Jamie was, and always would be, forbidden fruit. Besides being four years older than me, he was the newest recruit of my dad's experimental team. Jamie was also the experimental part of the team. Meaning he wasn't exactly human. He was amazingly more than human. What better person to recruit to be on a SEAL-type team than someone who was literally born to be in the water? Some people go their whole lives and never know love. I knew it at sixteen. While I didn't know Jamie forever, I knew him long enough that he changed me. He didn't mean to break my heart. He didn't mean to crush my dreams, but he did. And if I had it to do all over again, I would. I absolutely would. This is our story. Because I never want to forget. **Excerpt** “How old are you?” The hard edge in his voice prompted me to look up at his face. Water spiked his dark hair, dripping over his cheeks and jaw. I lifted my chin. It would be so easy to let him intimidate me, knowing what I did about him. “Seventeen.” The lie slipped out too easily. Eighteen wouldn’t have worked because I was still a sophomore, and the truth—that I was sixteen—sounded too young, especially with Jamie towering over me even though he wasn’t even standing up. He blotted out the sun, the whole entire world, and I was content to let him. He lifted his hand to my face, his fingers lightly tracing my cheek where Donovan had elbowed me the previous day. His expression softened, his full lips turning slightly down. “Does it hurt?” “A little,” I confessed, drowning in the pools of his green eyes, so pale they were almost no color at all. He stared at me for a long time, as if he were mulling something over in his mind, and all the while his eyes searched my face. My skin shivered. My lips parted as my mind churned for some reasonable excuse as to why in the world I would be hiding here. What could I say that wouldn’t make me sound like a Navy groupie or worse, a stalker? The half-formed words stalled in my throat as his head descended toward me, and before I knew his intention his lips lightly touched my cheek, stunning me into utter stillness. Then his lips found mine and the reasonable voice in my head told me I should push him away, that he’d stepped way out of bounds, and I was about to do it—I was—when his tongue darted out and teased my lips. They opened all by themselves, my body way ahead of my brain, eager in its response. I kept my eyes open, not wanting to miss a single second. The weird thing was he didn’t close his eyes either, which made his kiss all the more potent. I’d been kissed before, but never like this, sweet and gentle with an undercurrent of the not so gentle, a complete possession of my mouth and my heart along with it. He lifted his head a fraction and we shared a breath before he drew away completely. He pushed to his feet, then stood over me again as I met his forceful gaze. “You know what I am.” It wasn’t spoken as a question, but a declaration. “Yes,” I said. Like I would care after that kiss. The Emerald Series Waterborn Waterdreamer Watermark

    You'll get HOPEFUL COWBOY, OVERPROTECTIVE COWBOY, and RUGGED COWBOY, all of which feature a cowboy looking for a second chance at life, love, and happiness. These redemptive romances will have you swooning, sighing, and remembering that everyone deserves a second chance to make things right.Hopeful Cowboy: He's struggling to step into his new role as a single dad. She's trying to keep her ranch operational and her heart intact. Can Nate and Ginger build forever out of heartache?Overprotective Cowboy: Can Ted and Emma face their pasts so they can truly be ready to step into the future together? Or will everything between them fall apart once the truth comes out?Rugged Cowboy: He's a cowboy mechanic with two kids and an ex-wife on the run. She connects better to horses than humans. Can Dallas and Jess find their way to each other at Hope Eternal Ranch?Almost 600 reviews on the individual books!From Hopeful Cowboy, Book 1:★★★★★ "Once again, Elana Johnson delivers a spellbinding story full of hope." ~BradTL3, Amazon reviewer★★★★★ "Fantastic book: Elana Johnson starts this series with a very heartwarming story about a participant in a residential reentry program. The plot has enough intrigue and twists to hold your interest and makes one wonder how the characters would work things out in the end. The growth shown in the main characters with trust issues was definitely worth reading." ~Sandy, Amazon reviewer★★★★★ "Simply a great read! I loved this book! I felt as though I was right there on the ranch with them." ~Lynne, Amazon reviewer

