Time To Leap

Love is sweeter than the second time around. But when chaos arrives, painful memories come back, and all of a sudden, your life is a roller coaster ride.

The first time I shared a bed with a man, it was with my best friend. The next morning, he kissed me secretly and promised to take responsibility for me in the future.

Meet Esmerelda Sleuth. Sleuth is her name and investigating is her game. (Paranormal Investigating, that is.) Esmerelda makes a good living as an investigator in a rather progressive firm. She lives a stable and sensible life until she meets Lance; an old money "hottie" who works for a real estate firm next to her building. After accepting an invitation for a weekend getaway party, she quickly discovers that Lance has a secret. He is wealthy. That part is true. And, yes, he's procured a job as a realtor in the building next door. His secret is that he belongs to an underground society of humans who didn't abandon their connection to magic centuries ago when religion declared it evil and he has traveled through time specifically to find her and bring her back to his time to marry him. If that isn't enough of a far fetched tale to absorb, he informs her that she was born in his time to a family belonging to that same secret society and was promised in marriage to him as an infant. When enemies who didn't want to see the union of families take place made attempts on her life, her parents sent her into the future and erased her memories of them as a precaution. Possessing virtually no belief in magic, ghosts, psychics, time travel, etc., it takes some doing on Lance's part to convince her to believe his story and go back with him. When she does, the lies, deceit and attempts on her life start all over again. Will she escape emotionally and physically unscathed? "The Other Side Of the Mirror" is a steamy-paranormal-romance- mystery-thriller and book one of the Esmerelda Sleuth series.

My husband, Caleb Price, and I, Sienna Hart, have been married for many years. Our relationship is going strong, and our son, Tobey, is thoughtful and kind. I've always believed we would spend our whole lives together. What I don't expect is that Caleb would hurt me and Tobey three times because of the same woman. The first time, we agree to celebrate Tobey's birthday, but Caleb forgets his promise because he has to pick up his first love, Lila Monroe, from the airport. When I return home from a business trip, all I find is my heartbroken son. The second time, Caleb secretly takes our son and Lila to the amusement park. He doesn't know that Tobey is allergic to peanuts, and he ends up in the hospital. The third time, Caleb repeatedly promises to pick Tobey up from school alone, but when Caleb hears that Lila is ill, he tells Tobey to go home by himself. On the way home, Tobey is kidnapped. After he's rescued, he spends three days in the hospital in critical condition before pulling through. Each time, Caleb apologizes with utmost sincerity and swears that there won't be a next time. Maybe he's forgotten, but I once told him that I'd only forgive him three times. So, when he finishes apologizing and thinks life will return to the happy days it was before… It doesn't. Yes, I forgive him, but I'm also taking Tobey and leaving him—forever.

In our five years of marriage, I had given in to my husband, John, for a grand total of three times. The first time was during my pregnancy. He had taken his ex-girlfriend Stacy, who had once taken three bullets for him, back home and cared for her. When I became angry, he immediately sent her away once she recovered. The second time was after childbirth, when I was ready to return to work. To repay a favor, he gave the position I had worked years for to Stacy. He said it was so I could rest well. I looked at my son, who needed me, and I conceded. The third time was during our son’s birthday. In front of the entire company, he had announced that Stacy was his wife, all so she could establish herself in the company. I gave him two choices: divorce or send her away. Without hesitation, he chose the latter and immediately sent her abroad. The fourth time was when my father suddenly had a heart attack and urgently needed surgery. He disappeared again. I searched everywhere for him to cover the hospital expenses, and I finally discovered that he had gone to the airport to pick up a pregnant Stacy, who was returning to the country. Because of that, my father missed the best chance for treatment and died. I was done giving in. I disguised the divorce agreement as our son’s medical bill and tricked him into signing it. No compensation or apology would matter. I did not wish to have him near my son or myself again.

