by Ali Spooner
Serena never made it to LSU, but found her love in painting. She still works with Emma at the diner in the mornings then spends the rest of the day painting in her studio. Several times a year she would show and sell her work in a prominent gallery in New Orleans and her art became widely popular with the elite society. They hadn’t admitted it yet, but Cadin felt that she and Meagan had fallen in love. They shared a home together on the outskirts of town and Cadin suspected they were not open in their relationship due to Meagan’s teaching position. Some things took more time to change, but they were still young and in love.
Speaking of being in love, Cadin and Renee have built a life together, and celebrate many happy adventures. They anxiously await the legalization of same-sex marriage so they can celebrate their love with their extended family and friends. Renee surprised Cadin last Christmas with a ring and a positive pregnancy test.
Their child would be born at the end of June. Just in time to travel to her first dove hunt.
The End
About the Author
Ali Spooner
Ali Spooner is a native of Florida, currently living and working in Memphis, TN. Home for Ali is Pensacola, Florida where she has a partner of twenty years, one son and a grandchild that has her wrapped completely around her little finger. Her other children are all four-legged, three dogs and two cats, and her dearest companion in Memphis, Rascal, a rescued tiger kitten named after her favorite country group.
A true daughter of the South, Ali enjoys spinning stories about the South, the strong, but gentle women and creatures that make it a wondrous place to live.
As an “Indie” author, Ali has been writing for many years as a hobby. After a cancer diagnosis in 2010, she decided to take a leap and start self-publishing and has published over a dozen stories. Ali’s characters range from cowgirls and psychics, to a healthy dose of supernatural beings. She has written stand-alone titles and series. Ali frequently writes several stories at a time, depending on which characters are bouncing around loudest in her head.
Ali is an avid reader and her other hobbies include photography, outdoor activities, and watching college sports.
Other Books from Affinity eBook Press
Once Upon a Time—Alane Hotchkin Many centuries ago, a vision came to the royal seer with a prophecy that showed a warlord ruling the land until she came to claim what was rightfully hers. Princess Kataryna’s widowed father, King Theos, raised her from birth, to one day, become queen and rule over Pavlone. When she turned fifteen the princess had no idea that the Fates would start her on an obscure path to her final destiny. On that day as she rode into a meadow of wildflowers a dark rider came upon her, thus beginning her tumultuous journey of love and adventure. Raven only wanted to escape the blows that life had dealt her. She longed to be on the open sea and free. When she came upon a beautiful young girl sitting alone in the middle of a meadow, little did she know that her destiny would be changed forever. Will they become the pawns of the ancient vision or will both paths lead to the same port of destiny? Find out it in this exciting high seas adventure that will capture your imagination.
Asset Management—Annette Mori Toni, Sophie, and Kim, are the modern day version of Robin Hood blended with the Three Musketeers. For the past eighteen months, they have been moving the assets of the rapacious bank executives to the more deserving coffers—at least in their minds—of the poor and middle class. When a mysterious woman keeps crossing paths with Toni, sparks fly. Is it a coincidence or all part of some greater master plan? Is she friend or foe? Add the Russian mob, the FBI, and an all-female covert organization and you have the perfect recipe for danger, intrigue, and even love. Does the trio join forces with the organization? Follow the twists and turns to the explosive conclusion. Not everything is black and white. There are many shades of gray and sometimes it’s difficult to decipher who is good and who is evil. No one is all virtue or all malevolence, but sometimes love helps us rise above.
Do Dreams Come True?—JM Dragon Laurel Rogers was unceremoniously dumped by her long-time lover, painter Ronnie Lancaster, finding her belongings outside the apartment they shared. To add to her misery, the next day she loses her job, fired by the Dragon of Finance, Christen Jamison. What else can go wrong? Oh yes, her best friend becomes engaged to the brother of the Dragon. For ten years, Christen Jamison has never forgiven her partner for walking out on her. She’s given up on love, making her work her life as the accountant for the family business. After she is directed to fire a woman who should never have been on the redundancy list—Laurel Rogers—Christen begins to doubt her commitment to the store’s management and policies. How do two people who really shouldn’t get on end up in a relationship? Find out in this deliciously ordinary romance.
