Book Five in the MAFIA series (Previously Down in Flames) Luca and Charlotte have come a long ways in their 15 years of marriage, that it seems nothing could ever be strong enough to break them apart. But when the unthinkable happens, will they ba able to withstand the blow or will they go crashing down in flames?

Book Three in the Mafia Series (Fire Away) The hardest step she will ever take is to blindly trust in who she is. -Atticus Charlotte and Luca are now married, raising their family in the tumultuous mafia world. Charlotte's grown accustomed to the violence and hysteria by now, but she'll have to get more involved than she ever intended when her family is at stake. Book contains strong language and mature themes. This series is posted as a draft and is unedited/revised.

Vera was always the nice sister. She was the one everyone went to for advice. She was the one that always did the right thing. She was willing to give her best and then more. She was willing to put herself second. She was brave, and when her heart was was broken, she bore it silently. But Vera was no fool. She was NEVER going to let someone hurt her again. She'd bottle it up and grit and grin- She was done being weak. No one would ever use her again. Then he came back out of the blue- same good looks, same confident stride, same breathtaking smile. Tom Dane had shattered Vera's world, and now, he was back, determined to win her back. Would she be strong enough? Was it too late?

When Psychology Professor Pamela Barnes discovers her department's star researcher strangled to death in the computer lab, she's determined to find out who did it. Will an accidental recording of the murder allow Pamela to use her expertise in acoustics to identify the killer? A unique cozy mystery--set in the world of academia and high-stakes research--full of excitement, humor, and romance.

☆ 2022 WATTYS SHORTLIST ☆ Leonora 'Lena' Winterhaven is a witch on a dry spell. Somehow, she is the only one left in her coven (and possibly all of New York!) to still have her virtue intact at the age of twenty-nine. This would be fine and dandy, if not for a particular curse that afflicts one Winterhaven witch every half-century. Lena just happens to be that unlucky witch. If she remains a virgin by the age of thirty, Lena is in danger of losing all of her powers forever. And for Lena, forever is much too long a time to live without an enchanted shoe collection, perfectly-conjured cups of cappuccino every morning, nor the ability to deep clean her studio apartment with a snap of a finger. But what's a witch to do when these are her options? Vampires? Terribly morbid. Warlocks? Too self-absorbed. Werewolves? Absolutely frowned upon. ...even though Alpha Magnus MacCallan ignites her inner desires stronger than hellfire. 'What We Do in the Shadows' meets 'Sex & the City' in this enchanted tale of sexual awakening! Get ready for a journey filled with chills, thrills and cauldrons full of laughter ☆ [BOOK ONE IN THE WINTERHAVEN DUOLOGY]

WATTYS WINNER 2020 Two interconnected murders, 64 years apart. One woman's search for truth and identity. Readers' comments: 'a masterpiece', 'impeccably written', 'amazing', 'superbly crafted page-turner', 'hauntingly beautiful', 'tremendous plot and character development', 'one of a kind', 'fantastic story telling', 'loved this book', 'a wonderful read", 'absolutely beautiful', 'brought tears to my eyes' and many more Wattys judging panel: 'This is VERY good. We were HOOKED from the beginning, and the writing and plot hold up throughout. This is a very unique, polished, well-written and well-researched piece.' Plot Set partly in rural England, partly on the sun-kissed coast of southerm Italy, The Painted Altar is a murder mystery mixed with romantic and historical elements (World War Two). Given away at two days old, Mary Rice has spent her life in the shadows. When discovering the suspicious circumstances surrounding her biological mother's death, she embarks on a journey which will shine a light not only on the truth but also on her own identity. Brief extract Suddenly, the door had inched open, half a wrinkled face visible behind the tautened chain. "Hello. Who is it?" The words I was going to say had of course been well-rehearsed, repeated over and over in my mind like a mantra, but now that the moment had arrived I found myself struggling to remember them. "Mrs Harvey... I think that you might... well, that you might be..." The door closed, then slowly opened once more, the chain this time unlatched. And there she was before me - half a metre away, within arm's reach. Thin lips gradually crooking upwards at each corner like the slow beatific kindling of a summer's dawn. "Oh yes love, I know who you are." Length: 70,000 words About the author: Originally from England but for the last 16 years I've been living in Italy. I hope therefore that the Italian aspects of the novel will have a certain gloss of authenticity.

