'Gladiator of Rome: Short Stories' will be a collection of short stories and bonus chapters around each of the main characters from the first novel in the trilogy; Gladiator of Rome. Each story will be a stand-alone tale and although some of the stories may take place within the time frame that the trilogy is set most of the stories will be focusing on the origins of each character and therefore not in the trilogy. Characters stories to be included, but not in order, are: Krista Lazarus Artorius Frieda Diomed Leonidas Cato

Tatiana Ashurst has a secret... ...one that she cannot afford to be known to Georgian English society. But Kit Vallentyn discovers her hidden ability to wield infinitely powerful magic... and saves her from inadvertently revealing it to everyone. Tatiana knows it is impossible for her to marry him. But how can she help herself from becoming fascinated by this handsome man, who seems to extend a spell over her more powerful than any she can conjure? Kit is out for a wife. His instinct, however, is to go through the mere motions of searching, just to please his ambitious father who wants a big dowry from the marriage. But the one woman who he can't get out of his mind is the twin sister of the one his father wants him to marry-the one who is plain, penniless, ineligible... and enchanting in more ways than one. For Kit and Tatiana to weather the storm of their desires, they have to peel away the layers of all of their secrets, to discover the simple truth of their love.

{Under Huge Revision; formally known as 'Allie's Heart'} As the eldest daughter of the Duke of Silvermont, Lady Allison 'Allie' Merriman, always knew that she would never inherit the grand estate, the title, or the money that had run in her family for so long. As a woman, she knew that marriage was the only way in which she would be able to achieve the lifestyle that she had been brought up to know. To her, marriage could never about the prospect of love, but it is a tactic used to make a life for herself, like both her mother and aunt had done. But when her younger sister comes home from the London season engaged to a man without a title, Allie can't help but think that her sister, Ruthie, is making the mistake of a lifetime. But when seeing what her sister and husband have, will Allie to change her mind about the commitment of marriage and how important love is? Lord Morgan Livingston, the Earl of Bridgehead, had always said that one day he would find a woman who would completely steal his heart, but until that day, he would spend his time enjoying himself. Notorious rake and scoundrel, Morgan never thought that he would find himself traveling back to the countryside to be the best man at his cousin's wedding Lady Ruth Merriman. But that day might be closer than Morgan believes, when he meets Lady Ruth's older sister, who will have him on his toes for his entire stay at the Silvermont estate. In a clash of minds and wills, the two have to figure out what is important to them in fulfilling their own lives to become happy, because loving a Lady is never as easy as it seems.

***COMPLETED*** (First Draft) Gideon looked at the parchment the small woman held before him, an incredible picture of Max stared back at him under it simple handwriting read MAXIMUS JAMES. It only said his name nothing else but he knew she was looking for the child he had just adopted. He looked at the woman who bore great likeness to Max; her eyes were the same big brown eyes Maximus had. Her hair was the color of sand falling about her shoulders in slight waves; her lips were pink with the top lip larger than the bottom. Her nose sat slightly lower than some but fit her face perfectly. And she wore an outdated white dress that was far too large making Gideon wonder when the last time she ate was. "I'm sorry who did you say you were?" "Cordelia James, Maximus' mother" She said in a quiet voice, as if she had been expected to be quiet her whole life "Have you seen him?" She asked her big brown eyes danced with hope as they looked into his. "Yes. I adopted Max only weeks ago..."

Isaac reread the letter shocked at its contents. Dear Mr. Wade, You’ve no doubt heard of Lorraine’s betrayal by now. I want you to know I am deeply sorry for her thoughtlessness, having grown up with Lorraine I am well aware of the pain she can put people through without a second thought. I am writing to propose that you and I wed. It’ll save my family’s reputation and embarrassment. Now I realize my father most likely said you had to, but you do not. If you do not want to marry me I understand. I will be getting ready in the next room it is to your right… I propose if you want to go through with this knock twice on the wall… if you don’t knock once- I will deal with my family just as I always have if your choice is to knock once. Again I am sincerely sorry for the pain my sister has caused you. I am sure that this is just as shocking to you as it is to me. Respectfully, Rose He remembered Rose well from the one time he had met her, she was good friends with his cousin Ginny. He remembered her telling every one of her travels. She was so unlike her sister and he was amazed the two were related. Lorraine had left him a letter as well, if one could even call it that- it was only one line- I do not love you and I am sorry. Those nine words written in her hand had cut like a knife and to find out that she had left him for another hurt all the more. He looked up at his older brother Gideon and handed him the two letters. Rose was sincere and he didn’t want the Watson’s laughed out of Denver, they were high society and it was one of the things her family cared about most.

