Embedded Files
Formerly published as the "Portrait of an Unlikely Affair" series, The Oscar Company novels is a series that was not something going to be shared but it became evident an adventure was in the works. These characters have been 35 years in the making. It is a mix of sweet romance, military secrets, action, adventure, and family. They are available on eBook, paperback, and hardcover at Amazon.
The adventure of a lifetime...
The adventure of a lifetime...
It is a story about Brian… and the person he chose to become because of her. It’s also about Avonlea, the woman who could literally have any man in the world, and yet she chose the one soul that was never supposed to be saved.
Why should I read this book series?
It will be unlike anything you've read before. Amazon allows authors to give suggestions and recommendations and one of the options is say which book or author you are like. It puzzles me. I have not read another author who is "like" me, with my writing style, or even content. I cannot say, "read this book if you like....Whomever." Because I can't exactly say who. I write books I would enjoy reading myself. I can't compare myself to the likes of big named authors who have been around forever because I am a self-published author at this point. But I will say read this book if you like to watch TV shows that have a well developed plot with well loved characters that involve the military, secret military, a little love story, good guys vs. bad guys, and family ties. Read it if you like underdogs, impossible odds, and a fresh perception. Read this book if you want to read a series and if you want to have an adventure like you've not had before. Read this series because I wrote it for me and was never going to let the rest of you read it. Ever.
So, what vibes does this series this check off for you?
So, what vibes does this series this check off for you?
These are very much military thrillers, all blended with a sweet romance running through it. They aren’t all action, all the time, throwing out 100% military accurate terminology because it’s not meant to be a documentary. It doesn’t have swear words and foul language all over it. It’s also not a warm and fuzzy sweet romance where the drama is all about relationships or saving the town. There’s zero spice or gratuitous scenes that do not add to the story.
For the series in whole (not just a singular book or even every book) the tropes and vibes are:
🚪Closed-door (fade to black) — All of my books are no spice.
🏡Small town — Cable Glen and Sentinel Ridge give off the small town vibe despite what they truly are.
✔1990s Nostalgia-- Books 1-3 are set in the 1990s and life was definitely different before technology took over lives.
💰Celebrity & Royalty— The Stones, StoneHouse Entertainment, and the people they know are all part of the movie world…Plus the Stones have royal ties — it’s a two-for!
✔New adult — Books 1-3 have our MCs being 21-23 years old. Books 4-6 also have secondary characters who are 16-22.
💘Romantic suspense — Looking for that Happily Ever After in the drama.
✔Professions — military, movie stars, ranchers.
✔Military — Chalked full of veterans of all branches, the Firm is SOCOM.
😱Secrets — All of them have secrets.
🦸 Disguise/Hidden Identity — It’s a matter of national security!
🚒Slow burn — Total. Slow. Burn.
✔Friends to Lovers — Definitely.
✔Protector — Alpha males. Lots of testosterone. Beware if you don’t like manly men.
✔Emotional over Physical — Yeah, looks aren’t the whole package.
✔Forced Proximity — closeness makes the heart grow fonder?
✔Scars — Brian carries more than a fair share of them.
✔Loner — In more ways than one - a lone wolf, the last of his Company, and as an introvert.
✔Opposites attract — Celebrity and a top secret soldier!
✔Quests — A quest of a life time for the love of a princess? This perhaps holds more meaning to ponder than we think!
✔Redemption — How far would you go to redeem your brothers?
✔Ticking Time Bomb — Terminal Illness should have killed him.
✔Tortured Hero — pain and suffering is not for the faint of heart.
✔Violence — It’s a military thriller.
✔Kidnapped — Liam Neeson is not the scariest thing hunting these bad guys.
✔Fish out of Water — Normality is over rated.
✔Family — The dynamics of family is what builds us… or sinks us.
✔Amnesia — What’s your name again?
✔Other-Worldly Enemy — Crossing over into sci-fi and fantasy on this one.
Possible sensitivities….
Possible sensitivities….
❗ Abuse — The ‘evil stepmother’ aspect.
❗ Swearing — It’s not gratuitous swearing and is scene (and character) appropriate.
❗ Second Chances After Abuse — Tom has to make amends to his family (and with himself) for an absent fatherhood and abandonment.
❗ Terminal Illness — Brian faces terminal illness since he was a child
❗ Death — Not glorified, not heavily described, but death is real. Also grief shows up too in some parts.
❗ Faith — Brian has a belief in God and in the series as a whole there are very limited discussions/ideas that he holds that take place with characters who do not have the same views. This is not a series of religious discussion nor is it meant to be. Often times when death touches, faith comes to call.
❗ You will probably need a box of tissues for parts of this series….well, heck, just have a box of tissues within reach just to be safe.
The only thing left for you to do is start reading.
Random "Author Interview" Questions:
Q: Would you and your main characters of Oscar series get along?
