Ten Seconds to Dead


L.A. Clayton - 2020
    She molds herself into becoming exactly what the CIA is looking for---and captures their interest, both personally and professionally. But before she can finish the CIA process, Kate is offered a position as an espionage agent in another highly secretive government agency, which she accepts.While completing her agency training, Kate is catapulted into a shadowy world where wealth and power are the ultimate goal, and those in charge will stop at nothing to get it. While on the job, Kate uncovers secrets that, if revealed, would cost her life, but if kept, could bring down a nation. Isolated and unsure of who to trust, she brings in a fellow agent, but pulling him into the web of conspiracy and lies puts a target on both their backs - and it will take every skill they’ve ever learned as agents to stay alive long enough to stop the enemy no one else can see.

Ultimatum


Mercy Amare - 2014
    And this is my story.Warning: it’s pretty crazy.My sort-of best friend has just gone missing. It’s not really unusual for her to skip out for days at a time, but this time it’s different. Somebody is out to get her. I just wish I knew who. Everybody thinks she’s dead and that one of my friends did it.Sure, a lot of people hate her, but who would hate her enough to kill her? I just hope I can find her before it’s too late.I will figure out the the truth — one dirty secret at a time.

Chancing Hope


Lisa Slater - 2018
    If only Kerwyn could apply those same qualities to his relationship with the vibrant Mable Conner, who just happens to be his long-time childhood best friend. Haunted by the pain his father endures at the loss of his mother, Kerwyn feels determined to not make the same mistakes. He decided to set her free a long time ago, but can he? Should he? Mable Conner has big dreams, but growing up is hard, and life is demanding big changes. Desperately in love with her best friend, Kerwyn, how does she get him to sees her as the woman she is becoming, and not the little girl he grew up with? Also, wants to be a singer more than anything, and she’s got the voice and spirit to make it happen. With the right opportunity, anything could happen. But would leaving to sing mean leaving Kerwyn? Does he even care if she stays or goes? When mysterious, loner Devin Hill, begins interfering, the changes quickly become an eerily, unstoppable force. To Kerwyn, Devin could be a dangerous threat. To Mable, Devin could be an opportunity. The changes they encounter may not be what either of them had expected. They both may just be left to Chancing Hope. Max Van Zile, editor with Editing for Authors, writes about Chancing Hope, “Chancing Hope is one of my favorite books I’ve done working for this company.” Regarding a miscreant character, Mr. Van Zile writes, “He ends up becoming the single best and most memorable villain in any Editing for Authors book I’ve worked on.” Chancing Hope is a very coming of age, heart felt novel with emotional twists.

Hard Target


Pamela Clare - 2019
    When a high-ranking US senator asks Cobra to protect his daughter, a midwife volunteering in Afghanistan, Derek’s gut tells him to turn the senator down. The last thing he wants to do is babysit an aid worker. But Jenna isn’t just another assignment. She’s also the younger sister of his best friend, the man who died taking bullets meant for him. There’s no way Derek can refuse. Jenna Hamilton doesn’t need a bodyguard, especially not one hired by her intrusive and controlling father. She knew the risks when she signed on to work in rural Afghanistan, and the hospital already has armed security. She also doesn’t need the distraction of a big, brooding operative skulking about, even if he is her late brother’s best friend—and sexy as hell. As far as she’s concerned, he can pack up his Humvee and drive into the sunset. And, no, nothing her hormones have to say about him will change her mind. From the moment his boots hit the ground in Afghanistan, Derek does his best to win Jenna over, posing as her brother so the two of them can spend time alone. Except that what he feels for her is anything but brotherly. Stolen moments lead to secret kisses—and an undeniable sexual attraction that shakes them both to the core. But events have been set into motion that they cannot escape. When a ruthless warlord sets his sights on Jenna, Derek will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if it costs him his heart—or his life.

Lahn's Edge


Chuck Driskell - 2013
    He's a model soldier, possessing a genius IQ and dashing good looks. He's also rumored to have family money back in Texas, which would explain his M-series BMW, his luxury apartment and his stable of alluring women. Patrick has it all. He has a dark secret, too. Unknown to his unit, golden boy Patrick Lacher is a thief. He's concocted a seemingly foolproof method for stealing and selling Army fuel. There's just one flaw in his scheme: a beautiful, equally-intelligent young criminal named Rebekka. She has the looks of a runway model and the training of a professional psychiatrist. Her mission: entrap Patrick using her psychological and sensual talents. Set in present-day Germany, LAHN’S EDGE is an action thriller loaded with psychological suspense, murder mystery and a sexually charged undercurrent. The layered plot and unique characters deliver thrills and constant action while keeping readers guessing.

