What is a girl to do when she comes home to scary music playing in the background? She knows nothing good can come of this scenario. This is a short novella by A.J. Scudiere

Why would anyone choose to live on the streets? There is Eeyore, just twelve years old when she runs away from her priveleged home, harboring a secret she's too ashamed to tell anyone. Rusty is a sensitive gay teen who winds up alone when his older boyfriend ditches him in Hollywood. Squid has gone through too many foster homes to count. There's Scabius, a delusional punk from Utah who takes the 'me against the world' motto to dangerous extremes. And Critter is a heroin dealer with movie star looks and a vulnerable heart. Laura should be home studying, but she can't face another one of her mom's boyfriends. And then there's Tracy, the damaged thread that ties them all together, irrevocably changing each life she touches. This unlikely band of characters form their own dysfunctional family, complete with love and belonging, abuse and betrayal. Each will make their way home, wherever it may be.

No. It's a word that could have kept my life on an easy path. Now I'm torn between two men. One is tender, sweet, and dependable. The other is rough, dirty, and unreliable. One man will lead me to the life I've always planned. The other man will lead me to a life with wild new experiences. I should have said no. *Recommended for 18+ due to subject matter and sexual content.

Trained as a mercenary soldier, Darius was a man of decisive action. He was also a man of compassion. Brice was born a slave. Abused and beaten, she learned quickly to avoid being noticed and to stay away from men. A siege brought them together. Would he be able to earn her trust? Would she be willing to put her life in his hands?

MICHAEL "RIVER" CORBETT—Confined in the state mental hospital and heavily drugged since the death of his wife, River cannot remember what truly happened the night he was arrested for her murder. But now someone is trying to kill him, and he is forced to run for his life. A fugitive from the law and from someone who wants him dead, all he wants is the truth. CASSANDRA "JAX" JACKSON—The uncompromising police lieutenant knows she's putting her career on the line when she encounters this desperate stranger and doesn't turn him in. Something in River's eyes has Jax convinced he's worth saving...whether he wants it or not. DAWN JONES—The daughter of a madman, Jax's young friend is haunted by voices she doesn't want to hear. But she can no longer ignore the curse she inherited from her twisted father—because unless she listens to what the dead are telling her, Jax might be doomed to join them. Originally published in...