Em: *laughs* That's a funny thought because I do often wonder if they are 'real' people sometimes. Perhaps not with these names, but who and what they are. I've always loved the idea that real life is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense, life does not. I'm envisioning a formal event, like a reception, where I have all of these characters invited for, say a book launch, and I'm having to mingle with them. (The thought is rather awe-inspiring because I know them so well. They are superstars to me.) We'd get along, I think. I have always said that knowing Brian Ridley in real life would be interesting simply based on everything he knows! It'd be like having your own personal encyclopedia of the world. He'd be very handy when writing and homeschooling! Also, he isn't big on social settings and people and neither am I so there couldn't really be much of a conversation outside of knowledge. Avonlea would be an interesting person to know as well but I'd have to know her for several years to be totally comfortable with her overall characters as a person. I'm not sure what I would even talk to her about. She'd likely be nice and personable and I'd hope that I'd be able to converse well and not blubber. Of course, seeing them as a couple, I think they'd be rather intimidating to have a conversation with. I'd be rather star-struck. I actually feel like the Ridley family themselves would be more of the people that I'd likely be more at ease with because they are all much more 'normal.'
Q: How did you come up with the title for this series?
Em: Titles were my nemesis up until I began publishing and then had to write the descriptions for the back covers of the books. Now that's my nemesis. Half the time I don't think I actually 'come up' with the titles but more that the titles 'come up' to me. As I had zero intentions of sharing this series or even it being a series, I often just referred to it as Brian's Story and even the Legend of CùSithGrim, which of course is the title of book 2 of this series. In all honesty, your title has to reflect the subject of your book. I had originally chosen Portrait of an Unlikely Affair because it had been the only title which made sense to me. It is a story that displays a very improbable event occurring. And it continues to be a story of improbable events throughout the whole series. Now fast forward to October 2025, and the word "affair' drives people from reading it because they don't like reading about "cheaters." This books has absolutely nothing to do with that, so I have changed the title of the first book to put the focus on Brian (249) because the series really is about him and his journey to becoming the man he ends up being. As of April 2026, I did rebrand the series title to the Oscar Company novels to take away the whole confusion of 'affairs' and focus on the constant link of the books -- Oscar Company. So in my older content, you may see the remenants of "Portrait of an Unlikely Affair" but everything from April 2026 forward will represent Oscar Company novels.
Now on Audible!!!
Now on Audible!!!
Being the mother of two kids with dyslexia, I understand that even though the desire to read is there, sometimes reading a book is a huge tear-filled challenge. It is something that a person simply doesn't grow out of. And that is how we discovered audiobooks. My kids will devour series upon series of books thanks to Audible and they are the drive behind me wanting to get my books into the audiobook format for those adults among us who find it a challenge to sit down and read. Thanks to Amazon KDP with Virtual Voice, you can now hear my novels. As I have said many times, even though the AI Narrator is no Mike Rowe, I have worked in training the narrator to correctly pronounce the words in the way they should be said. All books will be priced at $9.99 a book or is included for free with your Audible Plus membership. One day, I shall produce a version with an actual human reading them, but for now, we're going with what's available for us.
There is always an adventure in an Em Brooks book -- Let's listen to one today!
The Leftover Son, book 1
The Leftover Son, book 1
She is the face the whole world knows. He is the ghost in a shadow world not meant to be seen.
Avonlea Stone is movie royalty, living life in the spotlight until a violent encounter forced her into the shadows. Seeking refuge in the mountains of Montana, she’s just looking for a chance to breathe and not be a celebrity. She never expected her boyfriend’s family to be hiding a secret of their own: Brian. He is the brother no one spoke of, a kindred spirit in the dark, and sees the woman behind the famous face. He is a mystery Avonlea wants to know more about.
But Brian is something Avonlea isn’t supposed to know. In the shadows of the visible world lie secrets that must be guarded—and a hidden few tasked with making sure they stay there. This quiet little town is the home of those few. Known to the military only as 249, Brian is a living weapon with a ticking clock in his veins. What he is should never exist in a civilized world.
But where the world would see a threat, Avonlea sees a man.
In the quiet corners of Cable Glen, an improbable friendship begins. But with Brian’s health unraveling, and his secrets at stake, this tale is on a collision course with his deadly reality – and a shadow world that has to remain out of the light.
Previously published as “Portrait of an Unlikely Affair,” by Em Brooks
The Legend of CùSithGrim, book 2
The Legend of CùSithGrim, book 2
Every legend begins with the truth.
May 1996. Avonlea Stone, the world's most private actress, guarded her secrets well -- until the headlines broke. When her boyfriend is reported to be killed in a tragic accident, her carefully protected world has been ripped into the spotlight for all to see. Under suffocating pressure from the global media frenzy, the most famous darling of Hollywood did the unthinkable: she disappeared without a trace.
Thomas Ridley is no stranger to the shadows. A man built on duty and secrets, he's spent a lifetime navigating the brink of global disaster. But when his son, Brian, is entangled in a life-or-death struggle while undergoing treatment in Los Angeles, the mission becomes agonizingly personal. As Tom rushes his team to squash a scandal the world can never know about, the mysterious circumstances of Brian’s attack weigh heavily on Tom’s mind. Brian isn't only his son -- he is the only man who can stop what is coming.
