At just fifteen and a half years old, Vicky felt betrayed, unloved, and abandoned by her mother. Her stepfather had subjected her to both physical and mental abuse, pushing her to the brink of despair. The cold, hard underpass in the unfamiliar city offered no comfort to the young girl. Vicky told herself to trust nobody, but a strange coincidence brought a mysterious stranger into her life, transporting her into a new world filled with hope and forgiveness. Join Vicky on her transformative journey as she navigates the challenges of her past and embraces the possibilities of her future. Through the guidance of an unexpected mentor, Vicky discovers the power of resilience and the strength that lies within her. As she learns to forgive those who have wronged her and opens her heart to the world around her, Vicky begins to see herself in a new light.

"When eighteen-year-old Margo McKenna becomes a genie, she must figure out how her new powers work, deal with having a master who attends her high school, and try to graduate with her secret under wraps--all while learning what "forever" really means when your boyfriend is a centuries old genie"--

At just fifteen and a half years old, Vicky felt betrayed, unloved, and abandoned by her mother. Her stepfather had subjected her to both physical and mental abuse, pushing her to the brink of despair. The cold, hard underpass in the unfamiliar city offered no comfort to the young girl. Vicky told herself to trust nobody, but a strange coincidence brought a mysterious stranger into her life, transporting her into a new world filled with hope and forgiveness. Join Vicky on her transformative journey as she navigates the challenges of her past and embraces the possibilities of her future. Through the guidance of an unexpected mentor, Vicky discovers the power of resilience and the strength that lies within her. As she learns to forgive those who have wronged her and opens her heart to the world around her, Vicky begins to see herself in a new light.

Fiction. Short Stories. For the stories in this collection Vicky Grut takes inspiration from a range of often ordinary situations and explores how easily things can go awry or take an unexpected turn. The stories veer from the realistic to the surreal, and nothing is quite what it seems. To give you a flavour of what they are like here are a few snippets: In "Rich," two young people travelling towards Florence just after the Bologna bombing of 1980, decide to cadge a meal and a bed for the night from a girl they barely know. In the early hours of the morning, the atmosphere suddenly changes. They are in over their heads. In "Mistaken," an academic is mistaken for a shop assistant in a big London department store. When she reacts impulsively she finds herself in trouble. Help comes from an unlikely quarter--and for all the wrong reasons. In "Into the Valley," a woman tries to comfort her suffering mother-in-law on ward 19 in a small hospital in Wales. Underneath the ward sign it says, in English and in Welsh, "Bereavement Office / Swyddfa Profedigaeth." There probably isn't a ward 20. Many of the stories have been shortlisted for awards and prizes over the years, including the Asham Award (twice) and the Narrative Magazine Contest in the US. Six of the stories were included in new writing collections from Serpents' Tail, Pulp Editions, Duckworths, Granta, Picador and Bloomsbury, and two were published in the States by Harvard Review. The final story "Into the Valley" was included in the list of "Essays of Note in 2012" at the end of Cheryl Strayed's edition of Best American Essays, 2013. Be prepared to not only be entertained but also taken by surprise when reading the fourteen mini-novels in this collection.

The following story is true. This book is about my children’s mysteries written between the ages of 9 and 16. The years would have been 1975 to 1982. During this time, I was completely oblivious to a terrible truth about myself. I was living in Daler Cottage, the given name of my childhood home. At the age of 19, I would start a novel called The Lessons. This novel was fuelled by a burning fantasy world that was eating me up inside. For the next thirty years, I would struggle with this novel, unaware of this truth. The story of The Lessons is covered in my other book. Prior to my novel-writing phase, I was writing these mysteries as well as painting and devising plays. I kept a diary between 1977 and 1988, during which I attained a degree in Fine Art. I would continue to write and paint for many years to come. My diaries illuminate the circumstances surrounding the writing of my children’s stories. Unknown to me, clues to this horrific truth have leaked into all my creations like oil bubbling up through the ground. At the age of 51, I finally learned the truth. This book describes the decoding process to find the true meaning behind my children’s mysteries. Due to the nature of this book, names and certain details have been altered in order to protect identities and I am writing under a pseudonym. With images throughout.

From the best-selling author of Kindling Flames, comes a boxed set with the 3rd & 4th full-length Kindling Flames books, the Kindling Flames: Granting Wishes Novella, and three exclusive short stories. This boxed set includes exclusive bonus content and offers the reader a discount over purchasing each novel individually. *** 3 Bonus Short Stories Included *** The Ancient Fire Series (Also known as the Kindling Flames Novels) is a paranormal romance saga with over 2,300 five-star reviews on Goodreads. Dive into a series filled with sexy vampires, werewolves, shifters, Fae folk, and more. Science fiction and urban fantasy romance lovers unite because this series has seven exciting books that readers have compared to other popular vampire romance novels such as: A Shade of Vampire Series by Bella Forest, the Immortals After Dark Series by Kresley Cole, The Sookie Stackhouse Novels (True Blood) by Charlaine Harris, The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, and The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward. THIS BOXED SET INCLUDES: Kindling Flames: Stolen Fire Night. A time of quiet, of peace, of rest, and now, a time of terror. With an uncontrolled vampire plaguing the city, the Vampire Council of Brenton once again calls on Darien Ritter for help. Overwhelmed with the issues of a new menagerie and plans for his wedding, Darien still manages to step up and answer the call. The only problem is, he suddenly finds himself a little too… human. Kindling Flames: Burning Nights After a wedding filled with werewolves, fay, and vampires, Vicky is looking forward to a nice, quiet honeymoon away from the chaos of Darien's daily life. But nothing is ever simple with an Ancient Vampire around. When the Vampire Council of Hawaii finds out Darien and his new bride are coming, they are determined to see that Darien is honored properly. But vampire etiquette isn't for the faint of heart. The nights could burn when lines are drawn... and Darien finds himself in a turf war he never intended to start. Kindling Flames: Granting Wishes Leprechauns don't exist. Or that's what Cathren has always believed, but a chance encounter changes everything. When she saves a handsome stranger from a nasty electrical shock, not only does he claim to be one, but he also insists on granting her wishes. Now she must decide— is he insane, or a magical creature of lore? Unsure which is true, she grabs at the first three wishes she can think of: true love, happiness, and waffles. A tall order for most men, but not for Patrick Brogan. With a little persistence and just a touch of magic, anything is possible. BONUS CONTENT- Elliot's Bad Day (A Kindling Flames Exclusive Short Story) Christmas Morning (A Kindling Flames Exclusive Short Story) Telling the Girls (A Kindling Flames Exclusive Short Story)

My Only Story explores the inescapable pull of family, the surprises of love, and the notion that happiness often resides in the places where we are least likely to look."--BOOK JACKET.