When Tammy Miller is forced to live in Ashville Manor, she quickly learns that nothing is quite as it seems.“A vampire?” Tammy said slowly, not really sure how to make sense of it. He didn't look like anything she had read about. His skin was a little too pale, but so was hers. He didn't have weird looking eyes or fangs. She reached out and pressed her hand on his chest. His heart was beating just like hers. Dante watched her reaction, he knew she was checking him out. Trying to figure out if he was about to jump her and suck her body dry. He wasn't like that, that was just fiction written in books by people who had no idea about real vampires.Her hand moved from his chest and gently touched his hand; his skin wasn't cold. He was definitely living and not dead. Weren't vampires Immortal?? She leaned a little closer. “Your not dead!”

In 1861, Luke visited Savannah and fell in love with Julia. Chester was a bitter rival for Julia's attention. Then the war started and Luke returned home to New York. In Dec. 1864 Sherman's army is camped outside Savannah and Luke, a Yankee spy, is back. Chester lost his leg assaulting the Water Witch and is just a bartender in a blockaded backwater cotton port named Coffee Bluff. Or is he?1861: While visiting family friends in Savannah, Luke fell in love with a girl named Julia Branch. Chester Baker, a local young man about town, was a bitter rival for her time and attention. Unfortunately for Luke, her banker father rejected him; it seems Luke's family back in upstate New York wasn't wealthy enough. Then the war started.December 1864: Sherman's army is camped outside Savannah and Luke is back. He was crippled at Kennesaw Mountain, but is a Yankee spy and has been tasked with gaining information about Fort McAllister which is Sherman's next target. Chester lost a leg assaulting the Water Witch and is now a bartender in a broken down saloon in a blockaded cotton port named Coffee Bluff.

Hope Erickson, a Blackhawk pilot, and Nick Cunningham, an army ranger, renews their acquaintance on the battlefields of Iraq. Will they risk their hearts to one another or does fate have other plans in store for them?Hope Erickson, a Black Hawk pilot, and Nick Cunningham, an army ranger, renews their acquaintance on the battlefields of Iraq. He was a bully while she was the chubby girl with braces he and his friends picked on in school.Hope has changed though, and Nick wants a chance to convince her so has he. Will they risk their hearts to one another or does fate have other plans in store for them?

John is in a great relationship with his partner until the day she disappears. His friends and the locals turn against him, thinking that he has done something wrong. Luckily he befriends somebody who takes him for who he is. However, he is in for a shock and an ending that he did not expect.I see a burger joint around the corner. I turn on that corner and I head towards the drive thru. I start to pull up to the microphone so they can take my order. I get up to the microphone and I order some hamburgers and fries and some chicken nuggets.The guy, I hear at the microphone, he tells me to pull up to the drive thru window. I slowly pull up to the drive thru window and look at that window. The window is so big someone can fit through it. I turn off my car, thinking it will be awhile. I see there are no customers in the restaurant part of the place. I start to feel weird. Just that quick, a guy grabs me out of my car and pulls me through the drive thru window. I scream and struggle, but to no use. He sets me down on a chair, inside this restaurant.He says, “I need you to save my planet. You were meant to be here. This small town doesn’t really exist.” I look at him like; he has just grown two heads. I say, “Did you have to grab me like that; you scared the crap out of me. You’re lucky, I didn’t bring a long my baseball bat. I would have hit you.”

Duke and Wilt fly from the United States to Greece in search of the Heart of Aphrodite. Meanwhile, the Cult of Aphrodite is mobilizing as well. As Duke tries to gather leads on where the Heart might be located he finds that living with the curse is becoming increasingly difficult.In December 2015, I started a free monthly competition challenging my blog visitors to provide me with prompts for me to choose my favourite and write their story in around 500 words. The three pieces published here are the winning prompts submitted from 16th December to 15th January, as well as those that came second and third in that month. The prompts supplied can be found at the end of each story.The winning story, 'A Handle at One End, a Spout at the Other' features Danny and Penny, and is about two friends, a grandmother's will, a silver teapot and an abandoned shopping trolley stuck in the sand, one wheel running for its life but destined to never go anywhere other than the scrapyard if Mickey O’Flanagan got hold of it.The second-placed story, 'Don't Cry, Don't Cry', is of a couple, Mara and Jaime, skiing late in the season but making a pitstop of a Café Allongé and petit pain au chocolate, their encounter with a French family, and Mara trying to keep her composure.'Sweeping the Coast', the third-placed story, features Hugh, a disillusioned deutanope (he suffered with red-green colourblindness) whose escape to the coast doesn't go according to plan... not that he had one.

