When Cody Johnson first caught sight of structural engineer Abra Wilson, he thought of endless possibilities. She had style and confidence--and was distracting as hell. She'd called his design an impractical piece of fancy, but then he'd always preferred frankness to subtleties. Abra had met men like Cody before. They usually thought they could smile their way out of trouble, and this overconfident East Coast architect was no exception. She'd told him to back off, but he wasn't listening. Sparks ignited in the desert building site, and then passion soon followed. But was it enough to stop someone from trying to destroy their first project together? Would they be able to find out who it is before any more damage is done?

It had been more than five years since Raven Williams had laid eyes on Brandon Carstairs, the man who\'d stolen her heart. Now he offered her the opportunity of a lifetime - to work with him on his latest venture. And despite the painful ache he brought to her life, Raven found herself powerless to say no...

He wanted power. Oliver Russell is fated to rise to the pinnacle of power, President of the United States. She wanted revenge. Leslie Stewart is his betrayed fiancee. Amassing her own media empire, on her fortieth birthday, she looks back. What went wrong?

Chronicles the endeavors of the Licht family--a clan of cheats, murderers, and con men--from the late eighteenth century through the 1930s, and details the moral consequences of their crimes and transgressions.

Former SEAL Hugh "Heff" Bradley has put aside his womanizing ways to focus on making the Sanctuary a place for veterans in need. He knows how difficult the transition back to civilian life at can be; he's walked the razor's edge himself a few times. His plan: Use his special skills to make the project a reality and stop those trying to sabotage it. That means keeping his head down and his hands to himself. Then he meets her.Sandy Summers knows exactly what she wants: to get out of Sumneyville for good. Fate seems to be conspiring against her, however, throwing up one obstacle after another. Her plan: Work two jobs, attend night school to earn a degree, accept that job offer in the city, and never look back.Impulsively hooking-up with the sexy, skilled SEAL before she leaves wasn't part of the plan. Neither was her absentee father showing up on her doorstep after fifteen years with another game changer. But she's worked too...

Tucker Max meets Neil Strauss in this irreverent and hilarious story of a modern-day hustler who decided to get laid or die trying.Before there were any books by Neil Strauss or Mystery, before there were pickup boot camps or DVD box sets, pickup existed as a loosely-knit "community" on Internet bulletin boards. There, would-be players shared their field reports, strategies, and results. They compared notes, exchanged critiques, and figured out a body of knowledge that defied everything men had ever been told about getting women—what has since come to be known as game. The undisputed king of the field report was a player named "jlaix." This was the handle of Jeff Allen, who would go on to be a founding member of Real Social Dynamics with Tyler Durden and Papa, all of whom play major roles in Neil Strauss's The Game, the bestselling exposé of the world of pickup artists. In an arena founded on one-upmanship, Jeff Allen did it bigger and...

Why dig a new grave when one already exists …? With his diet slipping and his penchant for Czech beer and pastries ever-growing, Captain Josef Slonský is back to his old ways. Except now he has four officers in his team to manage. The extra manpower is welcome when a complex case lands in his lap. A dead woman is found buried in a flower bed. But she wasn 't the only body dumped in the grave… Decomposed bone fragments point to a corpse that has been there a lot longer. And the burial site isn't any ordinary flower bed. It's in the grounds of the Red House - a building used by state security in the years before the fall of the Communism regime. Are the two bodies connected? Was the girl dumped there on purpose? And could more bodies be hidden underneath the dank earth? LAID IN EARTH is the sixth international crime thriller in the detective series featuring Josef Slonský: an atmospheric police procedural full of dark humour.

as if we didn't have enough trouble already: suddenly the great chicken shows up in minnesota. first thing you know, a million lime egg chickens are marching on new york city. can beulah and harry foil the great chicken or will he achieve world domination? one hair-raising episode follows another until beulah and harry finally hit on a plan. just in time too.'people eat boiled eggs, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, you name it, they eat it, without a word of thanks to the great chicken. I'm going to teach them a lesson they will never forget.' with these dreadful words the great chicken declares war on anyone who has ever eaten an egg or a chicken leg or told a chicken joke. but it's beulah, an ordinary chicken from minnesota, who hatches the first lime egg chicken. naturally the egg is green, the color of limes, but that's not the worst of it because in a wink of an eye that lime egg chicken hatches another lime egg chicken and she wastes no time hatching a lime egg chicken of her own; before you know it the next chicken does the same, and so on, until pretty soon a million chickens are heading straight for new york city. poor beulah: smart as she is, she can't prevent those lime egg chickens from invading the big apple. already they're chasing people into the suburbs. the great chicken's fiendish plot is succeeding. fortunately beulah is a plucky chicken. she recruits harry the kid and together they mastermind a scheme to stop the great chicken in his tracks. one hair-raising episode follows another as beulah and harry battle the great chicken for world domination. it's a cliffhanger.

There is poison stinging the air and the only safe refuge for humans is underground. The most satisfying food in the world that sustains humans are wings from Angels, which they hunt down and use for nefarious purposes after eating their wings. Two sibling Angels get caught and held captive underground. The male sibling Virtue must convince his human captor to let both him and his sister go.Have you ever wondered how exciting a tortoise’s life is? What exciting things might a tortoise get up to, if it disappears behind a bag of potatoes in the garden shed? George lived with his parents in a small cottage, miles away from anywhere. Since he was too young to go to school, he spent his days playing in the garden with Timothy, his pet tortoise. George never realised what incredible adventures his pet might have, slowly lumbering around the garden. Read “Timothy’s Big Adventure” and find out how this little tortoise crawled behind a bag of potatoes, fell into a void that led into another universe and then encountered the most amazing adventure. Sometimes, the most extraordinary stories can occur in the most unlikely places!

"Bad girls get punished. Are you ready, tiny tigress?" -Deck On the verge of my first heat and desperate to protect my sister from the brutality of men, I fly into an omega rage when raiders attack my family's fishing boat. When The Liner, the biggest, cruelest alpha I've ever seen, arrives with his crew and rescues my sister, only to threaten to hurt her if I don't go with him, there's only one thing I can do. Except, he doesn't just want my obedience. He wants my submission. He wants to claim me. Break me. Own me. Light on plot, heavy on spice, dive into this 'quick read' dark dystopian human omegaverse romance knowing you'll find triggering content, including a possessive alpha, a reluctant omega, and a delicious battle of wills that ends in Happily Ever After.

