Tuesday's Child


Dale Mayer - 2011
     Shunned and ridiculed all her life for something she can’t control, Samantha Blair hides her psychic abilities and lives on the fringes of society. Against her will, however, she’s tapped into a killer—or rather, his victims. Each woman’s murder, blow-by-blow, ravages her mind until their death releases her back to her body. Sam knows she must go to the authorities, but will the rugged, no-nonsense detective in charge of tracking down the killer believe her? Detective Brandt Sutherland only trusts hard evidence, yet Sam’s visions offer clues he needs to catch a killer. The more he learns about her incredible abilities, however, the clearer it becomes that Sam’s visions have put her in the killer’s line of fire. Now Brandt must save her from something he cannot see or understand…and risk losing his heart in the process. As danger and desire collide, passion raises the stakes in a game Sam and Brandt don’t dare lose. Length - 90,000 words. Excerpt Agony. Pain. Terror. A voice whispered through the blackness of her mind, so odd, so different it caught her attention. She strained to hear the words. “Let go. It’s time to let go.” Sam stared through the flames, stunned. Let go of what? She couldn’t hear over the roaring fire and could barely see, but knowing that someone was there stirred her survival instinct, and she fought with the seatbelt buckle jammed at her side. She was saved. Just another minute and they’d open the door and pull her free. She’d be fine. “Please hurry,” she cried out. “Let go. You don’t need to be in there. Let it all go, and come with me.” She peered through the golden orange windshield to see a strange male face peering at her through the flames. He smiled. “Come with me.” “I want to, damn it. Can’t you see I’m trapped?” she screamed, her vocals crisping in the heat. “Release yourself. Come with me. Say yes.” The pain hit a crescendo. She twisted against it, hearing her spine splinter. The car seat melted into her skin. So much pain, she couldn’t breathe. Blackness crowded into her mind, blessed quiet, soothing darkness. She reached for it. “Let it go. You don’t need to go through this. Hurry.” She started. Why wasn’t he opening the door or getting others to help? He should be trying to save her. Shouldn’t he? Sam, so confused and so tired, she could barely feel the pain overtaking her body. Where had he gone? She tried to concentrate. His face was now only a vague outline that rippled with the heat waves. A soft smile played at the corner of his mouth. The flames burned around him, weird as they centered him in the warm glow. She wanted to be with him. To live. “Here, take my hand.” Dazed and on the brink of death, Sam focused on the hand reaching for her. She struggled to raise the charred piece of flesh that had been her arm and reached out to grasp his. She was free. Overwhelmed, she turned to hug her savior, her head just reaching his shoulder. He stood beside her, the same radiant beaming look on his face. His blond hair glowed, and he had the brightest teeth. She sighed. This beautiful man pointed to her right arm. Confused, Sam glanced down at her burned arm, realizing she could feel none of her injuries. Just like her other one, her broken arm had miraculously healed – whole, smooth and soft. Her skin hadn’t looked this good in ten years. She spun around to find a massive fireball below. What the hell? She had to be dead.

The Hottie in Finance


T.K. Cherry - 2020
    Then, she met Dustin “The Beefcake” Collier. One glance, and the career-focused businesswoman is stumbling over her words like a love-sick teen. What Greer thought was a one-sided crush took a thrilling turn when Dustin sent her a friend request on social media. Unfortunately, the more she saw of his life online, the more she doubted the attraction would ever be mutual. She was the wrong height. Wrong build. And wrong complexion. Little does Foxy know, Beefcake has a taste for chocolate and he’s craving her. Can colleagues from two different backgrounds find a way to release their inhibitions? Or will the struggle between work and family squash their shot at love?

Ravenous


Cali Burem - 2019
    When her boyfriend breaks up with her for ‘gaining a little too much weight’, Mia’s best friend decides that Mia is in desperate need of a new and private space away from the bastard. She finds the perfect house in the perfect place with, unfortunately, the worse possible roommate. When Mia first met the almost unbearably attractive Westley Nott, they were pretty much enemies from the get-go. But now, having already signed the tenants’ agreement, she has to live with him and not try murder him in his sleep for at least six months before she can get out of it. … Westley needs a quiet get-away a lot more than he needs to be able to get away from the headache that is Mia Rhodes. With her sharp tongue, proud attitude and sensuous relationship with food, he can think of a million ways of distracting her mouth but none of them would be advised. Westley’s skills in the kitchen however, seem to tame the vexing vixen and as they become closer, he finds that he wants to fill her mouth with more than just his delicious desserts. Mia is afraid of asking for seconds but Westley isn’t the type of man to let a starving woman go hungry.