When Adalina is forced to marry the heir to Sicily's largest mafia, she's thrown into a tangled web of greed while navigating an electric attraction to her new husband. ***** Adalina Romano is tired of being manipulated by the men in her life. After her greedy uncle drags her halfway across the world to barter her in a deal between him and the heir to Sicily's largest mafia, the Cosa Nostra, she finds herself married to a man who makes her uncle look like a saint. She shouldn't be attracted to Vincent Salvatore, but Adalina cannot avoid his unforgiving stare nor deny the electrical charge she feels whenever they touch. Vincent sees Adalina as an obstacle in his fight for power, but soon has no choice but to keep her safe when they're caught in a war of dominance and greed. As Vincent's walls begin to slip, Adalina discovers a spark of light in his darkness, and once she's had a taste, she only wants more. When their spark turns into a fire, protecting Adalina amid one of the biggest mafia deals of Vincent's life means going against everything he's ever known, consequences be damned. Content Warning: contains violence and mature themes.

The apple doesn't fall very fall from the tree for seventeen year old Jade Crane, who's mother and father were the subjects of a forbidden love affair back before Jade was ever born. Her mother's wild love for literature and older men has kept her from having a real boyfriend of her own. Plenty of guys have shown interest in Jade, but she's never returned the sentiment, always pining after something more. One night when Jade discovers a poster for a poetry slam at a local juice bar changes everything. She meets Levi, a twenty two year old poet with big dreams and a questionable past. It's love at first sight for jade, but Levi knows he has to keep his distance. Meanwhile, Jades twin brother Jameson is suffering from his own unrequited feelings at the hands of Ruby, Jades best friend and the daughter of their mothers childhood soul sister. Jameson and Ruby have known each other all of their lives, but friendship turned to love for Jameson. Now, Jameson has to watch the girl of his dreams ride around town with a man that's completely opposite of him. Caleb, Ruby's boyfriend, is angsty and broods twenty-four seven. He smokes cigarettes and plays in a band, but Jameson is a football player with every opportunity to sleep with any girl he desires. Unfortunately, the only girl he desires has her tongue in another mans mouth. This is the sequel for my story 'Love Letters and Literature'. The book revolves around the lives of our favorite couples children, but there will be plenty of stuff about the old gang thrown in, including a visit from an old enemy, Michael Taylor.

Sophia Lane is the queen of oversized sweaters and perfectly brewed cups of coffee. She's beautiful and delicate and so painfully misunderstood, but her innocent stare holds a savory secret. She's unforgivably and irrevocably in love with her European Literature Professor. *** Thomas Crane, a gorgeous thirty-one year old Literature professor, has been wreaking havoc on Duke University since he accepted the position last year. The female student body is beside itself with unrequited fantasies and flirtatious looks, but their efforts are in vain. Thomas spends his lonely nights glued to his computer screen, falling more and more in love each sundown with LiteraryLane21, the mysterious woman who started messaging him last fall. *** ** A studentxTeacher story** **Some mature content, this is your warning** Started 05/29/18 Completed 06/06/18

He let out a slight shrug, "Putting you to death was not what I was pointing towards. After all, it is merely the mouth that talks." I shivered, as I blinked naïvely, "Humph! A-And are there methods to silence this alone?" I huffed. He snapped his arrogant, coldly-heated gaze in my direction, and my insides clenched, as I noticed his deep, powerful ocean orbs snap down to my... lips. He then snapped his gaze away, fixing his right wrist watch as his deep, authoritative voice came: "Many, trust me." ~~~~~~~~ Fate has a weird hobby of slamming us right in the face about things we so took for granted. My name is Charlotte Thorne. Never claimed to be special, never cared about that. I grew up behind the pages of my books and in the different worlds of my love and romance novels. The world, as I knew it, consisted of my humble yet happy family, my studies, hobbies, friends and a potential perfect love story I was supposed to live. Now what happens when the world, as I knew it, turns out to be mostly a lie I've lived in for a long time? I conclude a simple golden rule: Love is pure, illogical crap. And so, long story short: with my nëw rules, a strict vow, a new family, fresh job, and on top of all those, a cold and arrogant Rickard Ellington Conway as my employer, guess I have a whole lot to deal with in this fresh new world of mine ─which'll get rather interesting... Book I of the Charlotte's Story Series. Trigger Warning: This story may contain scenes/content of violence, vulgar language, etc. that might be triggering to some audience. Genres: Romance • Drama • Action • Thriller ©️ 2016 Athenas