In 1920s Scotland, even ghosts wear plaid. 
Welcome to a sexy, spooky new paranormal historical series from debut author Ella Stainton.
Scotland, 1928
 Dr. Ainsley Graham is cultivating a reputation as an eccentric.
Two years ago, he catastrophically ended his academic career by publicly claiming to talk to ghosts. When Joachim Cockburn, a WWI veteran studying the power of delusional thinking, arrives at his door, Ainsley quickly catalogues him as yet another tiresome Englishman determined to mock his life’s work.
But Joachim is tenacious and openhearted, and Ainsley’s intrigued despite himself. He agrees to motor his handsome new friend around to Scotland’s most unmistakable hauntings. If he can convince Joachim, Ainsley might be able to win back his good name and then some. He knows he’s not crazy—he just needs someone else to know it, too.
Joachim is one thesis away from realizing his dream of becoming a psychology professor, and he’s not going to let anyone stop him, not even an enchanting ginger with a penchant for tartan and lewd jokes. But as the two travel across Scotland’s lovely—and definitely, definitely haunted—landscape, Joachim’s resolve starts to melt. And he’s beginning to think that an empty teaching post without the charming Dr. Graham would make a very poor consolation prize indeed…

Grace and Gary work together. They also plan to play together. That's all I'll tell you. Click the blue below to see why. Here it suffices to say that the story is short and free. Why read a summary when with little more effort you can read the whole thing? If you can't spare a moment more, you shouldn't be wasting time reading fiction anyway. Go back to work!"One can not judge a book by its cover." So we are told. But a cover is usually the only thing a reader has to base a judgment on. Smashwords tries to aid readers by providing summaries, one short, one long, for each book it distributes. For non-fiction this works well. But this, it seems to me, defeats the whole purpose of fiction. After all, one reads a story to find out what will happen. It’s the uncommon twists and turns that make a story interesting. But if a summary has told all this beforehand, what fun is to be had in the reading? Therefore, no summary of the present short story is given. It's short and it’s free! So read the whole thing and see if you like it. I ask you to do this because I think it is the best book judging method. To find fiction you like you must first read around enough to learn something of the style and stories of different authors. Then you can judge books, not by their cover, but by the your opinion of the writer. I'd like to help you do this. The present short story is one of several which I will make available free at Smashwords. Read a few (or all of them) and decide if you like them. It won't cost you a dime. If you like them, you can then purchase some of my not free (but still inexpensive) longer stories. All these stories are of one particular kind. To reflect this similarity all have the same cover picture, the Kitty & Rose shown above. So after you’ve read a few, you can, in fact, judge them by their cover. The common theme of the Kitty & Rose stories is human sexuality. This is not unusual. Most fiction concerns sex in one way or another; ranging from romances so sedate and demure an extraterrestrial could never know sex is at the root of everything described, to erotica so unrestricted even an extraterrestrial might blush. Kitty & Rose stories are in the middle of this range. All deal with human sexuality, but none do so explicitly. Rather, they are seemly. The dictionary gives three meanings for seemly: Attractive or agreeably fashioned; Decorous or conventionally proper; and Appropriate or suited to its purpose. With respect to appropriateness, seemly sex stories range from the humorous to the inspirational, but all concern human sexuality. So they are clearly appropriate. These stories are also seemly in the decorous and conventionally proper sense. For, while they treat sex candidly, they do not do so graphically. There is nothing pornographic nor erotic in any seemly sex story. Of course, different persons’ opinions about this may differ. A few consider frank pornography decorous. At the opposite extreme are those like the abbot of the monastery where the great biologist Gregor Mendel did his epochal research. This abbot thought Mendel’s studies were decidedly indecorous because they involved the sex of pea plants! Finally, there is the principal sense of seemly, attractive and agreeably fashioned. Like every author I exert my every effort and ability trying to make these stories seemly in this regard. But like every author, I must await your determination of the degree of my success. Since both of us will be pleased if you find them attractively seemly, I very much hope you do.Happy reading!BobbyBP.S. This is Kitty & Rose story #7, uploaded 2-23-17.

Newton Hughes has long dreamed of pursuing a career in law, an acceptable choice for a gentleman of status and wealth. His parents, however, disapprove of his ambition, urging him instead to take his rightful place as a gentleman of leisure—with a suitable wife of their choosing, of course. Ellie Napper would like nothing more than for her parents to abandon their incessant efforts to marry her off to the greatest possible advantage. Her lack of matrimonial enthusiasm drives her family mad, but she refuses to feign frivolity in order to make herself more palatable to potential suitors. When Ellie and Newton are introduced through their mutual acquaintance, Charlie Jonquil, they commiserate over their shared plight. In desperation, they hatch a plan: Ellie and Newton will feign an interest in each other—enough to convince their parents not to push them toward unwanted matches but not enough to cause whispers or expectations. Their plot quickly spirals out of control, but the greatest complication is the one they didn’t see coming: their plan never included falling in love.

The men of the super-secret Skull Blaster unit have put down their weapons long enough to find love - and even husbands - from Arizona to Alaska and the Olympic Peninsula. Now their new families and friends are hoping to find their own happily-ever-afters. Werewolf Sawyer Quinton’s brothers have finally found their mates in the Drake brothers, Dakota’s former packmates. Things get off to a rocky start but love conquers all. Or does it? Can the Drakes overcome the gay bashing they suffered at their father’s hands and be true to themselves and the men they love? Or are some lessons just too hard to unlearn?

Welcome to Bloomfield, where life is simple, love is real, and stories are shared.Architect and hometown boy Hal McKenzie is called back to Bloomfield when the mayor needs help figuring out how to expand the city hall and courthouse. That will mean having to move the old Founders Cottage provided by the Caroline Short family.Hal was sweet on Caroline back in high school and knows that moving her family's historical landmark isn't the best way to take another shot at having a love connection. Now he must respect the mayor's wishes while convincing Caroline that he still cares for her.Best Laid Plains is a charming romance illustrating how honesty really is the best policy, and God is in control of even the smallest details of our lives.

