Year Of The Fire Horse

For six years of marriage, Cyran Valehart and I lived with measured respect, as if we were partners holding the same scale in perfect balance. For the sake of my equestrian career, I refused to have children. He shouldered the gossip, endured the judgment, and stood beside me without hesitation. But when I rode into what should have been my final international competition, he went back home with his first love—her hand resting protectively over her swollen belly. "All these years, you chose the horses over me," he spat. "That damned competition meant more to you than our family ever did." His voice shook with righteous anger, but his next words cut far deeper. "Six years ago, I abandoned Celia once. Now she carries my child. I won't betray her again." In that instant, my marriage became nothing but a title. I was reduced to a wife in name only, a figurehead in his home, a shadow he no longer cared to see. During the very competition meant to crown my life's work, Cyran laced a sharp needle beneath my saddle, each stride of my horse a fresh stab of pain meant to break us both. I lost the match. My horse collapsed with a shattered leg. And in that fall, my dream and my marriage were crushed together—ruined by the very man who once swore to protect them. Later, he paid with everything he had, desperate to make amends. But no matter what he sacrificed, Cyran Valehart was already behind me, nothing more than a ghost I would never turn to face again.

“The most important clause in our marriage contract is that we are not to have children,” my husband stared at me closely, fire burning in his eyes. “This is supposed to be a five-year contract, five year and that’s it,” he continued, “I thought we agreed on that. No children to tie us down, then we part ways.” “I know that, and I completely agree!” Then he took every single condom out of the nightstand. He inspected them carefully, tossing each one aggressively on the bed as he did so. They were all the same. Full of tiny holes. “Then how do you explain that?” he snarled, his voice dripping with accusation.

My live-in husband used my family’s influence to climb all the way to the position of Deputy Fire Chief. Throughout our five years of marriage, he has stood me up on every anniversary by using work as his excuse. This year, he finally agreed to celebrate our anniversary with me. But he only did so out of guilt. He had manipulated me into staying abroad to handle matters for him, which made me miss saying goodbye to my sister while she was dying in childbirth. The dinner was just his way of pretending to be sorry. As our dishes were served, my husband saw a news report about a fire at a top-tier postpartum care center downtown. He immediately ditched me and rushed to the scene. The fire station headquarters was just one block over! And he had specifically taken leave that week. I accidentally answered a call on his personal phone, and that was when I realized why he had been away from me most of the time. This man would not even buy me a cheap birthday gift, yet he had spent a packet to book a stay at a postpartum center for his mistress! I had to see for myself what kind of woman would have him so spellbound. I was determined to make him pay back every single item he had gotten from the Grant family, with interest.

What does the underboss of an infamous crime family have in common with a spirited primary school teacher? Absolutely nothing, except a marriage of convenience, of course. When Lionel Tyson defaults on a gambling debt and offers his most prized possession as collateral, Austin Hawthorne is underwhelmed. But in desperate need of a housekeeper and permanent child minder, he knows he’d be an idiot to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, against his better judgement, he accepts an offer he should absolutely refuse. Marybeth Tyson is horrified to learn that not only is her father wanted by loan sharks, but he has also sold her off to a mafia boss. Bound by duty and pushed by guilt, she agrees to give Austin Hawthorne one year of her life, despite common sense screaming at her to run the other way. After all, how hard can pretending to be madly in love with someone be? It’s all fun and games until play pretend becomes all too real, and an earth-shattering secret from Austin’s past comes to light, threatening to destroy his second chance at love with his dogged pursuit for answers. Betrayal, especially at the hands of his older brother Blake and long-time friend, Andrei Ivanov, is a bitter pill to swallow for Austin, and letting them off scot-free is not an option. Driven by his unquenchable thirst for revenge, Austin will stop at nothing to get to the truth, even if it means destroying decade-old friendships and fragile ties to The Corporation. 2022 Val Sims. All rights reserved. No part of this novel may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author and publishers.

All her life, Catori Murdock was told what to do. How to act, how to speak and who to marry. But she never listens to the words of her mother, knowing that she is just backwards and stuck in the olden days. Where she thinks all a female is good for is to get married and take care of her family. Catori knew she had her own destiny, she just didn't know what it was yet. That was until she decides to become a nun and learnt some daunting information about the small one horse, snowy town she lives in. Dragons are real, she is one of them and her mate lives in the very mountains the chef tells everyone to stay away from. Will Catori be able to be with her mate? Or will she be forced to watch his execution?

