This is a plus length novel--133,000 words. A warrior with a scarred heart who doesn’t know how to love. And the woman who must teach him how before it’s too late… The son of the evil AllFather, Xairn is filled with conflicting emotions. On one hand, he has finally gained his freedom and cut the ties that bound him to his race and the sadistic male who is his father. But doing so has unleashed feelings in him Xairn would rather keep buried. Desires that he prayed would never manifest now rage through him and they are centered on one woman alone… Lauren Jakes is the long lost cousin Liv and Sophie never knew they had. Abducted by the Scourge, she formed a connection with Xairn more meaningful than any other in his life. But though Lauren thinks she knows him, there is more to the huge Scourge warrior than she comprehends. A nightmare childhood and a cruel father have scarred Xairn’s heart almost past the point of healing. But that is nothing to the secret inside him—the forbidden desires coded into his very DNA itself, which urge him to commit unspeakable acts in order to sate his newly awakened hunger. Now a conflict is brewing—both in Xairn’s soul, and aboard the Fathership where the twisted AllFather has hatched a new, malicious plot to bring his estranged son home. Can Xairn resist the brutal lust growing within him? Can he fight against his very nature which urges him to dominate and control any female he mates? Can Lauren heal his heart before the AllFather’s trap closes on both of them? And can she teach him how to love before it’s too late?

**“He’s a joy to us. They all are. When they’re not busy giving us migraines.” ~King Henry** No one ever said raising children was easy...but raising a future monarch? That's another story all-together. Get a glimpse into the happily ever after of Wessco's irresistible royals in *Royally Raised* - a sweet, sexy, heartwarming short story set twenty years after *Royally Matched*.

Ruin wakes up on Earth knowing only one thing: to Judge and Execute. As an Angel of Judgment with no memory of his origins and no ability to communicate, he binds molecularly with Isadore, the first human he comes into contact with. Bestselling Author, Lucian Bane, dominates his spin on the popular Paranormal Romance genre, quickly becoming one of the many masters that rock our beloved book world.

Lily Frazer would do anything to save the Frazer Center for the Arts—even take on the infamous billionaire Calder Cunningham. As it turns out, the arrogant billionaire is willing to give her the money he promised, but there's a catch: she must win it from him.And the games he has in mind aren't exactly... innocent.A sizzling billionaire romance from USA Today bestseller Ember Casey.Trapped with a billionaire in his mysterious mansion... Can she beat him at his own game?Lily Frazer would do anything to save the Frazer Center for the Arts—even take on the infamous billionaire Calder Cunningham. When Lily breaks onto the Cunningham estate, she only wants to find and reason with Calder. (All right, all right, she wants to punch him in the face, too, but that's Plan B.) As it turns out, the arrogant billionaire is willing to give her the money he promised, but there's a catch: she must win it from him.And the games he has in mind aren't exactly... innocent.Lily isn't about to give up the money without a fight (or let some haughty bastard seduce her), but she quickly discovers that there might be more to the brooding Calder than she initially perceived. As their games of cat and mouse become increasingly intense, she suddenly finds herself confused by her own emotions. Can she deny her attraction long enough to win the money she needs?His Wicked Games is a tale of devilish deeds, wild passions, and wicked romance.The Cunningham Family Reading Order:His Wicked GamesTruth or DareSweet VictoryHer Wicked HeartTake You Away Lost and Found Completely (short story)Their Wicked WeddingA Cunningham ChristmasTheir Wicked Forever

*In the Ichidian Universe, The League and their ruthless assassins rule all. Expertly trained and highly valued, the League Assassins are the backbone of the government. But not even the League is immune to corruption . . .* Command Assassin Nykyrian Quikiades once turned his back on the League—and has been hunted by them ever since. Though many have tried, none can kill him or stop him from completing his current mission: to protect Kiara Zamir, a woman whose father’s political alliance has made her a target. As her world becomes even deadlier, Kiara must entrust her life to the same kind of beast who once killed her mother and left her for dead. Old enemies and new threaten them both and the only way they can survive is to overcome their suspicions and learn to trust in the very ones who threaten them the most: each other.

When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years because of Saren's refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment. As food runs low and the days go from broiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed and comfortable. With the arrival outside the tower of Saren's two suitors--one welcome, the other decidedly less so--the girls are confronted with both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows. With Shannon Hale's lyrical language, this little-known classic fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset on the central Asian steppes; it is a completely unique retelling filled with adventure and romance, drama and disguise.

Twenty-four-year-old truck stop waitress and single mother Catherine Wright has simple goals: to give her five-year-old daughter a happy life and to never again be the talk of the town in Balsam, Pennsylvania: population two thousand outside of tourist season. And then one foggy night, on a lonely road back from another failed attempt at a relationship, Catherine saves a man’s life. It isn’t until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has saved: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling. Catherine has already had her fifteen minutes of fame and the last thing she wants is to have her past dragged back into the spotlight, only this time on a national stage. So she hides her identity. It works. For a time. But when she finds the man she saved standing on her doorstep, desperate to thank her, all that changes. What begins as an immediate friendship quickly turns into something neither of them expected. Something that Catherine isn’t sure she can handle; something that Catherine is afraid to trust. Because how long can an extraordinary man like Brett be interested in an ordinary woman like Catherine…before the spark fades?

