Who Wrote 'Check Mate' And When Was It Published?

This is book 2 in the King of Vampires series. It can be read as a standalone. The second most feared vampire in Moon City, the pawn was a face that had remained unknown for years on end among the vampire race. But in the normal light and to the outside world, Leon Vinerza was the face card of the ten hottest eligible bachelors in the whole of Moon City...and my did he love to play and party hard. Sacked on grounds unbeknownst to her, Sacha finds herself in between jobs and desperate to make ends meet when a job offer to tutor two boys in computer programming and basics lands on her doorstep.... literally. Her boss? The cocky and hot gorgeous male whose presence irks her to know ends but his body pulls her in and incites unimaginable things in her mind. But fate will still and always remain a bitch.

He is my nemesis, the one who tormented me without cause. It wasn't always this way; there was a time when things were different. But then, one day, everything shifted. What do I do when he becomes my mate? The mark I left on him during our clash signifies that he belongs to me forever. Yet, he harbors a secret—one he desperately wants to conceal from me. This secret, rooted in guilt, is tied to a past event that changed everything.What will happen when she uncovers her mate's hidden truth? He has kept her in the dark, and now she must confront the possibility that this revelation could either shatter their bond or pave the way for reconciliation.

"The game of chess is not just any old board game but it is also the game of life. You can be represented as the king, all the others are the people around you. Check mate means game over in the game but check mate in real life means your life has come to an end..." BORING! Chess is the worst board game on earth, if you're gonna play chess, I'll consider you as one of those who exist and don't live. Chess is the game plan. I play in the tournament my father forces me to participate in using the plan I'll be using during my next heist. If I win, I use it, if I lose, I change it. Chess is a boring old board game which is the key to my fortune. I am the Black Falcon, this is my life on the board and against the law...

She was nothing but a pawn in a wealthy marriage, trampled under the cold indifference of her husband and the shadow of his beloved white moonlight. Silent and subdued, she hid her brilliance and endured every humiliation—until the day she revealed her secret identity, unleashing the power of the “Starlight Group” to turn the business world upside down. From a discarded substitute to a queen who commands the board, she tears apart the lies and reclaims her dignity, step by step. And when the man who once scorned her is filled with regret and desperate to win her back, she is no longer the pawn he thought he could control. —She is the Queen.

I never wanted to be his wife. I hated Roman Blackwood because he was untouchable, conceited, and ruthless. However, When my father’s debts threatened to destroy us, I had no choice but to sign the contract that bound me to him. My freedom was just another possession in his universe. His words, his rules, and the gloomy fire in his eyes caused me to doubt my sanity. To withstand his icy indifference and the violent intimacy that left me simultaneously breathless and broken, I tried to be invisible. But, his betrayal was worse than his cruelty. In the fine print of our marriage, I discovered the truth: I wasn't just his wife. I was a pawn in a game I don't understand. And when I challenged him, his cold grin made it clear that I meant nothing to him. So I ran. I believed I could leave the man who broke me and start a new life. But Roman doesn't lose and forgive. He is now chasing me, saying he is a different person and pledging atonement. However, when I discover a secret that he has kept even from himself, I realize that the monster I escaped from may be the only one who can protect me from what lies ahead. Because when Roman Blackwood threatened to destroy anyone who attempted to take me away from him, he wasn't lying. Even if it's me.

All she ever wanted was to be loved. All she ever wanted was to escape the cage she was born into, but betrayal shatters her world when her fiancé elopes with her sister and her rival blackmails her into marrying him. Now, her goal seems far from reach. Zachary Wellington—cold, ruthless, and feared by everyone except one woman: Valerie Hampton, the one woman he has despised since high school. She bullied his first love, and the girl died after discovering a secret about Valerie. Years later, they are powerful rivals, well known in the business world. He calls her Ursula—the villain in his love story—and she calls him Dracula, the devil’s spawn. The next time they meet, Zachary drops a bombshell: she must marry him, or her father’s dirty dealings will be exposed to the public. Left with no choice and determined to protect her father’s reputation, she agrees to the marriage. Fueled by old wounds and a twisted thirst for revenge, Zachary turns their union into a twisted game of chess guided by cold rules, where every move is calculated and trust is a luxury neither of them can afford. But what begins as punishment spirals into something far more dangerous: desire, obsession, and secrets that refuse to stay buried. From betrayal and childhood trauma to a violent heir lurking in the shadows, Valerie and Zachary are about to uncover a truth that could destroy them both. Love was never part of the plan. But in a marriage built on lies and vengeance, it might be their only way out.