Nick Joaquin Short

When a child mysteriously disappears from a small town and even his mother seems indifferent, it’s time for the new sheriff to step in. Meet Chris Baker, the new sheriff of the quiet Adirondack town of Clifton Heights. As one inexplicable case after another forces him to confront the townsfolk in The Skylark Diner, it’s the furtive Gavin Patchett that hands Chris a collection of not-so-fictional short stories that tumbles him into a world of monsters, ageless demons, and vengeful citizens. As Chris reads through the stories the veil starts to lift, and he soon questions what is real and what’s not, and whether he really wants to know. Nothing will ever be the same again. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

“I tried to find you everywhere, and now you're here, I won't ever let you go again” Alexa Antonio is a princess in her own world in a small town in Pangasinan. She was known for being the 'spoiled-brat-mayor's-daughter. “Life is short, so better live your life to the fullest”, that is her motto in life but she seems to be overreacting because at the age of 21, she almost did every naughty thing you might think of, and she still has a lot of evil thoughts to do because based on her, she doesn’t want to regret something when she grows older just because she was afraid to try different things. But what if life's play with her and taught her a lesson? Will she be able to face the consequence of all of her actions or just choose to give up?

Dennis was born into a powerful family of were witches but gave up her position to become Alpha so her boyfriend Leo, could take charge. Betrayed by her boyfriend and father, she watched her mother's family get burned. About to kill Leo, Dennis is then killed by her stepsister. Given a second chance at life, she decides to get back at them and revenge is the only thing on her mind till the moon goddess does a fate twist and bestows her with a mate. Nick Carter is a legend. Everyone knows him but only a few can describe the man. They say he lives off the life of other wolves. Some say he uses his heavenly beauty to trick ladies and eats them. Being a brutal entity with cold-blooded eyes, Dennis sees him as a flaw in her revenge plan and rejects him as her mate but the man becomes consistent and continued to lurk around her. Sparks fly and burning gazes are exchanged but will Dennis and Nick find a happy ending? Or will their fate be torn apart when they both find out monsters from their past that would bring chaos to their relationship and everything they hold dear?

After I became pregnant, my figure changed, and my face grew puffy. My fiancé began to treat me with a subtle, almost imperceptible sense of disdain. When the baby was five months along, it happened to be Valentine's Day. That day, he finally agreed to take our wedding photos, something I'd been hoping for. But just as we arrived at the bridal studio, his phone rang. "Mike, I just got back to the country. My friends are hosting a gathering, and everyone's bringing their boyfriends. Could you come and pretend to be mine?" It was a few short sentences, yet it completely altered the expression on his face. He turned abruptly, stepping out of the studio with a look of urgency. "Lucy's back. I have to go see her," he said. Hearing those words, a fire of rage ignited inside me, one I couldn't suppress. "For her? You're going to leave me here alone?" I demanded. "Do you even know how long I've been looking forward to today? It's Valentine's Day, and instead of staying with me, you're going to be with her?" His impatience flared visibly as I stood my ground. Without a word, his hand pushed me aside, and he strode out of the shop. "We can take wedding photos any day. I'm the only one Lucy has in this country. I have to go see her," he said. Then, gripping my wrist with alarming force, he shoved me, sending me sprawling to the floor. Without a backward glance, he got into his car and drove off. I felt a sudden, wet heat flowing from my lower abdomen. Pain surged through my stomach, sharp and unbearable, as my consciousness started to fade. A wave of despair and terror consumed me. Someone. Anyone. Please save my baby.

Jacke, an archdemon and crime boss, is loyal to his family and seemingly no one else. Alexandria is the Alpha to the Wolves of La Muerte, and one of the only female Alphas known in the world of werewolves. Fate pairs these two in a way that would seem to be their undoing, with Jacke being cynical and mistrusting towards Alex's claims that he is her mate, and Alex being determined to no end other than having Jacke by her side. Will Jacke bring down his walls to let Alex in, and trust that she won't betray his faith or fall short and leave both of them in shambles?

