The Art Of War Book

I bet you’ve heard the story about the player that gets played. Yes, that’s me, Dylan Ashford. I am in an open relationship with my long-term girlfriend, and when I realize she is only using me for my name, I discover I am in too deep until I meet her, the girl with the brown eyes that make my world spin upside down, and believe I still have a chance of the love I always dreamed of. People see me as a Joker and a Playboy, but deep down, I am a romantic, and I need to find my own true love. Watching my big brother fall in love gave me hope. My name is Joanna Thompson, but my friends know me as Jo. I work in a security firm, and after a traumatic breakup with my ex, I am looking forward to finding my true love, but my head gets turned by the one person I absolutely despise for everything that he represents. Dylan Ashford is everything I always hated in humankind. He is cocky and a player. This book can be read as a Standalone, but for better comprehension, you should read The Big Shot first. This is book number two of The Ashford book series.

Caitlin Paine awakes from a deep coma to discover she has been turned. Now a true, full-bred vampire, she marvels at her new powers, including her ability to fly, and her superhuman strength. She finds that her true love, Caleb, is still by her side, waiting patiently for her to recover. She has everything she could dream of.

Until it all, suddenly, goes terribly wrong.

Caitlin is horrified to discover Caleb with his ex-wife, Sera, and before Caleb has a chance to explain, Caitlin tells him to leave. Heartbroken, confused, Caitlin wants to curl up and die, her only consolation being in her wolf-pup Rose.

Caitlin also finds consolation in her new surroundings. She finds she has been placed on a hidden island in the Hudson River—Pollepel—amidst an elite coven of teenage vampires, boys and girls alike, 24 in all, including her. She learns that this is a place for outcasts, just like her, and as she meets her new best friend, Polly, and begins her training in elite vampire combat, she realizes that she might finally have a place to call home.

But a major vampire war is looming, and her brother Sam is still out there, kidnapped by Samantha. The evil Kyle, too, now wielding the mythical Sword, is still on the warpath, and he will stop at nothing to wipe out New York. Caitlin, despite her new home, and despite her finding a new love interest in the elusive vampire Blake, knows that she can only stay on this island for so long before her destiny calls. After all, she is still the One, and all eyes still look to her to find her father and the other weapon that might save them all.

Torn between her new friends and her lingering feelings for Caleb, she must come to decide where her true loyalties lie, and whether she is willing to risk it all to try to find Caleb and have him in her life once again….

16 year old Scarlet Paine finds herself changing in mysterious ways. She is becoming sensitive to light, able to read peoples’ thoughts, and is faster and stronger than she’s ever been. She doesn’t understand what’s happening to her, and tries to ignore it. But she can only dismiss it for so long.

Caitlin Paine, her mom, knows too well what’s happening to her daughter. She underwent the same transformation to vampire once, centuries ago. But now, in the present day, as a mere human, she has no memory of it. All she has is the journal she found in the attic—her mysterious vampire journal—telling of her exploits in another time and place, and of the vampire race being eradicated. But was there one exception to the rule? Could it be that Scarlet, her daughter, is the last remaining vampire on earth?

As Scarlet tries to fight who she’s becoming, she also tries to fight her intense feelings for Blake, a boy in her grade who she has a crush on. She can’t tell, though, if he’s into her, and with the big Halloween dance just days away, the pressure is on. She would do anything for Blake to ask her. But Vivian, the meanest of the popular girls, is also on Blake’s radar, and she’ll do anything to make Blake hers—and to make Scarlet’s life a living hell.

Luckily Scarlet has her own clique of friends to back her up, including her best friends Maria and Jasmin. They, too, have guy troubles—but it isn’t until Sage appears, the mysterious new boy, that her friends become obsessed. Scarlet finds herself attracted to him, too—and is surprised when it is her, of all the girls in the school, that he pays attention to. But her mind is set on Blake, at least for now, and she continues to hope he’ll ask her to the dance.

Just when it seems that Scarlet has what she wants, her body changes. Soon it may be impossible for her to be near her fellow humans. Soon, she may have to choose between her desire to live and her desire for love.

ในวันครบรอบงานวิวาห์ปีที่เจ็ดของเรา ฉันกำลังนั่งตักลูเซียนสามีมาเฟียของฉัน และจูบเขาอย่างดูดดื่ม นิ้วมือควานหาผลตรวจการตั้งครรภ์ที่ซ่อนอยู่ในกระเป๋าชุดราตรีผ้าไหมแสนแพง ฉันอยากจะเก็บข่าวเรื่องการตั้งครรภ์ที่มาอย่างไม่คาดฝันนี้ไว้จนกว่าจะถึงช่วงท้ายของค่ำคืนนี้ มาร์โกลูกน้องมือขวาของลูเซียนเอ่ยถามเป็นภาษาอิตาลีพร้อมรอยยิ้มแฝงเลศนัย “นายท่าน โซเฟีย นกน้อยตัวใหม่ของท่าน เด็ดไหมครับ?” เสียงหัวเราะแกมเย้ยหยันของลูเซียนแล่นผ่านทรวงอก ทำให้ฉันรู้สึกเย็นยะเยือกถึงกระดูกดำ เขาตอบกลับเป็นภาษาอิตาลี “เหมือนลูกพีชดิบที่เพิ่งเด็ดจากต้น ทั้งสดทั้งนุ่มนวลดีนะ” มือคู่นั้นลูบไล้ไปตามเอวของฉัน แต่สายตาของลูเซียนกลับไร้ซึ่งอารมณ์ “ปิดปากเอาไว้ให้สนิท ถ้านายหญิงของฉันรู้เข้า ฉันตายแน่” บรรดาลูกน้องหัวเราะคิกคักอย่างรู้ทัน พร้อมยกแก้วขึ้นสาบานว่าจะเงียบปากเอาไว้ เลือดอุ่นในกายของฉันค่อย ๆ กลายเป็นน้ำแข็งทีละนิด สิ่งหนึ่งที่คนเหล่านี้ไม่รู้เลยคือ คุณย่าของฉันมาจากเกาะซิซิลี ดังนั้นฉันจึงเข้าใจทุกคำที่พวกเขาพูดกัน ฉันพยายามคุมสติตนเองให้สงบ พร้อมกับปั้นรอยยิ้มไร้ที่ติในฐานะนายหญิงไม่ให้คลาย แต่มือข้างที่ถือแก้วแชมเปญกลับสั่นเทาไม่หยุด แทนที่จะสร้างเรื่องราวอะไร แต่ฉันกลับกดเปิดโทรศัพท์มือถือและเลื่อนหาจดหมายเชิญเรื่องโครงการวิจัยทางการแพทย์ระหว่างประเทศแบบรายบุคคลที่ได้รับมาเมื่อสองสามวันก่อน และกด “ยอมรับ” ภายในสามวัน ฉันจะหายไปจากโลกของลูเซียนแบบไม่ให้เขาตามหาได้อีก

