Alan King and Brian King – författare

Li Ming Yu grows up in a poor rural village in Korea, living a quiet and disciplined life with her hardworking mother. Their small home and constant financial struggles teach Ming Yu the value of patience, humility, and perseverance. An unknown benefactor mysteriously pays for her university tuition, allowing her to attend college where she quickly earns a reputation as an exceptionally intelligent, reliable, and hardworking student. Ming Yu dreams only of graduating, finding stable employment, and providing a better life for her mother.Her ordinary life changes dramatically during her third year at university when a black limousine arrives on campus searching for her. Two formally dressed men reveal that her estranged grandmother is dying and wishes to meet her. Shocked, Ming Yu learns that her father's wealthy family still exists despite her mother never speaking about them. She travels to Seoul and briefly meets her grandmother in the hospital. The meeting is quiet and emotionally distant, with few explanations before the elderly woman passes away the following day. Ming Yu leaves with more questions than answers.At the funeral, Ming Yu witnesses a world completely unlike her own. Wealthy relatives and influential business figures gather in a lavish ceremony that reveals the enormous power of her father's family. Yet Ming Yu and her mother are treated like outsiders, receiving little warmth or explanation. Believing the experience is over, Ming Yu returns to university and resumes her normal life.Months later, the limousine returns to her village home. Ming Yu and her mother are summoned to Seoul for the reading of her grandmother's will at the headquarters of Rising Sun Cosmetics, a major cosmetics corporation. Two other grandchildren inherit valuable estates and large sums of money, but Ming Yu receives something unimaginable: ownership of the entire company, along with apartments in Seoul and Incheon. Stunned, she insists there has been a mistake. Her mother finally reveals the truth about Ming Yu's father and the family conflicts that forced them to leave years earlier. Overnight, Ming Yu's simple life disappears beneath the weight of immense responsibility.Later, another employee, Yoon Ara, explains that many perfectly good cosmetics are discarded simply because their pastel packaging was considered unfashionable. Ming Yu transforms the problem into an opportunity by launching a colorful new line called Soda Pop Cosmetics. The products are marketed with playful pastel themes using both professional models and ordinary employees. The campaign becomes an explosive success almost overnight. Unsold inventory disappears, new products are rushed into development, and customers across Korea embrace the affordable, vibrant cosmetics.Under Ming Yu's leadership, Rising Sun Cosmetics experiences a complete rebirth. Profits surge, employee raises and bonuses restore morale, and departments begin working together creatively rather than competing internally. The company's revival eventually attracts worldwide attention, culminating in a prestigious cosmetics convention in Paris where Soda Pop wins Best Product of the Year. During her acceptance speech, Ming Yu humbly credits Eun-ha, Ara, and the company employees for the success instead of taking personal glory.On the flight home to Seoul, Ming Yu reflects on the incredible journey from poor village student to internationally respected CEO. Remembering the struggles she shared with her mother and the grandmother she barely knew, she realizes that Soda Pop Cosmetics represents more than business success. It symbolizes resilience, creativity, and the courage to see value where others see failure. As the plane carries her home through the clouds, Ming Yu understands that both her own future and the future of Rising Sun Cosmetics are only beginning.