Hyde


Lauren Stewart - 2012
    It includes lots of cursing, descriptive sex, biting sarcasm, and dark themes. HYDE was inspired by Stevenson's novella but is not a retelling, in part because he and this author have very different definitions of 'bad boy'.Honesty is impossible when you don't know the truth to begin with.Mitchell Turner is everything women want most in a man--he's charismatic, successful, and undeniably gorgeous. But he's not a man--he's a monster. By venting his rage 24/7, Mitch keeps people out of the danger zone that surrounds him. But, after the most incredible night of his life, he realizes that might not be possible. Except the woman he wakes up with claims she doesn't remember any of it. And that kind of thing can make a guy insecure.Eden Colfax is kind, loyal, honest to a fault, and cavity-inducing sweet. To rid herself of the monsters that haunted her broken childhood, Eden doesn't lie, doesn't curse, and definitely never wakes up naked in strangers' beds...until the day she does. Then the flashbacks start--places she's never been, people she's never met, blood she's never spilled. And the only person with any answers is a man she never wants to see again.What they don't know is that someone is manipulating them, determined to find out exactly what they're capable of. And when the truth leaves them nothing to hold onto, they will be forced into a partnership neither expected. Or wanted.But in life, who you trust is as important as who you are. And when you can't even trust yourself, sometimes the only person you can rely on is the last person on earth you should be falling for.

Brutal Obsession


Kennedy Layne - 2016
    That was six years ago and he's finally ready to ease off the accelerator. A unique opportunity to work for a top-shelf security and investigations firm in Florida is right up his alley.Ashlyn Ellis had everything she'd ever wanted--a high-profile career as a federal prosecutor, an upscale apartment in the city, and a beach house for when she needed to decompress from all the stress that accompanied the job. All three are threatened when she realizes someone has been following her every move for a very long time.When Ashlyn comprehends the lengths her pursuer is willing to take things, she calls in a favor. She never expected her plea for assistance to materialize in the form of Keane Sanderson--the one man who had every reason to revel in her misfortune. She's finally given the chance to rekindle the flames of desire she never should have extinguished, just in time for it all to be taken away when the stalker takes his obsession a step too far.Series Description: Safeguard Security & Investigations (SSI) is owned and operated by Townes Calvert, a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant who returned home to the States a bit more damaged than he'd care to admit. Not that anyone could tell outside of a very select group of former active duty buddies. It had taken Townes quite a while to acclimate to civilian life and he'd kept himself busy in the interim working in treacherous situations with even more dangerous friends. The final result is a close-knit unit of highly trained former military men who have the experience to protect the innocent, investigate crimes on the gritty edge, and aid local law enforcement when justice has taken a back seat to political correctness. Follow along as Kennedy Layne conveys each of their gripping stories as they work together on investigations that lead them down perilous paths of passion, intrigue, and suspense...

Unbeautiful


Jessica Sorensen - 2014
    Some might even say perfect. They say that I’m a pretty girl. They say I should be happy. They say that I have nothing to be angry about. That I’m popular. A cheerleader. That I’m perfect. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. But all they see is what’s on the outside. On the inside I’m raw, open, bleeding. Scars that can’t seem to heal the wounds. Carrying dark secrets about who I really am.How afraid I am to tell the truth.And it’s slowly killing me. RylerTattoos. Piercing. Scars. The guy who can’t speak. Gothic freak. Mute. Punk. I’ve heard it all. They say that I’m probably dangerous. They say people should stay away from me. They say. They say. They say.But who are they anyway? To decide what I am. They don’t know what’s hidden beneath the scars. Beneath the piercings and tattoos. The secrets I keep hidden beneath the silence.Maybe if they knew, they wouldn’t fear me so much. Then again, maybe they’d fear me more.

Horses and Heroin


Bev Pettersen - 2012
    Her only ally is a recuperating PI who unfortunately is the owner's best friend. Soon she is caught between a blossoming romance and a far-reaching conspiracy...where misplaced trust can be deadly.

