Excerpt: ...every two touches of his brush, in order to have made the finished picture such a visible prayer as we behold it, in the guise of a prim angel, or a saint without the human nature. Through all these dusky centuries, his works may still help a struggling heart to pray. Perugino was evidently a devout man; and the Virgin, therefore, revealed herself to him in loftier and sweeter faces of celestial womanhood, and yet with a kind of homeliness in their human mould, than even the genius of Raphael could imagine. Sodoma, beyond a question, both prayed and wept, while painting his fresco, at Siena, of Christ bound to a pillar. In her present need and hunger for a spiritual revelation, Hilda felt a vast and weary longing to see this last-mentioned picture once again. It is inexpressibly touching. So weary is the Saviour and utterly worn out with agony, that his lips have fallen apart from mere exhaustion; his eyes seem to be set; he tries to lean his head against the pillar, but is kept from sinking down upon the ground only by the cords that bind him. One of the most striking effects produced is the sense of loneliness. You behold Christ deserted both in heaven and earth; that despair is in him which wrung forth the saddest utterance man ever made, "Why hast Thou forsaken me?" Even in this extremity, however, he is still divine. The great and reverent painter has not suffered the Son of God to be merely an object of pity, though depicting him in a state so profoundly pitiful. He is rescued from it, we know not how

Includes Dragon Kin:3. What a Dragon Should Know 4. Last Dragon Standing5. The Dragon Who Loved Me 

Daria Wilkers appears to be a diligent, studious, high school student. However, no one would guess that her thoughts are clouded with infatuation. She appears to be taking notes in class, when she is only writing the name of her latest crush. Daria, is confronted by her Chemistry teacher, Mr. Beland, about her starry eyed gaze, as he is concerned she is failing his class...Most days start off as normal days. At least that’s what little Lenny Helzerman thinks. He thinks that there aren’t any good or bad days—it’s just the stuff that happens during the day that makes it good or bad or memorable or forgettable. Little Lenny Helzerman doesn’t expect anything more from one day than he does any other day and he doesn’t give anything more to one day than he does any other day. It is all the same. And this suits him just fine.

Final installment in the best-selling Hat Trick series. It’s been twenty years since Simon Roberts and Alex Miller became boyfriends. Now they’re back where it began to pay tribute to a smashed losing streak, a retiring coach, and a lost friend. As old teammates reunite, it’s a time to honor their past while Simon and Alex prepare to embark on another part of their happily ever after.Final installment in the best-selling Hat Trick seriesIt’s been twenty years since Simon Roberts and Alex Miller became boyfriends. Now they’re back where it began to pay tribute to a smashed losing streak, a retiring coach, and a lost friend.As old teammates reunite, it’s a time to honor their past while Simon and Alex prepare to embark on another part of their happily ever after.NOTE: If you haven't read any of the Hat Trick books, be warned there are spoilers all over the place in this freebie! So do yourself a favor and pick up one of the other titles in this series first and see what all the buzz is about!

Age gaps are taboo, but love doesn't care if someone is thirty or fifteen. A young man finds himself loving a young, rebellious punk of a girl and fearing his own emotions in the process. Can love really eat you alive when you do not act on it? Jem has no idea, but he fears that it will.Jem wasn't interested in having a parter, but the moment the bad-mouthing teenaged Lo Grant came kicking into his store, Jem found himself loving someone he should not. He never expected to be in love, let alone with a young girl half his age and now his own feelings make him rethink every word he says. Can he love this girl, or will the haunting memories of quotes from Nobakov's famous Lolita stop him from even living his own life?

Taken By Surprise. Five strangers with paranormal abilities are taken from their homes and told that they are needed to fight for their country using their special powers. But are they being told the truth, or are the people who have taken them lying? Are they being trained to fight for America, or against it? This is a story of loss, love, action and suspense.Taken By Surprise (Taken Trilogy #1)Five strangers scattered across America have three things in common with each other.One: They each have special abilities that shouldn’t be possible.Two: They’ve all just had people try to kill them.Three: They’ve all just been kidnapped and taken away from their homes, families and friends.Their lives will never be the same as they’re taken to a government facility and told that their abilities mean that they must train to become soldiers and fight. But are they being told the truth? Or is something more sinister going on? They must learn to trust each other and decide if they should stay on this path or escape from it. Either way there is no going back.NA Paranormal ActionProfessionally edited by C&D Editing.Approx. 130,000 wordsBook one the Taken Trilogy.Language: ModerateContains adult themes, recommended for ages 15+

