Arcane Jinx Drawing

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Leila, a young Austrian aristocrat and student in Classics, is drawn into a world of conspiracy and danger when her aunt is involved in a suspicious car accident. Leila travels to her aunt’s chalet to take care of her husky, but soon discovers a body in the drawing room. Terrified, she runs out and bumps into Dick, a nosy English banker who becomes entangled in the mystery. When they return to the drawing room, the body has disappeared. Leila takes the husky for a walk and discovers that the body has been moved to a house recently purchased by another branch of her family. She finds a notebook with encrypted entries in the drawing room and uses her linguistic skills to decode them. She discovers the initials, address, and phone number of someone involved in the plot. Leila calls the number and is warned against getting involved. Undeterred, she discovers a bizarre research center where a conference on German mystical past is taking place.She suspects that there is a bizarre cult operating underground. Leila learns about their plan to topple every democracy in Europe. The cult is after an artifact that may be hidden in her aunt’s chalet. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Leila discovers that the aristocratic cult members are pawns in a larger game. They are unknowingly being manipulated to cause disruption in the European banking system using an AI virus.The chaos will cause turmoil in the Euro zone. As Leila and her aunt race against time to stop the virus from being unleashed, they uncover an even more shocking truth: Leila’s own family members are part of the conspiracy. With betrayal and danger at every turn, Leila must use all of her wit to outsmart the cult.

On Mom's death anniversary, drug dealers break into the cemetery and take me away. To get revenge on my brother, Zack Smith—a forensic pathologist—they torture me until there isn't even a single uninjured spot left on my body. I hold on for almost three days, barely surviving, until I finally get a chance to call him for help. However, Zack replied, "Why didn't they kill you for good? A jinx like you who killed your own mother shouldn't be allowed to live!" When the drug dealers notice my action, they shatter all of my bones. The next day, a janitor discovers several large bags of human remains in the trash can. Zack painstakingly reassembles my body back together with his own hands—yet he fails to recognize that it's me, his younger sister he always claims to hate. When the drug dealers are finally arrested, he descends into madness.

After the real son, Asher Vale, was brought back, everything in our house became tied to drawing lots. The chef of the day, who would have to cook a particular person's preferred dishes, had to be decided by drawing lots. Even our parents' kisses and hugs were chosen the same way. I always drew the short stick. The long stick, by default, belonged to Asher. He never had to do anything to receive our parents' love. Whenever I felt it was unfair and wanted to cry, Mom would scold me sharply, "I bought the lot-drawing box because I was afraid you'd feel hurt. I wanted to be fair to both of you. If you want something, decide it yourselves. Your father and I won't interfere. If you can't draw the long stick, you can only blame your bad luck." So I began practicing every day, shaking the box diligently, over and over, in hopes that one day, it would help me earn my parents' love. Unfortunately, for ten years, I never once drew the long stick. Until my birthday. Asher wanted to go to the amusement park, and Mom once again told us to decide by drawing lots. I secretly glued the two short sticks together and handed them to Mom, hoping to keep her with me. She slapped me hard across the face, screaming that I was cheating and disobedient. Then she stormed out of the house with Asher. When I fell to the ground, the short stick stabbed deep into my neck. 'I'm sorry, Mom. Next time, I'll work harder. Next time, I'll definitely draw the long stick.'

All her life, Veronica Vane has always been an unstoppable force of nature, in battle, strength, arcane magic, and wits. That is until the tables have turned on one mission that completely changed her life: destroying Nuella Sangre, a union between Werewolves and Vampires. No matter how strong Veronica was, it backlashed against her when she found herself falling for one of the richest businessmen in the world, The Prince of Nuella Sangre, Giovanni Felix Thorn. As she was falling in love, she realized how wrong she was, and fought alongside Nuella Sangre when it was threatened by her own half-sister, Elspeth Vane. For failing her mission, the evil forces of Dexo Fernia have rallied to end the reign of their own Queen, Veronica Vane, for her vulnerability. Little did they know, they will enter the lion’s den, as Veronica unleash the oldest magic amongst them; Yxorix

Content warning-strictly 18+ | 'Betrayal' that's what I am left with. The only thing I wanted... was a happy family, a loving partner and a normal life. Was it too much to ask for? But... Everything's crushed under the mafia leader's desire. What I supposed to do now when I betrayed... by my own! A broken heart....A shattered soul.... and jinx of fragmented emotions. I don't know...where to go from here now. My doom is brought by my supposed love, I am confined with all the lies hidden beneath the faces of people around me. And that's my life now without a purpose, unable to trust and above all without a heart. Deep buried Secrets, hidden motives and the ultimate betrayal...is all I am left with, standing in the middle of deserted nowhere without any affirmation of getting rescued. He barged into my life and destroyed everything coming in his way. And that's how my experience was with 'Aaron Maxwell' the man who claim to love me!

They ruined her, taking away the only thing she cared most about and now she was going to take revenge, she was going to destroy them all, crumble them from the inside and triumph over their destruction, while she watch them beg for mercy before drawing their last breath. It's payback time and no one will be left untouched, not even her mate.

Pamela, a devout choirgirl and college student, hides a secret craving for submission beneath her innocent facade. When she meets Richard Carter, her stern history professor with a commanding presence, she falls into a whirlwind of forbidden pleasure—rough hands, whispered commands, and punishments that leave her trembling. But Richard has his own secrets, drawing Pamela into a world of whispered secrets, rough pleasure and violence.

Craig and Collins are twin brothers, Collins got missing when he was six years, Their parents died while searching for Collins, Craig was left all alone In the world fending for himself when he was fifteen years, Craig dreams was to become a popular boxer, but his twin brother, Collins attitude and his misdeed keeps hunting and drawing him back from his dream, but he later....

Life is Good… Charlotte is expecting her Master’s baby. Beth is pregnant by Richard, and now Michael’s ‘Second Wife’. The Triad and the Couple are drawing ever closer. James has an ‘understanding’ with Klempner: He will stay away and allow Mitch to live her own life. Life is close to perfect. What could possibly go wrong?The Master's Child is created by Simone Leigh, an eGlobal Creative Publishing Signed Author.