These stories might be called haunting or disturbing, but that loose description doesn't do justice to their subtle and graceful complexity. The first story profiles a man remembering his time as a young boy with the gnoshlox, creatures that came alive from the clay in his sandbox. As with a later story, 'Hollow in the Hollows," contemplative pacing indicates that something more than a simple scare is happening; both stories carry an implicit commentary on the dangerous power of childhood imagination. Other stories feature kids exploring an old house, growing more misshapen as they do; a girl terrorized by a breakfast cereal mascot; and a stay-at-home dad narrating a strange experience while watching Mister Rogers with his son. Humor and terror sometimes share space in the same sentence: "There was something moving around the darkened set of Mister Rogers' house."The writing is brilliant and imaginative, providing just a nudge in one direction or another that leaves the reader to fill in the blanks. It's engaging, mysterious, and satisfying. The characterizations of children are noteworthy, with small details that speak volumes - a girl's excitement over a Scholastic Book order in 'Buzzy,' or her tortured, lonely classmate's bitter response: "That book is for idiots."The masterful art shifts styles from one story to the next to suit the mood, or sometimes to ironically oppose it. One half of an equal partnership, the images convey as much plot and characterization as does the text. To Know You're Alive is a thoughtful, chilling peak into the darkest corners of life. -Review by Peter Dabbene for Forward Reviews

    Schwab and torn from the universe of the Shades of Magic sequence, this all-original comic book prequel to A Darker Shade of Magic is perfect for fans of bloody, swashbuckling adventure and gritty fantasy!Delve into the thrilling, epic tale of the young and arrogant prince Maxim Maresh, long before he became the king of Red London and adoptive father to Kell, the lead of A Darker Shade of Magic!The youthful Maresh is sent to a violent and unmanageable port city on the Blood Coast of Verose, on strict orders from his father, King Nokil Maresh, to cut his military teeth in this lawless landscape.There, he encounters an unruly band of soldiers, a lawless landscape, and the intoxicatingly deadly presence of the newly returned pirate queen, Arisa...Collects Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince #1-4.

    With her sharp tongue and defiant attitude, Riley seems bound for trouble, but there’s something special about her that Joanna can’t bring herself to pass up.After Riley insults one of the company’s senior partners, however, Joanna decides that what the beautiful, free-spirited twenty-seven-year-old needs is structure and consequences. Riley faces a suspension without pay for her misconduct, and when Joanna offers her an alternate proposal she hesitantly agrees. She will work for Joanna at her home office, but first she’ll submit to a thorough, no-nonsense paddling, and any future misbehavior will earn her more of the same, this time on her bare bottom.Joanna’s firm-handed discipline turns out to be just what Riley has been missing, and soon they have become much more than just boss and employee. Yet despite Joanna’s best efforts and Riley’s frequently sore bottom, her wild and careless behavior continues and before long a motorcycle accident almost claims her life. Joanna takes it upon herself to care for her girlfriend, though her treatment often leaves Riley blushing crimson, but once Riley recovers will Joanna be prepared to do whatever it takes to rein her in before it is too late?Publisher’s Note: Reining in Riley is an erotic romance novel that contains spankings, sexual scenes, anal play, elements of medical play, elements of BDSM, and more. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.85,600 words

    Sure, she's never before kept any of her past resolutions for even a week, but she is determined that this year it will be different. As soon as Master Marshall announced that a Charity Auction would be held to honor one of the Castle's founding Masters, Don, Rosa knew it was fate. As an employee of the Castle, that marvelous place where any and all dreams and fantasies can become reality, she knows that this is the time to pursue her dream. Time to remove her Nanny uniform and don the clothes she has been dreaming of wearing for as long as she can remember. This New Year's Eve, she will stand on the stage and pray that someone will bid for her and want to be her Daddy. The moment the gavel falls, Rosa becomes Rosie - the Little girl who will spend the next few days discovering what it's like to be taken care of, to be cuddled, and loved... not only by a handsome, wonderful Daddy, but, to her immense surprise, by a beautiful, loving Mommy as well... Will she discover that being Little isn't all fun and games? Will she admit when she's been naughty - remembering that breaking rules has painful consequences for her backside? Will she keep her resolutions long enough to find the answers she seeks? And even if she doesn't chicken out, will her heart be able to pay the price? Originally part of the “When the Gavel Falls” Box Set Collection released in January 2015 (Amazon ASIN B00SQAUTXE)…5 full-length “Masters of the Castle” novels for one low price - $9.99.

