Starlight And Shadows

"Why do you always look at me like that?" she whispered. "Because you're unlike anyone I've ever known," Damien replied, his voice low and husky, sending shivers down her spine. "Your presence is like a thorn in my side." Eira scoffed. “You're nothing but trouble, Damien. A brooding vampire with an ego the size of a castle. But you need me. Without me, you’ll be dead.” “I hate that," he admitted. She smirked. "Hate that you need me? So, what is it, Damien? A weakness you'd rather keep in the shadows?" Damien leaned in, his face dangerously close to hers, his gaze dropping to her lips. Eira's breath caught, her shock palpable. "I might need you, Eira, but I don’t want you," he said, his eyes betraying a desire he refused to acknowledge. "Remember that." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, her thoughts in turmoil and her lips tingling with the ghost of an almost-kiss. *** The Silverstone Pack is out for blood, determined to avenge their alpha's brutal murder. All eyes are on Damien, the prime suspect, who now lives in the shadows, focused on survival. His only goal is to stay one step ahead and keep himself well-fed. But everything changes when he encounters a girl who is mysteriously immune to his powers. In her, he finds a glimmer of hope he thought long lost. Eira, heartbroken from a recent breakup, unexpectedly crosses paths with Damien. Her confrontation with him quickly turns into a nightmare when she is taken captive. Damien, desperate and cornered, offers her a chilling deal: help him save himself, or face unimaginable suffering. With little choice, Eira agrees, setting off a chain of events that will forever change the course of her life.

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

Adrian Wells just wants to be left alone. Quiet nights, warm tea, and his sketchpad are all he needs to survive in a world that has taken too much from him already. Scarred by the fire that claimed his family and plagued by anxiety that keeps him from truly living, Adrian has grown used to solitude. But someone else has been watching—and waiting. When a black box appears at his doorstep, filled with unsettlingly personal gifts, Adrian brushes it off as a prank. But the messages grow bolder. The intrusions into his life become impossible to ignore. Someone knows him. Someone sees him. And that someone is Evan Thorn. Evan isn’t just a stalker—he’s a protector in his own twisted way. Rich, intelligent, and obsessive, he believes Adrian is his to love, to shield, to possess. From anonymous letters to watching from the shadows, Evan orchestrates a careful descent into Adrian’s world, eliminating anyone who gets too close. But he isn’t the only one watching. When a more violent rival stalker emerges, Adrian finds himself caught between two versions of danger: the chaos of the unknown and the devil he’s slowly come to understand. As the walls close in, Adrian is forced to rely on Evan—the very man who shattered his sense of safety. What begins as fear turns into something darker: a toxic intimacy that blurs the line between captor and comfort. As Adrian starts to feel seen for the first time in his life, he questions whether love can grow in the shadows—or if it’s just another kind of cage. In a story about obsession, trauma, what, If someone breaks you just to put you back together, is that still love? And when you finally escape them, do they ever really leave?

She survived the fire, but her heart is about to face the ultimate Inferno. Ava's life was consumed by flames, leaving her orphaned and alone. Lucas Antonio, her father's best friend, and also a powerful CEO, became her savior, offering her refuge in his home. As she matures, the line between family blurs, and Ava falls for the man who gave her everything. But Lucas sees only a child he rescued, unaware of the woman she has become. When he sees a sister, she craves a lover. When he introduces his new girlfriend, Ava's world is shattered. When he brings another woman into their lives, Ava must confront the devastating truth: Can a love built on gratitude ever truly ignite, or will it remain forever in the shadows?

