The perfect love. The perfect life. A bright future ahead of them, that is until fate and a case of mistaken identity steps in. Juliana's world is turned upside down when her husband, Paul is brutally murdered in the darkness of an alleyway in Venice; she is raped and left for dead while the sounds of the Masked Carnival and the killers laughter fills the air. The only thing that keeps Juliana going is the memories of a perfect love, and her deep desire for vengeance. With the help of her father, the killers are tracked down, one by one and on the anniversary of Paul's death, with the sounds of the Carnival in the background, the killers come face to face with the Mask of Deceit, and pay the ultimate price at the hands of a woman who is dead inside. With the words of her dead husband ringing in her ears. "Use the knife my love, put the animal out of its misery. Cut its throat." Juliana moves between two different worlds. One that was filled with love, joy and hope for the future. The other filled with pain and death as she uses the blade on her path of revenge and thirst for vengeance. "There Paul my love, I showed the animal mercy... I cut its throat." From the backdrop of the Carnival in Venice to the African bush, the world that Paul loved she moves like an avenging angel dispensing her brand of justice and spilling the blood of the men that ruined her life. Her appetite for torture knows no bounds as each one is taken to the very edge before being sent to hell. As each one dies at her hand she moves closer to closure but has she stepped over the edge from sanity to insanity... will the killing continue once the last is shown mercy and she uses the blade to show the animal mercy or will she heed Pauls call and join him once again. Author: Paul Zunckel Publisher: EasyReading
Prologue
The eyes looking out from behind the mask are green, but that is all the man can see for her form is hidden in the folds of the flowing gown that she is wearing. The mask itself is stunning, handcrafted and if she is anything like the beauty of the mask, then she is definitely a catch.
Her voice is husky and sexy at the same time; it sends shivers of delight at the thought of what is to come through his body, as she takes his hand in her gloved hand and leads him along the cobblestone walkway, almost as if leading a lamb to the slaughter.
Sounds of the masked ball not far away filters across the square, laughter fills the air as revelers soak up the atmosphere, the colors are bright, and there is a feeling of gay abandonment as couples, groups move to and fro, their masks hiding their true features, and their costumes blend in with the crowds that swarm along the roads.
She leads him along the canal, the sounds from the square falling behind them as they cross the bridge, and he can't believe his luck on his first night in Venice, to be chosen by such a beauty, and he tries to imagine what she looks like behind that mask.
They come to an alleyway and she pauses for a second, looks into the dark recess of the alley, then turning quickly, takes his hand again and leads him on. He could have sworn that he heard her mutter softly into her mask.
"This one is for you Paul, my darling."
"My Lady, did you say something?"
"No, I am just thinking about what is ahead of us tonight, you must have imagined it."
She leads him into a room with a four-poster bed in the center, the light is dim and in the distance, he can hear the sound of music, and her heavy breathing, which he takes as passion, and a sign that he is in for a good time tonight with a masked stranger.
The sound of falling cloth behind him, he turns and gasps at the beauty before him. She is naked, but still wears the mask, and he feels the heat rush through his body, and desire for the masked stranger before him fills him, and he sheds his clothing.
"Do you like what you see Sir?"
"Yes My Lady, you are magnificent, but I wish to gaze upon your face, please remove your mask so that I might drink in your true beauty."
"I am sorry, you may have me, but the mask stays on. Lie down, and I will come to you."
He lies back on the soft mattress, and she straddles him, moving up his chest and offering herself to him. His eyes close in ecstasy, and he feels her take his hand, and the soft feel of silk wraps around his wrist, then the other, and he is bound to the posts of the bed. His eyes fly open in alarm. He sees her sitting on his chest, her weight holding him down, and in her hand, she is holding a dagger, and he hears sobs coming from behind the mask.
"My Lady, what are you doing?"
Without a word she brings the dagger down, the dim light flashes off the blade as it cuts deep into his chest. His body arches as he tries to throw her off, he pulls at the silk holding his hands in place, but she rides him, gripping his body with her strong legs, and plunges the blade in, again and again, the blood splatter being thrown across the whiteness of the bed.
His body shudders in its final gasp to hold onto life, and then with a death rattle in his throat, she slashes the sharp blade deeply across his throat, his body goes limp beneath her, the air in his lungs escaping through the deep wounds, as his blood soaks into the bed cover, dripping off the bed, to form a puddle on the carpet.