Return to Me—Erin O’Reilly Renowned microbiologist Sydney Tanner left work as normal for her trip home but never arrived. Ellie Scott her wife of ten years frantically, to the point of obsession, attempts to find her—the only evidence there is something amiss is Syd’s crashed truck, then the clues go cold. Ellie refuses to believe that she will never see Syd again but realizes many months later with nothing solid to go on, it’s time to attempt to move forward with a life without Syd. Leaving her hometown she accepts a new job at Salvation, aptly named for Ellie’s predicament. There Ellie meets beautiful Maya Rojas who is the director of Salvation—a rehabilitation hospital. Although she hasn’t given up on finding Syd, Ellie finds herself increasingly drawn to Maya. Will Salvation bring just that to Ellie, allowing her to find peace and happiness again, or will it have her questioning all that she believes in? A wonderful romance cloaked within an intriguing mystery.
Terminal Event—Ali Spooner Tally Rainwater was born with the gift of second sight, something she never understood. A near-fatal accident, at age twelve, makes her visions clearer, but not the reason for them. As she matures, Lisa, a spirit, enters her visions to guide her in using her gift, but still not the reason why. After Tally’s gift helps locate the body of a murdered teen, she realizes her gift is to help lost souls find their peace. When it’s discovered, a serial killer murdered the teen, Blair “Spooky” Cooper is the Agent in Charge assigned to the case. A task force of local detectives and FBI forms to track the killer. Blair enlists the aid of Tally, and together with the team, Tally helps them piece together the puzzle of murders spanning twenty years throughout the Deep South. Even with the complication of the case, Blair and Tally have an undeniable attraction to each other. As they close in on the killer, the killer focuses on Tally, jeopardizing her bond with Blair and everyone around her. For the sake of the case, they put their attraction on the back burner until the killer is caught. Will the killer be caught or continue to evade authorities? Can Tally and Blair’s budding romance survive the possibility? Read this intense murder mystery romance and find out.
Arc Over Time—Jen Silver Dr Kathryn Moss has job offers flowing in after her exciting archaeological discoveries at Starling Hill the previous year. Now she has choices to make that could jeopardise her relationship with Denise Sullivan, the fiery journalist, who has become her lover. For Denise the choice seems obvious. She thinks they have moved beyond the casual sex stage to something more like a true relationship. However, she’s not sure how to handle Kathryn’s continuing infatuation with Ellie Winters. Ellie’s new career as a promising artist proves to be a catalyst for the simmering tensions in relations between her wife Robin, Kathryn, and Denise. Will Denise persevere in her pursuit of the reluctant professor? Does Ellie have anything to fear from Kathryn’s fascination with her art, or is there another motive behind the professor’s obsessive interest? This wonderful romantic continuation with the characters from Starting Over ties up loose ends. But the question is—does everyone have a happy ending? A must read.
Presence—Charlene Neal After catching her husband red-handed in bed with his secretary, Kayleigh Gibbs takes her daughter and her Jeep and flees across the country. She opens up her own veterinarian practice, and they
move into an old, secluded farmhouse in Hoekwil, South Africa. At her best friend’s housewarming party Kayleigh meets the beautiful and enchanting Rebecca Steward. Rebecca is instantly drawn to Kayleigh, but is still recovering from a breakup—her girlfriend left her for a man. She’s afraid of a repeat performance with Kayleigh, and won’t pursue a romantic relationship with her, preferring instead to develop a platonic friendship. When odd, inexplicable things start happening on the farmhouse, a terrified Kayleigh turns to Rebecca for comfort, only to find herself developing unexplainable feelings for her new friend. Rebecca, despite her best intentions, is falling in love with Kayleigh. But when Rebecca moves in with Kayleigh to help her get to the bottom of the haunting, she finds more than she bargained for. Can Rebecca and Kayleigh overcome ghosts from the past and their own insecurities, or will a presence from the past tear them apart?
