fragile sanctuary catherine cowles

Su Nanzhi was born with a heart condition and was once told she wouldn't live past 18. But she survived, and with her extraordinary eyes, her heart was trained to remain untroubled. The first time she saw Jiang Beiyu, she heard a song beating "thump thump" in her chest. He was so handsome. Su Nanzhi fit the image of a delicate beauty all too well, and she happened to have been nurtured in a rural village for over a decade. Her uncles, brothers, and sisters in the family looked at her as though she were a performing monkey. That is, until this performing monkey shed all her covert coats... Theater 1: Owing to Su Nanzhi's heart condition, her classmates were always afraid to say anything too stimulating, even speaking to her in soft, gentle tones. Later, at dawn, a few classmates who loved horror films bumped into Su Nanzhi at a midnight showing in a movie theater. Classmate: “…” Is the tolerance for heart disease this high now? Su Nanzhi: Will you listen to my explanation? You might not believe it, but the ghosts in the movies aren't as scary as the ones she saw when she first started out. Theater 2: The handsome and distinguished young man read Su Nanzhi's old journals and found out how she had drooled over her own face for more than just a day or two. He frowned as if he had encountered a problem trickier than Goldbach's Conjecture and finally couldn't help but ask her: “Are you sure you're just into my face?” “My body is pretty good too, do you want to check it out?”

After years of hard study, she finally became a master's degree holder. One day, she suddenly finds herself traversing into a different world as an illegitimate daughter. In her previous life, she was a prominent student from a prestigious university; in this life, she is a weak girl from a noble family. She hides her brilliance, conceals her sharpness, aims for survival, and seeks peace. However, the scholarly family she is part of is also fraught with countless disputes and endless troubles. The concubine schemes against her, her legitimate sister plots, leading to her ruin and disgrace. Retaliation is a must! Her attitude must be gentle! Her methods absolutely ruthless! She retaliates fiercely with gentle means, and what's next is... Marriage? To whom? Can she choose her own spouse? This is a serious issue. *******************************

Mana was a brilliant young lawyer working for the biggest international law firm in the world. With her prodigious talents, influential family and a perfect fiancé, her life was considered a dream come true…until a freak accident cost her everything. Or so she thought. After three years of being confined to a hospital bed, the man she had loved with all her heart told her about his betrayal as he slit her throat. The next moment, Mana found herself in the body of a sickly ten-year-old princess of the same name, in a world she thought to be fictional. “The Legend of Mars” was an ancient epic chronicling the adventures of the divine King Mars and his virtuous wife, Queen Astra, and their triumph over the evil, half-demon emperor Raven. Princess Mana was the unfortunate half-sister of Princess Astra, who died at the age of ten…and somehow pulled in Mana’s soul. And thus, Royal Princess Mana decided to make the best of her new chance at life and seek happiness. However, she soon found that what she had read in “The Legend of Mars” and the actual people she met were very different. Why was the divine child Mars an insufferable brat? Why was the virtuous Astra plotting nefarious schemes? Why did the brother of Mars look exactly like her traitorous fiancé of her previous life? And the meek little boy she accidentally rescued was actually the fearsome evil emperor …? But why on earth was he clinging to her and looking at her with puppy eyes?

[My WSA 2024 Entry novel! Please vote] Sanctuary—a word that conjures visions of peace, protection, and unyielding safety. But what truly defines a place as a sanctuary? Can any refuge withstand the relentless forces of destruction, or does it take something more—a spirit of defiance and hope? For Ruseigner and Mae Yakane, renowned wildlife conservationists and environmentalists, the word became their life's mission. As the march of human progress devoured the natural world, the Yakanes spearheaded a monumental effort to carve out a haven for the threatened wildlife and ecosystems they cherished. With global support, they set out to create a sanctuary—a symbol of hope in a world teetering on the brink of environmental collapse. But fate is a cruel architect. Just as their dream took shape, tragedy struck. Ruseigner and Mae were lost, leaving their vision unfinished. Their son, Froja Yakane, inherited not just their legacy but the weight of their unfulfilled promise. At just 19, Froja’s life was stolen by an assassin’s hand. In his final breath, he vowed to seize any chance at redemption—to be stronger, bolder, and more relentless in pursuing his parents’ dream. And fate, for once, showed mercy. Reborn in a parallel world, Froja becomes Canna—a young man with a second chance to build the sanctuary his parents envisioned. But this world is far from welcoming. As Canna traverses lands filled with strange races and uncharted territories, he faces challenges that test his resolve and his belief in the very concept of sanctuary. Enemies, both seen and unseen, conspire to crush his efforts, but in the darkest of moments, Canna finds allies in the most unexpected places. Through trials of strength, cunning, and heart, Canna learns that a true sanctuary isn’t just a place—it’s a beacon of hope, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and a defiance against the forces of chaos. Will Canna succeed in creating the sanctuary his parents dreamed of, or will he be consumed by the perils of this new world? In a tale of courage, transformation, and unwavering determination, Canna’s journey will reveal the true meaning of sanctuary—and the price one must pay to protect it.