Can an unlucky-in-love wedding planner convince a grumpy billionaire that love is real and save her job? Find out in this Moonlight Ridge novel by Karen Booth!"You could use a lesson ingiving in to temptation." But who's Autumn Kincaid to talk? Her reputation as a wedding planner is on the line after she's left at the altar. So is her job at Moonlight Ridge—unless she proves herself to grumpy Grey Holloway, whose family owns the resort. Grey doesn't even believe in true love. She has to convince him romance is real, that all he needs is to give in to the heat threatening to burn them both. Maybe this time Autumn will get her own happily-ever-after...or is this just another best-laid plan?From Harlequin Desire: Luxury, scandal, desire—welcome to the lives of the American elite.Love triumphs in these uplifting romances, part of the Moonlight Ridge series: Book 1: Homecoming...

Detroit ex-cop August Snow takes up vigilante justice when his beloved neighborhood of Mexicantown is caught in the crosshairs of a human traffickingscheme. When the body of an unidentified young Hispanic woman dressed as Queen Marie Antoinette is dredged from the Detroit River, the Detroit Police Department wants the case closed fast. Wayne County Coroner Bobby Falconi gives the woman's photo to his old pal ex-police detective August Snow, insisting August show it around his native Mexicantown to see if anyone recognizes her. August's good friend Elena, a prominent advocate for undocumented immigrants, recognizes the woman immediately as a local teenager, Isadora del Torres.Izzy's story is one the authorities don't want getting around—and she's not the only young woman to have disappeared during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid, only to turn up dead a few weeks later. Preyed upon by the law itself, the people of Mexicantown have no one to...

From Contemporary Romance Author Avery Samson comes a brand new romantic comedy full of unexpected laughs and the forever kind of love. Sam wasn't the kind of girl that wanted a ring on her finger. After watching her parents both burn through relationships at a record pace, she knew they never lasted. A quick roll in the sheets was fun and, most importantly, uncomplicated. Besides, school was enough of a commitment for now. So, when the stranger she sits next to in the bar on her twenty-first birthday seems to come with no strings, she follows him home. Dean can't believe his good fortune when his boss stands him up in the bar. The girl sitting next to him is definitely a step up. But when she's gone the next morning, he figures that's that. One-night stand? No problem. Until he walks into his college classroom and she's there. Waiting for his lecture. Is convincing Sam that they could be amazing together worth screaming mice, girl...

"This love story is heartrending, swoon-worthy, and extremely well-told." — Publishers Weekly, starred review A man who's been moving his whole life finally finds a reason to stay put.Charlie Matheson has spent his life taking care of things. When his parents died two days before his eighteenth birthday, he took care of his younger brother, even though that meant putting his own dreams on hold. He took care of his father's hardware store, building it into something known several towns over. He took care of the cat he found in the woods...so now he has a cat.When a stranger with epic tattoos and a glare to match starts coming into Matheson's Hardware, buying things seemingly at random and lugging them off in a car so beat-up Charlie feels bad for it, his instinct is to help. When the man comes in for the fifth time in a week, Charlie can't resist intervening.Rye Janssen has spent his...

In 1920s Scotland, even ghosts wear plaid.Welcome to a sexy, spooky new paranormal historical series from debut author Ella Stainton.Scotland, 1928Dr. Ainsley Graham is cultivating a reputation as an eccentric.Two years ago, he catastrophically ended his academic career by publicly claiming to talk to ghosts. When Joachim Cockburn, a WWI veteran studying the power of delusional thinking, arrives at his door, Ainsley quickly catalogues him as yet another tiresome Englishman determined to mock his life's work.But Joachim is tenacious and openhearted, and Ainsley's intrigued despite himself. He agrees to motor his handsome new friend around to Scotland's most unmistakable hauntings. If he can convince Joachim, Ainsley might be able to win back his good name and then some. He knows he's not crazy—he just needs someone else to know it, too.Joachim is one thesis away from realizing his dream of becoming a psychology professor, and he's not...

A friendless old miser, banker Lawrence Boyd, is found dead at home. Called to the scene, Inspector Witherspoon is lucky to have Mrs. Jeffries's help-since the list of suspects includes just about everyone Boyd's ever met.

That time I had the brilliant idea to ask my good friend for lessons in sex-ploration... Awkward? Maybe. But how else is a good girl going to find out if she likes being naughty? I might be sweet as cherry pie, but I'm also bold and damn curious. And Gabe is charming, trustworthy, aces at seduction (or so I hear) and—bonus!— willing to give me lessons. But to guarantee it won't ruin our friendship, I have some specific requirements for his instruction. I want these classes to be hypothetical more than hands-on. So what if he's hella sexy? I can handle that, no problem. *** I have it bad for Arden. She's bright, brilliant, insanely fun, and I want to take her home and spend all night together—and then spend the day with her, too. When she asks for my help, I see my chance to win her sweet heart by showing her how much fun we can have getting spicy. Trouble is, she has a different idea of what "sex-ploration" should mean....

Former SEAL Hugh "Heff" Bradley has put aside his womanizing ways to focus on making the Sanctuary a place for veterans in need. He knows how difficult the transition back to civilian life at can be; he's walked the razor's edge himself a few times. His plan: Use his special skills to make the project a reality and stop those trying to sabotage it. That means keeping his head down and his hands to himself. Then he meets her.Sandy Summers knows exactly what she wants: to get out of Sumneyville for good. Fate seems to be conspiring against her, however, throwing up one obstacle after another. Her plan: Work two jobs, attend night school to earn a degree, accept that job offer in the city, and never look back.Impulsively hooking-up with the sexy, skilled SEAL before she leaves wasn't part of the plan. Neither was her absentee father showing up on her doorstep after fifteen years with another game changer. But she's worked too hard and too long not to stick to her plan, even if it means walking away from the only good thing that's happened to her in years.Heff and Sandy know firsthand what can happen to the best laid plans. But when getting back on track means sacrificing a chance at true happiness, do they take it? Or do they make a new plan?Best Laid Plans is a contemporary love story with enough steam, suspense, and humor to give you all the feels and leave you smiling.

