A small girl, her man and her books: The Californa Dreaming Series by Stacey Johnston

Title: The California Dreaming Series

Author: Stacey Johnston

Genre: Romantic Suspense

HEROES & VILLAINS

Two lives entwined in secrets…

Secrets that threaten to tear them apart before they even begin…

Sophie Valentine was a girl living a privileged life, in the tranquility of Solana Beach until she was forced to move to Brooklyn under questionable conditions.

In a quiet Brooklyn neighborhood, Benjamin Sinclair was a troubled boy, leading a secret life.

When he met Sophie on the steps of his apartment building the day she moved in, he never envisioned how chaotic and turbulent his life would become.

A battle between the forces of good and evil awaits… one that could leave a devastating effect or be the start of new beginnings.

How will it end?

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Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01B6AEDY6

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01B6AEDY6

Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/1514444666

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/heroes-and-villains-14

Barnes and Nobel: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heroes-and-villains-stacey-johnston/1123309970?ean=9781514444665

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Smiling to myself, I head into the hallway to join the others when I feel a hand quickly grab my elbow. It is no surprise to find Ben standing in front of me, gently guiding me backward. He places me so that my back is flat against the wall with his face mere inches from my own. With his hands resting on either side of me on the wall, he uses his hip against mine to hold me still.

Moving in closer so that I can feel his breath on my neck, he whispers in my ear,

“I hope you have something sexy on underneath those clothes, sweet one.” His voice is husky and raw as he continues. “Because, you see, the images that I have going on in my head right now are nothing less than sinful.”

Whoa! It is so not right how easily these words seem to roll off his tongue.

The blush creeping up my neck to my face is only getting worse as he resumes talking.

“If I get my way later tonight, I’m going to peel off every layer of those clothes. I plan to act out a fair few of the dirty things that you have had me dreaming about since you moved in.”

Now I’m done for. My mouth has suddenly gone dry, and my breathing is erratic. I am literally frozen.

“I see I have got you at a loss for words, Soph,” Ben whispers as he steps back to run the back of his hand along my cheek. “But that’s okay.” He chuckles when my body shudders under his touch. “Because the only word I want to hear from that mouth of yours tonight is my name over and over while I’m making you come.”

Grabbing my hand, he slides it in between the two of us and rests it on the front of his jeans. His breathing hitches at my touch, and I can feel the hard bulge pulsing under my hand. Continuing, he says, “Can you feel what you do to me, Soph? I always seem to be hard when you are around.”

With that, he lowers his hand from my face and slowly backs away from me. Still stunned, my hand drops from where it has been resting. I watch as he slowly turns around to head out to where Sean and Mom were waiting for us.

SINS OF THE FATHER

If there is anything Sherlyn has learned, it’s that the past is a cruel reminder of a life that can no longer be lived. But as her quest for answers attracts the attention of one of her father’s former associates, her life is once more thrown into turmoil, and she can’t help but wonder if everything she ever knew was a lie.

With the threat of a menacing hitman now eliminated, Stephen is finally free from the prison that was his life for the past four years. But it doesn’t take long for him to question what the definition of his new-found freedom really is.

Until tragedy strikes.

A girl struggling to find her way.

A boy trying to control his demons from the past.

Can a shy girl curb the controlling nature of the boy she loves, and will either of them survive the sins of the father?

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The day my father walked away from us, my mom became a different person. Somewhat harder - I would have to say. She became obsessed with making me a success, until I turned ten, and pulled the plug on those dreams for good. When she lost that as well, she also lost a part of herself. It was as if she had lost all sense of herself, and her place in the world. Therefore, at the tender age of ten, I suddenly learned how harsh life actually could be - being forced to grow up quicker than I should have ever had to.

In the four years leading up to that moment, I only spent limited time with my dad. In all fairness, it was no different from when he lived with us. Whatever was going on between him and my mother was not good. Most nights you heard her crying herself to sleep. When I was younger, I didn't understand what was going on. As I got older, it became apparent I was now going to be gifted with the added responsibility of caring for my mother. So, there I was, a ten-year-old girl struggling to take care of herself with the added worry, of the care and wellbeing of my mother as well.

