Scooby-doo Phantom Shadows

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

Scarlett Oslon found herself in a nightmarish scenario when her family announced her marriage to the most infamous man in the city, Sébastien Ashford. He was poised to become the next CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, but his rise to power was shrouded in rumors of ruthlessness, and it was said he valued neither women nor family. Scarlett, a firm believer in love and mutual respect, made a daring escape from her own wedding, refusing to be part of this contractual marriage. In an unexpected twist, the man Scarlett thought could be the love of her life turned out to be the very person she had fled from. Sebastian had been investigating her since their tumultuous wedding day, initially driven by a desire to understand the woman who had humiliated him in front of the city's elite. However, as he delved deeper into her life, his curiosity evolved into a more profound and complicated emotion. Torn between love, secrets, and a world of shadows, Scarlett and Sebastian must navigate their feelings and confront the truths that threaten to tear them apart. How long can he hide his true identity, and will their love prevail over the web of secrecy that binds them?

Six years ago, Clara Hayes was humiliated, abandoned, and left to die after a fateful one-night encounter with Alexander Bologna, the ruthless billionaire CEO. Now, her identical twin, Celeste, has returned with a fiery determination and a shocking revelation—Alexander has a son, the bright and lovable Ethan. But Celeste isn’t just here to introduce him to his child; she’s here to exact revenge for her sister’s tragic fate and humiliation caused by the Bologna family. Under the guise of a contract marriage, Celeste infiltrates Alexander’s cold and calculating world, sparking a battle of wits and wills. But as secrets unravel and sparks fly, Celeste finds herself torn between her quest for vengeance and the undeniable pull of Alexander’s growing love for her—and their son. When dark truths about Clara’s death and Alexander’s family betrayal come to light, the lines between hate and love blur. With enemies lurking within and time running out for Celeste’s own hidden battle, can Alexander redeem himself and win the heart of the woman who’s brought light back into his life? Or will the sins of the past destroy their chance at a future? Love, revenge, and redemption collide in Behind the closed doors: The Billionaire’s Secret—a story where passion ignites, secrets unravel, and second chances can heal even the deepest wounds.

A betrayed politician’s wife. A rebel alpha with nothing to lose. A town crawling with secrets. And a war waiting to ignite between blood and fang. Calla Hart thought the worst thing her husband could do was cheat. She was wrong. After catching Senator Blake Hart in bed with a vampire and learning he’s part of the Crimson Order, a vampire mafia that wants her blood. Calla runs. Not for love but for survival. Because what’s in her veins isn’t normal. She hides in Ravenridge, a decaying supernatural border town where monsters walk like men and shadows bite back. A place where the veil between worlds is wearing thin. There, she crashes—literally—into Axel Cain, the 20-year-old Alpha of the Vanguard Pack, a feral biker gang that patrols Ravenridge like outlaw wolves. Axel doesn’t do politics. Doesn’t do mates. And definitely doesn’t do soft, wealthy women from the city. But something in Calla’s scent sets his wolf on fire. And when he learns who she’s running from—and what she really is—he makes a choice that will cost him everything: Keep her close. Claim her. And start a war that could burn the veil between their worlds. --- Extra Note for Readers This is a slow-burn paranormal romance with steamy heat, deep emotions, and an age-gap dynamic. She’s older, hunted, and secretly powerful. He’s younger, dominant, and doesn’t play nice. Together, they might save the town… or destroy it.

Shania thought she had it all—her husband Adrian, her home, her future. But that illusion shattered the day her twin sister, Stephanie, appeared on her doorstep, cradling a baby that looked unmistakably like Adrian. The triumphant glint in Stephanie’s eyes delivered the truth: betrayal. Two facts now defined Shania’s life: 1) Her husband, whom she gave up everything for, had slept with her sister. 2) She became pregnant by a stranger after a drunken night, just 240 days after Adrian struck her. Enter Stefan—an enigmatic billionaire with his own dark past. He needed a woman whose name began with 'S' to carry his child. Unbeknownst to Shania, Stefan had been orchestrating her life from the shadows, drawn to her for reasons she could never have imagined. And now, a baby is involved, divorce papers are moving from one home to the lawyer, and a fresh new contract marriage is being drafted. Will Stefan reveal his secrets before it’s too late? And can Shania find the strength to confront her past and embrace the unexpected bond forming between them?

