BOOK 1 -- When The Serpent Bites "Downright Amazing." ―Bobbie Grob, Readers' Favorite "A fascinating read." ―John Murray, Pacific book review "A plethora of twisted and suspenseful events." ―San Francisco Book Review "An arresting prison tale about penance.” ―Kirkus Reviews Frederick Starks has it all—a gorgeous wife who was his high school sweetheart, three beautiful children, a mansion and cars others envy, millions in the bank, respected in his community, admired by his employees, loved and respected by loyal friends. He revels in the hard-earned power and control he’s acquired. As the saying goes, “All that glitters is not gold,” which Starks discovers when gut-wrenching betrayal by his wife sends him over the edge and into a maximum security prison. There, Starks is a new “fish,” stripped of nearly everything he’s always relied on. In that place, where inmates and guards have their own rules and codes of conduct, Starks is forced to face the darker side of life, and his own darker side, especially when the betrayals, both inside and outside the prison, don’t stop. He must choose which path to follow when the line between right and wrong becomes blurred: one that leads to getting out of the physical and emotional hellhole he finds himself in or one that keeps him alive. BOOK 2 -- When The Dragon Roars "When the Dragon Roars is an absolutely riveting read, full of surprising twists and turns and brilliant writing. The chapters are short; the dialogue realistic; the characters believable and the plot gripping." —Viga Boland, Readers' Favorite "With tight, crisp prose and realistic dialogue, the author keeps the pace of his tome moving at highway speed. His characters are finely etched both physically and emotionally. Clerge knows the story he wants to tell, and he tells it in a way that is both involving and entertaining." —Joe Kilgore, Pacific Book Review "Brimming with twists, turns, and non-stop drama, When The Dragon Roars by Nesly Clerge is a thriller ideal for any fan of prison-noir." —Veronica Alvarado, Bestseller's World Secrets and lies force their way to the surface in Nesly Clerge’s newest novel of deception, crime, and buried history. Frederick Starks thought he’d already lost as much as one man could: A beautiful family, the luxurious life wealth provides, success, admiration—all stripped from him in one moment of madness that resulted in a fifteen-year sentence in a maximum security prison. Certain that life has gotten as bad as it can get, Starks contrives a way to rise to the top of the inmate hierarchy. But his assumption is wrong. Amid stunning revelations, betrayals, and violence, Starks faces one challenge after another, until a life-altering event forces him into the most brutal confrontation of all: the truth about himself.

    But then she meets the mysterious Jackson. She shouldn’t want him. He definitely shouldn’t want her. Before they know it, it’s too late, and their attraction sparks a series of events that neither of them could have predicted. Loyalties will be tested, lies will be told. Welcome to Chastity Falls. ~ Box Set includes: Loyalty and Lies Salvation and Secrets Tribulation and Truths Redemption and Regrets … and the brand new novella: Penance and Promises

    With either knowing the route to rekindle their love, they grow distant. Israel is taking on fatherhood the best way he knows how, and he encounters more than he wished for. Finding Aubrey is at the top of his list. With his search, more truths are revealed than he expected. Being the man he is, he stands tall with everything coming his way. Even with things changing in his life, the one thing that hasn’t changed is Tiphani being his best friend. Times grow hard, but does that mean all love will be lost? This last installment guarantees to take you on a ride. Will love conquer all, or will it just not be enough to allow love to flourish? Tampering with a thug’s heart doesn’t seem like the right thing to do when your heart is played on right back.

     A short story by A.L. Jambor When Meg’s sister dies, she is devastated. The last of three children, Meg misses her siblings and has never felt so alone. She’s an author, but her emotional state hinders her ability to write, and she can’t sit in front of her computer without trembling. A trip to Port Revere, MA recalls memories of the summers spent there with her family when she was a girl, and Meg decides to buy the Christmas Cottage, an abandoned little house on a bluff near town. She refurbishes it, and with the help of her nephew Zack, starts to come out of her shell. But then the holidays, a time for families and celebrations, arrive, and Meg must again face her loneliness, and guilt over something she can't forgive herself for – she wasn’t there when her sister died and never had a chance to say goodbye. With the cottage almost completed, Meg has one last thing to do; she has to find out if her plumbing is up to snuff, and arranges for a plumber to visit the cottage. On Thanksgiving Day, she is sipping a cup of coffee when someone knocks on the door. She looks out the window and sees an old man, an old truck, and an old dog. Lettering on the truck announces that Angus O’Malley, Plumber Extraordinaire, is standing on her doorstep. What she doesn’t know is that Angus is on a mission and that his appearance heralds the beginning of something wonderful, and the best Christmas Meg has ever had. The Little Cottage by the Sea was formerly published as The Christmas Cottage. The content has not changed. It is a short book of 20,000 words.

