On the Rocks: Novella

Old flames die hard in these tales of a second chance at love with the ex you’re still not over. Stories by award winning authors Jenny Frame, Carsen Taite, and Ali Vali.

In My Forever Girl by Jenny Frame, when tragedy tore their family apart, Brayden and Faith’s marriage ended in divorce. Four years later, they’re thrown together on a cruise by their friends. Can the spark that refused to die reignite the fire of their love?

In Double Jeopardy by Carsen Taite, Katie James didn’t plan on being a runaway bride. Twice. But when the gorgeous, accomplished, former love of her life, Emma Reed, reappears in her life the week of her wedding, will Katie risk everything for another chance with the woman who might be her soul mate?

In On the Rocks by Ali Vali, whiskey distiller Preston Maxwell still has no idea why her college sweetheart, Hayley Wyatt, disappeared from her life right after collecting her diploma. But when Hayley shows up to work on the advertising campaign that will take her business to the next level, Preston isn’t letting her get away a second time.

At age thirteen, Major Wiley Gremillion sat with Aubrey Tarver under their dragon tree, sure of her future. She'd share her life with Aubrey and continue her family's tradition of military service.

But as a sniper with Special Forces, code name Black Dragon, her enemies cost her a future with Aubrey. Walking away was the only way to keep Aubrey whole. Now retired, Wiley knows she'll be alone, dividing her time between her canvasses and helping others with her unique military skill set.

Time hasn't dulled the pain of losing Wiley for Aubrey, but she has to set that aside when her choices put her life and her family's lives in real danger. The only way out is Wiley, but after so many years, Aubrey's not sure that's an option.

Aubrey's first call sets off a firestorm that will take all Wiley's experience to escape, and along the way they might find what they lost. Together they started their story under a tree, and they'll fight to make sure it doesn't end on the streets of New Orleans.

Miss Cassandra Belvedere and Miss Louise Sheffield were once debutantes vying for the same gentleman’s attentions. Bitter rivalry turned to passion—but at the end of the Season, Louise chose the earl instead of the girl.

Fifteen years later, Cass strides back into London Society to demand Louise’s help. After all, it’s the least she can do after destroying Cass’s life. Her family’s glove making business is in peril, and the elegant Louise, now the widowed Countess of Atwater, wields enough power to bring Cass’s gloves into fashion.

But Louise didn’t expect the attraction between them to burn stronger than ever, or that society would turn on her for associating with Cass. Bold, brash Cass has the real power—to unravel Louise’s strait-laced life and show her that their passion is worth fighting for.

Nothing could prepare them for the Season of a lifetime—or a second chance to fall in love.

Bronwyn Charles had everything she’d always wanted: a handsome fiancée, the career in fine arts that she adored, and an enviable home in Notting Hill, London. Everything was perfect until she ran into Jaq Bailey, her first love, during a classmate’s wedding in the English countryside. Suddenly, her carefully constructed life started to seem like it belonged to someone else, and she’s forced to decide whether she’s brave enough to let herself remember how it felt to be truly loved.

Jaq Bailey, a mathematics savant from a rundown trailer park in east Texas, attended Stratford Academy in London on a scholarship and fell in love with Bronwyn the moment they met. Despite being forced apart by Bronwyn’s wealthy family when their romance was discovered, Jaq never forgot her. After the wedding, their lives become entwined again as dangerous secrets emerge and Bronwyn’s seemingly perfect life starts to unravel.

Are they strong enough to hold on to true love, or will they lose each other again, this time forever? Reprint

It’s Christmastime and everyone is in the holiday spirit at no-kill animal shelter Junebug Farms.

When Junebug sponsors the annual Christmas parade to raise money and awareness for their shelter, the staff have a plan: the king and queen of the parade will spend the holidays filming adorable Christmas vignettes to bring in donations and find forever homes for lovable pups before Santa comes.

What they don’t know is that Mia Sorenson, volunteer dog walker and superior matchmaker, is about to rig the voting so that her granddaughter, Samantha, and Sam’s friend Keegan, win queen and queen of the parade. Sam and Keegan have been dancing around each other for years, and if Mia doesn’t do something, they might never realize they’re meant to be together. But can Sam and Keegan ever forget the Big Embarrassing Thing that makes romance a nope?

It’ll be all paws on deck to bring them a miracle and make this Christmas one to remember.

Actor Davis Hart’s career is in a death spiral after her drunken sleep-and-tell outs the star of their hit television show. Hoping time and distance will offer a new start, Davis returns to her small hometown where it’s Christmas year-round and the community theater where she honed her acting skills draws thousands of tourists every year. Only everything has changed. The theater is struggling to stay open, and its last hope is a mesmerizing hazel-eyed woman with a grant to produce an original holiday play.

Playwright and director Asia du Muir is serious and very focused on her career. She’s finished her education at Columbia University and hopes a fellowship grant to write and produce a play at a community theater will launch her career. She’s not going to let some party girl actress ruin her best chance to get noticed by a Broadway critic.

Neither of them expects the feelings they can’t deny, but everyone knows personal and professional relationships shouldn’t be mixed. Is their love destined to wait in the wings?