( ON BREAK TILL FURTHER NOTICE ) “Protect, what needs to be protected. Help those you find worthy of help. Don’t let anger take over you, fight through sorrow, and rise a victor. Destiny did not choose you, you chose it, learn from what you’ve lost, and adapt right afterward, that's what it means to be a Martial Artist”

Kang Li se réveilla dans le corps de la beauté maladive, la plus jeune fille de la famille Kang dans le Village d'Aoli, qui avait été gâtée et choyée toute sa vie. L'hôte d'origine avait eu une vie difficile, d'abord abandonnée, puis épousant un homme divorcé dans un accès de colère pour devenir une belle-mère, seulement pour se retrouver malheureusement à devenir le groupe témoin pour une autre belle-mère dans la cour. Elle pouvait certainement être considérée comme une prétendante de premier plan pour la chair à canon parmi les personnages féminins secondaires. Mais pour Kang Li, rien de tout cela n'était un problème. Tout ce qu'elle savait, c'est que le soi-disant homme divorcé était un talent de recherche revenu de l'étranger, occupé par son travail, avec un salaire élevé et un bel aspect, et était rarement à la maison. En ces temps, où la nourriture et les vêtements étaient rares et la communication se faisait en criant, l'épouser n'était qu'une bonne nouvelle pour elle, qui voulait juste vivre la vie d'un poisson salé. Mère de Kang : ...ma fille est devenue idiote ! Frères (belles-sœurs, neveux et nièces) : ...notre sœur (jeune tante) est devenue folle ! Cependant, à part le chef de famille, le Capitaine Kang, le reste de la famille transpirait au nom de Kang Li, inquiets que le trésor délicat et fragile de la maison (sœur, jeune tante) ne puisse pas gérer les griefs d'être une belle-mère et pourrait se blesser à cause du stress. Les villageois qui connaissaient la situation de la famille Kang se rassemblaient, crachant des mots aigres et commérant, surtout ceux qui ne portaient aucune bonne volonté et attendaient juste de voir la chute de la famille Kang. Pourtant, la vie de Kang Li après le mariage n'était non seulement heureuse, mais son mari la chérissait, ses beaux-enfants l'adoraient, l'appelant maman dès qu'ils ouvraient la bouche. Ils s'accrochaient à elle comme des gens possédés, et l'épouse (belle-mère) les avait à chacun de ses pas. Un certain système stupéfait : Je pensais que l'hôte auquel j'étais lié était de niveau bronze, mais il s'avère qu'elle est en fait de niveau roi. - Luo Yanqing était naturellement indifférent, avec seulement le travail à l'esprit, mais d'une manière ou d'une autre, il a commencé à se surprendre à attendre avec impatience les vacances, bien qu'il réussisse rarement à rentrer chez lui une fois par an.

Signing a marriage contract without her knowledge, Bella Quinn is now married to the country's most influential mafia, Enzo Sulter. And when she tries to get a divorce, Bella finds out she's pregnant with his child from their one-night stand. Enzo wants her to stay but Bella would rather die than stay with a man who might have a connection with her parent's accident. Can Bella move on and choose to love him or go ahead and make him pay for his past mistakes?

Dante Russo is a lethal vigilante hiding behind a charming smile and a fake therapy arrangement. Adeline Fitz is the brilliant psychologist who unknowingly opens the door to his darkest desires. What starts as an assignment spirals into an obsession neither of them can control. She's the light in his chaos — and the only thing keeping his darkness from swallowing him whole. But when secrets start bleeding into passion, one thing becomes clear: She was never just his therapist. She was always his weakness.

Hi, my name is Nikita Slater and I'm the International Bestselling author of The Queens series, Fire & Vice series, The Sanctuary series, Driven Hearts series and several standalone novels. I've loved the written word my entire life and am an avid reader, as well as a writer. I live, eat and breathe books and I'm always working on something new! ​ I live on the beautiful Canadian prairies with my son and crazy awesome dog. I have an unholy affinity for books (especially dark romance), wine, pets and anything chocolate. Despite some of the darker themes in my books (which are pure fun and fantasy), I am a staunch feminist and advocate of equal rights for all races, genders and non-gender specific persons. When I'm not writing, dreaming about writing or talking about writing, I love to help others discover a love of reading and writing through literacy and social work. Only the strongest can survive in a hostile world ravaged by a disease that turns humans into primitives. She is the Desert Wren, a rebel bent on providing safe passage to illegal refugees entering into her Sanctuary city. If she’s caught she’ll be executed, but the price is worth the privilege of doing what she knows is right. Except when she’s finally caught, the sentence isn’t death, it’s her freedom. It’s the Warlord’s job to weed out the weak and sacrifice them for the good of the Sanctuary. Brutal and autocratic, he is the highest authority. The only threat to his dictatorship is a rebel faction rising up from the slums of his city. When he arrests a rebel leader, the Desert Wren, he sees his redemption. She will help him guide Sanctuary into the future. He just needs to convince his little captive that she’s better off with him than flying free. What is the price of Sanctuary in a dying world and is it worth the sacrifice?

"I am really back in time by 5 years." Sunny dies at 25 due to an outbreak in the year 2305, but he suddenly finds himself back in time due to reasons unknown. Having experienced death due to insufficient money, he decides to earn money by playing a newly launched VRGame. But, 3 months after the game launch, the future he knows takes a drastic turn towards the unknown. An unknown that even the 6 Entities themselves are apprehensive about. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cover isn't mine. If you are the artist and want me to take it down, just drop a comment on any chapter's chapter comments.