Young and free-spirited, Luciana longed to escape the superficial glitter of London and embrace the romance of Venice as her mother had done twenty years before. Now, like an irresistible enchantment, the Great City of Canals beckoned the tall, raven-haired beauty, who seemed to know she must follow in her mother's footsteps to discover her own heart's desire. As a bold adventuress, Luciana arrived in strife-torn Italy embarked on a secret mission. Searching for the mysterious Tonetti, fleeing sinister General Eisenhoph, she had no sooner arrived than she was enmeshed in a web of intrigue and danger - danger that stirred her heart and marked her destiny with the reckless daring that made her the Demon Count's daughter.

Freya Beauchamp is trapped in 1692, in Salem of all places, with no recollection of her past. A powerful enemy spell has sent her spiraling away so that she is separated by centuries from her mother, Joanna, and sister, Ingrid. This is not good news for a twenty-first-century witch. Not to mention the immediate threat she faces from the wealthy and influential Putnam family. When little Annie Putnam is one of the first to make accusations of witchcraft, her landowner father jumps at the opportunity to consolidate his power and expand his holdings in Puritan Salem Town. If Freya is caught using magic, she will be forced to relive the witch trials, and this time, her immortality will be in question. Meanwhile, twenty-first-century North Hampton has its own snares. Joanna and Norm consult the Oracle for advice, and Freddie and his pixie allies search for a missing totem that could reopen the passages of time and help bring his sister home. When Ingrid bumps into an old flame, she finds that her new love for Detective Matt Noble is in doubt. Moving between past and present, with dizzying plot twists and page-turning suspense, Winds of Salem is sure to bewitch fans old and new.

Tansy Bell, is the middle daughter of the three Bell sisters. She has always been a little different, even for a Bell. A chameleon, she can change her appearance and personality to blend in almost anywhere. She uses this talent to bring some of the worse criminals in the world to justice. Mak ‘Tag Krell Manok is the wild one of his four brothers. He is known for his hot temper, fierce strength, and skills as a warrior. Few men in any galaxy dare to challenge him and live. Frustrated at his failure to find females compatible with a Prime male, he returns to his home world only to discover his oldest brother has found his bond mate – in an unusual species known as a human. What is even more astonishing is his reaction to an image of his brother’s bond mate’s sister. Mak has set a new course – for Earth and the female that stirs his blood to fire! But first, he has to find her. Next, he has to convince her she belongs to him. If all else fails, he will just take her, after all, she is delicate, fragile, and no match for a Prime warrior. What he doesn’t expect is to find her in trouble and fighting for her life. Now, he must save her before it is too late. But, even then there is no guarantee that she will come with him. For this small, fragile female has the strength and determination of twenty Prime males and values her independence. Mak is about to learn that big trouble can come in very small packages and size is often a misconception because there is one female in the universe not afraid to stand up to him – even if she is afraid to love him. Can he keep her alive long enough to realize she is the perfect mate for an untamed warrior or will the men determined to kill her take not only her life but his as well?

Shane Maxton is front man for New York City’s popular rock band, Mad World. But he has secrets; he’s not what everybody thinks he is. He comes from an ancient world, from a different time, when angels walked among men. Read the story, through Shane’s eyes, of his forbidden love, his fall from grace and his inner turmoil from living with the irrational emotions of being human. Disclaimer #1: This is the story of Mad World Books 1 & 2, Fall From Grace and Saving Grace, written through the point of view of Shane Maxton. IT IS THE SAME Love STORY of Grace and Shane. It’s just Shane’s turn to tell it to you, it’s everything you’ve read before and a whole lot more. Disclaimer #2: This story contains rock and roll, angels doing naughty things, violence, cursing, drinking alcohol, substance abuse, sexual situations, and irritating scenes that will make you want to hurl your eReader or book out the window. It’s not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.

To escape a scheme to marry her off to a dishonorable man, Margaret Macy flees London disguised as a housemaid. If she can remain unwed until her next birthday, she will receive an inheritance, and with it, sweet independence. But she never planned on actually working as a servant. And certainly not in the home of Nathaniel and Lewis Upchurch--both former suitors. As she fumbles through the first real work of her life, Margaret struggles to keep her identity secret when suspicions arise and prying eyes visit Fairbourne Hall. Can she avoid a trap meant to force her from hiding? Brimming with romance and danger, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall takes readers inside the fascinating belowstairs world of a 19th-century English manor, where appearances can be deceiving.

