The Kissing Game: Stories of Defiance and Flash Fictions

United under the banner of flash fiction, this is a collection of stories, or little 'cells', complete in themselves but connected by the overarching themes of betrayal and revenge. All featuring teenagers and often with an unexpected twist, these frighteningly realistic stories will take you to the very edge and beyond.
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Shelter Mountain

John “Preacher” Middleton is about to close the bar when a young woman and her three-year-old son come in out of a wet October night. A marine who has seen his share of pain, Preacher knows a crisis when he sees one—the woman is covered in bruises. He wants to protect them, and he wants to punish whoever did this to her, but he knows immediately that this inclination to protect is something much more. Paige Lassiter has stirred up emotions in this gentle giant of a man—emotions that he has never allowed himself to feel. But when Paige’s ex-husband turns up in Virgin River, Preacher knows his own future hangs in the balance. And if there’s one thing in the marines’ motto of Semper Fidelis—always faithful—has taught him, it’s that some things are worth fighting for.
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Return

A cowboy returns to his homeplace to face the mistakes of his past.In 2012 Pete Sortwell did something no one had ever done before: he wrote a book based entirely on Amazon product reviews. The book was so successful, he wrote a series. The series was so successful, he spent the next year releasing other projects he’d been working on. Now, for the first time the stories he wrote while learning his craft are available on Kindle and in paperback. From people stuck on roofs, to stalkers following their wives, to weight watchers’ meetings, this book is filled with oddballs, thieves, lowlifes, and other such lovelies. This book also contains the side story to Pete’s debut novel ‘So Low, So High’, so if you’re interested in finding out more about Fred, then this is the place. Short stories: Noang lish Hero Lose-lose So low, so high WeighTWATcherS Multi-storey Apt Pupil One flew over the policeman’s bonnet Win-win Inside I’m dancing *Contained in this book are also samples of all Pete’s other books. The short stories amount to around eleven thousand words.
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Scarlet Nights

What if you learned that your fiancé was not who he claimed to be? Engaged to the charming and seductive Greg Anders, Sara Shaw is happily anticipating her wedding in Edilean, Virginia. The date has been set, the flowers ordered, even her heirloom dress is ready. But just three weeks before the wedding, Greg gets a telephone call during the night and leaves without explanation. Two days later, a man climbs up through a trapdoor in the floor of Sara’s apartment, claiming that he is the brother of her best friend and that he’s moving in. While Mike Newland is indeed telling the truth about his identity, his reason for being there reaches far deeper. He’s an undercover detective, and his assignment is to use Sara to track down a woman who is one of the most notorious criminals in the United States—and also happens to be the mother of the man Sara plans to marry. Mike thinks the job will be easy—if he can figure out how to make a “good” girl like Sara trust him, that is. But Mike has no idea what this mission has in store for him. He’s worked hard to keep private his connections to Edilean, which date back to his grandmother’s time there in 1941. But as Mike and Sara get to know each other, he can’t help but share secrets about himself that he’s told no one else. And in return, Sara opens up to Mike about things she could never reveal to Greg. As the pair work together to solve two mysteries, their growing love begins to heal each of them in ways they never could have imagined.
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On the Train

A second short story. A dark winter evening. A few stops on the Portsmouth Line, sitting in the corner of the carriage and observing a mixed bunch of fellow passengers.A second short story. A dark winter evening. A few stops on the Portsmouth Line, sitting in the corner of the carriage and observing a mixed bunch of fellow passengers.A stand-alone follow on from On the Terrace, they can be read in any order. If you like this one, you'll probably enjoy On the Terrace even more!
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Bethina (Vampire Morsels)

Short Story. Not a children's story. The sixth in a collection about different vampires from the Amaranthine universe. The year is 1947. With her tuberculosis getting worse, Bethina's only future is to languish in a TB San. Then the mysterious family she works for offers her a full time position, one that will change her life forever. You can also find Bethina in the novel Shades of Gray.Endang's role in Guntoro's life changed when she became his emotional shelter in his time of great desperation. Although fifteen years younger than him, she was taken in by his grandparents and he respected her as an aunt. With his broken marriage and their family circumstances, Guntoro's love for her seems to be an impossible dream to him.Love can cross boundaries and overcome obstacles, and love was exactly what he felt for her. How long would he wait for her? And to what extent was he willing to go to be with her? Guntoro had no doubt about any of this. For him, she was his one true love.
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Stepping Out on a Limb

Stepping Out on A Limb is a collection of new stories “with refreshing ideas.” A summary of taking the stories one more step or to the edge of exciting reading. The flavor is exciting and the plots are rewarding.ONE NIGHT STANDWhen two strangers meet in an Atlanta bar they indulge in a one night stand. Unknowingly, later on, it will involve them in an experience they never expected. JUNCTION 447, US HIGHWAY 10A surprising event unveiled in this story causes the truths of a group of people to be exposed. The awakening moments spiral out of control and cause them to take a loss.EXIT 537Each of us is on a journey, taking life as it come to us. What lies ahead appears from where we have been, directing our ways as we go. No one knows where the chips will fall. Life is unexpected; you have to be ready at all times.THE WITHERING VINEIn the valley of Uz, near the plains of Omar, a young man name Aaron lived. He was a keeper of the ground and the Lord watched over him. He was truly blessed with an enriched life until trouble came. Would he endure to the end or give up? That is his test.THE CURSE OF THE SCARECROW MURDERSThree young men start off with a bullying incident that leaves a town in ruins. The night fires and the raging flames haunt the night sky and lurk over the town as the smell of death lingers in the air.
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Endlessly Beautiful 1.5

