Intrepid Travel

My mother-in-law, Mabel Grath, always liked me to arrange family trips. But she only transferred a small fraction of the cost. She called it a “deposit.” “I’m just following what you young people do with deposits. It’s not like I’m going to skip out on the rest.” After the trip, however, she never mentioned the rest of the payment again. I did not really mind. I quietly paid out of my own pocket for five-star hotels and luxury meals every time. Then one day, my husband’s sister, Marlene Grath, dropped a sarcastic comment in the family group chat. “Noelle Frost loves playing travel agent with my mom’s retirement money. “For all we know, she’s signing us up for cut-rate shopping tours and skimming the kickbacks.” Mabel replied with a smirking emoji. It seemed she was silently agreeing with her daughter. My heart sank. Over the years, I had taken them on trips all over the country and abroad. I had covered at least 100,000 dollars out of my own pocket. Yet, I still ended up looking like the one taking advantage of them. Mabel transferred four hundred dollars to me again and asked me to arrange a seven-day tour to Erope. So, I went ahead and booked them a one-day farm stay just outside the city.

"Oh really. I'd say you really enjoyed my visit." He said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He walked closer to her until she had to use her hand to stop him from crushing her against the wall. He bent his head and nipped a small line from her neck to her ear. She felt heat travel through her body and a tingle that started on the lower part of her spine and traveled through her body. Her mind was clouded with a haze of lust and she tried to hold back the sounds that threatened to escape as he continued his assault on her neck and ear. She couldn't believe that just a little touch from him could cause so much fire inside her. A fire she thought she didn't possess. She felt herself climbing higher and higher on the waves of passion and just as she reached her peak, he shot her down. "If you didn't believe me before, you have your answer now." ****************************************** When Odeya is tasked with killing the Crown Prince of Myknos, what she expects to find is a spoilt brat deserving of a most embarrassing death not the handsome, disciplined and headstrong man who sets her blood on fire with both anger and passion. What will she do when she has to pick between saving her mother and her new found love?

All I've done is say something to my first love, whom I haven't met for many years. Since then, my wife, Linda Weber, demands that I report my whereabouts to her constantly. Otherwise, she won't hesitate to stop paying for our daughter, Lily Colt's medical bills. The first time happened when I was buying groceries. Linda told me to record a video of myself and tell the camera that I was her simp. The second time happened when I was accompanying Lily when she was undergoing a dialysis procedure. Linda demanded that I strip myself naked just so she could check if I was fooling around with other women in the same room. The third time happened when Lily finally got a kidney match. Linda demanded that I travel to the other end of the city just to buy the roasted sweet potatoes she had eaten on our first date together. By the time I have the roasted potatoes delivered to her with sweat drenching my form, I witness Linda giving the kidney source to her first love's mother just because I'm one minute later than the designated time. Only then do I realize that Linda has done all those things to me just so she can please James Harmon by pulling pranks on me purposefully.

This is no ordinary werewolf tale. Romance and fantasy collide with a curse spun from prophecy and obsession. This is a story of torment and resilience. Of wolves and gods. Of a woman broken again and again, only to rise stronger each time. And at the heart of it all… is a love fated by the Moon. If you’re the kind of reader who thrives on slow-burning tension, this tale will consume you. But tread carefully: the deeper you go, the darker it gets. -------------- Alinta Ull, a bookish, headstrong, and haunted werewolf. Since her eighteenth birthday, tragedy has stalked her in a cruel pattern. Every three years, it brings death, rejection, or abandonment. She believes the Moon has cursed her, and… maybe it has. Desperate to escape her fate, she and her fierce wolf, Angela, travel to the rumoured resting place of the Rogue Deity, a mythical werewolf prophesied to rise beneath the eighth crimson moon. Coincidentally, on Alinta’s thirtieth birthday. But fate is a cruel thing. Something, or someone is watching. A wolf obsessed. A monster in disguise. One who has waited years to possess her, and now has no intention of letting go. In a world where devotion becomes delusion, and love becomes a weapon, one truth remains: Some mates are chosen by the Moon. Others are stolen by monsters. -------------- Content Warning: This novel contains dark and mature themes, including sexual assault, emotional and psychological abuse, trauma, captivity, and manipulation. While it ultimately becomes a tale of hope, rebirth, and true love, the road is long, raw, and often tragic. Reader discretion is strongly advised.