    In her life, everything must be under control, and there’s no place for messy emotions or out-of-control passion. It’s Kelly’s severe attitude that is the key to her success—the young CEO of her family business, and a woman to be reckoned with. But when she meets Levi, the sexy fireman who saves her from an office fire, Kelly’s life is turned upside down. Levi is determined to make her lose control, but Kelly is determined to hold onto it. Levi wants to show Kelly the benefits of letting go and surrendering to a moment fueled by passion and desire. The question is, will Kelly have the strength to let go? This ebook contains very hot and explicit descriptions of romantic activity. Only mature readers should download this book.

    A retelling of the Snow White fairy tale from the point of view of the "wicked stepmother." This version was a chapbook compiled by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab and sold at Comic Con 2008 and on the BPAL website with all proceeds going to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

    Owen Clifford and his lover, Alec Stroud, are investigating fraud at Monica’s place of work, a luxurious London hotel. From the moment they meet, the chemistry between the three of them is off the scale.But Monica has a secret, and it isn’t anything to do with fraud. Like her sisters, Monica is a psychic. In Monica’s case the gift is psychometry—when she touches objects or people she can experience their sexual history. Can she ever truly share that with a lover, let alone two bisexual lovers? Something about Owen and Alec captures her though, literally. Willingly bound and seduced by two masters, Monica opens up to them, physically, emotionally, and psychically.Owen and Alec have been looking for their third and they believe Monica might be the one to complete their lives. But Monica’s secret isn’t the only barrier these two have to break down in order to win their woman. Fraud, duplicity, and mysterious threats add to their complications. For Owen and Alec, the challenges are stacking up and the race is on.Reader Advisory: This book contains graphic sex scenes including bondage, domination, MFM, and MM scenes. This book has been previously published with a different cover.

    When I jumped, sharp teeth would rip into me and the cold water would steal my breath away. The monsters would take everything from me, leaving me shivering and naked in the water. The only difference was that tonight I would be pulled from the icy darkness and forced to do it again. There would be no release from death, only pain.” Home after her first year of college, Adeline Miller is looking forward to a stress free summer filled with reading, working on her blog, and spending time with friends. But all that changes in an instant when she is witness to something terrible, something she wasn't supposed to see. Beaten, drugged, kidnapped. Adeline Miller is ripped from her innocent and carefree life and thrust into darkness, into a world full of pain and horror. As a sex slave, she is forced to do horrible things, and have horrible things done to her. One of her captors has a past as dark as the world she is now living in. Will getting close to him mean freedom? Or will he pull her deeper into the shadows?

    But when a depraved fantasy keeps plaguing her thoughts, she decides to take a risk and finally allow herself a night of debauchery. Even if she has to hire the company for the evening. An unexpected storm and a surprise visitor throw her plans in disarray but what should be a mortifying error could prove to be a blessing in disguise. Candace Kane’s go-with-the-flow attitude and sharp tongue often got her in trouble, but she didn’t expect any on a quick trip to the library. When a stern, attractive librarian comes on to her hard, Candace can’t help but say yes. The decision hurls both women into uncharted waters. A stand-alone novella (31,500 words).

     Best Laid Plans Part 1 & 2 combined. For a limited time, only 99¢.Jillian Whitkins is an event planner who is ready to throw in the towel. She is managing a birthday party with a 50 Shades of Grey theme--and it's turning into a disaster! The birthday girl is drunk, the guests are harassing her staff, and she is about to offend a real-life Christian Grey.The last thing Jackson Hunter needs is more bad publicity. So when a certain event planner snaps a picture of him with his unconscious ex-sub slung over his shoulder, he has no choice but to confiscate the evidence. He will soon find that Jillian is not as easy to get rid of as that picture.

    Panicking, she had fled. But no other man has ever been his equal.Two years ago, the woman he’d hoped to collar and marry disappeared. So Reece McRae is stunned to find his former girlfriend on her knees, behaving as the submissive he’d always wanted.Is it too late? He should refuse her, but an undeniable sexual attraction consumes him.Sarah had been under Reece’s spell from the moment she met him. When she found a steel collar in his drawer, she panicked. The idea of a lifetime of his relentless demands, sensual and otherwise, suffocated her.In the years they’ve been apart, she hasn’t met his equal. Now, convinced one last night will vanquish his memory, she sets out to seduce him.The Reece she returns to is even more determined to have his way. Is she now strong enough, brave enough, to surrender to his love?Reader Advisory: This book contains sensual torment, flogging, anal sex and sex in public.