"Too hot? She ll have to take more than one taste to decide. ""Urban Fairytales, Book 2"After devoting ten years to caring for her grandmother, Zora Calloway is ready for the next stage of her life until a series of frightening phone calls reminds her of an abusive ex who might still have it in for her. At least she has someplace to run and a job waiting for her when she gets there.But a near-fatal collision with a huge black bear on a dark, storm-swept road changes everything. She wakes up in a secluded cabin, confronted by her rescuer: a naked hunk in the form of Logan Lamere. An explosive attraction leads her straight into his arms then she learns they are not alone.Bear-shifter cousins Heath, Gavin and Logan Lamere had lost faith in finding their mate until Zora comes crashing into their lives. With one glance, they know she s the one they ve been waiting for.Zora is stunned at how easily she succumbs to the temptation to stay for a short while. But the men have forever in mind if they can persuade their Goldilocks to accept three bears as her mates. And keep her safe from a danger that blindsides them all.Warning: Three sexy shifters, one willing woman the bed is just right .and so is the table the wall the woods If you thought it was really all about the porridge, go to the back of the class.

Eighteen-year-old Keely Collins is determined to change her status as the last virgin standing in this sweet, hilarious rom-com for fans of Meg Cabot and Jenny Han.It seemed like a good plan at first.When the only other virgin in her group of friends loses it at Keely's own eighteenth birthday party, she knows it's time for drastic measures. If she's going to avoid heading to college without any experience of her own, she needs to find the guy, and fast. Problem is, she's known all the boys in her small high school forever, and it's kinda hard to be into a guy when you watched him eat crayons in kindergarten. So she can't believe her luck when she meets a ridiculously hot new guy named Dean. Not only does he look like he's fallen out of a classic movie poster, but he drives a motorcycle, flirts with ease, and might actually be into her. But Dean's already in college, and Keely is convinced he'll drop her if he finds out how inexperienced she is. That's when...

FROM EXCITING ROMANCE AUTHOR SANDRA CARMELAn Oh, Baby! storyWhat happens when the best-laid plans create an accidental baby?Archer Aldrich, a commitment-phobic, full-human CEO of his own company in Melbourne, Australia, discovers that he must marry by Valentine's Day to inherit a shit-ton of money from his great-uncle's will. His dilemma deepens when the woman he has the hots for—Temperance Elskelig, a part-Jade-Violet vampire, part-human—is slated to return to Norway because her working visa will soon expire.Archer has refrained from pursuing a relationship with Temperance to avoid upsetting her brother and business partner, Bror. The perfect solution? A fake marriage. If Archer and Temperance pretend to be involved, they can meet the required stipulations while having some fun, then go their separate ways afterward. No harm, no foul, right?As they embark on this journey together, they are forced to face...

Whether it's a subway station in Norway, ski resort in Vermont, McMansion in the suburbs, or trendy art gallery in Toronto, the 21 authors represented in this superb collection of mystery and suspense interpret the overarching theme of the best-laid plans in their own inimitable style. And like many best-laid plans, they come with no guarantees. Stories by Tom Barlow, Susan Daly, Lisa de Nikolits, P.A. De Voe, Peter DiChellis, Lesley A. Diehl, Mary Dutta, C.C. Guthrie, William Kamowski, V.S. Kemanis, Lisa Lieberman, Edward Lodi, Rosemary McCracken, LD Masterson, Edith Maxwell, Judy Penz Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Peggy Rothschild, Johanna Beate Stumpf, Vicki Weisfeld, and Chris Wheatley.

Mabel Skinner still hasn't acquired a taste for growing garlic, but the app developer-turned farmer does have a nose for rooting out killers . . . Dreaming she'll someday return to her less pungent life of computer coding, Mabel continues to honor her deceased aunt's legacy by running Skinner Farm. To make ends meet between harvests, she's renting out the property's mercifully downwind lavender field for summer weddings. Mabel's first clients are a retirement age couple celebrating their second chance at love in their later years. Hosting a rehearsal dinner with fresh foods seemed like a good idea to promote the farm—until the dead body of one of the wedding guests is discovered. The suddenly departed was the soon-to-be-ex-business partner of the groom, supposedly poisoned by goat cheese hors d'oeuvres provided by Mabel's neighbor. Despite the tragedy and the scandal, the groom insists on keeping his wedding date. But with...

A death that wasn't what it seemed ... A kidnapping that isn't what it seems ... Time is running out.The morning after his wedding night, Prince Marcelo thought he'd be embarking on a journey to his own personal fairytale happily ever after with his husband Efren, the crown prince of Zioneven. But when news arrives indicating his sister's death wasn't as accidental as previously thought, that journey becomes fraught with danger.Enmeshed in political intrigue, death, and a kidnapping that might not be what it seems, will Efren untangle the web of misleading clues in time to save the naïve young man he's already come to admire? Or will Marcelo dig deep to discover a previously untapped inner strength and determination to facilitate his own survival?

In the first of a new mystery series, we meet Nora Best as she flees her old life, cheating husband and all, and takes to the road with an Airstream trailer. Nora Best is the envy of her friends. She's just turned fifty and has traded in her home with The Perfect-Ass Husband for an Airstream trailer and an adventure of a lifetime across the US. But during their leaving party, Nora finds her husband in a compromising position with a friend. Storming out of the party she jumps into her truck with no idea how to tow the Airstream or where she's going. Nora ends up in a campground in the mountains of Wyoming, drowning her sorrows with its managers, Brad and Miranda. When she is woken by a frantic Miranda after Brad has disappeared and bloodstains have been found around the campsite, Nora finds herself caught up in an adventure she could never have expected . . . facing a charge of murder.