Amy is hot on a story as she tries to discover what life is like for teenage girls living on the street. Discovering the truth lands her in a world of vampires and werewolves that she never dreamed existed.Amy is hot on a story as she tries to discover what life is like for teenage girls living on the street. When her disguise almost gets her killed, she’s saved by one of New York’s most eligible bachelors. His private life is filled with secrets and his story sparks Amy’s interest. Discovering the truth lands her in a world of vampires and werewolves that she never dreamed existed. She also didn't dreamed she could truly love a man or vampire but Marcus shows her the light. Now the two must fight the one person who can destroy their chance at love. With the help of Marcus’ clan of werewolves the war begins.

Tails and Fixers is a Sci-Fi novel that deals with survival on a far distant hostile world. In the end it is a love story with both sorrow and great hope.Tails and Fixers is a Sci-Fi novel that deals with survival on a far distant hostile world. In the end it is a love story with both sorrow and great hope.Floyd was slowly dying and was given the chance to live; if he would agree to be an emissary from Earth. He is sent on a one way mission to a distant world in return for the promise of restored health from a secret stem cell treatment. He and his computer partner arrive fifty Earth years later only to find a planet which had been decimated by a major asteroid strike. The only survivors live in the Sanctuary deep below a mountain. The ruling council finds the idea of democracy a threat to the stability of the Sanctuary. Floyd is evicted from the Sanctuary to an expected death from the elements. Lina with her long fluffy tail, and Tesla a fixer, were to be eliminated in order to sanitize the thinking within the Sanctuary. With the help of the other fixers they escape and join Floyd in his struggle for survival.

Wannabe actress Stevie Stone had to earn some fast money. Harriet Hollywood’s Repossession Company seemed like an easy gig, you grab the stuff and go. What could go wrong? Turns out, a lot. Now someone wants her dead. With the help of Hector her mothering partner with a donut obsession, her over protective ex-boyfriend Bryan and her hot new mentor Manuel, she tries to outwit her assassins.Wannabe actress Stevie Stone had to earn some fast money. Harriet Hollywood’s Repossession Company seemed like an easy gig, you grab the stuff and go. What could go wrong? Turns out, a lot. Now someone wants her dead. With the help of Hector her mothering partner with a donut obsession, she tries to outwit her assassins. To complicate matters, her over protective ex-boyfriend, Bryan, who just happens to be the assistant district attorney, goes to any length short of locking her up to protect her. The chaos continues when Stevie meets Manuel who becomes her reluctant mentor and sometimes life saver, who in all likelihood is a contract killer, or just a hot guy who is very handy with a gun. Stevie has to race against time as the hit man wants his payday and will stop at nothing to ensure she ends up dead.

Brenna is a neonatal nurse who burns out after caring for too many dying babies. After evaluating her life, she buys an old house on the coast in hope of recovering. She begins to dream about a mother who has lost her baby and wonders if her house is haunted or if some other force is at work. After falling for an EMT who involves her in more medical crises, she has to decide what's most important.Brenna Callahan is a neonatal nurse in Portland, a job she has always loved. But when one too many patients die, she burns out and realizes she can't return to the NICU. With the help of her best friend Molly, she reevaluates her life and decides to move to the ocean to recover. Brenna is having a good time renovating her "new" old house when she begins to have dreams of a mother losing her baby and wonders if her house is haunted or if a different force is at work. She has suffered from nightmares about babies at work and her parents' plane crash, but these dreams seem different. She gradually "adopts" a retriever and three cats who find their way into her heart and brighten her life. Along the way, she becomes attracted to Adam, a firefighter EMT who exposes her to stressful medical situations once again. In the end, she has to reevaluate her life yet again and decide if love is enough.

The Bridge to Holy Cross is a powerful story of love and hope - a passionate and epic love story from the Russian-born author of The Bronze Horseman. Tatiana is 18 years old and pregnant when she miraculously escapes war-torn Leningrad to the West, believing herself to be a widow. Her husband, Major Alexander Belov, a decorated hero of the Soviet Union, has been arrested by Stalinｴs infamous secret police and is awaiting imminent death as a traitor and a spy. Tatiana begins her new life in America. In wartime New York City she finds work, friends and a life beyond her dreams. However, her grief is inescapable and she keeps hearing Alexander calling out to her. Meanwhile, Alexander faces the greatest danger heｴs ever known. An American trapped in Russia since adolescence, he has been serving in the Red Army and posing as a Soviet citizen to protect himself. For him, Russiaｴs war is not over, and both victory and defeat will mean certain death. As World War Two moves into its final violent phase, Tatiana and Alexander are surrounded by the ghosts of their past and each other. They must struggle against destiny and despair as they find themselves in the fight of their lives. A master of the historical epic, Paullina Simons takes us on a journey across continents, time and the entire breadth of human emotion, to create a heartrendingly beautiful love story that will live on long after the final page is turned. - The Bridge To Holy Cross (Aka Tatiana And Alexander) By Paullina Simons (Paperback)