The first story follows Allyn Miller, a quiet rancher traveling through Apache territory in September 1882. He discovers a young Apache girl near death from heat and thirst and rescues her, eventually returning her safely to her people. Her grandfather, Chief Iron Wolf, believes Allyn's life-saving act creates a debt that must be repaid. He offers Allyn the hand of his daughter, Aiyana, in marriage. Although Allyn is surprised and initially suspicious, he accepts.Aiyana appears silent and distant, but Allyn soon discovers that she is exceptionally capable. During their journey to his ranch, she detects an ambush before he does, revealing extraordinary tracking skills. At the ranch, she quickly proves herself by improving the property, caring for the animals, repairing fences and buildings, and creating a garden. Jesse Mason, the local sheriff, visits and becomes acquainted with Aiyana.Allyn gradually learns that there was never anything wrong with Aiyana, despite the Apache men refusing to marry her. She was trained as a warrior by her older brother after her mother's death and became highly skilled at riding, hunting, tracking, and fighting. Men who initially wanted her eventually rejected her because their pride could not tolerate a woman who surpassed them. Aiyana learned to become quiet and invisible to protect herself from further rejection.Her abilities become undeniable when three armed men attack Allyn's home. Aiyana unexpectedly drops from the ceiling beams and defeats the attackers with remarkable speed and skill. Among their possessions, Allyn discovers an old coin connected to his Oklahoma past and a dangerous man named Talon Pike, suggesting that the attack is connected to enemies from Allyn's past.Following the attack, Allyn and Aiyana finally open up to each other. They share their experiences of loss, loneliness, and regret, and their arranged marriage begins transforming into a genuine partnership and affection. Just as their relationship is becoming stronger, Jesse arrives with another mystery: an Indian girl has been brought to town by cowboys who kidnapped her. She claims to be Aiyana's sister, Ayasha, setting up the next conflict.The second story, "e;An Act of God,"e; takes place in Silver City in 1878. An elderly widow, Martha Higgins, suffers severe damage to her home when lightning destroys part of her porch during a violent storm. Unable to afford repairs, she seeks help from Reverend Samuel Carter and the church. Instead of assisting her, the minister refuses, arguing that the destruction was an "e;act of God"e; and therefore not the church's responsibility.Martha is humiliated but determined to fight back. She meets Abigail Thomson, a young lawyer arriving in Silver City to establish her practice. After hearing Martha's story, Abigail agrees to represent her without charge. Abigail investigates the damage, obtains repair estimates, interviews witnesses, and discovers that the church has a charitable fund that has previously helped other residents.

Queen of the Pirates is a sweeping historical adventure set across the violent and unpredictable waters of the Caribbean during the height of the Golden Age of Piracy. At the center of the story stands Isabella Devereaux, a fearless and brilliant pirate captain whose name becomes legendary from Tortuga to Nassau. Known across the seas as the "e;Queen of the Pirates,"e; Isabella commands not only fear but loyalty, carving out a place for herself in a brutal world dominated by ruthless men, corrupt empires, and endless war upon the ocean.Born into privilege but betrayed by the greed and cruelty of powerful nobles, Isabella's life changes forever after tragedy destroys her family and forces her into exile. Refusing to surrender to fate, she reinvents herself upon the sea, learning navigation, swordsmanship, naval tactics, and survival among smugglers, privateers, and pirates. Over the years she transforms from a hunted fugitive into one of the most dangerous captains in the Caribbean. Her ship, the Crimson Tide, becomes feared for its speed, black sails, and devastating broadsides that leave enemy vessels shattered in smoking ruin.Throughout the story, Isabella proves herself not merely a warrior but a strategist capable of outmaneuvering admirals and governors alike. She establishes hidden pirate strongholds, negotiates alliances between rival crews, and inspires men and women who have nowhere else to belong. Yet the deeper her legend grows, the greater the dangers surrounding her become. Enemies emerge from every direction: jealous captains seeking her crown, traitors hidden within her own ranks, and powerful nobles obsessed with reclaiming stolen fortunes or exacting revenge.The emotional heart of the novel lies in Isabella's struggle between vengeance and leadership. Though hardened by years of violence, she is not without compassion. She protects the weak, frees slaves and prisoners from brutal ships, and attempts to create a society among pirates where loyalty matters more than birth or wealth. This vision places her at odds with ruthless pirates who care only for gold and destruction. As battles intensify, Isabella must constantly decide whether survival requires sacrificing the ideals that made her followers believe in her.One of the novel's defining conflicts centers on the Spanish campaign to eliminate piracy from the Caribbean entirely. Massive warships descend upon pirate-controlled islands while governors promise pardons to those willing to betray their comrades. The seas become battlefields filled with cannon fire, burning wrecks, and desperate boarding actions. In one of the story's most dramatic arcs, Spanish galleons attack the pirate haven at St. Lucia, leading to a massive harbor battle involving shore batteries, pirate frigates, and deadly close-range combat. Count Lorenzo Valcorte, determined to recover his fiancée from pirate captivity, arrives amid the chaos only to meet a tragic end during the fighting.As the conflict escalates, Isabella's reputation evolves into myth. Sailors whisper that the Queen of the Pirates cannot be defeated, that storms themselves protect her fleet, and that any captain foolish enough to pursue the Crimson Tide signs his own death warrant. Yet Isabella knows legends alone cannot save her people. Facing impossible odds, betrayals, and mounting losses, she must lead her fleet through its darkest hour while deciding what kind of ruler she truly wishes to become.Queen of the Pirates blends naval warfare, treasure hunting, political intrigue, romance, revenge, and survival into an epic saga of freedom upon the sea. It is a story about power, loyalty, sacrifice, and the price of becoming a legend in a world ruled by cannon fire and blood-stained tides.

