When Noah goes behind my back and hires Lauren, my gut tells me something isn’t right about the beautiful, intelligent woman.When she uncovers a company secret, I rethink my doubts about her.When her ex pops back into her life, I’m on guard again.When her adorable daughter and snaggle-toothed, one-eyed dog melt my heart, I lose sight of what’s important.In the end, I should have gone with my gut. She’s trouble with a capital T. The question is, what do I do when I’ve fallen for her, already love her daughter, and my company needs her expertise?

    Desai's writing is energetic and contemporary’

    Thank you for all your amazing support. Exposed (Memoirs of a Retired Assassin, Book 1) Jeanine is a private assassin for a secret government organization. She and her partner Liam, who is also her sometimes lover, are tasked with killing a Saudi official. However, they are intercepted before they can complete their mission, yet still framed for the murder. Both are sent to prison and disavowed. Liam manages to escape, but is unable to rescue Jeanine. John, Jeanine’s first love, reads about her situation in the newspaper. He’s been looking for her for ten years, ever since he broke her heart and she ran away from him. He visits her in prison and promises he can help her escape. Can Jeanine let go of her old anger and resentment toward John and accept his help? Heat in the Kitchen (Cooking Up Passion, Book 1) As the billionaire head of a major company, Ethan Richmond feels the weight of his enormous responsibilities crushing down on him, until he meets the one woman who can set him free by tying him up. Jocelyn Ricci is the beautiful and talented chef he hired to work in his kitchen, but she has a passion for more than just cooking and can see the stress that her handsome boss is under. When Jocelyn offers to introduce Ethan to the kinky world of bondage and domination sex games by playing the part of his Mistress, things in the kitchen really heat up! The steamy affair turns Ethan into a new man, but not everybody is happy about it and will do everything they can to ruin him. Will things get too hot for them or are they just getting warmed up? Negotiation (Smith Dynasty, Book 1) Lucy Smith is the only child of Charles and Abigail Smith. After her father’s untimely passing, she is left as the owner of the third largest shipping company in the world. Lucy puts in a proposal that would make her father’s company the second largest in the world. She has one small problem; her father sold 10% of the company to Jake Logan, the most gorgeous man Lucy has ever seen, but also the most hard-headed and stubborn. Lucy needs his signature to complete what will be the company’s largest shipment to date. Jake Logan knew the moment he laid eyes on Lucy Smith that she was the woman he had waited his whole life for. It was love at first sight. Jake has one hurdle to overcome in making Lucy his wife: Lucy herself. She has sworn off relationships and Jake is bound and determined to make her see she can have both; a successful marriage as well as a successful and thriving business. Forests Dark and Deep (Following the Wolf, Book 1) Abandoned by her parents at a nunnery by the side of an ancient forest, Riona has always known that she was different. Despite her innate passion and her natural curiosity, she is resigned to spending her life as a pious sister of the order until a pack of werewolves arrive to show her just how special she really is. Rordan is the wolf king of the Dunclough pack, and for his beloved people, he will cross any line and break any law. He was ready for anything, but when his chosen prey turns out to be a beautiful, curvy woman with a fiery spirit and a wild streak, he finds that his plans need to change. Riona must learn about her sacred heritage while learning about the ways of the werewolves and the heart of the man who abducted her. *** Genre: BBW Romance / Suspense Romance / Erotic Romance / Paranormal Romance / Werewolf Romance / Billionaire Romance, length: 35,390 words. ***

    Our issues are also filled with author interviews, art features, book reviews and tips for writers. This month, we feature an exclusive interview with Brandon Sanderson on his latest journey to the United Arab Emirates. We also include short stories from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler* ("The Beesinger's Daughter"), Amazon bestselling Carrie Anne Noble ("The Perfect Specimen"), and Cecilia Dart-Thornton who came out of hiding to let us publish her latest ("The Churchyard Yarrow"). We also feature stories this month by Steve Yeager ("Rain Dance") and Brendon Taylor ("The Apothecant"). You'll also get two articles, one written by NYT bestselling author Anthony Ryan and the other by David Pomerico, Harper Voyager US's Executive Editor. Still not convinced to give it a try? We'll also be publishing an extended sample of Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N Holmberg's** latest novel ("Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet"). * Wall Street Journal, June 2016 ** Wall Street Journal, June 2015

