Amber Sims, friend of the friendless, is holding onto a twenty-year-old tattoo memory of a homeless past--hoping that it will rekindle a friendship and maybe more for her on Valentine's Day. But life doesn't often turn out the way we want it. Can Amber detour in time to find love, or will she be alone forever?Mark Ford is his own boss at Ford's Footwear, but when it comes to love, romance doesn't fit him well. Will Mark's troubled past prevent a relationship with Amber, or is she the part of the couple puzzle that fits perfectly into his life of solitude?…
Evil never wins, when there's a "genius" cop on the case! A golden-haired movie producer's wife has been killed in Los Angeles, California and Lieutenant Brock Cinder is on the case. A cop's cop, Brock's a lone wolf and the envy of all in his department.But the tough cop with flair has been wounded by a life event. Will such baggage--that burdens his heart to this day--help him to solve this crime, or--together with what he sees at this roadkill--encourage him to quit the force and turn his back on catching killers?(*Fun fact: Rather than use the traditional "Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc., headers--for each "cliffhanger break" in the following story--I chose, instead, to go with more "nostalgic" headers [i.e., "Tonight's Episode, Act I, Act II," etc., and "Epilogue"], since that style had been a similar case in classic Quinn Martin Productions like the following three television cop/crime series: "The Streets of San Francisco" [ https://youtu.be/SLec8xEG8xE ], "Barnaby Jones" [ https://youtu.be/bkx2jWGZVJU ], and "Cannon" [ https://youtu.be/eIfdD191II4 ]. I've always loved that "Tonight's Episode..." TV format style opening, as well as the "Act Number" appearing on the screen, regarding each of the later main intro scenes, for such TV mystery shows.)…
When least expected...in walks love! A gal Friday has two months to unlock her boss's hardened heart. Failure is option one and HEA is everything. But this temp employee's heart fears relationships, and her employer's heart needs love. Are they a match...in more than just business?…
Judy Flowers is young, vibrant, and sexy! Her dating habits, though, are subpar. That's why her best "married" friend Madeline Kane tries to set her up whenever she can. But Madeline's "the guy" is always the pits! Still, promising to get Judy engaged soon, Madeline turns to her college graduating yearbook for a dating emergency.Iggy Gold is a magician's magician--in the amateur world! Will Madeline and Iggy's friendship, and his mastery of escape, help Iggy to capture Judy's heart? Or, is Iggy just another "Tom, Dick, and Harry" meet who'll disappear in a puff of smoke alone?…
It's the holiday season again and Ashley Snow is a bah-humbug kind of a gal. Living a somewhat nomadic lifestyle in the big city, she has no desire to change her existence of solitude.But man proposes and God disposes.Craig Holiday is a part-time Santa Claus and more than meets the eye. But will Ashley's pizza delivery prod from him the gift of a lifetime?🎅🎄Highest ranks: #1 "Keepsake" category 12/6/2024 #1 "Tender" category 11/25/2024 *This holiday romance short story of mine had "16.4K" reads in "Mistletoe & Mischief"--the 2015 Christmas anthology in which it had first appeared on Wattpad! I'm so excited that you can now read it here on my account. Enjoy!…
No one looks forward to death the first time, and every time thereafter, death is hell in the netherworld!Morgan Fenns had once been a human being and, just like most, he thought that to marry, raise a family, work hard, and do good to others would add to his afterlife joys. That's what his pastor had always preached from the pulpit.Then, something happened--Morgan died...just as everybody else will. The trouble is, once he had passed, Morgan learned that death was not the end, but, rather, the beginning...of a death celebration--with a twist.…
A K-9, motorist, cop, and a priest meet. Will a heavenly blessing result?Thirty-six-year-old-pregnant-widow Ruth Mitchell is running late for Easter Mass. Saved once in life by piano, is she about to be cradled a second time by love? Or, will the one thing she now fears--single motherhood--dictate all?Thirty-one-year-old Nicholas Night is the new K-9 cop in town. Is it wise for Ruth to judge him by his cover? Or, will facts surrounding the case that introduce them, bring Godly twists for more happiness than each ever thought possible?…
Rachael Karns wants the best for her daughters Vanessa and Jodi. That's why she has them sightseeing today--they love it! But times are getting more difficult for the widow, and she fears that the girls will never have a father's love again.Dan Clarke is a clown by nature, but a solid guy. Still, forced to raise his daughter Yvonne alone, he struggles to roll with the punches. Always there for her, he does his best to make her happy, but without a wife that's becoming more challenging.Can sightseeing bring about more than just simple fun to a day trip?…
Be careful what you look for, because you just might find it!In a perfect world, a child is seen as the apple of its parents' eyes. One completes a mother and father's union. One enables a "family" to be born. One gives more joy to a couple than it could have ever imagined.But Childrenopia is a world hidden from joy. Childless, it's a place where man is set for quick extinction...unless children can be found.Will this struggling society continue on a downward spiral on Halloween? Or, will one couple's search reveal even greater horror to those who dare to seek "The Children"?…
Might is right in Baskanville, and without it you're dead! How well The Lake knows that adage and fears what it means. For years, life had been bittersweet for the hidden waterway. That's why today it wants to live--existence, though, is out of its hands. Alone. Scared. Exhausted. Eighteen-year-old Amanda Colberg's quivering body is hiding under the sheets of her bed, but she's not safe. And the town of Baskanville never seemed so far from civilization to her, than on such nights--ones when her drunken father, Gant, did not seem human, and was on his way back to her bedroom.Can an unconventional connection and love between Amanda and The Lake save her? Or, will this twisted "watery" romance become more than anyone can handle in this godforsaken town?…
