The Rhythm Section

In the picturesque coastal town of Altea, Spain, lives Estrella Marquez, a young woman whose heart beats to the rhythm of adventure. Working in her family's seafood restaurant, she dreams of a world beyond the familiar shores. One fateful day, amidst the vibrant melodies of a local music festival, Estrella's path crosses with Samir Benali, a charismatic French Moroccan musician. Despite their differing backgrounds, a connection sparks, leading them on a journey that transcends borders and challenges tradition. Against all odds, they discover that love, like music, knows no boundaries. With echoes of Spanish and Moroccan culture, the novel paints a vivid portrait of love's resilience and the transformative power of shared dreams. Waves of Wanderlust: The Altea Odyssey is a journey filled with the intoxicating notes of love, the clash of cultures, and the harmonious melody of two souls finding their way in a world that often demands conformity.

By chance, I stumbled across a trending post from our company's finance department while scrolling through social media. "That idiot in Sales. I just wanted to put my bar receipt under his name for reimbursement and he refused! If he won't let me claim it, then no one gets reimbursed! This time I'll make sure he learns what happens when you offend Finance!" The comments section was full of complaints and criticism, but the original poster didn't seem bothered in the slightest. The tone was arrogant, almost smug. "What's there to be scared of? Finance is the lifeline of any company! Would the boss really risk offending the backbone of the company over some replaceable sales guy? No way that's ever happening!" I stared at the all-too-familiar face in the profile picture and let out a silent, cold laugh. Blocking my reimbursement? Fine. This time, I'd like to see for myself what would actually happen if I mess with Finance.

I happen to come across a popular post regarding a company's finance department on social media. "Seriously, that person in the sales department is such an idiot! All I wanted was to claim reimbursement under her name for the bag I bought, and yet she still refused! "Since she doesn't want me to reimburse my bag, then she can forget about reimbursing everything! This time, I'll teach her a lesson about what happens when she offends a member of the finance department!" There are many bashing comments in the comment section, but the original poster doesn't care at all. She continues adopting a haughty tone. "What am I scared of? The finance department is extremely vital to the company! I refuse to believe that the boss has the courage to offend me, the most important person alive, just to stand up for a sales employee who's easily replaceable!" As I stare at the familiar profile picture belonging to the original poster, I can't help but mentally sneer. She wants to suspend all of my reimbursements, huh? Go ahead, then! This time, I'd like to see what the consequences are for offending a member of the finance department!

On my birthday, my mother-in-law had just been wheeled out of surgery, only to be sent straight back into the ER. In a video newly posted by an intern, he was shown holding a scalpel and cutting my mother-in-law open, while the lead surgeon, who was my wife, was nowhere in sight. “Who says interns aren’t qualified to operate? No worries. My Dr. Lover dotes on me.” Colleagues flooded the comment section, saying the couple was sweet and that they were shipping them. I forwarded the video straight to the hospital director. Not long after, my wife called me. Her breath ragged and voice fragmented. “So I forgot your birthday. Is that reason enough for you to go to the director and accuse me of violating hospital rules? “I’m so done with your unreasonable behavior! Even if my mother sides with you this time, I’m still getting a divorce…” She hung up before I could respond. What she didn’t know was that her mother wouldn’t be taking my side anymore. Because the patient who went into massive postoperative hemorrhage and died during resuscitation, under the lead of an intern, was her mother.

SHIFT! I hear Will's voice clear as day in my head.  SHIFT! SHIFT! SHIFT!  It develops its own rhythm, playing in a loop, like a chant giving me incentive.  I get lost in the feeling of disarray, I endure the splitting of cells, the realigning of bones, the discarding of the outer layers of my frame.  In the blink of an eye, it's over.  I've transformed.  Three years ago, on her 18th birthday, Sincere Rose discovered she is not an ordinary girl. She has an ability, a very special ability, that is worth killing her for.  Being on the run from people who plan to murder her, and authorities who want to imprison her, she is forced to do the unimaginable to live.  Amid these struggles she meets Will, who tells her she is a being that hasn't existed in hundreds of years.  She is thrown into a world of war and magic, where she is known not by her birth name, but her ability  THE SHIFTER

