What happens when in order to win, you're forced to lose? The only daughter of an infamous Las Vegas pimp, Raven Morretti grew up an outsider. Liberated from the neglectful home of her prostitute mother, she finds solace as a mechanic. With few friends, she's content with the simple life. Flying under the radar is all she knows and more than she expects. Until she catches the eye of local celebrity, UFL playboy, Jonah Slade. Weeks away from his title fight, Jonah is determined to stay focused on everything he's trained so hard to achieve. Undefeated in the octagon, he's at the height of his career. But resisting Raven's effortless allure and uncomplicated nature is a fight he can't win. Jonah trades in his bad-boy reputation and puts his heart on the line. But when her father contacts her, setting in motion the ugly truth of her destiny, Jonah must choose. In a high-stakes gamble where love and freedom hang in the balance, a war is waged where the price of losing is a fate worse than death. Will the hotheaded Jonah be able to restrain his inner fighter to save the woman he loves? Or will Raven be forced into a life she's been desperate to avoid?
They’ve been running from the one thing that might save them… Blake Love and pain always go together. That’s why I like to keep my life easy. Simple. Commitment free. So, with my MMA career in full swing, and with an injury to overcome, stupid romantic distractions are the last thing I need. And Layla has distraction written all over her. She’s got enough emotional baggage to fill a 747. I don’t do baggage. I need to stay away. But for some reason…I can’t… Layla I’ll never let a man hurt me again. I escaped my horrific marriage, and now I’m ready to be the best single mom I can be. Maybe I’ll even reclaim the pieces of myself I lost over the years. There’s no way I’m letting Blake Daniels derail my fresh start. Except…I want him with an intensity that triggers my deep, dark insecurities. I should walk away before I get in over my head. But what if I’m already too late? Fighting to Forgive, book 2 in the Fighting series, is an emotional, angsty, contemporary, steamy, older woman/younger man, sports romance with a guaranteed happily ever after. Download today and get ready to fall for Blake and Layla.
Cindi Broaddus didn't realize that her life was about to be forever altered as she sat in the passenger seat of a car on a lonely highway, speeding toward the airport in the early morning hours of June 5, 2001. A single mother of three and a delighted new grandmother, she was thinking only of her well-earned vacation when a gallon jar of sulfuric acid, tossed from an overpass by an unknown assailant, came crashing through the windshield. In a heartbeat, Cindi was showered with glass and flesh-eating liquid, leaving her screaming in agony and burned almost beyond recognition. A Random Act is the riveting firsthand account of a brutal and senseless attack and its aftermath. Much more than one remarkable woman's chronicle of an unthinkable tragedy and amazing recovery, Cindi's story is one of hope and transcendence, born of a conscious and dedicated determination to turn a nightmarish experience into something positive and uplifting. Her unforgettable journey back to life and a gloriously renewed sense of purpose offers illuminating truths about love, healing, and the astounding power of choice.
This is the true story of a woman who prevailed against the most heinous accusations imaginable. Tonya Craft, a Georgia kindergarten teacher and loving mother of two, never expected a knock on her door to change her life forever. But in May 2008, false accusations of child molestation turned her world upside down. The trial that followed dragged her reputation through the mud and lent nationwide notoriety to her name. Tonya's life spiraled into a witch-trial nightmare in which she was deemed guilty before her innocence could be determined by a jury. Her children were taken away without even a goodbye, and her own daughter was forced to take the stand against her in a courtroom. The situation seemed hopeless, and Tonya was shell-shocked and heartbroken. But that didn't keep her from finding the strength to fight. Over the course of two terrifying years, Tonya rallied to take charge of her own defense, flying across the country and knocking on doors on a desperate quest for answers, and defying her own lawyers on more than one occasion. Tonya's goal was not only to avoid conviction; it was to clear her name, and, most of all, regain custody of her children. Accused is about more than Tonya's shocking trial and fight for justice. It is the story of a mother's extraordinary love, the faith that sees her through it all, and the forgiveness that sets her free.
