Angel Payne

She can write about anything but trust.He can believe in anything but love.Drowning the past...Ten years after a mysterious curse drove him to commit the unthinkable sin, Hercules of Thebes is still a haunted man. He's traveled the realms to atone for his nightmares-never expecting a dream to fall into his path again.But here she is.At a silly speed dating event, of all things.Writing for her future...Lois Lance, named after the most intrepid femme reporter of all, makes ends meet as a dazzling look-a-like for her pop starlet employer-but she's certain her luck is bound to run out. At the DeLux Caf 's speed dating party, her suspicions prove true. Swept into a fantastical realm by a daunting stranger, she must accept that demons and demigods are real-especially the captor who saves her life and awakens her body.As the adventure intensifies, Herc and Lois must learn how to shatter personal defenses, expose sacred secrets, and trust each other with painful parts of themselves. But will the vulnerability make them strong enough to outsmart an Underworld lunatic-or will love prove their greatest downfall of all?Hercules is book thirty-six in the Speed Dating with the Denizens of the Underworld shared world, featuring a haunted demigod, a take-no-BS writer, and more.

A star-crossed love. A dangerous destiny. Maximus Kane and Kara Valari have defied demonic laws, human expectations, and otherworldly enemies to be together. From the depths of hell to the jungle of Hollywood, and all the terrifying places in between, the lovers have fought for a destiny that wasn't supposed to exist--until the stars had something to say about it. But the cosmos can only help to a point. The greatest challenge of Maximus and Kara's journey still lies ahead. Their wedding day. With the future of the mortal realm at stake, Maximus and Kara enlist the help of their closest friends to facilitate a peace talk with the gods instead of champagne and cake. But the plan is thwarted, and the newlyweds are forced to flee Los Angeles. Crete, the birthplace of Zeus himself, is a perfect place to seal their new bond as man and wife, though passion alone won't be enough for the forces that will hunt them all the way to the Island of Heroes. In ways they never imagined, the demigod and his supernatural beauty must embrace the most human sides of themselves to fully realize the stars that wrote their everlasting love.

Their ultimate gift. A hope for peace? Being rich and famous isn't the most bizarre life can get . Kara Valari has learned that in the most intense ways since falling in love with her gorgeous literature professor from their first fevered touch. Maximus Kane's demigod blood has connected with her half - demon spirit, and the result is a passion that's altered the stars themselves. Still, Kara battles to shield Maximus from the freakish fallout due simply to her existence. Living in debt to the underworld is hard enough without the Hollywood celebrity machine as extra baggage. But it's a losing quest, as she learns in all the hard ways. After surviving a visit to hell, a catastrophe that's crippled Los Angeles, and the sinister secrets of a sorceress's ashram, Kara and Maximus discover that their toughest trials are still ahead. Twisted forces are plotting against Olympus, but at the risk of tearing apart the realms forever. It's a fate they must prevent at every cost -- except one. In the name of that small hope, Maximus and Kara must join with allies they never anticipated and bond their love in ways they never expected.

A stolen destiny. An impossible quest. They survived the dark. But can they trust the light? Kara Valari and Maximus Kane have been to hell and back, fighting for their love and their lives. But the path back to normal isn't as easy as they hoped. A dormant secret in Kara's blood has been awakened, and she needs the help of a goddess to learn its full potential--but also its hidden dangers. Shielded from the world in the magical enclave of Iremia, the lovers reunite with all the fires of their first passion. But as they bond tighter to each other, Kara learns that the underworld has targeted her family in terrifying ways, and the safe world around them starts to splinter. Unenamored by Iremia's promises of enlightenment, Maximus unravels more of the mysteries--and the powers--that are lurking behind the scenes. But to find his and Kara's true allies, he is forced to seek out his enemies and rewrite his thinking on good and evil. Caught in a web of gods, demons, and magic, Maximus and Kara must build stronger bridges to each other and, as a wave of deeper truths heads their way, have faith that the ramparts of their love will hold.

Could his past be the key to her future? Even optimists have bad days, but Raegan Tavish's streak has lasted for weeks. The rising star of fashion stylists is dealing with both a bad break-up and a creative slump, so apartment sitting for her lovebird friends feels like a way to realign karma--until fate has its say. As soon as Bastien De Leon steps out of the giant wardrobe in his brother's master bedroom, Raegan knows what kind of complication has just struck her life. The cabinet is no normal piece of imposing furniture. It's a time travel device, and it's just brought this stunning warrior forward by over two hundred years. But why? On a quest to return Bastien back to the time in which he belongs, Raegan already knows she will be forever changed by this arrogant duke and his irresistible passions. But what if Bastien's intrusion isn't just a visit? What if this man is here to awaken something new inside her...and change the course of her existence forever? Misadventures is a romantic series of spicy standalone novels, each written or co-written by some of the best names in romance. The stories are scandalous, refreshing, and, of course, incredibly sexy. They're the perfect bedside read, a 'quick blush' for the reader who loves a page-turning romance.