A Walk Away—Lacey Schmidt Kat and Rand’s daily worlds are 2,100 miles apart, but something about their meeting on the magical shores of the nation’s oldest national park east of the Mississippi sparks questions that neither woman can just walk away without answering. Sometimes chance brings you to the right person to help you resolve some of your baggage, and you learn to like yourself a little more. Kat and Rand are smart enough to recognize this chance in each other, but they also find that there is a catch to every opportunity—walking toward something is always walking away from something else.
Love Forever, Live Forever—Annette Mori No one forgets their first love. For Nicky, that’s Sara, who abruptly disappears one day, leaving only a cryptic letter. That day scarred her soul. When the pain starts to diminish, Nicky begins to get her life back on track until it is derailed once again by an unimaginable twist. Changed forever, Nicky becomes a careless, womanizing nomad known as the Little Wild One, until she meets Annie. Thirteen years later, Nicky’s finally settled and happy. Fate intervenes and puts her directly back into the path of her first love, Sara, and the corresponding events send her into a tailspin. Now she must decide—who will be the person she ends up living with and loving forever?
Possessing Morgan—Erica Lawson New York City, in the height of summer. Crime seems to have taken a holiday, and Detective Morgan O’Callaghan is bored, bored, bored. Paperwork is mating and multiplying on her desk, and even a jaywalker is starting to look good. Anything to get her out from behind her desk! Enter Andrea Worthington, Charleston socialite and all-around rich girl, right down to the wealthy fiancé. She’s also the new Assistant District Attorney assigned to Morgan’s precinct. Their first meeting is like two freight trains crashing head-on. Then a high-profile, career make-or-break murder case throws them together again. The investigation has barely begun when Andrea becomes the target of a nearly fatal hit-and-run. But was it really aimed at her? Can she and Morgan find the common ground they need to solve the case and stop the attacks, or are the gaps just too wide to bridge?
Twenty-three Miles—Renee MacKenzie Talia Lisher has a long family history of lying, about anything and everything. With her father dead, and her mom gone on a quest to start a new life, Talia struggles to keep in touch with her only remaining family, her incarcerated brother. When Talia sets her sights on Officer Shay Eliot, she vows to stop lying. She starts watching Shay, waiting for just the right circumstances and amount of courage to talk to her. Talia might be watching Shay, but someone in a dark van is watching Talia. Is the mystery driver a dangerous part of her family’s past, or is it all just a coincidence? Shay Eliot has left the police force because of what she perceives as a hostile work environment. When a brutal double-murder on the 23-mile-long Colonial Parkway puts the FBI’s magnifying glass squarely on her, her alibi comes from an unlikely source—a young woman who has been stalking her. Shay wants to keep her distance from Talia, but once she gets to know the younger woman she can’t keep feelings from developing. This is a story about community, and how it comes together in dangerous and devastating times. When you don’t know who to trust, you better have friends who will rally around you. Will Talia and Shay find the answers they need to the mystery of the murders on the parkway, or will justice be elusive? Will they survive their quest for the truth?
Confined Spaces—Renee MacKenzie Andie Waters spends her days pulling waste samples for environmental testing and at night, she tends bar at The Cave, a popular hangout for straights in a small Georgia town. Serial monogamy has grown stale for her, so she’s content working to pay off her debts and hanging out with her old hound dog. Or so she thinks, until a beautiful lesbian drops by The Cave. Andie suspects her involvement with the woman will be only temporary. Little does she know no part of her life will be left untouched. Kara Travis likewise anticipates nothing more than a brief fling upon meeting Andie, especially given her reputation as both a personal ice princess and a corporate hatchet wielder for Royal Environmental. What luck to find a hot lesbian bartender in nowhere rural Georgia. Andie and Kara spend a passionate weekend together and find that their notions of no strings attached are far from accurate. Their supposed short-term ideal diversion of a commitment-free romp hits a major complication when they come face-to-face with one another at Royal Environmental’s offices Monday morning. While carrying out her duties, Kara discovers crimes being committed by and against Royal Environmental employees. Will Kara be forced to shut down the Georgia Division of the company? If she does, Andie will lose her job. Worse yet, Kara may lose Andie before she’s really even sure she’s got her. Corporate politics, complicated romance, and long distances conspire to keep Andie and Kara all boxed in. Can love triumph despite the Confined Spaces?
