Caring about anyone or anything is asking to be disappointed, which is why I avoid relationships and chase freelance gigs — ghost writing restaurant reviews and penning articles about the efficacy of cheesy pick up lines — instead of chasing my dreams. Besides, dreams don’t come true for people like me. And no one, not even the sexy-as-hell bartender at the club can convince me otherwise. Because I’m never risking my heart again. Sam: As a bartender I’ve watched a million pick-up artists work their magic, but none as talented as Griffin Marian. He’s a flirt, a good time. Hooking up with him was supposed to be just a fling. I wasn’t supposed to care abut his fractured past or his buried dreams. I have my own future to worry about, especially after that stupid food critic scuttled my hopes of finally opening my own restaurant. But, the more time I spend with Griff, the more I’m beginning to realize that my plans mean nothing without him. If only I can convince him to give us a chance to follow our dreams together. Moving Maverick: Maverick: I haven't been back to Rabbit Island, South Carolina, since my parents died and my grandmother, Mimi, rejected me. I'm only returning now to attend her funeral and sell an estate I never wanted. But the moment I step foot on the island and fall into Beau’s arms, I realize it might not be so easy to say goodbye after all. Beau Talmadge was always the boy next door, but now he’s no longer a kid. The man is hot as hell and pushes all my buttons in the very best way. I'm supposed to leave in a week. Sell everything, close the door on my past, and walk away forever. So why am I letting myself fall for someone who lives thousands of miles away? And how the hell am I going to break it off when it's time to go? Beau: It took one short summer to fall in love with Maverick Mitchell and fifteen long years to forget him when he left. I’d never expected to see him again, but when he shows up at Mimi’s funeral looking lost and lonely I can’t resist doing anything I can to comfort him. Falling into bed with Maverick is easy and the nights we spend together are as hot and steamy as a South Carolina thunderstorm. I know it's not smart. I know it's not what he planned. But dammit, Mav belongs in my arms, in my bed, and in my life. So how the hell do I get him to stay? Delivering Dante: AJ: I know Dante’s story better than anyone. After all, I was the one who rescued him from his homophobic, abusive father eight years ago. Since then, I’ve kept my distance, but when I run into him at the Marian House gala and he doesn’t recognize me, I can’t resist the incredible, sensitive man he’s become. I would do anything to protect Dante Marian, but what if his past keeps me from being part of his future? Dante: Every new relationship has obstacles, it just turns out that ours involves my bumbling inexperience (ugh), an octogenarian naughty toy party (don’t ask), and being on the run in an RV with Aunt Tilly (it involves the Secret Service— no really, don’t ask). When my biological father takes his homophobic views to a national platform, the only way to stand up for what I believe in is to claim my past and confront him.

    She continued his story throughout the suspenseful Fortune Hunters series and at last, in DANGER IN A RED DRESS, readers rejoiced as he at last discovered the truth about his family, and met the woman of his dreams.Now, in this original short story, Gabriel must confront the demons of his past for a young girl to have any hope of a future, and discovers that, at Christmas, blessings sometimes come in disguise.Enjoy GABRIEL'S GIFT: A Lost Hearts Christmas Story, a heartwarming epilogue for readers of Christina Dodd's Lost Hearts and Fortune Hunters series. 10,840 words, first publication 2014.

    He is wanted by many attractive women, who will do anything to spark his attention. These thrill seeking women are known to him as his pawns and they anxiously wait for him to fulfill their sexual fantasies. In return, he’s paid generously for his adventurous deeds. His magnetism, good looks, and extraordinary style of love making is the key to getting him everything he wants, but falling in love was not part of the game plan until Candy makes her move on him. Things seem to be headed in the right direction until Candy’s world is turned upside down and Monty finds himself needing to be there to pick up the pieces. As the two grow closer, the balancing act between satisfying his pawns and being with his potential queen becomes a strategic move in wanting to have his cake and eat it too. Will this spontaneous high mean more to him than being with just one woman or will the love of the game entice him to continue to play? Will Candy continue to pursue the man of her dreams or will she ultimately realize that keeping her dignity is more important? One thing for sure is that Monty is going to continue to live life to the fullest and, at all cost, he intends on winning. Play at your own risk.

