His impeccable record should speak for itself but he wasn’t taking any chances. When his commander volunteers him to head the annual Toys-For-Toddlers Christmas gala, saying no wasn’t an option. It seemed as though Sal had pulled off the impossible, even with only sixty days to do so. But at the last minute, things seemed to unravel and he found himself in over his head. Party planner was never going on his resume. Gloria, (Rori) Boudreau loved the holidays. Her business as a photographer and graphic designer was booming. Yet she needed to think about January, when it stalls out. When a part-time dispatcher position opened up at the police department, she grabs it. Timing was horrible, but it fit her schedule and it paid enough to ensure she could continue chasing her dream next year and that was all that mattered. Through the lens of Rori’s camera, everyone except Salvatore seemed to be enjoying the Christmas fundraiser. This was her reputation on line as well, and she needed it to be picture perfect. One way or another, she was determined to get a smile out of Salvatore. In the end, Salvatore lands more than a promotion. It might not be what he wanted for Christmas, but one moment, can change a lifetime. And he can’t wait until Christmas to unwrap this gift. Was what he had to offer enough for Rori? Salvatore didn’t want his love to end up amongst her unwanted gifts to return.

    Donavan “Trouble” Troy is heartless and ruthless. Since the day, he was abandon and forced into the foster care system he vowed to never care about anything. Being tossed in the worst homes only fueled his hatred turning him into the vicious man he is today. After his first taste of blood, he's been craving it ever since. Trouble is feared in the streets. Malaika Coleman is the closest you could get to an angel on earth. Her parents never knew when they named her that she would one day live up to it. After she survived a fatal car crash at sixteen, her whole perspective on life changed. Now she devotes her life to giving to others and spreading joy to the world through her music. Lai believes that music can change anyone’s life for the better, but can it change hers? Trouble and Lai's paths cross in the craziest way when he ends up saving her from a bullet meant for him. What happens when Trouble saves a life instead of taking one? Is Lai the angel he needs to pull him from his dark path or does his darkness pull her in. Maybe they have more in common than everyone thinks. Find out what happens when a troubled man meets an angel.

    For some it was a war with loneliness, boredom, and endless fatigue. For others it was a war with unyielding jungle, mountains, and disease. For still others it was a war with terror and death and all of the above. And then there was the secret war fought mostly by Army Special Forces and Navy Seals. For these secret warriors, the war was seldom boring and always dangerous. The mountains and jungles of Laos and Cambodia were their playground, and disease, terror, and death stalked them on every mission. Sergeant First Class Ed Potter, returning for his third tour in-country with the 101st Airborne, was on a short tour, just six months this time. While in the states, he had passed the Special Forces selection battery and did well in all phases of the SF assessment course. He expected orders to the SF Q course in six months. In the meantime he expected to be placed in a platoon sergeant’s job with the 101st at Camp Eagle or Camp Evans. His first surprise came when the replacement battalion sent him for an interview with a Special Forces Major who asked him if he would be interested in working for MACV-SOG and training and leading an airmobile quick reaction force to support Special Forces recon teams operating out of FOB1 at Phu Bai. His second surprise came when the major wouldn’t tell him what MACV-SOG, or the FOB was, did, or where they operated until after he volunteered and signed a confidentiality agreement. Ed jumped at the chance to work with the Special Forces instead of waiting out his time in a regular airborne infantry unit. He wouldn’t be Special Forces, but he would be working for them with the potential to share in part of their missions and training. What could be better for an NCO waiting to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg? An hour after the interview, Ed found himself on a helicopter heading for headquarters 5th Special Forces at Nha Trang and the beginning of a short tour that would seem longer and more dangerous than anything he had ever experienced.