Smoke and Mirrors: Trunk #1 - a noir crime thriller


Steve M - 2019
     Trunk won’t kill, unless he has to. Between one and two percent of the population are psychopaths. Trunk is highly functional. He has a steady job, an ex-wife, and a plan to kill her boyfriend. He offers discreet services that work well with his condition. From investigations to body disposal, Trunk has your back. But he’s been good at solving puzzles since he was a kid. When drug houses in Florida start burning down Trunk is hired to find out who is behind it. A vigilante out for revenge? Maybe a competitor trying to gain new territory? Is it an inside job? There are many suspects and all of them willing to kill. Trunk #1 - a noir crime thriller... ...and your new guilty pleasure.

30 Days


K. Larsen - 2013
    Dealing with the loss of her only sister. A suicide attempt that doesn’t end in death and a husband who wants her inheritance. Elle’s life is a catastrophe. But she has a list and thirty things she’s determined to accomplish. Love isn't on that list but it comes crashing unexpectedly into her life. Boxing coach and personal trainer at the gym he co-owns, Colin’s content with his life. Until a chance meeting with a woman eating alone at a restaurant sets his heart in motion. As secrets unveil themselves his only goal becomes holding on to what he’s found.

Intimate Enemies


Joan Swan - 2012
    Searching for closure, Cassie returns to her childhood home on the Pacific Coast of Baja, Mexico, where she launches her own investigation into the accident. She never expected to find an adversary in the man who had once touched her heart with kindness in her darkest moment.Rio’s been fantasizing about reconnecting with Cassie for months. But not here and sure as hell not now. As an undercover agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he’s working the biggest sting operation in all of northern Mexico, and he definitely doesn’t have time for the wild attraction he feels for Cassie.Not only is his cover on the line, so is his heart. Because as the end of a yearlong operation draws closer, Rio knows if he tells Cassie the truth about who and what he is, it won’t only jeopardize his mission, it may result in him losing her forever. And if he doesn’t, his lies and deception could get them both killed.Note: Also appears in the 2013 anthology Dark Nights Dangerous Men

The Devil You Know


Terry Tyler - 2016
    Is she the only person who can see through Gary's friendly, sensitive façade?Tamsin is besotted with her office crush, Jake. Then love turns to suspicion...Steve is used to his childhood friend, Dan, being a loud mouthed Lothario with little respect for the truth. But is a new influence in his life leading him down a more sinister path?Dorothy's beloved son, Orlando, is keeping a secret from her—a chilling discovery forces her to confront her worst fears.THE DEVIL YOU KNOW is a character-driven psychological drama that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Little Boy Lost


J.D. Trafford - 2017
    But when eight-year-old Tanisha Walker offers him a jar full of change to find her missing brother, he doesn’t have the heart to turn her away.Justin had hoped to find the boy alive and well. But all that was found of Devon Walker was his brutally murdered body—and the bodies of twelve other African American teenagers, all discarded like trash in a mass grave. Each had been reported missing. And none had been investigated.As simmering racial tensions explode into violence, Justin finds himself caught in the tide. And as he gives voice to the discontent plaguing the city’s forgotten and ignored, he vows to search for the killer who preys upon them.

Around the Bend


Britney King - 2014
    I'm that normal. I'm just like you, only wealthier. I have it all. The kids, the family, the dog, a house on the hill. Hell -- I'm so cliché, I even have a white picket fence. I guess you could say that I've dotted my I's and crossed my T's. But what I also have -- what no one sees in yoga, or at Neiman Marcus, or during the dreadful Ladies Who Lunch charity events I attend (because only God knows why), and perhaps most importantly, in the school pick up line--are secrets.Deep, dark, deadly secrets.We all keep secrets, don't we? We all have thoughts in our heads, things we do, things about us that if people knew, they'd be shocked...right? Well, what if one day we just decided to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak.What if we decided to let the whole world in on our dirty little secrets? And what if along the way, as we were spilling those secrets, we realized that things aren't always what they seem and with that knowledge, it changed the whole story?In this book, I'm laying it all out there. The unraveling of my life. My coming undone. What one might've seen had they been paying attention.What I've found in life is people often believe lies before they'll believe the truth. Well, here it is, in a nutshell. I'll let you decide which is which.