A Time Of Dread

While presiding over a transnational meeting, I received a distressing call from my daughter's kindergarten teacher. "Mrs. Payton, a kid drew a massive clown on Anna's face during nap time! No matter how much I try to wash it off, it won't come off!" I immediately rushed to the kindergarten. My daughter, Anna Payton, was sobbing at the door. Her usually fair and tender face was now red and swollen. The clown drawing on it was particularly eye-catching. The new teacher was so panicked that she was crying herself, her voice trembling. "The parent of the other child is in the office. They said they're willing to compensate any amount, but... But there's no way you can make their son apologize." My anger surged as I kicked open the office door. However, I instantly froze in place. In the office, my husband, Arlo Payton, who was supposed to be in Swizor for a year of intensive studies, was holding up the bully. The next second, the little boy in his arms pointed at Anna and laughed. "Look, Dad. Clownface is here!"

My husband, Dominic Moore, insists on having his first love, Irene Cobb, at our wedding ceremony. Just when it's time for the bride to enter the hall, he suddenly asks for the ceremony to be paused for three minutes. Then, he gets off stage and pulls Irene, dressed in a white gown, out of the crowd. Right in front of all the guests, he takes her by the hand and walks her down the aisle, saying, "I promised Irene I'd walk her down the aisle someday." The tearful Irene throws herself into Dominic's arms before saying to my in-laws, "Mom, Dad. Although I won't get to be your daughter-in-law, I still want to address you as Mom and Dad just once." She turns back to Dominic and kisses him passionately. The guests exclaim in shock and whisper among themselves, eager to revel in my humiliation. However, I simply open the doors with a smile. I take off my veil and place it on Irene's head. "Why do you say you won't get to be their daughter-in-law? Since you like this cheating scumbag so much, I'll give him to you."

“Are you thinking what I'm thinking?” she whispered, pushing her hips against his. The way his pupils dilated nearly did her in. Ethan: There are only two things that make billionaire Ethan White's heart race: fast cars and Laura Corbett. Unfortnately, Laura wants nothing to do with his playboy ways. Ethan thnks that everyone has the wrong idea about him, including his stalker, and he's determined to prove them all wrong. When Ethan's business partner wants to open a new car R&D facility in Colorado, he jumps at the opportunity to be closer to his two passions. Laura: Thrust into the new responsibility of raising her siblings by the death of her parents, Laura Corbett doesn't have time for awkward hookups, let alone a relationship. So when the billionaire she had a one night stand with shows up in town, she pretends he doesn't exist. She can't let anything come between her and her family. But nothing can prepare her for the way that Ethan connects with her brother and sister. And she can't deny the fact that jumping in his bed makes her come alive. Everything seems like it'll be normal again, maybe even better than normal. But Ethan's stalker disagrees...

On April Fool’s Day, my CEO husband cut out my heart to save his childhood sweetheart's son. After the surgery, he tossed me into a cold rental apartment, where I died in agony. Three days after my death, my five-year-old daughter played in the room as usual. Walking by the sofa, she wrinkled her little nose and mumbled, "Mommy, there's a weird smell in here." She touched my face and murmured, "Mommy, are you pretending to be Snow White? Why are you so pale?" She shook my arm harder and raised her voice, "Mommy, it's my birthday today—get up and blow out the candles!" Confused, she picked up the phone and called her father. “Daddy, did I make Mommy mad? I lit the candles, but no matter how much I call her, she won’t wake up.” On the other end of the call, Patrick Hart’s voice was cold and impatient. “What could possibly be wrong with her? She’s just pretending to be asleep for sympathy. It’s Johnny’s birthday, I’m busy. Don’t bother me! Tell your melodramatic mother to stop playing her little tricks. I don't have time to humor her." My daughter removed the candle from her bun, pinched off a piece of the bun, and fed it to me. "Mommy, I made a secret wish… I really wish you could hold me again, just like before."

Hanna, always had a difficult life, grew up without parents and her uncles were never nice to her. As soon as she turned 18, she left for San Francisco to try a better life, although her uncles had a lot of money, they mistreated her a lot and she never had everything even though they could afford it. She went in search of love but five years later, she gave up believing. Nathan, a successful businessman, saw his father lift them out of their misery and lead them to where they are now. He takes control of the entire company and his father's only order is "stay with my secretary there’s no one better for the job" Let's see who this protégé of my father is.

Jade is the daughter of a legendary mafia boss, or so her mother has told her. All she knows is that he died when she was six years old, however, while she has moved around all her live ever since her dad died, she learns there is more to that truth than she could have imagined. While she finds out her father is still very much alive, and has raised her brother she never even knew about, she gets wrapped up in the ugly truths of being a maffia princess, she falls in love with the one person who isn't included in any of this craziness, her best friend, who is also forbidden territory since he is the ex of her BFF...