    They’ve experienced all kinds of things but with each other, their families, prayer, and God; they’ve made it through 2019, to the month of December. But not every relationship salvaged will make it to the future. In this Holiday Short Story, Special Edition of When the Vows Break, you’ll get to peek into the lives of these friends and see how they’re spending their Christmas holiday. Will the past they’ve endured affect their present, attempting to shatter their future? Or has the past given them instruction to treasure the present while preparing for the future? You’ll have to read to find out.

    In fact, they are from the same small town, and Nicole has been enamored with Julien since she was an awkward teenager. However, Julien’s grumpiness is keeping them apart. But with the help of little holiday magic, the two of them find themselves falling in love.

    But when uninvited, unexpected guests arrive and throw a wrench into his holiday plans he is forced to sober up (slightly), and throw on a smile. Just when it seems nothing else could go wrong, a close friend is injured in what appears, to the police, to be a drug deal gone bad. Dan Coast and his sidekick, Red jump into action to find the truth while their friend lays unconscious in the hospital.

    Start with fresh, beginner-friendly patterns and build your skills to sew snowballs, stars, flying geese, and more. Using precuts from your stash or your own charms cut from scraps or yardage, you’ll learn tips to take the guesswork out of piecing. Modern and traditional quilters alike will fall in love with these quick, clever, and clean designs!

    Finish up by following Amanda's suggestions for filling in background space with free-motion quilting.

    But neither knew their carefree natures would lead to Seven being pregnant at the young age of sixteen. Despite the love and connection that Jamal's mother shared with her son while in her tummy, somehow after birth, baby Jamal was lost through the system. The minute his young feet landed on the front steps of the home of his new foster mother, Jamal didn't stand a chance. On an everyday basis he was teased, bullied, and made fun of by his peers. His foster mother was abusive and neglectful, only seeming to care about her biological son, Marquise, and no one seemed to care. Only one person had Jamal's back from the day they met. Tyra Smith was one of the prettiest girls that Jamal had ever laid eyes on. What made her even more special was that she didn't care about the way Jamal dressed or how big his clothes were. His matted down unkempt hair didn't faze her a bit because Tyra saw Jamal for who he really was inside. From the day the two first met, she never passed judgement. But how could she when even her life wasn't as perfect as people on the outside assumed? Living in a home with an abusive stepfather and a mother who didn't seem to care, Jamal was all that Tyra had. After forced Jamal to make a decision that would forever change him and Tyra lives, they were pulled out of the jam by Wali, who noticed Jamal and took a sudden interest in the young savage. Everything about Jamal reminded Wali of himself at that age, even the way he had love for Tyra was all too familiar to Wali. This caused him to become immediately intrigued. Taking Jamal under his wing, Wali allowed his wife, Fallon, and sister Yaya to mentor the pretty Tyra. Wali and Asim showed Jamal the ins and outs to surviving this cold world. But when Wali and Asim’s past comes back lurking around the cut, everything starts to get chaotic. Now the trio is determined to end whatever old beef and drama that's threatening to come into their life and shake things up. But that's easier said than done, and if the crew thought it was going to be a walk in the park, well they were wrong. Come take a journey with these new and old characters, but let me warn you… it won't be sweet.

    He never even had a proper name until he made one up for himself. Even though Ammie has always been a part of Ethan’s world, she was still far above the reach of a street urchin turned ranch hand. But that doesn’t stop her from haunting his dreams each night. Ammie has turned down every eligible match, waiting for Ethan to see her as more than just another honorary-type cousin. But considering how much time he spends out on the trail, she might have to wait forever. Until a deadly killer has Ethan sticking like glue to her side because he’s convinced that no one could protect her the way he can. But spending so much time close to Ammie and becoming part of her life is pure torture. Once the job is done, Ethan is determined to hit the trail, and this time it might be for good. Unless he finally puts his pride aside and succumbs to his feelings … or being her protector costs him his life. Loving Amelia has romance, suspense, heat and a love story that will keep you turning pages far into the night. Get your copy today and fall in love all over again! Loving Amelia is the third book in The Crimson Rose Series, but can easily be read as a stand-alone novel.

    

    

    

    After her mother was brutally murdered, she was forced to step up and take care of her two younger siblings. Struggling to make ends meet, she did the best she could to keep them above float. Working as a bottle girl at the hottest strip club in the city she runs into Meech...well he actually runs into her... Meech is young, handsome, and rich, unlike December, struggle was something that Meech has never had to experience. Not knowing how to deal with a woman with pride, it becomes a challenge to get next to December. Meech was raised to be persistent, never give up on something you want, go get it! With Meech’s charming approach and December’s high level of pride, they clash in the worst way. Does Meech have what it takes to break down the wall that December has built around her heart, or will her “I don’t need anyone,” antics push him away from her for good?