Showing results by author "T.L. Smith" in All Categories

Some conspiracy theories turn out to be true. FBI profiler Victor Loshak works a brutal murder case in Watertown, New York - a woman found strangled in her basement, her face gone purple and baggy. But as he sifts through the crime scene details, his mind keeps drifting back to Kansas City, his last job. The human trafficking case there ended in something of a cliffhanger, and it's a loose end that everyone else in law enforcement seems in no hurry to tie up. The truth is out there. Always just out of reach.

To break a heart is easy. All you have to do is reach in, wrap your blood-covered hands around it, and pull. This happened to me. Two hands, both red as my hair, did this exact thing. Tore it away like it wasn't made for me. Maybe it was his to take? Because years on, with those same blood-red hands, he still has it. In his clenched fists. And he won't give it back. But the real question is, do I want it back? He is dangerous, uncontrollable, and downright sexy. I fell for it all, but, in the end, he didn't catch me. He let me fall.

Death slays me, and I let him . . . Kingdoms are broken. The world has shifted. We are not the same as we once were. The queen is no longer the queen, but I am expected to take her place. The tricky part is I'm not sure I want that responsibility. My heart screams for Death while he stays as far away as possible, believing in the prophecy, whereas I believe in us. But sometimes, that simply isn't enough. The real question now is . . . what do I do?

We are a people of stories. We use them to entertain, to teach, and to instruct. Sometimes they warn us of the dangers of wandering too far into the woods, or they can be a detailed story to explain how magnificent landscapes came to be. Story has always been the way we pass time, the way we connect to each other, and most importantly, how we promote our values. Parables, especially, have a dual purpose. Not only do they keep us entertained, but they also make a point. Consider Aesop’s fables—tales of talking animals who learn valuable life lessons.

A provocative look at the remarkable contributions of high-skill immigrant entrepreneurs in America.