    But when I end up in lockdown with my insanely hot billionaire boss, I start to think maybe I can make the best of a bad situation... Heartbreak is never easy. Even breaking up with someone you were never really meant to be with can be painful.I thought Dennis and I would end up married one day.But instead he dumps me at a sushi restaurant.I try to stay positive, and appreciate the ups of being newly single. But then this whole stupid pandemic comes along, and more than anything I hate spending so much time on my own.I'm getting restless, when one day I strike up an interesting conversation with my boss.He's a hot tech industry billionaire, who I find out is recently single as well since the start of the pandemic. After a few days texting back and forth, the two of us come up with a tantalizing arrangement to help us survive through lockdown... Soon my wildest dreams have all come true. I'm making love with my boss in the lap of his luxurious penthouse, and living a life of grandeur unlike anything I've ever imagined for myself. Only I'm about to find, emotions can get in the way of even the sweetest affairs.And now I'm wondering whether these new feelings I'm experiencing can possibly survive through the end of the pandemic...

    The jet-setting bachelor depends on her for everything. But there's just one thing: he has no idea that Temple's been in love with him since college. Or so she thinks…until the night her studly boss takes her in his arms and uncovers her passionate secret.Mataeo doesn't make a move without consulting the savvy South Carolina beauty. Now, on the verge of closing a major deal, he needs Temple more than ever. And not just as his right-hand woman and best friend. What will it take to convince this sensual, independent woman that once they've crossed the line from friends to lovers, there's no turning back?

    He had left once before, and nothing would stop him from leaving again. Coming back to West Grove was the last thing Ian wanted to do. If it hadn't been for the rental property, the small town would've never seen him again. Two weeks and he'd be gone. Until he sees Jenna Avery and realizes there's more than a house needing repaired. The only problem - Two weeks may not be enough time to save her.

     Book 1: As Deep as the Ocean When Mac asks Fred to marry him, he tells her it’s strictly business, just a way to access her father’s inheritance so they can save the vineyard. But what happens when they fall in love? Book 2: As Beautiful as the Bay Sam has come home to Blue Penguin Bay to help his father in the family bakery. He longs to escape, and when a freak storm hits the bay, it gives him the perfect opportunity. If only he hadn’t fallen in love with sexy chef Ginger… Book 3: As Timeless as the Sea Sandi is certain that lawyer Jace is hiding something. The only way to keep her heart safe is to end their fling now. But when you share a love as timeless as the sea, there’s always hope for a happy ending.

    Her handsome FBI Director ex lives in Manhattan. Then his fashion-model girlfriend is invited to walk in London Fashion Week, but it can only lead to trouble, right? A former marriage is tested to its limits when Michael's team puts a mobster behind bars and no one in his circle of colleagues or his family is safe.

    On top of that, fans glory in her sweet yet sensual stories that are praised for their "cleaner than usual" language--and old-fashioned values galore.     ...So if you've loved the past writings of 'The 3Ms'--Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, Ava Miles--but find that you're clamoring for something fresh, fun and exciting, turn to the books penned by award-winning author Barbara Catlin. Fall in love with the captivating heroes and heroines, with all the endearing characters, of tiny Bitterpill, Texas 78020! THE COWGIRL TAKES HER MAN:  Could she live with Cam . . . but without his love?Struggling to operate her ranch, Terra Lee Bradford realizes the full extent of the Glory B's dire financial straits. Cameron Stoner's neighboring ranch, on the other hand, is thriving. Yet he's overwhelmed with problems trying to tame his three motherless children--not to mention his libido.. . . Concocted as an instant solution to everyone's woes, their marriage of convenience soon turns into a lusty battle of wills. He'll be damned if he'll give her his heart, and she refuses to settle for less!

    Nope. No thank you. Am I crazy to turn down a man as hot and rich as him? Maybe. But we can’t be together. Not when I’ve kept a secret like this one for the past ten years. That night we spent tangled up in the sheets together at the heli skiing lodge changed my life forever. Now, the man I thought I’d never see again is sitting across from me at the bargaining table - and it’s my job to destroy him. My simple small-town life just got really complicated… A Secret Chance is book 4 in the Chance Rapids Series but can be read as a standalone. If flannel shirts, enemies to lovers, evil developers, and small town charm are your jam, you're going to love the town of Chance Rapids.