For those first ten years of my life, I wanted for nothing, I had no chores, nothing. My mother did everything and then one day, without warning, it all came crashing down around me like a dam breaking.

I was no longer her little princess; I was now her servant.

I wished for nothing more during those years after dad left, than to compare my life to that of Cinderella's. A child's story, none the less, but one I related to. One with any similarities to my own. Granted there was no evil stepmother or sisters, but my own mother had turned cold and heartless during that time. Our roles were now reversed, and I had to cater to her every need instead.

AFTER THE DUST SETTLES

I’m not your average seventeen-year-old boy.

What other teenage boy do you know of, is working alongside their father in a top-secret government agency, and has been since they were fifteen?

Unheard of? Yes probably.

After spending years searching for my place in this world, I jumped at the opportunity to help my father. What I didn’t expect was the possibility that our work could flow over and harm our family.

Yet that’s exactly what happened…….

I thought I’d found, and then lost the girl who would forever hold my heart – until a sexy ass stranger crossed my path under the Brooklyn Bridge.

I want this girl, like I’ve never wanted anyone. She makes me feel things that I should feel guilty about, that I shouldn’t be needing as desperately as I do.

Only there’s a catch …………. She has secrets, ones that could have a devastating impact.

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There is a lot of curse words spewing from my padre’s mouth, but at least he’s given up trying to get free. It’s hard to explain where I have gone, what my brain has created to allow that deep dark evil to escape. It’s as though I’ve stepped through a mirror and am watching from the other side. Hearing and seeing everything that is going on around me, without the ability to do anything. All I can do is watch as my padre continues to shout at us both, yelling obsenities which he thinks will help his cause.

“No point in speaking, padre,” Gerrick tells him. “You’ve done the one thing I have been trying to avoid.”

This grabs our padre’s attention. “The evilness you’ve released from inside your figlia has no concious. She’s as nonna would describe it – a soulless being who lacks the ability to feel.”

A hideous laugh escapes my throat and all I can do is watch as Nereza uses my body to walk around my padre in circles. The blade I had secured is now twirling in my hand, as though she’s using it to threaten. As we continue our path around the chair, Gerrick continues talking from his place at the foot of the stairs.

“You see, the girl circling you feels nothing, except the thirst for blood.”

As my body comes full circle, through this mirror, I’m watching as padre’s eyes bulge. He is finally aware what is happening and how he no longer has any control at all.

“Make no mistake,” my fratello explains. “The only way this is going to end, is when Nereza here satisfies her taste. Only then will my precious Hadley be allowed to return.”

What does he mean, only then? Has he seen this happen to me before? Why don’t I remember?

“Do what you will, I have made my peace,” an exasperated man sighs.

The realization that he will not escape has finally set in, but the question burning my lips is how do I escape this room when Nereza has finished what she is here to do?

‘Relax Hadley, I’ve got you,’ her voice filters through my brain.

What am I thinking, of course she knows my thoughts, we are one person – split by our demons.

Stacey Johnston resides in one of the southern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia with her husband, four children and a lovable Alaskan malamute called Storm.

At one time or another, each of us has wished that our lives reflected those of the characters we read in books, or watched on our television screens. As a child, Stacey was no different and found she could create stories in her head. Stories where her characters could come alive and she could escape when life around her became difficult.

Leaving home at 17, she moved from family member to family member trying to find her place. During those early years, alcohol became her closest friend, and her characters and stories in her head really started to blossom. It was not until she met the man who would become the father to her oldest two children that she started to settle down.

For the next twelve years, Stacey dedicated her life to her partner and their two beautiful children. Her stories were continuing to grow, but so was her desire to put them on paper and share them. Tragically, after losing her partner to a heart attack her grip on reality started to slide and it was during this time that her characters evolved.

During her time of need, Stacey found a soul mate who would later become her husband and give her two more equally beautiful children. With his love, support and encouragement Stacey finally found the courage to put her characters and stories onto paper.

Stacey's hope is that other readers love her characters as much as she does. Her wish is that they are caught up in their stories, experiencing their joy and pain just as she has over the years.