Welcome to the world of author, KR Bankston. In this compilation, the author invites the reader into her space to explore and enjoy the multi-faceted works she’s created. The stories contained will take you on a journey of emotion and discovery, hopefully introducing the reader to a fresh breath of air in fiction offerings. With that said, the author asks the reader to open the cover and fasten your seatbelts, sit back and enjoy the ride. Truth or Dare CiCi and Layla are bestfriends. They’ve laughed together, cried together, shared secrets together. When CiCi’s boyfriend, was cheating on her, Layla had her back and told her. Now Treasure, CiCi’s ex, wants his life and his woman back, the minor detail of her dating a new man, from a rival gang no deterrent. Layla is determined to keep them apart, having a few secrets of her own to preserve. CiCi just wants Treasure to leave her alone and let her live her life. Some people however, never get the message, resulting in a collision of wills with the most deadly of consequences. Bait-n-Switch Lathan is a man who knows how to get what he wants; except when it comes to the love of his life. Chrissalyn is the object of Lathan’s affection and she’s dating his best friend. Alisha is Lathan’s cut buddy who wants to be the wife. Chaotic madness ensues as Lathan wrestles with his feelings for Chrissalyn, Alisha’s jealousy, and his best friend’s suspicions all hurdling full speed at him, life as well as his job must go on. As with most things done in the dark, the secrets of all involved come to blinding enlightenment in one explosive confrontation that forever changes everyone’s destiny. A Deadly Encounter Dezi Gianni is a very much a man used to getting what he wants. Kayla DeWitt, the beautiful woman dining in the restaurant where he and his partner are having lunch is no exception. Dezi finds himself in a constant battle keeping the true depth of his criminal activities secret from Kayla, as he seeks to keep her happy and unequivocally his. Now Dezi’s empire is under siege by the FBI, another man has set his sights on Kayla and Dezi has had enough. *Bonus: Sneak Peaks of King of the Game and the Original Crime BookOpera, Thin Ice.

“A charming tribute to the quirkiness of collective nouns … puns and wordplay abound.” — Foreword, starred review A sloth of bears, a smack of jellyfish, a nuisance of cats — these are some of the surprising and idiosyncratic names we have for groups of animals. Inspired by the evocative possibilities of collective nouns, also called “terms of venery,” author Kyle Lukoff and illustrator Natalie Nelson have created a picture book full of clever wordplay and delightful illustrations. Each spread features a nugget of a story using a particular term, which is accompanied by a collage illustration that serves as the visual punch line. But where did these unusual names come from? Many of them can be traced back to a book on hunting, hawking and heraldry, printed in 1486 — the Book of St. Albans, which has been reproduced many times since. A Storytelling of Ravens provides a unique opportunity to explore and rejoice in the oddities of the English language. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7 Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

Dezi Gianni has spent twenty plus years rebuilding his empire, becoming even more powerful than he’d been before. Though the life of luxury and privilege that people only dream of never faltered, Dezi was not fulfilled. There was still that one loose end, and Dezi Gianni was not the kind of man to leave things unresolved. Determined to reclaim the essence of that which he loves more than his own life, he sets out on a dangerous journey back to the very soil he was once legally excommunicated

Three years have passed and Dezi ‘Devastator’ Gianni is enjoying his life with Kayla tucked far away from the turmoil they left behind in their tropical oasis. His business is booming with new conquests and partnerships being forged; Aidan grows daily into the heir and legacy that Dezi has always envisioned him to be. He is fully happy, content, and at peace. There is unfortunately trouble brewing on the beautifully picturesque horizon before them, from the unlikeliest of places and people, the

Is it ever okay to lie to someone you love? ARMANI PROCTOR, co-founder of TMK records, is a successful businessman with a dark past he’s trying desperately to leave behind. His deepest desire is realized when he meets a beautiful reporter and falls in love, only to have that love threatened when his old life begins to clash with his new. SYDNEY HOLLINGSWORTH, senior writer with Mover & Shakers magazine, is the woman who captures Armani’s heart. Everyone loves her and her refreshing realness,

Dezi Gianni is a very much a man used to getting what he wants. Kayla DeWitt, the beautiful woman dining in the restaurant where he and his partner are having lunch,is no exception. Dezi finds himself in a constant battle keeping the true depth of his criminal activities secret from Kayla, as he seeks to keep her happy and unequivocally his. Now Dezi's empire is under siege by the FBI, another man has set his sights on Kayla and Dezi has had enough.