Jaided: Chapter 1Jaide knew her life depended on getting along with boys in this all-boy school, the one where she had suddenly become the only girl. That wouldn’t be easy. Most of the boys she had known smelled bad, had bad manners, and were rude and generally beastly. Despite the logistics of one girl living in a sea of testosterone, her father had made it happen. They both knew that this was the safest place for her. Here, she would receive a good education. Here, she would feel shielded from her past. At least, she hoped she would. She just hoped nobody would ask too many questions. After all, a female in a boys’ school was bound to raise eyebrows. As she approached her assigned room along the dormitory hall, Jaide felt her beauty could become a survival weapon. Boys were suckers for good looks.Chapter 2Blaize remained steadfastly belligerent through dinner and later in their room, he nixed every attempt Jaide made to breach the gap between them. All the other boys were delightfully convivial but she noticed they seemed to avoid the obvious question: “What the fuck are you doing here?”Chapter 3Jaide woke at 6:30 with a leg cramp. "Shit," she muttered sharply and threw the covers back. She limped to the other side of the room and then back again, trying to walk it off.Chapter 4Blaize and Jaide grabbed a quick dinner with the boys, then everyone headed off to their room. Jaide entered the bathroom to change into the sleeping clothes that she planned to wear for rest of the night, knowing that she would probably be stuck in her room doing homework. She changed into her little sleeping shorts and tank top.Chapter 5The period flew by. Blaize was still being anti-social. He hadn't even shown any emotion when she informed him that Tremaine was coming that weekend. The next class she had with Garret, and she wanted to talk to him about Alex.Chapter 6Blaize set Jaide down on her bed as the rest of the team crowded into the room with varying looks of apprehension scattered across their worried faces. Chance and Blaize bent over her.Chapter 7A large and robustly athletic Tremaine shoved open the door to glimpse Chance in one bed and a lump of covers in the other bed, with Jaide’s tousled hair splashed against an unknown boy’s chest.Chapter 8The next morning when Jaide awoke, she realized that she wasn't alone in her bed. An arm clung around her waist and a large body cuddled against her back. She twisted her head around to see the peaceful, sleeping face of Blaize. His black hair had fallen into his face a little and he looked quaintly adorable, like a child. Groggily she asked, "Uh, Blaize?"Chapter 9Jaide found Blaize squatting on his bed, earphones snapped around his head, his body rocking gently to whatever piped through his electronic gadgetry.Chapter 10The next morning, Jaide awoke alone in her bed without a cuddling stranger. Blaize's bed was empty but she could hear a soft hum coming from the bathroom.Chapter 11Jaide woke up but didn't open her eyes. She didn't want to end her sleep. She felt so refreshed, as though she had slept for days, but she didn't want to leave the soft, warm cocoon of her blankets.Chapter 12In the ensuing weeks, Blaize and Jaide endured a barrage of juvenile taunting that ranged from soccer practice to suspiciously timed knocks on their door, many late at night as though the inquisition had found a rebirth at Exeter Creek five centuries later. Together and separately, they professed their innocence of doing anything other than homework. Their friends and teammates remained skeptical and that annoyed each of them. Blaize grew edgy and Jaide slept less peacefully until finally, one night the tension exploded.Chapter 13Chance had advised the team of Maddy’s passing and everyone respectfully let Blaize go about the daily routine of school and soccer without burdening him with too many overly sympathetic expressions. One day became pretty much like the next, with Jaide and Blaize often squeezing in a mutual massage before soccer practice.Chapter 14Jaide already had butterflies. They had a game today, their first league game of the season. She had taken some time to do some research. She discovered that this team was very good and very aggressive, causing injuries in almost every game they played and building up a good record of yellow and red cards. She lifted her head from Blaize's chest to look at the clock. It was 6 a.m. She knew she wasn't going to be getting any more sleep with worrying about the upcoming soccer game.Chapter 15When fall break arrived, Matt casually asked Jaide, "Are you going home this weekend?"Chapter 16As school resumed and soccer practice kicked in, Jaide obediently fulfilled her ten suicides for Coach Thacker, essentially running her backside off. She felt it was worth every