Meet Esmerelda Sleuth. Sleuth is her name and investigating is her game. (Paranormal Investigating, that is.) Esmerelda makes a good living as an investigator in a rather progressive firm. She lives a stable and sensible life until she meets Lance; an old money "hottie" who works for a real estate firm next to her building. After accepting an invitation for a weekend getaway party, she quickly discovers that Lance has a secret. He is wealthy. That part is true. And, yes, he's procured a job as a realtor in the building next door. His secret is that he belongs to an underground society of humans who didn't abandon their connection to magic centuries ago when religion declared it evil and he has traveled through time specifically to find her and bring her back to his time to marry him. If that isn't enough of a far fetched tale to absorb, he informs her that she was born in his time to a family belonging to that same secret society and was promised in marriage to him as an infant. When enemies who didn't want to see the union of families take place made attempts on her life, her parents sent her into the future and erased her memories of them as a precaution. Possessing virtually no belief in magic, ghosts, psychics, time travel, etc., it takes some doing on Lance's part to convince her to believe his story and go back with him. When she does, the lies, deceit and attempts on her life start all over again. Will she escape emotionally and physically unscathed? "The Other Side Of the Mirror" is a steamy-paranormal-romance- mystery-thriller and book one of the Esmerelda Sleuth series.

I've been working for five years now. This is the first time my mom takes the initiative to call me to go home for the holidays. So I travel home with heaps of luggage. Still, I manage to free one hand to produce an envelope filled with cash and give it to my mom. A grin blooms on her face instantly. But when she realizes that there's only ten thousand dollars in the envelope, her grin starts to falter. "Oh, it only makes sense that you're the most manipulative out of the bunch after all these years." I pause momentarily as I'm about to go through the front door. "You've been working for quite a few years now, and yet you only bring home ten thousand bucks. Meanwhile, Sabrina gave us 100 thousand dollars in her first year of working a nice job. Having a bachelor's degree definitely pays off a lot!" Upon noticing how stunned I look, my mom yanks the gifts over right away. "Don't go around looking as though we owe you a life debt, Regina! See, Sabrina has better grades than you, and she doesn't have the intention of hiding anything from us. The gifts she always brings us are top-end supplements, so you should stop bringing us cheap stuff like this." I can only grip the hems of my shirt tightly. But the thing is, I'm the one with better scores back then…

"Custom demanded that Prince Urban get a love mark tattooed to the side of his left eye as an infant, just like the rest of his people, but to him, the stupid things have only brought on the scorn of his father, the misery of his siblings, and caused his entire kingdom to go broke from fighting so many wars over the irritating ink stains. When Urban’s sister must travel to Donnelly, the kingdom within the sand, for her arranged marriage to align two realms, he goes with her. But he no sooner steps foot inside their castle than his mark starts itching like a son of a bitch, telling him his one true love is near. It just figures, though, that the woman meant for him is completely forbidden. Now he must decide if he should ignore the persistent mark, telling him she's the one, in order to avoid a possible war between kingdoms, or if he should discover whether she's worth risking everything for so they can be together. Either way, his life gets sucked into chaos with threats of beheadings, dark magic lurking, castle traitors scheming, and sword fights eminent. Who knew one little tattoo could cause so much trouble? (ONE TRUE LOVE is the author’s first attempt at a fantasy romance. Please forgive her; she might’ve read an overabundance of Cassandra Gannon, Sarah J. Maas, and Eve Langlais books, then gone off to watch too many episodes of Supernatural, Game of Thrones, and Outlander, because this was the outcome.)"

