A disused London Underground lift goes way beyond the bottom floor.A psychic boy discovers what terrors are buried in the fallow field.A handshake seals a midnight fate in an old farming dispute.A corpse must be buried by dawn.BLACK GATE TALES: Fourteen short stories of dread, hope, death and wonder.

    A lonely teenage girl falls in love with an older, married neighbor. A woman attends a party at the home of her boyfriend’s ex-wife. A schoolteacher gets fired for teaching time incorrectly to grade-school students. And a young woman recovering from a breakup receives guidance from a drunk therapist. Poignant and sharply rendered, Otis’s stories seek answers to the questions of whom we love and why, how we search for love, lose it, or find it—sometimes at the last moment and in the most unlikely places. Quirky and hilarious, these stories display a knowing affection for human strangeness.

     Being stuck with her mom and boyfriend number one hundred at an exclusive ski resort doesn’t seem as daunting when Julia runs into the gorgeous and enticing Scar Wagner. And when fate forces the couple much closer than Julia would ever allow a man to be, she can’t help but wonder whether it’s time to give relationships another try. After all, when things go wrong, they turn out right. Note: This is a short prequel to Cheaters Anonymous with a HFN ending. Contains adult content.

    I can handle it. I mean, she can! A steamy contemporary BBW romance series about an older woman who meets a younger man—a bad boy enforcer for a notorious motorcycle gang. Neither realize they're looking for a second chance at life—and love—until they get to know each other intimately. Each story is self-contained and includes at least one sexy scene, so consider yourself warned as this couple get intimate outdoors and in! Be sure to read the next book in the series Grim Reaper (Lady Godiva 2) and Third Wheel (Lady Godiva 3) is coming soon! Sign up to the mailing list and be notified of new releases in this hot new series http://aprilryder.com <— copy and paste into your browser and sign up. Biker Babe is approximately 9,000 words.

    I acquired these through hard work, and running my company with an iron fist. I don’t date. I don’t fall in love. I don’t make bad decisions. Not my style. I’ve seen enough empires crumble at the hands of temptation to know better. But right now, there’s a woman in my office. She’s applying for a summer internship. She’s young, smart, tempting, and her slightest movement sends my pulse racing. I want to own her—claim her. I always get what I want. I should tell her to get lost before the interview begins. There’s only one problem… She’s my daughter’s best friend.

    She’s drawn into a stranger’s murder in this SHORT STORY featuring characters from the Maggie Sullivan mystery novels. A job offer from a blonde at a dime store lunch counter lures the detective to a still-warm corpse in an alley. His gold watch and cufflinks are still on him, but not his shoes and socks. A night of grilling by homicide cops does nothing to improve Maggie’s mood, which deteriorates further when they laugh off a lead she gives them and imply she solves cases by batting her eyes instead of using her brains. Aided by a ragtag newsboy, Maggie baits a trap for the killer. He shows up with a knife. But Maggie wields a .38 as expertly as she does an emery board — and she doesn’t back down for thugs or authorities when she’s after answers. A woman sleuth like none you’ve met and historical atmosphere meet in the streets of a small Ohio city, capturing a 20th century America before cell phones or carry-out coffee cups in this short story reminiscent of the golden age of private eyes.

    A Louisiana farmer sees the image of Christ appear on the freezer door and questions the meaning of faith. In a Maine resort town, Miss Langevin, a spinster who could write a book on disappointment, now gets a chance to help another woman escape it. And in the title story, a science teacher's modest dreams and painful memories erode his existence like water entering stone.

    Years of trying and failing to bear a child have given her an air of sadness overlaid with a hardened determination to persevere. Hiring Brazilian Professional Bull Rider, Alex, who is on a slow road to recovery from potentially career-ending injuries, will help Hanna get her wheat in before the fall rains come. The handsome cowboy makes it clear that he will return to bull riding before the start of the new PBR season in January. Alex didn’t count on his ex-wife dropping off his toddler daughter Chloe without warning. Hannah didn’t count on caring for the cowboy or his precious daughter. Despite his love for Chloe and the way he cares for Hannah, Alex’s goal remains the same—to return to bull riding, the only life he’s ever wanted. Three hearts hang in the balance, and one decision will break them all. If you like hot cowboys, strong women, and ranching in the new West, then this book will have you burning through the pages.

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

    My name is Lana Crow, and I’m one of the Blighted—a non-magical person in a world ruled by magic. There aren’t many chances to get ahead when the people in power think you’re trash. So my boyfriend Corin and I steal for a living, hoping to one day buy our way out of this dusty Blighted settlement in Wyoming and into a better future. And then it falls in our lap. The perfect score. A ruby the size of my fist. Sure, stealing from the magically Gifted is always a risk. But some risks are worth taking, right? Right? This short story is a prequel to the Magic Awakened reverse harem urban fantasy series coming September 2018.

    It chronicles the path that led her family to her, and the unimaginable circumstances she had to endure as a victim of dog-fighting in order to make her way home. "As Bright as the Sun" will anger and inspire. It is filled with laughs and with tears. It is a story for every person who has ever advocated for and loved an animal, and in the end, "As Bright as the Sun" will make you want to stand up and cheer.

    Tara shows him a raw passion and honesty he’s never encountered. For the first time, Rick wants more than one night, but he needs to catch her first... Tara Denton escaped a brutal past and needs one night with a stranger to get beyond her sexual and emotional limitations. On the brink of recovering her strength and independence, she wants nothing to do with a relationship. But Rick Steele does more than rock her body…he rocks her heart. Tara has to make a choice, but is she ready to get caught? What’s your secret desire for one perfect night? Welcome to the mysterious FANTA-C agency where everything, and anything goes…

    Marriages unravel, well-laid plans dissolve, and placid lives are turned upside down in this sharp, funny, and profound collection of short fiction.

    Entitled. Possessive pain in my ass. I know exactly what I don’t want. I escaped to London under the cover of night, never thinking I'd run smack into a man who would turn me inside out. I had a plan. Simple, really. Step one: Follow my dream, away from from the demons of my past. Step two: Land on my own two feet, preferably far, far, away from the man who hurt me and broke my heart. Step three: Live a little and avoid all men with dark secrets. So far, I'm not doing so hot. He's a royal amongst peasants, and the last kind of trouble I need--a filthy rich alpha who can see straight into my soul. Our secrets hold us both captive.Something tells me I’ll be powerless to stop his magnetic pull, especially when he tells me I'm going to be his, damn the consequences.

    The airline pilot opens his carry-on to find a beautiful leather-bound notebook: a diary. Inside its intricate pages, he discovers a captivating series of encounters that progress from naive to reckless to ravenously sexy.He reads the diary from cover to cover more than a few times, and his obsession leads to a question: How can he possibly find this incredible stewardess? As Charlie crisscrosses the globe in his search, he finds his own opportunities to expand his sexual experiences. But can he ever find the one woman who sets his appetite on fire?If you like smoking-hot voyeurism, innovative storytelling, and sensual scenes that break hetero bounds, then you’ll love S.M. Pratt’s sizzling tale.