Svanna Rose is the black swan of their family. She's the main character that always play the role of antagonist to her own story. She is like Odile, the evil daughter of sorcerer who disguised as Odette. But who are we to judge her, if we are all pretending to be someone who aren't we? Who are we to judge her if she is also a victim of cruelty? Pursuing her dream to become the prima ballerina of the famous ballet 'The Swan Lake', she found herself stuck in a very dangerous situation. And all she can to do is to take a risk as she was claimed to be the black swan of Saint Vicenzo Santorini. Let's witness how she dance to the danger rhythm of uncertainty, as she slowly unveil the truth behind her cruel destiny. "My passion in dancing brought me to life, little did I know it also leads me to my own graveyard"

His hands framed my throat, his thumb tracing my racing pulse. Desire darkened his gaze. “Say it,” he whispered, raw and commanding. “Say who you belong to.” “You,” I gasped, voice breaking into a moan as his rhythm consumed me. “I’m yours.” His mouth claimed mine, all fire and hunger. ⸻ Talia never expected her worst nightmare to be her destined mate. Cassian — the boy who made her life a living hell, the one she swore she’d never forgive — turned out to be the one fate chose for her. Now bound by a force stronger than hate, she must decide if love can bloom where pain once lived… or if some scars run too deep. But fate isn’t done with her yet. Because in the shadows waits another bond, a second mate whose touch feels just as forbidden… and just as inevitable.

Without Kaelen's knowledge, I had his little plaything sent out of North America. That same night, he cast a blood-vine curse on my parents, banishing them to the wilds—a wasteland prowled by rogues. He was going to trade my parents' lives for the whereabouts of his plaything. Kaelen pushed a communication crystal in front of me. Inside it, my parents were ensnared by blood-red vines, the thorns digging deep into their flesh. Drops of dark crimson blood fell, one by one, onto the barren earth. A countdown timer pulsed in stark red digits on their chests. 23:59:59 23:59:58 He sat across from me, a black suit tailored to perfection molded to his lean, powerful frame. His long fingers tapped a light, steady rhythm on the solid wood table, as if he were waiting for a trivial business deal to close. "Estelle, you have twenty-four hours." His voice was low and calm, laced with a venomous tenderness. "Tell me, where did you send Cassandra?"

Dean Romero is not your average Tiger Shifter. He is the king or the Neta of the Island Stripe Pride, operating out of Manhattan. Wanting to avoid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, this Neta elects to spend Christmas at his newly built cabin in a remote section of the Pine Barrens just outside of Maccon City, New Jersey. A town notorious among supernaturals for its Shifter ties. Violet Martinez is a nail technician stuck working on the holidays. Asked to make a house call she has no choice but to drive to an important client’s house on Christmas Eve. She’d much rather be at home curled up with her favorite mug full of steaming spiked hot chocolate and a marathon of old black and white movies to keep her company. Resigned to her fate, she heads out in the wintry weather which has made the drive nearly impossible. Halfway there, Violet’s car spins out on a lonely stretch of road and she slams into a tree, hitting her head on the dashboard. Passing out in the cold with a head injury was not on Violet’s Christmas list, but good thing there’s a Tiger king who just happens to be out for a run nearby. When Dean gets a whiff of Violet’s sugar cookie scent all bets are off. This Neta wants her for his own, but will the dark-haired beauty accept him and agree to be his bride this Christmas?

I did three years in prison for my wife, Lilian Parson. The day I got out, she handed me an envelope for her company's grand opening. Inside was a single dollar bill. For a second, I thought it was a mistake. Then I saw her colleague, Nathan Ramsey, holding his envelope—his also contained a single dollar. Relieved, I pushed my doubts aside. I smiled, stood by Lilian's side through the entire ceremony, the picture of a proud, supportive husband. That night, scrolling through Instagram, I saw Nathan's latest post. A photo of a check. [Congratulations to Lilian Parson on the grand opening! So generous—100 million as a gift!] The comments section exploded with envy and blessings, congratulating him and "the boss" on finally becoming a couple. Lilian offered no explanation. Instead, she hurried to draw a line between us. "You just got out of prison," she said coolly. "It's not a good look to go public right now. Let's keep our marriage a secret. In front of others, just call me your boss." Then she turned around and liked Nathan's post. I wiped the tears from my eyes, picked up my phone, and dialed the number of her greatest rival. "From now on, I work for you," I said.