Jina Kim leads a double life in Seoul, South Korea. By night she performs at the Velvet Halo, an elite underground club in Gangnam where she works as a seductive, highly skilled dancer. To the audience she appears as an elegant, aloof entertainer, but beneath the surface she is constantly observing her environment like a trained operative. During a performance, she detects unusual behavior among patrons and security—signs of tension that suggest something is about to go wrong.When a drunken patron becomes aggressive and grabs her, Jina reacts with precise, controlled force. What looks to the crowd like part of her performance is actually a trained defensive maneuver, allowing her to subdue him without revealing her capabilities. The situation is defused quietly, reinforcing her reputation as both alluring and untouchable. After the performance, she returns backstage where her manager acknowledges the incident but treats it as routine.Offstage, Jina's identity shifts. She dresses down, leaving behind the persona of the dancer. She receives a cryptic message referencing "e;the crow"e; and coordinates in Oregon, along with an instruction that suggests a covert mission is being activated. She deletes the message but understands its implications immediately—she is being recalled for fieldwork. A second anonymous message warns her not to trust "e;the bird,"e; implying internal betrayal or compromised command structure.Jina accesses a hidden, offline system in her apartment and uncovers a classified mission involving Echo-7, a decommissioned black site in the Cascade Mountains. The intel suggests an attempted breach and an anomalous signal indicating something has "e;awakened."e; The situation is marked as high priority, and she is instructed to rendezvous with a contact named Loki. However, inconsistencies in communication and the warning she received make her suspect that the mission is compromised.Preparing for departure, she gathers equipment, false identities, weapons, and encrypted tools. She treats her apartment as a temporary staging point rather than a home, reinforcing her identity as a transient operative with multiple layered personas. She departs Seoul using a forged identity and travels to the United States without incident, maintaining complete operational discipline.In Oregon, she drives into remote forest territory, eventually reaching coordinates deep in the Cascade Mountains. The environment becomes increasingly isolated and unnatural, with heavy silence and no signs of wildlife activity. Following subtle field markers left by unknown operatives, she arrives at a concealed underground facility—Echo-7.The site is abandoned and partially destroyed, suggesting long-term decommissioning, but faint signals indicate recent activity. Inside, she discovers signs that the facility has been reactivated or accessed recently. A hidden SOS signal and unexpected equipment planted in her bag confirm that she is being monitored or manipulated.A mysterious man appears inside the facility, calm and aware of her presence. He speaks as though he understands her identity and warns her she should not have come alone. As tensions escalate, the facility begins to power itself back on, unlocking sealed doors and activating unknown systems. Something large and unseen stirs within the complex.Recognizing she may have walked into a trap or an unfolding containment failure, Jina retreats into the shadows, choosing stealth over confrontation. The mission's true nature remains unclear, but it is evident she has been drawn into a deeper conspiracy involving Echo-7, compromised intelligence channels, and possibly a reawakened experimental system or entity.The story ends with uncertainty and rising danger as Jina moves deeper into the mystery, forced to determine who is manipulating her—and what Echo-7 has truly become.