Two of Angel Payne's most beloved series collide for the first time Saving the princess is just the beginning... As a favor to a friend. Max "Brick" Brickham helps to find Princess Jayd Cimarron before she can fall into the clutches of a renegade madman. Under cover and on the run, the huge warrior and his pixie princess crisscross Paris in a night full of unexpected twists--and bare-all passion. The couple, ever aware that their time together is fleeting and finite, make the most of their heated moments together. Never do they anticipate the night's most terrifying turn, which lands Brick on the transport jet back to Jayd's homeland: the Mediterranean island kingdom of Arcadia. In all his years of black ops, Brick's not sure he's navigated politics as complicated as the Arcadian court, led by Jayd's painfully protective older brothers. The Cimarron men want Brick gone, but it's impossible for him to depart without touching Jayd again. Even then, he's unsure how life will be the same without her. Fate gives him that answer sooner than he thinks. When Jayd goes missing during a daunting island invasion, both she and Brick must peel back the layers of their hearts and acknowledge the power of their extraordinary bond--powered by the unending strength of their love.

Two of Angel Payne's most beloved series collide for the first time Saving the princess is just the beginning... As a favor to a friend. Max "Brick" Brickham helps to find Princess Jayd Cimarron before she can fall into the clutches of a renegade madman. Under cover and on the run, the huge warrior and his pixie princess crisscross Paris in a night full of unexpected twists--and bare-all passion. The couple, ever aware that their time together is fleeting and finite, make the most of their heated moments together. Never do they anticipate the night's most terrifying turn, which lands Brick on the transport jet back to Jayd's homeland: the Mediterranean island kingdom of Arcadia. In all his years of black ops, Brick's not sure he's navigated politics as complicated as the Arcadian court, led by Jayd's painfully protective older brothers. The Cimarron men want Brick gone, but it's impossible for him to depart without touching Jayd again. Even then, he's unsure how life will be the same without her. Fate gives him that answer sooner than he thinks. When Jayd goes missing during a daunting island invasion, both she and Brick must peel back the layers of their hearts and acknowledge the power of their extraordinary bond--powered by the unending strength of their love.

Workaholic Allie Fine isn't thrilled about a surprise birthday trip to the French countryside, where there's nothing to do but drink wine and tour old castles. But boredom takes a hike when a sexy period actor shows up to be her special between-the-sheets gift. Maximillian De Leon, the towering god with eyes of gold and pecs of steel, is the most incredible lover she's ever had. But Allie wakes with confusion when her French lover tells her he's actually Prince Maximillian, and he hasn't seen the light of day since 1789. Crazy or not, Max De Leon is the hottest man Allie's ever met-and the perfect piece on her arm to impress the corporate brass and take her career to the next level. So what if he keeps claiming he has to marry her to break a centuries-old curse in order to stay alive. He'll get over that soon enough...right? **** Misadventures is a romantic series of spicy standalone novels, each written or co-written by some of the best names in romance. The stories are scandalous, refreshing, and, of course, incredibly sexy. They're the perfect bedside read, a 'quick blush' for the reader who loves a page-turning romance.

A past she longs to forget... The truths they can't ignore... Scarred emotionally and physically after surviving an attack by a serial killer preying on London's society women, Gwen Marsh seeks refuge in charity work-until she meets Taylor Stafford. Haunted by his wife's murder at the hands of the Lancer, Stafford seeks her help in bringing the madman to justice. Taylor begs for Gwendolyn Marsh's help so his wife's soul can rest, but he soon finds his vow of revenge paling beside his need to keep Gwen safe. Their shared loss becomes the door to a new love-but a madman is watching. How soon until the Lancer comes after the only victim who survived him...and when he does, will Taylor choose vengeance for his old life, or hope for his new one?

He's dangerous to know... And impossible to resist... Thrown from the carriage she's driving at breakneck speed, Lady Kira Scottney is even more stunned by Damien Sharpe, the midnight-eyed man who rescues her. He looks like a demon incarnate, with a presence that makes her tremble with an unholy desire. Her dilemma worsens when she learns Sharpe is suspected of murdering his first wife-Kira's own cousin. Damien has every reason to distrust Kira Scottney. Her family labeled him a killer, destroying his life. Stripped of his lands and his good name, Damien considers everything lost-until Kira sweeps into his life. She's unlike any woman he's ever met, a wild beauty filled with innocence, desire, and a fiery spirit to make her very much his equal in their dance of passion and betrayal... And danger.