"Bayi ini adalah anakku. Dan, kau adalah wanita yang sudah mengandung darah dagingku." Rosen Green langsung mempererat dekapannya pada sosok kecil Jassie, dalam gendongannya. Kepeningan di kepala menghantam Rosen semakin besar saja. Bahkan, membuatnya tak bisa berpikir. "Miss Rosen, apa kau tidak ingat kita pernah tidur bersama? Walau hanya satu malam?" Rosen segera mengangguk. "Aku masih ingat, walau aku lupa kapan tepatnya." "Tapi, sungguh. Aku tidak pernah mengandung seorang bayi. Aku belum hamil sama sekali." "Bagaimana bisa aku punya anak darimu?" Rosen melengkingkan suara karena rasa terkejutnya sendiri. "Aku yakin kau bukan orang gila, Mr. Ryder." "Bayi ini diletakkan di depan pintu rumahku, bukan aku yang melahirkannya. Aku juga tidak per--" "Kau bebas mengelak sekarang, Miss Rosen. Aku tidak akan memaksamu mengakui jika bayi ini adalah anakku, kalau kau merasa berat." "Aku akan tetap bertanggung jawab atas bayiku. Bagaimana pun juga, dia akan menjadi pewaris utama bisnis-bisnisku." "Sebagai ibu dari bayiku, kau akan mendapatkan bagian juga, Miss Rosen. Asalkan kau mau sepakat membesarkan bayi kita bersama-sama." Rosen kembali terkejut. "Kau akan mengajakku menikah?" Dilontarkan kesimpulannya. Tanpa menunggu jawaban Ryder Davis, kepala digeleng-gelengkan. "Tidak. Aku tidak bisa." "Aku tidak melahirkan anakmu, Pria Gila!" …………. Kehidupan Rosen Green berubah total, setelah ada seorang bayi perempuan ditinggalkan di depan rumahnya. Rosen mendapat tuduhan dari Ryder Davis, bahwa ia sudah hamil dan melahirkan bayi pria itu. Memang, mereka berdua pernah tidur bersama dan terlibat percintaan panas satu malam. Namun, Rosen belum pernah mengandung sama sekali. Ingin dielaknya prasangka Ryder, akan tetapi saat pria itu menawarkan kesepakatan yang sayang ia lewatkan. Rosen memutuskan bersandiwara. Ryder tak hanya memberikan kehidupan mewah padanya. Namun, mereka kembali cocok berbagi kehangatan di atas ranjang, bersama.

Mifi grew up believing she was her parents' only child, until the truth shattered everything. A stepsister she never wanted. A family who gave their love and attention to someone else. From that day, resentment took root in her heart. Then came him-Dos. The man who made her feel seen. Wanted. Loved. In his arms, she found the warmth she'd been starved of her entire life. Nights with him became her escape, her secret, her solace. Until the day she discovered the truth. The man she had spent countless nights with... was her stepsister's fiancé.

Violet eyes with piercing sight. Mane of gold in pale moonlight. Skin so hard and lily white. Voice so soft, yet filled with might. He comes to me in the dark of night. Flash of teeth, smile so slight. There is no fear, no need to fight. In his embrace, I crave his bite. -S.R. Michele, or Shelly to those closest to her, is a typical 21 yr old, trying to find her way in life. She has good family, a close circle of friends. She's outgoing and friendly, and a bit reckless and impulsive sometimes. And she has certain gifts...when she touches things, she can see into the past, she can feel what was felt by others, and she can sense things before they happen. Ok, so maybe she's not so typical. An impromptu trip to New Orleans, a party on Bourbon Street, and an attempted assault in a dark alley lead her into a world she didn't know existed...but one she's not afraid of. She doesn't know if the violet-eyed stranger that comes to her rescue, and follows her home, is a friend or a foe - and honestly, she doesn't care. Once you've had a taste of the darkness, it's hard to pull away... **** This book was written in the late 1990's - early 2000's, and originally published in 2004, under the title: Diary of a Vampire by S.M. Royston. It was my first book, and it wasn't long until I came to hate it! (Please, don't look it up - I promise you, it's terrible) So here we are, years later, and I've decided to throw out my original work, and re-write it. Because I'm the author, and I can do that. The story, characters, and settings are the same - but the writing style is different, and in my opinion, much, much better. I hope you enjoy it. ****

Jerome Hernandez was the hottest name in the NBA. He's an overnight sensation admired for his hypnotic moves on the court, striking looks, sharp mind, and refined demeanor. He embodied pure charisma. Yet, behind his skyrocketing fame, Jerome remained a humble, God-fearing gentleman who effortlessly captured the hearts of millions of adoring women. What no one knew was that he harbored a secret love for Jessica Lopez, the world’s youngest, richest, best-selling author. Jessica, with her beauty, elegance, and undeniable glamour, quietly admired Jerome as well. Their paths intertwined through Sandra Mariano, Jerome’s new neighbor and Jessica’s closest, yet undisclosed, best friend. Haunted by the trauma of her parents’ tragic death, Sandra lived a life shadowed by mystery and occasional bouts of multiple personalities. With Sandra’s help, Jerome and Jessica finally found each other and soon became the most envied couple in the celebrity world. But their picture-perfect love story was suddenly put to the test when Jerome began developing feelings for Sandra. Though he tried to resist, the pull only grew stronger until it became impossible to ignore. In the end, he risked his spotless reputation and credibility, silently confessing through his actions the truth he could no longer deny...he was falling for his girlfriend’s best friend.