But nothing was ordinary about the day she met ten-year-old Nick Anderson, a boy from the wrong side of town. Armed with only a tin of bee balm and steely determination, Alix treats the raw evidence of a recent beating that mars his back, an act that changes both of their lives forever.Through childhood disasters and teenage woes they cling together as friendship turns to love. The future looks rosy until the fateful night when Frank Anderson, Nick's abusive father, is shot to death in his filthy trailer.Suddenly, Nick is gone—leaving Alix alone, confused and pregnant. For the next fifteen years she wrestles with the pain of Nick's abandonment, a bad marriage, her family and friends. But finally, she's starting to get her life back together. Her divorce is almost final, her business is booming, and she's content if not happy—until the day she looks up and sees Nick standing across the counter. He's back…and he's not alone.Once again Alix is plunged into turmoil and pain as Nick tries to win her love, something she resists with all her strength. Only one thing might break the protective wall she's built around her emotions—the truth about Frank Anderson's death. But when that truth comes out and those walls crumble, neither Alix nor Nick is prepared for the emotional explosion that could destroy as well as heal.

    So when the last remaining relative of Miz Raven died and the Paradise was put on the market, she bought it, an old house that had been a brothel during the cattle trial days in Spanish Fort, Texas. Joe Clay Carter had just retired from twenty years in the Marines, Special Forces. He'd lived through wars and rumors of wars and decided to go home to Nacona to do nothing but play poker, draw his retirement check and enjoy life. Two weeks later he was bored stiff, his motel room closing in on him, and he was seriously thinking of reenlisting until high old high school crush, Mary Jane, came to his door asking him to remodel her new house.As teenagers Mary Jane never gave Joe Clay a second glance, so he was surprised by her offer. Immediately they shook on the deal and he moved into her house to get started. Much to his surprise, the house came filled to the roof with little girls, good food, and crazy conversation, all wrapped up in a house that needed a minor miracle to fix by Christmas. He wasn't sure if he could get it done in time but he was willing to try. If only Mary Jane was willing to give him a chance too.

    This enhanced edition includes some fun extras.

     John William Dalhart, a Texas oil baron himself, out to prove his father and new business partner both wrong, was also born into wealth. There's been no Neither has met nor knows about the other. Until fate, and their meddling fathers, intervenes. Ivy makes a bet with her friend that she most certainly can work in a menial, minimum wage job for a month. Meanwhile, Will picks up the challenge thrown out by his father and Red Marshall daring him to live in a small town and get a woman to say she'd marry him while knowing nothing about his wealth. Both wind up in Murray County, Oklahoma---Cameo as the manager of the Strawberry Moon, a small burger joint on Highway 77; Will, a chief cook and dish washer. She thinks he's in the witness protection program. He thinks she's a poor country girl from the boonies. But they've agreed there'll be no past or future...only today while they're working at the Moon. When the month is over they'll both go their separate ways and never look back at what they shared. What they don't realize is that their future is together, in work, and in love.

    Mackenzies' Honor by Linda Howard released on Aug 23, 2005 is available now for purchase.

    Thrown into this strange semblance of family, Sean McGuire and Lily Robinson work together to establish some kind of normalcy for the grief-stricken children—and in the process discover the possibilities that make everything seem worthwhile.

    Tall, Dark and Dangerous by Suzanne Brockmann released on Nov 29, 2005 is available now for purchase.

    The one she loved. The one she wanted but couldn't have. Not without revealing the truth. That's why she left. Why she's stayed away. And why she has to return... Seth Rowland doesn't want her to see him like this. Of all people, why her? But Grace is relentless. Challenging. He never could resist a challenge. Or her. Maybe if he cooperates, he'll be able to walk again. Maybe he'll get to the truth of why she'd left. Maybe this time he'll be able to convince her to stay...

    Taking her five-year-old son, she has fled across the country -- seeking freedom, safety, and a fresh start. But Max's father isn't giving up so easily.Preston Holman understands the lengths a parent will go for his child. He's given up everything to pursue the man he believes killed his son.When Preston meets Emma, he wants nothing to do with her or the boy who reminds him so much of his own child. Yet he can't abandon them -- and as he's drawn into the danger that surrounds them, Preston begins to wonder if he's finally found something to live for beyond revenge.

    She’s too busy running her mother’s diner and raising her wild teenage sister. She doesn’t like to dwell on the dreams she once had, dreams she put on hold. Then Owen Miller walks into her diner and changes her life.She doesn’t know what to think when Owen hands her a letter from her father—a father she thought was dead—requesting they meet. As if that wasn’t enough, her sister has become more than she can handle. It’s time for Willa to figure out what’s happened to her life. And maybe, with Owen around, she can finally believe in happily ever after…Originally published in 2005.

