My name is Brent Parks and I have just about driven my girlfriend Rena to her limits. In a few days, she will take my life. I can't necessarily blame her because I have abused her on and off during our relationship. Before I met her, I faced my own demons - for years, I suffered violence at the hands of my father. I am not trying to make excuses but I hope you will understand that there is another side to this story, a side I would like to tell you about.... This Novella can be read independently from "Living With The Choices We Make" however, it contains references to the main story and it would be beneficial to read both for completeness. Authors Note: This is a story about child abuse and domestic violence and tells the story from the eyes of an abuser as a reminder what can happen to children who suffer violence at the hands of their parents. Please do not read this book if you find this topic disturbing. It is not designed to upset anyone but to raise awareness. Copyright@2015 by Sally Mason All rights reserved Cover by @Lucyface

When Rena meets Brent, he is a dream come true. He is a real gentleman, funny, caring and even her overly protective father likes him. But then, she discovers a different side of Brent - a violent side that scares her. Promising that this had been a one time slip up, she forgives him. After all, he is the love of her life. She dosn't see the signs -- the controlling, the alienation from her friends and dad, the obsession he has with her. She is like putty in his hands. Over time, she learns about the Cycle of Abuse the hard way and she even tries to break free. But in the end, she only sees one way out and it will likely cost her everything. Best Ranking: #2 in ChickLit Winner of the 1st Corner Booth contest Authors Note: This is a story about domestic violence and can be disturbing at times. Even though the people in this book are fictional, abuse at the hands of a loved one is real. It is something that can happen to any of us, even to teenagers like Rena. Please do not read this book if you find this topic disturbing. It is not designed to upset anyone but to raise awareness. Copyright©2015 by Sally Mason All rights reserved Cover by @lucyface Image "Girl"; courtesy of Rolands Lakis

When Helena finds a phone on the night train, she decides to text the first number in the list of contacts in order to figure out who it belongs to. ***** Helena Santos hasn't had the easiest life. At twenty-one, she's the legal guardian of her teenage sister, in the final year of her nursing degree, and working night shifts at her small-town's local bar. And things get a lot more complicated when she finds a phone on the train home and decides to text the first number in the list of contacts, in hopes of tracking down its owner. That contact? Adam Bauer; the charismatic, sweet, and refreshingly honest older brother of the person who lost their phone. As the two continue talking, they can't ignore the chemistry and growing feelings between them, but life is never that simple. To make things work, Helena and Adam need to juggle a troubled sister, a meddlesome ex-boyfriend, and one fat lawsuit - all intent on keeping them apart. [[word count: 40,000-50,000 words]] Content and/or Trigger Warning: This story contains swearing, mature themes, and sexual content.

♥ Astrid ♥ Gunshots. Karate moves. Flipping through languages so fast that my brain struggled to catch up. These had been as familiar to me in the six years I had been in training as a school bell or sound of a teacher's voice might be to anyone else. At sixteen, I had seen more death than I cared to talk about. But what could I say? That was what life as a teenage spy was. And as part of America's little-known espionage agency Delta, that was what I had become accustomed to. But I couldn't have known that things were about to change. A new assignment came up, and though I was with people I had known for years, this one would change things so that my life would never be the same. A drug dealer, working undercover in France. People from my past, popping up in the most unexpected places. And the boy with the blue eyes, who could be completely for me or utterly against me; often, I didn't know which. This was one assignment that would stay with me forever. But, of course, I didn't know that as I headed in...to pure Hell. Welcome to Delta. Now that you're here, good luck getting out.