step because now she was assured she’d be traveling with the team to Arlington.Chapter 17Jaide woke up with a dull headache but was still incredibly comfortable. She was resting atop a warm chest, wrapped tightly in strong arms.Chapter 18It was lunchtime and everyone headed for the cafeteria. Earlier that day, Jaide had finally gotten the chance to sneak into her room and change quickly, barely making it to class. The day had been awkward so far. Blaize was being his normal self, trying to kiss her between classes, putting a casual hand on her leg during class. But Jaide felt weird, like she didn't want him to show her affection while she was lying to him. She would pull away from his kisses and turn away from his hugs. She got increasingly uncomfortable when they were in class with Leith.Chapter 19It was Friday afternoon and the entire soccer team was on a bus halfway to Arlington. The day had gone by fast so far. They got up, went to classes, had a short soccer practice and then got on the bus to take the long drive to their soccer game. They decided to spend the night before the game as opposed to after. The game was relatively early in the morning and coach wanted them to be rested.Chapter 20Blaize checked the time on his cell phone. Jaide had been gone for several minutes. He wondered what she was up to. Maybe she couldn't find her key or something, or maybe she got lost. He sighed and stood up. It would probably be faster to just go help her than wait around worrying about her.Chapter 21Mason was walking Jaide downstairs to the lobby where a few policemen were standing around, and Jaide's teammates were talking to them. Everyone got quiet when they noticed the two enter the lobby.Chapter 22It seemed to Jaide that the melodrama in the Arlington Hotel had provided so much confusion and excitement that the only possible recovery would be a long autumnal snooze. She found during the return bus ride, nothing but the pleasant sound of 20 boys and a girl snoring away. The bus unloaded at their Exeter Creek dorm a weary but fairly content load of students, each of whom managed in his or her own individual way to stumble to their appointed room.Other BooksWhen eighteen-year-old Carmondy Hamilton moves across the country and starts a new school midway through her senior year, she immediately finds herself drawn to Beck Nicholson. They share a love for basketball, and he is tall, brooding and gorgeous. Soon, he is showing her new moves, both on and off the court, but he lets her know in no uncertain terms that he wants to keep it casual. However, soon their physical relationship heats up, they venture into the world of light domination, and a fragile trust grows between them. Author's NoteWord-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. If you enjoyed the book, please leave a review even if it is only a line or two; it would make all the difference and would be very much appreciatedNewsletterBe the first to find out about new releases by signing up for email alerts. Your email address will never be given away and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Full Court Press: Chapter OneCarmondy Hamilton sat in her new Jeep Rubicon for a moment, staring up at the sign. This was the first day of winter semester of her senior year. Excitement for her first day at her new school started to build, tinged with a little nervousness. Prosser was three times as big as her school in Maine had been. She hoped that basketball tryouts this afternoon went well. How would her skills stack up against these Washington girls? Chapter TwoCarmondy opened her eyes and rolled onto her back. The faintest hint of the morning sun peeked in from the window. She found her cell phone and checked the time: 5:12. Perfect. She quickly dressed in her practice gear and pulled on her sweats. Then she looked around the room, needing to borrow a sweatshirt. She saw a gray one hanging over the back of a chair. It smelled relatively clean so she pulled the sweatshirt on and grabbed her iPod from her bag, taking off downstairs. Chapter ThreeThat day’s practice was a very good one for Car. The girls really seemed to be accepting her, and she could feel her team skills getting better and better. She had already picked up the offense and most of the plays. Now she was just working on understanding all the ins and outs of their many full-court presses. According to the coach, their full-court presses were their trademark, and no team had a good offense against it. Chapter FourAs soon as Carmondy got to school, she ran into Beck. He didn’t say anything, didn’t even acknowledge her. It was like nothing had ever happened. Even during PE, which put them in direct contact, he treated her the same as always. They played on opposite teams and Beck ended up