Cold Water Chords

Richard Franklin has left his Midwestern roots behind to live on the coast of Maine with his family. But in the autumn of the year 2000, he must return to his Illinois birthplace on a sorrowful journey. His wife Michelle has been killed in New England by a hit-and-run driver who is never found, so back home he comes with her cremated remains, to fulfill a final wish and on her birthday scatter her ashes in the park along the river in Blackwater Valley—simply Blackwater Val to locals—the small town where they both grew up and fell in love. With him he brings his six-year-old daughter Katie who still grieves for her lost mother: Katie, who can sometimes guess who’s going to be on the phone before it rings. Who can stop all the clocks in the house, and break up clouds in the sky with her mind, and heal sicknesses, and who sometimes sees things that aren’t there...people who are no longer alive. All gifts she inherited from her mother. Only something isn’t quite right in the Val. Sinkholes are opening up, revealing the plague pits the sleepy hamlet was built over in the 1830s, when malaria and cholera outbreaks ran riot. Mysterious bird and fish die-offs begin to occur, and Katie can see ghosts of the dead gathering all around. But what she can’t see is the charred, centuries-old malevolence which has been waiting for her, and wants her for its very own. Or the pale Sallow Man who haunts the town’s nighttime streets...or the river witch—another Blackwater Val, of sorts—each of whom will be drawn one by one into the nightmarish bloodletting about to take place. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Daphne’s life was ruined by them; her best friend and boyfriend. Awaiting her boyfriend’s arrival back from the states, they agreed to meet at a bar below the most expensive hotel. Her drink was spiked by her best friend and she entered the wrong room by mistake where she had a nightstand with a stranger. The next morning, she realized what and ran after doing embarrassing things to him. She called him inexperienced, shoved a necklace to his face and even hit him with her heels. She arrived home to find out she was set up by her best friend and her boyfriend who had been having an affair right before he traveled out of the country. Daphne worked extra time to sponsor her boyfriend's career and now he’s come to dump her with the excuse of infidelity. She felt betrayed and heartbroken. One day, she fainted and found out she was pregnant with four babies. Her nightstand resulted in pregnancy with Quadruplet but she’s got no idea who the father of her babies is. Black William a top billionaire in the entire state, having women by his side or sleeping with them was never his desire. He detests them with passion. That same night when his guard was down due to a trick played on him with his drinks, a woman took advantage of his situation. The next morning, he orders a search for the enemy who took away his seed. He has just one thing on her; a pearl necklace!

When Charlotte Page first met Leo Westbrook, she was a shy, skinny teenager on the verge of becoming a woman. The moment the naked, chiseled Adonis mistakenly walked into her room, she was lovestruck. Leo was perfect in her eyes, and he proved it by helping create a billion-dollar business with Charlotte's brother. Even before he became a billionaire, Leo always had women throwing themselves at him. But the only woman he really wanted was the one he couldn’t have. Because Charlotte was his best friend and business partner’s little sister, he couldn’t afford to let her get too close. Yet he found himself unable to resist her. With each passing day, her charms threatened to overcome his defenses. After a decade of being his friend's blushing, stuttering little sister, the man of Charlotte's dreams finally noticed her. After one tropical kiss and a night of passion, her fantasy finally seemed to be coming true. However, when a lie from Leo's past caught up with him, it prompted her to question everything she thought she knew about the man she loves. Leo always knew that being with Charlotte wasn’t meant to be. Even if she could forgive him for his decade-long deception, he knew it would be better for her if he walked away. Yet sometimes, love is stronger than lies. Will Charlotte and Leo find a way to be together, or will they be left with nothing but memories of their waterfall kisses?

When small-town girl Emma LaRue won a vacation to an exclusive tropical island, a last minute cancellation meant she would be going by herself. Shy and studious, she never had time to fall in love, and often wondered if she was just meant to be alone. However, that all changed when a handsome stranger literally walked into her life while on the beach and sparks began to fly. New York’s most eligible billionaire bachelor Jack Saunders thought this vacation would be the perfect escape, one last hurrah, before taking full control of his father’s company. When an innocent Emma didn’t recognize him, he figured that he might get a chance to have a vacation from being rich. He didn’t tell her about the cars, the yacht, or the penthouse. All he did was let her fall in love with him. Soon, Jack found that he was the one falling in love with Emma. When they enjoy a fantasy marriage ceremony on the beach, they thought it was a bit of harmless fun before returning to their normal lives. A bittersweet goodbye was supposed to be the end of their perfect vacation romance, but when photos of the ceremony were leaked to the press, everything changed. Feeling lied to and thrust into a world of wealth and privilege, Emma must choose between following her dreams or following her heart. Will she be content at being nothing more than the billionaire’s wife, or will she return to her normal life with only memories of saltwater kisses?