With his life still hanging by a thread, Brian is taken to the isolation of Sentinel Ridge, Texas, where he is surrounded by the family that cared for him as a boy. In convalescing, Brian relives the moments of the past that shaped him, realizing his history holds the keys to the future.
As the investigation deepens, Tom discovers a single handwritten note from Brian to Avonlea. This discovery proves to Tom that Brian has been navigating the one thing he was never trained for — The possibility of having a life.
Now Avonlea is given a rare choice: Live a normal life without Brian or embrace a life she will never be able to share with the world.
The Ghost of Oscar, book 3
The Ghost of Oscar, book 3
It is the ultimate test - Family. Faith. Closure.
Brian Ridley was never meant for this world. He was a man built for the shadows and the battlefield, yet he finds himself tossed into the deep end of a life he never expected to live. Brian has been handed the most difficult and unlikely assignment he has ever faced in his career – He must enter and blend into Avonlea Stone’s world.
If he hopes to gain closure on General Hector Xarcoff, the man who executed Oscar Company, Brian is going to have to become the one thing he was never trained to be: "Normal."
Immersed in the intricacies of the Stone Family, Brian discovers that "normal" comes with its own brand of psychological warfare. As he navigates the minefields of Avonlea's past, the two must learn to have faith in one another and the love they fought to protect. Brian and Avonlea soon realize that success in this assignment will lead to a new reality: one that Avonlea fears could mean losing Brian and the future they were hoping to build together.
Embers to Ashes, book 4
Embers to Ashes, book 4
No one can stop what is coming, but Oscar Company is ready to try.
Eighteen years have passed since Major Brian Ridley found redemption in completing his last mission as a Hell Hound. In the time since, he has breathed new life into Oscar Company, forging a unit with a with a new purpose and deadlier edge. On the home front, Avonlea Stone has thrived in her most vital roles -- as a mother and a wife -- while still maintaining her legacy at StoneHouse Entertainment.
But the peace they've built is fragile.
Their middle child, Matthew, was a star quarterback in high school, with a limitless future, until a sudden heartbreak at sixteen sent Matt's life into a devastating spin. Now, with his future back on track, his past makes an unexpected re-entry into his life, causing his world to collide with his parents’ worlds.
As a new generation rises in the Liberty Creek Law Firm, Brian and Oscar Company come face to face with a new breed of enemy -- one unlike anything they have met on the battlefield. The rules have changed and the threat is closer than ever.
No one can stop what is coming, but Brian and Oscar Company aren’t the kind of men who go down without a fight.
Project Broken Glass, book 5
Project Broken Glass, book 5
The past has a way of coming back full circle, causing the world to either fall apart...or fall into place.
Nothing makes that more obvious than the Ridleys next set of challenges.
Past: The long vilified Colonel Warren Hayes becomes more than just a shadow in the margins. As the true journey of Oscar Company's creation comes to light, Hayes reveals himself as a man determined to save his future -- at any cost. Paired with Colonel Thomas Ridley to launch Project Last Stand, the two men clash over the questionable ethics of the program. While Tom openly doubts the program's viability, Hayes is guarding secrets he is willing to die for.
Present: Having been injured by experimental weaponry, Major General Brian Ridley awakens in the hospital, with his family by his side, and more questions about his past. Avonlea Stone is fighting a battle of her own as toxic gossip linking her to a long-rumored romance with singer-turned-actor Reese Foster runs rampant. She must navigate the media firestorm to protect the peace of her family the only way she knows how: Cade Bennett.
Out of the blue, a mysterious woman on the run emerges, holding a key to Brian's past and news of a hostile plot against StoneHouse Entertainment. The puzzle pieces of a forgotten era begin to click into place. As their "alien-like" foes make their move to execute their endgame, the danger touches the well-insulated Liberty Creek Law Firm.
Brian and Avonlea are about to be pushed into a reality no one could have predicted -- where the only way to survive the future is to embrace the truth of the past.
The Disruption of Forever, book 6
The Disruption of Forever, book 6
Never draw the attention of a Hell Hound
In the wake of the brutal assault on StoneHouse Entertainment, Avonlea Stone is a shell of her former self. The horrific plans of her captors have achieved the unthinkable: her private life has been erased. Her husband, her children, and her legacy have vanished from her mind, replaced by the hollow glamour of the tabloids and an "alternate" reality she now calls home. Even worse, her affections instead have turned to a long-time admirer, leaving her no desire to reclaim the life -- or the man -- she lost.
While his family rallies in the shadows, Major General Brian Ridley focuses on what was done to his wife and does what he does best. The legendary Hell Hound of Oscar Company is unleashed to hunt the elusive ancient enemy responsible for shattering his wife's mind. Brian will tear through every secret and every stronghold for the cure to bring Avonlea back -- and he is sending a message to those responsible: There is no place on Earth, in Heaven, or in Hell to hide from him.
For the woman who is his heart and his humanity, Brian Ridley is ready to prove that while he may be a ghost to the world, he will be the last thing his enemies ever see.
Want More about the series?
Want More about the series?
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