guarding her now and then but he never did anything out of the ordinary. When PE was over, she tried to follow him out into the hallway but he disappeared quickly into the boys’ locker room. Chapter FiveAfter practice, Carmondy was invited to go to a preseason party at Torie’s house. She had a blast and stayed after to help the other girls clean up. She was starting to feel like part of the team. Chapter SixCarmondy was concerned that the day would be awkward, having to deal with Beck after what had happened between them last night. To her surprise he was completely civil to her, though not overly friendly. At least they’d been able to get through his accounting class without any drama. Chapter SevenCarmondy woke up the next morning because of the doorbell sounds her phone was making. She shot up in bed, thinking someone was at the door, and then remembered it was just her alarm. She turned her alarm off and looked around. She was surprised to see it was her first night in the apartment and she had actually slept great. She yawned and left her room to see what she could make for breakfast. Chapter EightAs Carmondy tried to leave practice the next afternoon, Beck got in her way, herding her out of the mass of bodies and off to the side. Chapter NineAt practice, Carmondy kicked ass in sprints, like always. She was starting to get pretty good during scrimmage, too. The boys were along the sidelines, doing lunges and pushups while the girls had the court. She liked scrimmage because it let her show her full talents, using her speed and strength to steal the ball. She wasn’t afraid to get physical or dive on the ground for the ball, which she proved a couple times. Chapter TenCarmondy had only meant to rest for a moment but when she opened her eyes, over an hour had passed. She was mostly dry now but her hair was still damp and cold, along with the towel she was laying on. When she made to move, she remembered her wrists were locked together, and she was totally naked. Chapter ElevenAfter accounting class, Carmondy saw Anderson weaving in and out of the people in the crowded halls. She had to talk to him, to make sure he knew everything was ok. Chapter TwelveThe next day at school seemed a little too calm. There was no drama. Beck had been civil, no snapping at her or anything. Actually, he had stood at her locker with her while they had waited for the bell to ring that morning. Chapter ThirteenThey arrived at the hotel as planned, when Beck’s father’s function was already going in full force. Beck took the small bag he had packed for them and left it in the foyer with everyone else’s coats and jackets. Chapter FourteenCarmondy woke in the morning with something prodding her lower back. She opened her eyes. She was lying on her side. Beck was behind her, not quite cuddling her. His hands held her hips in his sleep, and one knee split her thighs. His upper body wasn’t touching her though. She glanced over her shoulder and saw his head resting on the pillow behind her. He murmured in his sleep and pulled her hips against him. Chapter FifteenThey made the drive back to Carmondy’s apartment in near total silence. This was a comfortable silence, and Carmondy thought that for once, Beck looked relaxed. Things had gone very well with Lily today, and she was happy to have been a part of it. Chapter Sixteen“I don’t understand,” Carmondy said, really confused as she sat in the vice-principal’s office. Chapter SeventeenAs Carmondy had expected, Lily threw a fit when Beck arrived without her. Lily was screaming about the schedule and two visitors, sobbing about having wanted to talk to Carmondy about the book, telling Beck that she hated him and that she knew he’d kept Carmondy away just to hurt her. Chapter EighteenWhen Carmondy got home from the hospital, she jumped in the shower, spending a long time under the hot stream of water, trying to get it together. The afternoon had really taken a toll on her. When she finally got out, she pulled on some shorts and a T-shirt and was just about to go to bed when someone knocked on her door. Other BooksFour very different roommates begin their first year at college, all of them going through their own very unique struggles. NewsletterBe the first to find out about new releases by signing up for email alerts. Your email address will never be given away and you can unsubscribe at any time. MoreWord-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. If you enjoyed the book, please leave a review even if it is only a line or two; it would make all the difference and would be very much appreciated

