The Tender Bar: A Memoir

Salma’s life seemed perfect—engaged to Juan, a man who could offer her safety and stability. But when Vito, a dangerous and magnetic mafia boss, steps back into her life, everything changes. Vito’s presence ignites a fire in Salma she hasn’t felt in years, a passion so fierce it consumes her. Caught between two men—one offering love and security, the other thrilling danger and wild desire—Salma is torn. Vito’s dark world lures her in, intoxicating her senses, while Juan clings to her, desperate to hold onto the woman he loves. As tensions rise and secrets come to light, Salma must decide which man she’ll surrender to—the one who makes her feel safe or the one who makes her feel alive. But in a world of power and betrayal, every choice comes with a deadly price.

The tree I fell from was rotten. It's leaves were rotten, it's bark was rotten, and it's roots were rotten. Unfortunately, I am an apple that didn't fall far from that rotten tree. I was groomed in the shadow of that rotten tree and sprayed with poison to ensure I would be nothing but it's germinated seed. My earliest memories are dark and painful. My most vibrant memories are coated in crimson red and shame. The small pieces of my soul that I kept hidden and protected are the only parts of myself I can tolerate. The rest of who I am... The despicable trash that haunts my dreams... I hate. Death is the only answer to my life. Not love. I don't deserve love. A tainted apple is never put amongst the ripe juices apples. It is thrown away, discarded... As I should be.

Madelyn Jent died on her wedding anniversary. She had been married to Zach Jardin for eight years, compromising for the better part of her life. However, she ended up being kicked out of the house.After the painful divorce, Madelyn was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Despite her deteriorating health, she clung to life in the hospital, hoping that Zach would visit her one last time.As Valentine's Day arrived, heavy snow fell outside. Yet, Zach failed to make an appearance, leaving Madelyn with a deep sense of regret. "Zach Jardin... If I could start over, I would never fall in love with you again!"Miraculously, Madelyn found herself reborn to the time when she was eighteen. Fueled by the desire to avoid repeating the same mistakes, she made a solemn vow to distance herself from everything related to Zach.But fate seemed determined to test her resolve. Just as she sought to escape the shadows of her past, the same man, Zach, emerged with an intimidating aura, gradually approaching her step by step. His voice, reminiscent of a devil's melody, echoed through the hallway as he declared, "Madelyn, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life..."

The day that I divorced my third husband, the system told me that I had completely failed my mission. I had married three times in this world and they were all targets that were supposed to fall for me. But every single one of them chose to divorce me because of Wendy Somerfield. The system pitied me for doing my best for the past 30 years, so it asked me to target my son. It said that if my son could confidently choose me, between me and Wendy, then I could live. However, it was no exception that the son I gave birth to after 40 weeks of pregnancy chose Wendy, just like my three ex-husbands. They all even pinned the cause of Wendy's illness on me. My first husband, who was my childhood sweetheart, pretended to be softhearted, but he was actually ruthless. He actually tried to convince me to donate one of my kidneys to Wendy. My second husband, who I met on a blind date, used a scalpel to personally cut open my body. My third husband, who I fell in love with at first sight, even threatened me with my son. While spitting out blood from my mouth, I agreed to their requests with a smile. However, when they saw me being pushed out of the operating room, those people who turned their backs on me went crazy.

Jackson is an heir to the fortune built on the suffering of enslaved werewolves. Angry at the injustice of it all, he has no choice but to play along with his father's wishes and bend to the society's pressure. Until one day he is ordered to purchase a werewolf 'worthy of standing by his side' at the market. So, maybe he obeyed his father's wishes, but to him it's the first step in his one-man rebellion, a spark that will kindle the flames, when he chooses a werewolf who is needier than the rest. Now Jackson must stoke those flames, while nurturing the traumatized wolf to health, before the world crushes his soul for good. Check out the artwork from chapter ‘Date’ on my Instagram (willowwrites1994) here - https://www.instagram.com/p/CIgP2PQFF8W/

England, 1876. Twenty-year-old Maraina Blackwood has always struggled to adhere to the restrictive standards of Victorian society, denying the courage and desire that burn within her soul. But after a terrifying supernatural encounter, Maraina's instincts compel her to action. Maraina soon discovers a plot to unleash a new world—one of demonic aristocrats, bloody rituals, and nightmarish monsters. Putting her upbringing aside, Maraina vows to fight the dark forces assuming control of England. But as her world transforms, Maraina finds that she too must transform...and what she becomes will bring out all that she once buried. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Having moved on from the devastating heartbreak, Valentine swore to stay single until he finds the right one worthy of his love. But when Valentine accidentally meets Dominic for the first time after five long years, pain and hatred takes over him.Determined to take revenge, Valentine began stalking Dominic only to find out that Dominic had became a fuckboy himself.

Layla was always separated from her pack group, not by her own will. He suffered prejudice from his brothers and parents for not being able to transform into the wolf he was born with. The village at the South Pole is in danger, a new threat surrounds all regions where lunar beings live. And only the strongest Alpha of ancient descent can save them from death, and as a bargain, the elders decide to donate a gift to the lone wolf. Lucien is the last of the lineage of wolves from the ancient clan, called "Mixed Fists" due to the fur of his ancient ancestors. Being the only alpha in his extinct family, he decided to live in the North Pole, alone and without a suitable companion. With the threat of another race killing all the villages of their species, one of them sends a seemingly unrefusable proposal. And now? Will Layla accept this fate so easily? Will Lucien put his loneliness aside to protect those who are no longer part of his new life?

Tobias has always been the Beta, the loyal second-in-command, the enforcer of pack law, and the protector of his Alpha’s family. For years, he’s watched Lily Blackthorn, his Alpha’s sweet, innocent younger sister, grow into a woman. He knows she is forbidden to him, but when she goes into her first heat, the scent of her awakens something dark and primal within him. Tobias fights it. He tries to stay away. But his wolf is relentless, whispering one undeniable truth: She is mine. Lily has always admired Tobias, the brooding, disciplined warrior who guards her brother’s side. But when her heat takes hold, she sees the hunger in his eyes. She feels the pull between them. And she wants to surrender. One night. One forbidden taste. And Tobias is lost. But when the Alpha discovers their betrayal, Tobias is forced to make an impossible choice, fight for the love that could tear the pack apart, or abandon his mate to save himself.

It started with one scandalous kiss caught on camera. She expected damage control not to be declared the girlfriend of the billionaire who ruined her life. He’s cold, calculating, and her ex’s powerful cousin. They agree to fake it for four months for money, for revenge, for survival. She became the fake girlfriend of the billionaire who ruined her life. He’s ruthless. She’s vengeful. Four months. One deal. No feeling But soon, the lies cut deep… and neither of them can tell if the obsession is still pretend. Amira Santis, a sharp-tongued investigative journalist, ruins billionaire Montez De Vitalio’s company with one exposé. In return, he blacklists her. Her career is over. But after an odd encounter when photos of Montez sharing a kiss with her in a hotel gets out, he has no option but to announce her as his lover to the public. Now with them both in a compromising situation, Amira takes his offer to pretend to be his girlfriend in the eyes of the public for a period of four months in exchange that he pays her and gets back at her cheating ex, who also happened to be his cousin but Amira is not the same girl he once destroyed. She has secrets of her own. And Montez? He didn’t plan on falling for the one woman who swore to ruin him. Their lies ignite an obsession neither can control, and soon, love and war become indistinguishable.