Desperate Living

Fire and plague. Certainly no strangers to London Town.But when legions of living dead rise from the Thames’ fetid waters to feast upon the living, the city teeters on the brink of antihalation. And while floaters seek blood, another army takes advantage of the chaos. Boiling out of their rookeries of crime, marauders swarm through London’s affluent neighborhoods looting and burning.©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

A young woman's life is turned upside down when she is forced into an arranged marriage by her father. In a desperate attempt to outsmart her father's plan, she unknowingly marries the identical twin brother of her intended groom who turned out to be on a desperate hunt for a wife in order to slot in as his family's heir. By the time she discovers her mistake and her husband's true intentions, it was already too late—she had consummated her marriage with him. Will this mistake of hers become the best thing that ever happened to her, or will it be her biggest regret?

In the light of this reflection and for the sake of her unborn child, Helen escapes by the moonlight and leaves the pack. Once out of the pack's safety, she is accosted by rogues. Helen, the weak omega that she is, cannot defend herself and awaits capture before a saviour in person of her new lover comes to her rescue. Helen becomes a slave to Alpha Damian as the only way to remain alive after her dad commits treason by revealing crucial information to a rival pack. Alpha Damian is desperate for an heir and when Helen finally discovers she's pregnant for him, someone has beaten her to the task already and Helen finally realises the worthlessness of her life as a slave and baby making tool. Helen makes her escape from the pack and is attacked by rogue werewolves only to be saved by a werewolf from another pack. A couple of years later and Helen has become a renowned detective and writer, living happily with her saviour and son. Everything appears to be going smoothly till children start getting attacked by rogues. As such, help is enlisted from Alpha Damian’s pack, a deliberate move from Alpha Damian, on the condition that Helen returns to his pack, under the guise that her detective skills are urgently needed. Helen's hesitancy disappears when her son goes missing, and she is forced to collaborate with Alpha Damian. Secrets are yet to unfold and Helen must watch her back because the enemy might be closer than she thinks. For how long can she fight the growing bond between the Alpha and herself? And will Helen be able to protect everyone she loves in the end?

Stephen divorced his wife, Elena, after discovering she was having an affair—or so he thought. What Stephen didn’t realize was that Elena was pregnant with his child, and the accusations were nothing more than lies fueled by his mother’s hatred toward her. When the truth finally came to light, Stephen was overcome with guilt. Desperate to make amends, he set out to find Elena and bring her and their unborn child back home. But his search ended in heartbreak—he discovered that Elena had vanished, leaving behind only whispers that she had jumped into the river. Her existence had seemingly disappeared without a trace. Years passed, but Stephen never forgave himself. He lived with the haunting regret of losing the love of his life. Then, one fateful day, everything changed. He met a baby girl named Rose, whose face was a perfect mirror of Elena’s. Curiosity and hope drove Stephen to seek answers, and when he met Rose’s mother, he was stunned to learn the truth—Elena was alive. But the shock didn’t end there. When Stephen confronted Rose's mother, she insisted she didn’t know him. She claimed her name was Davina and that she was married, living a life far removed from anything Stephen had known. What had happened to Elena? Was this truly his wife, or a woman who simply bore an uncanny resemblance? And if it was Elena, what had led her to erase every trace of her former life?

“You’re a liar. And a coward. And you broke me twice.” I laughed—hollow, bitter. Then bent to pick up the torn pieces of the file. I couldn’t believe I’d fallen for the same man twice in one lifetime. If this was a dream, it was a cruel one. When I walked past him, I didn’t look back. “I know I hurt you,” he said behind me, his voice low and raw. “But I never stopped loving you… not even for a single day.” --- They were never supposed to end up together...again, but fate had other plans. Alina has always been the unwanted twin—the quiet, overlooked sister living in the shadow of her perfect twin. So when her father faces financial ruin, he makes a chilling decision: marry one of his daughters off to save the family name. The groom? A powerful, mysterious heir hidden from the public eye. The chosen bride? Alina’s stunning sister. But at the last moment, her father switches them. Now, Alina finds herself married to a man she doesn’t know—yet strangely feels drawn to. A man who might just remember her from a forgotten moment in their past. As sparks begin to fly, she finds herself falling in love with a familiar stranger again. But dark secrets begin to unfold—and a family desperate to reclaim their “true” daughter fights dirty. She was never supposed to be the bride. But she just might be the woman he’s waited for all along.

I worked super hard during Cyber Monday and pulled in 20 million dollars in sales, only for my wife, Chelsea Abbott, to credit it to her childhood sweetheart, who had just returned from studying overseas. I was so furious that I confronted her, but she clung to Donald Dixon's arm and said righteously, "Donald just got back, and he doesn't have a solid footing yet. What's wrong with my helping him establish some authority? Are you really going to argue with me over this?" I swallowed it. But at the year-end conference, Donald actually pointed right at my face in front of the entire company and yelled, "I produced these results myself. You're just a deadweight living off your wife. You don't even deserve to be here! Keeping parasites like you in the company is a total waste of resources!" My performance was used to build his reputation, and this was how he repaid me? I turned to look at Chelsea, but she didn't even spare me a glance. Instead, she announced to everyone, "Donald's right. The industry's moving fast, and Will really can't keep up anymore. Starting tomorrow, all of his responsibilities will be taken over by Donald!" Faced with everyone's eager, gossipy stares, I didn't make a scene. Last night, the industry leader the company had been desperate to flatter just sent me an offer letter. Since Chelsea was determined to fight side by side with her childhood sweetheart, this was where we would end.

