madonna of the steps

The book opens with Joel Essen, a scruffy detective, witnessing an assassination of a renowned physicist. Going against his captain’s orders, he investigates the case. But in doing so, he opens Pandora box and learns of a nefarious plan to unleash hell on Earth. This new profound burden pushes the detective into action to go against a group of very powerful individuals. As intriguing as the plot seems, it’s not the heart of the book’s mystery. It becomes rapidly clear that Joel Essen himself is very peculiar. He has his warts and inner demons from his past. A mystery that is slowly revealed throughout the book. The central theme of the book is that ‘no man is an island and no man stands alone’. Seeing that this book is a team up book, Essen will have to learn to trust and work with others. This is something he will especially struggle to come to terms with. In fact the other four main characters will have to learn to do the same. Every character has their own backstory that is perfectly intertwined into the main plot. Two Steps From Hell is a very suspensive story and with each chapter, the readers are forced to the edge of their seats. Everything and everyone will be against their favourite protagonist and time will be of the utmost importance to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Lu Fujin a boy who loved anime and video games had a weak body since childhood and knew he would die young. When he died he was reborn in the body of Shen Hua, a 12 year old boy with no talent for cultivation and no support. In a world where people control the elements he will have to fight to survive and get stronger. "Please don't kill me, I'm your brother, you wouldn't kill your brother, right?" desperate Shen Mu begged his brother to let him live. "Kill you? How could I will do that, I'm not a monster." Shen Hua smiled kindly at his brother. 'Wait I'll make you pay for making me beg something of you.', Shen Mu can't help but rejoice at the idea of ​​revenge against his brother. Seeing his brother's eyes and with the same smile, Shen Hua continued "Why would I kill you? You're so handsome and delicate, I'm sure many brothels will want to buy you for a good price. Take it from here." Shen Mu was dragged out while cursing his brother. "Bring the next." Google Cover Image, Creator Credits

It is May 1977, a quiet house in the English Cotswolds. Emily,an emotionally fragile,gentle, nature-loving girl, is approaching her eighteenth birthday. Her father, Martin, has become worried about her since the death of her mother, as she has begun to walk in her sleep and says she sees her mother’s ghost. When Martin gets the chance to join his friend Barnaby on an archaeological dig on Crete, he welcomes Emily’s suggestion that she and her older brother David join him out there. Staying with their father’s Greek friends, Emily and David are introduced to the thoughtful young son of the family, Petros, who is prepared to go along with David’s constant quest for fun and girls but who falls in love with the shy, distant Emily. When the siblings notice a mysterious island in the bay, now deserted and a source of superstitious fear among the local villagers, David is eager to explore it, despite Petros’ warnings, but Emily feels afraid and troubled. Eventually the island draws them in, and soon Manolis, a local fisherman who is obsessed with the island for his own reasons, leads them all into a terrifying adventure. The story winds its way through Cretan labyrinths to a strange and surprising conclusion. Suitable for age 16+ Some mild sexual scenes and one violent scene The Glass Madonna is created by Loretta Proctor, an eGlobal Creative Publishing Signed Author

The hero returns to the empire a dragon’s corpse dragged back. Armor askew. They trudge their way back body tired and broken. Home. They expect gratitude. They expect many things like a higher title. What they did not expect was to become the Royal Guard for the First Princess of the Ixmtaraza Empire. Isabella Desdemona. The hero is pulled into confusing politics and relationships within the castle walls. While without the empires converge and allies are made that could break the Ixmtaraza Empire. 18+ for excessive violence and other triggering content.

Percy Watts is a successful omega entrepreneur who works in the entertainment industry. In spite of his success, he's still an omega in a world dominated by alphas and betas. He's tired of being groped and figures he needs an alpha to protect him, but he doesn't count on finding two incredible alphas at the auction house.<br><br>Rohan Adams is an alpha who joins the auction house out of sheer desperation. He's already working two different jobs and earns barely enough money to survive.<br><br>Alpha Diego Lawson holds a steady job as a librarian in the research department but dreams of opening his own café someday. His best friend suggests he join the alpha auction house.<br><br>As the highest bidder, Percy secures the services of both alphas as bodyguards. But things escalate when he receives yet another threatening letter from an alpha who seems to be obsessed with him.<br><br>Can Rohan and Diego keep Percy safe while they try to navigate their blossoming relationship?