Reece’s Star—TJ Vertigo Reece Corbett watches over the dancers in her gentleman’s club with the blue, razor-sharp eyes of The Animal. Few know that resting comfortably in her office is her newest love, a tiny MinPin named Smudge. What happened to The Animal, known for her rapacious appetite for women and danger? Faith Ashford is what happened to The Animal. Faith and Reece have been together a while now and they have settled into something resembling domestic bliss. This bliss alarms Reece. It’s one thing for Faith to see her softer side, that’s vulnerability enough, but to let her friends see it…no. Not the best plan. Under Faith’s guiding, loving hand, will Reece successfully traverse the rocky road of emotion and embrace the positive changes in her life? Or will she panic and be unable to control that Animal part of herself? Will she take that next step to declare herself fully capable of love and devotion? This third installment in the popular series that began with Private Dancer continues the passionate and often hilarious romance of Reece and Faith as they both grow in love and in trust.
Flight—Renee Mackenzie It’s 1983 and Kate Hunter is a student at a small, private college in Virginia. When Lana coaxes her onto the back of her beat-up scooter one night, Kate’s education starts to encompass more than just her pre-vet studies. Kate has always done as expected of her, so when she starts staying away from home on weekends to spend time with her new lover it’s way out of character for her. Lana is secretive, but Kate accepts things as they are and gives Lana her space. When she feels the sting of betrayal, will she be able to continue giving Lana her privacy? Kate’s sister April is a high school student playing with fire as she parties with her older boyfriend, Boyd. After finding someone overdosed the morning after a big party, April grows weary of all the drugs and alcohol. Will she be able to convince Boyd that they should slow down? Will she be able to pull it together before it’s too late? Kate and April are forced to face up to events from their younger years, their mother’s desertion, and their long-deteriorating relationship with one another. Some lives will be lost and others changed forever when the sisters’ lives intersect. Will they be consumed by the wreckage, or will they be able to pick themselves up and take flight?
Reflected Passion—Erica Lawson Where passion, reality, and destiny combine. Dale Wincott is a 27-year-old woman born into Bostonian wealth and groomed to marry into the social hierarchy. Her mother is a hard-hearted society matriarch, but he
r father feels for his daughter and helps Dale find a life on her own as a furniture restorer. Françoise Marie Aurélie de Villerey is a 28-year-old Countess, born into the French aristocracy and forced to marry a count much older than herself. For ten years, she was his trophy wife, forced to endure his perverted desires, until the day he finally died. He had broken her emotionally and she no longer cared for what life had to offer, slipping from one sexual partner to another as often as she changed her clothes. Until... that one night when Françoise looked up during a sexual encounter and saw Dale watching her from the mirror. A veritable angel, full of innocence and curiosity, who touched her very soul. Through the mirror, Françoise embraces life anew, while for Dale it is a powerful awakening, forcing her to discover not only her sensual nature, but the inner strength she possesses.
The One—JM Dragon Phil (Philomena) Casters loves her work as a pilot, above everything else in her life except Ming, her married lover. Phil needs to enhance her status in the community before asking Ming to leave behind her wealthy husband. Rosa Moran is a teacher, raised by missionaries in China after the death of her parents. She loves the country of her birth and the people. Her English grandfather desperately wants her to live with him to atone for the guilt he feels about the death of her parents. He sends her a letter requesting her to come home. When Phil flies to the mission to deliver the letter to Rosa, neither can envisage the chain of events about to take place. It starts as a collaboration to save four children, leading them to the surreal private paradise of Langshow. Could this be the perfect place for the children and Rosa to settle? Phil is not so sure. Chang, an old friend from Rosa’s childhood lives in Langshow and makes no bones about the fact that he wants Rosa. All thoughts of Ming disappear as Phil tries to fight her attraction to Rosa. However there is the little matter of an innocent misunderstanding—Rosa thinks Phil is a man. The One is a romance with everything, love, intrigue, misunderstandings with a happy conclusion—the only question—who gets the girl?
