Lame Excuses

On the verge of a great war between the realms of humans and of dragons, Larice Whitewind, a female dragon hunter who has an extreme fear of fire, journeys out to find the dragon who burned her village and her parents alive; but when she realizes who the real enemy is, she must learn to face her greatest fear before she loses all the people she cares about ... including the "dragon" she loves. *** Meanwhile, Raeherys Alagor, the last Hyborn of the Dragon Realm who's afraid of making his own decisions, travels out to the human realm to find the Orb of Phlareus, the only heart of magic that can save them from the humans trying to annihilate their realm; but when he realizes that not all humans are bad, he has to learn how to make his own decisions to lead his brethren before he loses the entire dragon race for good.

Cuando yo estaba embarazada de cuatro meses, mi esposo médico me dejó plantada 16 veces cuando íbamos a registrar nuestro matrimonio. La primera vez, su amante, la enfermerita Lucía, se desmayó por la sangre durante una cirugía. Esperé todo el día frente a la oficina de registro. La segunda vez, recibió una llamada de Lucía. Me abandonó en el puente elevado solo para comprarle toallas sanitarias. Cada vez que intentábamos registrar el matrimonio, su amante encontraba una nueva excusa. La última vez, escuché que él estaba enfermo. Corrí al hospital bajo la lluvia torrencial, solo para descubrir que era la Lucía quien estaba enferma. Él permaneció a su lado sin moverse, mientras me mentía descaradamente por teléfono. En ese momento, comencé a odiarlo. Decidí abortar y marcharme. Pero él recorrió medio mundo, persiguiéndome hasta otro país, solo para suplicarme perdón.

Eighteen was supposed to be fun. I was supposed to lose my virginity to the boy of my dreams….but instead, he’s dead. And it’s my fault. Now I’m being dragged to Ravenside Academy, home to the Elite—the four clans who rule this world in shadows. The werewolves, who think themselves kings of the wild. The witches, guardians of nature’s fragile balance. The vampires, as cruel as they are beautiful. And the dragon riders, who believe they’re gods among us. And let’s not even talk about the hybrid. I thought I was ordinary. Human. Powerless. But Ravenside has other plans for me….and so does he. The one boy I should never want. The one whose fire burns hotter than anyone else’s. The one who might just be my ruin or my salvation.

"What is this?!" Avery's voice trembled with rage, her fists clenched as she stared at the people who betrayed her. "You're marrying me off to some old man?" she spat. Her mother flinched. "Avery, please… it’s the only way to clear the debt." Her father’s voice thundered. "You will marry Sergei Kuznetsov. End of story." Avery Wells was never the obedient daughter—not with her leather boots, smart mouth, and fire-for-blood temper. But nothing prepared her for being thrown into the cold world of Russian mafia royalty. Sergei Kuznetsov: seventy, cruel, and untouchable. Her new husband. Kieran Kuznetsov: his youngest son—illegitimate, exiled, and carved from shadows. In a world full of masks, guns, and buried secrets, Avery has only one rule: never fall for the devil’s son. But the more she fights, the closer the darkness pulls. In this house, freedom is a myth. And love… might just be a death sentence.

Yasmin, my so-called best friend, got scammed out of fifty grand by some loser using an AI deepfake of me. She was on her knees in public, sobbing about how that money was all she had. Begging me — in front of everyone — to pay her back. Said I made "easy money" as an influencer. The whole internet tried to guilt-trip me into paying her back. Even Zack, my own brother, joined in. Called her pitiful and said I owed it to her. I smirked. You think you can use me to get rich? Not. A. Chance.

You’ve heard Hades and Persephone’s love story but you haven’t heard it spun like this. Hades is the future leader of the Russian Mafia. His father is set to name him as his successor; but Hades will need to finish one more task before he can take his position as Kingpin. He needs to destroy the Brutt family; specifically Theodore “Teddy” Brutt, leader of the Milieu, and what better way to destroy a man than by kidnapping his newly beloved’s daughter. Persephone wants to escape her reality. She needs to make cash quick and finds herself auditioning at Chesters, a strip club in the middle of town that’s known to draw in the high rollers. When the owner calls Persephone into his office after her audition she’s expecting a job offer, but instead she finds herself kidnapped by an intoxicating man who’s very presence lights her on fire. Will Persephone be able escape Hades’ clutches or will she find herself burning with desire at his very touch?

