Overdrive Pierce County Library Novels & Stories

Meridian is the daughter of the alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, but on the day of the moon celebration, an event where the man she fell in love with finally decided to propose to her. the Kingdom of Umbra, ruled by evil wizards known for conquering territories, by force, invades her lands. During the attack, Meridian is kidnapped. Now, with no memory and living as a renegade, she has become an expert hunter. After two years of intense training, Meridian is appointed personal protector of the prince of Umbra. Everything finally seemed to be under control, but two conflicts torment her: The prince of the wizards has an undeniable attraction for her. The romance between the two is forbidden, but resisting the temptation of his seductive presence is a constant challenge. After an ambush, she encounters a mysterious wolf. He doesn't attack her. Instead, instead, its pale blue eyes pierce her soul, awakening disturbing dreams and fragments of memories from the past. As she tries to unravel the secrets of her own history, Meridian realizes that her new life in the Kingdom of Umbra could be an imminent conflict zone. With a devastating war between the mages of Umbra and the Silver Moon Pack approaching, she will face an impossible choice: protect those she now considers allies or fight for the blood that still runs in her veins. What will she do when her loyalties are tested?

My mother-in-law is extremely frugal. She reuses paper others have discarded, carefully saving the unmarked portions. She even takes the black waste oil from the kitchen range hood and uses it to cook our meals. She says, "Frugality is a virtue—it brings blessings!" I try tirelessly to convince her otherwise, throwing out all her filthy items to protect my family's health. But while she praises me to my face, behind my back, she uses my baby's food scissors to clip her grimy toenails. My child eventually dies of a lung infection, leaving me heartbroken. My mother-in-law, however, points her finger at me, saying I'm unlucky and that I've brought misfortune to their family. Even my husband blames me. In the end, they use a knitting needle to pierce my throat and stab me to death. When I open my eyes again, I find myself back on the day I first see her picking up dirty paper. The first thing I do is hide all the high-quality tissue paper I had stocked up on before my pregnancy, pretending I knew nothing. She calls these blessings, right? Fine. The blessings of this miserly frugality—she can reap them all herself!

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

Blurb: When the university’s golden-boy hockey captain needs to pass Advanced Statistics or kiss his NHL dreams goodbye, the last person he expects to hold his future in his hands is Nathan Tanner. Brilliant, uptight, and utterly unimpressed by Maverick Rockwell’s charm. Nathan wants one thing: his glowing recommendation letter for the elite SiporaTech internship. Instead, he’s blackmailed into tutoring the arrogant, distractingly hot jock who represents everything he despises. But as their private sessions move from the library to Nathan’s couch, Maverick’s casual touches linger too long, his teasing grins turn wicked, and his “straight” confidence starts cracking under the heat of Nathan’s icy control. Maverick thought seducing the nerd would be easy revenge. He never expected the quiet intensity in Nathan’s glare to set his blood on fire… or how addictive it would feel to make the perfect tutor lose his composure. With only two weeks until finals, the stakes couldn’t be higher. One wrong move could destroy both their futures. But the forbidden tension simmering between them might just burn everything down first. Starting with their clothes. A deliciously steamy MM romance full of power plays, reluctant desire, and the kind of slow, scorching surrender that leaves you breathless.

Warning!! This book drips with heat, desire, and forbidden pleasure. Explicit content. Strictly for 18+ readers only. One reckless night. One irresistible stranger. One taste of sin that changes everything. They thought it was just lust, raw, intoxicating, and unforgettable. They thought they could walk away when morning came. But desire wouldn't fade that easily…not when the man they gave their body to turns out to be the very one they couldn't have. Her mother’s soon-to-be husband. Her Husband's Therapist. Her Soon-to-be Father-in-law. Her own student, young and untamed. Her Husband's nephew Her dangerously powerful new boss. The forbidden fruit was never meant to be touched, yet once tasted, it leaves them aching for more. Passion deepens, secrets twist tighter, and temptation refuses to let go. A collection of dangerously addictive series: Book 1: One-Night Stand With My Stepfather. Book 2: One-Night Stand With My Husband's Therapist Book 3: One-Night Stand With My Father-in-law Book 4: One-Night Stand with My Student. Book 5: One-Night Stand With My New Boss. Book 6: One-Night Stand With My Husband's Nephew. If you crave stories that are sultry, scandalous, and impossible to put down, slip this into your library and surrender to the heat.

