An American Haunting Review

Isabella Dean was uprooted from her life north of Atlanta at the beginning of her senior year of high school after a tragic accident that killed her father. Her mother took her to live with her aunt, Linda, in Asheville, NC where she was welcomed immediately by the school bully. This encounter got Isabella immediately recognized by a group of girls who befriended her and took her in as one of their friends. As she adjusted to her new life, she continued to have to protect herself from the bully, Lucy Upshaw, and recover from a hidden brain injury sustained in the accident. While in the hospital, she died and returned changed and with gifts she had to learn to live with. She discovered along with her new friend, Amber Collins, that her house was haunted by a mysterious girl. She and Amber also rescued a group of girls from sex traffickers and helped the victims flee. She and her friends helped get them adopted by local families, but they also had to deal with the bigotry of some people who didn’t like that some of the girls were transgender and genetically modified by their assailants. Isabella, meanwhile, had to deal with her own problems with her mother and recover from her surgery while still being attacked by Lucy. This is just the beginning for these girls who learn how to fight ghosts and demons with the help of their Native American friend, Winona. They learn to use their talents to help others deal with things that go bump in night.

My future mother-in-law, Diane Grant, loved setting rules. On the day I proposed, she sat there with that smug, superior look and told me if I wanted to marry her daughter, Olivia Grant, I had to pass her so-called "son-in-law training", which was three months working as a food delivery driver. She said she wanted to test whether I could handle hardship. For my fiancee's sake, I kept my identity hidden. I was the heir to one of the most powerful families in Crestfall City, and I agreed without hesitation. For three months, I shed every trace of privilege. I worked from dawn to night, delivering orders across the city. My parents didn’t understand. My friends disapproved. Mrs. Grant watched me like a hawk, picking me apart every single day. "Three minutes late? That’s a $3,000 penalty. The wedding shall be delayed by a month!" "Wrong unit delivery, bad review? $8,000 penalty. You don’t get to see Olivia this week!" Even then, I never gave up. Until the final day. I received an urgent order with a massive tip. The note was in bold: "Lifesaving medication. Immediate delivery." I sped through the streets, pushing myself to the limit. Just as I was about to enter the residential compound, Mrs. Grant stepped in front of me, blocking my way, her face full of disdain. Her voice shot up sharply. "The wedding gift goes up to $200,000. Not a cent less." I looked at her look of absolute certainty and suddenly laughed. My finger slid across the screen. The recipient of that urgent order was her precious son, Christopher Grant. I slowly put away the unlimited card in my pocket, along with the check I had prepared for a million-dollar wedding gift. Originally, I had planned to reveal my identity that day to give her the surprise of a lifetime. It seemed there was no need.

When her mother remarries, Elena is ready to embrace a new chapter of life—until she meets her new stepbrother, Elliot. The shock is immediate and painful: Elliot is no stranger. He’s the boy who tormented her relentlessly in high school, the source of her most haunting memories. Just as Elena steels herself for more heartache, she discovers an even bigger twist of fate—she’s been assigned as his secretary in her new job. Bracing for the worst, Elena is stunned by the man she now faces. Gone is the cruel bully who once made her life a nightmare. In his place is someone kind, protective, and determined to make amends. But forgiveness doesn’t come easily. Memories of the past clash with the undeniable chemistry sparking between them, and Elena struggles to reconcile her lingering pain with the man who now treats her like a treasure. Can people truly change? Or is Elliot simply playing another game?

‘She wears the ring, but she doesn’t hold his heart. She is the woman he married, yet another woman receives the affection and devotion that should have been hers.’ Sold into a loveless marriage, Cyanelle Louise Natividad was the sacrificial lamb offered to Zach Khaleed Samaniego to settle her family’s crippling debts. For two agonizing years, she lived as a ghost in her own home—unseen by a husband who sought warmth in the arms of a mistress, and rejected by a stepchild who preferred the "other woman" over her. Just as Cyanelle finds the strength to walk away from the wreckage of her marriage, a sudden tragedy binds her back to Zach’s side. Now, she faces a final, haunting choice: can she carve a space for herself in a heart that has always been closed to her? Or is she destined to lose a second time, proving that some broken things can never be mended?

Book two. Please read “Our Young Funny Voices” before “Our Blank Canvas”. Exactly one year ago, Vasilisa Krovopuskova left her life in Siberia, Russia behind to pursue a serious relationship with her American girlfriend, Francine Chirilova. Aside from the unwavering love Vasha feels for her lover, the emptiness of not belonging begins to wear on their relationship. With only Francine and their tight knit group of friends to rely on for comfort, a shocking message on Vasilisa’s VK social media account may bring her back to Russia on a temporary basis. Francine struggles to help Vasilisa overcome her insecurities, but they aren’t the only ones having a hard time. With Navy-woman Brody deploying on a two year long assignment, she’s not sure if holding onto what she has with Liza will bring them closer, or destroy everything. Only time will tell. The “more put together” couple of them all, Charlotte and Olivia, face a difficult situation after a drunken mistake brings back a toxic EX girlfriend from Charlotte’s past, and she’s not leaving without a fight. As Francine fights to keep everyone together, she continues battling Anorexia in secret. We’re all free to make our own choices, but we aren’t free from the consequences of those choices. 18 + Strong mature content All Rights Reserved (you know how it goes) Please don't attempt to steal any part of my work.

