Street King. Strong. Respected. Intelligent. Accurately describes Hassan, specifically known as Lil Hot or Hot, but now, a new title is being added to the list that takes his life on a whirl spin. Hot is thrown into fatherhood when one of his jump-offs abandons her baby with him, claiming it’s his. Not only unprepared for a baby, Hot finds himself in another foreign territory that he had no intentions of going down—love. Plus, street life in Atlanta starts wreaking havoc as he deals with personal struggles. Will Hot survive the streets long enough to embrace a baby and love? Find out if Hassan’s best Christmas gifts are the ones he didn’t know he wanted in this sultry African American Urban Fiction novella, Christmas In The Trap: Atlanta Style.

    Years after Hurricane Katrina took her parents she moved back to her city to find that nothing changed. With no job and money, her only option is to turn to the streets. When the streets take someone close to her Miracle takes heed and proceeds to turn her life around. Mystery Jones was respected throughout New Orleans and he was just as deadly as the guns he sold. Mystery is done with his womanizing ways and is ready to settle down. An unexpected shootout brings him in the presence of Miracle Anderson. He’s immediately captivated by her beauty and rude demeanor. After being in a physical and emotionless relationship Miracle had vowed that she would never get involved with someone like Mystery again. She couldn’t ignore the sexual tension that was brewing between the both of them. An unforeseen event takes place and Miracle finds herself riding shotgun with Mystery. Miracle finds out that Mystery is nothing like her ex and she let’s her guards down. Mystery is bursting the walls down to her heart but when bitter ex’s pop up and a chance of a lifetime is presented to Miracle will she pick the come up or a chance at love again?

    Seeing her friends exchange promises of forever does her heart good--even if the whole thing does highlight her own regrettably single status. But that's what cake and champagne are for. She just has to escape the douchecanoe who won't take no for an answer.He hates weddingsFormer Army Ranger Ty Brooks is happy to see his brother-in-arms starting his new life. He just wishes he was out of this monkey suit and miles away from the seemingly endless parade of guests. All this happily ever after isn't for him, but he's determined nothing's going to ruin Harrison and Ivy's special night. Especially the asshat who's cornered one of the female guests.A blast from the pastThe knight in a tux who shows up with a glass of champagne pretending to be Paisley's date is none other than the first love who broke her heart. Ty's older, hotter, and shocked to see her. It's clear the old chemistry is alive and kicking, and as they take a walk down memory lane, so are the feelings they both thought long dead and buried. Will the night be the closure they never got...or the start of a second chance?Author's note: This short story is a prequel to the novel MADE FOR LOVING YOU.

    Now, in this original short story, available exclusively as an eBook, Picoult introduces Serenity Jones, one of the fascinating characters from her eagerly awaited new novel, Leaving Time. Even as a child, Serenity Jones knew she possessed unusual psychic gifts. Now, decades later, she’s an acclaimed medium and host of her own widely viewed TV show, where she delivers messages to the living from loved ones who have passed. Lately, though, her efforts to boost ratings and garner fame have compromised her clairvoyant instincts. When Serenity books a young war widow to appear as a guest, the episode quickly unravels, stirring up a troubling controversy. And as she tries to undo the damage—to both her reputation and her show—Serenity finds that pride comes at a high price.

    Paige didn’t like that I went so far away to university. But it was going to only be for two years. She'd join me after she did her two years at community college. I thought we could swing that no problem. We were solid. But she hated the distance. She hated not seeing me every day. She complained that I didn’t come home enough. She hated that for months on end, texting and phone calls were our only form of communication. It wasn’t enough. She'd ask about the girls on campus. She’d gotten it into her head that girls were always making a play for me. I laughed and told her, even if that were true, I’d never cheat on her. She didn't seem completely reassured by that. The bottom line is, Paige thought she was losing me. She wanted me home with her. But I could never imagine the level she'd sink to—the trap she’d set to make that happen. And like an idiot I walked right into it.And it’s a mistake I'm going to have to pay for the rest of my life.

    When she’s not working, she’s swimming—lap after lap at the local indoor pool, in a desperate attempt to wash away the sting of professional failure and heartbreak that she can’t seem to shake. It takes an unexpected client to show her that appearances can be deceiving, and that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is simply dive back in.

    Ten years later, Tripp McCall is now a rich business tycoon, offering to help her organize an over-the-top class reunion. Chelsea suspects he’s just trying to show her what she lost. But Chelsea doesn’t care about his money; she misses his humor, his gray eyes and soft lips. Could he ever give her a second chance?

