Quieter Or More Quiet

The Shadow Bride is a haunting tale of duty, mystery, and a love that defies fate. When 23-year-old Avery is forced to marry her late sister’s fiancé to preserve a long-standing family tradition, she finds herself leaving behind her dreams for a life she never chose. Set in the quiet, eerie countryside of Montana, Avery is thrown into a loveless union with the brooding and distant Elias—a man mourning the woman he was meant to marry. But Avery soon senses something more than grief lurking in Elias’s eyes. Whispers of secrets buried in the woods, a strange connection to the moon, and a family with a history shrouded in darkness begin to unravel around her. She may have said “I do” out of obligation—but what she doesn’t know is that her husband’s curse is only just beginning to unfold.

After his sister is brutally attacked and crippled investigating the rape of a thirteen-year-old, Richard Baimbridge rushes back to his hometown of Wilmington, NC, to assist in her recovery only to come face to face with his tormented past and a dark family secret. Serving as his sister's legs, he fights to stay above the flood of childhood trauma as he is drawn into the dark underside of this quiet coastal community where he becomes the primary suspect in the murders of Wilmington's young girls in this riveting suspense thriller that explores the special bond between a brother and sister. More than 500,000 copies sold worldwide. "Bill Benners is a fresh and welcomed new voice in crime fiction. My Sister's Keeper is a compelling and original psychological thriller. Awesome, powder-keg suspense!" --Andrew McAleer, Crimestalker Casebook/crimestalkers.com

Ever since we brought our six-year-old daughter, Elise, home, she's been keeping her distance. My husband, Patrick Sheeter, chalked it up to "adjustment issues." Told me to bring her more gifts when I got back from my overseas trip. I was halfway out the door when I heard her voice in my head. 'Should I tell Mom that Della always hits me? 'Dad says Mom hates tattletales. Especially me. 'But if I keep quiet, I might not make it till Mom gets back.' My stomach flipped. I turned around. Elise was curled up in the corner, eyes glassy with tears. Silent. But I still heard her. 'Maybe I lived again just to see Mom one more time.' Patrick, noticing I was frozen, casually reminded me I was gonna miss my flight. Right. Like that mattered. I turned and slapped him so hard. Screw the business trip. I was staying. Let's see who's got the guts to mess with my kid now.

She was born an omega, and they said that meant she was weak. In the cold heart of the Blackridge Pack, Elira lived like a shadow—beaten, silenced, and used by the very people who should have protected her. Even Kael, the Alpha heir she believed to be her fated mate, only ever whispered lies and left her to bleed when she became inconvenient. But death didn’t claim her. A Lycan King did. Lucien is feared across the realm—cold, ruthless, and untouchable. Yet when he finds Elira broken and left for dead, he doesn’t turn away. He saves her. And in his quiet strength, she sees something she never had: respect. Safety. A future. He offers her more than a throne. He offers her the chance to become something more than a discarded omega. But to wear a crown, Elira must rise. She must face the pack that shattered her, confront the mate who betrayed her, and stand as the fierce queen she was never meant to be. Because the moon doesn’t choose the strongest. It chooses the one who survives—and rises.

Invisible. Overlooked. Forgotten. Avery Quinn has always lived in the shadow of her golden-boy twin brother, Ethan—the star athlete, the perfect son, the one everyone notices. Birthday parties, family dinners, school events—Avery’s presence feels more like background noise than a celebration of her own life. She’s the invisible girl, the quiet one, the forgotten. Then there’s Jaxon Carter—the handsome, magnetic captain of the football team and heir to a mysterious legacy no one suspects. Jaxon walks through Avery’s world with ease, surrounded by friends, girls, and power, yet hiding a secret that could change everything. When Avery’s birthday celebration crumbles under betrayal and humiliation, fate brings her face-to-face with Jaxon in a way neither expected. A spark ignites—raw, complicated, and forbidden. But Avery quickly learns that Jaxon’s world is darker and more dangerous than she ever imagined. And the line between ally and enemy blurs. In a high school where popularity reigns, secrets lurk in the shadows, and supernatural forces stir, Avery must find her voice, fight for her survival, and confront a destiny she never asked for.

He once thought she was just a quiet wife with no big dreams. Now, she’s the face on every magazine, the woman the world admires and the one he let slip away. Eunice Ednah had nothing when she walked out of David Richard’s mansion: no money, no name, and no support. What she had was determination. And a secret: she was carrying his child. Years later, David watches her rise from the shadows to the spotlight, now a billionaire fashion mogul with power, beauty, and grace. The same woman he once underestimated is now the one the city celebrates. It was their child that brought them face to face again David must face the truth: he lost more than a wife. Will love find a second chance? Or has Eunice closed that chapter forever?

