Jamie was, and always would be, forbidden fruit. Besides being four years older than me, he was the newest recruit of my dad's experimental team. Jamie was also the experimental part of the team. Meaning he wasn't exactly human. He was amazingly more than human. What better person to recruit to be on a SEAL-type team than someone who was literally born to be in the water? Some people go their whole lives and never know love. I knew it at sixteen. While I didn't know Jamie forever, I knew him long enough that he changed me. He didn't mean to break my heart. He didn't mean to crush my dreams, but he did. And if I had it to do all over again, I would. I absolutely would. This is our story. Because I never want to forget. **Excerpt** “How old are you?” The hard edge in his voice prompted me to look up at his face. Water spiked his dark hair, dripping over his cheeks and jaw. I lifted my chin. It would be so easy to let him intimidate me, knowing what I did about him. “Seventeen.” The lie slipped out too easily. Eighteen wouldn’t have worked because I was still a sophomore, and the truth—that I was sixteen—sounded too young, especially with Jamie towering over me even though he wasn’t even standing up. He blotted out the sun, the whole entire world, and I was content to let him. He lifted his hand to my face, his fingers lightly tracing my cheek where Donovan had elbowed me the previous day. His expression softened, his full lips turning slightly down. “Does it hurt?” “A little,” I confessed, drowning in the pools of his green eyes, so pale they were almost no color at all. He stared at me for a long time, as if he were mulling something over in his mind, and all the while his eyes searched my face. My skin shivered. My lips parted as my mind churned for some reasonable excuse as to why in the world I would be hiding here. What could I say that wouldn’t make me sound like a Navy groupie or worse, a stalker? The half-formed words stalled in my throat as his head descended toward me, and before I knew his intention his lips lightly touched my cheek, stunning me into utter stillness. Then his lips found mine and the reasonable voice in my head told me I should push him away, that he’d stepped way out of bounds, and I was about to do it—I was—when his tongue darted out and teased my lips. They opened all by themselves, my body way ahead of my brain, eager in its response. I kept my eyes open, not wanting to miss a single second. The weird thing was he didn’t close his eyes either, which made his kiss all the more potent. I’d been kissed before, but never like this, sweet and gentle with an undercurrent of the not so gentle, a complete possession of my mouth and my heart along with it. He lifted his head a fraction and we shared a breath before he drew away completely. He pushed to his feet, then stood over me again as I met his forceful gaze. “You know what I am.” It wasn’t spoken as a question, but a declaration. “Yes,” I said. Like I would care after that kiss. The Emerald Series Waterborn Waterdreamer Watermark

    Sure, restoring the ship won’t be easy, especially when the Feds figure out she’s running an illegal salvage operation, but she’s never shied away from hard work. Or challenges. Good thing, too. Because she’s on a collision course with her competition. If you like sailing the black with rogues and rascals, then you’ll love Arch Allies. A must read for fans of Firefly and Star Wars. Pick up your copy today!

    But when she discovers she's a shape-shifter, she bites off more than she can chew. Overnight, she becomes a target, and surviving the school-year means defending herself against cyber-bullies, learning to control her new-found powers, and hiding from the ancient secret society that kidnapped her mother. Morphing has consequences, and Kayleigh begins to realize that being able to change into anything can mean losing herself in the process.

    Together with their performance troupe, musician Oliveah Oslund and diviner Madilaine Savannon arrive for the festivities anticipating nothing more than a week of revelry. Instead, an encounter with a mysterious man incites a bizarre chain of events that will haunt them for the remainder of the summer.As the season comes to a close, Oliveah and Madilaine find themselves drawn to the royal city of Aralexia to attend the yearly tournament hosted by the king. Confronting a host of allies and enemies including thieves, mages, assassins and warlords, it is there they attempt to find the answer hidden within the deceptions, half-truths, omens and auguries concealing Dhanen’Mar’s darkest secret.