Lauren's life is turned upside down when her chosen mate of ten years leaves her for his fated mate. A mate who had rejected him for a more powerful alpha With her arrival back in their lives, Everything is stripped from Lauren leaving her with nothing. Feeling broken and dejected she leaves, unable to bear the consuming pain of betrayal. Circumstances force her back and she finds an unlikely ally in Alpha Sebastian. A man who is both feared and Revered. A king without a throne, he rules both the human and wolf world. He is also her ex mate's nemesis. Theirs is an unusual union. He's too cold and she's not his type. Love is not in their agenda. So why does she get a thrill when he calls her his? and why does he look at her like she's his salvation? Turns out their enemies are the least of her worries. Not when the real danger is in the fire that ignites between them. The fire that could set them a blaze in love and passion or destroy them. Note: This book is a two in one. Book 1: The Alpha And His Contract Luna Book 2: The Alpha And His Chosen Mate

(Under Edits) Their life was a maze. From highschool sweethearts to business rivals, their journey continued till they were tied into a marriage. Oh, contract marriage to be exact. It didn't stop there. They fell in love again, deeply, hardly and madly. But as time passed they got tangled more and more into the maze of fate and that led them to an ugly separation. But they both have something precious with them that the other doesn't know about. What will happen when they will meet again after years with extreme hate for each other? They are determined to destroy the opposite person. But the hell will break when they will see what the other person has with them. Soon they found themselves among questions, hates, jealousy, confusion and danger. They got tangled in the web of maze. Again. But this time they are determined to get out of this maze. Together. But is it really a maze created by fate or someone has the string of their fates...? ___ "Luke? I am going to wash myself. And if possible wash this whole office. Athaliah Williams had come here and polluted this whole place." Aaron said to his assistant while giving Athaliah one last hateful look, he turned around to leave. "One minute, Aaron Knight, listen to me for a moment and listen carefully. If you don't stop messing with my life from now on, I will pollute your whole life in such a way that there will be darkness everywhere. And that's a promise." Athaliah warned in a cold tone returning the hate in full force.

One night of boldness leads to a marriage of convenience. Just a plain agreement. No commitment but a lot of sex. She is liking the setup until the 'right one' came back. Without a fuss, she left, bringing the memories and another heartbeat. ********** Dumped by her two-year relationship for the reason of her being prude and frigid, Alexzia Montes proves she was otherwise. With four glasses of wine in her system, she delved into a passionate night with a stranger she randomly picked. "Do I need to pay you? How much?" she outrightly asked. "Can you afford me?" he snickers. "Just tell me how much" she stubbornly retorted. She is getting pissed by his arrogance. "500 billion dollars" he briefly replies with raised challenging brows. "What?" she mumbles in disbelief. "My present net worth is more or less 500 billion dollars" he unconcernedly replied. Stunned, she becomes quiet. "That's why you look familiar..." she frustratedly whispers, facepalming herself. The man she often sees on tv and in newspapers but hasn't met in person. The only person in the country who has a five hundred billion net worth. "CEO Lucien Wright..." she whispers in despair, almost indistinct. Of all people, she had chosen the cold and ruthless CEO of Wright Group of Companies. How could she afford him? He could even buy her, body and soul. "I need a wife, a bait for my girlfriend to come back. Name your price" he casually announced, handing her the documents. "Once she is back, you will sign the divorce paper and peacefully leave. I will pay you, just name the amount" he added. The offer is tempting Alexzia. She needs ten million dollars and it's an impossible plight but she has an easy way out, being a Ten Million Dollar Wife to CEO Wright.

The older sister of Emma LaRue wasn't looking for love. In fact, the last thing Kaylee LaRue thought as she attended her sister's Caribbean wedding was that she would meet a man as confident as Owen Parker. The suave businessman oozed charm, and when that charm was directed at Kaylee, it gave her pause. She couldn't be sure if the man was actually interested in her or just interested in a good time. In reality, Owen Parker had never met anyone like Kaylee LaRue. The quiet girl from Iowa made him forget to breathe the first time he saw her. When he tried to work his magic, her wit proved to be a match for his, and his charms had no effect. He knew what it looked like- she probably thought that he wanted to have a vacation tryst with her just as Jack Saunders had with Emma. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Kaylee tried hard not to yield to his advances, but their last night in the Caribbean was simply magical. After a passionate night spent in the arms of Owen, Kaylee ruefully observed that there was no fake wedding to keep the two of them together. As she flew home, she thought it'd be back to the same old life for her. She never expected Owen to show up at her door. However, this small town girl wasn't sure she was ready to change for this city boy. When Kaylee tried to fit into Owen's world, everything came crashing down. In the blink of an eye, what seemed like a strong foundation suddenly found itself built on a pillar of sand. Would their relationship blossom like Jack and Emma's, or would the two of them forever be haunted by the memories of rainwater kisses?

Bella Cosgrove, daughter of a Sheriff and the nerdy Red haired of Belgrave High. Her life changes overnight when her best friend transforms into a werewolf and her savior is a 500 year old ruthless Vampire. Little does she know that her simple life would become entangled in the dangerous world of the supernatural from just that one night.

Everything in Samantha Conners' life seemed to be in a holding pattern. Her sailboat racing season had fallen through, and she was stuck in a dead end job that barely covered the bills. If it wasn't for the fact that her sister and niece were depending on her, she would have never been out on the water the day the billionaire's boat ran her over. Robbie Saunders is convinced that he is the screw-up younger brother of billionaire Jack Saunders. One of his biggest rules was to never go out drunk on the water, but with the impending death of his father, he took the boat out after drinking to try and gain some clarity. Instead, he ran over Sam and barely managed to save her from drowning. While the two had been childhood sweethearts, time and distance had made them into different people. When fate crashed them back together, Robbie finds the fiery young woman to be the person he needs to give him motivation and direction. For Sam, Robbie is growing into the man she always knew he could be. A love blossoms and grows. But what fate can give, it can also take away. A storm during the biggest freshwater sailing race of Sam's career changes everything. Will Sam and Robbie find a way to overcome the storm, or will the two only have memories of freshwater kisses?