"There Paul my darling, I showed mercy, just like you taught me, I cut the throat of the animal."
Without another word, she pulls the gown over her head, covering the blood on her body, slips the dagger into the folds of her dress, and without looking back at the dead man on the bed, leaves him, to be discovered when the occupants of the room returned.
She mingles once more with the groups, just another mask in the crowd.
A maneater rules the night, fear comes with the darkness for the villagers know The Devil lies in the shadows and hunts the easiest prey of all...man. Piet van Zyl hunts the killer...but when does the hunter become the hunted. Author: Paul Zunckel Publisher: EasyReading
Africa, a place where superstition and witchcraft runs deep, a place of beauty, but where death lurks in the shadows. A land shrouded in mystery, with ancient beliefs simmering just beneath the surface - set on a collision course with modern western ideas. An innocent act unleashes a horror that walks the African night... under the full moon... and nothing is safe. Piet van Zyl, safari owner, finds himself drawn into a world of witchcraft, and face to face with a horror returned from the grave. With the support of Veronica Strydom, with her vast knowledge of African Culture, he must rid the night of the abomination, or die trying. Ancient cultures and beliefs clash with modern ideas; Piet and Veronica need to dig deep into the past to combat the evil that now walks the earth at night. David, Piets childhood friend and Adele, newlyweds, return to Africa from Europe to take possession of the small holding left to David after his Grandfather dies, find themselves thrown into a battle with evil for their home and their lives. They join forces with Piet and Veronica under the full African moon and confront the evil that walks the night. With the help of the church and Veronica’s expertise in Africa, with their courage in their hands the group join forces and make ready for battle…good vs evil under the night sky. Author: Paul Zunckel Publisher: EasyReading
Step into the evil world of Human Trafficking, where corrupt officials, unemployment, poverty, greed and power all play a part. A family is torn apart by abduction. A child taken in the dead of the night, a mother abducted and sold into slavery, and the world of the sex trade. The search for the child and woman moves from the banks of the mighty Zambezi deep into the African bush, to the under belly of Johannesburg, South Africa. Author: Paul Zunckel Publisher: EasyReading
He tries to scream, the terror stuck in his throat…the darkness all around him…the stench, he can smell the creature from hell, the low growl from its throat…flailing around him with his fists…can’t see, the darkness wrapped around him like a blanket…must defend myself, oh my God the fangs. Africa, a land of myth, witchcraft, magic and corruption. A land where death waits in the shadows. A land where the hybrid now walks unafraid with a blood lust and a hatred for man …created to kill. Man playing at being God, working with genetic creation, determined to create the perfect Human being…in isolation nothing can disturb the creation…nothing can go wrong but if you are in Darkest Africa, no one can hear you scream as you die by the hand of a creature not created by God, but by the sick mind of man…a creature from hell. Two creatures now walk the African bush…one, a gentle soul breed from the womb of a chimpanzee…the other…a killer, a cross gorilla/mandrill baboon. The hunt is on to bring an end to the madness, to the fear that stalks through the undergrowth, that is spreading its wings over Africa, to put an end to the killers rampage, to capture the gentle Hybrid…to sell her body to the highest bidder. One man driven by greed…the other by compassion. Author: Paul Zunckel Publisher: EasyReading
Suspense, Thriller, Fact fused with Fiction Modern Africa… ancient beliefs. With fear, comes power. Travel deep into the Congo Basin with Piet van Zyl, safari hunter, and Veronica Strydom, African culture expert, as they are drawn deeper into the web of superstitions and fear. Come face to face with The Secret Sect that has emerged from the dark past and now walks the night. Experience the superstitions, rituals, and witchcraft of the killers known as The Leopard Men, as history repeats itself in an orgy of ritual murders and blood lust. Author: Paul Zunckel Publisher: EasyReading
Horror, Suspense, Thriller, Fact fused with Fiction. Africa, a place where superstition and witchcraft run deep, a place of beauty, but where death lurks in the shadows. A land shrouded in mystery, with ancient beliefs simmering just beneath the surface - set on a collision course with modern western ideas. An innocent act unleashes a horror that walks the African night... under the full moon... and nothing is safe. Piet van Zyl, a safari owner, finds himself drawn into a world of witchcraft, and face to face with a horror returned from the grave. With the support of Veronica Strydom, with her vast knowledge of African Culture, he must rid the night of the abomination, or die trying. Author: Paul Zunckel Publisher: EasyReading