    An idea can change the world. Imagine what someone can do with magic.”Except using magic in Caesea is punishable by death.Kincaid, a journeyman carpenter with artistic skills not seen in generations, discovers his shop is on the wrong side of underworld loans. In a blast of unknown and untamed power to protect those he loves, Kincaid changed his bright future in the Carpentry Guild to a dank prison beyond the laws of the city. Thrust into city politics, Kincaid faces impossible choices to escape to save his loved ones or embrace being a pawn in the games of political power. All the while a whispering voice invades his thoughts, pushing him to become the Chronomancer.To change his destiny, Kincaid must embrace the darkest secret of magic only the Magi know.This is a fast-paced high fantasy adventure filled with action, magic, mystery, and themes for all ages.

    Only Kendril can stand against the rising tide of darkness and the total annihilation of Redemption.Meanwhile dark portents send Kara, Joseph, and Maklavir racing to find Kendril and save him from a prophesied doom, a doom they cannot be certain they can prevent. And with bloodthirsty werewolves, an insane governor, and enemies from his own Order coming against him, Kendril is in a fight for his life. But in order to save Redemption, Kendril discovers that he must throw aside his own penance and redemption. And even that may not be enough....A thrilling, action-packed fantasy adventure tale, Oracle is Book Five in the Chronicles of Zanthora, and continues the unfolding story of Kendril and the Fourth War of Despair.Cover designed by Robert Worl.Books in the Chronicles of Zanthora:Book One: GhostwalkerBook Two: Throne of LlewyllanBook Three: SoulbinderBook Four: DemonbaneBook Five: OracleBook Six: RedemptionBook Seven: The Raven in the Sea (Coming Soon)

    He’s determined to uncover the mystery of the Guarders: where they live, why they attack, and what they want. Suspiciously, none of their behavior has ever made sense.Mahrree Peto, a teacher in Edge, is also growing suspicious. Of the Administrators who promise to eradicate the Guarders, and of the arrogant captain they sent to protect Edge. It’s hard to know who to trust.The most powerful man in the world is also fascinated by trust, and precisely what it takes to destroy it. He’s looking for research subjects, and up in Edge a brash captain and a nosy teacher have caught his attention.Let the experiment begin.Part fantasy, part adventure, part humor, part romance, part mystery all equates to a wholly entertaining and unique family saga. Forest at the Edge Series--you've never read anything like this before.Think you know who to trust?Think you know the color of the sky?Probably not . . .

    

    But the cosmos has something different in store... From Chapter One: THE ARRIVAL "I didn’t even really see it. I felt it and there was a flash of brilliant green and blue light. But I had no idea what was going on. All I knew was that something had entered my room before I could get the window closed, the force of it knocking me to the floor." "It was standing there, no taller than my knee. It was green, with little pointy ears and a little face. I didn’t even know whether it was a he or a she. It just stood there, shaking its head back and forth and examining the wreckage that must’ve been a spaceship of sorts, though it looked no bigger than a toy truck." This is book one in this serialized story that’s ideal for kids ages 9-12. These books are the perfect thing to listen to and read right before bedtime, or when you just have a few spare moments. Each book will be approximately 7500 words, with the audiobook clocking in at about 35 - 40 minutes. Audiobooks, used in tandem with a text, are a great way to increase your child’s reading fluency, vocabulary and word acquisition, and comprehension! Book Tags: Fantasy stories for kids 4-8, bedtime stories children’s values books, Bedtime stories for kids ages 4-8, Bedtime stories for kids ages 3-8, stories for girls ages 4-8, short books for kids 4-8, short books for girls 4-8, Kindle Unlimited Books For Kids, kids books, children's books bedtime stories for kids, bedtime storybook collection, bedtime storybook, kids stories, bedtime stories for children, bedtime reading, free childrens books, Children's books, short stories, kids stories, stories for kids, stories for children, kids ebooks, short stories, bedtime stories, kids stories, stories for kids, short stories for kids, short stories, stories for kids, jokes, kids stories, childrens stories, kids books, childrens books, books for kids, bedtime stories, kids books, ebooks, books for kids, jokes, kids, hilarious, children, kid, kids books, childrens books, childrens book, kids book about animals, elementary, kids book, books for kids, childrens book, book, kindle book, kindle ebook, comedy, kindle unlimited, kindle unlimited books for kids, kindle unlimited books for children, humor, early reader, beginning reader, kids comedy, bedtime stories, free ebooks, ebooks free, stories for kids, preschool, ages 3-5, ages 6-8, ages 9-12, preteen, beginning readers, beginner reading, kids stories, children stories

    A failed suicide attempt launches him into a world that continually tests his ability to forgive and forget. With each new soul that he's entrusted to collect, he learns more about himself and his horrific decisions in life. Through the tutelage of his befriended trainer, Jack will be compelled to make decision after decision about who gets to live and who will lose their soul. The Borrowed Souls concludes when Jack comes to a crossroads: continue on with his eternal commitment, or forfeit the tremendous power that has been bestowed upon him. Forever.

