Winona State Library Novels & Stories

After three years of marriage, Liora lives in a cold and loveless union. She is neglected by her husband, pressured by her mother-in-law, and forced to constantly yield in order to protect the family’s image. One night becomes the turning point of her life. In a fragile state, Liora is drawn into a mistake with a stranger—never knowing who he truly is. She leaves before morning, convinced that the error will be buried forever. But fate is cruel. The man returns as Ethan—her husband’s brother-in-law. A powerful figure, cold and commanding, impossible to avoid. Their gazes carry secrets. The past becomes a threat. And Liora’s old wounds slowly reopen. As betrayal after betrayal is revealed, Liora stops being a woman who remains silent. Pain transforms into anger. Humiliation turns into resolve. With the help of Ethan—the man who should have never stood by her side—Liora rises. She learns to fight back, to plan her revenge, and to reclaim her dignity. Will Liora’s plan succeed, and how will her love story unfold?

Francisca was only 10 years old when her mother decided to pack hers and Francisca's things and leave their home along with Fran's father and 2 older brothers. Francisca never knew why her mom suddenly took her and left. She didn't understand how her father and brothers wouldn't want to hear from her as her mother suggests. Her mother remarries a year after they left and dies only three years later in a car accident. 2 years after the accident, Francisca's step father, Mathew gets a job in Brooklyn New York. So, now Francisca is going to move to another state and attend a new school. She wasn't expecting much but she definitely didn't expect to see her brothers -who she left behind in California- to be attending the same school as her. They're seniors while she's a sophomore. Will she tell them who she is? Will they figure it out on their own? What will their reactions be?

Ria thought her life was perfect. She had a lovely marriage and a life straight out of a fairy tale. Not until she learned that her husband and her very own sister were cheating on her. In her furious and heartbroken state, Ria promised to herself that she would return and make them all pay. However, it dawned on her that retaliation is impossible without money. Until she meets Luca, the infamously handsome brother of her ex-husband. And Luca could readily provide her help to avenge against those who wronged her with his power and wealth. But there's a steep cost to Luca's deal. And Ria was surprised to find it out. Particularly when Luca says in a low, drunken voice, "I have only one condition in exchange for helping you." "What is it?” Perplexed, Ria inquired. Luca smiles seductively, “Sleep with me, Ria.” Will Ria give up her dignity to accept his offer and fulfill her long-held yearning for revenge, or will she disobey him and risk losing her chance?

Lena thought graduate school would be about focus, discipline, and finally proving to herself that she belonged in the world of academics. Books, research, and long nights in the library—that was the plan. Romance had no place in it. Especially not with the one man who should have been completely off-limits. Professor Jace Carrington is everything Lena was warned about. Brilliant. Confident. Dangerous in his quiet control. His lectures command attention, his presence silences a room, and when his eyes find hers across the crowded lecture hall, she feels both seen and undone. He is a man who draws lines with precision—and a man who knows exactly how to make someone want to cross them. What begins as a spark of curiosity turns into stolen glances, late-night office hours, and conversations that blur the line between mentorship and something far more intimate. Jace’s rules are simple: no one can know, and she always has a choice. But rules are easy to write and far harder to follow. The deeper Lena falls, the more she realizes this isn’t just attraction—it’s obsession, it’s surrender, and it’s freedom all at once. Secrets, however, have a way of surfacing, and on a campus where whispers spread like wildfire, forbidden love can burn everything in its path. Lessons After Dark is a steamy, character-driven romance filled with power, temptation, and the dangerous pull of a secret relationship. For readers who crave tension, intimacy, and the thrill of crossing every line you were told not to, this story will keep you turning pages long after the lights go out.

Synopsis After the arrest of Astor Giovanni, the Giovanni twins are thrown into a state of turmoil. Sapphire and Sophia have to make a desperate choice to get their father released from prison or see their family legacy go down the drain. Sophia, the ever loyal daughter, makes a pact with Alessandro King; a ruthless mafia boss who is hell bent on avenging his parents death. The deal is to get Astor out in exchange for the freedom of Sapphire. Thrusted into Alessandro’s world as a maid and later on his unwilling fiancée. Sapphire is meant to embrace the dangers of leaving with Alessandro while hoping for Sophia to come get her. But as her stay with Alessandro gets prolonged, she discovers that she is not actually the legitimate child of Astor and that she is indeed the rightful heir to the Giovanni empire. When Sophia’s betrayal deepens and Sapphire gets kidnapped by one of Alessandro’s rivals, Alessandro and Sapphire are left with options to end their union but not before the final fight. In the chaos of revenge and shattered trusts, Alessandro and Sapphire finds something unexpected which is the longing to be together but will the chaos deepen their bond or will it cause some form of conflict between them?