Images of Hunter Marx and Matt Murdock provided by Massive Studio. Jack Cannon is an elite member of LAPD's new Violent Crimes Unit. He's tough, he's smart...he's also gay. Jack's a guy who deals with pressure and stress by cruising. When he has a fling with a hot guy, one even hotter night in Los Angeles, it's no casual coupling. This guy is great. Jack wouldn’t mind seeing him again except he's discovered he'll be seeing a lot of him. This is the guy he's supposed to tail--Lucio Natale, the most violent mob boss ever to land in the city of angels.

She was the sexiest thing in a hard hat that architect Cody Johnson had ever seen, but structural engineer Abra Wilson also had a will as strong as a steel girder - and just about as flexible. But Cody had plans for Abra that not even this spirited beauty could resist ...

The PlanSmuggle diamonds from Liberia to MoroccoMake the trip in three daysDon't get caughtDon't kill each otherDon't have sex with each otherDon't fall for each otherSTICK TO THE PLANThis is the story of what happens when an unlikely bond is formed between enemies, causing tensions to rise, and igniting a chemistry that threatens to burn them both. Together, they'll learn that sometimes even the best laid plans can fail.

Perfect for fans of Monica Murphy and Cecy Robson, Sidney Halston’s scorching new MMA romance proves there are no holds barred when it comes to seduction. Growing up an Army brat, Violet Channing could never meet her dad’s high expectations. But in the eyes of her best friend, she could do no wrong. He even insisted that he should be her first kiss. Now Cain Sorensen is all grown up, hardened by years in special ops and always looking for a good fight. Tall, with striking blue eyes and impossibly blond hair, he’s a modern-day Viking warrior. Of course, Violet’s all grown up, too, and she’s ready to surrender to his every command.Cain knows he’s bad for Violet. His work is dangerous, and his hobbies are downright deadly. As a private mercenary and a mixed martial arts fighter, he could never let such an innocent soul into his world. And yet his most grueling combat training is no match for Violet’s killer curves, hot touch, and suggestive glances. Now all of Cain’s most explosive fantasies are coming true—but once they cross the line between friends and lovers, there’s no turning back.

Emily Dickinson, probably the most loved and certainly the greatest of American poets, continues to be seen as the most elusive. One reason she has become a timeless icon of mystery for many readers is that her developmental phases have not been clarified. In this exhaustively researched biography, Alfred Habegger presents the first thorough account of Dickinson's growth--a richly contextualized story of genius in the process of formation and then in the act of overwhelming production.Building on the work of former and contemporary scholars, My Wars Are Laid Away in Books brings to light a wide range of new material from legal archives, congregational records, contemporary women's writing, and previously unpublished fragments of Dickinson's own letters. Habegger discovers the best available answers to the pressing questions about the poet: Was she lesbian? Who was the person she evidently loved? Why did she refuse to publish and why was this refusal so...

The pressures of the recession have left the Fletchers' business in trouble and the family in a similar state of disarray. The lack of a bond with her daughter, Amy, has left Christine Fletcher feeling guilty about the amount of time she spends instead with her artistic daughter-in-law, Monique. But Christine's husband and daughter don't believe Monique to be as innocent and uncomplicated as she seems. A family Christmas reveals surprises, and when Monique disappears to her cottage in France and Amy's new relationship runs into trouble, Christine is forced to act to save both her family and the business.**

Dr. Antonio "Tone" Ortiz is an ordinary single father in Miami, trying to ignore what flows through his veins, until his daughter, Jewel, goes missing. With all his options failing, it's up to Tone to find his daughter by any means necessary, even if that means signing his soul over to the devil himself: his father, Caltrone Orlando.Co-parenting has never been easy, and Kenya Gates will learn just how hard it is with the kidnapping of her daughter, Jewel. Even through all the sacrifices, secrets, lost love, drama, pain, and manipulation, these two fighting parents will come together with one agenda in mind: to save their daughter at all costs. But will Kenya also be willing to join up with Tone's dangerous father, or will she allow her emotions to get in the way?Behind the scenes, a legacy had been founded, one ushering in legendary murders and mayhem. Now it's time to understand the Orlandos, the seductive, lethal, and notorious family known for taking and leaving...

From Lynn Schnurnberger, bestselling co-author of Mine Are Spectacular! and The Botox Diaries, comes a novel of big secrets, family ties, and a reminder that sometimes The Best Laid Plans can lead to delightful surprises.Tru Newman is one of the Upper East Side "M&Ms"--the wealthy stay-at-home moms who are into personal Maintenance and Mothering. Having been raised by a beauty queen mother who constantly picked on her, Tru loves looking after her investment banker husband, Peter, and their twin teen daughters. But her perfect world spins off its axis the night Tru throws a charity benefit and discovers that Peter's been out of work for three months. Even worse, the family's been living on a house of cards--specifically, Visa and Amex--that's about to collapse.Suze Orman tells Tru to "Get a job!" But doing what? When Tru's best friend, Sienna Post, loses her position as an anchor on the local nightly news, the two hatch a profitable if...

With love in their hearts and crafting the perfect wedding on their minds, the possibilities are endless for the ladies of Lynette Austin's new Magnolia Brides series.SOME DREAMS ARE WORTH WHATEVER IT TAKESJenni Beth Beaumont left her broken heart behind when she took her dream job in Savannah. But after her brother's death, Jenni Beth returns home to help mend her parents' hearts as well as restore their beautiful but crumbling antebellum mansion. New dreams take shape as Jenni Beth sets to work replacing floors and fixing pipes to convert the family homestead into the perfect wedding destination. However, some folks in their small Southern town are determined to see her fail.Cole Bryson was once the love of Jenni Beth's life, but the charming architectural salvager has plans of his own for the Beaumont family home. As the two butt heads,old turmoil is brought to the surface and Cole and Jenni Beth will have to work through some painful memories and tough realities...

How a Midwestern family with no agriculture experience went from a few backyard chickens to a full-fledged farm—and discovered why local chicks are better.When Lucie Amundsen had a rare night out with her husband, she never imagined what he'd tell her over dinner—that his dream was to quit his office job (with benefits!) and start a commercial-scale pasture-raised egg farm. His entire agricultural experience consisted of raising five backyard hens, none of whom had yet laid a single egg. To create this pastured poultry ranch, the couple scrambles to acquire nearly two thousand chickens—all named Lola. These hens, purchased commercially, arrive bereft of basic chicken-y instincts, such as the evening urge to roost. The newbie farmers also deal with their own shortcomings, making for a failed inspection and intense struggles to keep livestock alive (much less laying) during a brutal winter. But with a heavy dose of humor, they learn to negotiate...

