Tender Years

Zack Riley was a boy who knew tragedy very well. He lost his mother when he was nine years old and his father worked long hours, mostly to avoid the loss of his wife. To pass the time, Zack would spend a lot of time on the play ground near his house, taking out his childhood resentment by fighting with the other kids. Anna Reece on the other hand came from a big, full family, with two sisters, a brother and loving parents. She was the sweet innocent type, who lived a few doors down from Zack. She was always trying to be nice to him or invite him over, but he was a stubborn little boy, who miss took her sweetness for weakness. One day while fighting, Zack was loosing badly against two boys twice his size. Anna stepped in trying to help Zack, the boys left Zack alone, but Zack’s reaction was far more negative than expected. He started mocking Anna and calling her a brat, although in reality he had fallen in love with her and her kindness. Being the stupid foolish boy he was, bullying her was his way of trying to get close to her and this continued for ten years. In those ten years, as if by fate, Zack and Anna was in the same class every year. Zack grew into a delinquent, bullying everyone, constantly fighting, smoking and receiving bad marks. While Anna became more popular, she was on the hockey team, had high grades and helped others study for tests and exams. Can these two look past their differences?

Everyone in Harbor City knows that the city's prince, Brandon Schmidt, is a devoted husband. Countless homewrecker wannabes are dealt with before they can even reach me. But one day, I see Brandon's text conversation with one of his mistresses. "You're going to open up for me tonight." "It's so embarrassing to be doing this on your wife's bed." Meanwhile, my arm is shattered from dealing with one of his competitors. The conversation makes my stomach turn. So be it, then. No one's getting off easy now.

No nosso sexto aniversário de casamento, minhas bochechas ardem enquanto desvio do meu marido, Ethan Grant, que se inclina para me dar um beijo voraz. Empurro-o na direção da mesa de cabeceira em busca de uma camisinha. O que ele não sabe é que escondi uma surpresa ali — um teste de gravidez positivo. Já consigo imaginar seu rosto inteiro se iluminando no segundo em que encontrá-lo. Mas no instante em que sua mão vai em direção à gaveta, seu telefone toca. Seu melhor amigo, Henry Miller, fala do outro lado da linha em dinamarquês. — Sr. Grant, como foi ontem à noite? Aquele novo sofá do amor que a nossa empresa lançou está te tratando bem? Ethan solta uma risada baixa e responde em dinamarquês — A função de massagem é ótima. Me poupa de ter que fazer massagem nas costas da Sandy eu mesmo. Ele ainda me mantém puxada contra seu corpo, mas seus olhos olham através de mim, como se estivesse vendo outra pessoa. — Isso fica entre nós. Se minha esposa descobrir que dormi com a irmã dela, estou acabado. Sinto como se alguém tivesse enfiado uma faca no meu peito. O que eles não sabem é que fiz curso complementar de dinamarquês na faculdade, então entendo cada palavra. Me forço a manter a calma, mas os braços que tenho em volta do pescoço de Ethan não param de tremer. Naquele momento, paro de hesitar e decido aceitar a proposta daquele projeto de pesquisa internacional. Daqui a três dias, vou desaparecer da vida de Ethan para sempre.

When fate gives you two mates, the kingdom trembles. Aria has spent her entire life being told she's worthless—a failure who killed her mother at birth and will never amount to anything. But when she locks eyes with the twin kings of the werewolf realm, everything changes. King Orion burns like fire—passionate, protective, and utterly captivating. King Darius flows like ice—calculating, strategic, and dangerously alluring. Both are her fated mates. Both want to devour her whole. And both are cursed to lose their kingdom the moment they claim her. An ancient witch's curse. A deadly betrayal from within. And a forbidden bond that could destroy everything they've built. As enemies close in and the kingdom begins to fracture, Aria discovers she's more than just an Alpha's disappointing daughter—she's a weapon powerful enough to break curses and defy the gods themselves. But when the Moon Goddess demands the ultimate sacrifice, Aria must choose: save the man she loves, or save the world.

Needing to get married before his grandfather dies, Dr. Lyrek Cole goes to the bar to drink away his problems. There he meets the most beautiful bartender he has ever saw. Captivated by her beauty, he tries to catch her attention. Veronica Reed, however, is too preoccupied with her own troubles to notice him. She is drowning in medical bills and her brother is dying of a brain tumor, which is why she is works four jobs. Her brother's brain tumor is inoperable, but she is doing everything she can, in hopes of saving him. Little does she know, Lyrek is exactly who she needs to save her brother. Only if she agrees to marry him. Not only because is the best brain surgeon in the world, but also because he has more money then he knows what to do with.

They said Omegas were born to kneel. Elowyn Froste decided to run. In a kingdom ruled by scent and bloodlines, nineteen-year-old Elowyn escapes the claws of an Alpha who bought her life. To survive, she cuts her hair, binds her chest, and enters Ashmoore Academy as a boy—Elyan, a fragile cadet in a world built for beasts. Every day is a fight to hide what she is. Every night, her scent potion fades a little faster. Then, there's Baron Ortega—the Alpha prince of RuthValis, her room mate and her temptation. Cold. Lethal. Impossible to ignore. His instincts call her prey, but something in her scent calls him home. As the Academy spirals into chaos and war rises beyond its walls, Elowyn’s lies unravel one by one. Old gods stir, rebels awaken, and a prophecy whispers of an Omega hybrid who can shatter every Alpha’s throne. And Baron… might be the key to her undoing. In a world where scent means power and love means ruin, Elowyn must choose: Love Baron Ortega, confess and burn the world or hide and watch the world burn.