A Romance Writers of America RITA finalist for Best Regency Romance *The Rogue... A master spy with the face of a fallen angel and a darkly heroic past, Lord Robert Andreville returns to his ancestral home in Yorkshire after a dozen harrowing years spying against Napoleon. But nothing soothes his ravaged spirit until a determined young beauty sweeps into his life. ...and the Runaway Half Mohawk and all American, Maxima Collins is a wary stranger in a strange land, but she will let nothing halt her journey to London to learn the truth about her father's sudden death-not even a self-appointed guardian who is all lazy charm and dangerous skill.Together they travel across England, evading pursuers and circling each other in a dance of desire, where truth is elusive and only passion is sure. Then dark secrets shatter their idyll-and only love has the power to heal the past.

**Some love is rare… All love is precious… The fourth part in the New York Times bestselling Blackstone Affair series, brings the continuing story of Ethan and Brynne, two damaged souls fighting for a hard-won love, and now the promise of a new hope to secure their happily ever after.** Fresh from an idyllic honeymoon along the Italian coast, the Blackstones prepare for the birth of their precious baby while facing the challenges of settling into a new home and married life. But when specters from the past resurface, so do their lingering doubts. Fears about those things they struggle to understand about each other, threaten the very foundation of their relationship. The story of two souls who both need the other in order to be complete… A husband and a wife who learn just how rare their love truly is when faced with losing it… Two lovers who will have to lay bare their darkest fears so that they may find peace… Ethan and Brynne are fighting harder than ever for each other…

She’s been tempting us for longer than she knows. Now it’s time to find out what happens when you cross the law. Samantha: Getting pulled over is the last thing I need after I find out my scumbag of a fiancé is cheating on me. But that’s before I see the cops who step out of that squad car. They’re dangerously gorgeous - rough looking and tattooed, not to mention dominant and demanding. Even more, the way they look at me stirs something dark inside of me that’s just dying to get out. And I know I should be scared, or furious at their rough, hands-on treatment when they make me bend over the hood of the car and submit. I know I definitely shouldn’t be turned on when they cuff my hands behind my back and put their filthy hands on me. And I definitely shouldn’t want them to keep going. I definitely shouldn’t want more… Blake/Dustin: We’ve had our eyes on her for longer than she knows. It was our job to watch her - seeing her at her most vulnerable, at her most intimate. And now we’re obsessed. Now we’re consumed with the primal need to have her and make her ours. She might not be the criminal we’re after, but she’s wrapped up in this now, and there’ll be no denying us the sweet, innocent prize we’ve been dying to put our dirty hands on. Come hell or high water, Samantha Caraway will submit to us. Both of us. And not even the law we uphold will stand in our way. Flirting With The Law is a quick and filthy book involving two utterly obsessed alpha heroes, one sassy heroine, and enough insta-love, steam, and sugary-sweetness to make your Kindles melt. This mfm romance is all about her – no m/m. If you love over-the-top, slightly unrealistic, and wildly dirty stories, this one’s for you! HEA with NO CHEATING! For a very limited time, this book now also features two other stories of mine. Twice Bossed and Bossed Three Times are included in the back of this book as special thank you for picking up this new release edition!

Sassy Cyd Charisse returns in Shrimp, the “compelling…and light-hearted” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) sequel to the sharp and funny novel Gingerbread. If Cyd Charisse knows one thing, it’s that Shrimp is her true love. Shrimp, the hottest pint-size surfer-artist in San Francisco. That boy (as her mother called him), who was the primary cause of Cyd being grounded to Alcatraz, formerly known as her room. The boy who dumped Cyd before she left home to spend the summer in New York City. Now it’s the start of senior year. Cyd has changed, but maybe Shrimp has changed too—and maybe Cyd and Shrimp will need to get to know each other all over again to figure out if it’s for real. Can Cyd get back together with Shrimp and keep the peace with her mom? And can she get a life outside of her all-encompassing boy radar? This sequel to Gingerbread has all the sharp humor and searing attitude of the original, which ELLEgirl praised as “not just Another Teen Novel” and Teen People called “unforgettable.” In Shrimp, Cyd might be a little older and a little wiser, but she’s still the same irrepressible free spirit determined to find her own way in the world, on her own terms.