Born a servant, hunted for a legacy she never knew she had, Khalifa’s life is about to ignite in flames of betrayal, prophecy, and blood. Marked with the red crescent of the Warrior Moon, she carries the secret of the lost House Rashad, a royal lineage destroyed in a war no one dares speak of. When assassins strike under the cover of night and the Temple of the Moon burns to the ground, Khalifa is thrust into a dangerous world of conspiracies, treacherous alliances, and secrets that could shatter the kingdom. Prince Louis, noble and battle-worn, is forced to protect her, but every glance hides suspicion, every gesture carries weight, and every decision could mean life or death. Khalifa must learn to wield the skills she never knew she had, confront the ghosts of her family’s past, and navigate a labyrinth of spies and traitors. Shadows move in every corner, enemies wear faces of friends, and betrayal comes from where she least expects it. As the prophecy unravels, Khalifa realizes the ultimate choice is hers alone: embrace her destiny and claim the throne, or risk the destruction of all she loves. Loyalties will fracture, hearts will break, and the line between survival and sacrifice will blur. In a world where every sword could be the one to pierce her heart, the fate of the kingdom rests in the hands of a girl who never asked to be royal.

With a shift, I let my dress slip from my shoulders and fall to the floor, revealing the lingerie beneath. Nathan's eyes darkened, as closing the small distance between us, his lips claimed mine in a possessive kiss. His tongue tangled with mine, both hungry and tender. Then, slowly, oh so tantalizingly slowly, he backed me toward the bed, his kisses travelling down my neck, across my collarbone, before they moved lower still… ~~~ FBI Agent Brianna Hart had always wanted Nathan Pierce, her stepbrother, and for several years they had been lovers, but circumstances forced them apart. When Brianna returns to her former job within the FBI, she finds Nathan married. When he once again becomes her team leader, Brianna tries to maintain a professional relationship with Nathan. But after a tragic accident takes the life of Nathan’s wife and unborn child, Nathan seeks solace within Brianna’s arms. Old feelings flare to life between them, and both struggle with the undeniable sexual attraction between them. Brianna's heart is torn over her love and need for the newly widowed Nathan, while he grapples with the loss of his family and his re-awakened feelings for a woman he never quite let go of.

“I am hopelessly in love with you, Mein Engel” Dante kept his face buried in Cassandra's neck as he spoke. Her skin tingled, his hot breath brushing mildly against it. His voice was a deep baritone yet reassuring and steady. She found herself succumbing, her eyes fluttering close. Everything about him oddly drew her in his demanding presence, the intoxicating aroma that lingered around him, and those deep blue eyes that seemed to pierce right through her, as if they could uncover every secret she kept. But that wasn't right. That man was my husband's father, twice her age, and the whole thing felt off. What would the whole world think of Cassandra Adler, daughter of the Chairman of Delsu Investment, if they find out that she is pregnant with her father-in-law's child? And what about Dante? Surrounded by societal norms, enemy threats, and the fact that he already has a family, will he abandon the child and his developing feelings for a woman half his age? “He’s my husband’s father… twice my age… and now I’m carrying his heir. If the world finds out, it won’t just ruin me, it could destroy us all.”

Camille Lewis was the forgotten daughter, the unloved wife, the woman discarded like yesterday’s news. Betrayed by her husband, cast aside by her own family, and left for dead by the sister who stole everything, she vanished without a trace. But the weak, naive Camille died the night her car was forced off that bridge. A year later, she returns as Camille Kane, richer, colder, and more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Armed with wealth, intelligence, and a hunger for vengeance, she is no longer the woman they once trampled on. She is the storm that will tear their world apart. Her ex-husband begs for forgiveness. Her sister’s perfect life crumbles. Her parents regret the daughter they cast aside. But Camille didn’t come back for apologies, she came back to watch them burn. But as her enemies fall at her feet, one question remains: when the revenge is over, what’s left? A mysterious trillionaire Alexander Pierce steps into her path, offering something she thought she lost forever, a future. But can a woman built on ashes learn to love again? She rose from the fire to destroy those who betrayed her. Now, she must decide if she’ll rule alone… or let someone melt the ice in her heart.

Title: Tempted by the Billionaire's Bride After a series of unfortunate events, the heroine, Emily, finds herself in dire financial straits. With no other options in sight, she signs up for a mail-order bride service, hoping to find a wealthy husband who can save her from her crippling debt. Little did she know that her intended groom, billionaire businessman, Alexander Pierce, was not looking for love, but a wife in name only. Despite his initial disdain for the arrangement, Alex finds himself drawn to Emily's sweet and timid nature. He offers to pay off her debts in exchange for a predetermined amount of time as his temporary wife. Emily, desperate for a way out, agrees to the terms, but can she really handle the cold and distant Billionaire who has control over her life? As they navigate their fake marriage, Emily starts seeing the softer side of Alex - the vulnerable man who has been hurt before. His guarded exterior starts to melt as he discovers how much he enjoys having Emily around. But just as they begin to develop feelings for each other, a dangerous figure from Alex's past resurfaces, throwing their newfound happiness into jeopardy. With secrets and lies threatening to tear them apart, can Alex and Emily overcome their differences and find true love? Or will their relationship be nothing more than a business arrangement?