Showing results by narrator "Maxine Mitchell" in All Categories

Tucked away at the base of the Rocky Mountains lived a little boy with one singular dream: leave this broken and battered home and become someone. Be somebody’s hero. That boy was me - Colby Brooks. Except I’m not that same little boy anymore. My dreams might still be the same, but my reality isn’t. I learned a long damn time ago the only way to achieve my dreams was to avoid distractions - at any cost. But all it took was one single night. One night and my entire life...changed. One night had me colliding headfirst with the biggest distraction of my life: Rory Oaks.

I pull into the diner of this small mountain town, knowing there’s only two things I want: To put down roots and find someone to build a life with. And when I slide into the booth, the woman who pours me a cup of joe is sweet as sugar and warm as apple pie. She serves me up a “Josie Special” and I know she’s made to order - the only woman for me. My past is dark, too dark for a ray of light like her. But she cracks open the clouds and lets the sunshine in...she sees me as the man I can become. Her father wants me gone. He thinks he knows all about me.

Every man knows there are lines you don't cross. Like this one - don't bang your boss' little sister. Too bad I didn't know sexy, clever, irresistible London is related to the guy who signs my paychecks. Would have been helpful to have that intel before I took her out on that first date, before I kissed her on the beach, before I made plans to take her home that night.

I came to this mountain to move on. I’ve been through enough, and so have my six kids. They deserve a Christmas with new memories. When I find a rental house that’s big enough for my brood, that comes with a live-in cook, it feels too good to be true. It’s an undertaking, but the owner Virginia doesn’t flinch. She’s a beautiful woman who has seen hard times. With a gentle ease about her and a depth I long to reach - I know I’ve found more than my equal. I’ve found my Christmas miracle.

One of the Donner boys. Troublemakers. That was the reputation that followed Chase his whole life. Until he grew up and realized he could do better. Be better. But that choice cost him. His freedom, his family, his chance at love. By making amends, he found a different path. A new set of friends. A new family. Life was good. He thought he’d finally found everything he needed. Then, she answered his ad.

He leaves the dangerous world he knows behind. He paints, owns a gym, and co-runs Elite Security. In the past, he has worked with his friends at Hidden Justice, always staying behind the scenes. But not far enough behind. When the woman he loves is taken, his only recourse is to step back into a world of crime—this time on the wrong side of the law. He knows he has only one choice.

Chloe Cunningham knows a thing or two about sacrifice. She’s devoted hours of her life to building a successful business. But that devotion pales in comparison to the sacrifices made by one man. Hawk Kennedy. Hawk made one choice, and it destroyed his life. Though he doesn’t regret his decision, it has made rebuilding his life difficult. Chloe thinks what Hawk did is admirable. Despite his claims that she’s far too good for him, Chloe insists he’s wrong. She sees the sweet, loving guy beneath the rough exterior, and she won’t stay away. It works, and Hawk finally caves.

There was before. When we were together, when we were happy. When we had nothing but dreams. When not a single bad thing could ever happen because we were young and in love. And there was after. When the unthinkable occurs, how do you count time, knowing how precious it is? When dreams turn to nightmares, how do you wake up every day and choose to go on? When you have a chance to save another, how can you not? Even if it changes everything. Even if it destroys you.

Kaylee Rose Burton, kindergarten teacher, has never been a believer in fantasies. Living in L.A. her entire life, she knows the glitz and glam of Hollywood is just an illusion. That is until she stumbles head first into the arms of Hollywood's most eligible bachelor. It was just another day for Paxton Myles on the red carpet until the blue-eyed beauty literally stumbles at his feet. A single glimpse in her innocent eyes and he knows he has to have her. After one night of unbridled passion, Kaylee slips away to live her quiet life, but the paparazzi has other ideas.

Anaya Baker knows pain - she got her first taste when she was orphaned and put into foster care. Then it was forever embedded into her soul when she was sold to a sex-trafficking ring. Since being rescued, Anaya has dedicated her life to helping others, yet no amount of good she’s done has lessened her anguish. While on an assignment with the Peace Corps, she learns of a brothel posing as an orphanage and cannot turn her back. Not even the civil unrest or the death of her friend will stop her. Anaya has one mission: save the young girls from the horrors she herself had suffered.

After I made the decision to divorce, my ex-wife set out on a smear campaign against me, telling anyone who would listen that I was betting on hockey and throwing games. It wasn’t surprising that my ex told the lies, but the fact that the media, league, and fans chose to believe her baseless claims was unforgivable. I walked away from it all and never looked back.

I have no soul. And that suits me. How else could I wield absolute power in the nation’s capital? I own this town and everyone in it. The public thinks the politicos run Washington. Who do you think is pulling their strings? I am. Some hate me for it…until they find themselves at the center of a scandal. That’s when I become their savior.

Me: six foot five, 250 pounds, collegiate football player. Protected by my pint-sized girlfriend. Comical. Ridiculous. Broken. She tackled my heart, but they want the rest of me.

My instincts had always served me well. Listening to my gut, the warning voice in my head that told me when to walk away. I never failed to heed the signs. Until the day she walked into my office. I knew she would be trouble, but I ignored the alarm bells. And then it was too late, and I fell. Hard.

Here’s the thing: I’m not a bad guy. Lying to Mia wasn’t part of the plan. Finding success as a romance author using a female pen name wasn’t part of the plan, either. But sometimes, life takes unexpected turns. Like realizing the woman you’re falling for is your alter ego’s online best friend.

I am who I am, and I won’t apologize for it. I don’t know how to be...normal. I have my reasons. I've been through hell. I've touched the flames themselves, and I've danced with the devil. Intimately. Damnation torched my soul until it was black. I am who I am, and I won’t apologize for it. I don’t know how to be...normal. I have my reasons. I've been through hell. I've touched the flames themselves, and I've danced with the devil. Intimately. Damnation torched my soul until it was black.

I don’t live in the shadows anymore. Daphne has dragged me into her light. At first, it was bright, and I didn’t know how to live in it. I’m...adjusting. Life for the most part is better than I had ever dreamed. But not better for her dreams. Especially when dreams tread the line of reality. When she tells me the truth, it sends me into a quiet place. A place where I plan, a place where I figure out who her father really is and what he did. A place where I hone in on my target. He is the reason for her mind to be lost.

One night in Monaco, my best friend, Maxence, disappeared from the middle of the Monte Carlo casino like blowing away a breath of smoke. I have no idea what Maxence was doing in Monaco that night. Yeah, he loves the Monte Carlo casino - the stage of British spy movies, billionaires, Russian mafia, and roulette. But too many people in Monaco think he might be a danger to them. He never should have been there. But he was. And so was Simone.

To the world, I’m Damien DeSalvo, businessman. I own a security company, ensuring the safety of my clients. But behind the scenes, I’m known as the Watcher. I stay hidden, overseeing the secrecy of Hidden Justice—those who rid the world of its scum, one bad guy at a time. Until the day she stumbles into my path, and one kiss changes everything. Stalked and terrified, Raven Bailey needs my protection. I need her. Can I find the man threatening the woman I love before he finds her? We’re playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse. And I’m determined to win.

This isn't your everyday Beauty and the Beast story. Our love story was tragic, until it wasn't. Once upon a time I fell in love with a beast. I fell fast. I fell hard. I loved him intensely and I trusted him completely - until he ripped my heart to shreds. Love isn't a fairy tale. It's messy.
It's dirty. It's painful, and it's ugly. Until it's not. This is Book 2 and the final book of the Beast & Beauty Devil's Blaze Duet. Book 1: Beast must be heard first.