When his missing bride suddenly reappears with a child she claims is his daughter—almost two years after her presumed death, Lord Halcombe is forced to decide both her fate and his. Honed by a desperate fight for survival, Frances is no longer the naïve girl he’d married. Can he put the past aside and accept the strong-willed, passionate woman she is now?

The Pirate Isles are united under Drake Morrass’ flag, but the war has only just begun.There’s still a long way to go before he’s able to call himself King, and traitors at every turn. The Five Kingdoms and Sarth have assembled a fleet of ships unlike any the world has ever seen and they intend to purge the Pirate Isles once and for all by fire and steel.Revenge, never far from Keelin Stillwater’s mind, is finally within his grasp and he sets sail to the Forgotten Empire. But more than dense jungles and ruined cities await him there. Vengeful gods and malignant spirits now call those cursed lands home, and they are not wisely disturbed.Meanwhile, Elaina Black tries to secure herself powerful allies and the forces those allies can spare. She’s set her course on the throne: either by Drake’s side or over his dead body.

Amazon.com ReviewA Letter from Author Karen Abbott My grandmother used to tell me stories about growing up during the Great Depression, and she once related a tale about a cousin who saw Gypsy Rose Lee perform in 1935. “She took a full fifteen minutes to peel off a single glove,” the cousin said, “and she was so damned good at it I would’ve gladly given her fifteen more.” This story got me thinking: who was Gypsy Rose Lee? And how did an awkward girl named Louise Hovick become her? I spent three years researching the answer, research that included connecting with Gypsy’s late sister, the actress June Havoc; I was the last person to interview her. When I arrived at June’s Connecticut farm I found her lying in bed, her hair done up in pert white pigtails. She was ninety-four years old, give or take, and the legs that once danced on stages across the country were now motionless, two nearly imperceptible bumps tucked beneath crisp white sheets. Her eyes were a bold shade of blue and painfully sensitive to light. She told me the musical Gypsy distorted her childhood so thoroughly it was as if “I didn’t own me anymore.” She realized her sister was “screwing me out in public,” and that, in the end, there was no stopping either Gypsy or Gypsy; the play was both her sister’s monument and her best chance for monumental revisionism. It took another visit for June to share more personal memories: money was Gypsy’s “god,” and she would do anything to anybody, including June, to make more of it. Gypsy did in fact do things, not only to June but also to herself—“terrible” and “awful” and “shocking” things, things beneath her sister’s formidable intellect and keen wit, things that made June believe, to that day, that love (even love fraught with competition and jealousy) never existed between them at all. I asked and listened, for as much time as June gave me. I asked until her patience wore thin and her eyes watered with the effort to stay open. “I hope I didn’t upset you today,” I whispered. “That’s not my intention.” “I know,” June said. Those startling eyes found their focus, settling on mine. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be more open about some things... I’m still ashamed for her. I wish they hadn’t happened.” “Would Gypsy wish the same?” I asked. “She had no shame.” A pause, and I said, feebly, “You were a good sister to her.” A hand tunneled out from the sheet. She coiled long, blade-thin fingers around my wrist. “I was no sister,” June said. “I was a knot in her life. I was nothing.” She retracted her hand, gave her eyes permission to close. I kissed her cheek and crept out the bedroom door. I was grateful she let me inside—even on the periphery, even briefly¬—and I suspected she was saving her own questions for the day she reunited with the sister she did profess to love, the one she still called Louise. ReviewPraise for American Rose:"Abbott creates a brainy striptease similar to the one her subject may have performed: uncovering doozies in one chapter about Lee's outrageous life, followed in the next by the less salacious (but always captivating) details about how New York City's Minsky brothers, who played a crucial role in Lee's stardom, built their burlesque empire." —Newsday"At its core, American Rose is a haunting portrait of a woman 'giving what she has to, keeping all she can,' offering her audiences a sassy, confident self while making sure they would never know the damaged soul who created her." —The Los Angeles Times"American Rose is the rare biography that captures the imagination and doesn't let go. It would scare the bejeesus out of Gypsy Rose Lee, and it's guaranteed to enthrall readers." —*Book Page"[Abbott's] portrait of the famed stripper is both darker and more inspiring than the famed stripper's version of her life as filtered by Broadway or Hollywood." —Atlanta Journal-Constitution Praise for Karen Abbott’s *Sin in the Second City“A delicious history . . . a lush love letter to the underworld . . . [Abbott] describes the Levee’s characters in such detail that it’s easy to mistake this meticulously researched history for literary fiction.”—The New York Times Book Review“[Abbott’s] research enables the kind of vivid description à la fellow journalist Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City that makes what could be a dry historic account an intriguing read.”—The Seattle Times“[A] satisfyingly lurid tale . . . Change the hemlines, add 100 years, and the book could be filed under current affairs.”—USA Today“Assiduously researched . ...

Contemporary Romance

FROM EXCITING AUTHOR OF LGBTQIA ROMANCE T. STRANGEBook three in the Bound to the Spirits seriesPsychic medium Harlan Brand wants to be the bridge between the living and the spirits of Toronto.Tired of dealing with ghosts reactively through the Toronto Police Service, psychic medium Harlan Brand starts his own paranormal investigation business, Laid to Rest Investigations. He wants to help ghosts before they become problems and help the people and ghosts who slip through the official cracks. His former police partner, Hamilton, joins him as his associate.Harlan' s personal life is becoming just as complicated. He' s just moved in with his boyfriend, Charles Moore, and he' s been contacted by a man he saved from possession, Michael Clark. Despite his love for Charles and the commitment they' ve made to one another, Harlan immediately finds himself drawn to Michael. However, after Charles meets Michael and they hit it off, they...