Brothers And Best Friends: Chapter OneJanine Bradley sat with her head pressed against the window of the bus, wondering if she was insane.Chapter TwoJanine finally stopped crying after a few minutes, but stayed in his arms, enjoying the comfort and warmth of his embrace.Chapter ThreeJess woke up the next morning with Janine cuddled up beside him, one arm draped over his chest, her face buried in the crook of his neck.Chapter FourThe next morning, Janine woke up before Jess. Since she had remembered Jess muttering about having to pack his lunch, she decided to surprise him by packing it for him. Then she made eggs, biscuits, and a fresh pot of coffee.Chapter FiveJanine gasped and nearly hopped out of bed, not caring that she was only wearing Jess's Metallica shirt. "John!" she shrieked.Chapter SixWhen Jess went off to work, Janine hauled her brother out to show him the city. John continued to torment her all day, and she continued to ignore him, pointing out some shop or restaurant or statue. She told him how exciting it was, grinning and gesturing to emphasize her happiness. Then she told him about babysitting for Jess's friend and John took the moment as an excuse to lightly tickle her belly and tell her Jess was going to be having his own baby to watch soon enough. Her heart flipped again, and she wondered if it would ever stop doing that. Surely she would get used to hearing it.Chapter SevenWednesday, Janine's mother caught up to her.Chapter EightIt was the middle of September when Janine finally got a message from Jess.Chapter NineJohn had tried to talk to Janine again, but it was as she was getting ready to leave for work, so she just told him good-bye and left.Chapter Ten"Janie, I was thinking, why don't I stay here an extra day," John suggested. "I mean, none of my classes are so important that they can't be missed, and—"Chapter ElevenIt was different.Chapter TwelveOnce they were finally home in New York, Janine was content to spend the latter part of the evening in Jess's arms.Chapter ThirteenOn Sunday, Janine finally got a phone call about a job—as a server at a retirement home. It was all evening work, so she would be gone when Jess was home.Chapter FourteenThe next day, Janine couldn't seem to get up the nerve to say anything about her problems with Jess. She didn't know what to say. There was really nothing specifically wrong that she could think of, it was more of a general feeling.Chapter FifteenJanine waited until she knew John was out of classes before she texted him on Monday.Chapter SixteenPlanning the wedding was enough to keep Janine completely occupied. With all the work and careful planning a very small wedding was taking, she couldn't imagine planning a large wedding.Chapter SeventeenBefore she knew it, John arrived in the city.Chapter EighteenThe next day was a long one.Chapter NineteenAlthough Janine's life seemed to be balancing precariously on a tightrope, she decided to be optimistic and throw herself into the wedding.Chapter Twenty"I can't believe you're getting married," Karen said with a big grin as she zipped up Janine's dress and smiled at her in the mirror. "Are you nervous?"Other BooksWhen eighteen-year-old Carmondy Hamilton moves across the country and starts a new school midway through her senior year, she immediately finds herself drawn to Beck Nicholson. They share a love for basketball, and he is tall, brooding and gorgeous. Soon, he is showing her new moves, both on and off the court, but he lets her know in no uncertain terms that he wants to keep it casual. However, soon their physical relationship heats up, they venture into the world of light domination, and a fragile trust grows between them. Author's NoteWord-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. If you enjoyed the book, please leave a review even if it is only a line or two; it would make all the difference and would be very much appreciatedNewsletterBe the first to find out about new releases by signing up for email alerts. Your email address will never be given away and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Nondescript: 1Alone in the empty dance studio, Lorna Phillips pressed the play button on her little boombox, and the music started. The slow, contemporary melody had a rhythm she could dance to. She circled the gleaming pole slowly in step with the beat, getting into the right mindset. Pole dancing had a bad reputation, but really, it was a beautiful form of expression. She enjoyed the raunchy dancing herself and thought anyone had a right to take their clothes off if they wanted to. However, the notion that the dancers were only doing it for the satisfaction of their male audience and not themselves bothered her, and was also the reason why she never performed in front of anyone.2Lorna slipped into the physical education complex and headed toward the dance studios. She itched to dance. It had been a long day, and she just wanted to dance off the stress. The first studio was occupied