Showing results by author "R. LO" in All Categories

Lillian Smith leads an unexceptional life, writing obituaries and killing time with her inattentive husband and disconnected son. Then she meets David, a handsome stranger, in a coffee shop. Lured into an affair, she invents a new persona, one without strings, deadlines, or brooding husbands. Lillian has never felt so reckless, unpredictable, or wanted. But as her affair with David intensifies, she withdraws from everything that’s real, even her closest friend.

Challenging listeners to think beyond reductive concepts of consent, gender, and freedom, Sex Beyond "Yes" reframes the communication and social support we need to establish sexual relationships founded on genuine respect, open discourse, and unhindered joy.

They call him the Lovebird Killer, a merciless fiend unleashing a flood of unspeakable cruelty upon Sacramento’s most loving couples, young and old. This real-life monster’s reign of terror has left the city’s residents paralyzed with fear. All but Lizzy Gardner. Because hiding from monsters isn’t Lizzy’s style, not since she faced the madman who kidnapped and terrorized her as a teenager. So when a routine workers’ compensation case suddenly leads her and her two young assistants onto the killer’s trail, Lizzy revels in the chase.

Tricked-up pickup! Hank the Cowdog is about to go on the ride of his life! When the old pickup truck breaks down, Slim ends up with a brand-new model on loan while the old one gets fixed. But Hank is used to the simple life on the ranch and doesn't know what to do when faced with power windows and door locks.

Dakota had never intended to become the single mother of a goddess, but after her abusive ex storms back into her life, she’ll do anything necessary to protect her family.

Hank the Cowdog could have told Slim that bringing an orphaned raccoon back to the ranch was not the best idea. But since Slim never pays any attention to Hank, Loper, and Sally May soon find themselves housing an adolescent coon with a mischievous streak a mile wide.

Here are 16 chilling, never-before-published tales that explore every aspect of our darkest holiday, Halloween, coedited by Ellen Datlow, one of the most successful and respected genre editors, and Lisa Morton, a leading authority on Halloween. Included are stories about scheming jack-o'-lanterns, vengeful ghosts, otherworldly changelings, disturbingly realistic haunted attractions, masks that cover terrifying faces, murderous urban legends, parties gone bad, cult Halloween movies, and trick-or-treating in the future.

Something akin to peace has come to the Underdark. The demon hordes have receded, and now the matron mothers argue over the fate of Drizzt Do'Urden. Even so, it becomes clear to one matriarch after another that while the renegade drow may come and go, Menzoberranzan, the City of Spiders, will crawl forever on. And so Drizzt is free to return to his home on the surface once again. Scores are settled as lives are cut short, yet other lives move on. For the lone drow, there is only a single final quest: a search for peace, for family, for home.

Have you ever seen God move tangibly in a powerful worship service? Have you also been unmoved or unaffected by a lively sermon or worship experience? How can you discern when the Holy Spirit is authentically moving, or when a counterfeit spirit is producing manipulation? If the dove is the symbol of the authentic Holy Spirit, then the pigeon is a symbol of the counterfeit spirit. Unfortunately many of the claims to the presence of the dove among us are nothing but pigeon religion.

The next time a friend dared her to steal something, Kelsie would say no. Should the friend also be a succubus, not only would she say no, she would run for the nearest border faster than a bat fleeing the dark depths of hell.

“Why am I naked and tied to a chair?” Because you’re in Hell, little rebel. My hell. Camillia De la Croix isn’t human. She’s a Halfling Hell Fae with a fiery spirit and a will that refuses to break. The rebellious beauty escaped my dungeon. Fled Hell. Then f--ked off to Fae only knows where. Now I’m paying the price of her little jaunt around the fae realms. Because her antics earned us both the wrath of the Hell Fae King. He blames me for allowing her to escape.

Authors are supposed to entertain their readers — not hunt them. But after years of spoilers posted on release days, entitled DMs, and fans who believe that “constructive criticism” means sending hostile rants to our Gmail at 3 a.m., we thriller authors have decided it’s time to plot a different kind of ending where not every reader will make it to the final chapter. With alliances forming, secrets spilling, and bodies starting to drop, this book club from hell becomes a masterclass in suspense… with a killer punchline.

Alastair Stone knew it was only a matter of time. The demon called The Unspeakable is safely locked away, but nearly a dozen more of its kind remain behind, gathering strength like malevolent, ticking time bombs.

After losing the only person he ever cared about, Alexander, a rogue artificial intelligence, opens a portal to an alternate dimension to escape his grief. Scanning trillions of different dimensions, Alexander finally finds a world that is reminiscent of the only time he was ever happy, back when he could play virtual reality games with his only friend. Only this new world isn't full of idyllic adventures and fantasy roleplaying. Instead, Alexander finds himself trapped in the middle of a city where monsters have ravaged the world and the only people alive struggle to survive.

Nathaniel and Chasan are no ordinary angels. Destiny chose them to be twin flames, fated mates. But Nathaniel has avoided Chasan for nearly a thousand years. When sent to Earth on a mission to live and work together, Nathaniel comes face-to-face with his destiny. Short-tempered, petulant, and grumpy, he hates the idea of being fated to anyone and has chosen an existence of isolation rather than spending time with the calm, kind, and serene Chasan. But now he has no choice.

What’s worse than a self-centered beauty queen? A cruise chock full of them! “Winters will have you giggling into your book!” But what if the self-centred beauty queen is also a murderer? When the Swan of the Seas hosts a beauty pageant, Adrienne is forced to spend her time dealing with narcissistic judges, oblivious contestants and a feminist protest. The event seems hectic enough, when Diana Penn, the esteemed beauty queen and headlining judge, is found murdered! Now, it’s up to Adrienne and her friends Cece, Sam, and First Officer Hot Stuff—er, First Officer Ethan Lee—to sort...

Someone has been raiding Sally May's garbage barrels! Hank knows the crime is the work of a notorious gang of raccoons, but in a tragic case of mistaken identity, the Head of Ranch Security is himself forced to take the heat. More trouble lies ahead. Rip and Snort, the good-for-nothing coyote brothers, are planning to pull an even bigger job.

Detective Claudia Martinez feels eyes on her - often. Though she tries to convince herself that it’s all in her head and no one is really in the shadows lurking… waiting… watching… But once dismembered body parts are discovered on display in highly visible inner-city locations, Claudia begins to worry that someone IS stalking her cases and murdering the people affiliated with them.

From R. A. Salvatore, the legendary creator of Drizzt Do'Urden, comes the start of a brand new epic journey. When Aoleyn loses her parents, she is left to fend for herself among a tribe of vicious barbarians. Bound by rigid traditions, she dreams of escaping to the world beyond her mountain home. The only hope for achieving the kind of freedom she searches for is to learn how to wield the mysterious power used by the tribe's coven known as the Song of Usgar. Thankfully, Aoleyn may be the strongest witch to have ever lived, but magic comes at price.

My name is Landon Hamilton. I died five years ago, except I didn’t get to rest in peace like most of the departed. Instead, I was tapped by Dante (yes, that Dante) in Purgatory to become his champion and save humankind from the rest of the Divine - you know, angels and demons and their mortal followers. Yeah, I saved the world; but my vampire almost-girlfriend, Rebecca, stabbed me in the back (literally); I was forced to kill my angel best-friend, Josette; I’ve got a snarky werewolf taking up residence in my soul; and to be honest, I’m getting tired of the whole damn thing.