A SECOND CHANCE AT TRUE LOVE Five years ago, Rick Allyn was publicly humiliated when he had his heart broken on the reality dating show True Love. Convincing him to sign up for another round of punishment isn't going to be easy. But with the show's ratings plummeting, producer Elizabeth Maier will have to persuade him to agree…or she'll be putting in a job application at Rick's small-town diner. Elizabeth is confident this season will be different. With his prominent family, boyish charm and good looks, Rick is the complete package. Finding his soul mate shouldn't be hard. However, as filming continues, she's beginning to suspect that the perfect woman for Rick is her. That leaves Elizabeth with a tough choice: her job at True Love or a shot at the real thing.
Unknowingly cast as the bachelorette for her town's charity event, Taycee Emerson wants out. Especially when she discovers her old teenage crush, Luke Carney, is one of the bachelors and it's up to the viewers--not her--to decide which bachelors stay or go. Coerced into participating, Taycee does what any self-preserving girl would do. She launches a subtle attack on Luke's good name with the hope of getting him voted off the show. Unfortunately, Luke's an eye-for-an-eye kind of guy, and when he discovers what she's up to, it means revenge. But when their pranks go south, will they screw up any chance they have at a future together, or will they be able to forgive and forget and prove that love really does conquer all?
A USA Today Recommended Read The last thing Rebecca Massee expects on her wedding day is to go from jilted kindergarten teacher to Amazonian Earth warrior. But when she causes an earthquake after her groom says "I don't," she discovers that not only does she possess incredible powers, she is one of four lost chosen sisters who must fight to keep humanity safe from rogue gods and demons. Luckily she has help: ruggedly handsome Scottish warrior Artair MacKay, her protector and teacher. An immortal, Artair has trained countless warriors for more than four hundred years. He understands Rebecca's confusion at the new world she's been thrust into and worries she is too emotionally vulnerable, but that doesn't stop his growing feelings for the beautiful and fearless woman. When an evil force threatens to destroy the Amazons, Rebecca must claim her full powers—but they come at a cost. Can she sacrifice the man she loves if it means saving the world?
A candid, witty, and inspiring collection of essays from The Bachelor’s first Black Bachelorette, exploring everything from relationships and love to politics and race “The Bachelor gave me an opportunity, but I created my own happy ending.” Rachel Lindsay rose to prominence as The Bachelor’s first Black Bachelorette and has since become one of the franchise’s most well-known figures—and outspoken critics. But there has always been more to Lindsay than meets the eye, and in this book, she finally tells her own story, in her own words. In wide-ranging essays, Lindsay opens up about her experience on ABC’s hit show and reveals everything about her life off-camera, from a childhood growing up in Dallas, Texas, as the daughter of a U.S. District Judge, to her disastrous dating life prior to appearing on The Bachelor, to her career in law, and the decision to become a reality-TV contestant. She also brings a sharp wit and keen intellect to weigh in on issues such as the lack of diversity in reality television and the importance of political engagement, protest, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Told in the down-to-earth, no-nonsense voice she’s become known for, Lindsay’s book of essays provides an intimate look at the life of one of reality TV’s most beloved stars, as well as advice and inspiration that will make her a role model for anyone who has ever struggled to find their way in love and life. As she says, “Contrary to popular belief, the best gift I ever received was not a wedding ring. It was the permission I gave myself to be imperfect.” And if you don’t believe her, you know the saying: Miss me with that.
Help Wanted: Adults Wanted For Local Talent Agency Requirements: Secure, Confident, Uninhibited, and Dependable To be a successful stripper a person would need to be secure, confident, uninhibited, and dependable. It’s no wonder why I never found success working inside of the G-string nation as a male stripper. Weekend after weekend, the phrase, “The stripper is here!!!” produced more fear and anxiety inside of me every time I knocked on a door. Often I would ask myself on my way to perform a show, “How on earth, did I get here?” Growing up, my career ambitions were normal. At different points in my life, I considered careers in firefighting, law enforcement, and as an adventuresome cowboy. There were times in my life I did have the chance to wear the uniforms and the clothes of those careers; however, that’s not what I had in mind while I patiently let girls use their teeth to insert cash down my G-string. I lived the life of a rock star without all of the fame…or fortune. I attended parties in shady places, and I woke up in different beds intertwined with sweaty naked bodies. There were drugs, limos, strippers and fans. I was admired and hated by other men. I, also, knew some of the ladies I entertained went home to their husbands and boyfriends with one thing on their mind. These guys should have thanked me in the morning. Despite the girls, limo services, drugs, and quick cash, I dreaded every show offered to me. I was introverted, insecure, boring, and I suffered from any number of anxieties including, stage fright. After a time of homelessness, stripping afforded me a means to transition in life. When the opportunity presented itself, I jumped into the world of body oils, adult toys, chairs, and G-strings and became a Reluctant Stripper.
