Jinx Arcane Bombs

I secretly sent Lena Parker, my husband Dominic Caballero's mistress, away to Sicara. I'm defying his authority as the Don of Coastwick, New Hudson. That very night, he abducts my parents and younger brother, using their lives to force me to reveal Lena's whereabouts. Dominic pushes his phone in front of me. On the screen, I see my family tied to chairs, the timer of the bombs ticking down. 00:59:59 00:59:58 He sits across from me and taps his fingers softly against the table, like he's closing a business deal. "Alyssa, you have 59 minutes," Dominic says in a calm, almost gentle voice. "Where's Lena?" I freeze, my throat tightening as if strangled. I can't get a word out. This is the third time he's pressed me. The first time, he asked where Lena had gone, but I stayed silent. The second time, he grabbed my chin and said in a low voice, "Alyssa, don't play games." Now, for the third time, he's threatening my family's lives. "Dominic…" I call out, my voice trembling. "They're my family. They're the most important people to me." He chuckles. "Is that so? Then why didn't you think about how important Lena is to me when you sent her away?" I stare at him, feeling how utterly absurd it all is. Important? He told me before that other women were just playthings. Once he got bored, he'd dump them. He swore I was the only one he loved. But now, for Lena, he's willing to kill my family.

Being the only daughter of the Calhoun family, a mafia family in Merovia, I am doted on like a princess. This changes when I turn 18, when Mom dies. On the way back from a family meeting, the car blows up, and Mom shields me beneath her. Even as she lies in a pool of blood, her gaze is tender as she says to me, "Don't blame yourself, sweetheart. I love you." Still, after Mom's death, everyone in the family starts blaming me for what happened, including Dad and my older brother, William Calhoun. I go from being the princess of the family to the jinx that everyone hates. Soon after that, Dad brings home a new adopted daughter, Juliet Calhoun. William favors her and detests me. Even my childhood sweetheart, Shawn Kramer, takes a liking to her and ignores me. Dad says his new adopted daughter is way better than his biological one. They all agree to attend my college graduation ceremony. But on the day, they end up taking Juliet onto our family's yacht and holding a cocktail party out on the water to celebrate the official addition of a new family heir. This is the 100th time they ditch me for her. Unable to stop myself from an emotional breakdown, I cry out, "I'm the one who's related to you by blood!" Dad shields Juliet, who backs away from me out of fear. Then, he slaps me on the face. "I wish I'd never had you." "Who wants to have a younger sister like you? I wish you'd died with Mom!" William roars in contempt. This time, I've decided to let it all go. I call Aunt Marissa, Mom's sister. She's the founder and a therapist at MindCare Treatment Center. "Come here. This is your home now." I know that Mom's death was a conspiracy. This isn't just me leaving, but withdrawing myself from the family entirely. I hope that the next time I meet the Calhouns, there won't be tears on my end. Instead, judgment will befall them.

*The children of Gaia is the first book in the series Thirteen tribes, forming from the intro book Hybrid.* Rainn is the daughter of alpha Edgar and luna Gabriella of tribe Arcane, they are the royal descended bloodline of and therefor reign over an ancient and powerful tribe of werewolves called the children of Gaia. Rainn and Kai have been best friends since they were born, how could they not be when they share a birthday and he’s the youngest son of the beta. Their eighteenth birthdays are coming up and both of them can’t wait to finally be able to give themselves to one another, becoming mates for life. But things take a drastic turn when both Rainn and Kai discover that they are not fated mates, instead Rainn comes to the shocking discovery that she’s fated to Kai’s older brother, Beau. This sends her life in complete turmoil as she begins to wrestle with emotions building inside for Beau and her loyalty to her best friend, Kai. This won’t end well, someone’s going to get hurt. But as future Luna and queen of Gaia, Rainn’s position will demand that one of the brother’s stand by her side as alpha, except which one?

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

Lia Ryan is a woman who seemingly has it all; beauty, money, and a successful career. The only thing missing in her life, or as far as her grandmother can see, is a husband to stand by her side. Lia, on the other hand, does not share the same beliefs and prefers to enjoy her life as an independent single lady. In order to stop her grandmother from setting her up for an arranged marriage, she was forced to hire a fake boyfriend and introduce him to her. But what happens when the fake boyfriend she hired turns out to be the handsome new CEO of one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world? And what if said handsome CEO suddenly proposes to her? When two headstrong personalities collide, will the explosion be of destructive bombs or magnificent fireworks? Read on to find out!

I return to my hometown after becoming the wealthiest person in the world. I stand beside a luxury car I bought for my father and call him—I want him to be surprised when he picks me up. However, this backfires on me. I joke with him and tell him my company has gone bankrupt. My debtors are coming after me, so I'm home to flee from them. I end up standing under the sweltering sun until the sky goes dark and it starts to pour—my father never shows up to see his gift. I brave the rain as I head home. Before I even enter the house, I can sense my sister-in-law's panic. "Listen to me—don't tell that jinx that Dad has just won a million dollars!" My mother says, "I knew having a daughter was a bad decision. It's bad enough that she doesn't have money for us—why is she coming home when she's in trouble? She should just die out there!" My father sneers. "Well, we can sell her off to that cripple in the village. Maybe she'll fetch a good price!"

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.

A nice date was all it took to destroy his life. Although his life as a human is pretty messed up, it's nothing compared to being a hunted werewolf—Jinx Armstrong became unaware on how he's life will be as a half wolf, half human. And not just any one-eyed wolf, but one who's haunted by every alpha; every ruler wants his head on a sliver plate. But why? He's never done anything wrong, right? Come to think of it, how did he become a one-eyed wolf? What'll happen to him? Will his life ever be the same? Considering the kind of life he's about to have, will he find happiness?

My best friend and I marry into the Xylander family at the same time. Everyone says we're lucky. My best friend's husband is a master negotiator, while my husband is a bomb disposal expert. Their enemy abduct us after we've just discovered we're pregnant. He ties bombs to our bellies. When our husbands negotiate with the abductors, they choose to save Melinda Sutton, a woman they grew up with. The bombs are detonated, and we're gravely injured. After surviving the explosion, we decide to get divorced together.

The Shadowed Alpha Series: Bride Of The Shadowed Alpha Book 1 Marked By The Shadowed Alpha Book 2 "I will give you the most pleasurable pain you’ve ever had. You like pain, and lucky for you," his smirk deepened, his gaze dark with promise, "I know how to give pain until you cry for me." The villain wasn’t meant to be emperor, nor was he supposed to be handsome. Yet for reasons I can’t understand, he hates me. At the Academy of the Arcane, I became untouchable, unstoppable. My beauty was both a weapon and a curse, a cruel reminder of the life I lost. But none of it mattered to him. Tharros. The Emperor of Shadows. The unchallenged ruler of witches, vampires, werewolves, and fae. His gaze burned with something raw, something personal. "You made me this way." he growls. I stared at him, confused. "I don’t even know you." His laughter was slow, cruel. "Then I’ll make sure you never forget." Days later, I woke up as his bride. Bound to him by marriage, a punishment, a prison. Now, I must untangle the truth of his hatred, uncover the past he swears I buried, and face the dark memories that lie in wait. Because in this game of vengeance, I am both his prisoner and his beautiful prize, one he will break. He craves my pain, but I crave the way he gives it. Book 2 My name is Obsidian Sigil of Liora. They say he’s cruel. That no one knows where he came from. But I remember how he looked at me, like I was the only thing he ever wanted. And I ruined him. I betrayed him. But this my second life, I will make it right. Warning: Extremely Dark Romance | Rated 18+