Regretful Reads

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

This Thanksgiving, Elmer Fuller finally agrees to go on a trip with me. But when I wake up in the hotel, I don't see him anywhere. I spend the entire day desperately searching for him, only to stumble across a social media post from his first love. It's a selfie of her and Elmer having a cozy family dinner with her parents. The caption reads, "Someone's finally meeting the parents on Thanksgiving night. Mom and Dad can stop pressuring me to get married now!" Around her neck is the scarf my mother knitted for me before she passed. I left a comment. "Stop using my things to flirt with my husband. Take the scarf off—you can have him." Not long after, she posts an update. The scarf is shredded into pieces and tossed into a dog bed, with the caption, "What trash—too filthy even for a dog!" Elmer likes the post.

Enter the world of the Silver Moon Pack, ruled by the enigmatic Alpha Gabriel Rivers. Little did anyone know that Alpha Gabriel held a secret - a forbidden love for his maid, Elena. Bound by strict pack rules, he coldly dismisses her, breaking her heart. But fate takes a surprising turn when Elena finds refuge with Alpha Lucas Blackwood - Alpha of the Dark fang Pack, who cherishes her true worth and shields her and her unborn child. As Alpha Gabriel's feelings for Elena intensify, he embarks on a quest to find her at all cost, ready to face any challenge. Unknown to Alpha Gabriel, Elena isn't just a mere maid; she possesses a powerful royal lineage and was pregnant with his child when he banished her. A clash between rival Alphas reveals her true identity, leaving Gabriel regretful for his past actions. Seeking redemption, Alpha Gabriel uncovers a shocking betrayal within his pack. A traitor plotted Elena's mistreatment for selfish gains, using her child as a pawn in a dangerous game of power. In a desperate bid to change his destiny, Alpha Gabriel encounters the mysterious Watcher of Fates, offering a chance to rewrite history. Now, he faces a huge destiny-threatening choice - erase all memories of Elena to live a painless but loveless life afterward or journey through time to reclaim her and his child no matter the cost. But tampering with time carries unforeseen consequences. As Gabriel travels through pivotal moments in their shared history, he confronts different versions of himself and Elena, questioning the moral implications of altering their lives forever.

I'm an heiress who's been bound to a gossip system. Everyone reads my mind on my first day back home after being reunited with my family. "Mom sure has done a good job of maintaining her beauty. It's no wonder she became an OnlyFans streamer after divorcing Dad." My mother is about to berate me for something, but she pales and stops when she hears my thoughts. I glance at the fake heiress, who's weeping pitifully. "My, she's pregnant. Is it John's or Zach's?" My two brothers exchange odd looks. Then, my father arrives. I cluck my tongue. "Oh, it's Dad's."

Eyare gets married to the love of his life, Osagiede, shortly after completion of his university education. On the first day of their honeymoon in Ghana, he discovers his wife’s diary, and curiosity gets the better of him and he reads it. Therein, he finds out she married him as a measure to save face, a plan b, and a way out of her dilemma. Heart broken and torn between staying or breaking up with her, he comes to the decision of paying her back for all the hurt he’s feeling. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he is not able to carry out his plans, because he has fallen deeply in love with his own wife. Osagiede, meanwhile, gets reacquainted with her ex – Geoffrey. She decides to re-ignite a dalliance with him against the warnings of her best friend, Onari. Unbeknownst to her, she is being manipulated diabolically by him, and her best friend is in on it as well. Eyare is an heir to the throne in his hometown, but he is reluctant in ascending it. Forces from within will do everything in their power to try to stop him from being the next king. Question is, will they succeed? Plans will be made, negative acts will take place, and dangerous secrets will unfold. Through all this, love finally blossoms in Osagiede’s heart for her husband, but will their new-found love be enough to save them from the onslaught to come.