In Valeburn, Atlanta’s most dangerous block, power doesn’t pass hands—it’s taken with blood. And no one understands that more than Jayce Navarro, the razor-sharp kingpin who built his empire brick by brick, silence by silence. He rules with cold precision, a name whispered like a gun being cocked—until the ghost of his past returns with vengeance on his breath. Eli Mercer is no longer the soft-eyed teen Jayce once kissed beneath the chapel steps. Fresh from the feds and wrapped in scars, Eli returns to the block with one purpose: burn down the throne that forgot him. But when fate—and the city’s shifting underworld—forces them into an uneasy alliance, old feelings smolder beneath their armor. Lust tangles with rage. Loyalty with betrayal. And love? It’s the most dangerous weapon of all. As enemies circle from the inside and the state threatens to dismantle Jayce’s entire operation, he and Eli must decide what’s worth saving—their empires, their reputations… or each other. But in Valeburn, every crown is cursed. And every favor comes with fire.

[ON HOLD AND UNDERGOING HEAVY REVISION] Go ahead and check out my other complete and ongoing books. I personally recommend Marked by Moonlight and Contracted for the Alpha. You can thank me later. 😉 It is a time when all supernatural beings are believed to be extinct. After the Raven war between supernatural creatures and humans - wherein humans won the war - what was left of the supernatural community went into deep hiding, using any means necessary to blend into the shadows - which was why when Nate decided to save a soft human girl in danger, he didn't bargain for the shit storm that was about to hit him and his pack brothers. When trouble comes knocking at Nate Bane and his pack of four, they didn't know their little underground world was about to be upended by the girl Nate saved, who is also the only daughter of General Reid - the most powerful supernatural hunter in the state - and has fate would have it, Nate's Mate. Follow the Bane pack as they try to survive a world set against them while fighting for their fate, their mates, and a place in the world again.

My wife, Wendy Sinclair, has a severe sleepwalking disorder. After she falls asleep, she always wanders out in a state of unconsciousness. The night before our wedding, she disappears without a word. I have no choice but to postpone our wedding. Only then does she walk out of her childhood friend's house next door, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Afraid I might overthink, she cries and apologizes to me. "There's no cure for my condition. From now on, just tie me up when I sleep, okay?" I feel sorry for her, so I just change the door lock to make sure she cannot go out. But in the middle of the night, I wake up and see her standing on the edge of the balcony. She climbs in through the window and goes into her childhood friend's house again. Soon, suggestive and intimate sounds come from inside. My blood runs cold. Her sleepwalking isn't an illness at all—it is out of love.

Unnatural murders have accumulated in the suburban area of Leonska State. The bizarre details of each murders confined the state police inside a hopeless predicament and as they widen their investigation it, the possibility of catching the perpretrator slowly died down. The police force knew that it would not take long before the case goes cold and unsolved. Paige Morsen, the sagacious, resilient, and the only female detective under the Homicide Unit received the approval of taking the case under her control. Despite the chauvinism she receives and invalidation from the police men in their force, she continued following the sketchy tracks of the killer, hoping she would mark the case as closed before the frantic race of the time would end. As she dives in towards the deep and twisted mind of the killer, she finds herself trapped inside a horrific cat-and-mouse chase with no other possible way out other than executing the killer himself. Would she be able to serve the justice? Or would it take another victim to again disappear before she could call it a case-closed?

On the day that should have been her fairytale, Estelle was shattered. At the altar, her mate, Alpha Elias, looked her in the eye and said the words that destroyed her world: “I reject you.” In front of the entire pack, Elias turned away choosing her twin sister, Anette, as his Luna instead. Her father, ashamed of her wolf-less state, stripped Estelle of her birthright and named Anette the heiress. Betrayed by her mate, her family, and her blood… Estelle lost everything. But fate wasn’t done with her yet. Hunted as a rogue and cast aside as worthless, Estelle crossed paths with the ruthless Alpha Zen—the enemy of her pack and the last man she should trust. He saw her as a weapon, a bargaining chip for revenge. Until he discovered her secret. Until he realized she was never weak...she was born to rule. Now, Estelle must decide if will she rise from the ashes as the Rejected Heiress… or let betrayal break her forever?