Rule #20 – Ashley says I can't break up with her. It's a rule. What kind of rule is that? "I'm not really good at this," I tell my adoring fans. That's you, by the way. Yeah, you're reading this right now. If you're not my adoring fan, why are you even here? I honestly don't know how we got to this point. I don't even know where to begin. At the beginning, I guess, except where's that? I have no clue. Stop asking so many questions. I realize I should know what I'm doing by now, but I don't. Everything seemed like a good idea at the time, and that time was awhile ago, not now. The thing is, I kind of wanted to take a second and ask you how you feel about this? Me and Ashley, you know? I'm not sure how this is going to end. Once the weekend is over I'm going back to my college, and she'll be at her college, and this whole revenge plan against Jake is cool and all, but how am I supposed to protect her afterwards if I'm not even there? This is supposed to be the end. I used to be so good at ending things. Ashley makes it hard, though. Yeah, not even hard, it's basically impossible. Going to be completely honest right now and say I don't know what to do after this. There's kind of a lot going on. It's probably easier to explain it from the start. Are you ready?

    All is not what it seems within the mismatched group of guests attempting to solve an imaginary crime. When a member of the party winds up dead, Rachel and Marjorie join forces once again to track down a cunning murderer.

    She had a face of feral sweetness, its color yellow; her eyes were long and dark, her mouth a taut bow, her nostrils upturned as if she were scenting the wind."In "How Shall I Know You?," a melancholic and ailing writer reluctantly travels east of London to give a lecture before a literary society. Mr. Simister, the organization's secretary, lures the world-weary novelist turned biographer with promises of a modest stipend and lodging at a charming bed-and-breakfast for her trouble. Nevertheless, on that rainy day she meets Mr. Simister at the train station, she wonders why she ever agreed to come in the first place. Driving past steel-shuttered windows and Day-Glo banners, Mr. Simister takes the writer to her hotel for the evening, which turns out to be crumbling and isolated rather than picturesque. As she crosses the threshold into the dank stench of Eccles House she is faced with the feral porter, Louise, and suffers through an evening that may be more than she bargained for.From Hilary Mantel's brilliant and darkly comic collection of contemporary stories, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, comes a tale told with her distinctive blend of subversive wit and gimlet-eyed characterization. "How Shall I Know You?" showcases the extraordinary genius of Hilary Mantel, called one of our "greatest living novelists" (NPR).

    The moment Xandi wakes in Stefan’s muscular arms, feels the heat of his body pressing against hers, she feels no fear. Instead, she allows herself to be taken by one who is more than a man, whose primal nature is never far from him. As their connection grows, and as Xandi gradually loses her sensual inhibitions, experiencing pleasures she never dreamed possible, she is drawn deeper into Stefan’s mysterious world, meeting the alluring beauty, Keisha, as well as the dominant and sometimes ruthlessly commanding Anton, who can have any man or woman he wants…in any way he wishes…

    

    She drives a brand new Mustang, is head cheerleader, and will graduate valedictorian of her high school class this year. All the boys want to date her and every girl wants to be her—but Christa has been keeping a secret. Her parents divorced over a year ago and her mother re-married over the summer. No one knows that her new stepfather watches her practice her cheers in the yard from the bathroom window, and steals her panties out of the laundry, and watches her get undressed at night—because Christa leaves her door wide open. No one knows how much Christa wants to get back at her parents—or how much she desperately wants to steal her new stepfather right out from her mother’s nose. And spoiled Christa always gets what she wants.

     Lionel Shriver is…‘A brilliant writer’ Sunday Times‘Brilliant, funny and incisive’ Woman and Home‘Breezy, mordantly comic’ Daily Mail‘Eloquent’ ObserverIn ‘Domestic Terrorism’ Shriver examines the decline of the empty nest, in a hilarious and barbed story about an all-too-recognisable modern family.

    Natalie, a therapist, is in love with Carter -- but he is deeply dedicated to his environmental work, and the fate of their relationship takes a backseat to the fate of the planet. Then a new client walks into Natalie's office. He is an intriguing man, with an incredible tale to tell -- and under his influence, she faces questions about the direction of her own passion, the true meaning of commitment...and the possibility of finding the love she seeks --right in her own backyard.

    Meeting one night under the dim lights of a neighborhood bar, Whit becomes drawn into a sensual world where passion overcomes panic, where a simple meal can become an erotic feast, where love is the paramount rule. Graphic homoerotic sex.

    But nothing in their training has prepared them for what they are about to encounter...A contemporary novel dealing with real spiritual warfare issues, "Enoch" will take you on a mind-bending, fast-paced journey through a story of good versus evil.

    A brush of thigh against thigh and a sideways, then a downward, glance. Nineteen-year-olds Tom and Mick could hardly have guessed the epic nature of the journey they were setting out on. A journey that would take them into business partnership together. A journey that would bring them little by little to the deepest reaches of the human heart. An adventure that would catapult them into the sweet and sometimes painful mysteries of of life and sex and love.

     When Kinley Connors-Berrington saved Reed's life, she fled the scene in both fear and self-preservation. A damaged woman with a terrible past, she has a hard time overcoming her fears and emotional baggage when Reed comes back in to her life. The attraction between the two of them is very strong but Kinley resists.Reed, however, won't take 'no' for an answer because something deep draws him to her. Finally discovering what the mysterious, beautiful woman is running from, Reed does his best to help her work through her painful past, but when history threatens to repeat itself, it's up to Reed this time to save Kinley's life. Follow Reed and Kinley's journey to the River's End.

    In the years since, she has known both betrayal and heartbreak, and vowed never to open her heart to a man again. Then a wealthy rancher shows that she can overcome every obstacle—and believe in lifelong, lasting love. Sweet Nothings (©2002)Renowned horse whisperer Jake Coulter becomes captivated by a courageous yet vulnerable young woman who comes seeking his help. But until she's strong enough to accept his heart, all he can offer her is the patience to win her slowly, the strength to fight her enemies, and the promise to love her forever.

    Dale brought his two grown sons to help pack and move us into their house. Both were hard-bodied and handsome, but Caine didn’t speak to me. Colt, on the other hand, said crude stuff like, “Wanna ride with me? Then I’m gonna need gas or ass,” but I couldn’t take my eyes off his rippling muscles and challenging blue eyes.Some are about speed, sex, and defiance.When Colt offered me a ride to school, I thought the ‘gas or ass’ thing was a joke, but he wasn’t kidding. Though he barely touched me, he shattered the innocence I couldn’t wait to shed. Even then, I sensed I’d never be the same. He and Caine soon upped the stakes, putting me behind the wheel of cars that could reach insane speeds. They kept challenging me to find my inner wild child, pairing illegal drag races with high-octane sex games, games like 'winner gets head'.And some are about trying to break you.It wasn’t long before I was hooked, but I always planned to walk away. Then everything spun out of control and walking wasn’t an option. I had to run._____**Disclaimer: This is a tale of a young girl’s crush that turns to hatred and back to love. Gas and Ass is the crush-to-hate part of the story. There’s no HEA inside these pages, so if that’s a must, this isn’t the story for you. If you can delay gratification, however, the hatred-to-love part is the basis of the sequel, Turn and Burn.

    Beautiful. Perfection. Everything that's good in this world.Too good for me.When she comes to me for help,I can't resist any longer. I'll make her mine. Even if it means risking everything. I'll risk it all. Go all in on the two of us.  If I win, then it'll soon be three.