Showing results by author "S.J." in All Categories

Sammi is having the worst weekend. When what was supposed to be a secluded romantic getaway turns into a near-death experience when she is stranded alone in the mountains during a snowstorm by her two-timing boyfriend. She doesn't think it could get worse until an accident leaves her unconscious and vulnerable. She awakens to find herself in a warm cabin, and her rescuer a creature of fantasy - an orc. And he thinks that she will be a perfectly obedient pet. Ha! He wishes.

Ruined and shipped off to live with her mother's relations in London, Maggie Phillips faces the immediate prospect of living in shame as the poor relation in her uncle's house. Her mother wants to make a lady of her by setting her up with a proper marriage but Maggie desires nothing of the sort, nor is she willing to trust another man again. The only solution is to ruin herself thoroughly abroad, and what better place to do it than the Monster's Ball! But that means searching for the proper scoundrel to carry out the deed.

He's my best friend's brother, and he's completely deranged. Dark, disturbed, and hell-bent on making my life as his new tutor an actual living nightmare, he's the enemy I should shy away from. Secrets are locked behind my red lips, just as his are concealed by his pressed tie and crisp school uniform. We are more alike than either of us are willing to admit. Tobias says heartless boys never kiss... But he kissed me.

From terraformed outposts to magical realms, journey to worlds where deadly plants, rampant biodiversity, or failed colonies have created irresistible opportunities for those brave enough to seize them. New worlds, found family, mystical secrets, and deadly science weave together in this lesbian-centric anthology focusing on a very different kind of first time - a first encounter with a world, or being, entirely unlike our own.

Panic grips the streets of London as a deranged killer begins targeting high-profile influencers. At the same time, Jessica Hunter is back in her hometown for the holidays, accompanied by her school friend Kenta Higashi. While Jessica grows restless during her summer course at King's College, Kenta is captivated by his first visit to London and its endless attractions. Seeking a distraction, Jessica throws herself into the murder case that has left the police baffled.

I would like to request more information about the assistant job I saw advertised in Sunday’s newspaper with the six-figure starting salary. I have a bachelors degree in English and many years of work experience and think I would be a good fit for the job. My questions are as follows: 1. What is the exact nature of the job? 2. Is it a strict requirement that I live with the boss? If so, can I have friends and others over? 3. The ad states there is a uniform. May I ask what sort of uniform? And why?

The plan was to return from Faerie, let the dust settle, get over it, and move on. So far, only the dust has achieved its goal. But my work is done in that realm, and time spent missing Esras won’t pay my rent. So when a supernatural cleanup job comes my way, it seems like just the distraction I need. Especially if, by distraction, I mean all hell breaking loose.

They say desperate times call for desperate measures, but I doubt they meant anything as risky as what I have planned. But things have gone from bad to worse to downright abysmal. Bethany and the other witches remain captured, and all signs point to them running out of time. Meanwhile, everyone’s favorite high mage is on the loose and working with his new high demon sidekick. Their objective? That’s the problem. I’m still not quite sure. Although, it’s a safe bet that part of their plan involves subjugation of the human race.

There I was thinking saving Faerie had been challenging. Compared to what I'm up against now, fighting with the rebels to topple the Seelie regime seems like a walk in the park. With my sister's life on the line for a magical crime she didn't commit, the clock is ticking loud and fast for me to save her. To clear her name, I need to unravel a mystery with so many knots that I'm not even sure where to start pulling.

This new edition - more than 50 percent new and revised - is a significant update from the previous one and reveals how to harness the newest data mining methods and techniques to solve common business problems. The duo of unparalleled authors share invaluable advice for improving response rates to direct marketing campaigns, identifying new customer segments, and estimating credit risk. In addition, they cover more advanced topics, such as preparing data for analysis and creating the necessary infrastructure for data mining at your company.

As Aiden and Caylin prepare for their Valentine’s Day wedding, Aiden is given some sage advice. Before he can truly give Caylin the beautiful future she deserves, he must willingly let go of his personal demons and allow them to remain buried where they belong, in the past. If he doesn’t, he will continue to second-guess himself and never fully believe he is worthy of the happiness they share. With pencil in hand and a blank journal in front of him, Aiden begins to write the story of his life spanning from the moment he was created up to his present.

Neek makes a living piloting the dilapidated tramp transport Mercy’s Pledge and smuggling questionable goods across systems blessed with peace and prosperity. She gets by - but only just. In her dreams, she is still haunted by thoughts of Ardulum, the traveling planet that long ago visited her homeworld. The Ardulans brought with them agriculture, art, interstellar technology...and then disappeared without a trace, leaving Neek’s people to worship them as gods.

Lilly and Brand's daughter, Caylin, saw her soul mate for the first time when she was 14 years old. After a simple exchange of smiles, she knew her life was set on a path which would lead Aiden back into her world forever. For three long years, Aiden keeps his distance from Caylin out of respect for her parents' wishes. Caylin learns that one of the princes of Hell, Baal, is out to kill her. With the help of her family and Aiden, she discovers why he wants her dead and what she needs to do to stop him.

In the finale of Caylin's Story, Caylin learns more about her descendent and why she will be so important to the future of the world. Together, Caylin and Aiden will face the challenges placed in their path by Lucifer and his men and show why faith, loyalty, and love can defeat even the princes of Hell.

Asian American private investigator Lydia Chin knows New York City's Chinatown, its people, and its ways as no outsider ever could. It's a city within a city, a rich melange of smells, sounds, dark shops, and close-knit families - a world all its own. And in all of Chinatown, there is no one like Lydia, who has a nose for trouble, a disapproving Chinese mother, and a partner named Bill Smith who's been living above a bar for 16 years. Hired to find some precious stolen porcelain, Lydia follows a trail of clues from highbrow art dealers into a world of Chinese gangs.

Though she's new to the resistance, Jessie Ramsey and the crew of the Arete are the spearhead of an assault that's been years in the making. They've uncovered the heart of a sinister alien conspiracy to hide the existence of ongoing human labor camps, and on a scale that's unlike anything any of the heroes have seen before. They have a target. They have a goal. What they need is a plan, and that's a tall order when the idea is to rescue a small city's worth of captive laborers.

If he could turn back time, he would find a way... A loved one's life is on the line. The only hope of saving him is a slim one, and so much will have to go right that it would take a miracle to rescue him. Eric Ramsey isn't willing to accept failure, and his solution to a long shot is to lock himself and the entire Arete crew in a time loop. Their only hope for escape is to save a single life that refuses to be saved.

Mordecai The Brown was content to move on. He'd had his fun, had his vengeance, and had his next adventure all planned out. Then someone had to get it into their head to extort him for help overthrowing a planet. With a friend's life on the line, simple reprisal just won't do. With the help of his honorary niece and nephew, Jessie and Eric, Mort devises a plan of both rescue and vengeance, involving an elaborate deception to disguise a galactic-scale betrayal.

Dear Sir/Madam, I would like to nominate my jerkface of a boss, Kingston Chase, for the worst boss of the year award. I don't know if that's a category at your esteemed paper as yet, but if not, it should be. Yours Sincerely, Skye Redding.

The hunt for captive humans still held in Eyndar Empire space has hit a wall. Captain Jessie Ramsey's assault on Outpost 71 resulted in the liberation of hundreds but little in the way of leads. But what if dark magic could find more? Wouldn't the benefit outweigh the harm? And what if that dark magic was chronomancy? And what if that chronomancy was wielded by the galaxy's least responsible wizard, Eric Ramsey? Still willing to give it a try? Still worth the risk?