Now, I can add Margaret Lashley to that very short list." “Her characters are lovable and believable and you cheer, and cry, along with them.” “I found myself deeply immersed in Val’s journey and laughing out loud.” “If you enjoy Janet Evanovich, you’ll love Margaret Lashley!” “From the first page to the last, I was captivated.” “The characters are great – so many laugh out loud moments…” “Hilarious! I can completely relate to Val.” “Made me laugh, made me cry…. Couldn’t stop reading it.” "Margaret writes with a "smirk" of a Cheshire cat. Fantastic read.” If you like deeply flawed characters and laugh-out-loud situations, you’ll love Margaret Lashley’s hilarious Val Fremden Mystery Series. Why did you decide to write women’s fiction? I grew up in an era of strong women role models, such as Marlo Thomas in That Girl, as well as Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Burnett in shows that bore their names. These women were pursuing their own dreams, their own ways. I didn’t see much of that in fiction today. I wanted to create a character that was strong, yet vulnerable. One that celebrated the everyday, self-made woman who was struggling to finally put her own needs first. My main character, Val, is a survivor who bears the scars of her hard journey proudly, and with her own quirky coping mechanisms and sense of humor. Where did you get the idea for the Val & Pals Series? Real life was my inspiration. Today’s society makes it hard for a woman to be less than beautiful and perfect and subservient. I wanted to explore the idea of a woman who decided to lay down her tiara and mirror and scorecard and begin to play by her own rules. This type of freedom costs her dearly in many ways, but would it be worth it? That’s what this series explores with tears and triumphs and a barrel full of laughs. What type of reader would enjoy your brand of women’s fiction? Readers who like to be taken by surprise – who like to laugh and cry and dissolve into another world when they read. My characters have their great triumphs and cringe-worthy failures. They are flawed and vulnerable and funny as hell. My stories draw laughs using a wide net – from Pat Conroy’s twisted, dark family humor to Bridget Jones’s slap-stick situational gaffs. Things don’t always turn out like they planned. But that’s life – when it’s truly lived.

    "What do you want from me?" she whispered.Suzanne pressed up into Sage's embrace, her body making demands on the skillful hands, commanding pleasure from the exciting mouth. "I need you to love me...as long as you possibly can".What was it about Sage Bristo that drew women to her? Maybe it was the tall, toned body and androgynous good looks. Perhaps they liked her confidence -- her movements and manner so sure and decisive. Or was it the air of mystery, the temptation of a challenge to unravel?Sage couldn't explain the attraction, but she had certainly benefited from it, at least physically. As her reputation as a Don Juana grew, so did her black book of admiring women. Women who wanted to spoil her, to own her, to please her. Women who would do anything for her. But never the woman she needed the most -- the one woman who could lead her through the realm of desire, to the thing she desires most...

    When Cassie Hollander spills her guts to her very straight best friend, she doesn’t get the answer she wants, and even though she knew that would probably happen, she’s still crushed. She’s used to hiding in the shadows, masking her true self and pretending to conform to a life that doesn’t fit her. Everything happens for a reason, and in Cassie’s case, being rejected by Jessica Taylor was the catapult she needed to get her life together in more ways than one. Come along as Cassie figures out who she is, where she’s going, and how wonderful things happen when you open your heart to the chance for real love.

    That's when alumnae advisor, Jane Lawless, steps in to find out the truth. Assisted by her irrepressible sidekick Cordelia, Jane searches for clues, and what she finds is as chilling as the Minnesota winter. At a lonely vacation lodge, amidst the icy snow drifts, she risks her life to ensnare a cunning killer.Nominated: 1990 Minnesota Book Award for Best Crime FictionNominated: 1989 Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian MysteryNominated: 1996 Golden Earphones Award (Audio World), Best Unabridged BookWinner: 1996 Golden Earphones Award (Audio World), Best Reader of an unabridged work, Carol Jordan Stewart for her reading of Hallowed Murder

    When her best friend, Bob, becomes the prime suspect, Ari's desire to prove his innocence puts her on a collision course with Detective Molly Nelson, the gorgeous homicide detective facing the enormous pressure of finding the power broker's killer - fast. When Bob disappears, Ari enters a world of betrayal and deception, causing her to question Bob's innocence. She realizes that she may need to admit that Molly's hunt for justice will lead to Ari's greatest secret. As both women hunt for Bob, they are drawn to each other - unable to control the desire that surfaces when they are together. While Ari desperately craves Molly's attention, her devotion to Bob may force her to choose between the debts of the past and the promise of a happy future - if she can stay alive that long.

    She’s a dust-buster—a paid operative hired by political campaigns to vet candidates. She’s also a foul-mouthed, cranky ex-Catholic, attempting to raise a fourteen-year-old daughter on her own.When she’s hired to investigate the background of a squeaky-clean and charismatic senator who might just be the next president, the last thing she expects to uncover is a murder. Evan’s life is further complicated when she meets the senator’s reclusive wife—who happens to be hiding some dust of her own.