One forbidden mistake. One steamy affair. One secret agenda that could destroy them both. When Jenny Cruz, a struggling 25-year-old woman, lands a housekeeping job in the luxurious estate of Mexico’s most eligible billionaire, Ken Delgado, she knows it’s her last shot at survival. But her first day turns into chaos when she accidentally walks in on her brooding, sexy boss completely naked. She expects to be fired. Instead, she’s kissed… Punished with pleasure… And pulled into a whirlwind affair that blurs the line between lust and love. Ken is rich, ruthless, and always in control — until Jenny crashes into his world. What begins as a simple distraction becomes an obsession. But as their secret relationship deepens, so does the danger lurking in the shadows. Enter Natasha Rivera, Ken’s ex — beautiful, bitter, and hell-bent on destruction. She returns with one mission: destroy Ken, steal his fortune, and vanish with her secret lover. Lies are told. Charges are filed. And a dark secret agenda threatens to take everything from Jenny — including her heart. As betrayal brews, secrets explode, and enemies close in, Jenny must decide: Is love worth the tempest? Can desire survive the fire? Or will the flames of passion burn them both to ashes?

“I now pronounce you as a husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!” The priest announced and I froze. I knew I was cursed the moment this blood oath was taken which bound me to hell, the hell of this Sinner. My eyelids raised to see the ugly creation of god. My husband! Vladimir Sokolov! His rugged face carved with uncountable ugly marks stung my slow beating heart. His hazel green eyes held a satisfied dark shadow as He pulled me close, raised my chin and whispered coldly, “From this very moment, you share the crown of Bratva’s pakhan. Prepare yourself to bear its weight, Babochka. Because I own your existence now!” He slammed his cold lips on my trembling ones, punishing me with a brutal kiss. Tears pricked my eyes with disgust but I tolerated his touch for the sake of my family. My eyes followed the part of the audience, Russians, who burst into cheers while the other party, Italians, looked at me with remorse and pitiful gazes. Oh yes, how could I forget I was the sacrificed lamb thrusted into hell to get scorched for a lifetime. But No. I still had the last hope to save myself from this cursed fate, this cursed marriage. ………….. Born in a sin will definitely be called the Sinner. Without morality and mercy, Vladimir Sokolov the Bratva’s Pakhan ruled the city with an iron fist. Due to the influence of some political parties He had to marry the Daughter from La Camorra. Rose Barbieri! Marry her, have his heir and wear the title of family man, that's what He planned to do but what He didn’t imagine was that his innocent, submissive wife was someone who would burn the flames of his hell into ashes one day.

I gave him my loyalty, my body… even a kidney to save his life. And how did he thank me? He set me on fire.” Sheila thought she understood love. She believed in marriage, in sacrifice, in standing by the man you build a life with. But the man she trusted faked his death, stole her organ, and left her drowning in debt. Then, when she was of no use to him, he burned her alive to erase her from his perfect world. Only, Sheila didn’t die. She woke up in the bruised, broken body of another woman; a coma patient who had been struck by a powerful doctor now living with guilt. He tends to her. He doesn’t know who she truly is. And she’s not here to be saved. She’s here to settle the score. Disguised as a maid in her ex-husband’s house, Sheila keeps her head down and her eyes open. His new mistress is carrying his child—his secretary, the one he always said she was "crazy" for suspecting. The deeper she digs, the darker it gets. Money laundering. Organ trafficking. Even her kidney? Sold. But the past can’t stay buried forever. One night, he sees the birthmark on her thigh, the same one his wife had. The same one that died in the fire. He starts to unravel. She starts to rise. And when she returns to him fully reborn, fearless, and armed with evidence, he’ll finally understand: She’s not the weak wife he silenced. She’s the reckoning he never saw coming.

It's Thanksgiving, and I'm waiting for Zeke Jones to come home after cooking up an extravagant meal. When Zeke returns, he doesn't even glance at the meal I've prepared for him. Instead, he proceeds to pack a bag. "I can't celebrate Thanksgiving with you this year," he says. I take another bite of my turkey and say nothing. At the stroke of midnight, Zeke's first love posts a new photo on her social media page. In the photo, she's lying on Zeke's back with a bright smile on her face. The moon outside the window is bright. "Happy to spend Thanksgiving with good company," her caption reads. Instead of hysterically questioning Zeke about the post, I just tap on the "like" button without reacting in any way. Zeke calls me. His voice sounds panicked as he tries to explain himself. "Please don't misinterpret the post. I will definitely spend Thanksgiving with you next year…" I freeze for a few moments, letting out a small laugh. I don't offer him a reply. Next time, he says? Oh, Zeke, I'm afraid there won't be a next time.