"How did you ever become a successful billionaire, I'll never understand."Alex Bianchi smirked. "It's mostly my good looks and sex appeal. And of course the ability to make people fall in love with me."~~ Hacked Hearts ~~Let me welcome you to a story with a twist.The secrets we hide could open a door that might not be closed.This is the story of an arrogant Billionaire and a girl whose mouth has no filter. When a billion dollar company is hacked, Alex Bianchi wants to arrest the person behind it. But as secrets are revealed and the past starts to haunt, maybe catching the hacker isn't that important. Maybe saving your heart from falling in love is more important.Say Hi to Alex and Myra, your soon to be best friends.------"Do you have a boyfriend?"My eyes widened at the personal question, "Didn't your file have this information?"He shrugged, "I skipped that page.""Why?" I breathed out as he took another step closer, standing so close that I could see his eyelashes under the dim light."I need you to answer this." he replied, looking into my eyes. I felt my breath hitch, as I felt his eyes leave mine and travel below, stopping at my lips. Unconsciously I licked my lips, his lips darkened and his face came closer, or was it mine that went closer to his? I didn't care.One more breath and I would feel his lips on mine.

Forever Love unfolds against the backdrop of the captivating island of Malta during the vibrant 90s. Joelle and Jason forge an unbreakable bond, their souls entwined in a dance of friendship laced with unspoken yearning. As their connection deepens, their hearts become entangled in a whirlwind of emotions. Amidst the twists and turns of fate, they find themselves entangled in other relationships, their desires suppressed beneath the weight of loyalty. Yet destiny, relentless in its pursuit, finally orchestrates their reunion. A blaze of passion ignites, painting their world in vivid hues of love and possibility. But love's journey is rarely smooth, and the road they travel is fraught with challenges. Fragile as petals, their romance falters, and they are forced apart. Joelle, her heart shattered, resolves to pour her energy into her work, seeking solace in its demanding embrace. Jason, undeterred by their separation, vows to reclaim her, defying all obstacles that stand in his path. Just as victory seems within his grasp, Joelle's very first love, Chris, reappears, captivating her with a magnetic charm. A whirlwind of emotions envelops Joelle, torn between the loyal and devoted Jason and the intoxicating allure of her past flame, Chris. In this enthralling tale of love's labyrinth, Malta's picturesque landscapes bear witness to a tempestuous struggle of the heart. Joelle stands at the crossroads, faced with a choice that will shape her destiny. Who will be her forever love? Will she follow the path of familiar affection, or venture into uncharted territory in pursuit of a long-lost flame? The answer lies within her, waiting to be discovered amidst the timeless beauty of Malta's shores.

Ava Richards, an adventurous travel blogger with an insatiable wanderlust, never expected her next adventure would lead her straight into the arms of a captivating billionaire. In the sun-kissed streets of Santa Fe, Spain, fate takes an unexpected turn when Ava crosses paths with the enigmatic and devilishly handsome Sebastian Garcia. Sebastian Garcia, a self-made billionaire with a guarded heart, finds himself drawn to the fiery and independent Ava, despite their seemingly opposite worlds. As the owner of luxurious hotels and resorts worldwide, he is used to being in control. But Ava's infectious spirit and undeniable beauty threaten to unravel the carefully constructed walls around his heart. Their initial encounter sparks an intense clash of wills, with their respective worlds colliding in a battle of words and fiery exchanges. Ava and Sebastian find themselves entangled in a passionate game of cat and mouse, each determined to outwit and outmaneuver the other. Little do they know that beneath the surface of their heated banter lies a smoldering desire neither can resist. As they embark on a thrilling adventure through the picturesque landscapes of Santa Fe, their hearts become entwined, and the line between love and hate begins to blur. Together, they explore ancient ruins, breathtaking beaches, and hidden gems, each moment deepening their connection. But when a secret from Sebastian's past threatens to destroy everything they've built, Ava must decide whether to let go of her fears and trust in their love, or retreat to the safety of her solitary adventures. Will Ava and Sebastian surrender to the alluring power of love and bridge the vast divide between their worlds? Can two souls from different walks of life find a way to overcome their differences and create a lasting bond?