Larissa C. Moyer

“Our word is lightning.” Dean Roberts is at a never-ending crossroads. A single dad adjusting to a world where his ex-wife barely tolerates him, and his brother is engaged to his ex-girlfriend. But . . . he’s almost a year sober. So, at least there’s that. He just needs to keep control. Enter Amelia James. The green-eyed beauty has worked tirelessly to bury a haunting past. As a kid who grew up in foster care, she decided long ago that life was easier alone. Alone is safe. She lives a simple life with her cat and that’s more than enough for her. When the two of them unexpectedly meet, the attraction is instant. And Amelia’s interest piques when Dean starts a conversation with her in sign language. Their one night stand becomes a series of chance encounters, something neither one of them can ignore. But their lives are messy. And when Amelia’s past joins the tumultuous winds of Dean’s present, it tangles their deepening connection. Threatening the existence they’ve each so carefully curated. This is a story of the beauty in brokenness. Learning to live with our scars. It’s not about forgetting . . . it’s about finding more.

“E-V-E-L-Y-N.” She spelled her name with her hand. Otis was immediately intrigued by the beautiful girl who seemed to know at least enough sign language to introduce herself to him. Little did he know, shortly after that night, that the beautiful girl would end up in a relationship with his brother, Dean. Until Dean left. Left Chicago, left Evelyn and left Otis to clean up the mess. Seven years later, Evelyn owns a coffee shop where Otis, a writer, spends his days writing fluff articles for a local paper. They have a steady, dependable friendship and they’ve come to rely on each other like family. But after one harrowing night, their comfortable, easy relationship is catapulted into new territory. And for as close as they’ve always been, they’ve also shielded each other from the heaviest pieces of their pasts. This is a story about two people finding a way to let go and believe that even when we feel like the things we want are beyond our reach—the power to change our path is always in our hands.

“Till the end.” Paige Michaels & Lincoln Morrow. Lifelong friends.   First loves. And their ending came as most often do. Unexpectedly.  Seven years ago, a vile experience tore the two of them apart, leaving them shadows of their former selves.  Ghosts to each other. A haunting.  A haunting so deeply embedded that Linc now lives a reclusive life—hiding out in the Santa Monica mountains with his only friend, Ellis.  A quiet existence. Without her.  Paige has barely made it through the loneliest year of her life. Without him, and now, without her Gram. After moving to Hollywood last year, she spends her nights dancing at LA’s most exclusive burlesque club, with only the memory of his dark hazel eyes watching her.  When Paige and Linc’s lives unexpectedly collide at the club, they quickly realize their memories of what happened all those years ago are not the same.  But the gravity of seeing each other again is a crushing weight, and the years of separation have given their trauma nothing but time to fester. Though one thing is clear, even through the blurry, fractured memories . . . What happened to them sure as hell wasn’t the end.