Unproofed continuation of Beautiful Disaster. Please note this work is just for fun, so timeline may not match up with published novels or novellas. Read on: [https://www.jamiemcguire.com/endlessl...](https://www.jamiemcguire.com/endlessly-beautiful-episodes) "Beautiful Disaster" copyright 2011 Jamie McGuire "Endlessly Beautiful" copyright 2016 Jamie McGuire All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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The Proposal (Submissive Romance)

"Brooke’s attendance at her sister’s wedding was supposed to be uneventful, but the groom’s brother derailed her plans."When Brooke Miller, a successful financial advisor, went to attend her younger sister’s wedding, she was glad for the brief reprieve from her hectic job. The groom’s brother, tall and raven-haired Christopher Hunt, destroyed her plans for a peaceful break. There was something almost menacing about him and despite her reservations, he enthralled Brooke. What she would soon learn is that Chris wants her to be his Sub – and he is very persuasive. This ebook contains very hot descriptions of romantic activity. Only mature readers should download this book.
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The Ivy Tree

A TRICK OF COLORING... HER WALK... THE WAY SHE SMILED... An English June in the Roman Wall countryside; the ruin of a beautiful old house standing cheek-by-jowl with the solid, sunlit prosperity of the manor farm - a lovely place, and a rich inheritance for one of the two remaining Winslow heirs. There had been a third, but Annabel Winslow had died four years ago - so when a young woman calling herself Annabel Winslow comes 'home' to Whitescar, Con Winslow and his half-sister Lisa must find out whether she really is who she says she is. Mary Grey has nothing to look forward to except a future as colorless as her name. So if she looks, walks, and smiles so much like the glamorous missing heiress Annabel Winslow, why not be her for a little while? To the lonely young woman--living in a dreary furnished room, faced with an uncertain future--the impersonation offered intriguing possibilities. If Mary looked so much like the missing heiress, why should she not be an heiress? And so plain Mary became the glamorous Annabel. But she did not live happily ever after. In fact, she almost did not live at all. Because someone wanted Annabel Winslow missing ... permanently.
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Forgiven

A fresh, new look for the bestselling Firstborn series--the second installment in the continuing Baxter Family Drama from America's number one inspirational novelist, Karen Kingsbury. Revisit the Baxter family in all their life-changing events, or share the series with someone who hasn't discovered it yet.Dayne Matthews is at the top of the Hollywood list, working on what may be his best movie yet. Still, he feels empty and unfocused, aching for real love and the family he'll never know. Then a friend tells him about a teaching center and a way to become like God. Is this the answer Dayne's been searching for? Back in Bloomington, Katy Hart struggles to walk the Christian Kids Theater group through a devastating tragedy, and John Baxter reconnects with an old friend and shares a buried secret.
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Lake of Dreams

Dreams and reality collide—with potentially deadly consequences—in this stunning novella from New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard, available for the first time as a standalone ebook at an unbeatable price! House painter Thea Marlow hasn’t been sleeping very well. Her nights are plagued by dreams, the setting by the water and the mysterious man who appears in them always the same. But the outcome of the dream changes nightly: sometimes the man loves her...and sometimes he kills her. Desperate for some much needed relaxation, Thea travels to her family’s remote country lake house. Imagine her surprise when a knock at the door reveals the man from her dreams...who happens to have just rented the house next door. So will he love her—or will he kill her? Originally published in the anthology Everlasting Love by Linda Howard, Jayne Ann Krentz, Linda Lael Miller, Kasey Michaels and Carla Neggers.
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Beauty

In one horrifying night, Bronwyn Finn lost her family, her kingdom, and the princes who had haunted her dreams for years. Left alone, years pass as she fights for survival and craves revenge against the uncle who took everything from her. But she’s never forgotten her Dark Ones. A tragedy marred Lach and Shim McIver’s future. The future kings of the Unseelie Fae are obsessed with finding their promised wife—Bronwyn. Lach and Shim have never stopped believing that Bronwyn is their mate. She is the bond that connects the halves of their shared soul. With the blessing of the renegade kings, Beck and Cian Finn, Lach and Shim begin a dangerous quest to find their bride before Torin and his hags take her life. Across two planes, a war will rage. Lives will be lost. Love will be found. And the Seelie Fae will welcome their true kings home.
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The Smallest Part

“In the end, only three things matter. How much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.” - Unknown It was a big lie. The biggest lie she’d ever told. It reverberated through her head as she said it, ringing eerily, and the girl behind her eyes—the girl who knew the truth—screamed, and her scream echoed along with the lie. “Are you in love with Noah, Mercedes?” Cora asked. “I mean . . . I know you love him. You’ve been friends forever. We all have. But are you in love with him?” If it had been anyone else—anyone—Mercedes would have stuck out her chest, folded her skinny arms, and let her feelings be known. She would have claimed him. But it was Cora. Brave, beautiful, broken Cora, and Cora loved Noah too. So Mercedes lied. And with that lie, she lost him. With that lie, she sealed her fate. She was the best friend, the bridesmaid, the godmother, the glue. She was there for the good times and the bad, the ups and the downs, the biggest moments and the smallest parts. And she was there when it all came crashing down. This is the tale of the girl who didn’t get the guy.
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Heaven, Texas

Come heck or high water, Gracie Snow is determined to drag the legendary ex-jock Bobby Tom Denton back home to Heaven, Texas, to begin shooting his first motion picture. Despite his dazzling good looks and killer charm, Bobby Tom has reservations about being a movie star — and no plans to cooperate with a prim and bossy Ohio wallflower whom he can’t get off his mind or out of his life. Instead, the hell-raising playboy decides to make her over from plain Jane to Texas wildcat. But nothing’s more dangerous than a wildcat with an angel’s heart in a town too small for a bad boy to hide. And all hell breaks loose when two unforgettable people discover love, laughter, passion — and a match that can only be made in Heaven.
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