magandang buhay kapag naikasal siya sa lalaking pinsan niya sa malayong kamag-anak tulad ng paniniwala ng kanyang pamilya. Kaya tumakas siya at itinago ang sarili sa isang pribadong isla. Akala niya ay hindi na muling paglalaruan ng tadhana ang kanyang kapalaran. Tiwala pa naman ito na makakaya niyang baguhin ang desisyon ng kanyang mga magulang kung mananatili siya sa islang iyon nang ilang araw. Pero isang matipunong lalaki ang nahanap niyang nakahiga at walang malay sa tabi ng dalampasigan ng kanyang isla na pinaniniwalaan niyang nalunod. Paano kung paglaruan ng tadhana ang buhay nilang dalawa? Paano kung ang simpleng paghanga lang ni Myca sa lalaki ay mauwi sa ibang bagay? Paano kung mamarkahan siya ng lalaking ito?

CARLOS: Will she wake up if I wrap her hand around my length? My vision tunnels and I move closer to her spread legs. I’m fisting myself faster, my heart tightening in my chest. I throw my head back when the wave hits me & my cum spills onto her inner thigh. I watch it soak into the center of her cunt. She stirs but doesn't wake. Instead a beautiful word slips from her full lips "Carlos... " The word brings me to my knees. "Dreaming of your prey, pretty doll?".......................................... This is a STALKER xSTALKER DARK ROMANCE. MUTUAL OBSESSION. "Thalia Easton has one goal: kill the Don who murdered her parents. But while she’s been stalking him from the shadows, she doesn't realize he’s been breaking into her apartment and watching her sleep. Things take a different turn the night she disguises as a man to enter his VIP CLUB. Now, the hunter refuses to play the captive, even as she is bound to the side of the man she was trained to destroy. Falling for each other isn't just a betrayal, it's a death sentence. TRIGGER WARNINGS BOTH: Stalking & Surveillance Wet dreams Graphic vio lence Weapons & Threats Privacy|Home invasion MMC Somnophilia Voyeurism ＦＭＣ Mur der & Poisoning Gory mur der board Questionable morals