Claimed by Samael Velasco to be his future bride, Merryn hid in the shadows of his protection from the day he found her. She lived her entire life believing it as truth until the day came when this shattered. The shocking revelation that changed her perception also urged her to escape from Samael’s gilded cage. To him, she was just a possession and his precious pet. Her heart throbbed and yearned for something real. She knew not what this meant, at least not yet. Until she escaped, and ran right into the arms of Samael’s known mortal enemy… Giovanni Salvatore, a rare lycan of Royal bloodline. He is the king of the lycans and the werewolves. The ruler of the Mystic Mountain Kingdom. Merryn’s appearance in Giovanni’s life upset a few well-laid plans for his future. And so began a path of mutual discovery and perils they couldn’t begin to imagine. What will she do when she finds herself in the cave of wolves? ^~*~^ This tale is for those 18 or older. Reader’s discretion is advised.

In a world of wealth, power, and family feuds, Shay Falcon fights to break free from the shadows of her billionaire dynasty. The youngest daughter of the renowned Falcon Group's CEO, her life is a blend of neglect, sibling rivalry, and the suffocating pressure to conform. But beneath her fragile facade, Shay craves independence and forges a secret path as a secretary at the illustrious C&E Holdings, a company owned by her family's bitter rivals. Just when Shay believes she has found solace in her hidden sanctuary, fate intervenes, thrusting her into a tumultuous whirlwind. The enigmatic Jason Cartwright and the charismatic Chase Evans, the powerful bosses of C&E Holdings, uncover Shay's clandestine identity. Their shocking discovery sets in motion a chain of events that will shatter the fragile facade of her life. In the heart of the cutthroat corporate battlefield, where power is a weapon and loyalty a luxury, Shay Falcon's life becomes a gripping tale of survival and redemption. Can she transcend her tainted lineage and reshape her destiny, or will the weight of her family's legacy consume her? Prepare to be captivated by a story where ambition collides with fate, and the untamed spirit of a young woman defies all odds.

She was abandoned before she could walk. Raised in a cold, forgotten orphanage and later tormented by the family who adopted her, she learned to survive with silence and scars. Love was a fairytale she stopped believing in long ago—until he looked her way. Rex Radford. Reckless, magnetic, and dangerously untouchable. The notorious heartbreaker and scandal-ridden heir of multi-billionaire Alfred Radford. His life was one endless party of fast cars, wild nights, and nameless girls—until her haunted eyes brought everything to a halt. He wanted her. But she disappeared. No one knew she vanished carrying his twins. Far away from the glittering chaos of the Radfords’ empire, she gave birth in silence—alone, terrified, and determined never to look back. Her world became about survival, her children, and burying the past so deep it could never find her. But fate had other plans. Six years later, she returns. Not as the broken girl they once ignored—but as a woman reborn. Fierce. Untouchable. Powerful. And with two children whose faces mirror a man who never knew they existed. Now the world whispers. The tabloids burn. And Rex Radford—cold-hearted, beautiful Rex—wants answers. But she’s not the same girl he once tried to break. And when jealous rivals, buried secrets, and twisted betrayals rise from the shadows, she’ll have to decide: Will she risk everything to let him into her life again—or protect her children from the man who once shattered her world? This is not just a love story. It’s a war between the past and the future, between pain and forgiveness, between a woman who rebuilt herself from ashes—and the man who unknowingly gave her the fire.

"You should be scared," I whispered, brushing my fingertips along her spine, slow and teasing, then down over the swell of her ass. My palm lingered, gripping one cheek possessively. "Because you've just given yourself to the devil." I leaned down, my lips brushing her ear. “And the devil? He doesn’t believe in mercy." .... I should have known better than to sign his contract. My new husband was never meant to be real. He was supposed to be a name on paper, a shield against the vultures circling my late husband's empire. An arrangement with an expiration date. But Killian Cross doesn't let go. He's ruthless, obsessive, and dangerously possessive. The kind of man who doesn't just own his empire. He owns everything in his grasp. And now, that includes me. I thought I could play his game and walk away unscathed. I was wrong. Because my contract husband has made one thing clear. I belong to him now. But what happens when the shadows surrounding him become my prison? What if love isn’t enough for the hell awaiting us? Will I be able to save him when he needs me? Or will we both drown in the raging tempest?

Diana Crossfield has always been an outcast in the silver moon pack. Born wolfless, shunned for her mother's death in childhood and tormented by those that should have protected, she longed for freedom. Hope arrives when she learns she is to marry prince Donald , her childhood best friend and escape the hell she called home but her dreams shatter when she is betrayed and sold to a cursed rogue Prince of the mountain in exchange for her father's debt. Diana is thrown into a dark mysterious mansion where her mate, a monster feared by all, resides but instead of devouring her, he orders her to clean, she discovers more about the terrifying man bound to her by fate and soon realizes he is not monster the legend had said he was. Yet there are secrets hidden in the shadows about the prince, the curse that brings him and the truth of her own existence. Because Diana is more than just wolfless, she holds a power that could break the curse or doom them both And Edric Ambrose, the devil of the mountain, might just be the only one who can truly set her free.