What’s sexier than a man in uniform? A whole precinct full of them... Searching for Love is the second book in the Behind Blue Lines Series by Christine Zolendz. What you're looking for might be right in front of you... BROOKE FURY Betrayed. Destroyed. Shattered. But, I'm used to it. After all, I'm a cop, and I've seen the worst. I just never thought it would happen to me. But it did. Now, I can't trust anyone. Not him. Not myself. Nobody. RYAN CAGE Determined. Loyal. Honest. But she won't trust me, Won't let me in. Even though I'm a detective, I can't solve the mystery. No matter how hard I try, She pushes me away. What she doesn't realize, Is I'm the one thing she can count on, Forever.

Sebastian Hawkins, known online as “The Hook up Doctor” is taking his advice column one step further with “The Hook-up Doctor Guide”. In this manual he’s revisiting some of his hardest cases along with dishing out brand new advice, too. Sebastian isn’t stopping with just these six specific cases either. He’s throw in some of Sebastian’s Rules to give girls extra advice on grabbing the guy of their dreams. So if you've ever been a little lost on how to move out of the "friend territory" or make your BFF's brother see you as more than his little sister's friend, than this guide is for you. For more from The Hook-up Doctor you can check out his story in WHAT A BOY WANTS. Sometimes advice is much easier to give, than to put into action... This is a short story companion which can be read before or after, WHAT A BOY WANTS. Disclaimer: The Hook up Doctor Guide is a work of FICTION and not meant to apply in real life. Sebastian and all of the situations in this book are fictional and for entertainment purposes only. This should not be used as a real “self-help” book. This advice is not meant for readers use, but for a fun, fictional read.

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a deeply emotional contemporary romance about the second chances waiting beyond the shattered dreams of youth. When eighteen-year-old Avelina Belo meets a charismatic cowboy the summer before her senior year of high school, she doesn’t know that accepting his invitation to dinner will lead to a whirlwind marriage three months later and an exciting new life on a Montana ranch. She also doesn’t know that, in a few short years, fate will send everything crashing down around her. A thousand miles away and fresh out of medical school, Nate Meyers is poised to become UCLA’s next superstar heart surgeon. His laser focus is the key to his success, but it’s also his greatest liability. When a routine surgery ends in disaster, derailing his career, he’s confronted with the hard truth: there’s no one waiting for him at home, no one to help him pick up the pieces. Regrouping on his uncle’s Montana ranch, Nate meets Avelina, a beautiful but mysterious young woman who keeps to herself and barely speaks a word. As he discovers the details of her devastating past, Avelina teaches him more about matters of the heart than he ever knew before. But can they trust each other enough to put everything on the line?

Roland de Courtemanche had rejected Rhiannon's affections for centuries, banishing her to exist alone in eternal darkness. Yet now the man she loved and the boy in his care were in serious danger. For Rhiannon to stay away was impossible. . . Resisting Rhiannon took strength--strength Roland needed in order to protect his young ward. Yet to succumb to his desire and then cast her away would be to drive a stake through her heart. . . exactly what the avenging mortal on their trail had in mind for them all. . . For centuries, loneliness has haunted them from dusk till dawn. Yet now, from out of the darkness, shines the light of eternal life. . . eternal love.

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived an angel who was so beautiful that even the other angels were jealous of her. That was me back then. I am a demon now. It's what I get for killing a human, I suppose. So, why did I do it? Why did I kill? Hatred. Anger. Jealousy. These are the things that brought me here. In this place… Where my story begins... In Hell...This is book 2.5 in the series. It is recommended that you read the previous books before this one. Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived an angel who was so beautiful that even the other angels were jealous of her. But wait. Hmmm… Let me think about this for a second. Perhaps I shouldn’t start my story with the words ‘once upon a time’ because I don’t want to mislead you. You might think that my story is a fairy tale, one that ends with a ‘happily ever after,’ but clearly, my life is far from that. For one thing, I live in Hell now. It's a dark and gloomy prison for demons like me. Now... that doesn't sound much like a ‘happily ever after,’ does it? It's what I get for killing a human, I suppose. So, why did I do it? Why did I kill? Well, have you ever heard of crimes of passion? For me it was kind of like that. Hatred. Anger. Jealousy. Pain. And more hatred. These are the things that brought me here. In this place… Where my story begins... In Hell...