Remembering her will either be his salvation…or his downfall… Rex You don’t have to remember the past to be haunted by it. I’m proof of that. I don’t remember the demons of my childhood, but I know they’re there. Why else would I need pain to feel anything? A punch to the jaw, the sting of a tattoo needle, the heat from a piercing…only pain can jolt me back from the numbness. Until I found her… Mac I’ve stalked him for years. Waited for the right time to make amends. We shared horrors most people couldn’t fathom. I’ve lived his pain every day. And he doesn’t remember me at all. I wish I could forget, too. Our past, the ways he’s changed, how he makes me feel…all of it. But I can’t… He’s spent a lifetime fighting to forget. Now he’ll have to decide if remembering the past—and taking a shot at happily ever after with Mac—is worth the potentially devastating cost. Fighting to Forget, book 3 in the Fighting series, is an emotional, angsty, contemporary, steamy, sports/MMA romance with a guaranteed HEA. Download today and get ready to fall for Rex and Mac.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • When we deny our stories, they define us. When we own our stories, we get to write the ending. Don’t miss the five-part HBO Max docuseries Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart! Social scientist Brené Brown has ignited a global conversation on courage, vulnerability, shame, and worthiness. Her pioneering work uncovered a profound truth: Vulnerability—the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome—is the only path to more love, belonging, creativity, and joy. But living a brave life is not always easy: We are, inevitably, going to stumble and fall. It is the rise from falling that Brown takes as her subject in Rising Strong. As a grounded theory researcher, Brown has listened as a range of people—from leaders in Fortune 500 companies and the military to artists, couples in long-term relationships, teachers, and parents—shared their stories of being brave, falling, and getting back up. She asked herself, What do these people with strong and loving relationships, leaders nurturing creativity, artists pushing innovation, and clergy walking with people through faith and mystery have in common? The answer was clear: They recognize the power of emotion and they’re not afraid to lean in to discomfort. Walking into our stories of hurt can feel dangerous. But the process of regaining our footing in the midst of struggle is where our courage is tested and our values are forged. Our stories of struggle can be big ones, like the loss of a job or the end of a relationship, or smaller ones, like a conflict with a friend or colleague. Regardless of magnitude or circumstance, the rising strong process is the same: We reckon with our emotions and get curious about what we’re feeling; we rumble with our stories until we get to a place of truth; and we live this process, every day, until it becomes a practice and creates nothing short of a revolution in our lives. Rising strong after a fall is how we cultivate wholeheartedness. It’s the process, Brown writes, that teaches us the most about who we are. ONE OF GREATER GOOD’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR “[Brené Brown’s] research and work have given us a new vocabulary, a way to talk with each other about the ideas and feelings and fears we’ve all had but haven’t quite known how to articulate. . . . Brené empowers us each to be a little more courageous.”—The Huffington Post
The toughest fighters aren't created in the octagon but are born of necessity. When life delivers blow after punishing blow, you fight back or get destroyed. Eve Dawson has had her fill of bad luck. A string of unhealthy relationships has left her angry, bitter, and frustrated. She's given up on being happy and settles for content. Swearing off men, she repels advances and makes herself a challenge to even the most persistent suitors. After all, how much can the fragile human heart take? But life isn't finished with her, and when things can't possibly get worse . . . they do. Stay on your feet. It's Cameron Kyle's motto, but with his fighting career ripped from his grasp, a child he wasn't strong enough to save, and a marriage that even the brawn of a heavyweight couldn't hold together, it's getting harder and harder to stay upright. He takes on the position of CEO of the UFL, intent on hiding his biggest weakness in order to forge a path that leads him back into the octagon. When an old rival mysteriously gets wind of Cameron's plan to fight again, he comes out of retirement to settle old debts, but secrets, lies, and betrayal threaten to deliver the death-blow. The distraction of a sass-mouthed girl seventeen years his junior is the last thing he needs until a tragic accident shatters the firm foundation of his resolve and he realizes just how far he's fallen. Will they risk it all and fight to be together? Or does defeat lie within the fall?
A Father's Fight Life changes in the span of a heartbeat-one tiny heartbeat. Blake and Layla have lived through disappointment and regret, only finally finding relief through the powerful love they have for each other. A love they intend to fight to keep. They've had to forgive each other, but can they truly move forward without facing the pain of the past? Layla's been avoiding the phone calls. Nine months pregnant and exhausted, she doesn't want the complication. But she can't run from the truth. Whoever's calling was there eighteen years ago. Unlike her, he remembers the night that changed the course of her life, and he's ready to confess. Blake's preoccupied with an email, a few simple sentences sent through cyberspace that have the capability to rob him of his sanity, his freedom, and the people he loves most in the world. When he's called home for a mysterious reason, leaving Layla isn't ideal, but hope for reconciliation with his father combined with his brother's secrecy ignites a curiosity he refuses to ignore. Putting the pain behind them is no longer an option. To get the answers they need, they must face the past and open up old wounds that threaten to bleed them dry.