    Cara I am trying to make it on my own in the world. But I can't get Chase out of my head, and I’m not sure I want to. After Chase defends Cara from a sleazy customer at her waitress job, their mutual longing explodes into life, and the two of them can no longer ignore their feelings for each other. A romance with an alpha male, a virgin, and HEA. The Billionaire Biker’s Virgin Nicole My fiancé cheated on me with my best friend. I decide to take the honeymoon anyway, without the groom of course. When my reservation is given away, Kane steps in to save me. I never knew what passion or love felt like… until Kane. Kane I am a billionaire… and a biker. I live life on my terms. I collect businesses and women almost like trophies…. until Nicole. After Kane breaks through her defenses, they discover a love that survives hurdles and misunderstandings. A short story romance with an alpha tattooed biker, a virgin, and HEA. DON’T HIDE FROM ME Cassie I’m a simple woman. I have dated a few men; nothing to exciting. I am a twenty-four-year-old virgin. No, I’m not saving it for marriage. But I am saving it for someone that will make it good. Van I am a tattooed, biker that has been around the block. I love women and never settle for just one. Until I find the brown-eyed virgin that is mine for the taking. Van and Cassie fall in lust at first sight from across the room. One thinks it is a one-night stand, one isn’t so sure. Join Van and Cassie in their story of a first-time romance that becomes more. A short story romance with an alpha tattooed biker, a virgin, and HEA. This is a standalone novella. Hope Ford writes short, steamy, sweet romances. There is almost always an alpha male (because who doesn’t love an alpha male) and a woman he makes his queen. Sit back, grab a glass of wine, and get lost in this happily ever after story – that’s also a little naughty.

    After having her confidence unwound by her ex, she falls hard for a true gentleman. But once she realizes that her crush is her communications professor, her world is turned upside down.Haunted by dreams of the alluring Professor Hunter, Penny can't seem to dismiss her fantasies and the temptation to have him grows deeper. Will the excitement, danger, and mystery surrounding Professor Hunter bring her to her knees?ADDICTION (The Hunted Series Book 2)Temptation has quickly turned into addiction. Penny Taylor fell hard for the sexy, mysterious, exciting, and dangerous Professor Hunter. But scandalous affairs are meant to go down in flames. Now that he's not speaking to her, she feels numb. And what hurts the most is that he appears to be completely fine. As she struggles to accept that their relationship is really over, her best friend's crude advice is in the back of her mind- the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.Will she be able to move on, or is her addiction to her alluring professor only just beginning?JAMES THE GRINCH (Exclusive Short Story)Penny and James are newly engaged. In a new city. With new friends. For Penny, all this change doesn't put a damper on the excitement she's had for Christmas ever since she was a child. And she's thrilled to combine her childhood traditions with James' for their first Christmas together. The only problem is that she's just learned that her new fiancé is a total Grinch.The stockings are hung, the lights are aglow, and the mistletoe is ready for kisses to be stolen beneath it. The only problem is that none of those decorations are in their apartment. For years, James has been celebrating an anti-Christmas with his friends. He's lost the Christmas spirit that he had when he was a child. And he doesn't seem to want to thaw his frozen heart.Penny decides that it's her new mission to make him believe again. And with extra love and a little sprinkle of Christmas magic, it might just be possible.CITY OF SIN (The Hunted Series Book 2.5)Nothing seems to be going Bee's way. She's been knocked down by her ex, her job, and the city in general. Could a blind date really be the start to the much needed change she's been hoping for?When Bee is already running late, a sexy stranger steals her cab. And once she finally arrives at the restaurant and finds out that he's her date, the night takes an unexpected turn. Maybe this sexy stranger is exactly what she's needed this whole time...Except Mason Caldwell is not a good man. A renowned playboy, heir to his family's fortune, and willing to do whatever it takes to make his dreams come true, he's not looking for a change. He's looking for vengeance. And a woman he barely knows is definitely not going to get in his way. But he can't stop thinking about her.Sometimes you don't know what you really want until it's right in front of you.

    When Luke decides to take a relaxing vacation with the woman who raised him and the girl he grew up with, fate decides to bring them together in hot and forbidden ways. After their plane goes down over the Pacific Ocean, they find themselves stranded on a desert island. As the only man to have survived the crash, Luke finds it achingly hard to deal with his powerful and primal urges, which only intensify as the group begins to discover the true nature of their predicament.Will Luke be able to resist until rescue arrives, or will he end up at the center of his own taboo tropical harem?

    I didn't know what I was missing before I found Ayla. She was a stranger that made my heart race and my body hot. All I had to do was get my lips on hers and give her the temptation." Mountain Man's Proposal "Her smile was innocent, but her body was so damn hot. She got a job and I got a new outlook on life. She brought out the side of me that I didn’t even know was alive. With her, I started to think about the future." Mountain Man's Bride "He was back and everything was changing. He wanted something from me, more than I first thought. It was hard to think when he was near and now Chris was too close. His lips were so demanding and I yearned for the power that he possessed over my body." Mountain Man's Secret Baby "Just like the tall peaks of Alaska… Ethan is untamed and rough around the edges. No one knows why he’s here in Nome, But something draws me to his stormy eyes… And I lose control of everything." Mountain Man's Fever is a complete series box set. As always, lots of love and romance and a very satisfying HEA!