"A stubborn young woman never imagined she would end up married to a mafia boss." Amaya lives with the constant suspicion that the bubble of her reality will burst. Being the illegitimate daughter of an oyabun, the leader of one of the Yakuza clans, her life was a path to anonymity. Raised outside of mafia traditions by her American mother, who was a beautiful woman, she was not welcomed within the mafia's ranks. However, she was always warned that when her father needed her, she must present herself. Her life takes a one-hundred-eighty-degree turn when she's kidnapped from university and brought before her family. At a dinner where she is not only exposed to the top echelons of the clan but also showcased in front of other mafiosos, she captures the attention of one of them, someone who steals the future she had envisioned for herself. Alessio is the capo of the Camorra and a beast in his own right, making his word law. After his parents' murder and the fire that scarred part of his face, he needs to form the right alliances to strengthen himself with everything necessary to go to war against the Russians who seek to seize his territory. In pursuit of this, he strikes a deal with the Yakuza, one that results in him being married to one of the oyabun's daughters—a man who aims to deceive him. After extracting what he needs from Alessio, the oyabun plans to teach him a lesson by using his own daughter. Neither of them was prepared for what lay ahead.

Yaroslav “Viktorovich” Demidov: 25, of Russian descent, the second heir of the Demidov Family. Stoic, disciplined-well too much, perfectionist, hot headed and uptight. Hides vulnerability within that hard exterior of his. The only one in his family who has no magic because of an incident that happened when he was 4 years of age. Soul-bonded to Lian and actually holds the rarest and most powerful but dangerous power of all. Lian MAteo Alonzo-Kensington: 20, Filipino-British American, from the nurturing but competitive Kensington Family. Confident, expressive, sometimes impulsive kind of vulgar but well disciplined not in an uptight way. Has magical abilities, the rare dual type ability holders, ice and wind. His warmth clashes with Yaroslav and is soul-bonded with him therefore can also wield the other rarest and most powerful magic. Can two opposing hearts on ice bound by a soul-bond survive the weight of legacy, pressures of the competition and the dangerous pull of love and desire, when the bond that they believed to be a curse demands that one must lose his life for the other to live? For even every clash of skates, every stolen glances across the rink, every searing touch and mind-numbing kiss when they met in secret seems to burn the ice ablaze as the hatred blurs into hunger that draws them closer to a collision that could destroy or bind them for eternity. “Fuck Kensington, then I’ll risk everything, suffer everything….for one thing that matters…..You.” -Yaroslav Demidov

“Ti voglio da impazzire… Qui… Ora…” (Ita. - I want you like crazy… Here… Now) An affair to remember… for all eternity! My name is Norah Wilde, I am American and I work for the Gritti family, a very important Italian name in the financial world. They've brought me to Italy from New York to ‘manage’ their important international clients. But soon after my arrival, I got framed, and my name and persona were destroyed in the process. No one believes I’m innocent… No one wants to hear me out… Except for my boss, the hot, mysterious, and untameable Leone Gritti! My name is Leone Gritti. I am Italian and I’m the VP of the most important bank in Italy. Dark forces are trying to destroy the perfect image of my honest family. Our enemies are trying to sink our empire. I will do whatever it takes to protect the Gritti name. I will sacrifice whatever to keep my family safe! But the woman who’s accused of being a spy is… innocent. I can tell just by looking into her scared, stunning dark eyes. Norah and Leone have a common goal: clearing their names. And the only way to do it is for Norah to become Leone’s mistress. Norah is scared but intrigued by his proposal and for Leone, no sacrifice is too great to protect what belongs to him: the Gritti empire and the beautiful Norah!

Ava Parker, the daughter of a notorious American mafia family, is about to marry Riccardo De Lucca, her late sister’s fiancé. He’s the guy she’s secretly loved since the first moment she saw him ten years ago when she was only fourteen years old. After two years apart, she’s shocked to find he’s not the same man she fell for. The Riccardo in front of her is a ruthless figure, ready to turn her life into a nightmare. All she’s ever wanted is to break free. Living in her sister’s shadow has never been easy for her. But fate has other plans for her so it seems. Riccardo has his own reasons for wanting to marry Ava. He’s out for revenge against those who caused his fiancée's death and is willing to go to any lengths to achieve it, even if it means hurting the wrong person. He always thought Ava was meek, but he quickly discovers there’s a fiery spirit in her that drives him wild. As the barriers between them start to crumble, their connection becomes something neither can control. Ava has to navigate the dangerous world of the mafia while grappling with her undeniable attraction to the man she vowed to never love again. And Riccardo? He’s determined to claim her completely—body, mind, and soul.

Ashton Johnson is a formidable presence, a person who refuses to be controlled. With a strong will, unwavering resilience, and complete accountability, this twenty-two-year-old billionaire alpha male navigates his extraordinary life with ease. Every day brings a flurry of adoring fans, transforming a simple lunch into a chaotic spectacle. By afternoon, his face is plastered all over the internet, capturing the attention of millions. From the moment he was born, Ashton's life was destined for fame and recognition, thanks to his prominent family. He is the epitome of American royalty, carrying the weight of his lineage on his shoulders. However, his world takes an unexpected turn when he is assigned a new bodyguard, someone who will be with him around the clock. This is when Ashton comes face-to-face with his worst fear: being paired with a tattooed, MMA-trained professional who is notorious for disregarding rules within the security team. As if that weren't complicated enough, this bodyguard also happens to fulfill one-third of Ashton's deepest desires. Lennox Burke, twenty-seven years old, has a singular duty: to protect Ashton Johnson at all costs. Anything beyond the realm of strict professionalism, such as flirting, dating, or engaging in intimate encounters, is strictly forbidden and could lead to Lennox's termination. However, when unexpected emotions begin to surface, the task of safeguarding this stubbornly alluring celebrity becomes increasingly complex for Lennox. As their paths intertwine, the boundaries that separate them start to blur, and the consequences of their growing connection could be catastrophic for both of them. The risk of exposure looms large, threatening to upend their lives in unimaginable ways.