Her touch is his salvation... His touch is her destiny... She strokes his fevered body with her healing hands and wills the tortured rebel back to life. He's a total stranger, yet Shivahn Armagh feels she's known him forever. Then the Irish beauty discovers he's an Englishman, the enemy she's sworn to hate. Still, she cannot forget the gentle caress of the prisoner she's been sent to revive. She risks her life-and her heart-to set him free. They call him the Griffin, legendary warrior for the Irish cause, an enemy who's eluded the English for years. At last, Kristian Montague is captured and set for execution-a death he welcomes-but his healer refuses to let him escape to hell along with the demons in his soul. Shivahn scorches her way into Kristian's heart even as he resists. She follows him into battle, across perilous seas, determined to uncover his deepest secret, reckless of the danger it might mean to them both...

A damned dream... A breathtaking stranger... A doomed love... He watches her every night rehearsing alone in his theatre, her beauty aglow in the gaslights. With every hour that passes, Marcus Stafford is more entranced with the passionate Gabriela Rozina and the dream she refuses to give up. His obsession is dangerous, and he knows it. She can never know who-or what-he is. Gabriela is moved by the stranger with the silver eyes who emerges from the darkness yet brings brilliance to her world. Soon, she wants something more from Marcus than just his mentorship. She begs for his touch, his body, and his heart-but more than anything, to share his dark secret by giving him her blood. As the night draws near of Gabriela's most vital performance ever, she is in danger of never making it to the stage-unless Marcus fulfills her wish and shares his life force with her. But in doing so, he risks everything, including both their souls.

The hellion who changed everything...The pirate who transformed her...Mast Iverson, captain of the brigantine ship Athena, has one firm rule on his voyages across the globe-no women aboard. That all changes when a favor to a friend brings him face-to-face with a golden-eyed goddess who awakens his body-and captivates his soul.Golden Gaverly has a different agenda for the dark, towering sea captain who wants nothing to do with her. Years before, the crew of the Athena killed her parents and left her for dead until she was found and raised by the Arawak tribe. She's waited her whole life for revenge. The only thing standing in her way is Mast Iverson...and a love too strong to be denied.

With their attraction too explosive to ignore, Cassian Court has whisked Mishella Santelle from her tiny island kingdom to the empire he rules: New York City. Here, they have succumbed to the magic of Temptation Manor, surrendering to their lust and a love that won't be denied.But happiness is nearly ripped away when an act of heroism turns Cassian into a target of violence...from which physical recovery is only the beginning of healing. Cassian must find a way to expose his emotional scars too, revisiting a past that refuses to release him from its haunting grip. The secrets of Turret Two hold the promise of clearing a path for a new connection with Mishella...or anchoring him deeper in the past.Just as Mishella decides she's had enough of being the city's perfect little toy as New York's fresh "it" couple, a shocking visitor changes everything. Now, faced with accepting an even more agonizing reality, Mishella learns deception isn't always black and white...and the prettiest toy sometimes hides the darkest secrets.

Cassian Court is the powerful, beautiful, sensual man who has changed Mishella Santelle's life with the world's most unconventional business contract-and captured her heart with a destiny neither of them can deny. But passion comes with a price. They've confronted demons, banished ghosts, faced fears, and dug to the deepest truths of their souls-but then fate delivers them a crushing new blow. When crisis strikes the Mediterranean island of Arcadia, Mishella is summoned back home. Things go from difficult to devastating when Arcadian court politics rev into high gear, setting up Cassian as the Judas responsible for the island's devastation, and giving Mishella an ultimatum: her country or her lover? The choice is as agonizing as the truths it both exposes and tests-putting Cassian and Mishella through their most brutal crucible yet.

Engineering genius, billionaire icon, and consultant to kings, the gorgeous Cassian Court is a legend before he even steps foot on the remote island of Arcadia. But when Mishella Santelle locks eyes with him, she doesn't see that power-she sees the man behind it and the bruised soul hers has been destined for. But destiny isn't a luxury for a woman of the Arcadian court.When six months of Mishella's life are bargained to Cassian in a multimillion-dollar contract, she must learn the rules of a more ruthless kingdom: New York City. In this glamorous jungle, paths are harder to discern, enemies are more cleverly camouflaged...and passions are impossible to ignore.Mishella is increasingly drawn to the beautiful but bewildering Cassian. He connects to her soul, challenges her mind, and awakens her body in ways she's never dreamed. But Mishella fears for her heart and doubts the ghosts from Cassian's past will ever free him to return her love. Unless she can prove the impossible... That their love is worth fighting for.