    This special collection features three incredibly sexy Long, Tall Texans: Emmett, Regan & Burke, who think they are in control but who are about to be led down the bridal path by three irresistible women. Get ready for the fireworks

    Now save us all a lot of hassle, and take the first flight home.”The last time Dr. Javier Sandoval Noriega saw Savannah Richardson he asked her to marry him -- and she laughed in his face.So what is the pampered socialite doing here, in Colombia, as part of Javier's Mobile Surgery Unit? Can she really have become not just a top surgeon but a compassionate, committed doctor? And can Javier get rid of her fast -- before he falls in love all over again?24/7 Feel the heat -- every hour...every minute...every heartbeat!

    But it gets even more hectic when she's hit by a double whammy– dead drug dealers floating ashore and Christian Delacroix, an undercover cop sent to investigate the murders. She doesn't need Mr. Tall, Dark and Dangerous on her mind–or messing with her lust-meter–while she's dealing with mayhem. On their first meeting Lolly makes quite an impression by zapping Christian with a taser–talk about shocking! Her dream is to meet a quiet, respectable man, not someone who wears a gun and deals with the dregs of society. Christian, on the other hand, is cozying up to Lolly's white picket fence kind of life with kids and a black shaggy dog. Set in a small beach town with an eccentric cast of characters, A Texas State of Mind is a fast-paced, fun story of love and family relationships. And BTW, who is that villain? "A Texas State of Mind is sexy, it's sassy, it's full of action and outrageous characters. The perfect summer read!" Debbie Macomber, New York Times bestselling author

    Eliza's reverence for rock is equaled only by Paul's, and the two fall wildly in love. When Bananafish is signed by a big corporate label, and Paul is on his way to becoming a major rock star, Eliza must make a heartbreaking decision that leads to Paul's sudden disappearance and a surprise knock-your-socks-off ending.

    Must be irresistible, good with his hands, and know how to handle any situation... in or out of the bedroom.Honk If You Love Real Men is a contemporary erotic anthology featuring some of the brightest up and coming names in contemporary romance and erotic romance."Naughty Girl" by Carrie Alexander:When a sexy, sassy woman driving in her convertible catches the eye of a gorgeous construction worker, they indulge in a delicious afternoon tryst."WANTED: One Hot Blooded Man" by Pamela Britton:A sexy firefighter is responsible for lighting more fires than putting them out!"Reno's Chance" by Lora Leigh:Ever since she was a little girl, Raven McIntire has secretly pined and longed for her best friend's sexy older brother, Reno, a Navy SEAL who has just returned home from duty. What she doesn't realize is that his only true mission is to get into her heart and get her into his bed."Mercy Me" by Susan Donovan:A heated encounter with an irresistibly handsome doctor.

    James can’t wait to join the Global Aid Organization’s new flying Jet Hospital. Nothing could be more thrilling and challenging … until she encounters mission leader Vidal Santiago.What is this millionaire plastic surgeon, the man she loves and loathes, doing on a humanitarian mission? Has Cassandra misjudged him? And can the jet-setting surgeons control the unwanted passion that flares between them?

    She gives the adult dating world a go, but finds she'd rather trade in her stiletto heels for fuzzy slippers. Will she ever find love again, and if so, after the disaster of her first marriage, would she know what to do with true love if it ever found her? Josh Gregory is a pastor who longs for the loving family that his parents never provided. Because he grew up in a broken home, he's always been ultra-careful about the women he dates. Besides, in his profession, a carefree dating relationship is a bit of an oxymoron. When he wins a date with Regan at a Charity Auction, he never expects to fall in love with her. After all, she's not really preacher's wife material. But God has a different idea.

    Broken, stripped and broken again, they each stumble through a journey of healing and self-discovery the merciful hand of the only One who can help them up after a fall.

    She's been blessedwith the looks and the spirit to succeed, and she knows that God will guide herevery step in the competitive profession. But when she meets smooth-talking, gorgeous Miller Baisden, it's her personal life that poses the greatest challenge: Patterson is torn between the powerful attraction Miller awakens in her, and herdesire to maintain her morals.Pampered native New Yorker Macy Baldwin has taken a lot for granted, includingher wealthy parents' financial support--until they cut her off for flunking out ofcollege. Pretty and fashionable, Macy decides to pursue modeling. If things don'twork out, she can always fall back on her plan of finding a rich husband. And whenshe discovers that a handsome, widowed stockbroker needs a nanny for his littlegirl, Macy is sure her erratic prayers have been answered. But when she finds herselfactually working for a living, she realizes God works in mysterious ways....Born with the striking features and statuesque height of a true Nubian queen, socialworker LaRue Arnette has often been mistaken for a model. But when she surprisesher Baptist minister father and devout mother by quitting her job and leavingCalifornia to give modeling a try, she can't help but wonder--is she fleeing fromher true calling? A certain tenderhearted reverend may be the one to lead her to theanswer that's always been in her heart.

