But some crabby bureaucrat is standing between him and the permits he needs. He's surprised to discover the culprit is actually beautiful, young Shannon Morgan, and even more shocked when fireworks ignite between them. Unmasking Love: Sparks fly when Julie Payne meets Trace Watkins at a costume party, and they end the night beneath the sheets while literally hiding behind their masks. When the holiday hook-up ends, their real identities present a serious snag: Trace manages the bank Julie happens to be suing. But will they turn this nasty trick of fate into a treat? Lights, Latkes, and Love: Non-profit CEO David Shay can't get enough of the December festivities. As manager of a large retail store, Hannah Jenkins, on the other hand, turns into a jaded Scrooge every year on Black Friday. Can a nice Jewish boy - with the help of some Christmas lights, a little girl, and a latke party - teach Hannah the true meaning of the season and guarantee them both a New Year's Eve kiss to remember? Ringing in Love: When entrepreneur and single mother Catherine Bennett leases office space in Dominic Russo's building, she can't keep her mind - or her eyes - off her new landlord. Only problem is, he happens to be a known womanizer . . . and her professional rival. Then he offers her an irresistible chance at winning a huge contract if she partners with his company. Catherine must decide whether mixing business with pleasure might not be such a bad idea this New Year's Eve. The Gift of Love: Isabella Rodriguez received the worst birthday gift ever - an eviction notice from her family home. Adrift, she accepts an unexpected promotion and transfers to Seattle where she meets Taylor Jordan at a business mixer. They're drawn to each other like candles to a cake. But when Taylor discovers Bella was behind one of the most humiliating experiences of his life, will they be able to find a future together? Thankful for Love: Rancher Jack Richardson needs someone to wrangle his two sons, and Quanna Morales needs a steady job to fund her education and help support her disabled brother. But despite a working relationship, the two can't fight their attraction, even though Quanna worries his family and friends won't accept her Indian heritage. When her worst fears come true and a feud erupts at the Thanksgiving table, will Jack be able to convince her that their love is strong enough to overcome any obstacle? Sensuality Level: Sensual

    As paranoia takes its ugly hold, it’s clear some things just can’t be forgotten…or forgiven.

    But if Natalya once held Alexei's heart, now she only holds his contempt...For revenge!Natalya's love almost destroyed Alexei; their lust blinded him to the truth about her. But the formidable Greek won't be fooled again! Natalya will pay for her betrayal in the most passionate way Alexei knows, and his vengeance will be all the more sweet...

    After rescuing lost archaeologist Charlotte from the desert, he can’t let her go. And when he requires a bride, their mutual desire compels Tariq to crown Charlotte as his queen!Innocent dreamer Charlotte thought passion was for other people—until Tariq proves how deliciously wrong she is! The pleasure of their marriage bed makes her feel alive. But the intensity of her connection with Tariq makes Charlotte feel something infinitely more dangerous…

    Faith might try to hide her true self behind a facade of feistiness, yet to Marcus she's as transparent as the glass she studies. What's more, the vulnerable woman in hiding is frighteningly appealing.Marcus and Faith don't believe in fairy tales, but being snowed in together over Christmas feels like magic. And the best gift of all would be discovering that happy-ever-afters really can come true….

    Strange Bedfellows Part 1 Sworn enemies Cassandra Mercer and Sean Frame become more than friends when they're trapped inside her car by a dangerous mudslide. Who would ever have pictured guidance counselor Cassandra Mercer at such close quarters with her nemesis, businessman Sean Frame? They're usually facing off at school board meetings, where he arrogantly questions her methods every chance he gets. But when a mudslide traps the two inside Cassandra's car, the will to live ignites a passion that brings them together. The story continues in Strange Bedfellows Parts 2 and 3.

    Despite their ever-present chemistry, she’s done with a life of royal scrutiny. Until a positive pregnancy test makes walking away impossible…For the sake of their baby, former playboy Dante demands Beatrice give palace life another chance. But she demands that this time, their marriage must be different. It’s up to Dante to balance his duty with desire, if he’s to keep his princess by his side!From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.

    What is it about this handsome, generous man that has her blood boiling and her pulse racing? Blake knows his ranch is the last place that Hope wants to be, but somehow her presence feels so right! Hope is the first woman guarded Blake has wanted to be around for a long time. Her visit may be temporary, but he has one more night to convince her to stay.

    But now he's back to investigate an unsolved murder and has teamed up with police detective Ivy Hawkins—the only part of the Smoky Mountain hamlet worth remembering.A Steamy Reunion Would Keep Him ThereIvy is a hometown girl and well aware of Sutton's reputation. She can't help but find his smoldering eyes resurrecting long-buried feelings. Plus, as the body count rises, Sutton is the only one who believes her that an eerily methodical serial killer is living among them in the shrouded peaks of Bitterwood. Ivy doesn't know which is worse—the desire she feels for a man who's nothing but trouble…or the danger posed by a killer who has them in his sights?

