But a terrible event changes everything for her. Marj cooks and waits tables at the wine bar, under the watchful eye of Martin, a chef of undoubted genius, despite his passion for women. Why has he never noticed Marj, though?As the shopkeepers struggle to make a living, each of them finds their life changing over the course of one eventful year.

    Instead of making beds and serving coffee at the Penmarrow hotel in Cornwall, she’s making notes on her manuscript while sitting in a French cafe, meeting famous writers at private dinner parties, and trying to ferret the secrets behind the author’s unfinished future novel. It’s glamorous, it’s breathtaking … but it’s also an ocean channel away from the place that she loves, and, more importantly, the person to whom she just recently confessed her deepest feelings. Separated from Sidney by distance and circumstances, Maisie fears that their connection will be lost despite her words to him – and maybe because of those words, and the ones she didn’t allow him to say in return. Meanwhile, there are plenty of things in her new life trying to distract her – the professional editor hired to critique her novel, the eager young literary agent who sees pie-in-the-sky potential for Maisie’s talent, but Maisie finds solace in the eclectic group of amateur writers into whose midst she finds herself by accident. Their critique and advice is fast becoming as important as the editors – maybe even more important than the published author Maisie believed held the keys to refining her skill. But it’s missing Sidney that fills Maisie’s thoughts the most, along with her life back in Port Hewer, and she can’t stop wondering whether his feelings are the same as her own. His unspoken answer has become one of the most important pieces of her life, even as she struggles to match the pace of her new life and keep her dreams in sight. And when she unwittingly becomes privy to a seeming literary conspiracy, she must decide what to do in light of its truth – and decide what’s most important in her quest to become a professional writer. Join Maisie in a whirlwind tour across two of the world’s greatest cities, filled with questions, dreams, and a chance for fame that she believed far beyond her grasp, as she discovers herself as a writer, and how to embrace an unexpected future on her own terms.

    

    I refuse to go down that path without a fight.Enter Jasper Collins, the best bodyguard money can buy and my new fake boyfriend.I didn’t mean to become his babygirl.I didn’t mean to call him daddy…He’s here to protect me from a mob boss, but who will protect my heart from falling for him?

    

    Life was a despairing time in the 1950s, as Veronica sought desperately to keep away from his cruelty. Astonishingly, to her and her mother, she won a scholarship to Ackworth Boarding School where she began to shine above her class-mates. A champion in all sports, Veronica at last found some happiness until her brother-in-law came into her life. It was as if she had stepped from the frying pan into the re: he took over control of her life removing her from the school she adored, two terms before she was due to take her GCEs, so he could put her to work as a cheap option on his market stall. Abused for many years by these two men, Veronica eventually ran away and applied to the Prison Service, knowing it was the only safe place she could trust. This is the astonishing, and true story of Veronica Bird who rose to become a Governor of Armley prison. Given a ‘basket case’ in another prison, contrary to all expectations, she turned it around within a year, to become an example for others to match. During her life inside, her ‘bird’, she met many Home Secretaries, was honoured by the Queen and was asked to help improve conditions in Russian Prisons. A deeply poignant story of eventual triumph against a staggeringly high series of setbacks, her story is filled with humour and compassion for those inside.

    

    How can she not be a part of it? But when standing up for her friend means standing across the aisle from her ex, Jade doesn’t know whether to turn and run or stay and ask for a second chance.

    “After that, it was just a quick elevator ride to the second floor.”I can play that game.“You could both fit into the elevator?”I don’t do cocky billionaire players who want to make me their next conquest.All he wants is lunch. Yeah, right.“You’re going to ask out a woman you haven’t known for even a hot five minutes?”“Any five-minute stretch of time in your presence automatically qualifies as a hot five minutes.”Dang.It’s not like he’s got a jet that could fly us half way around the world for lunch.Right?And it’s not like the jet has a bedroom . . . with a mirrored ceiling.Oh f***! Tech Titans is a four-book contemporary romance novella collection containing the following titles:Hard Drive: A Bad Boy Billionaire RomanceHardwired: A Billionaire and Virgin RomanceHard Copy: A Billionaire Second Chance RomanceHard Bargain: A Billionaire Enemies-to-Lovers RomanceGet this steamy box set now! **Due to adult language and sexual situations, these books are intended for mature audiences.**

    She and her two young children must now face a holiday season filled with so many reminders of what they've lost. But when a coworker who’s raising his young nephew moves next door, Rae discovers that the support of a good friend, and the gift of a child, can bring back some of the joy of the season.

    

    

    The Samperi family moved from Brooklyn to Kentucky with a hammer and a dream—to trade the city life for a quiet country upbringing for their five children. A few years later their family business grew into a renovation empire with the siblings working together, each one assuming a different role. Giovanni, the buttoned down electrician, would rather read than build. He likes his tidy life with no surprises. When a case of mistaken identity leads to a blind date that leads to a wild night with a stranger, he’s desperate to undo the damage and return to his normal life. Until he realizes the mistake might be the best thing that ever happened to him, and some secrets are worth keeping forever.

    Starting in the summer before his freshman year it follows him through high school and beyond. He finds wealth as an inventor and fame in Hollywood as he searches for a girlfriend. Wealth and fame prove easier than girls. The first book titled, ‘The Beginning’ sees the handsome young Rick on a cross country trip, hitchhiking from a small Ohio town to California. Along the way there is a bank robbery, bull riding in the rodeo, a movie with John Wayne and rustlers among other events. After the summer his first year in High School starts. From the excitement of summer to the dullness of school Rick is followed as he proves that school need not be dull. For the young this is a coming of age adventure, for those who lived it a trip down memory lane, and for those with a search engine Easters Eggs galore. This tongue in cheek saga is all true, give or take a lie or two.

    Finally heading home to the ranch he inherited, Brendon McMahon has a lot on his mind. He’s tortured because he needs to tell complete stranger, Allison Hartley, that he was the one responsible for her husband’s death. As he is heading home, he saves a starving dog at a lonely rest stop. It’s a pivotal decision that will change not only his life, but others. Allison Hartley has finally made peace with the past, living through her own tragic events. She has built a new life with her son, and she now owns a successful local business. Staying busy fills her time, but not her heart. When she meets Brendon, her fluttering heart tells her he could be the one.As their love intensifies so does the secret that Brendon holds, causing old demons to surface – ones that Brendon thought he had extinguished. Will the secret tear them apart or will they be able to weather the firestorm coming their way? A richly textured story with emotion and unexpected twists, Trust Me is a reminder of how fragile and precious life is, how life is a journey filled with love and despair, and how true love can inspire the hero within all of us – even the four legged kind. OTHER AWARD-WINNING BOOKS BY BLAKE O'CONNOR:Unspoken BondMiracle on Wolf Hollow Lane