While presiding over a transnational meeting, I received a distressing call from my daughter's kindergarten teacher. "Mrs. Payton, a kid drew a massive clown on Anna's face during nap time! No matter how much I try to wash it off, it won't come off!" I immediately rushed to the kindergarten. My daughter, Anna Payton, was sobbing at the door. Her usually fair and tender face was now red and swollen. The clown drawing on it was particularly eye-catching. The new teacher was so panicked that she was crying herself, her voice trembling. "The parent of the other child is in the office. They said they're willing to compensate any amount, but... But there's no way you can make their son apologize." My anger surged as I kicked open the office door. However, I instantly froze in place. In the office, my husband, Arlo Payton, who was supposed to be in Swizor for a year of intensive studies, was holding up the bully. The next second, the little boy in his arms pointed at Anna and laughed. "Look, Dad. Clownface is here!"

Misteri yang terdapat di balik ritual yang dilakukan setiap tujuh tahun sekali oleh orang-orang desa di tempat tinggalnya, memancing seorang anak laki-laki bernama Aaron untuk menyelidiki misteri itu. Setelah sahabat dekatnya yang bernama Elena diculik oleh sang makhluk kegelapan, Aaron pun bertekad akan membawa gadis itu kembali, serta mencari tahu penyebab dari hilangnya ingatan semua orang terhadap si gadis bersurai emas. Ketika tahun demi tahun telah berlalu, Aaron yang telah menjadi seorang pemuda tangguh harus kembali ke desa kelahirannya. Dia dan ketiga orang sahabatnya pun terjebak dalam ritual pemujaan yang membuat keempatnya menghilang, masuk ke sebuah pintu menuju dunia yang asing, segalanya mendadak berubah. Aaron dan ketiga orang temannya harus menjalani kehidupan yang berat di dunia yang dipenuhi monster dan makhluk mitologi yang sering diceritakan oleh neneknya di masa lalu. Keempatnya kemudian bergabung ke sebuah organisasi pemburu monster bernama Dark Storm, demi melanjutkan misi pencarian terhadap Elena. Akankah semua yang Aaron rencanakan berjalan lancar sesuai dengan rencananya ataukah ... dia gagal memperoleh Elena kembali? Mampukah mereka melarikan diri dari pengaruh sihir yang lambat laun akan membunuh mereka semua?

Melihat sudut pandang detektif dalam novel misteri, agaknya sudah umum kita ketahui. Akan tetapi, bagaimana jika kita melihat dari sudut pandang sang pembunuh? Apa kau juga percaya dengan arwah yang balas dendam? "Meski melihatku menderita di ujung ambang kematian, tampaknya mereka tidak akan berhenti sampai aku benar-benar mati ...." Dia adalah George Owens, pria yang semasa mudanya bekerja pada pihak kepolisian Selatan. Menjadi seorang detektif adalah impiannya di masa remaja. Bersama Smith Hegner dan juga Niels Johansen, George melakukan pekerjaannya dengan baik dan cepat. Namun, siapa sangka, di balik pekerjaannya yang selalu berurusan dengan para penjahat ulung tersebut. Nyatanya ada fakta yang dia sembunyikan rapat-rapat. Lantas, bagaimana dengan akhir hidupnya? Apakah semua dosa yang pernah dia lakukan di masa lalu akan menimbulkan sebuah karma yang justru membuatnya lebih memilih mati daripada hidup bersama dengan berbagai kenangan buruk? Inilah kisah seorang pembunuh berantai yang juga merangkap sebagai detektif swasta di kepolisian bagian Selatan. Sang psikopat ulung, George Owens.

Banyak orang mengatakan, cinta bertepuk sebelah tangan itu menyakitkan, terutama jika perasaan itu telah tumbuh sejak lama. Inilah yang Lisa Hogward rasakan, jatuh cinta kepada teman masa kecilnya, Dino. Dia adalah cinta pertama Lisa dan gadis itu begitu mencintainya. Pertemanan mereka berjalan baik, walau hanya satu pihak yang lebih dominan dalam hubungan itu, namun pada akhirnya mereka berdua pun menjadi sepasang kekasih. Hubungan itu bertahan lama, tetapi semakin lama hubungan itu berlangsung, Lisa mulai menyadari satu hal, bahwa Dino sama sekali tak menyukainya, bahkan sejak awal pertemuan mereka. Pemuda itu tak menaruh hati padanya. Dino tak pernah mencintai Lisa. Hanya ada satu cinta dalam hubungan itu, dan Lisa tahu jika hanya dia yang bertahan dalam hubungan rumit mereka dengan perasaan yang tidak pernah berubah. Apakah dengan cara menjauhi pemuda itu dapat membuat pemuda itu berbalik menatap ke arahnya? Rasanya sangat menyakitkan, terlebih lagi, Lisa telah memilih untuk menambatkan hatinya kepada seseorang yang tidak akan pernah bisa membalas rasa cinta yang sama besarnya. Karena apa pun yang Lisa lakukan, tidak akan pernah mengubah pandangan Dino terhadapnya, gadis itu tetap menjadi beban dalam hidup pemuda itu. Bertahun-tahun kemudian, keduanya kembali bertemu dalam keadaan yang jauh berbeda. Sama-sama sudah bekerja dan ternyata mereka bekerja pada perusahaan yang sama. Dengan posisi yang lebih membingungkan. Yaitu antara bos dan sekretaris.