“Others may see her as nothing, but to me, she’s more precious than the moon itself.” Ignoring the stunned glances of everyone around, he fixed his gaze on me across the room and strode over with unwavering intent. I felt my heart pound, the same way flowers seem to burst into bloom. Omega Olivia never imagined that a one-night stand would link her to the enigmatic and powerful Alpha, Ryan. Given the stark difference in their social status, she braced herself for the worst—perhaps even the demand for a quiet miscarriage. But instead, Ryan took her home, pulling her into a love story beyond anything she could have dreamed. Yet, as she walks this path of romance, lined with both roses and thorns, will they be able to bridge their worlds, uncover the hidden conspiracies, and find their way to happiness hand-in-hand?

Jace Steadman. My best friend’s father. Older. Controlled. Quiet in a way that makes my pulse stutter. A man who never looks twice at anyone… Except this time, he looked at me. One glance at my ruined makeup and shaking breath, and suddenly he felt too close. Too warm. Too dangerous. His voice was gentle when everyone else had been cruel. And when he sat beside me beneath the glow of the fire, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years: Wanted. Not sweetly. Not politely. But with a quiet, restrained hunger that made my heart slam against my ribs. To distract me from the pain—and to stop himself from touching me—we made a game of it: Twelve days. Twelve dares. No rules… except the ones we couldn’t stop breaking. A whispered challenge in the dark became a dare. A dare became a touch that lingered too long. A touch became a pull neither of us knew how to resist. He shouldn’t crave me. I shouldn’t crave him back. But the more we tried to stay respectable, the more our restraint fell apart. The lodge turned into a minefield of temptation—Christmas lights, stolen glances, near-kisses that burned hotter than the fire. Jace wasn’t just a man I wanted. He became the man I couldn’t stop fighting—and falling—for. If anyone finds out, my life falls apart. His reputation shatters. Everything explodes. But desire doesn’t care about consequences. And this Christmas, I’m done being careful. Done being quiet. Done pretending I don’t want the man who looks at me like I’m the first real taste of life he’s had in years. Twelve days. Twelve dares. One forbidden man I can’t walk away from… even if he ruins me.

Lilly Riverwood, daughter of Alpha Mick and Luna Harmony, lives in the shadow of her brother Luka, the heir to the Riverwood werewolf pack. Unlike most Alpha offspring, Lilly isn't power-hungry or interested in pack politics. She's a talented violinist who has gained fame in both human and werewolf societies worldwide. Standing tall at 5'9", Lilly is unusually tall for a she-wolf. She finds herself constantly avoiding her brother's overprotective nature and the scheming she-wolves who try to befriend her solely to get closer to Luka. While her brother enjoys popularity as the Alpha heir and football team captain, Lilly prefers a quieter life focused on her violin, studies, and helping at the pack's preschool. Under her mother's guidance, Lilly has been training to become a future Luna, as her mother believes she's destined to mate with an Alpha from another pack. The only thing Lilly truly does for herself is playing the violin, having no genuine friends except Emma, Rachel, and Mia. Lilly's routine is disrupted when a mysterious new Alpha heir named Axel Blackthorn joins her Advanced Music Theory class. After she performs a violin piece that captivates the class, Axel approaches her and shows interest, kissing her hand in front of everyone. This unexpected gesture sends the school's rumor mill into overdrive. When confronted by Kendra, the self-proclaimed future Luna of the Riverwood Pack, and her posse about Axel's attention, Lilly finally snaps and declares that, unlike them, she doesn't aspire to be someone's Luna—she just wants to be left alone with her violin and her music.

ELARA My father went missing after stealing billions from Nero Moretti, the ruthless king of New York’s criminal underworld. Now, I’m paying the price. Nero is cruel, cold, and unforgiving. I hate him for destroying the quiet life I once had, and for making me a pawn in his brutal world. I swore I’d never break. Never give in But the longer I stay, the more I see past the monster… and the more I fear what’s awakening between us. In a world ruled by power, secrets, and blood, can I survive him? Or can I resist the pull toward the man who owns me, body and soul? NERO She was supposed to be nothing more than leverage. A bargaining chip. Petrov’s daughter, taken to pay off a debt that could never really be paid. I expected fear. Submission. That’s what I usually get. But Elara is different. She’s scared, yes, but there’s fire behind those eyes. A fire that both infuriates me, and pulls me in deeper. Keeping her close stirs something I buried long ago. Something possessive. Something dangerous. An obsession I have no right feeling She was just part of the deal. A means to an end. But now, she’s the one thing I can’t bend to my will. And the only thing I refuse to lose.