Lucien and Dahlia… A relationship that was never meant to be. Is that why it seems so destined to fail? Maybe. But Lucien doesn’t believe that’s the case. Still, with all the odds stacked against this unlikely couple, Lucien sees only one way out---sacrifice himself in order to save Dahlia. Will Lucien succeed in destroying himself? Can Dahlia stop him? Or, will their love prove strong enough to save them both? All the answers are revealed in Sacrifice: Laid Bare, the final installment in the Laid Bare series. Volume 4 of the Laid Bare novellas Steamy Romance/Paranormal Romance

Curvy girl Bethany Mills can't believe her good fortune when her new neighbor turns out to be devastatingly hot. But someone that gorgeous could never fall for someone like her…could he? A charming personality and appreciation for sappy music aren't the only things Maximilian Pearce is hiding, and just when Bethany thinks she might get her very own happily ever after, a shocking revelation forces her to make a heartbreaking choice.

All Maddox Storm wanted was to come home and hide from the world in peaceful solitude for a few short weeks. Oh, and give her soon-to-be ex cheating scumbag husband a fat headache while she’s at it. He hates all small towns, and Silver Firs in particular, with the kind of passion most men reserve for the bedroom. So call it revenge, or call it poetic justice, but investing his savings in the town’s founding inn seemed like the perfect plan for all her needs. But everything goes out the window when Maddox finds her arch-nemesis dead as a doormat in the kitchen downstairs. Before she knows it, she’s embroiled in a murder investigation and tangling with the smoky-eyed detective on the case. Not that she doesn’t trust him to do his job, but he may not be quite as motivated as she is to bring the guilty party to justice. After all, she’s the one who unwittingly incriminated upstanding townsfolk and worse, she may be living under the same roof as a pair of unlikely murderers.

A trip to the English countryside turns into a brush with death for Pru Parke, the only gardener whose holiday wouldn't be complete without a murder to solve. Pru and her husband, former Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse, are long overdue for a getaway. So when Pru is invited to redesign an Arts and Crafts garden in the picturesque Cotswolds, she and Christopher jump at the chance. Unfortunately, their B&B is more ramshackle than charming, and the once thriving garden, with its lovely Thyme Walk, has fallen into heartbreaking neglect. With the garden's owner and designer, Batsford Bede, under the weather, Pru tackles the renovation alone. But just as she's starting to make headway, she stumbles upon Batsford's body in the garden—dead and pinned beneath one of his limestone statues. With such a small police force in the area, Christopher is called upon to lead the investigation. Pru can't imagine anyone murdering Batsford Bede, a gentle man who...

Malcolm blames Jayne for the bullying he endured in high school. Now, years later and days before their 10-year reunion, he aims to make her fall in love with him and then break her heart. But Malcolm's never met anyone like Jayne and she just might be his undoing.

Pour the champagne, light some candles, lay back and prepare to laugh, cry and gasp at the fully uncensored, Bridget-Jones-esque world of Ollie Locke, star of Made in Chelsea. Immaculately dressed, fake-tanned and unstoppably cheerful, Ollie Locke is the heart of Channel 4’s hit show Made in Chelsea. He’s done it all. And what he hasn’t done, he’s seen. (Not in a weird way, obvs.) In a nutshell, that means one hell of a rollercoaster ride of trouble, misadventures, sexual mishaps, epic cringes and embarrassing secrets that nobody was ever supposed to know. Until now. Because in Laid in Chelsea Ollie – famously unlucky in love – is letting it all hang out. So to speak. From developing his first crush to losing his virginity, from dire sex and terrible dates to true love – as well as offering his unique advice on how to stay sane in the crazy world of love – Ollie’s laying it bare. And, of course, he reveals what goes on in the bedroom once the Made in Chelsea cameras have stopped...

Curvy bear shifter Veronica Muir is ready for a new mate. It's been six long and lonely years since her husband was killed, leaving her to raise rambunctious twin cubs on her own. And wouldn't you know it, the first time she dips her toe into the dating world, she ends up falling head over heels in love…with a human.Marine biologist Jess Slade is still raw from his divorce when he spots Veronica's online profile. Unable to resist her luscious curves, he takes a second chance on love by moving to her hometown of Kodiak, Alaska. But the one thing he doesn't know about her might be the one thing he can't get past. When a group of human-hating werebears called The Brotherhood threaten to tear them apart — quite literally — Jess and Veronica, with a little help from Max and Bethany, must decide where their loyalties lie and if their love is worth fighting for.

Experience Ireland--the dramatic beauty, the warm hospitality...and the smoking hot local guys!Imagine nursing a pint in a cozy, authentic country pub, far from Cork's busy city pulse. Getting here took you a plane, bus, taxi and...um, bicycle. But just as you're resigning yourself to drinking beside grey-haired farmers, you see him--a man with the looks and charm to soothe any heartbroken girl.He's your bartender. Your really, really gorgeous bartender.For American Jamie Webb--recently dumped and housesitting for two weeks--Connor Kelleher is like a six-course feast after a 23-year starvation diet. But it's gotta be casual. She's just begun rerouting her life after a three-year man-related detour. Still, a sexy romp (or twenty!) with Sexy McBartender?But what happens when Jamie's best-laid plans for no future plans with any man begin to change?

Once a player, always a player? "Not so," insists Charlie's stepdad, a former player himself.Living in Colorado, Charlotte "Charlie" Best has denied having any feelings for Josh—a self-proclaimedreformed player—for the past two years. But seeing him again, now she's moved to New York City, forces her to admit the truth. She's in love with him. Too bad he's about to marry her friend, Olivia.Will he ever get a break? Josh Branson has spent the last two years working to be the kind of man Charlie deserves. Now she's in town but instead of taking his time to win her over, he needs to get married as soon as possible. Surely his good friend Olivia will help him out.Schemes fall apart as too many matchmakers—Charlie included—work at cross-purposes to bring Josh together with the woman they think he loves."If you like Hallmark movies, you'll love The Best...

Someone broke into the North Coast Sperm Bank, stole the frozen stock and set it free in the ocean. Jake Samson and his partner, Rosie, head up the storm-swept California coast to get to the bottom of the crime. Was it just a prank? The work of religious fanatics? Were the ransacked files the retribution of a disgruntled donor? But when one of the bank's employees takes a fatal plunge and Jake and Rosie barely survive one of their own, it doesn't take a genius to realize someone wants them off the case and out of town permanently.

