This story will become FREE on August 30th, 2023! Hudson Caldwell is being stalked, but the cops don't believe her. Can she unravel the truth before it consumes her? * * * * * Just when Hudson Caldwell's life is finally coming together, an unwavering paranoia threatens to tear it apart. Someone is following her - that's the feeling she gets every time she leaves her downtown Chicago apartment. After a failed attempt to file a police report, Hudson's stripper best friend gifts her with an unregistered firearm, but the weapon isn't enough to stop an attack in the middle of the night. When rookie cop, Myles Young, responds to a complaint of gunfire, he instantly falls for Hudson's quiet vulnerability and shattered past. He vows to keep her safe - much to the dismay of his case-hardened partner. As their relationship intensifies, the identity of Hudson's stalker slowly comes to light. But the closer Myles comes to solving the mystery, the more he realizes he's in over his head. WARNING: This story is a NA romantic suspense and contains references to mental illness and sexual abuse. Cover created by me, using MidJourney and Canva Pro. Down Came the Rain copyright © 2016 Darly Jamison All rights reserved. [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]] Notice: This document is not authorized for upload or use with artificial intelligence systems or platforms. Any attempt to upload, analyze, or process this content using AI technology is strictly prohibited.

{2022 WATTY SHORTLISTER} {18+ COMPLETED} England, 1842 Lady Hutton, otherwise known as Penelope Chapman, cares not that her husband has a wandering eye. That is, until he wanders away completely--all the way to the continent with his mistress, where he's been for the last five years. Abandoned, Penelope decides she shall not spend her life living without the occasional night of casual companionship. But then Penelope meets British naval officer Beckett Ash, and she realizes that there isn't anything casual about him. The man who has been assigned to protect her whilst uncovering a smuggling operation at her summer house party is strikingly handsome, and their connection is increasingly difficult to ignore. There are only two problems. Firstly, Beckett hasn't a clue that Penelope already has a husband. And secondly, his best friend and fellow naval officer is Penelope's protective half-brother. What happens when Beckett decides to marry an already married woman?

Love, Lust, and Jealousy. It's a story Cora knows all too well - not because it's her own, but that of her character in Illicit Affairs, the murderous romance that's about to take Broadway by storm. It's her crowning achievement, her pride and joy, and she's its figurehead - the alluring, sultry, and mysterious leading lady. She's almost ready for opening night. She's perfected it all - how to angle herself when she kisses him so that the stage lights hit their bodies just right; the way her lips are supposed to feel on his, soft at first and then increasingly wanting. There's just one tiny problem. As their first performance looms, she's still not sure if she has the willpower to convincingly play lover to a man she hates. Or if she can keep doing it once she realizes what she's feeling for him isn't hate anymore. ♡ featured in @Romance's chicklit reading list and @NA's romance list ♡ ★ Started: November 15th, 2021 ★ Completed: May 22nd, 2022

**FAIR WARNING: YOU WILL HAVE TO BE PATIENT WITH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT IS THERE, AND WORTH THE READ. IF YOU ARE OVERLY SENSITIVE, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK* Logan Pierce and Noah Locke are sworn enemies. Both at the top of their class, holding themselves to the highest standards; both captains of their volleyball teams, Logan as the girls captain, Noah as the boys; and both constantly playing seemingly harmless pranks to get back at one another. Or, at least, they're usually harmless... If one thing is true, Noah Locke and Logan Pierce are not friends. But does that mean they could never be friends? Or transcend their title as enemies? Logan might take things too far sometimes, but there's a reason behind the angry front she puts on, and in order to get behind it, someone needs to show her that there's more to life than being the best at everything. Cue Noah Locke. When the two volleyball teams are sent away to a team bonding camp for a week over Fall break, Logan and Noah must learn to get along for the sake of their teams. Partnered up and made to do activities together and bond, the goal is for Noah and Logan to stop this ongoing feud. And when something happens at the bonding camp that brings Logan's vulnerable side up to bat, Noah is the one who has to bring her back. While Logan and Noah explore something other than hatred for one another, there are secrets and people who could be working in toll to bring them apart. But will they be able to transcend those factors and stop fighting for once? Or were they destined to be enemies forever? "Better Than You" challenges the idea that enemies have to stay enemies forever, and proves that if you don't run away from love, you may just find where you were meant to be.