    Ayers is an ex-Washington political correspondent who suffered a humiliating fall from grace, and her acerbic, vicious tongue keeps everyone at bay. Everyone, that is, except knockabout Iowa girl King, who is undaunted, unimpressed and gives as good as she gets.One night a curious story unfolds before their eyes: One business launch, 34 prostitutes and a pallet of missing pink champagne. Can the warring pair work together to unravel an incredible story? This is a lesbian fiction with more than a few mysterious twists.Winner of the Golden Crown Literary Award (2016) for Mystery Thriller, and Lambda finalist.

    In the process she discovers a true calling for what she does, a deep abiding love for the city and people she serves, and a real connection to someone who cares for her.

    Twelve years since millions of dollars were lost because of a single bullet. Twelve years since Lenny Long last saw his family before being thrown in jail for killing Danno Garland. Now, Lenny has walked out of jail a changed man.Back on the outside, things haven’t gotten any easier. Danno’s death has made the spotlight shine on the world of professional wrestling a little too brightly for the comfort of many. Senator Tanenbaum is leading the charge to shut the whole thing down, while the other wrestling bosses haven’t wasted any time in trying to consolidate their territories and grab new ones. But Danno’s old crew isn’t about to let the other promoters take what is rightfully theirs, at least not without a fight. And, try as he might to get home, Lenny’s role in it all isn’t over.In this thrilling final chapter of Paul O’Brien’s gritty Blood Red Turns Dollar Green trilogy, it all comes down to Lenny. And twelve years is a long time to think and to plan.

    Usually, she's good at getting out of it, but this time, the trouble was more than she bargained for and it almost killed her. Finding herself in a small town in Virginia, tucked away for safety by the Witness Protection Service, she is given a second chance at a new life. The security detail watching over her is headed by Detective Tess Hayes, a by-the-book police officer with a history of her own. Coming from a big city, the rural town of Tenley provides Bishop the opportunity to reclaim the better aspects of her former life and introduces her to the people who help her start over. Can Bishop run from her troubled past? How do you bury the truth and live the lie? WARNING: REVIEWS CONTAIN ENDING SPOILERS!

    A chance encounter with her older sister's best friend leaves her speechless. Back in high school, Callie was a million times cooler than Robyn could ever hope to be. So why does she suddenly want to hang out with Robyn? Callie's left behind her guitar-playing days, and the lifestyle that went along with them. These days, she spends all her free time with her energetic puppy. When she runs into Robyn, she's instantly drawn to her changed, confident new self. And although Callie always thought she was straight, Robyn is... hot? As the two women spend time together, Robyn's years-old crush intensifies - and Callie's certainty about her orientation falters. But if they admit their feelings for each other, will the present be able to overshadow their past?

    The killer is a woman. But what secrets lie beneath the surface, so dark that a man has to die? Tom Douglas has a terrible dilemma to face - whether to punish the guilty, or protect the innocent. The Back Road – A girl lies close to death in a dark, deserted lane. A driver drags her body to the side of the road. A shadowy figure hides in the trees, watching and waiting. Only one person knows the whole story. And that person will protect the truth no matter what the cost. Sleep Tight – When Olivia Brookes calls the police to report that her husband and children are missing, she believes she will never see them again. Now, two years later, it’s Olivia who has disappeared… How far would you go to hold on to the people you love? Tom Douglas is the man tasked with finding the truth. But nothing is ever as it appears… With over 5000 Five Star reviews across the three titles, this boxed set of thrillers will keep you reading long into the night. Praise for Rachel Abbott’s books ‘I am in awe of Rachel Abbott’s plotting!’ Elizabeth Haynes – author of Into the Darkest Corner ‘Abbott continues to be an outstanding force in the world of thriller writing.’ LJ Ross – author of Holy Island ‘A properly addictive, leave-the-light-on thriller.’ Red Magazine

    Here, on the Danish North Sea coast, she tries to make sense of her life and rid herself of the ghosts of her past. When the old stable catches fire leading to the discovery of a skeleton, Tora is faced with ghosts that go even further back, to the time of World War Two. Now she must uncover her own family secrets, but will she learn the truth in time to save herself? North Sea Cottage is a novella by award-winning Danish author Dorte Hummelshoj Jakobsen.

    To overcome her anxiety, she downs a glass of gin mistaken as ice water, awakening the next morning in a fog, but fixated on finding that one person in a city of millions before time runs out. On a fast paced track towards an ending you can’t possibly foresee, this book will erase any doubt you harbor in the existence of love at first sight and forever fortify your faith in happily ever after.

    I’m not sure I agree. Sitting on the threshold of not quite a man, not quite a boy isn’t a very comfortable place to be. My name is Jonah and in 1999 I was sixteen. That summer was the summer that changed everything. My parents sent me to camp to find God… I found him in the eyes and actions of a sweet country boy named Neil.This is a story about love… first love so pure and true. This is a story about faith and finding the courage to be who you are regardless of what anyone else thinks. It’s a story about growing up and realizing what makes the measure of a man. Hint, it’s not how tall you stand or how wealthy or intelligent you are.It’s about having the courage to admit to yourself the truth… whatever that may be. This is my heart song. This is my battle cry. This is my threnody. It’s the words birthed from the heart of a boy who fell in love with his best friend at summer camp… his only friend.