Showing results for "JL" in Literature & Fiction

Local gangster Dante (Jack Boy) knows more than anybody how dangerous and ruthless the streets can be. But against his better instincts, he allows himself to fall for a local female gangster named Alinna, considered to be somewhat of a competitor to Dante because she leads her own all female crew. Alinna, too, is very well aware of the dangers that come with letting feelings get in the way of business. But like Dante, she decides to embrace the attraction anyway. That however proves to be a mistake when she discovers Dante is two-timing her with a female gang unit officer.

Betrayal cuts the deepest. I would know better than anyone. They never suspected me to be the villain. That didn’t matter anymore, though, because I didn’t just want revenge, I needed it. Leaving my old life behind, I knew I could never return, but there was something … no, someone I had left behind. Scarlett. Kind. Innocent. Fragile. She was a light in the darkness of my life. Back then, she was always meant to be mine, even if having her meant breaking every single rule. Now, enemies or not, she would still be mine.

Something awful and illuminating happens when a marriage ends. All illusions fade away. Light spills into the darkest corners of the union, forcing you to face the cracks. The moments bereft of love. The nights without affection. The days spent learning to be quiet and still, expecting nothing because that's all you've ever been given.

J. L. Sterling’s World of Stories is an immersive audio fantasy series designed for adult listeners who find printed books challenging. Each episode unveils a heartfelt chapter—whimsical, dark, or tender—told by J. L. Sterling, a writer committed to accessible, emotionally rich storytelling. This podcast invites everyone to feel seen, included, and transported.

In the Sundered Kingdoms, we who tend the Grove do not concern ourselves with what lies beyond our borders. Our purpose is to mend and to grow, and as the firstborn daughter, I, Amara Tyne, am princess to our people. But our lands and earthen powers have fallen under the hungry gaze of a would-be usurper, who demands we bend the knee in his quest to take control of this world. Our only hope for survival is an alliance with the fearsome Mordorin Fae, who rule the Sundered Kingdoms with an iron fist.

This BBC Radio collection includes the Booker nominated A Month in the Country. Be transported to the Yorkshire village of Oxgodby where, in the aftermath of the First World War, survivor Tom Birkin spends a summer uncovering a medieval mural in the local church.

For over four decades, Camp Shady Oaks was the premiere youth camp for a summer filled with nature, survival skills, and fun in the remote woods of the Hiawatha National Forest. In 1999, it was forced to close abruptly when tragedy struck.

Sloane: Dominic Alexander is my late husband's best friend and the last man that I should want. For the last ten years, he's taken a sick pleasure in making me feel paper thin, like my existence is of no consequence to him at all. But now, things are different. After a drunken night, and a surprisingly sexy act of heroism, he's started to be . . . nice. Treating me like something other than the embodiment of his annoyance, which would be nice if it didn't make me feel things I swore to never feel for another man after my husband died.

Life tends to go awry when you least expect it, and Khalila Skyers learns this lesson the hard way. In one devastating blow after another, she loses her cozy existence. Then Douglas Blythe overtakes her life like a flood, and she's not equipped to deal with an attraction that seems forbidden and overwhelming. But her body and heart want what they want, and leave her wondering if she ever knew herself at all. Douglas is determined to help Khalila move beyond her obsession with the past and reach for love a second time.

Hope is a dangerous thing. It holds you close like a lover, whispering promises it never intends to keep, and just as soon as you relax into its arms, it lets you go. Sending you spinning into an abyss of nothingness. When I sent him away four years ago, he promised he would come back to me, and even as I asked him not to, I hoped that he would.

Within these walls, he became my solace, my sanctuary, and my strength. I am not strong. I am just a survivor of circumstance. Isn't that what we all do? Survive? Each of us has our own set of circumstances to muddle through. Mine are just more.... complicated.

After breaking my heart and publicly humiliating me, I vow to forget his existence. He has other plans, though, and vows to make certain I don’t. The only one I can turn to for help is a man I thought to be my enemy. Drew’s best friend Sebastian who claims to be my brother. He promises me security and protection. But no one can protect me from Drew. The faster I run, the more he chases. The harder I struggle, the tighter his grip becomes.

She can forgive, but can she forget? Some days, Everly still thinks she sees him. In the food court at the mall, or in a car speeding past as the light changes. It only lasts a second, but when it happens, she slips back to a time when she was ruled-and nearly ruined-by August Kincaid. And it...

After two years in a coma, August Kinkaid has forgotten the darkness in his past. But his past hasn't forgotten him. His beautiful former fiancée, Everly, remembers every tumultuous moment of their stormy relationship. The sizzling passion. The web of lies. And the terrible secret Everly's been...

Elyse Silver was never mine to keep. The day I saved her life, I ensured we would forever be enemies. Hating her was easy. Bullying her, as simple as breathing. Stopping myself from falling for her… I had no idea how impossible that would become. The harder I fought, the deeper I fell. Love and happiness have never been part of my plan, but letting Elyse go isn’t an option, either. Unfortunately, the truth always finds a way of revealing itself, and by the time she realizes who the real predator is, it’ll be too late for her to escape the trap I’ve put her in.

Dante Blackwell is a rarity in the criminal underworld, one who’s made the successful transition from street hood into legitimate businessman. It's a move which has borne the very fruit which he currently enjoys. But his lavish lifestyle threatens to unravel when Dante receives news from family member Natalie that her father, Dominic, was targeted in a recent assassination attempt that has left him clinging to his life! Dante wonders if it bears any connection to a recent attempt on his own life.

Local gangster Dante is arrested and charged with the murder of two peace officers. A turn of events which doesn’t take but a minute (literally) to begin percolating through the underworld grapevine. Some are thrilled about the news. Some intrigued. Others...flat out shocked. But one person in particular is devastated - Dante’s lover and partner in crime, Alinna. This was "her" mistake, and now Dante has taken the fall for it.

She was a tiny little lamb who claimed my heart with one fearful look. I was her captor, the man responsible for breaking her, for preparing her for auction. She was taken, plucked right off the street, and brought to me to be sold at the next auction. Rescuing her from my men was never part of the deal, and neither was bringing her up to my room. Yet, night after night I did this, refusing to give up the way she made me feel. When I’m with her I feel less like a monster. I can remember the man I used to be before the mob got to me, before all the bad tainted my soul.

Step into the shadows with One Very Short Story, a weekly fix of wicked, noir-soaked tales. Each episode drips with desire and deception, spinning tight plots that deliver a sharp, unforeseen twist—just like your favorite smoky noir film. Dive in for intrigue and satisfaction that’ll leave you craving more. All stories, music, and podcast art produced by J.L. Stroud, Jr. For more info visit www.jlstroudjr.com.