In Novosibirsk, elite operative Ji-Yeon infiltrates a secret facility and uncovers "e;Iron Fist,"e; a covert satellite weapons system capable of undetectable global strikes. After securing the data, she's exposed and fights through waves of спецназ, escaping into the Siberian tundra despite severe injuries. Hunted by soldiers and helicopters, she's ultimately captured and taken to Gulag-14. There, isolated in brutal conditions, she endures cold, pain, and interrogation without breaking. Even in captivity, Ji-Yeon remains mentally sharp, studying guard patterns and weaknesses. Though imprisoned, she begins planning her escape, determined to survive and deliver the intelligence.

Silver City is a harsh frontier mining town where the heat, dust, and danger are as constant as the search for wealth beneath the ground. Sheriff Jesse Mason and Colorado, a trusted partner in the silver mining operation, spend a quiet afternoon discussing the future of the mine, upcoming silver shipments, and the security measures needed to protect their valuable operation. Although the town appears calm, Jesse's instincts tell him that trouble often arrives before anyone recognizes it.That feeling proves correct when a mysterious rider enters Silver City alone. The stranger is a beautiful and confident cowgirl dressed in an elegant blue, gold, and white outfit, carrying two pistols and a rifle. Unlike ordinary travelers, she does not enter town looking for rest or adventure. Every movement reveals training, discipline, and purpose. She studies the streets, buildings, people, and possible threats with the careful eye of someone gathering information.Jesse watches her from the diner window and immediately recognizes that she is different. She does not move like a tourist or a wandering cowgirl; she moves like someone prepared for danger. Colorado also notices her unusual confidence and realizes that a woman arriving alone and asking questions about the silver mine is unlikely to have harmless intentions.The stranger enters the saloon, where her presence immediately changes the atmosphere. Conversations become quieter as everyone watches her carefully. She orders whiskey but makes it clear that she is seeking something more valuable than a drink: information. Her questions about the silver mine create tension among the townspeople because the mine represents power, money, and influence in Silver City.The mysterious woman later reveals her name as Goldie Turner. She studies the saloon like a battlefield, observing the behavior of every person inside. She notices who avoids eye contact, who becomes nervous, and who reacts when the name Turner is mentioned. Through careful observation, she begins uncovering hidden connections and possible secrets surrounding the town.Goldie's investigation leads her to the hotel, where she requests a room overlooking the street. Room 201 becomes her observation post as she studies Silver City from above. She watches the mine route, the saloon, the sheriff's office, and the movements of the townspeople. The town itself becomes a puzzle, and Goldie begins piecing together the information she needs.Meanwhile, Jesse and Colorado become increasingly suspicious. They understand that Goldie's questions are not random. Someone with her skills and confidence does not arrive in a mining town without a reason. They begin investigating her background while preparing additional security for the next silver shipment.As evening falls, the tension between the three forces grows: Jesse Mason, Colorado, and Goldie Turner. Jesse represents law and order, Colorado represents the protection of the mine, and Goldie represents an unknown purpose hidden behind her calm appearance.From her hotel window, Goldie notices the sheriff and Colorado watching her. She realizes she is no longer the only observer. The people of Silver City are now studying her as carefully as she studies them.Eventually, Goldie leaves her room and enters the hotel lobby, where she finally comes face-to-face with Jesse and Colorado. Jesse confronts her about asking questions throughout town. Instead of denying her actions, Goldie calmly explains that she asks questions wherever answers are hidden.The meeting ends with all three understanding that a dangerous game has begun. Jesse knows Goldie Turner is not an ordinary visitor. Colorado knows the mine may be connected to something larger than they expected. Goldie knows Silver City contains secrets worth uncovering.The stranger has arrived, but her true mission remains unknown. Silver City will never be the same.