What if the itsy bitsy spider could only weave a web of lies? Lacey Arachne has been cursed since she was a child to only speak lies and wants nothing more than to keep it unknown. As a common handmaiden, she’s learned how to navigate her twisted words fairly well. But that all changes when her mistress makes her switch places with her in the prince’s bride competition. Unable to refuse her mistress’s plans, Lacey is forced to play the role of a noble and compete in a competition she has no interest in winning. Well, at least that’s the lie she tells herself after she meets the charming Prince Carlex... With the punishment for impersonating a noble being death, Lacey must blend in with the other competitors at all costs. But how does a bold-faced liar avoid standing out amongst scrutinizing eyes? Especially when her childhood enemy certainly doesn’t seem keen on letting her go unnoticed... Can Lacey untangle herself from the webs she’s crafted? Or will she be doomed to fall with the coming storm? Once Upon A Rhyme is a collection of clean, intercepting stories, best enjoyed when read as a series. For more information on Once Upon A Rhyme sign up for my free monthly newsletter Abigailmanningauthor.com

Hush little lady, don't say a word... Sasha Bough has always been the quiet type, and that’s exactly how her family wants her to remain. When a tragic incident rocked her childhood, she was left with two never speak of what happened or suffer the consequences. When Sasha reaches the age of nineteen, then tension in her family rises when she still hasn’t secured a husband. It’s not always easy for the quietest person in the room to gain attention until that attention comes in unwanted ways. When an unprompted attack interrupts the silence, Prince Alaric takes an interest in Sasha’s family and the events surrounding the trouble. Sasha knows he only wants to help, but the more he digs into her family’s past, the riskier being near him becomes. He shouldn’t be too difficult to push away, except that she may need his protection after all... After the attack, she learns that someone knows her secret and they’re willing to do anything to silence her. If her secret is revealed, she’s as good as dead, and if she can’t find whoever is targeting her, they’ll simply kill her first. With a prince willing to help keep her safe, does she dare let him get close to her? Or is she better off staying hushed? Content This story contains depictions of emotional and mental abuse by parental figures, as well as implied physical abuse, and gaslighting. Overall story content still remains within a PG-13 rating (no graphic violence, overly-descriptive romance, or swearing.) Once Upon A Rhyme is a collection of clean, intercepting stories, best enjoyed when read as a series. For more information on Once Upon A Rhyme sign up for my free monthly newsletter Abigailmanningauthor.com

What if Drury Lane sold more than just muffins…? A Once Upon A Rhyme Novella Mary Lane remembers nothing of her childhood after being found by her adoptive parents, but she’s perfectly content with the life she stumbled into. Every day, she works in her family’s beloved bakery, selling muffins, scones, pound cakes, and, of course, illegal magic stones... Selling unrefined magic stones is a risky business when you’re not connected to the inner circles of the black market, but the Lane’s Bakery has never had trouble going unnoticed. Their only problem is being too good at going unnoticed, leaving them struggling to maintain the little business they have left. Determined to protect her family’s livelihood, Mary realizes there’s one way to put their bakery business back on the map: connect it to the black market. The crime lords running the elusive black market could easily support their business and protect them from outside investigation, but how does one sell themselves to an invisible buyer? As Mary hunts for a crack in their walls, an old, distractingly handsome customer makes a reappearance to offer his assistance. Mary would have been thrilled to have her past crush offer his aid, except she’s rather certain he has ulterior motives... Though he is pretty cute. Will Mary be able to salvage their muffin scam? Or will this handsome new helper get her burned?

Baa Baa Black Market... Have you any soul? Brietta Drover has spent her entire life in the darkness due to her sensitivity to the sun and general lack of morals. To occupy her many days alone in her windowless room, she takes up a small hobby... Running an underground crime network for harvesting and trading illegal magic stones. Business is booming in the underground market, until word spreads that Brietta's fiercest competitor has sent a spy to unmask her true identity. Most ladies would consider this a threat, but a good business woman sees it as a way to investigate her rival. Dimitri has one mission. Get the true name of Lord Dame, and get back to his own Jewel Lord, Boy. He and Brietta share zero trust, but when they're forced to share an assignment, the true investigations can begin. Three bags of magic stones have been stolen from the Jewel Lords, but the culprit is as mysterious as the market itself. If one was stolen from each lord, who is really to blame? Will Brietta be able to expand her reach? Or will Munster and Dame fall to Lord Boy's games? Once Upon A Rhyme is a collection of clean, intercepting stories, best enjoyed when read as a series.