    I'm a shy, curvy good girl who does what she's told. Abused, battered and beaten down by those who say they love me; I've spent my life being the perfect victim for the powerful and the cruel.J. taught me that love is worth fighting for.And now I am ready to fight back.J.Keep your head down. That's what they told me when I got out of prison and again once I finished my parole. And I meant to do that, I swear. I had my brothers, The Sons of Steel Motorcycle Club at my side. I had a mission and a sense of pride. I wasn't looking for a fight.But meeting Emmy turned that all on its head. She's too damn beautiful not to fight for, no matter what it costs me.Whether it's my freedom, or my life.She's worth it.  Steel Me Away Emmy: I thought I had found my love, but he is slipping away from me.Or maybe it's me that's being pulled away from him. Sometimes the ones we trust can be our greatest enemies. J.: I love her so much that I'm willing to let her go.But when she realizes she needs me, I will move heaven and earth to protect her.Steel My LoveLexi:Case Ericsson was my first love.But when he told me his secret, I had to betray him.He disappeared from my life without a chance to explain, and now I am struggling to move on.I always wanted to see him again.I hoped I'd never see him again.I did what I knew was right, but can he forgive me?Case:I told her my secret in a moment of weakness. And then she sent my whole life into chaos.But time passed. I've moved on. I have a family in The Sons of Steel Motorcycle Club, and a purpose as their Sergeant-At-Arms.I should be able to forget Alexandra Delaney.Loving her tore me apart once before. Does getting her back mean I have to lose everything all over again?Steel My SoulGabi:The whispers around my small town are that Gabriela Ortiz is a total slut.So I set out to make them right.But when I brought home the biker, there was something so familiar about him, though there definitely shouldn't have been. After all, if I had met him before, I would have remembered him for sure. He's sex on legs, with piercing blue eyes and a jawline that could cut you.It's only after a night of the best sex of my life that I wake up and realize who he is.

    She vowed she’d never speak to him again. And she hasn’t.Until he shows up with Staff Sergeant Thor, a German shepherd who had been injured in the same battle in which his handler—Marcus’s best friend-- was killed. Thor has a bad case of PTSD, and Marcus knows only Jessie can save the dog. But can Jessie bear the close contact with the man who broke her heart? And can even she heal a dog so desperately wounded? A tale of trust, second chances and respecting people for who they are. ORIGINALY PUBLISHED IN SEAL of My Dreams anthology

    Heaven's Price is the story of Blair Simpson, a professional dancer who thought she knew her destiny, until an injury shows her that fate -- and her heart-- have something else in store.In Breakfast in Bed, when Sloan Fairchild opens the door to her bed-and-breakfast inn to her best friend's fiance, she ends up opening her heart to an unexpected and forbidden love that turns her world upside down.Send No Flowers is the sensual tale of a young widow and mother of two who is rescued by a handsome and mysterious stranger, a man whose secret could shatter her life.

    A Christmas Themed AnthologyFeaturing a wide array of short stories, novellas and bonus content from: Elizabeth Knox, K.C. Stone, Pepper North, Amy Davies, Cedar Rose, Jen Talty, E.C. Land, Evan Grace, Krista Ames, Ashlynn Mills, Lizzie James & Amanda Kaitlyn.

     Sweet Christmas Kisses 5 brings you contemporary romances that celebrate the joy of the season around the world, including snowy Maine and the sun-kissed skies of Florida, the mountains of Colorado to small-town Illinois and Virginia, New York to San Francisco, and even the glittering lights of Paris and the old-world charm of Florence. Sweet Christmas Kisses 5 features nine all-new, standalone novellas that will make you smile and warm your heart with the Christmas spirit.

    Eleven holiday romances to captivate and seduce. NYT & USA Today bestselling authors have joined together to bring you tales from early America, abandoned puppies, military heroes, doctors and more. Get a warm drink, find a comfy seat, and enjoy an armchair cruise into the world of Christmas lovers and their unique stories. Mimi Barbour ~ Together for Christmas ~ Is her spirit enough to win over the workaholic she's invaded? Taylor Lee ~ Blue Christmas ~ Even blue Christmases can be Red HOT! Jacquie Biggar ~ The Sheriff Meets His Match ~ When a jaded sheriff is drawn to an exasperating woman in trouble, anything can happen. Dani Haviland ~ Catching Christmas ~ Only love could be sweeter than freedom. Natalie Ann ~ Road to Reality ~ When dreams come true! Mona Risk ~ Her Christmas Cruise ~ The fiancé is a cheater and the wedding is off. But the would-be honeymoon may be her best Christmas present! Cynthia Cooke ~ A Wolf Magic Christmas ~ Come to us, Rena. We've been waiting for you. Tamara Ferguson ~ A Kiss Beneath a Christmas Star ~ Will the magic of a Christmas kiss convince two future stars that fate has always meant for them to be together? Susan Jean Ricci ~ The Sugar Ticket ~ Two midlife adolescents learn how to gently overcome their marital hurdles, especially with Christmas and a special birthday on the horizon. Alicia Street ~His Christmas Promise ~ A sweet romance about a losing a dog and finding love at Christmas. Suzanne Jenkins ~ My Christmas Romance ~ Life changing events during Christmas prove you never know what the next day may bring, including a chance of love.

    Delaney, Barbara Gowdy, and others. 15,000 first printing.