“Do you love romance? Do you love reading? Do you love The Bachelor? Are you from Texas? If you answered ‘yes’ to any two of those questions, do we ever have a book for you.”—Huffington Post As the longtime host of ABC’s hit shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Chris Harrison has witnessed the joys and heartbreak of men and women searching for everlasting love. A true romantic at heart, he believes that everyone deserves their own fairytale ending. Now, in his first work of fiction, Chris draws on his unique insights and wisdom in a remarkable debut novel that explores love and its consequences—a must-read for Bachelor fans and hopeless romantics everywhere. Leigh Merrill spent ten years running away from her past. Now she’s going back . . . A talented young book editor in New York City, Leigh leads a rich life full of writing, parties, and romance, far from the dust of her grandfather’s horse farm in Texas. And she is engaged to Joseph, a brilliant, generous man who adores her. Still, when she’s invited to a writer’s conference in Austin, Leigh can’t help but feel that Texas, with all of its tangled secrets, is calling her home. She tells herself the trip is just a few days away to catch up with old friends, meet new authors, and clear her mind. But Leigh’s plans for a quiet retreat quickly dissolve when she discovers a stack of letters from her past in her hotel room . . . letters that bare her soul and her deepest and darkest secrets . . . letters she wrote to the love of her life. After years of running, but with nowhere left to hide, Leigh must finally decide what she truly wants . . . and just how much she’ll risk to get it.
*Includes the story “Cat Person”—now a major film* A compulsively readable collection of short stories that explore the complex—and often darkly funny—connections between gender, sex, and power across genres. “These stories are sharp and perverse, dark and bizarre, unrelenting and utterly bananas. I love them so, so much.” —Carmen Maria Machado, National Book Award Finalist and author of Her Body and Other Parties “Kristen Roupenian isn’t just an uncannily great writer, she also knows things about the human psyche…The world has made a lot more sense since reading this book.” —Miranda July, New York Times bestselling author Previously published as You Know You Want This, “Cat Person” and Other Stories brilliantly explores the ways in which women are horrifying as much as it captures the horrors that are done to them. Among its pages are a couple who becomes obsessed with their friend hearing them have sex, then seeing them have sex…until they can’t have sex without him; a ten-year-old whose birthday party takes a sinister turn when she wishes for “something mean”; a woman who finds a book of spells half hidden at the library and summons her heart’s desire: a nameless, naked man; and a self-proclaimed “biter” who dreams of sneaking up behind and sinking her teeth into a green-eyed, long-haired, pink-cheeked coworker. Spanning a range of genres and topics—from the mundane to the murderous and supernatural—these are stories about sex and punishment, guilt and anger, the pleasure and terror of inflicting and experiencing pain. These stories fascinate and repel, revolt and arouse, scare and delight in equal measure. And, as a collection, they point a finger at you, daring you to feel uncomfortable—or worse, understood—as if to say, “You want this, right? You know you want this.”
This is the story of Pastor Micah Whitfield and his omnipotent and omniscient treeing walker coonhound named Douglas. Micah will gradually discover that Douglas has supernatural powers as endowed to him by the Almighty. Douglas is on a mission from the Almighty. He is to guide and mold Pastor Micah into a fit hellfire-and-brimstone pastor. Douglas has his work cut out for him as Micah is very reluctant to perform his pastoral duties. Douglas is the real pastor of the church. Douglas writes the sermons, leads communion services, leads Bible studies, and does most of all the Christian counseling as Micah is inept at all of them. In exchange, Douglas is rewarded with porterhouse steaks and cheesecake. Eventually, Douglas becomes known as the Hell Dog. He frequently gives guided tours of hell. Occasionally, he gives a tour of the heavenly realm or Reprobate City. As Douglas and Micah become inseparable, the reader discovers that this "perfect canine" has some flaws. He frequently gets Micah into trouble in the church, on vacation, and during their demonstrations and marches on the capital city and Washington City. Micah is always getting arrested. Douglas is always there to break him out of jail. They frequently become fugitives from injustice. On the other hand, Douglas sometimes does some pro bono work for the police department. He wears a badge that says, "Deputized Outlaw." Just before vacation, Micah is impeached by the congregation. Douglas gives a long-winded dissertation about salvation and the Almighty. He even takes the entire congregation on a tour of hell. When he is done, Micah has the congregation on his side. This lays the groundwork for putting words into action. The entire congregation is in a "demonstration mode."
Jessica “Baby” Campbell is desperate. After being mugged a year ago, fear has taken over her life. Now a stalker is sending her death threats and she’ll do anything to feel safe again. Even turn to the man who rejected her so soundly. Former Navy SEAL Joe Catrell wants nothing to do with the pint sized beauty. She’s the spitting image of the woman who betrayed him and crushed his heart into dust. Yet, he can’t deny himself, especially when Baby begs for his help. She’s all wrong for him, but wrong has never felt so right. Note: The book was previously released under the title Beg For It. The contents are the same.
"Gerwalta Kline has wished all her life to escape the weight of being named after her infamous ancestor Die Verrèaterin, the betrayer, better known by humans as Little Red Riding Hood. Unlike the fairy tale heroine, the historical figure defiled her legacy, leading to her being executed for the high crime of mating a werewolf. Desperate to keep history from repeating itself, Geri turns away from her legacy, denies her birthright, defies her controlling mother, and endeavors to live as a human. Fate is a fickle thing however, and it almost seems like Gerwalta's name is her curse. In Chicago, she soon encounters Tobias Somfield, a wolf far away from his packlands in England, tracking another of his kind Tobias claims was kidnapped by a cabal of vampires. The last thing Geri wants is to get involved with a lone wolf's problems, but circumstances don't give her much choice. Tobias is right about one thing; the vampires in Chicago are up to something. Whatever it is spells troubles for hoods and wolves alike. Even if it means working with a wolf she can't help but find attractive, and knowing from experience the danger of stepping off that cliff, Geri finds herself acting the part of a reluctant hood."--page 4 of cover.