Forbidden


Hadley Raydeen - 2018
    I can’t keep up with the demands of each, especially with my witch of a boss on my tail. When It all comes to a head, I basically lose my mind from all the stress. The last person I ever thought would come to my rescue is my law professor Reid Matheson. I can’t help but daydream about what that mouth can do while I sit in his law classes. He is sophisticated, handsome, and smart; A trifecta no girl can resist, least of all me. With graduation near, maybe we can find out if this attraction is mutual. I wonder if he's willing to teach me outside the classroom for just one night. Reid Matheson Addison is a temptation I’ve been avoiding for the last three years while she’s been my student. But, she’s about to graduate now, and I may have to do something about this ache I feel every time I see her. When my best friend, her employer, tells me she’s involved in illegal activity; I don’t believe it…not my girl. Now, I have to prove she didn’t do what she’s being accused of all while teaching her law in and out of the classroom. Just one problem, I want her, and I get what I want even if it’s Forbidden. Another Steamy Office Romance by Author Hadley Raydeen. Warning: If you are not a fan of erotic interracial romance, this is not the one for you.

A Love The Streets Couldn't Give


Ni"andra Ruff - 2017
    After the mysterious disappearance of her mother, Aaliya was left with no choice but to put her life on hold and raise not only her daughter, but her younger siblings, Harlem and Amelia. Cleaning up the messes behind a countless number of notorious thugs, Demetri Mikhailov was the go-to guy for any job— just as long as you were talking the right price. When a longtime friend of his sends him on a search for his children, Demetri willingly obliges. With little to go on, Demetri is shocked to face the vivacious Aaliya. He didn't have the slightest clue as to what he was getting himself into when he crossed paths with the chocolate beauty. As a bond is built and love is found, the pair finds themselves entangled in a web of lies, secrets, and betrayal. Trying his best to keep the truth behind his lies, Demetri finds himself in a situation he can't seem to get out of. When Aaliya finds out his secret, will Demetri's biggest fear come true? Will Aaliya call it quits and walk away or will love prevail and she choose to stay?

Fallen


Elise Marion - 2011
    An angel of healing, Amir has spent centuries performing miracles for people hovering at the very edge of death. A professional ballerina, Shayla lives her life to dance. Abandoned by her family, she is alone in the world yet determined to pursue her dream. When a car accident leaves Shayla in critical condition and in danger of never dancing again, it seems that all hope is lost.Amir enters Shayla’s life intending to heal her, but when he sees her laying in her hospital bed fighting for her life, something unfamiliar resounds within him. A stranger to desire and love, Amir is drawn to Shayla like a moth to a flame despite the fact that the rules of heaven forbid angels to engage in romantic relationships with mortals. Should he give in to temptation he will become one of the “Fallen”, demons cursed to the depths of hell for eternity. As his desire for Shayla rises to fever pitch, Amir will face the choice between love and damnation, or loneliness and divinity. Will an angel who has roamed the earth alone for centuries choose to continue on the path of righteousness, or will he fall captive to his burning desires and be forever damned?

Shadow of Danger


Kristine Mason - 2013
    The only witness, clairvoyant Celeste Risinski, observes these brutal murders through violent nightmares and hellish visions. The local sheriff, who believes in Celeste’s abilities and wants to rid their peaceful community of a killer, enlists the help of an old friend, Ian Scott, owner of a private criminal investigation agency, CORE. Because of Ian’s dark history with Celeste’s family, a history she knows nothing about, he sends his top criminalist, former FBI agent John Kain to investigate. John doesn’t believe in Celeste’s mystic hocus-pocus, or in her visions of the murders. But just when he’s certain they’ve solved the crimes, with the use of science and evidence, more dead bodies are discovered. Could this somehow be the work of the same killer or were they dealing with a copycat? To catch a vicious murderer, the skeptical criminalist reluctantly turns to the sensual psychic for help. Yet with each step closer to finding the killer, John finds himself one step closer to losing his heart.

An Unlikely Encounter


Aliyah Burke - 2007
    Unfortunately, tonight she was stuck in an airport in Edmonton, Alberta, which means spending the night with a bunch of strangers, and a man who had witnessed her earlier embarrassing incident. A thirty-nine year old oil rigger, Niall O'Cinneide is also stuck in the same airport. His night improves as he notices the woman who had snared his attention the moment he saw her -- in the men's restroom. Incredible sex in a restroom is what they share before the night is over. A few weeks later they meet in Texas when Niall is staying at the hotel she is temporarily assigned to. Torrye fights her desire for this masculine temptation. Niall doesn-t care; he has found her again refuses to let her go this time. Is it possible that true love could begin from An Unlikely Encounter.

Broken Promises


S.K. Lessly - 2019
    They met when they were kids and shared a love of all things science, computers, and freeze tag. True love blossomed but was never allowed to flourish. Promises were made but never kept. Ethan moved away, leaving Alexis brokenhearted. Fast forward to now. A class reunion has brought the once best friends back together. Unfortunately, Alexis and Ethan aren't the same people they were in school. Bitterness, pain and rejection has taken root, leaving the once thick as thieves friends, at odds. Or so they think. The more time they spend together, the more they realize the love they once had for each other didn’t die; it lay dormant, ready for its chance to flicker to life. All they needed to do was sit back and watch the sparks fly. Except, once again, fate has other ideas. Has too much time passed for these two childhood friends? Has the pain of broken promises become too great to overcome? Or can they get past differences and tough obstacles to be together? Both Alexis and Ethan will come to a crossroads. The question is, which road will they choose… a life together or a life apart.

