Showing results by author "Josie A." in All Categories

I’ve never seen anyone at a public pool with a memorable enough body, good or bad, that I think about it ever again. If this line sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve heard it in the background of thousands of videos on social media—a humbling reminder from poet and radio personality Josie Balka that what’s important in our lives now isn’t necessarily what’s important to us in the long run. I Hope You Remember, Josie’s first book of poetry, includes this poem and over eighty others, some previously published and others never shared before.

Gavin Wilkes is rugby’s biggest star and my older brother’s best friend. He’s tall, dark, handsome… and a notorious player—not just in the sportsball way. For years he’s teased me—flirted with me as a joke—and I’m tired of it. So the night of my parents’ annual Christmas party, I call his bluff, never expecting him to take me up on it.

She wasn’t expecting her sweet boyfriend to give her a spanking for Christmas! When Becca spends the holidays with her boyfriend Steve she sees a side of him she hasn’t seen before – the stern disciplinarian. Steve is growing frustrated with his spoiled girlfriend’s rude and inconsiderate behavior, but he knows just what she needs. With the gift of a special paddle, he pulls Becca over his knee to help her learn to be a good girl. Will the addition of domestic discipline be too much for their new relationship? Or is it just what they need to move to the next level? About the “...

Laurie is sure love at first sight doesn't exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic...and then her bus drives away. Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend, Sarah, giddily introduces her new boyfriend: the man from the bus.

When Iris decides to move to New York to restart her life, she realizes she underestimated how big the Big Apple really is—all the nostalgic movies set in New York she’d watched with her mom while eating their special secret-recipe gelato didn’t quite do it justice. But Bobby, Iris’s best friend, isn’t about to let her hide away. He drags her to a famous autumn street fair in Little Italy, and as they walk through the food stalls, a little family-run gelateria catches her eye—could it be the same shop that’s in an old photo of her mother’s?

Eleanor, the charming manager of a cozy tea shop, enjoys the transportive ritual of making a cup of Masala Chai tea, reminisces about the tea's origins, and delights in the beauty of her quaint English village during the holidays. Bedtime stories are narrated by the world's most celebrated voices and written with no beginning, middle, or end so you don't stay up to hear what happens next. They're interesting enough to give your mind something to focus on, but delivered in a way that encourages sleep.

Who’s the stunning blonde with legs for days? Oh h*ll… My best friend’s daughter is my new assistant. She’s sassy, sun-kissed, and way too young for me. From the moment she walks into my office, My d*ck comes to life in a heartbeat. My best friend entrusted me to give her good working experience, Not bend her over my desk. She thinks I hate her. I’m just trying not to cross a line. Stolen moments, tangled sheets, her perfect body underneath mine… Her southern drawl and smart mouth push all my buttons, Unearthing feelings I’d buried for a decade. I’m too old and jaded for ...

Billionaire Fynn Hadaway is the total package. He’s tall, dark, and handsome, with a voice that could melt the panties off a nun. He’s also been having a few… issues of his own. Issues I think I can solve. As long as he agrees to my stipulations. The main one being, he becomes my new husband.

Julias kleine Schwester verlobt sich vor ihr, Silvester verbringt sie allein in einem fremden Haus, und dann brennt auch noch ihr »Traummann zum Selberbacken« an! Ganz klar: Julia braucht einen Neuanfang.

Laurie no cree en el amor a primera vista. Piensa que una cosa son las películas y otra, la vida real. Sin embargo, un día de diciembre, su mirada se cruza con la de un desconocido a través de la ventanilla empañada de un autobús. Surge la magia y Laurie se enamora perdidamente, pero el autobús arranca y sigue su camino por las calles nevadas de Londres.

Cord Spellman might be everyone's Prince Charming, but I'm only his fake Cinderella. That's why Cord's offer is perfect. The hot hockey star has playoffs coming up. He doesn't have time for girls, especially his cheating ex who's determined to get back together with him. He needs to focus on his game, so he asks me to divert the attention—as his fake girlfriend.

As the new girl from the south side of town going to a prestigious academy for my senior year, I never expected welcoming open arms. But the bloody nose on my first day was a surprise. And the threat. And the...well, let me just say behind the botoxed smiles and shiny sports cars were the worst sort of people. And there was one that brought them to their knees. One who ruled Green Hills Academy like the monarchs he descended from. Knight King hated me. Hated what I represented. Hated that I wasn't wealthy and that I dared to enter his world.

Spending her thirtieth birthday alone is not what dating columnist Cleo Wilder wanted, but she plans a solo retreat―at the insistence of her boss―in the name of re-energizing herself and adding a new perspective to her column. The remote Irish island she’s booked is a far cry from London, but at least it’s a chance to hunker down in a luxury cabin and indulge in some self-care while she figures out the next steps in her love life and her career.

After centuries of conflict, a peace treaty has finally been drawn between the warring Saxons and Norse—largely due to the wisdom and bravery of the legendary Viking leader Wolf Hakonson and the noble warrior Lord Hawk. Hawk and Wolf each married women from warring clans to unite the Saxons and Norse. But for all its blessings, the promise of peace will remain fragile—unless it can be sealed forever by a third and final marriage between these two proud clans.

Never rent an apartment over the internet. I learned that lesson the hard way. Turns out the sweet two bedroom I was thrilled to make mine is actually smack dab in the middle of a retirement community. Now instead of enjoying Florida’s night life, I’m helping Mrs. Hill find her missing hearing aids and showing Mr. Frazier how to use his television remote for the millionth time. But it’s fine. They look out for me and I look out for them. Which is how I end up wedged in a broom closet with Mr. Frazier’s sexy as sin nephew.

Months trapped in the clutches of a madman made Jenna Franklin a shell of the woman she once was. All she can do now is use her computer genius from inside the safety of closed doors. Even two years later, going outside = blood-freezing panic.

Maggie Gerber - one of the founding members of the Good Buy Girls - loves her quiet life in St. Stanley, Virginia. But all that changes when Sam Collins, her old flame, moves back to town as the new sheriff. On top of that, Claire Freemont, a librarian and the newest member of the Good Buy Girls, starts acting utterly strange. When Maggie goes to visit her the next day at the library, she finds the body of a very dead man. Turns out the man is someone from Claire's past.

Maggie Gerber and those discount divas the Good Buy Girls are gearing up for their first big holiday thrift-shop sale. But one of the Girls - Joanne Claramotta, pregnant with her first child - is acting less than festive. It could be hormones. Or it could be Diane Jenkins, the young knockout her husband Michael hired as his new deli assistant. Calming Joanne’s nerves proves impossible when Maggie finds Michael unconscious on his deli floor - with Diane next to him, strangled to death with her apron strings.

I like my men how I like my wine, Tasty, full-bodied, and twice my age… like my best friend’s dad. I'm a dedicated nurse, and the responsible one (usually). So catching a ride after a night of drinking makes good sense. Except when that ride is loaded silver fox Landon Leggatt. And OH, did I ride. But afterward, the jerk acted like nothing happened between us, And left me wondering if the sparks were only in my head. I thought I’d gotten over him, until he hurts his ankle, And my best friend calls in a favor for my professional help. Now I'm stuck looking after this brooding grump, ...

Lisette lives in East Berlin but brings her new-born baby to a hospital in West Berlin. Under doctor's orders, she goes home to rest, leaving the baby in the care of the hospital. But overnight the border between East and West closes, slicing the city - and the world - in two. With a city in chaos and armed guards ordered to shoot anyone who tries to cross, her situation is desperate.