Axelle's broken.I live to hold her together.Killian McCreery only has two dreams . . .Fight for the UFL.And Axelle.He's watched her give her time and her body to men who don't deserve to breathe her air. He's waited, worked hard to become the kind of man she deserves, hoping one day, when the time is right, he'd get the opportunity to make her happy. After a painful anniversary, he finally gets his chance.But life has a way of sucker-punching its victims-striking when they least expect it in the most devastating ways.Killian loves me.But I screwed up. Big time. Axelle Daniels appears to be the typical college student-parties, hangovers, and men. No one knows that inside she's a mess, and no amount of booze or meaningless relationships have managed to fill the cracks in her heart. But Killian knows. He's been there since the night it all began and has never left her side.When she wakes up one morning to find the consequences of her actions have caught up to her, even Killian's white-knighthood can't save her now.Fate is put to the test when, for the first time in their five-year friendship, they no longer have each other to lean on. When he becomes a UFL superstar, she hardly recognizes the man he used to be. And she no longer needs him to hold her together.With the foundation of their friendship gone, they'll discover that even a love that is meant to be needs to be fought for and destiny is a choice.
'The next round in Billy's fight is pain-racked, frank and reflective . . . an inspiring piece from a man who's been to hell and back and has the scars to prove it' JOE COLE 'Brutally honest, dark and disturbing. A book that tells of the reality of drugs and a failing prison system' NEIL SAMWORTH, author of Strangeways: A Prison Officer's Story 'Billy Moore writes with such a tragic authenticity that it kept me willing for him to succeed, even as I knew he was never too far from self-destruction. It's his self-awareness that I admire - unflinching and brutal and also, it should be said, his wonderful way with words' Professor Emeritus DAVID WILSON, author of My Life with Murderers 'His life may have had many ups and downs, but Billy is a wonderful example of never giving up' JAMES ENGLISH 'A true story of forgiveness, not only learning to forgive others but also learning to forgive yourself. An incredibly emotional story about an incredible man who's had an incredible journey' LIAM HARRISON 'This time I am telling the story of my life both before prison in Thailand and what followed once I was back in the United Kingdom, my cancer diagnosis, more prison time and, finally, redemption. I am trying to understand aspects of my childhood that had a role in my eventual downward spiral into addiction, pain, misery and loss' BILLY MOORE Billy Moore spent three years in Klong Prem prison in Thailand, popularly known as the 'Bangkok Hilton', where he witnessed acts of extreme violence and sexual assault. Eventually he found purpose through taking part in Muay Thai boxing tournaments in jail. Here, he found 'a wall of human community' amongst the elite boxers and regained his sobriety. He was granted early release by the King of Thailand having excelled as a Muay Thai boxer in inter-prison tournaments. But back in the UK and a decade later - with his demons resurfacing - Billy's past caught up with him. He was caught and convicted of a burglary and was despatched to HMP Walton under then home secretary Theresa May's three-strikes rule. Billy has spent almost twenty-two years in various prisons, but since then, he has not only survived cancer, but also gone on to become a powerful advocate of boxing and anti-knife crime initiatives in the Liverpool area, training young boxers. A Prayer Before Dawn was made into a film directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire and starring Joe Cole, of Peaky Blinders' fame. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, but by the time it went on general release, Billy was back in prison in the UK. In this follow-up to Billy's first international bestseller, an autobiography set largely in Thailand's infamous prison system, Billy sets out to explore his experience of childhood abuse that would lead to a life of drug addiction and near-constant incarceration. After Billy's sentence in Klong Prem prison was commuted as a result of his extraordinary success as a Muay Thai boxer, he returned to the UK. In this vividly told story, Liverpudlian Billy contrasts his first-hand experience of one of the cruellest prison systems in the world with his experience of UK prisons. The result is, in part, a shocking exposé of the inadequacy of care and the lack of humanity in British prisons. But Billy's story is mainly one of rehabilitation, recovery and redemption. Rich in detail, honesty and humour, his book is a fast-paced, unputdownable read which shows how the human spirit can endure and eventually thrive.