Born under the Blood Moon, Aria Vale carries a power whispered about in old prophecies... one that should never awaken. When she’s forced to marry the feared Alpha Kieran , she steps into a pack ruled by secrets, shadows, Deception... and an Alpha who never sleeps without a weapon. Then the Moon Shards begin to glow. Visions haunt Aria, Kieran’s temper grows darker. And whispers of an ancient oath echo through the territories... An oath broken by the first Luna, whose soul Aria unknowingly carries. When the Shadow Alpha rises and takes hold of Kieran, Aria realizes the war surrounding them didn’t begin with either of them… but it may end with her. To break the curse, she must walk into the Shard Realm alone. But the moon has never chosen a Luna without choosing her Alpha.

She was an omega without a wolf. A lantern considered weak, deserving to be trampled on, and unworthy of love. When her own mate wanted to make her a prostitute, not a wife, Alexis Clark did the impossible. She rejected an Alpha. Her decision changed everything. Alexis became the most hunted rogue omega in the country, living in the shadows, killing to survive, and hiding among humans. But fate played a cruel joke on her. Her case fell into the hands of Sebastian Sinclair, the most dangerous Alpha in the world, a man who hated omegas and scum after being betrayed by his own mate. What Sebastian doesn't know… The omega he decided to execute is the mysterious girl now living and studying at the same campus as him. When hatred collides with attraction, will they kill each other, or fall in love amidst the destruction?

Salvatore Emilio Regnante is a man you need as your ally and pray to never have as an enemy.Even the shadows know not to mess with the devil in disguise. Everyone shivers at the unholy and cold-blooded actions he is capable of.And such a man does not have the word "weakness" in his dictionary, nor does he expect to find one.However, that was all before an expansion negotiation ends with a band around his finger and a fierce young woman, now with his name, having to adjust and learn that in his world, the only rules are the ones from his sinful lips.And they must be followed at all costs.This couple's dawn was based on a contract. And now having become one, they face a lot of trials and tribulations to make their political merger a successful marriage.But the arrival of former lovers rekindles old feelings, threatening not only Salvatore's empire but his heart as well.*Completed*

She was taken, ripped from her world and thrown into his. She became a prisoner in the mansion of a man who should be her enemy. He’s ruthless, untouchable, and he makes it clear from the start: she belongs to him now. "I can make you beg," he murmurs, his fingers grazing her lips, dark amusement flickering in his eyes. She should be terrified. She should hate him. Instead, she finds herself trapped in a dangerous game of power and desire, where every touch ignites something forbidden, and every stolen moment drags her further into the fire. As betrayal lurks in the shadows and blood is spilled in the name of vengeance, she faces a choice, fight for freedom or surrender to the man who’s already claimed her in ways she never saw coming.

When Rowena Silverveil faints during her nuptial rite, Lord Darius Varian deems her weak and sells her to pay her father's debts. Shattered by betrayal and severed mate bond, she finds herself in the rugged fortress of the Western Clan, under the icy command of Thane Darkmoor. But as Rowena's touch begins to heal the wounded, and her dreams become evermore vivid, she soon discovers that she is the lost heir of an ancient clan in Eldoria. But certain powers do not want this truth to get out. With each step toward her true power, Rowena must decide either to hide in the shadows forever, or reclaim her birthright and mete vengeance upon those who wronged her, even if it costs her life and the lives of those she loves. The Red Luna rises. Her reckoning begins.

When the House Fell Silent is a gripping and emotional family saga that delves into the lives of five siblings — Abby, Aubrey, Tshepo, Mathapelo, and the youngest, Gail — after the sudden death of their father. The novel explores the struggles of grief, the challenges of responsibility, the shadows of abuse, and the weight of family expectations. As the siblings navigate the complexities of marriage, work, and personal trauma, their mother emerges as a steadfast pillar, guiding them through turmoil while facing her own battles as an unemployed matriarch. With in-laws disputing the will and old family wounds resurfacing, the narrative captures the resilience, heartbreak, and courage required to survive. Told with intensity and sensitivity, this novel is a tale of love, loss, and the enduring strength of family bonds. Through trials and triumphs, When the House Fell Silent is ultimately a story of hope, healing, and the voices that must rise to reclaim a family’s future.