"Kaelen you coward!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the wind, "Come out here and face me like a man!" Soon after, his ranks began to part. "Selene, my love." He said with a small smile. "Am I safe to assume this is your oh so terrible attempt at surrender?" I gave a smile of my own. "Oh, darling no. I just wanted you to take one long look at my face. I want to have the chance to look you in the eyes when I say this: this here is the last face you're going to see before you die." With that, I turned my horse and headed behind my banners. “Prepare the lines,” I called, ready for the war to begin. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Blurb: On the night Selene was to be crowned Luna, her fated mate, the Alpha she had loved since childhood, publicly chose another. Before the entire pack, he marked a foreign princess, casting Selene aside as “unworthy.” Betrayed, humiliated and stripped of her son, Selene swore she would avenge. When a rival Alpha, Draven of the Shadowfangs, offers her his hand, Selene accepts... not for love, but for revenge. Their union is dangerous, defiant, and forbidden… yet the fire between them is undeniable. Now Selene is no longer the abandoned mate. She's a rising queen, torn between a cursed bond to the man who betrayed her and the intoxicating passion of the enemy who would burn the world for her. But war is coming. The mate bond aches, the Moon Goddess herself schemes against her, and her son is trapped in the hands of her ruthless ex. To survive, Selene must shatter destiny itself… even if it means defying gods, breaking bonds, and destroying the Alpha who once claimed her. This isn’t fate. This is war.

After a 12-year absence, Austin returns to the horse farm in Wyoming she has always considered her true home. But things have changed, and the farm she inherited comes with some enemies - one of them being the Carter family. Cortland Carter now handles his family's affairs and is determined to get the water rights back from his neighbor, who won them from his grandfather in a poker game. Fate has a funny way of bringing people together, and when Austin saves Cortland's niece, the two finally meet. Despite the feud between their families, they both feel a mutual attraction that cannot be denied. But with their families at odds, is there any hope for a future together? "Coming Home" is a heartwarming tale of love and betrayal.

**Her Rock Sequel** Agape: noun. 1. The highest form of love. Selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love; persists no matter the circumstance. One year later Ella and Declan are seniors. One year later Julian is locked up and Hayes is nowhere in sight. One year later Ella and Declan believe they can breathe again without having to glance over their shoulders every other second. This year Ella Emerson has rekindled her love for soccer after facing her past that tragically tore her apart. She has Declan Anderson by her side, the boy who mended her shattered pieces, and the same boy she's given her whole heart to. At last, life is safe again, their love is growing by the second, and now all they have to worry about is loads of homework. Or so they thought. As days pass, peculiar things begin to happen. But when these peculiar things become a pattern can they really keep brushing them off as coincidences? It doesn't take long until the past they thought they conquered sneaks up on them and begins to fiddle with their relationship. Lies arise, fights kindle, tension flares. Will they be able to take each individual punch thrown at them? Or will they crumble when things surpass the limits of difficult? * He then looks into my eyes, his face displaying all kinds of emotions. "Thank you," He whispers. "You're my Ellie, you know that right?" His thumb brushes along my face, setting fire ablaze wherever he touches. "Always my Ellie." My Ellie. Words don't seem to come out, my mouth agape. Always.

My bones felt as if they were on fire, my body was burning, my throat hurts and my eyes felt as if it was about to be pulled out of my skull. I've never been this sick before in my life. Something was happening to me, I was sure of that. My teeth were clenched together and I was scared that I might not made it to the morning. *********************************************It all started in the year 1104, when Tiana Sargon betrayed our race. We were all cursed and we've been ruled by the wicked vampire king, Amara Conrad, who sees us as nothing but animals. Eight princesses had came and fought but they all losed to him. Now it's my turn, I am the last princess

Humiliated, assaulted, broken and nearly murdered, the naive 22 year old Ariel is forced to run in the dark of the night, blood gushing down her legs, dizzy and all alone, to save her unborn twins. But it doesn't end there. She strikes back! Like gold out of fire, she rises harder, tougher, and absolutely breathtaking in her beauty. But did not return for mere revenge. She is out for blood, and full blown war. Fully backed by her new husband, the most important chairman in the country, she leaves her morality and conscience on the altar of god Karma to begin her revenge spree. The tragedies that follow are inevitable. Will true love save and heal her, or will revenge lead her to complete destruction?