Ice Ice Water

In a kingdom ruled by magic and shadowed by secrets, Princess Elara was born to uphold a prophecy—one that demands her heart, her blood, and ultimately, her sacrifice. Magic belongs to the elite, and power is passed through bloodlines, but nothing prepared her for the storm of desire and danger that would unravel everything she believed. Vesper Moretti, the ruthless heir to a deadly mafia empire, was the first man to shake her world. Cold, calculating, and intoxicatingly powerful, he vanished without a trace—leaving behind a shattered heart and unanswered questions. Now, he’s back… alive, dangerous, and claiming what was once his. Torn between Vesper’s dark pull, Kael’s fierce loyalty, and Dain’s quiet rebellion, Elara is caught in a web of betrayal, prophecy, and passion. As the prophecy unfolds, one truth becomes chillingly clear: only one man can survive the end—and her choice will ignite war or salvation. With ancient powers awakening and the line between love and ruin blurring, Elara must uncover the truth buried in blood and magic… before her kingdom, and her heart, are lost forever.

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

My husband’s family has a tradition of couples living apart together, and he can't publicly acknowledge our relationship until a son is born. He forces me to respect his family's traditions and tells me to raise our daughter alone. Six years after we got married, Andrew Sonovan inherits everything his late brother left behind, including his widow, Kasey Jordan. To satisfy his family's demands for him to carry on both lines, he sleeps with Kasey time and time again. Then, he holds me in his arms. "I can have a proper wedding with you once Kasey gets pregnant and carries on my brother's line. Hold on for a bit longer…" However, all I get is the news of him marrying Kasey. "Marry me, Kasey! I'll make you the happiest woman in the world!" I watch as Andrew gets on one knee in the glow of the flickering candlelight. He looks at Kasey lovingly as he proposes. Meanwhile, she rubs her baby bump, looking blissful. My daughter and I stand outside the room and witness their happiness. It's only then do I understand that I'm the only one who's been in the dark for the past six years.

Adeline has been in love with Blake Rhodes for as long as she could remember-twelve years of silent yearning turned into three loveless years of marriage. She has always wanted him to return her love. However, Blake's heart is clouded by manipulation and misunderstandings, with the shadows cast by Adeline's half-sister Rebecca. Unknown to Blake, it is not Rebecca who is dying but Adeline. Adeline has stage four cancer, a secret she holds tightly, even as Blake is forcing her to give her blood-and a kidney-to save Rebecca. So, while Rebecca is faking being ill for Blake, Adeline keeps the pain to herself and silently suffers by sacrificing all her possessions for the man who doesn't perceive her value.

My husband, who was a drug enforcement police officer, personally got me into rehab. My son was cheering on the side, saying that he no longer had to see me under the influence for a long time. After I was discharged, I discovered my husband moved in with his lover and our son. I begged him to come back and told him that someone would kill me. He did not believe me. Instead, he said coldly, “If you die, you better end up in a trash can. Otherwise, I’d have to deal with your body.” My son cheered at the side. “Mommy is finally gone!” After a week, I was dismembered. My body parts were found in multiple trash cans. He was the police in charge of the case.

“Fuck, Ada…”“Brad...oh, fuck... deeper... harder!” Ada’s shrill voice begged between breathy moans.The banging of the headboard against the wall intensified as Ann froze. No... it couldn’t be!Ann took a deep breath and nudged the door a little more. Her chest felt like it would explode as she held her breath whilst the crack widened.When it revealed her sister lying underneath her husband-to-be, her hands flew to her mouth to stifle the gasp of horror as her heart shattered instantly.As Brad roared his release inside her sister, Ada turned her head towards the door with a smirk.An icy chill descended over Ann as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown over her and she stood and stared, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open in disbelief.Ada lifted her hand and waved in Ada’s direction with a smug smile plastered on her face as Brad collapsed on top of her, kissing her neck tenderly.Is there anything you can do if your mate had sex with your sister?

Sidia Amato never thought she would be sacrificing herself on her 18th birthday to uphold an ancient family pact with a secret coven of vampires.However, the leader of the coven reveals himself to be Severus, a long dead emperor of Rome, who wants to take the city back with her help.Plunged into a hidden world of intrigue, Sidia has to choose either helping Severus to conquer the world -- for the safety of her family and humanity -- or succumbing to her newfound feelings of love for his brother Marcus.Can she free her family from the vampire pact, save humanity from Severus, and keep Marcus?***“You should go to bed. I don’t think Severus meant for your room to be unlocked. We have newer vampires who struggle to control their thirst. And you smell . . . delectable.”Sidia shuddered. The fire that had been burning in her core since she met him flared once more. But did he feel the same?The Last Amato Sacrifice is created by Bea Blue, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Angelo Madrigal is a virgin who has decided to be celibate until marriage, but is raped just a week to his wedding. The whole situation takes a different turn when he is tested positive for HIV just two days to the wedding, and when Diego, his fiance, calls off the wedding in the morning, he jumps off a bridge in an attempt to take his life. He is saved by officer Marcelo Sanchez. Marcelo isn't gay, but after having sex with a guy just a week before, he begins to yearn for more of the experience. He talks to Angelo against committing suicide and the two later coincidentally meet at the supermarket, where Angelo finds out that he is married and is left devastated. What happens when Marcelo starts developing feelings for Angelo?

After being betrayed and left behind by her ex-lover, Zara told herself that she won’t fall in love again. But when she crossed path with Kestrel, the wall that she was trying to build slowly crumbled. But would it be right for her to love him when she took something precious from him and caused his misery? *** Zara Ruiz was the type of person who’s willing to do everything for the person she loved. So when her boyfriend, Matt accidentally killed a woman in a hit-and-run, she took the blame for it and was imprisoned. Four years after, Zara was determined to find her Matt who left her and vanished while also trying to start a new life. Unable to find a job, she decided to work as a maid for Kestrel de Silva—President of JP Investment Corp., one of the largest conglomerate in the Philippines. Kestrel, who hadn’t opened his heart to anyone after the death of his lover soon found himself slowly falling in love with Zara. But love wasn’t that easy and Zara soon found out Kestrel’s connection to her dark past. Does she still have the right to love him after the pain she had caused him? And with the sudden appearance of Matt, Zara is determined to take off his facade and drag him down.

"In the glittering world of the wealthy elite, a powerful billionaire has everything he desires. But when he meets his new maid, a fallen aristocrat with a mysterious past, his world is upended. As the two fight to suppress their forbidden attraction, the secrets of their pasts threaten to tear them apart. In a battle of love and power, can they survive society's scrutiny and discover the true meaning of love, or will their passion burn out before it even has a chance to ignite?"