"Rolling my eyes, I turn to see an extremely handsome man with short, styled, black hair staring back at me. His eyes are so dark brown that it appears that they are black. Even though I usually don't like men with a beard and mustache, he looks so hot with it, that I would melt in his hands if he touched me. This man oozes sex from every pore of his body. So much so, that when he accidently brushes my cheek with his hand, goosebumps instantly form on my arms. When I continue to stare at him, I notice that he glances down at my dress and just stares. Realizing why, I try to fold my arms across my chest, but he is standing so close, I can’t move without touching him." Dani as her family calls her lovingly, has always been the quiet mousy type.  She lives her life through books, while everyone else lives their lives to the fullest.  Always watching the world around her, she never quite is able to command the attention of anyone except for her friends and family.  When she finds out that she has to get a job to survive, she goes to the city and ends up working under Mr. knight.  Getting more than she bargains for, in the end is she naughty or nice?

Camilla's entire world shattered when her husband Nick Sinclair abruptly ended their three-year marriage, hurling divorce papers at her. His cruel, harsh words still echoed in her ears... "I'm done with this marriage. Get out of my house!" She always knew their arranged marriage was devoid of love, but she had clung to the possibility that he would one day grow to love her. However, the arrival of his first love, bearing a child she claimed was his, destroyed any lingering hopes and exposed the emptiness of their relationship. Fingers trembling, heart bleeding, she signed the divorce agreement. But the shock overwhelmed her just as she stepped outside Nick's mansion and she collapsed. Hours later, she awakened in the hospital, staring into the icy blue eyes of the stranger who saved her. ... Derek Donovan, New York's heartthrob and wealthiest billionaire CEO, had been searching for a way to deflect the media's attention from his status as a sought-after bachelor. In exchange for saving her life, he proposed a contract to Camilla: pretend to be his wife for three years to keep the press and paparazzi off. With no other options and no one to rely on, Camilla felt compelled to accept the proposal and sign the contract. But as they navigated the path of their fake marriage, the lines blurred. Derek's icy facade cracked, revealing a burning passion for Camilla. As Camilla's heart wavered, a shocking truth emerged: Derek's past hid secrets, and she was now entrenched in a deadly game of wealth, power, and deception. Will she risk everything to love again, or will the shadows of her past and the danger lurking in Derek's world destroy her forever? The contract has been signed, but the real stakes are only just beginning...

Jackeline Moon (Jack for short) was born with a fate that would change the whole world. At a young age, she experienced the cruelty of the world and matured more quickly than anyone around her age. To hide and seek the truth about herself and to get revenge for her family, she built her prestige and gained immense power whilst disguised as a man. She was now a strong female wolf with no need of another’s protection. But that was until she meets Alice, an unforeseen surprise, a mate that she never thought she’ll have. What sparks would arise between them or would they reject one another. As the story between the 2 builds up, an unforeseen darkness approaches them.

Three college girls Trish, Emma and Connie enjoy their friendship despite their different characters. Their life takes a twist one night when a handsome stranger Nick walks into their lives and steal the hearts of two of the girls. Nick wants Connie and this creates a war among friends. Schemes to destroy her life begins. Emma fakes her disappearance, seduces Connie's stepfather all this in an effort to destroy her. Trish create fake stories about Connie to destroy a relationship that she thought existed between her and Nick. Nick wants Connie but not for the reason her friends thinks, he wants her to pay for the colapse of Nick's brother Brian's business and his disappearance. Connie denies but Nick has evidence, photos of her and his brother. Connie's voice is ignored and she suffers blows from every direction driving her homeless. Brian resurfaces and every secret comes tumbling down like dominos. Connie has a twin and the mother she thought was hers is actually her aunt. Brian turns out to be her father and Nick apologies to Connie and they start their life on a new clean slate. Emma's affair comes out and her mother suffers a heart attack and Trish realizing that she might have judged her friend harshly leaves the country. Connie finally finds closure and peace.

Maddie's world come to a halt when her father kicks her out of the house. She is a couple bucks short from renting a house. And she can't afford to get a room at a motel. She is out of options. Until Drew, heir to the multibillion McBride Foods, proposes marriage to her. It is to be in name only. No feelings attached. That is, until Drew starts slaying dragons for her. The dragons might have sprung up from his world, but still...