    Now she'll become his wife.When Lucia is caught trespassing in Jackson McNabe’s home, she fears he’ll turn her over to the constable. With the holidays approaching and the nights growing colder, she had only wished to warm herself by his fire and pretend for a few minutes that she was the lady of the grand house, rather than a homeless girl stranded in a peculiar village. Though she hadn’t meant to break the law, she now finds herself at the mercy of a handsome stranger whose deep, commanding voice makes her heart flutter and her pulse quicken.Jackson is taken in by Lucia’s wide, pretty blue eyes, and he sees the young lady’s sudden appearance in his home as an opportunity. He needs a wife, and Lucia clearly needs a husband. To his delight, she agrees to his terms, even when he tells her he expects obedience and won’t hesitate to spank her bare bottom when she misbehaves. The thought of owning her by law makes his blood heat, but a sinister plot threatens the legitimacy of their union, on their wedding day no less. Will Jackson and Lucia find their way back into one another’s arms in time for the holidays?

     But Erin isn't like the other girls he knows. Even for an American she is exceptionally feisty, strong and stubbornly independent. A challenge to him. Yet he can't keep his eyes off her, her stunning beauty kept him captivated for the whole evening. When Erin first saw Sheikh Kamal she had no idea he was royalty and leader of Jawhara, one of the largest (and wealthiest) countries in the Middle East. She just saw him as an irresistible handsome man, tall, with deep brown eyes and a muscular physique. Definitely her type. He was perfect - apart from his personality. He was so arrogant, controlling, and dominating. Everything she told herself she NEVER wanted in a man. Yet, she feels such a strong pulls towards him, even his scent is intoxicating.. They sneak away from the ball and go back to Erin's apartment where they share an intense night of love making. In the morning Kamal is called urgently back to his country. As the weeks go by, and the gifts from Kamal pile up, Erin makes a shocking discovery. She is carrying the heir to a kingdom.. When Kamal discovers this, he will do anything to bring her to his country and make her his bride. But Erin has other ideas..

    By vampires, creatures that can’t exist. But Sara knows better and she’s on a mission to kill as many as she can…until she comes across a man from her past.This short story was originally published in the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance.

    But as usual her promise to herself is broken, because it was impossible for her not to fall heart first for TONY. Things developed quickly, but then their whirlwind romance suddenly comes to a halt when TONY decides things are too heavy for him and he wants space. After he moves out, he doesn't move on and JOCELYN allows him to play the in and out game, until she meets BRIAN. Ready to finally let TONY go and get him out of her system, she cuts the cord, but finds herself in a horrible situation in the end, all because of TONY.

    

    One Sexy Bear. One Valentine’s Date... What could possibly go wrong?Detective Lucy Mason has been on one disastrous date after another, and is ready to give up the hunt for true love when her best-friend guilts her into trying one last dating site, FureverMates. With thoughts of only supporting her friend, Lucy can’t believe her luck when she actually gets asked out on the most romantic night of the year. But it all seems too good to be true... Chris Forrest is everything she ever hoped for; funny, sweet, and smouldering, but she can’t help but feel he’s on the wrong side of the law and hiding some deep dark secret. Will Chris turn out to be another thug? Can Lucy stop arresting her dates long enough to find everlasting love?Bear Naked for Valentine’s is a holiday novella set within the Scarfell Mountain community. It has hot and steamy scenes, and features a guaranteed Happy Ending and no cliffhanger.

    It’s been fifteen years since Mandy Reasoner was murdered—a crime for which her boyfriend, Duke, was convicted. But when best friends Betty and June discover that Mandy was June’s long-forgotten aunt, they decide to pursue the mystery. Galvanized by the growing community who doubts the evidence against Duke and is rallying to free him, the two girls start on a path that will bring them not only to Duke himself but smack into Nickel, a canny, tough-as-nails teenage P.I. attempting to keep his own life together. They make a good team, but Nickel is on his own mission of revenge, and the web of lies surrounding Mandy’s murder is growing ever thicker.The closer they get to the truth, the less clear the path becomes. Will they survive the fight to bring Mandy’s killer to justice?Award-winning author Aric Davis brings back his captivating anti-hero, Nickel, in Tunnel Vision, a work of edgy noir about unlikely friendship and long-overdue justice.

    Now’s his chance to claim what’s his.School teacher Marceline Bellini gave up everything—men, sex, anything resembling a social life—to raise her young daughter. To be the perfect parent. But when she attends an engagement party in her standard stick-in-the-mud mode, her friends begin plying Marcy with shots. Just enough to convince her that a little fun doesn't sound like a bad idea... and having some naughty fun is an even better one.Like finding herself deliciously pressed against a dark alley wall by the very familiar and very hot body of her best friend's older brother.After years of waiting in painful silence, police officer Aaron Robinson finally has Marcy’s attention. And man, does he have it. But nothing could have prepared either of them for the rush of fiery lust between them. So he’ll just have to convince Marcy he’s for real. And that a rainy, lust-fuelled romp is the first step to a lifetime of completely imperfect happiness…