" sometimes the strongest hearts carry the heaviest scars." Two years after losing her parents, 21-year-old Jane is left raising her two little brothers on her own. Abandoned by her oldee sister and juggling two exhausting jobs, Jane barely has time to breathe_let alone chase her long-forgotten dream of studying law. Every day is a battle to survive: Working long hours, skipping meals, some strange dreams, and hiding her tears behind a fake smile. But even when she breaks down in the middle of the street or collapses from exhaustion, she always gets back up- for Elhoïme and Mathias, the only family she has left. Just when she thinks no one sees her pain, Brian, a kind coworker and a long time friend, start offering small gestures of help- cofee, silence, time, understanding. She pushes him away at first, afraid of needing anyone. But his quiet presence slowly starts to feel like hope. Can Jane allow herself to lean on someone else for once, without losing her strenght- or her heart?

I died as their pawn, I’ll live as their execution Betrayed by her beloved husband. Framed by her sister. Executed like a criminal. When Serina Valcrest opens her eyes again, she finds herself reborn two years before her death, with every memory of treachery fresh in her mind. This time, she will not be the docile, naive wife everyone expects. This time, she will sharpen her smile into a blade. Behind the glittering curtains of noble society, Serina begins her game of vengeance planting rumors, unraveling secrets, and setting traps with perfect precision. Every move pulls her closer to exposing the rot at the heart of her family. But in the shadows waits Cassian Veyra, a man more dangerous than any poison. Cold, cunning, and feared across the empire, Cassian is interested in Serina’s quiet war. His protection comes at a price… one she isn’t sure she can pay. As old enemies tighten their grip and hidden daggers strike from the dark, Serina learns the truth: They don’t just want to ruin her anymore they want her dead. And this time, she won’t go to the gallows quietly.

Luciano Everyone thought my wife was dead, but I never stopped searching for her. When I finally found her, the timid young woman I forced to marry me was all gone. In her place was a fiercely independent woman who hated my guts. I might have deserved it. But did it stop me from dragging her, her secret child and her best friend back to New York City with me? Absolutely not. My wife belonged with me and it was time I proved it to her. Grace Life on the run had some benefits. Your mobster husband could no longer use you. Nor could your rotten family who wanted you dead. Instead, I was living my best life ever in a tiny Sicilian village with my son and best friend. Until we were found. My husband dragged us all back, but this time I was determined to fight him. I wouldn’t fall for his charms and hot kisses again because I had so much more to lose this time around. If only my heart would get on board with my plans.

The first time I met Alessio Russo I was eighteen. He’d barged into my room. I yelled. He yelled. We argued. I slammed the door into the jerk’s face. Then I discovered that the drool-worthy prick was my best friend’s oldest brother -- who had connections to Cassio King and the mafia. The freaking mafia! The second time I saw him was at his mother’s funeral. He didn’t seem to recognize me. Or so I thought until we ended up tangled up between the sheets and he referred to our first encounter. The next time we saw each other was at his father’s funeral - the funeral of the very same man that had threatened my life. It turned out Alessio Russo was a gentleman even when he was a savage. We bickered. We kissed. We fought. We made love. He thrilled me and scared me. Still, we slowly started to find a way to each other but before I had a chance to come clean with him, I had to leave the country. Then all hell broke loose.

After my mother shot down my pleas to cover my medical bills the 100th time, I clutched my bone cancer diagnosis papers and trudged to the crematorium. "Hi, I'd like to reserve a cremation slot ahead of time," I muttered to the clerk. Half an hour ticked by before my parents and adopted brother arrived in their car. My dad, a forensic pathologist, cracked me across the face. "You're pulling a fake-death stunt now, just to steal the spotlight from your brother?" My mom, a hospital director, snatched the papers from my hands and shredded them into confetti. "Faking records using my credentials and tying up hospital resources? You've crossed the line!" My brother cried, tugging at their sleeves. "It's all my fault. I'll skip the amusement park forever. I don't need a thing. Just quit riling up Mom and Dad." I spun around, my hand pressed against my throbbing chest, and begged the crematorium staff. "Please, when it's time, cremate me and scatter the ashes in the river. I've got no family left in this world."