Everything That Falls

Every fight has stakes, and the hardest jabs are the ones you don’t see coming.

Laila Moretti was on the verge of making her UFC dream a reality. A standout in the regional circuit, she was one win away from a contract—until a crushing defeat shattered her confidence. Convinced she’s not cut out for the big leagues, she walks away from the cage, her coach, and the future she fought for.

Harlow Hayes doesn’t believe in limits—only opportunities. Running an underground fight promotion takes nerve, ambition, and a willingness to play dirty. She’s built an empire on giving fighters a shot the system never would. But the audience craves blood, and with her reputation on the line, she needs a star who can do more than survive—she needs someone who can win.

When Laila steps into Harlow’s world, she sees the fighter Laila refuses to believe she is. Their attraction is undeniable, their ambitions impossible to ignore, and as the lines between business and something far more dangerous begin to blur, Harlow faces a choice: push Laila to reclaim the dream she abandoned or admit she’s already lost sight of her own.

Jax Bailey has built a successful career photographing famous women, but she’s blocked creatively and frustrated by her inability to hold on to a romantic relationship.

Trace Logan is independent to a fault but somehow failed to launch. The daughter of a career army mother, she’s moved around so much she doesn’t have a place she calls home, and she longs to return to school in pursuit of becoming a film editor. Working as a delivery driver, her dream seems impossible.

After reading about the gig economy, Jax’s search for a new perspective that can renew her passion, professional and personal, inspires her to break out of her rut by seeing the city through the eyes of a delivery driver. When Trace shows her the ropes, a spark ignites between them. Their differences in age and direction caution them to keep it casual, but what happens when everything they expose just pulls them closer together?

Eden Bauer grew up in a rough part of New York with an unsafe home life and took refuge in the neighborhood Taekwondo dojang. When the master of the dojang offered to train Eden as a live-in student, he started her on a journey that would eventually lead her to become the UFC featherweight champion of the world.

Eden loves competing and coaching the underprivileged kids of her community, but just as she’s getting comfortable with her champion title, a new martial artist from a legendary family comes roaring onto the scene with a dynasty on her shoulders. Brooklyn Shaw is a loud, cocky, aggressive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu genius who’s also unfortunately pretty dreamy.

Brooklyn and Eden’s rivalry attracts worldwide attention, but as they spend time together, Eden sees past Brooklyn’s showmanship to who she really is. They ought to be perfect for one another, but can either really fall in love with the person standing in the way of her dreams?

Jenna Thompson is a recently promoted supervisor for Child Protective Services, but she's already having a hard time following the rules. She knows that if she dares act on her desire for her new trainee, she won’t keep her job long.

Danielle Corey’s family disowned her when she came out at seventeen, so she’s passionate about helping children who have been neglected, abused, or abandoned by their families. Eager to prove herself as a new social worker, Danielle struggles with her unprofessional attraction for her new boss. 

As the case they’re working on becomes more volatile, their opinions start to clash even as coworkers become suspicious of their obvious connection. Tensions rise, and with their careers and hearts in the balance, Jenna and Danielle have to decide if they’re willing to risk everything they’ve worked for to take a chance at forever.

Kaia Sorano is a police officer in the dangerous and gang dominated streets of Chicago. She thinks she's prepared for anything, but when she responds to a bloody domestic violence call, only to find her high school sweetheart is the victim, she knows she has to find a way to help.

When Adrienne Contreras's mother moved her to the south side of Chicago at seventeen, she quickly saw her safe life and idealistic love with Kaia replaced with poverty, crime, and violence. Now twenty-seven, Adrienne is dating Gianna, a high-ranking member of a brutal gang. She has the streets figured out, but the first rule is to never talk to cops, even one she used to be in love with.

As their attraction grows into love, Adrienne and Kaia struggle to see past the changes in each other and escape Gianna and the gang, who have threatened both their lives.

When Rainn went rogue from the life her mother wanted for her, she thought she’d have her brother by her side. Instead, his sudden death sent Rainn into a tailspin that has her living in an alley behind a bar. Her life might look like a train wreck, but nothing can distract her from making her rock band the Suicidal Angels a success. Then she meets Jaselle.

A painter with an intrinsic understanding of art, Jaselle’s effortless connection to Rainn’s deepest thoughts and fears is intoxicating, and soon they’re falling into a love more powerful than anything Rainn has ever known. She’s never been happier, until Jaselle’s addiction to meth rages out of control, taking over both their lives.

Rainn’s all-consuming need to salvage their relationship might cost her her friends, her band, her dream, and ultimately, herself.

Previously published as Dissonance in A Minor (2013)