Emerson and Quinn, now step-siblings try to navigate their new normal. But what will happen when they both start leaning on other people? Emerson tries to move on, but the boy she loves is around every corner, literally. Quinn has reverted to his bullying ways. After all, hurting Em is what he does best. But some things aren’t adding up. The few people that Em trusted completely seem to be the very ones that are deceiving her. In order to cope, Em turns to her pills that she had weaned herself off of. She isn’t sleeping, and paranoia is getting the best of her. Once again, Em and Quinn have to fight.. for themselves, for each other, and to survive.

Vladimir has been abused for over fifteen years for killing a female from the Silver Pack. His wolf, Derayu, is feral he can't be trusted, and Vladimir struggles to keep him locked inside his mind. But what will happen when he finds a way to break free from the prison Vladimir put around him? Elena is strong, confident, and the best vampire huntress from all over Romania. Her wolf, Mia, falls in love with Vladimir soon after she meets him. Will her wish come true, and one day, she will mark her mate? Or will Elena's past knock on her door and force her to decide to be with Vladimir or get her revenge? What will happen when Elena and Vladimir meet? Can two different persons find peace and love and accept each other the way they are? Join Elena and Vladimir in a story that will take on adventures while they try to resolve some mysteries from the past.

At twenty-two, Skylar Carnell is a spitfire who doesn’t believe in cliché romances and has dreams of her own to chase. What happens when she has to honor her parents' dying wish and marry into the St. James family? Skylar tries hard to avoid the disastrous marriage to the oldest son, Sebastian St. James, and luck favors her although momentarily. Soon Sebastian elopes with the woman he loves. It leaves her with no other option than to meet the youngest son, the cocky, full-of-himself, infuriating Christian St. James. He's notorious, mysterious, and full of surprises. Skylar fights him at every step, but he offers her a contract marriage she can't ignore. Why does he want to marry her? Is it only to honor his parent's last wish? Can Christian tempt the spitfire and make her stay? Will Skylar walk away when the contract term expires? What will happen when unexpected circumstances bring them closer?

I am Wyatt Hayes, New York's most eligible bachelor, CEO of Hayes Enterprises. I’m also known as The Reaper, New York’s most feared Mafia Lord. The Reaper is my secret identity, and no one knows I am the man everyone wants to do business with, but will have nightmares about. I am getting engaged with the woman every man has dreams about, except me. She is a business deal. A business deal I will have to break because when I see HER, everything I know about Love seems wrong. She is someone from my past I didn’t see coming. She is a loose end that I have to end or bring into the darkness that is my life. My name is Blake Pierce. I am a promising freelancer journalist who specializes in crime. My friends call me the next Avenger. Bringing criminals to their knees is my passion. I do a better than the police. I am not afraid to bend the law to get the scoop I need. But when I see HIM, I realize that Love and hate walk hand in hand. He is my worst nightmare and the man I have always dreamed of having by my side. Between Love and Hate, there’s only a thin line. Will Wyatt and Blake hate loving each other or love hating one another?

I bet you’ve heard the story about the secretary falling head over heels for her boss; that’s me, but what happens when you have unforgettable with someone without knowing he is your boss? That’s me; I got invited to a party that ended up being a birthday party with a dungeon theme, weird, I know, tell me about it, but I finally let my hair down and enjoyed exploring my sexuality with the most intense men I have ever met. My boss, Richard Ashford, Mr. Billionaire CEO himself, he is intense, dominating, cocky, and arrogant, but he makes me feel like the most important woman in the world. Behind closed doors, he is the most fantastic lover. I wish the world could see him the same way I do. I am not ready for dating after everything I have been through. But he is. He wants to show Manhattan’s elite that I am his, but I don’t want to be in the spotlight. I like being anonymous. His life is covered by every newspaper and magazine. That’s what happens when you own most of New York’s media companies.

Seeking out a mysterious woman who came to him in a vision, Daniel Darke is transported to the supernatural realm. Despite being one of Earth's most horrible warlocks, he is welcomed into the North Woods as a trusted friend and protector. After meeting his soulmate, Rosemary, it is discovered she is pregnant with the child of the man who assaulted her on Earth. Worried that Daniel will not be able to love her and her child, Rosemary rejects him and runs away. Vowing to give Rosemary and her baby the life they deserve, Daniel takes back the kingdom of his ancestors. When the father of the true heir returns to take back what belongs to him, Daniel embarks on a dark and ruthless mission to stop him and protect his new family.