Only one man could match a lady like this—scandal for scandal. Six years ago, eighteen-year-old Lady Isabella Scranton scandalized all of London by eloping the night of her come-out ball with the notorious rake, Lord Mac Mackenzie. After three turbulent years of marriage, she scandalized London once again—this time by leaving him. Now Mac has resurfaced, every bit as charismatic, and with one goal: to seduce Isabella back into his life and his bed even if it means acting like a real gentleman. But when Isabella rises to the challenge of posing nude for Mac's erotic paintings, her pent-up hunger for the decadent rake is exposed as well, and she finds herself unable to resist the smooth strokes of an artist at work. But someone's been watching them—dangerously close. This ingenious forger with designs on Mac's paintings also sets his sights on Isabella herself. Deciding to become Isabella's protector, Mac vows to never leave her side, whether his independent and proud lady likes it or not.

It's been a year since the hottest au pairs ever saw the Hamptons, and Eliza, Jacqui and Mara have resigned themselves to spending summer apart. But when Eliza's new stepmother finds herself in need of some help, Jacqui and Mara wind up with two first-class tickets to a crazy and hot Hamptons summer.

Be careful what you wish for … you might get more than you ever imagined.I am fifteen years old today! July 19, 2010! My name is Izzabela Jayne Gonzales. I have two sometimes wonderful sisters, Jazamine Nicole and Jacilyne Aubree. I have a brother, Rementon Kolt. My mom is Jacklyne Nicole Gonzales. My father is Benito Paco Gonzales. Today my mother is planning my ‘surprise’ party, that Jazamine ‘accidently’ told me about. Rementon is the only one that has told me happy birthday today. When Jacilyne heard him tell me happy birthday she shouted it, but she really forgot. Oh well she’s only 13. I’m 16. Jazamine is 17. Rementon is 18. Mom is 35, Dad is 36. Kayde, Rementon’s college roommate walked in with this girl wrapped around him. She barely had any clothes on! God I’m jealous Kayde is drop dead sexy, the things I’d do with him!

One guy, one mystery, one very wrong conclusion ...Luca has walked out on his band in the middle of their American tour and headed off to New Orleans. Disgraced gossip columnist Gaby is determined to find out why, while her sister Pris is equally determined to have the best holiday ever.The Accidental Proposal is just under 10,000 words and should take you about 30 minutes to read.Tales from Parker Road (Death, Barbecues and a Toast Rack) consists of four short stories loosely linking residents of Parker Road:Mike and Jenny need to find somewhere to bury a body.Greg and Kate have an argument about the useless stuff Greg insists on buying.Susan tries to keep Roger calm, which isn’t easy, as everything winds him up.Pete accidentally kills Linda's cat. He could confess, or try and cover it up. He decides on a cover-up.

A short story about a man in Poland who finds more than he was expecting."So what do you think that was all about?" Madeleine is the insurance underwriter supervisor and has worked with there as long as Elaine and friends with Shirley for those years. Elaane put up with but did not trust Madeleine. She wondered if she knew more than she let on."All about speaking in riddles. It could have been nice if we knew what he was talking about." Elaine was hoping to draw her you."I guess he figures, if the shoe fits, if too know what I mean." Madeleine was grinning suspiciously.

New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett hits the ice with the story of a playboy athlete whose winning ways lead him to a beautiful woman with a lot to lose. Carolina Cold Fury star Garrett Samuelson never wants to miss out on a single minute of fun. Whether he’s playing hockey, hanging out with friends, or walking the red carpet with a new date on his arm, he lives every day to the fullest. When he meets Olivia Case, he sees someone who’s exactly his type—confident, sexy, smart... his next fling. But the more he pursues her, the more Garrett shares a side of himself that other women don’t normally get to see. Olivia has been keeping a secret. While Garrett lives for the next thrill, Olivia’s not sure she’ll live to see the next day. She’s undergoing treatment for some serious medical issues, and she doesn’t have time for a relationship with no guarantees—especially one with a hot-as-sin womanizer who won’t take no for an answer. But as she gets to know the real Garrett, Olivia can’t help falling for him... hard. To reveal the truth would mean risking everything—but you can’t score without taking the tough shots.

In Ruth Elizabeth Gaskell set out to portray, not 'the Condition of England' already famously addressed in Mary Barton, but the nature and sensibility of a fallen woman. Her orphaned heroine Ruth, apprenticed to a dressmaker, is seduced and then abandoned by wealthy young Henry Bellingham. Shamed in the eyes of society by her illegitimate son, and yet rejecting the opportunity to marry her seducer, Ruth finds a path that affirms we are not bound to repeat our mistakes. When Ruth, Elizabeth Gaskell's second novel, appeared in 1853 its first reviewers were less scandalized than moved and intrigued. In considering a 'fallen woman', Gaskell explores the worlds of nineteenth-century experience concerned with women and family, sexuality, love and religion. She declared of her critics: 'It has made them talk and think a little on a subject which is so painful it requires all one's bravery not to hide one's head like an ostrich.'.

Number Twelve is an urban legend in 2060 New York City. The hot club in the 1960s, it is now reported to be haunted?and cursed. Lieutenant Eve Dallas is called there to investigate the apparent murder of Radcliff Hopkins, its new owner and the grandson of the man who made Number Twelve a cultural icon. Several bullets from a banned gun end his dream of returning the building to its former glory. With everyone around her talking about the supernatural, pragmatic Eve won't let rumors of ghosts distract her from hard evidence. The case becomes even more bizarre when it appears to be linked to the suspicious disappearance of a rock star eighty-five years ago. As Eve searches for the connection, logic clashes with the unexplainable. She may be forced to face the threat of something more dangerous than a flesh-and-blood killer.