"I'm going to tell you what I have in mind," he murmured. "First you're going to strip down until you're completely naked," he whispered against her ear. "Then I'm going to tie you up so you're completely powerless and subject to my every whim." "Mmm, sounds good so far," she murmured. "Then I'm going to insert a plug to prepare you for me. After that I'm going to spank that sweet ass of yours until it's rosy with my marks." She shivered uncontrollably, her mind exploding with the images he evoked. She let out a small whimper as he sucked the lobe of her ear into his mouth. God, she could cum with just his words. She was already aching with need. Her nipples tingled and hardened to painful points. Her clit pulsed and twitched between her legs until she clamped her thighs together to alleviate the burn. "And then I'm going to f**k your mouth. But I won't cum. Not yet. When I'm close, I'll flog you again until your ass is burning and you're on fire with the need for relief. And then I'm going to f**k that ass. I'm going to take you hard and rough, to the very limits of what you can withstand. I won't be gentle. Not tonight. I'm going to take you as roughly as you can stand. And then I'm going to cum all over your ass. Are you ready to be completely and utterly dominated?"
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
Three years ago, the Moore family opposed Charles Moore's choice to marry his beloved woman and selected Scarlett Riley as his bride. Charles didn't love her. In fact, he hated her. Not long after they got married, Scarlett received an offer from her dream university and jumped on it. Three years later, Charles's beloved woman fell terribly ill. In order to fulfill her last wish, he called Scarlett back and presented her with a divorce agreement. Scarlett was deeply hurt by Charles's abrupt decision, but she chose to let him go and agreed to sign the divorce papers. However, Charles seemed to delay the process deliberately, leaving Scarlett confused and frustrated. Now, Scarlett was trapped between the consequences of Charles's indecision. Would she be able to break free from him? Would Charles eventually come to his senses and face his true feelings?
Two years after her marriage, Ximena lost consciousness in a pool of her own blood during a difficult childbirth. She forgot that her ex-husband was actually getting married to someone else that day. "Let's get a divorce, but the baby stays with me." His words before their divorce was finalized still lingered in her head. He wasn't there for her, but he wanted full custody of their child. Ximena would rather die than see her child call someone else mother. As a result, she gave up the ghost on the operating table with two babies left in her belly. But that wasn't the end for her... Years later, fate caused them to meet again. Ramon was a changed man this time. He wanted to keep her to himself even though she was already a mother of two children. When he found out about her wedding, he stormed into the venue and created a scene. "Ramon, I died once before, so I don't mind dying again. But this time, I want us to die together," she yelled, glaring at him with hurt in her eyes. Ximena thought he didn't love her and was happy that she was finally out of his life. But what she didn't know was that the news of her unexpected death had shattered his heart. For a long time, he cried alone due to the pain and agony. He always wished he could turn back the hands of time or see her beautiful face once again. The drama that came later became too much for Ximena. Her life was filled with twists and turns. Soon, she was torn between getting back with her ex-husband or moving on with her life. What would she choose?
For three years, Jessica endured a loveless marriage while her husband pretended to be impotent. His lies unraveled when a pregnant mistress surfaced. After six months of secretly collecting proof, Jessica threw him out and built her own billion-dollar empire. After the divorce, she transformed into an irresistible figure, attracting admirers. As she left her office one day, she met Kevan, her ex-husband's brother. He stepped in, confronting her. "Was I just a tool to you?" Jessica's lips curled into a calm smile. "How much compensation do you want?" Kevan's voice softened. "All I want is you."
For two years, Ashton had poured his heart into his marriage, yet Emalee's heart remained cold. Despite his dedication, Emalee presented him with divorce papers. She bluntly stated she could not remain married to a man whose net worth was less than a million dollars. Ashton signed the papers, closing one chapter of his life and stepping into a new beginning. Then, Ashton revealed his secret identities: a music mogul, a medical expert, and a martial arts master—each persona impressive enough to stun the world. As Ashton’s true capabilities came to light, Emalee was overwhelmed with deep regret.