    Fifteen-year-old Amy is a talented young rider and horse trainer whose mother recently died while trying to rescue an abandoned stallion.

    consultant Mac Sullivan it’s just another day. Since losing his wife two years ago, he’s thrown himself into work and has no interest in serious relationships.Enter nurse Louisa Young, who brings warmth, sparkle and Christmas into his E.R. department. The question is, can she bring it into his life as well? Louisa’s one Christmas wish is that maybe, just maybe, she can melt the ice that surrounds the gorgeous consultant’s heart…

    With their engagement now broken off, Regan decides that a no strings attached, hot affair is what she wants now. Regan was raised as a good, dutiful, Southern girl and now she wants to be naughty. When she meets Sam Daniels she knows he is her man.Sam has no intention of settling down. He loves traveling the world as a pilot working for a computer company. The occasional affair is all he wants. When he meets Regan he is instantly and intensely attracted to her, so Regan's offer for a weekend of hot sex is irresistible.Throughout the weekend, Sam and Regan find themselves wanting more than sex from each other, but Sam can't give up flying and Regan's family would disown her for being with a man like him that will not meet their expectations, so it looks like a quick affair is all they have, or is it?Her Secret Thrill - Donna KauffmanNatalie Holcomb is a corporate lawyer. She is visiting her very good friend Liza at a huge party she is throwing when she meets cattle rancher Jake Lannister. Jake's friend Con and Liza are going at it pretty heavily in the bedroom leaving Jake locked out without his wallet. Natalie, feeling the need to escape the raucous lovers herself, takes Jake out to get coffee.Good Time Girl - Candace Schuler(Rodeo Cowboys, #1)Roxanne Archer is tired of being a good girl so she gets a make over and heads off in search of a cowboy to fulfill her fantasies. Roxy goes to a bar where she meets Tom Steele. The chemistry between them is instant and they head straight to her motel room for a night of unbridled passion. Roxy and Tom decide to continue their affair throughout the summer. At the end they will go their separate waysRoxy travels the rodeo circuit with Tom. They learn a lot about each other and as time goes by they start thinking more along the lines of forever instead of for now. Neither think that they have a future with the other though so they keep their feelings to themselves. What will happen when the summer is over? Will they be able to walk away?

    As if living a nightmare, one horrible night Allie is attacked, and Alex comes rushing to her rescue. He wonders if he is really needed when he finds a little hellcat fighting off her attacker. Much later that night, Alex holds that little hellcat in his arms. Months later, he runs into Allie again, and he barely recognizes her. She's no longer the shy little wallflower she had once been. Problem is…she doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with him. Allie's about to find out that he's the only man guaranteed to make her wildest dreams come true. THE COWBOY AND THE CAPTIVE: by Lora LeighMelina had lived her life in her older, selfish twin's shadow until the final deceit forced her to refocus on her own life. But the past has not been forgotten by Luc Jardin. Now, kidnapped and at the mercy of a man with a grudge, Melina must learn to accept the past as well as her attraction to the arrogant rancher. Just as Luc must learn to accept that, sometimes, things are not always as they seem.

    She is in love…and she has committed a great sin. Cody has been playing with fire and she’s about to get burned. Hungry for attention, she allowed a wonderful man to fall in love with her. Their only contact has been on the internet and telephone conversations. Cody put a good spin on her life by telling half-truths and sending photos of a woman with a beautiful body and a pretty face, only the woman wasn’t Cody. Scarred by abuse, she hides from prying eyes.Cody loves Hunter enough to let him go. Full of guilt, she is prepared to disappear from his life. Hunter begs to meet her, but she refuses. But if Cody won’t come to him, Hunter will come to Cody.Louisiana is in the midst of Mardi Gras, a time of love, laughter, and letting the good times roll. Masks are worn at Mardi Gras, and the mask Cody wears will hide more than a pretty face

    Forever and A Day by Deborah Fletcher Mello released on Jun 28, 2005 is available now for purchase.

    The author does not recommend it.] When Casey arrives on the Ile de Batz, a small island off the coast of France, she is just as ragged and desolate as the coastline that materializes out of the mist. She has exiled herself to a foreign land to escape her past, but finds in this inhospitable place that it cannot be outrun. One of her students, the child of missionaries, is at the root of her turmoil, and the tragedy of his life has sent Casey's faith spiraling downward into incomprehension and despair. Yet from her first inauspicious encounter with islanders, Casey realizes that the Ile de Batz is not going to be the haven she had sought. Her presence on the small island is unwelcome and all but one enigmatic stranger, Luke, treat her with open hostility. Rife with fierce emotions and profound realizations, "The Edge of Tidal Pools" follows Casey's journey through brokenness, while offering a glimpse into the often-misunderstood plight of missionaries' children. www.tidalpoolsonline.com Born in France to an American mother and a Canadian father, Michele Phoenix is an international writer with multi-cultural sensitivities. A graduate of Wheaton College, she currently works in Europe, at the boarding school for missionaries' kids she attended as a teenager. She has spent the past fourteen years there communicating her passion for music and theater to her students while striving to know and understand them better. Though "The Edge of Tidal Pools" is fictional, it draws on Michele's experiences with the young people she loves and on her personal journey through the challenges of frail humanity and wounded faith.