**1st Draft, this will eventually be edited!**

***COMPLETED*** "I need to talk to you." she said in a small voice shutting the door behind her. Her hair fell from her bun in red ringlets around her face; her eyes searched his making his heart race in a very uncharacteristic way. he'd had been with women since his wife died- mostly saloon girls but none of them made him feel as nervous as the one in front of him. "You need to spend less time full as a tick in the saloon and more time with your daughters." She said looking right at him, that wasn't what he'd expected her to say at all "I know what you're going through Mr. Clayton loss is hard but your daughters need you-" "Loss? What do you know of Loss Miss Wade you are merely a child." He snapped not wanting to hear everything he'd done wrong. What gave her the right to talk to him like that anyway? They had just met. She nodded slightly turning to leave as she absently played with a ring on her finger She turned back towards him "I was Engaged to a wonderful man Mr. Clayton His name was Fergus O'Reilly and he was everything to me... he died on the eve of our wedding. Now this ring" she said putting her hand up and gesturing to the emerald ring "Is nothing but a broken promise of the life we were meant to share.... But you, you have Wilhelmina and Lorelei. You have a part of your wife always. You have something I would give anything for. All I have are my memories." The woman had kept her voice calm, but to him it felt as though he had been slapped in the face. No one had ever spoken to him like that before. "Miss Wade I suggest you bite your tongue if you wish to stay on as the governess." "Alright fire me, but who will watch your children? Because you certainly won't!"

A FEATURED STORY IN HISTORICAL FICTION HIGHEST RANKING #7 in HISTORICAL FICTION --- Ellie had been undercover for most of her life. She had been a pickpocket for as far as she can remember, under the guise of Elliot. Any memory before the age of ten was blank in her head, with no recollection of how she had ended up under the charge of a gang of street rats as a child. Her life was meant to be mundane, as long as she remained under her secret identity. Until she tried to steal from the wrong pockets that is. --- Fabian Rothesay, the new Duke of Avondale, had spent the last 2 years rebuilding the coffers of his father, in order to ensure that the Avondale estate was not about to crumble around their feet. Taking over his father's spot as the Duke had not been an easy task, but in his doing so for the past 2 years, he has raised as one of the most eligible bachelors of the ton. What the ton doesn't know is that Fabian is biting to return to his previous life. What people believed to be a holiday around the continent, was actually Fabian's cover as he worked as an Agent of the Crown. His new status as a Duke however, did not make him want to step down as an Agent just yet, especially with a recent case that specifically embroils a series of planned heists within the ton. --- As the two are thrown together in a series of circumstances that was mostly chance, sometimes fate, and with a dash of secrecy, how would the turmoil change their lives?

**1st Draft, this will eventually be edited!** Lindy leaned forward ever so slightly as the smoke from the train could be seen from a distance. Her heart raced as she knew Levi, her childhood best friend was on that train. She hadn't seen him in three and a half years since his parents died; he hadn't come home even for Christmas. She smiled brightly at her younger sisters Julie and Ginny. "He's almost here!" She said to them barely containing her joy. Julie smiled brightly looking at her with the same color of gray eyes as their mother. She fixed her unruly blonde hair before putting her flowered hat back on, and then turned towards Ginny as she fixed her strawberry blonde braid. "Do I look okay?" She asked worried.

When a young Boston reporter Ryan West finds himself unemployed and his reputation damaged as a result of an unsanctioned journalistic investigation, he starts looking for alternative ways to pay his bills. Soon his search takes him into a strange world of a mysterious scientific experiment conducted by a secretive organization. Hired to play an odd character 24x7, Ryan doesn't know that he is about to discover one of the most daring experiments ever conducted--and the chilling truth behind it.