Step 1: Find yourself an overpowered Awakener. Not just any Awakener, mind you; aim for the one who takes down bosses solo, preferably with a scowl. They’re the ticket to your hassle-free existence. Step 2: Power up your Awakener. Feed them, encourage them, and let them do all the XP grinding. The stronger they are, the safer you’ll be. Step 3: Marry the Awakener. Lock it down, officially. With this, your safety is practically guaranteed. Step 4: Relax and let the Awakener handle the world’s chaos. You’re now free to enjoy your easy, drama-free life. (Well, mostly.) --- P.S. 1. Steps 2 and 3 are totally interchangeable—or combine them. It worked for me. 2. Forget heroes; look for the anti-hero. The selfish ones, villains? That’s where your real safety lies. 3. You may need to deal with some light trauma cleanup now and then, but it’s no biggie. 4. Not foolproof, but hey, it worked for me! *** Lol it's romance okay, no fight scenes, no system interface cause I'm too lazy to do that research, just romance a hot man,hot woman and some smut here. And a plot. [Two chapters daily] [Please comment and review, votes too]

Join Ryan on his extraordinary journey to ascend to Godhood as he travels across multiple worlds, each filled with unique challenges and limitless opportunities for growth: Limitless: Unlock the full potential of the brain with NZT drugs. Resident Evil: Push human limits with virus enhancements that grant superhuman strength, agility, and regeneration. Hunter x Hunter: Master the art of Nen, developing a powerful and unique ability. One Piece: Become a legend by mastering Haki, swordsmanship, and the powers of a Devil Fruit. Fairy Tail: Wield Light Dragon Slayer magic and evolve into a powerful dragon, rivaling the Acnologia. Naruto: Master a vast network of bloodline abilities, ascending to the level of an Otsutsuki. Bleach: Harness the powers of both Soul Reaper and Hollow, breaking all limits with Hōgyoku. Lord of Mysteries: Embark on the Hunter pathway and ascend to divinity as a Red Priest God. Warhammer 40,000: Conquer the immaterium and rise as a new Chaos God. Witness Ryan's epic rise as he masters unimaginable abilities, confronts gods and monsters, and reshapes entire worlds on his path to absolute divinity. ___________________________ "I will be posting this story on RoyalRoad.com"

Meera and Elijah are on their honeymoon. She doesn't want to spend a second with him and he wants to enjoy every second of it with his doe making the time worth his while. After all the efforts he has put through to make her his possession it was his time to enjoy his latest achievement to the fullest. But will he? Or will Meera with her growing hate stop him and ruin his plans? He will get to know that she is not the person he thought her to be or read to be, he is in for a surprise. And after the honeymoon what awaits them? Are they still the same? Did the thoughts and perspectives towards each other change? Is he still the devil to her and is she still a possession to him? Does the new life new people, relations, changes, and chaos after the marriage and honeymoon affect them for the worse or good? Only time can tell. One thing they both are sure of, this honeymoon is surely going to change the two of them. Spending time alone with one another for a whole month can do that to anyone. Either willingly or forcefully. Love was never on both of their lists but it happened. In the line, inevitably. But along comes heartbreak, pain, sadness, and weakness. On the way, something so unrealistically surprising things happen that left broken trust and heart. What remained then? What happened on the day when everything was supposed to be perfect, magical, and fall into place?

At Crestwood High, Maya has it all: beauty, popularity, and the perfect boyfriend—or so she thought. When a public betrayal shatters her world, Maya finds herself in desperate need of a distraction. Enter Eddie, the quiet, enigmatic bookworm who’s content to blend into the background. What starts as a lighthearted challenge to “tame” the nerd spirals into an unexpected journey of self-discovery. Forced to partner up on a school project, Maya and Eddie clash, connect, and challenge each other in ways they never imagined. Behind Eddie’s sharp wit and guarded exterior lies a secret life that threatens to upend everything Maya thought she knew about him—and herself. As jealousy, secrets, and old flames ignite a battle of hearts, Maya must decide: is taming the nerd really worth it, or is Eddie the one taming her? 10 Steps to Tame the Nerd is a heartfelt enemies-to-lovers story about self-worth, redemption, and the unexpected power of love to change everything.

I got everything a man can ever ask for; I got my wife, my dream job, my fans, and my best friend who happens to be my brother,living right next door. Estella _aka my lovely wife_and I have been friends for about 7 years and been married for 4 months now, we didn't have a honeymoon because we thought we could have one in the near future, but mostly because Estella didn't want to waste money at the time, because of all the money we had wasted on the wedding and after party. My brother and I are have a very huge fan base, because of our modeling career and clothing line. "Babe"said my lovely wife "Yes Estella"I replied and hugged her from behind. "Do you think it's time??" She said turning around and facing me. "What? What do you mean?"I replied confused. "A baby. A bigger family. "I notice she was nervous but I was actually quite happy to hear this cause I didn't want to pressure her into having a baby until she was ready. "I thought you'd never ask, of course I want to create life with you"she smiled wide at my answer. I guess that was the only thing I was missing but that's about to change.