    She knows that's better than having no heart.Mac MacDougal is a detective with a case to solve and no one, especially not victim's advocate A. J. Ferguson, is going to get in his way. He's chasing a man suspected in the disappearance of a young waitress, and A.J.'s clients, the man's abused wife and child, are the only ones who can lead Mac to him.Mac and A.J. are absolute and complete opposites, but they must work together to find the wanted man - before he finds them.

    Honey MoonShe has a crazy name, a heart full of hope, and a passion for making dreams come true…Honey Jane Moon was a South Carolina orphan discovered by Hollywood and made a child star. Now she’s all grown up, but her life is still a dramatic and passionate roller coaster. Two men—Dash Coogan, a cowboy legend, and bad boy actor Eric Dillon—know how fiercely she lives and loves. But what Honey wants most of all is the family she never had. And when she falls in love, she’ll do it the only way she knows how…with all her heart.Hot ShotSusannah Faulconer flees her society wedding on the back of a bad boy’s Harley and enters a world for which no etiquette book could ever prepare her. A world with men such as Mitch Blaine, a corporate genius who has no time for a rich California socialite, and Sam Gamble, a charismatic visionary. Electronics genius Yank Yankowski harbours an invention that could change all their lives—if they can survive the cutthroat business world. Now, the unforgettable woman called Hot Shot must find the courage to see her dreams through, on her own terms.

    A 10 year high school reunion is the perfect excuse for a girls weekend out but what will happen when the girls realize the exotic dancer they've all been ogling is none other than the nerd they made fun of in school!

    When a sizzling-hot furnace repairman named Earl arrives, it turns out he knows all the right switches to flip.From Jingle Bell Rock anthology as Turning Up the Heat

    Adventure. Love.It's all found within The Arms of the Law...Detective Isabella Knowles, a tough-as-nails cop, lives by the law, and knows what she wants out of life. And it doesn't include marriage or all that comes with it. Everything Isabella has ever known seems like an illusion when a new relationship makes her feel more alive than ever before. She isn’t happy about it and fights it every step of the way.Burned by his fiancée years ago, seer and P.I., Brady Jacobs never wants another commitment in his life. But his bachelorhood and heart are threatened when he has one of his visions and see a killer striking too close to the woman he has recently come to love.Danger lurks close to home and neither Brady nor Isabella like that they can’t control every situation…especially matters of the heart.

    Bold, beautiful Skylar Connelly wants to know what happened to her sister, Maia, who has vanished without a trace. Skylar never expected to be blindsided by passion and ultimately lose her heart to the man who holds the key to Maia's disappearance. Unwilling to accept the authorities' dismissal of the case, she conceals her relationship to the missing girl and takes a position at Casa del Mar, a magnificent, seaside estate owned by Martin Escalle, a slick entrepreneur whose business interests, she suspects, include illegal activities. Luke White, the captain of the yacht named Calypso and Escalle's right hand man, challenges and fascinates her with his combination of surfer good looks, bad boy charm, and stiletto sharp mind, but is he also a killer? Dare she trust him? Her heart and soul will accept no less.

    Safe by his side originally published: 2000, The bodyguard's baby originally published: 2001.

    With his mind on business, "Kells" returns from abroad only to be blindsided by the beautiful American woman his flatmate has moved into the house. It doesn't take him long to understand why Bryant has begged for her hand in marriage, or for Kells to realize he'd do anything to have her for his own. With values as deep as her Southern heritage, it's hard for Cydney Nash to accept a marriage proposal from a virtual stranger. However, when the opportunity arises to apprentice with one of London's most prestigious architectural agencies, she moves into her "fiance's" flat, despite the warnings from her protective father.But, it's Bryant's friend, Kells, who stirs her heart and jeopardizes her agenda of becoming an architect, leaving Cydney fighting to free herself from a web of greed and deceit that she'll be lucky to escape from alive.

    Now, after a twelve-year absence, she'd returned to bury her estranged father...and her past. But discovering that her first love, Sheriff Shane Golightly, was her new neighbor wasn't the mark of a sane woman. Particularly when just the sound of his molasses-smooth voice recalled the one and only time they'd made love—and reopened old wounds. Laurel vowed she'd just make Shane recognize the strong, independent woman she'd become and move on, but the sheriff seemed determined to make Laurel give Lucius—and him—a second chance....