    At a North Carolina resort, a sultry workaholic and a quintessential bad boy develop an intense attraction to each other.

    When that peace is threatened by a corrupt sheriff, and the ruthless drug dealers he’s protecting, they’ll have to stand together with their friends and some unlikely allies if they hope to survive. Jake Dillon has come to Misty Hill looking for answers about his missing brother; who’s been working undercover for the DEA. He finds the Sanders standing alone against the people connected to his brother’s disappearance. He also finds the family that he’s always wanted, and the love he’s never had. The odds are stacked against them surviving, but Laura and her family won’t back down, and Jake won’t back off, until he finds his brother and his new friends are safe. In the Great Smoky Mountains, people have their own brand of justice. It’s been passed down from generation to generation. It’s called a reckoning, and it’s coming to Misty Hill.

    Recently widowed, Darci Cunningham swims against popular current that she should take her time and heal after the sudden death of her husband. But in a bold turn, she decides to follow a dream set aside and moves to Mackinac Island to pursue her dream of writing.But as she prepares for her first winter on the island, she is unaware of the dangers that have washed ashore--one that may steal her heart, while the other may steal her life(*available in ebook and soon in paperback)

    He had learnt from early on that trust and unconditional love end badly. Both his mother’s failed relationship with his rich and absent father and his mentor’s marriage to a scrupulous and selfish woman taught him the lesson not to carry his heart on his sleeve. The man who had turned James’ life around in the darkest of his teenage years, died alone and rejected. Ridiculous accusations that prompted such ending left James incredulous and furious, the heat of his anger never completely leaving him in the years that followed.It is impossible to escape the past, his mentor’s suicide and the events that lead to it still very much on his mind. The fate has given him the rare opportunity to finally settle the scores. Avenging Steve Masden’s death is simply too tempting to be ignored. Emily Beggins knows right away that something isn’t right about her stepsister’s mysterious fiancé. He might well be the most handsome and charming man she has ever met, but there is a certain icy resolve in his eyes that frightens her witless. Behind the impeccable façade and lethal smile, she senses something dark and dangerous. Something that shouldn’t really be there…Loyalty has always been a big part of her character, even though her life with her stepmother and stepsister had proven far more challenging and difficult than she had ever anticipated. They share enough memories and dirty secrets to bind them together with the invisible thread of guilt and obligations. Saving Sophie from the unknown disaster leaves Emily no choice but to confront the man who had managed to capture her stepsister’s heart in a span of mere days.Only James isn’t ready to play fair, one sweep of his hand pushing aside any hopes she might have for a happy ending. He knows too much and cares too little to have any sympathy for her or her family.She has to play by his rules, each step taking her deeper and deeper into his world. Soon it becomes her world too and the lines between black and white blur, nothing certain any longer.As time goes by the question of how to survive being around James becomes replaced by another, more urgent one.How will she ever live without him?

    He knows what he wants and expects everyone to obey.When we met, I felt a wicked tingle in my belly that made it hard to think.That's the only reason I did something stupid like hook up with a man as intimidating and off limits as him...Ever since that night, work has become a game of cat and mouse between us. But just when I think I'm getting close to my new boss, I get a surprise.The biggest opportunity of my life.Should I chase my one shot at fame? Or should I run back into the arms of a man who might ruin my future?

    Confident.His Viking blood made him a conqueror.He dominated my senses.He planned to rule my body as well.I didn’t have a chance at keeping my heart.AXELHer name said it all.Hope.She came to me in my darkness.The compass that would guide me out of the storm.The goddess, Freyja.She’s with me as I fight Hel, the enemy that took everything from me.I am at war now, but the moment the dust settles I’m taking Hope as my prize.She’s a challenge. Resistant.Catching her will be like catching the wind.But my people were sea wolves. We know how to tame the wind.And I’m a patient man.Victory is my only option.