and she meant to walk right by, but the doors were open and she couldn’t help but glance in. A small group performed a choreographed number. A blond guy led, teaching the rest of them the moves.3Lily stepped out of the bathroom after one of her regular migraine-relieving showers. Rikke stood outside the door waiting for her, glaring.4Jaz was horny, and she had no idea why. She flipped through her sketchbook, looking at some older sketches she’d made. This book was almost full. In a few more days, she’d need to break out a new one. Normally she was content flipping through the multitude of her old sketches, but not tonight.5Rikke’s fingers broke the sound barrier as they moved across the keyboard. An idea had just popped into her head, and she had to write it. She loved it when the words flowed like this.6Lorna woke up early to get to the dance studio on time. She wanted to hide under the covers when her alarm went off, but she was tired of being the girl who hid behind things.7Warm arms slipped around Jaz just as she flipped the pancake with the spatula. “Hey.”8Rikke pounded on her keyboard, letting out all of her anger, frustration, and fear on her characters. Adam had called her six times, and six times she’d ignored the call. The counselor had told her she needed to make a decision: go through the judicial system, the on-campus system, or do nothing. Rikke was still deciding. She couldn’t face Adam right now. She needed to think this thing over.9Lily’s heart rate quickened, and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself in an attempt to control the shaking. It was all too much for her to handle, she knew that. All of the training that her doctors had given her to deal with highly emotional situations flew out the window as the familiar pain exploded in her head. She whimpered and moved into the hallway, trying to make it to the sanctity of her room. But she fell before she reached the door, landing hard on her knees and palms. She knew what was happening. The shaking and loss of balance were only the first stages of her meltdowns. She pressed herself against the wall and hugged her knees tightly, still hearing the commotion going on in the hallway.10Lorna was heading back to her dorm from her final class of the day. She couldn’t get the dance rehearsal out of her head, especially with the upcoming night out with Shep. Circling around the science building, she joined the rest of the crowd on one of the main walkways. With the sound of scuffing shoes, chatting and cell phone conversations, she almost didn’t hear her name.11Jaz straightened her shirt as she left Nash’s apartment. He was stellar in bed and would be one of those guys she wouldn’t mind going back to. He was nice without being a pushover and a gentleman without being annoying, but it was obvious there was something or someone on his mind and he’d just needed a distraction, so she was pretty sure it was a onetime deal.12Lily left her bedroom, intent on making herself some breakfast. She hadn’t gotten back until very late the night before. Miles had walked her home, so she hadn’t seen any of her roommates. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and emptied some cereal into a bowl. As she turned back for milk, she was met with a very aggravated-looking Jaz and the usual annoyed-looking Rikke.13Lorna was meeting Nash and Shep for a couple of hours alone today, and then staying for the group practice. She was nervous. Lily was still in her room with the mystery boy when she left, and she shook her head, wondering how Lily seemed to have managed to find a guy, a cute one at that, and yet she still hadn’t.14The next day, Rikke was back in the office of John Pierce, the Resident Hall Coordinator. Both he and Anna Clark, the Sexual Assault Coordinator, were sitting across the desk from her. She wasn’t sure if this meeting was more or less comfortable than the first one she’d had. Rikke was much less excited to be at this one, that was for sure. Her face ached, as did the back of her head, both thanks to Adam.15A knock on Lorna’s door woke her up. She cracked an eye and the clock told her it was almost 2:00 a.m.16Lily was jittery as she prepared for Miles to come over. She had done as much reading as possible after he’d left the day before. According to her books, it was more appropriate for him to come hang out with her, since she had a room with roommates, than with him alone at his house. They were planning more talking today, which reinforced what Lily learned in the books—that communication was key to relationships. She also had to talk to him about defining what exactly was going on between them.17Rikke apprehensively knocked on Ben’s door. She still couldn’t believe what she’d done last night, and although she didn’t feel any more