Birthdays and wishes go hand-in-hand, but what about BFFs and turning forty?Telemarketer Bridget Jones was never as happy as when Dean Roth was working alongside her in the office. But somewhere down the line, she let love slip away. Dean Roth is a traveling telemarketing leader. But when it comes to him and love, he stumbles more than a computer's operating system hit by a glitch.Will Dean's office party prove disastrous for a relationship re-boot between them? Or, will such a forced togetherness with Bridget cause their history-filled friendship to detour and fade into a perfect forever?…
Abigail Evans is packing for a marriage-saving vacation. Will a trip out west, with her husband, Carl, benefit them? Or, will it create more trouble for the world?If Marcy McNeil, Abigail's best friend, has anything to say about it, it's they who should be the ones off on vacation--man hunting--instead!But the America in which these three live, is on the brink of a personal war. The Mafia has its agenda. Los Liberadores is out for a cause. The CIA is breaking rules.Can the United States survive with a corrupt president? Or, is doom America's fate?…
Love for a mother is unlike any other, when it's right. When it's wrong, it's deadly!Faith Moore could not have been happier. Spending Halloween with her mother, Tabitha, had always been fun. In her youth, Faith had relished her mama making her a costume--weeks before the spooky day had even arrived--then going trick or treating with her on that special afternoon.But times had changed--and not just because of Faith's father's death. Mama was also different from their yesterdays...and so was Faith as they headed toward their tomorrows. They both just didn't know how demonically different things would be...yet.…
Karen Day's life was never lonely, as long as Henry Thompson was at her side. But for years it had been Henry's letters that had kept Karen company, rather than Henry himself--especially on his birthday.So held back by Henry's writings, though, Karen's life is the pits! Fearing that her time to find the perfect beau is waning, she wonders about ever finding a happily ever after. Will tossing Henry's letters be the best thing for Karen to do? Or, will her having held onto those memories prove to be the best road to romance?…
Wordsmith Chad Wilson wanted to work for himself. That's why he started his own editorial service. But with a house emergency fund stretched to its limits, and sudden repairs needed, how can he keep his business from failing when the bills keep mounting?Stacey Baker's an "all work, no play" kind of a gal. But that's how she's been able to make it in the home improvement business--all while keeping any would-be beau at bay. Will Chad's call to Stacey's company be the best thing for his latest house disaster and miter them together in romance?…
Being wide awake in life is one thing, to realize it is yet another.It's the holiday season and Naomi Pines is alone again. But that's the way she wants it--just as for the past eighteen years. Still, Christmas is a time of giving, as well as for miracles. Will a brown-wrapped, red-yarn bowed package bring about something diastoruous for Naomi? Or, will her living in Snowville's backwoods, a blizzard, mysterious delivery man, and her rifle prove too much for her darkened spirit, and instead bring about forgiveness and joy on Christmas for her?…
Workaholic Rachel Kemp has aced being her own boss. When it comes to her dating and finding a husband, though, she's a complete fail. Turning the big "4-0," she feels that her life is slipping away, but she doesn't know what to do about it. So, she takes off from work for her special day to have a long weekend to celebrate...alone.But when Murphy's Law hits, and Rachel finds her "day off" plans ruined, how will her time stranded on the highway bring about more HEA joy than she thought possible, with a car full of perishable groceries?…
If diamonds are a girl's best friend, can a jewelry-store customer be a gal's forever love?Yvonne Dennison is new to selling jewelry, and is hopelessly single. Brad Summers is Jewelry Heaven's best customer, and happily married. Will a business "demand" by Yvonne's boss, Mr. Garrison, bring about a big payday for the retiring shop owner? Or, will golden answers and a trip that salesperson Yvonne takes with her bff sister, Phyllis, help to twist all into the perfect romance for the seller of one-of-a-kind gifts of gold?…
It's only the third day of Freak Week and things are getting even more crazy! Dylan the Villain--a beast unlike anybody had ever seen--has come to take prisoners. That is, if he doesn't get back what's his, Lace is going to pay the price. Just what price is that? Nobody knows. But with Dylan the Villain in their presence, nobody dares to ask him.Can Lace, Banana, Crush, Harry, Marmie, and Mr. Kevin save the school--and themselves--in time? Or, is what Dylan the Villain wants just a cover for something more important to all?*This was my Chapter 3 "Freak Week" entry for Grace Helbig ( @WritingWith ) @Wattpad. My chapter here had picked up where the chapter 2 winner @PseudonymForMe had left off with the "entrance of a 'mysterious figure.'"**Thanks, Mom, for creating/drawing that awesome "Dylan the Villain" cover art for my chapter three entry! Your talent rocks! :)…
There's nothing like the beauty of the sea--when all is right. Its shoreline can entice one to walk along it. Its crashing waves can soothe a troubled mind. Its fish and world can both feed humans and mesmerize them.But with the dawn of plastics, came the doom of the oceans--long before anyone knew it.Had people not tossed their single-use plastics into the sea, a harrowing evolution would not have taken place. The water world and its fish would have continued to flourish. But they didn't. What could be the horror of a plastic-tossing mistake?…