Arcane Masks

By day, Zandrielle Inara Clemente is a daring reporter who captures the attention of the nation’s most ruthless zillionaire. By night, she becomes his neglected fiancée—trapped in a loveless engagement with the very same man. Arlend Kaizan El Davion adores one woman and despises the other, never realizing they are the same. But when masks fall and secrets begin to burn, love transforms into a dangerous game neither of them can control. And when the truth finally comes to light—will love survive, or will it destroy them both?

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

Behind the walls of St. Valen’s Academy, privilege and legacy are masks — worn to hide the rot underneath. For Althea Sombra, the masks are literal. Her family’s empire is built on secrets whispered in the dark, on powers that can never be spoken of in daylight. She was raised to obey, to charm, to control. But when the storm inside her begins to wake, even obedience can’t contain it. Noah Laurent was bred for composure — heir to a dynasty that trades in precision and power. Yet one glance from Althea cracks the ice he was born to wear. He knows she’s dangerous. He also knows he can’t stay away. Luca Ashford has always been the wildfire Noah could control. Until Althea arrives. Until jealousy and desire blur into something neither of them can name — and their friendship begins to splinter beneath the weight of her silence. When a ghost from Althea’s training resurfaces — a man who once called her his greatest weapon — the careful balance at St. Valen’s shatters. Fear tightens its grip. Loyalties fracture. And the girl with the storm in her blood must decide: to remain a shadow … or burn the world that built her.

"I'm not marrying him!" *** Valerie Wills came from a prestigious and wealthy family. Yet her family is still thirsty for those things. She was a beautiful young lady that was set to marry the man she never met, Eldifonso Suarez. Along the way she would discover that Eldifonso Suarez was the modern Cupid, who was wearing masks around her. Unlike the classical Cupid, he was cold and domineering. But no one tends to harm Valerie because they fear Eldifonso. Would it be possible for Valerie Wills to fall in love with him even though their marriage was all for money and his treatment of her was cold as ice?

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

My name is Nova Coldwell. There are three things you should know about me: 1. I’m my father’s biggest disappointment. 2. His best friend watches me at night. 3. He has no idea I’m the girl behind the screen. I’m a college student by day. A cam girl by night. And completely off-limits to the only man who sees me. He calls me VelvetMistress. I call him Daddy’s dirty secret. But what happens when masks fall… …and the lies we told start to hurt?

Sienna Waters had everything a woman could dream of or at least that's what she thought. A loving husband, a blissful married life and a small being's arrival in their life. But in the blink of an eye, she was left to die with nothing in her hand. When her world was about to turn completely blank, she needed a hand that could pull her up from the pit of hell and she found him... He's got the most innocent face she's ever seen, she thought he would be the perfect tool she could use for revenge against her Ex-husband. Little did she know that not all the devils wear devils masks, some wear the mask of innocence too.

There are a lot more truths in the books we read, than we’d like to admit. What if a book delves into the lives of the very town you live in? Reveals to you some personal stories of people you know? Or thought you knew. Bookstore owner Kevin Ellison faces this truth when a mysterious book shows up in Through a Mirror, Darkly by Kevin Lucia. Through a Mirror, Darkly is a Supernatural Thriller collection masked as a novel. With elements of mystery, suspense, and otherworldly horror, Through a Mirror, Darkly successfully delves into the worlds of Lovecraft, Grant, and the mysterious Carcosa. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing Arcane Delights. Clifton Heights' premier rare and used bookstore. In it, new owner Kevin Ellison has inherited far more than a family legacy, for inside are tales that will amaze, astound, thrill...and terrify: An ancient evil thirsty for lost souls. A very different kind of taxi service with destinations not on any known map. Three coins that grant the bearer's fondest wish, and a father whose crippling grief gives birth to something dark and hungry.

"You feel so good." He groaned, "I fucking don't want this to end." He kissed the sweet spot under her ear. "You have ruined me for good." He confessed in between the kisses.  _____  Arcane Miller is a sophomore at high school. She had a secret crush on the hottest guy, Xavier Jones. However, one night, she suddenly found out that her Mom is marrying Vincent Jones, Xavier's father. Everything shattered, every little dream which she dreamt to be with him was torn apart. He will be her step brother, she wasn't allowed to think of him in this way.  But one night she climaxed thinking of him and realized that she has been fantasizing about him in other ways. So, she prepared a list. A list containing all the dirty things which she wants to do with him despite the fact, this is unholy.  What will happen when Xavier will find out about that list? Or does he feel the same heat as her?

BLURB: "Bound by prophecy. Torn by fate. Will their choices save the world—or doom it forever?" Gaia Stormborne carries the weight of a bloodline destined to reshape the balance of power. Hunted for secrets she doesn’t fully understand, she’s thrust into a world where allies wear masks, and betrayal is a breath away. As ancient forces stir, her choices could ignite salvation—or plunge everything into darkness. Valtor Draven, a fierce Alpha haunted by his past, awakens to find the one person who might hold the key to redemption missing. Their fates are bound, their paths shadowed by danger, and every step they take could tip the scales of war. In a race against time, will they find strength in each other—or will destiny rip them apart?