Eleanor "Elle" is fun and outgoing. She's a talented young girl full of dreams and life...which makes her the exact opposite of what her stuck-up snobby family wants her to be. Although Elle's been "disowned" for leaving behind the Mercer family name and fortune to pursue her dreams in Florence, Italy, her older sister decides to invite her to her wedding. Reluctantly, Elle agrees to be the M.O.H (Maid of Honor) and travels back to the States three weeks before the wedding. What Elle finds there shocks her and takes her on a whirlwind adventure; the groom and future husband of the ever perfect Simone Mercer is an old flame of hers that's best left extinguished. Will this trip serve as a means of closure for both, or will Elle end up Stealing the Groom? *The Wedding Party Series Book I*

Revenge. I'm familiar with it. You have to be when you're the firstborn son of a notorious mafia leader. Death and vengeance have been the very foundations of my life. So who in their fucking mind would be stupid enough to cross me? My brother and I have been wrongfully convicted of a crime we didn't commit. We know who is behind this. We bid our time behind bars, planned and prepared for the day we got out. Now we're free and hungry for redemption. I know what must be done. I know whose blood will be spilled. But before I go after him, I'll go after his daughter. I never said I play fair. *Book one in the Marino Brothers Duet. Rated 18+ due to explicit language, sex, and violence.*

Marriah Roberts feels like she's living someone else's life and fulfilling someone else's dreams. Her life has always been pre-planned and predictable. But then unfortunate circumstances end with her and a wealthy stranger named Will Grayson being captured and held hostage by the country's most notorious criminal- Dominic Black. Will isn't the perfect man everyone thinks he is. He's done things he's not proud of. Things that make him dangerous. But when he and Marriah are thrown together into a dangerous new world he's forced to look at life with a new perspective. Spending time with the fiery but naïve Marriah Roberts awakens his long-lost conscience. He can't help but feel an overwhelming urge to protect her but what if the person she needs protection from is him? Trying to escape the evil clutches of the dangerous criminal Dominic Black, the two make an unusual team and develop an unbreakable bond. Marriah soon finds out the true meaning of friendship and trust. She discovers that someone in her life has been harboring a dark secret. Someone she cares for deeply. Can she save herself without losing everything? Cover designed by Anastasia Wright

[BOOK TWO] [Completed] [Voted #1 Best Action Story in the 2018 Fiction Awards] When the Russians dismantle one of the largest and fastest growing Italian Mafia family's in the States, war is declared. To avenge their friend's death, a fallen king, a washed up queen, a struggling couple, and a depressed brother must come back together to fight. Through their own series of trials and tribulations, they learn that although they can attempt to fight their own battles, the only way they can overcome them is together. That is when they have the most power. ~ ~ ~ © 2018 taintedkissesxo * cover by lvcianos on instagram *

Angie, a grieving expectant mother, must help the spirit of a little girl find the remains of twelve other children who mysteriously disappeared three years ago. ***** After the death of her twin brother, Angie Abernathy immersed herself in her painting to help her deal with her overwhelming grief. When her husband, John, finally convinces her to sort through some of Cory's belongings, she unexpectedly finds the closure she needs in the form of a map and a journal full of cryptic notes. When the notes lead her to the bodily remains of six-year-old Mary Drake, the first of thirteen children who went missing three years ago, Angie finds herself caught up in her own investigation and quickly starts to believe that Mary's bones aren't as dead as they seem to be... Content warning: This story contains mature themes, including references to the murder of children

WATTYS 2020 WINNER THIS IS NOT A PAID STORY. ONLY THE BONUS CHAPTERS ARE. YOU CAN READ THE MAIN STORY FOR FREE! When Brenna and Shea, two rival hockey players, have to collaborate to take down a common enemy, they soon discover love is a ruthless game. ******* Brenna Harrison, a gifted hockey player, wants to prove her worth in the hockey world. She knows the consequences of playing on the boys' hockey team: degrading comments, sexist rules, and jealous boys, but she's determined to undermine the patriarchal foundation of her favourite sport. Shea Smith is also a gifted hockey player... but he sees Brenna as a threat. He believes she doesn't belong in the boys' league, despite her astounding skills; he's jealous. So, when the opportunity to potentially eject her from the league presents itself, Shea takes the opportunity. He agrees to a bet with his enemy, Connor Watt; a bet that will break Brenna's heart and make her not want to play hockey. At least... that's what he thinks. Soon, he's regretting the decision and decides to tell Brenna. She's furious, but also sees this as an opportunity to have the root of the problem ejected from the league. Brenna and Shea agree to take Connor down and expose him for who he truly is: as sexist jerk. But with bending the rules, there comes a price.