vanderbilt the rise and fall of an american dynasty

***This book contains violence, cursing, sexual content, and talk of suicide, enjoy at your discretion.*** I was walking through an unknown foggy forest when I spotted a field of wildflowers. My feet had a mind of their own as they led me to wander through the flowers. I nonchalantly dragged my hands over the flowers. It was a beautiful and serene sight. I deeply inhaled the sweet scent of the flower and gave a little shudder of bliss. I closed my eyes and just absorbed the moment wanting to remember it. Suddenly the sounds of paws hitting the forest floor overwhelmed me. Then the forest was ignited with flames. Everything glowed vibrant oranges and reds as heavy smoke smothered me from above. I threw myself to the ground desperate for any trace of clean air. As I attempted to crawl out of the flowers a new sound harmonized with the thunder paws, screams and howls for help terrorized me. I clawed at the ground desperate to escape the menacing choir. Fire licked my skin and I screamed for help. Sobs escaped my lips as flaming branches fell on me from above. The smell of burning flesh was the only thing that consumed me as everything went dark.

Morrigan Ryker's life has never been peaceful or quiet but she has always had her freedom. As a rogue werewolf she ran through forests and valleys freely, never staying in one place for too long. That is until one day she falls into a trap laid for rogue wolves by the Veil Fang pack. Zephyr Dusk is the Alpha of the Veil Fang pack, a cold-hearted and ruthless man. Everything Morrigan had tried so hard to avoid was all dumped on her,like a bucket of ice cold water,the moment Zephyr Dusk touched her. There was also Celeste Everleigh, Zephyr's ex-girlfriend and wannabe Luna. Who would do anything to make Zephyr hers again and become the Luna of Veil Fang pack. She was a rogue wolf who just wanted to spend her days running free and wild, without responsibilities or obligations. As the secrets behind her extraordinary abilities are unveiled she's faced with many questions about her parents’ identities. With her freedom at stake and a curse hanging over her head could she trust and accept the bond? If she kept running would she stay safe? And with another cunning woman in Zephyr's life is she willing to risk her peace and sanity just to be with him?

Cordelia Johnson‘s life seemed like a bed of roses until fate decided to snatch that from her by killing her parents on their way from the Netherlands in a tragic Boeing 737 plane crash. That was the beginning of Cordelia’s misery. Life began to treat her harshly. Objecting to making the best out of life, she used dirty means to gain money, mingling with a Famous streetwalker. Eventually entwining with the Gang Leader of the twelve eyed dragon clan, Jared Lambert, who she never thought could fall in love with her.

When Sethlzaar, a child of the conisoir, is chosen by a man in a cassock, it is with a confused acceptance that he follows.A life in the priesthood, though for those considered blessed, is no life at all. However, Sethlzaar has nowhere else to be and nothing else to lose. With a new name and a new purpose, he is determined to survive the tests of the seminary as the priests forge him and his new brothers into blades destined to serve as sacrifices to the cause of Truth.In the end, choices will be made, legends born, and loyalties tested.But above all else, Sethlzaar Vi Sorlan will have to face the truth that perhaps he's not as blessed as he'd been led to believe...

The novel is mainly about the forgotten British poet/writer named C. J Richards who lived in Burma/Myanmar in colonial times and he believed himself as a Burmophile. He served as I.C.S (Indian Civil Servant) and when he retired from I.C.S service, he was a D.C (District Commissioner) and he left for England a year before Burma gained its independence in 1948. He came to Burma in 1920 to work in civil service after passing the hardest I.C.S examination. He wrote several books on Burma and contributed many monthly articles to Guardian Magazine published in Burma from 1953 to 1974 or 1975. Though he wrote several books which had much literary merit to both communities, Britain and Burma (Myanmar), people failed to recognize him. The story has two parts: one part is set in the contemporary Yangon (then called Rangoon) in 2016 context and a young literary enthusiast named “Lin” found out unexpectedly the forgotten writer’s poetry book and there is surely a good deal of time gap that led him into a quest to know more about the author’s life. The setting is quite different comparing to colonial Burma and independence Myanmar (Burma), early twentieth century and 2016 which is a transitional period in Myanmar. The writer’s life is fictionalized in the novel and most of the facts are taken from his personal stories and other reference books. It is a kind of historical novel with a twist and it has comparatively constructed the two different periods in Myanmar history to convince readers, locally and abroad more about history, authorship, humanity, colonialism, and transitional development in Myanmar today.

Lyph is notorious killer. She kills for a living. Either good or bad, Innocent or not. She simply doesn't care. Her heart has nothing but emptiness, She is completely heartless. All of this was a result of all the betrayals and hate she experienced in this world. She walked the darkest path, people can't even imagine, she sought for satisfaction through all the things she do to ease her desire, she had long hold unto. Yet unexpectedly she experienced another betrayal which pierced her deep. The noment dhe woke up all her desires disappeared like a bubble, leaving her with nothing but warmth.

Beau Oaklee, is unusual for a Skinwalker, though she does follow most traditions of her people, she refuses to eat the hearts of those who possess a human soul, well except for that one guy whose heart she ate, he was a Skinwalker that deserved it. And of those she ate before she made her oath. Killian Castellani, Alpha King and half Weretiger and Vampire. There are 5 words to describe him. Cold-hearted, mate-less, fierce, loyal, devilishly handsome. Okay make that six, Beau calls him a lumberjack.

Amira Cross’ brother is suffering from an ancient curse that's driving him mad, so she enrolls in Madland the magic academy, under the name of Alice Abbott, searching for a cure. Upon arrival, Amira meets a vampire professor who takes her under his wing. But as Amira delves deeper into the academy's secrets, she realizes that not everything is as it seems. Strange occurrences, eerie whispers, and a growing sense of dread follow her every step. Amira finds herself caught in a web of dark secrets and forbidden desires. With each passing moment, the lines between right and wrong become blurred, leaving her questioning everything she knows about herself and the academy, and if her vampire mentor is really her protector or if he has a sinister agenda of his own. Will Amira find the cure she seeks, or will she become trapped in the darkness of the academy's secrets? Discover the truth in this gripping tale of magic, love, madness, and the pursuit of knowledge.

“Tell me, Thalia, does it hurt to be cast aside, thrown to the wolves?” I laughed harshly, “Is this what it feels like? To be nothing? To be forgotten?” “Ronan… please…” Her voice was so soft, so broken that it almost made me feel sympathy for her, but in an instant, I crushed that emotion. I couldn’t allow her tears to sway me. “Don’t you dare cry,” I spat. “Save your pathetic, fake tears. They mean nothing to me now, just like you should have meant nothing to me then.” Thalia Sinclair was once a respected Luna, but her life fell apart when her mate rejected her and sold her to the cruel Rogue Sovereign. Forced to toughen up, she learned to survive alone, with no one to trust. Ronan Kane has waited for the moment to make Thalia pay for the hurt she caused him. But when their paths cross again, anger and pain mix with something neither of them can deny. Can they overcome their broken pasts, or will their scars keep them apart forever? Betrayal cuts deep. Vengeance burns hotter. Love is the deadliest weapon of all.

In the fifth year of being married to Rick Duncan, I burned down our house. "Wendy Frost, don't think I'll forgive you so easily. I will never love you!" shouted Rick. I sat by the window and looked at him. "You'll regret this, Rick." The next second, a cloud of red mist appeared from the ground. I was left lying in a pool of blood. I suddenly opened my eyes... I was reborn. Three months later, Rick made a call late at night during the day of his wedding with Jennifer Frost. He was sobbing. "Mindy, I regret my decision."