An ark in the middle of suburban Oakland was interesting but not strange by California standards. Even one built by peaceful cultists preparing for the coming flood. Sometime private eye Jake Samson is hired to find Noah, their leader, who has disappeared with a lovely devotee and a quarter million in cash. The cult suspects foul play. The police aren’t convinced. As Jake and his sidekick, Rosie, trail the wealthy visionary from a health-food factory in Sonoma to a casino in Tahoe, thugs, drugs and the murdered body of Noah’s attractive assistant add up to a lot less than a biblical tale. And Jake's got a gut feeling the floodgates are just the beginning to open.

Nothing can stand in the way of a werebear and his woman…not even crazed valley girls! Take a trip in the wayback machine to 1986, when the hair was big and the shoulder pads were even bigger. Yuppie bear shifter Chet Pearce is used to living the high life in L.A. His days (and nights) are filled with hot fashion, hot parties and hot chicks — and not necessarily in that order. So when he’s sent to a podunk British Columbia island to be initiated into his ancestral clan, he bristles under their restrictive rules and lack of awesome parties. Punk isn’t just a type of music to curvy Crystal Witherspoon, it’s an attitude — and she’s got plenty to spare. Shuttled off to her grandparents after getting mixed up with the wrong crowd, Crystal does her best to fit in with all the ‘normal’ people in Port Numas but her rebellious nature can’t be contained by neon headbands and acid-washed mini-skirts. Sparks fly when Chet and Crystal first meet, and it doesn’t take long before they realize they’re meant for each other. But their families have other ideas. Will old prejudices force them apart or will their bond be strong enough for them to survive on their own? Bearly Hanging On is part of the Laid Bear series from New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Marina Maddix. It can be read on its own, but fans of the series will recognize Chet from Laid Bear and Laid Bear: The Kodiak Clan.

“Since I Laid My Burden Down has a fearless (sometimes reckless) humor as Brontez Purnell interrogates what it means to be black, male, queer; a son, an uncle, a lover; Southern, punk, and human. An emotional tightrope walk of a book and an important American story rarely, if ever, told." —Michelle Tea, author of Black WaveDeShawn lives a high, creative, and promiscuous life in San Francisco. But when he's called back to his cramped Alabama hometown for his uncle's funeral, he's hit by flashbacks of handsome, doomed neighbors and sweltering Sunday services. Amidst prickly reminders of his childhood, DeShawn ponders family, church, and the men in his life, prompting the question: Who deserves love?A raw, funny, and uninhibited stumble down memory lane, Brontez Purnell's debut novel explores how one man's early sexual and artistic escapades grow into a life.

Something Strange is Happening in Bufkin County Hitch saw his dog Salem’s golden frame collapsed and quivering on the ground, and he knew something was wrong. She’d been fine the day before, swimming in the creek just as careless as a dog swimming in a creek should be, but Salem was now moaning, fussing and generally acting as if a cat had just been elected governor. Hitch knelt down in front of his dog and felt her fur, which was a little mangy. He also noticed how swollen Salem’s belly was. The ol' girl's giving birth! He thought. And her unborn offspring's roughly the size and shape of a gigantic egg! What Will Happen When it Hatches? If you think this is the end of the tale, then you don’t know Bufkin County. Come along with young Hitch, Constable Buford Bumford and Jethro as they discover that their dog Salem is going to launch something that will turn their lives upside down, and change the world in ways that no one could ever imagine. **Review Animals, Animals, Animals Book Festival - 2016 - Overall Winner Halloween Book Festival - 2016 - Fantasy - Honorable Mention Shelf Unbound Competition - 2016 - Fantasy - Runner-up 'A fantastic story of unique happening in a small wilderness fourth town. With many tales to tell. That leads the reader to the battle between good and evil. Masterfully written. I enjoyed every word.' - Aviar, Goodreads 'I sure laughed out loud at this one! 5 Stars!' - Marcia, Amazon 'This story is filled with puns, and it's both creatively written and presented in a fast paced read. You're going to love it! Awesomeness from first page to last words - 5 Stars!' - Amazon Customer, Amazon

"Brennan [is] a master. The mystery [is] compelling and complex."--Associated PressNewly minted FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid is settling into her job in San Antonio, Texas, when the corpse of Harper Worthington, the husband of a sitting congresswoman, is found naked in a motel on the wrong side of town. It's up to Lucy to locate the last person to see him alive: a teenage prostitute who seems to have vanished into thin air."The Lucy Kincaid/Sean Rogan novels just keep getting better!"--RT Book Reviews When forensics determines that Harper was poisoned, Lucy and her new by-the-book partner dig deep into his life to find out who might want him dead. Why did Harper lie to his wife and his staff? Was he involved in an illicit affair? Embezzling money? Laundering money for a drug cartel? Or was he simply a pawn in someone else's dangerous game?"Can't-put-it-down suspsense."--Fresh FictionLucy's boyfriend Sean Rogan is hired by Harper's company to run a security audit, causing friction between Lucy and the FBI. But when Sean finds a high-tech bug in Harper's office, an entirely new threat emerges--a far-reaching conspiracy run by a ruthless killer who will do anything to get what he wants, and kill anyone who gets in his way. And the person between him and victory is Lucy Kincaid.

Unlicensed private eye Jake Samson is an ex-Chicago cop living a laid-back life in the San Francisco Bay Area with his friend and tenant, carpenter Rosie Vicente, to lend him a hand. He gets an offer of a $10,000 paycheck for finding out who killed the wife of a radical Berkeley professor who’s the prime suspect because he stands to inherit her considerable estate. He swears he didn’t do it. Someone else tossed her off the deck of their upscale hills home, he says. Or she jumped. He wants Jake to find out. Plenty of motives. Jealousy, money, dirty politics. The trail twists through the Bay Area’s wide-ranging cultural maze, from Berkeley politics to Oakland ashrams, while Jake and Rosie evade both the police and the killer to find the all-too-human answer.