“If you leave this palace tonight, you become prey” Lyra Vale got rejected by her fated mate like yesterday’s trash, hauled into enemy land, and turned into the single most lethal prize a blood-soaked kingdom has ever drooled over. In Dravenhold they don’t chain prisoners. They drape them in silk that costs more than most packs see in a lifetime and call them queen. Kael Draven, the Enemy King, had every reason to slit her throat the second she hit his dirt. Instead he put his mouth to her ear and claimed her protection. Claimed her. Now the whole damn continent whispers the same filthy truth: her blood can make kings. Or drown them. The past won’t stay buried. Rowan, the Alpha who ripped her heart out to “save his people,” creeps back through the shadows with one desperate, cocky demand: come back to me. Stay here and she becomes Kael’s living blade, soaked in power and whatever else he decides to take from her body. Leave, and she lights the match that turns every pack into smoking graves. One man wants her soul to rule with. The other already shattered it and still thinks he deserves the pieces. Lyra’s done being the girl who waits to be chosen. In a world where power gets ripped out of throats, not politely handed over… she isn’t prey anymore. She’s the f*cking throne. And she’s deciding who bleeds for the right to sit on it.

One heartbreak. Too much wine. And a one-night stand with one of the most dangerous men in Sicily. Ada’s anniversary vacation was supposed to be a romantic dream. Instead, it’s a living nightmare. When her boyfriend’s "best friend" crashes their trip, Ada trades her heartbreak for a lot of wine and a messy, public breakup. She’s ready to be the "psycho ex." She isn’t ready to stumble into the arms of a man who looks like a god and kisses like a sinner. Dario is dark, tattooed, and—unbeknownst to Ada—part of the Italian Mafia empire. He’s also been drugged, sent into a predatory haze that only Ada’s fiery spirit and curvy silhouette can soothe. Their night is a blur of desperate heat and hungover promises, but by morning, Ada is gone, leaving only a "walk of shame" and a very confused heart behind. But in the Mafia, you don’t just walk away from a Made Man. Dario woke up with a clearer head and a singular obsession: finding the woman who "serviced" him while he was at his most vulnerable. He thinks she was part of the setup. He thinks she’s a spy. But the more he tracks her, the more he realizes she’s just a heartbroken woman drowning her sorrows in the Mediterranean. Now, the "trouble in paradise" is just beginning. Dario doesn't care about her ex-boyfriend, her flight home, or her plans for the future. He’s decided she belongs to him, and in his world, what the Mafia claims, the Mafia keeps. Ada wanted a vacation to remember. Now, she’ll be lucky if he ever lets her leave.

Synopsis for Lycan’s Windsong Born beneath the aurora and blessed by the Moon Goddess, Alora Windsong has always stood apart—white hair, pale eyes, and a voice that can bend emotions with every note she sings. Her bloodline carries a sacred gift, one said to awaken the deepest soulbond when a Windsong meets their fated mate. But Alora’s life is far from charmed. Living under her grandfather’s shadow, cast as the outcast beside her spoiled sister, she’s desperate for freedom and a future of her own. That future shatters the moment she meets Blaise—a powerful, magnetic Lycan who is everything she’s been warned to avoid. The poster child for ‘Bad Boy Biker,’ and he doesn’t belong to her pack. Their fated mate bond is instant, electric, and utterly forbidden. One touch, one kiss, and she knows she can never let him go. Now they are forced into secrecy—stolen moments, hidden nights, passion that blazes hotter than either of them can control. To claim each other openly, they must risk defying her Alpha, her bloodline, and the laws that could tear them apart. But fate doesn’t care about rules. And once a Windsong has sung her mate into her soul, there is no undoing the bond. Forbidden desire. Dangerous secrets. A love written in moonlight and sealed in song. ***Disclaimer: This is an adult erotica romance novel intended for readers 18 and older. It contains explicit sexual content, mature themes, and intense, steamy scenes. Reader discretion is advised.

Ivy Cruz is broke, desperate, and out of options. With debt collectors closing in and her brother fighting for his life in a hospital bed, she has no choice but to accept a dangerous deal from the gangster she owes everything to. His demand? Pretend to be the wife of Damon Williams—a cold, ruthless billionaire who was believed to have died in a fire. The offer is impossible to resist. If she plays the part, Ivy can take whatever she wants from Damon, enough to pay off her debts and save her brother. Refusing means certain death at the gangster’s hands. But what Ivy never expected… is that Damon would believe her. Two years ago, Damon lost his wife, Selena, in the fire. Her body was never found. Now Ivy stands before him—identical in every way, down to the secret birthmark only he ever knew. Dragged into a dangerous lie, Ivy becomes the shadow of a woman she never met. Damon, consumed by grief and obsession, is convinced fate has returned his wife to him—and he will never let her go. As Ivy steps deeper into his dark, possessive world, she can’t shake the guilt of living another woman’s life. But with secrets about the fire beginning to unravel, one question burns hotter than the rest: What really happened the night Selena died? And when Damon discovers the truth, will Ivy survive his wrath… or his love? Because when love rises from ashes—it can either heal or burn everything to the ground.