    HUNTER SERIES COMES CODY’S WAR!BIG TROUBLE IN CHINA!Cody’s mission: locate and extract a defecting physicist, Dr. Kwan, creator of the ghastly mega-weapon, Dragonfire. But the mission goes south almost immediately when a US Navy reconnaissance plane disappears over the South China Sea after observing Chinese nuclear submarine activity. Also missing: the dive team sent to investigate. Then there’s the coup d’état being staged in Beijing by renegade Chinese military officers intent on launching a nuclear holocaust and establishing a new World Order.With no one to trust in this deadly maze, Jack Cody races the clock against an imminent world threat spawned far beneath the sea . . .“One of the best adventure writers of our time!” - James M. Reasoner, NYT Bestselling author

    He loves their grace and athleticism. He’s been dating strippers, but his grandmother keeps asking when he will marry and give her grandbabies. When he attends a belly dance show and sees Zarifah he is smitten. “Zarifah” is an American belly dancer, who as child gymnast Edith Smith, was training for the Olympics, before her coaches dashed water on her dream. Her dance style is a unique blend of graceful dance and athleticism. Moments after her fiancé puts an engagement ring on her finger, he changes, demanding she stop dancing in public. She breaks the engagement, but he refuses to accept the ring or the breakup. When he hits her, the police arrest him. She never wants to see him again.She signs up for the first Shimmy Mob event, a belly dance event held on international belly dance day all around the world, which raises awareness and money for local domestic abuse shelters. Like many women, she never thought she would be a victim of domestic violence. Now she wants to help other women and she takes part, with her troupe, in the Shimmy Mob event.Cutter and Zarifah start dating. She might be the woman of his dreams, the one he will take home to meet his grandmother. Her ex fiancé decides if he cannot have her, no one will. The troupe has just finished their Shimmy Mob performance when the live shooter fires. He has no idea a Navy SEAL is there to protect Zarifa.

    His band, Intrigue, has the number one record in the country. Screaming fans, crowds of paparazzi, television performances, photo shoots—not to mention more than his fair share of female attention. Being a rock star definitely has its perks and Lance is determined to enjoy all of them. Willa Nathans has never fit in. Sent to a special school for the “exceedingly gifted” as a child, she spends most of her time buried in books and equations—which doesn’t exactly leave much room for a social life. But all of that ends now. Lance Foster has been her crush for years and Willa is determined, finally, to show him just how much she’s changed. There’s just one problem—Lance is her brother’s best friend and band mate. And if there’s one thing Lance knows, it’s that Willa is strictly off limits. No matter how difficult he might find it to stop thinking about her. When Lance’s ex shows up, kid in tow, he realizes that hiding his feelings for Willa from her brother is the least of his worries. Lance is good at one thing—rock and roll. How on earth is he supposed to take care of a kid? When Willa agrees to step in and help out, he knows she’s saving his ass. What he doesn’t count on is how much more complicated things can get when those pesky hidden feelings refuse to disappear…

    But Madison isn't just another plaything for the sheikh….A romance between a royal and a commoner is forbidden, yet Madison can't resist the passionate nights in Zain's bed, lying spent in his strong arms. Loving the crown prince is dangerous enough, but would Madison's latest secret—a royal baby of her own—derail Zain's reign for good…or end in happily ever after?

    A haunted mansion. A haunted woman. Three unforgettable tales of terror. THE HARROWINGFive troubled college students left alone on their isolated campus over the long Thanksgiving break confront their own demons and a mysterious presence... that may or may not be real.Nominated for Bram Stoker and Anthony Awards for Best First Novel"Poltergeist meets The Breakfast Club as five college students tangle with an ancient evil presence." - Kirkus Reviews"Absolutely gripping... it is easy to imagine this as a film. Once started, you won't want to stop reading." - The London TimesTHE UNSEEN"A creepy haunted house, reports of a 40-year-old poltergeist investigation, and a young researcher trying to rebuild her life take the "publish or perish" initiative for college professors to a terrifying new level in this spine-tingling story that has every indication of becoming a horror classic. Based on the famous Rhine ESP experiments at the Duke University parapsychology department that collapsed in the 1960s, this is a chillingly dark look into the unknown." —Romantic Times Book ReviewBOOK OF SHADOWSA cynical Boston homicide detective and a mysterious witch from Salem must join forces in a race to solve a series of satanic killings."A wonderfully dark thriller with amazing 'Is-it-isn't-it?' suspense throughout." — Lee Child-----------------------------------------

    As sea levels rise and livable landmasses shrink, the Reorganized United States of America has instituted population control measures to ensure there are sufficient resources and food to sustain the growing population. Birth authorization must be paid for and obtained prior to having a child. Someone must die before another can be born, keeping the country in a population neutral position at what experts consider to be the optimal population. The new laws are enforced by a ruthless government organization known as Pop Con, responsible for terminating any children resulting from unauthorized births, and any illegals who manage to survive past their second birthday, at which point they are designated a national security threat and given the name Slip. But what if one child slipped through the cracks? What if someone knew all the loopholes and how to exploit them? Would it change anything? Would the delicate resource balance be thrown into a tailspin, threatening the lives of everyone? And how far would the government go to find and terminate the Slip? In a gripping story of a family torn apart by a single choice, Slip is a reminder of the sanctity of a single life and the value of the lives we so often take for granted.