In another realm a young princess has to seal the portal her mother caused letting sin seep into her home from earth. She must find a way to get the key back to realm before it's to late. Will she get back in time? How many people will she have to help before she can get him to come home? Will her mother ever be forgiven? Warning*** this novel may included biblical references, spiritual advice, murder and sexual content. Should be 18 or older to read. I mean no harm to any one who reads this novel. Thank you and please enjoy.

It's the tenth anniversary of my bonding with my warrior mate, Owen Chase, and also our son Leo's birthday. A month earlier, I spent $8000 arranging a trip to the Blood Moon Forest. I plan to take my mate and pup to the Moon Goddess' sacred grounds to receive her blessings. This is supposed to be a happy anniversary celebration for our complete werewolf family. I've prepared everything and booked tickets for the Twilight Coach. But on the night before our departure, Owen and Leo suddenly block our mind-link. "Dad and I are having dinner with Ms. Emma on the 24th floor of Moonlight Restaurant. We've cancelled the tickets—we're not going." The call ends there. They promptly block my number as well. I rush back to our pack overnight, only to find that the security system no longer recognizes me. That night, every household locks its doors and activates protective barriers against the toxic mist of the Silver Mines in the nearby Moonveil Valley, while I could only huddle on the stone steps outside our house, inhaling the silver-laden fog all night. The poisonous substances flood my systems. I am sent to the hospital, burning with fever as my wolf grows weaker with every labored breath. Meanwhile, my family is busy touring Central City with Emma Skinner, spending the money I had worked so hard to earn. Owen posts a photo on his social media. In the photo, Emma, my mate Owen, and my child Leo stand hand-in-hand in front of the wishing fountain in Central City, all smiling brightly. The caption reads: "A perfect trip, a perfect family of three." It is only then that I finally understand—this family exists in name only. It's time for me to rebuild my life.

On my fifth birthday with Zachary Murdock, I sit once again in front of a full table of cold food, just like every year before. Zachary had promised, as always, to spend the day with me. And, as always, he breaks that promise. This year, it's because his childhood sweetheart wanted to shoot a set of "artistic photos". She invited him and a few of his close buddies to be part of it. Without hesitation, he ditches me again and runs straight into her arms. At 11:00 pm, his childhood sweetheart posts a photo to her social media and sets it so that only I can see it. In the picture, four men are in nothing but black briefs and Windsor-knotted ties. They kneel around her while she is draped in sheer fabric like a goddess. The caption reads, "Some people beg for crumbs, but I own the entire bakery." I take a screenshot. Then, I send it to the girlfriends of all three of Zachary’s best buddies. If they all look down on me this much, let's hope they don't end up on their knees begging me someday.

When Iris surrendered to a night of passion with Gavin , the ruthless alpha CEO, she never expected her life to be forever changed. Believing they shared a fated connection, she was shattered by his callous dismissal with the statement, “I don't eat same food twice” But fate had other plans. Months later, Iris discovers she's carrying twins - identical replicas of the man who broke her heart. Determined to raise them alone, she sends a defiant message to Gavin, packaging one of the twins with a note that reads: "Dessert after supper." Gavin's world is turned upside down by the arrival of his unexpected heir. Enraged and intrigued, he dispatches his team to track down the elusive Iris, only to find her vanished into thin air. As the new head of the enigmatic Green family, Iris has mastered the art of invisibility. But Gavin's not one to give up easily. The game of cat and mouse has begun, with the twins as the ultimate prize.

On New Year's Eve, I prepare a feast. The clock strikes twelve, but my husband, Vincent Porter, still isn't home. My daughter, Lorelei Porter, tugs at my sleeve and holds up my phone. "Look Mommy, Daddy is at this lady's house!" Vincent has posted an update on Twitter. He is with Christine Snow, his childhood sweetheart. They are smiling at the camera, with a boy who looks about ten standing between them. In front of them sits a swan-shaped cake. The caption reads, "The most special day for the most special you." My heart sinks into my stomach. A marriage that came later in life can never compete with a pair of childhood sweethearts. I accept defeat.