    That’s what she was.Billionaire businesswoman Akira Mori can get anything and anyone her heart desires. Anyone, that is, except for a certain aloof author who has been dominating her dreams for over a decade. Accustomed to Jacob Campbell’s stern disapproval, Akira has turned provocation into an art, using every trick in her arsenal to keep the man from guessing the depth of her filthy fantasies.Shameless. That’s what she made him.Since the moment the sexy, sultry socialite sidled up to him years ago, there hasn’t been a time when Jacob didn’t crave Akira. But as guardian to his younger siblings, responsibility has controlled his life. Confining his darkest desires to secret, stolen moments maintains his carefully disciplined world…but a cold bed is the price he pays.A single touch is all it takes for their simmering need to explode. As secrets and fears are stripped away one by one, shame becomes a thing of the past. They find themselves becoming addicted to each other, in bed and out—a frightening prospect for a man just learning to live…and a woman who thinks she doesn’t know how to love.

    One person is the fighter who pilots the spacecraft and his partner is the navigator who directs the way.Navigators come from higher society and are mostly seen as privileged and intelligent. Fighters are men that are known for their violent tendancies, skills in combat, and anger issues.Abel didn't want to follow his politican father into his world and instead chose his own path as a navigator. He's gay and has always had strong desires that he's hidden... until he's partnered with his fighter, Cain.Cain is unpredictable, violent, possessive, and very skilled at what he does. He goes through navigators faster then any other fighter so he's developed the reputation that he's impossible to work with.When Cain meets Abel, he marks him and possessives him in every way possible unknowingly giving Abel exactly what he's been craving for years. Now the only question is, will their relationship grow to benefit them both in this time of war or with Cain's reputation and violent tendancies end up destroying Abel?

    The tortured triangle between Charlotte, Bly and Finn is put to the test. Can Maddie stand the heat of being a billionaire’s wife? The love affairs and loyalties of JP and Amanda, West and Evangeline, and even Jude, are in jeopardy. What would the Legal series be without a few jaw-dropping surprises? Who are these new additions, and are they all welcome bundles of joy? Everything happens as it’s meant to, as Charlotte and company play out their dramas and set the stage for their legal heirs! LEGAL HEIRS 2: Who committed the original sin, Charlotte, Finn, or Bly? Does it really matter if a new act of betrayal has the power to ruin them all? Desire and deceit go hand in hand and come in unexpected forms, the two together will unleash a chain of events that will alter lives forever. Charlotte will feel the sting of deception that sends her careening down a forbidden path. In the end one little boy’s future hangs in the balance. The heirs have grown up in the prequel to Legal Heirs 3, Hearts of Fire, and their lives will be wilder and more fascinating than anything that has come before! LEGAL HEIRS 3: HERE WE GO! Another wild ride with Charlotte, Bly, Finn, and the gang from LEGAL ACTION!!! Answers from the past and action for the present!!! Did Finn forgive Charlotte? Who ended up with her love? Also, a few surprising new developments are always part of the story! By the way, is Atticus a Bly or a Hale? What happened in the 13 years when the heirs were growing up, AND, what are they up to now that they’re free to run the world?!!! The past, the present, and all the thrilling details that keep the LEGAL SERIES going strong, while keeping readers on the edge of their seats and wanting more!!! LEGAL HEIRS 4: The Ghost has Charlotte, Angus has Skyler… so many lives hang in the balance! Bly and Finn will have to strike a serious bargain and come to terms over Charlotte’s love… more than once. Holden and Hadley find their bliss, but Hadley’s career is about to sky-rocket, and… there’s a new bad-boy in town. Atticus has some serious soul searching to do, is he truly “a child of luck and fortune”? Big changes are in store in this final book of the Legal Heirs series, paving the way for the final four books to come in Legal Legacy!!! GET ALL 4 BOOKS NOW, THIS SPECIAL PRICE WON"T LAST!! SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE OF ONLY $7.95 FOR ALL 4 NOVELLAS! (Regular price $11.96 when buying all 4 novellas separately) If you haven't already, read BOOK ONE of this series entitled, LEGAL ACTION, it's FREE on Amazon!!

    *Includes explicit scenes involving BDSM* Megan is a struggling single mom who lies on her resume to get a job in a school as Personal Assistant to demanding Headmistress, Deborah Stewart. All Megan wants is to create a better life for her daughter. Nothing Megan does is ever good enough to please Ms Stewart. But, there is something about the way that Ms Stewart treats Megan, that makes Megan begin to wonder if she secretly likes being ordered around and made to wait. Can Megan thaw her boss's icy heart and find a way to indulge her new fantasies?