    Transported to a world of slavery for alien masters. Mind-wiped, so every hellish day in the mines feels like just another job shift.This has been going on for millennia. And one day, archaeologist Ali Johnson decodes an ancient Sumerian tablet that unveils the truth. Those secrets set her on a trail of clues that lead to the right place at the absolute wrong time.The plan to keep humanity at heel relies on periodic purges, and the countdown to genocide is ticking. Ali may be the spark that ignites galactic rebellion.But before she can save mankind, she must remember who she is, what she’s lost, and why one terrible figure continues to haunt her dreams.Hang on for the explosive series kick-off that thrills like Indiana Jones and twists like Total Recall. If you’re ready for the sci-fi adventure of the year, join Ali and grab Brandon Ellis’s Mesopotamian Pew-Pew now.

    R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman are found guilty of the Watergate cover-up, the Weather Underground bombs the U.S. State Department, and Bill Gates founds Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As Communist forces take Saigon and the Vietnam War winds down, Tray Dunaway, an ordinary teenager from a poor Southern family, longs to become part of the popular clique at school.Tray's mother, Evelyn, lies in bed most days with her bipolar tendency toward extreme highs or desperate lows. Meanwhile, Tray's grandmother Ginny, still grieving over the loss of her husband, would love to move out and find a place of her own. Maybe even a bit of romance to replace the loss she feels. But given the sorry state of the family's finances that's not possible.Then the Dunaways' luck changes. Or so it seems.Tray's father drives a down-and-out friend of the family, Pee Wee Johnson, to Hazard, Illinois, so Johnson can buy lottery tickets. As a gesture of thanks, Johnson gives a ticket to Tray's father. And what do you know? The Dunaways' are suddenly rich.When Johnson demands his cut of the winnings, Tray's dad refuses. As Evelyn's illness spirals toward madness, Johnson threatens the family. Out of time, Tray makes one poor decision after another until what initially seemed like a stroke of good fortune quickly becomes a dangerous game of life and death for the Dunaways.

    Trained from a young age to destroy those who wield it. The First of the Blade Series begins.Trained to destroy sorcery from a young age, Imogen Inaratha left that life behind, having come to see magic differently. When her brother asks for help, she embarks on a dangerous journey—and must face a part of her past she wanted to forget.An encounter with one of the mythical Porapeth changes the course of the journey. Protecting him forces her to face dark magical creatures and a powerful sorcerer determined to destroy the Porapeth in his quest for even more power.To succeed, she must learn the truth of the blade she’d long thought she’d mastered.She must truly become the First of the Blade.

    Brought into the life of knights, fair maidens, and kings, Conner finds himself outcast and alone. But under the tutelage of an old man from a far-off land, Conner begins to learn skills that even the fabled Knights of Karmon could not match. But as the nefarious plans of the evil Lord Neffenmark come to fruition, he finds himself embroiled in the deadly politics and forces far beyond the borders of his little kingdom. Knight Fall begins the first chapter in the life of Conner, a simple peasant who dares to affect change upon the world.

    With no memory of her past and no way to survive on her own, she cooks for him, even steals for him. A virtual slave to his every desire, this life of servitude is all she's ever known.Locked away like some dark secret, Viola knows nothing of the world--that is, until she's discovered one day. Now her secret world is turned upside down and things can never go back to the way they were. Which is worse, a cruel master who treats her like an animal, or a cold world that views her as a monster?With blood-red eyes and hair white as snow, her exotic origin remains a mystery even to herself. What is she? Where did she come from? Some things are better left unknown...Graphic-content warning: This book is intended for mature audiences.