augustine hippo

Freya’s life has always been simple — slow mornings in her grandparents’ warm, quiet house, playful banter over breakfast, and endless conversations with Luna, her inseparable best friend. Her mother lives far away with a new family, but Freya has never felt unloved; her grandparents’ care is enough to fill every gap. But as her final school year unfolds, the world she thought she knew begins to shift. What starts as a school project with Luna becomes a doorway to unexpected adventures, new connections, and emotions she never anticipated. Between balancing family expectations, facing her own insecurities, and exploring the fragile threads of young love, Freya finds herself caught between the comfort of the familiar and the pull of a future she can’t quite imagine yet. A story about friendship, belonging, and the quiet moments that change everything — perfect for readers who believe love can be found in the most unexpected places.

When shortstop Mike Watson catches his Junior Varsity teammate Robby Brown slipping a tube of ChapStick into his pocket at the store, he doesn't know what to think.<br><br>Mike has had the hots for Robbie since the two boys started high school and finds it difficult to talk to him without feeling awkward and stupid. But he has to say something. What if someone else saw and Robby gets in trouble?<br><br>Does Robby make a habit of stealing things? Has Mike’s perception of his friend been wrong all these years? Is the ChapStick a cry for help or a way of getting Mike’s attention? Mike is determined to find out.

Talia Andrews a private investigator, is excited about her new client, but when she takes a picture she shouldn't have, all hell breaks loose. Will she survive or will she lose everything she holds dear?

Author's Note This drama was the first book I ever wrote, almost two decades ago. It was written when I was still learning and developing my writing skills. As I prepared this book for publication, I made a personal decision to publish it in its original form. I did not edit, rewrite, or correct the manuscript because I wanted readers to experience the story just as I wrote it many years ago. You may notice grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or other imperfections. They are part of this book's history and remind us that every writer begins somewhere. Rather than hide those early mistakes, I have chosen to preserve them as a record of my growth as a writer.

Nick Claus is your typical party boy and strip club owner of the top club in New York City. He is rich and handsome, and everyone wants a taste of the hottest club owner. He lives life carefree and to the fullest, even with his sex life. He has multiple playmates, as he would call them some boys and some girls. He likes to give punishments, and much as he receives them. Sex is like candy to me. Some nights I like chocolate; other nights, I want something fruity, Nick’s words himself. Sexy three sums and nights with Nick’s favorite playmate Dan, everyone’s sexual fantasy will be meant. It will make you desire more and more. Holly is Nick’s friend and the bartender, he likes to punish her, spanking her with wipes, and she loves it. Will their relationship turn into something more even when Nick vows to never be into a relationship? Kris Kringle reveals to Nick that he is, in fact, his son. Kris is the caretaker of the Northpole, aka Santa Claus. What happens when Nick visits the Northpole teaching the elves a sexy thing or two. Naughty, naughty Nick becomes the ultimate bad boy on the Naughty list.

Author: In another lifetime, August was a punk kid running a writing-themed e-zine in 2002 and participating in online survivor writing contests; these days, she’s a punk pseudo-adult with an office job and a studio of her own. Meet Pitney Scolan. Pit, for short. He’s a decorated general and a venerated leader of the sprawling human race. He’s protected his species' colonies from vicious native animal populations and hostile alien life. He’s fiercely introverted, and he’s really looking forward to retiring on his personal planet in the very near future. Except…now he has to be a dog. A daugment, to be specific: a cybernetically enhanced canine, previously the doting pet of Pit’s biggest rival, General Tristan. It’s the only way to escape certain assassination. So Pit grudgingly allies himself with a pair of well-meaning scoundrels and sets sail for seedier space in hopes of escaping Tristan’s clutches. What he finds instead is a galactic conspiracy to force him to make friends.

The year was 2002. In a hospital in Seoul, a four-year-old girl was rushed into emergency care after being struck by lightning. Although doctors performed immediate surgery, her chances of survival remained slim. The girl lay unconscious in her hospital bed for a long time. However, when she finally woke up, nothing was the same as before. Her name was Go Nau Rin, meaning 'Warm Rain from Heaven.' Just like her name, she was truly lovely—one who grew up giving love to others and being deeply loved in return. Now, children call her a monster or a witch, and even adults look at her with eyes full of resentment and fear. Yet, no emotion ever flickers across her face. She never cries—she only laughs. It is hard to tell if she is truly void of emotion or simply a very skilled actor. Some call her a demon. Others see her as an angel, a pillar of strength to lean on. Her life was never as peaceful as a gentle, warm rain. Instead, it was filled with days as fierce and wounding as a violent storm. But just as the sky clears and the sun rises after a heavy downpour, moments of light and beauty continued to exist in her life.

Char-aught, a lowkey way of avoiding half-meant jokes.

Sophie Wexler transmigrated into a novel about The Galaxy, becoming the vicious, F-rank Healer-class cannon fodder. The original owner constantly caused trouble and made things difficult for the female lead, earning her the hatred of the entire internet. Upon transmigrating and seeing that everything had been ruined by the original owner, Sophie's only thought was: "What kind of nightmare start is this?!" To escape the original owner's fate, Sophie Wexler worked diligently, conducted herself conscientiously, stayed away from the male and female leads, compensated the soldiers harmed by the original owner, and strove to be a model citizen of The Galaxy, absolutely refusing to be the cannon fodder 'offed' by the Imperial Marshal! Broke and powerless, Sophie also had to support a man who'd been innocently dragged into the original owner's mess. She had no choice but to hustle. She started live streaming, became a masked singer, and held concerts. At first, netizens were scornful: 【Tsk, how good can she possibly sound?】 Later, the netizens were forced to eat their words. 【Damn, that's so good I'm on my knees!】 【What the hell, the violent episode of my Disorder Period has actually been soothed?!】 【The toxins in my Spiritual Sea have actually been eliminated!】 Her live streams went viral, the masked singer became a huge sensation, and tickets for her concerts were snapped up across The Galaxy. Sophie was content, thinking, "This time, I must have finally escaped the original owner's fate, right?" But what do you know, the man I've been doting on and supporting is actually the Imperial Marshal?! --- One day, Yancey Forrest came home to find that the boisterous person who was always claiming to be good to him was gone. His eyes darkened. Provoke me and then think you can leave? After catching her, Yancey traced his fingertips along Sophie's neck, smiling gently. "Why run?" Sophie trembled. "You... you're the Imperial Marshal?" His identity exposed, Yancey Forrest took her hand and slowly placed it on his own neck ring. "You know I won't kill you, don't you?"

Amelia Lockhart has one mission: make the top idol Ethan Quinn fall in love with her, then break his heart, so that Ethan Quinn can successfully pass his tribulation and return to his position as a High God. There's just one problem: as the most hated woman on the internet, Amelia is the last person anyone would pair with the nation's golden boy. But when she lands a spot on a dating show alongside Ethan, she sees her chance. She does all the heavy lifting and is dependable enough to make him see her differently. As a result, Ethan starts pretending to be weak. The fans are confused. Their untouchable idol is... blushing? Getting clingy? Calling her "jiejie" in that voice? "Sis, I surrender." "Sis, you can only spoil me like this." Amelia is losing control of the plan. She was supposed to seduce him and walk away. So why is he the one coaxing her to stay, and why is it getting harder to say no?