Death & Fire


King Ellie - 2019
    None of those were important as mate. Something he cherished until one day, his mate left him without so much as a goodbye. His heart is twisted. His love is now hate. His words are bitter, hateful because she left, but now she’s back. What will he do with all his rage? Lucinda Howell was an orphaned supe. She did her best to grow up and take part in the sentinel program. What she didn’t expect was the fall in love with the captain and find her mate. He quickly became her everything; her love, home and family. What could have been stronger than that love shared that caused her to walk away from his arms? It doesn't matter now. Lucinda has returned broken and empty to come face to face with the festering hatred she created in the heart of the Son of Death. Will Xáne clear up the fog of hatred and take a good look at what Cin has become?

A Perfect Darkness


Jaime Rush - 2009
    They are the Offspring, children of a mysterious experiment gone awry—and they are in terrible danger.A sexy stranger awakens Amy Shane in the dead of night. Lucas Vanderwyck barely has time to whisper a few words before three men burst into her bedroom and drag him away. But what Lucas reveals shatters Amy's safe little world forever.Lucas and Amy share a psychic gift—a gift that could put them in mortal danger. And as they share night after night of savage passion, as a shadowy government conspiracy tracks their every move, they will fight to save each other. But only with their powers of second sight can they escape the terror of a perfect darkness.

Being Plumville


Savannah J. Frierson - 2007
    You're given them from birth, and anything that could possibly make you break them is removed from your life-even if it's your best friend. Such is the case for Benjamin Drummond and Coralee Simmons, two best friends separated during childhood because Benjamin is white, Coralee is black, and relationships between the two races are unspoken in its taboo. However, fifteen years later during the turbulent 1960s, Benjamin and Coralee are reunited, and despite their upbringing, neither are able to deny what they had in their innocent youth, nor suppress the desire to rekindle it-maybe even into something more.The reunion forces the pair and those around them to examine the consequences of following the status quo versus following their hearts. Is friendship too high a price to pay to be Plumville? Is love? Will Benjamin and Coralee become who Plumville raised them to be, or who they were born to be?

Dream Man


Linda Howard - 1994
    While he has doubts about her supposed clairvoyant powers, she sees crimes as they're being committed, there is no doubt about how much he desires her. To Marlie, Dane is all heat and hard muscle, and he makes her body come alive as it never has before. But not even she can foresee that their passion will lead them on a dangerous journey into the twisted mind of a madman who will threaten their happiness and their lives.

Hidden (Recovered Hearts Book 1)


Ancelli - 2020
    Having to hide their affair, the young couple find solace in each other's arms away from the ugly reality of the world around them.One violent night led to everything crashing down around them, leading them down a path of chaos and hurt feelings.Fast forward five years later after an accidental – on purpose – meeting, hard to forget emotions are rekindled. Can Ethan and Rayn survive the secrets from the past exploding into their present to shadow their future?Contains adult content and violence.

The Object of Love


Sharon Cullars - 2007
    But guilt and long-buried secrets could destroy their future before it begins. . .It's been five years since Lacey Burnham saw Sean Logan, and in that time her son Calvin's best friend has turned from a surly youth into a handsome, self-assured young man. Crushed with grief over Cal's sudden death, Lacey offers Sean a place to stay while he's in town--an innocent proposal that quickly becomes anything but. Lacey is stunned and confused by the yearning he ignites with a single kiss. . .Beautiful, warmhearted Lacey Burnham was a haven of comfort in Sean's troubled youth. Now, against every shred of logic she possesses, Lacey is falling hard for Sean and for a heady carnal bliss she's never experienced before. But the ghosts of the past are waiting. And sooner or later, every shadow must face the light of day. . ."Chilling and deliciously erotic by turns, an absorbing rollercoaster ride of a book." --Angela Knight on AgainSharon Cullars lives in Chicago where she works as a research analyst for a professional association. In her spare time, she reads whatever she can lay her hands on, but particularly loves works that allow her to make an emotional connection to the characters. She does not limit herself to any one genre and is a lover of mystery, romance, horror and sci-fi. She also enjoys various types of music, but generally gravitates toward soft jazz. She has written several short stories, one of which is due to be published in Masques V, an anthology of horror literature. In addition to writing, she hosts the Short Stories section of Bella Online, a comprehensive site for women. When she feels in the mood, she also dabbles in 3D art or just enjoys the wonderful attractions of the city of Chicago. Sharon welcomes comments and feedback.