comfortable with herself, she felt like she could at least get her phone back. She shouldn’t have made him babysit it.18Shep was gone when Lorna woke the next morning. A message was sticky-noted to her forehead.19Jaz had turned up dry at the two previous Snickers sighting locations, so she gave up and went into the student building with the hope of getting lucky again. She sat on an upper level, looking out over the area clustered with tables and chairs outside the campus eatery, sketching caricatures of a group of nerds clustered around one table.20The next morning, Jaz felt like the walking dead. She didn’t have the energy to open her eyes, much less move. When she did open them, she realized she wasn’t in her own room. She rolled over and groaned. Her whole body hurt. She struggled to remember what had happened the night before.21Lily grinned to herself, wrapping her arms tighter around Miles’ waist while he pulled into his driveway and came to a stop. Her feet stayed planted on the foot pegs, like he’d said, while he turned off the engine and dismounted from the bike.22Ben backed up until he bumped into the bed. “What are you doing, Rikke?”23For the second day in a row, Lily waited anxiously for Miles to arrive. This time she knew Beck wasn’t going to show up instead, and she was even more nervous. They were having a study day at her place, and Miles was bringing the snacks. Her roommates had been in and out all day. None of them seemed to be in a particularly sociable mood.24Adam’s SUV came to a stop in front of the building just a few minutes after she hung up with him. His tone had remained unreadable, and she shivered nervously as she made her way to his car. Adam barely even looked at her as she slid into the seat and closed the door.25Lorna had never been to the theater building, but it wasn’t hard to find. As she turned around the corner, she found Nash leaning against the wall near the door. He had been waiting for her.26Jaz managed to stay in her room most of the day, after returning from Travis’ place. Her emotions were all over the place, and she knew she’d go crazy if she stayed cooped up much longer.27Rikke stood in line to get a sandwich at the on-campus eatery. Adam was in another line, waiting for pizza. When she glanced over at him, he grinned and mouthed something, probably dirty. She just smiled at him and turned back to the line.28The next twelve hours seemed like an eternity for Lily. She floated in and out of reality, the sirens continuing to ring in her ears even though they had stopped a long time ago. The lights still flashed in her vision, though those too were long past.29Jaz took a deep breath as Vince, the boy who’d been nailing her for the past ten minutes, rolled off her and onto his back. He hadn’t been great, but he hadn’t been bad either. She’d gotten a little satisfaction from it—not the screaming orgasm she got from some guys, but it was a good warm up for whatever lucky guy she found next.30“Are you ready for this?”31Leaving the building, Jaz made a beeline for the coffee stand but Bishop wasn’t there. He wasn’t in any of the regular spots either. She paused her search and took a deep breath, looking around. Where would he be?32Beep. Beep. Beep.33Travis wasn’t answering his cell phone—at least, he wasn’t answering Jaz’s calls. She’d just left Bishop’s place, where they’d talked for over an hour before she finally departed. She wanted to talk to Travis because she knew that he was upset not just because of the thing with Bishop, but because of what she’d been doing with boys lately. He was worried about her, and she saw that now.34Lily had just finished her testing when Miles leaned into the room. “Lily?”35Jaz rolled over and off of Travis, onto the soft carpet that separated his couch and bed. She wasn’t sure which one they’d been aiming for, but they’d missed both. She turned her head to the side and looked at Travis in all of his naked glory. His eyes were closed and his face relaxed—it was a post-sex face she’d become used to.Other BooksJaide Williams is young, beautiful, intelligent, athletic, and lives a charmed life. A straight-A student, good friend, and member of a well-respected soccer team, Jaide fits in surprisingly well in her unconventional choice of a school. Nobody would ever guess she spent the first half of her childhood locked in a room, a victim of the one person meant to protect her.Author's NoteWord-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. If you enjoyed the book, please leave a review even if it is only a line or two; it would make all the difference and would be very much appreciatedNewsletterBe the first to find out about new releases by signing up for email alerts. Your email address will never be given away and you can unsubscribe at any time.