Another night out on the town in New York City with her roommate, what could go wrong for Simone? Waking up in a strange bed, stranding her with the bar's known player after a major snowstorm, would do it. What's a girl to do when they're snowed in for several days? What's a girl to do when she starts falling for the player? What should Simone do when she's unsure of which girl she is of the many romance stories she narrates for a living? Is she the girl being played before the guy finds his true love? Or, is Simone the girl who gets the guy? "I feel like I'm in the middle of my own twisted, real-life romance story but I'm too scared to know the outcome. Which girl am I? Am I the girl being played who ends up with her heart broken? Or, am I the girl who gets the guy?" (Note: Simone is the older sister of Harper from my short story One Kiss that was featured in the Because Beards anthology.)

First loves don't last, not like you think they will when you're in the beginning or middle of them. First loves are fun and painful, giving you the beauty and darkness of life in a single relationship, breaking your fantasies like a twig and making you realize that life is not all sunshine, sparkling fireflies, and rainbows. No, it's not pretty at all. First loves build you up, and just when you think that life can't get any better, they shatter into a million raindrops, making you see how life really works. First loves crush you, ruining you for anyone else. That's what Ivy Lynn Abney and Henry Lee Rein have battled with since things ended between them three years ago. Neither of them have spoken and are still hung up on what occurred. They both have regrets and the love they once had for each other never really went away. They were young and wanted different things. Have their wants changed enough to allow their love to reignite? Can first loves become second loves even with secrets? **Standalone story. LISTEN for FREE to my short stories & novels on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/marthasweeneyauthor

WARNING: This series contains sensitive material. Reader discretion is advised Jagger rules everything. The cities from the elite districts, to the slums, and everything in between are his domain in one of three sovereigns on the planet Jaru. The only law is Jagger Law which can change at any moment. One wrong look or word can get a body part chopped off or have you killed. Since the beginning of the war, which was almost over three decades ago, the air has had been stale and musty, still smelling of burnt metal. All resources needed to survive are severely limited, causing many Jaruians to pillage one another just to get a single meal for the day. There are some who wish to end Jagger's power and they've started to infiltrate his organization. Money, amongst other things, are just a farce that Jagger uses to dangle in front of his subjects to keep the population in line and distracted. Those who want to see the end of Jagger's reign want to take control over the depleting natural resources in order to save the planet and the Jaruian species. Natalie gets caught up in Jagger's twisted game of power and control when she's taken from her sovereign. Against her will, like all women who are caught, Natalie is thrown into the Jaruian sex trade. With her new, unwanted job responsibilities, Natalie takes a stand, willing to die fighting for her life rather than be used. When an opportunity presents itself, is Natalie willing to do whatever it takes to free herself or remain only a pawn? WARNING: This series contains sensitive material. Reader discretion is advised. LISTEN for FREE to my short stories & novels on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/marthasweeneyauthor

You know how they say the enemy of your enemy is your friend? Well, I'm still determining if there's any truth to that statement. I was used by the Feds to report on the dealings of Antonio Herrera - the major Mexican crime lord since his uncle passed, leaving everything to Antonio. I knew everything about Antonio's business. How, you ask? I was the only woman he kept close, really close - he claimed he loved me. You get to see and hear a lot of interesting things when you hold that kind of status. Now, the Feds have me in what they claim is witness protection. However, I never feel safe knowing he's out there. My family thinks I'm dead. All the while, I keep to myself, avoid most people in my new hometown and train rigorously everyday-waiting for the time when the devil comes calling for his debt to be paid. LISTEN for FREE to my short stories & novels on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/marthasweeneyauthor