    Both of them would rather be anywhere else. Gabe needs a sober ride home without his douchey ex bringing him down. Lincoln needs to put the mistakes that brought him to Hollow Forge behind him for good. A simple lift back to campus turns into one night together that leaves them both wanting more. One night becomes two, but soon their pasts are knocking at the door and the clock is running out on their weekend. 15,000 word gay romance novella

    Evelyn Watt fell in love with Austrian marketing director Rudy Moser the moment he stepped into their Boston firm. With his ice blue eyes and chocolate-melting accent, he is as refined as she imagines his home country to be. When Evelyn finds herself unexpectedly unemployed right before Christmas, she is left with an unknown future until Rudy steps in with a job appraising, assessing and cataloging heirlooms, lending her American vernacular to the translated descriptions to give each item international appeal. Evelyn will live in Vienna for the months leading up to a grand auction at a party held in conjunction with the Opera Ball—on Valentine’s Day. Vienna is a magical blend of waltzing, antiques, and bottomless cups of Einspanner coffee at the Café Mozart. When a secret from Rudy's family's past blows in with the winter chill, Evelyn is forced to confront how well she knows the object of her affection. Her café tablemate, the gruff and enigmatic Klaus Bauner might be the only person who holds the key to Rudy’s past. But could that key also unlock her future? In the days leading up to the Opera Ball, Evelyn finds herself in the middle of the greatest romance of her life…as long as she doesn’t trip over her two left feet.

    His plans don't change when quarterback Will Kent bets him to contact his first love and try to rekindle the flame, because his first love is happily married with two kids. What Leon didn't count on was rescuing his back-door neighbor and junior-high crush, Sadie Jones from a dog attack. His friends then double-dog-dare Leon to bring Sadie to the block party, and Leon never backs down from a dare. The dare leads to a kiss, and Leon is swept away by things he'd forgotten about Sadie. Things he didn't realized he wanted.All Sadie Jones wants is a quiet Christmas to finish her business proposal and forget her jerk of an ex, Brian. When she hears Leon and his buddies in their back yard she goes over to tell them to shut up so she can work, but ends up getting attacked by a dog, and saved by Leon. When he asks her to the block party she accepts. When he kisses her she slaps him. When he decides to make it his personal mission to help her rekindle her inspiration for writing she begins to remember why she had a crush on him all growing up, and why she keeps saying yes when he asks her out.When Sadie's ex tries to take her proposal, and Leon sends his massive Twitter following after the guy, everything falls apart. Can they put their own issues aside and salvage their budding relationship, or will the Grinch get his way?

    Maxwell Gold appeared to be a successful straight man with a wife and loads of friends, but Max had been living a secret life. Everyone knows about it, his wife, and his boys, the only one who doesn’t realize that he’s not straight, is Maxwell Gold. The night he walks into a French restaurant and is love-sick over a young man, is the same night he’s confronted with the truth about himself, and his sham marriage to his beautiful wife. Can the love of his life Jami Caulfield who knows who he is, convince Max that love is never having to say you’re sorry when you accept yourself, and who you choose to love? Can Maxwell Gold handle all the problems that have been tossed at him when he announces to his father that he’s gay and loves a man?

    David is a handsome finance director who works nearby, eats lunch by himself, and expects nothing but "the usual"—small vanilla latte—from the cute guy in the cart. But when David shows up for his first Portland Pride festival, Robby works up the nerve to take their slow-brewing relationship to the next level. David, however, is newly out and single, still grieving the loss of his longtime lover, and unsure if he’s ready to date again. Yet with every fresh latte, sweet exchange—and near hook-up—David and Robby go from simmering to steaming to piping hot. The question is: Will someone get burned?

     Hayley Martin and Fiona Chambers have been best friends since they were ten. From the moment that beautiful Fiona stood up to the school bullies for Hayley, the misfit, the two have been inseparable. Twenty years on, they still share everything, and even run their own business together. Until a dark secret threatens to test their loyalty to breaking point… What would you do if you discovered that your best friend could be your worst enemy? Cover design by Kristen Radtke.

    Determined to keep his head down and his heart in check, Charlie swears the red dirt that surrounds him – isolates him – runs through his veins.American agronomy student Travis Craig arrives at Sutton Station to see how farmers make a living from one of the harshest environments on earth. But it’s not the barren, brutal and totally beautiful landscapes that capture him so completely, it’s the man with the red dirt heart.Please note: This book is set in Australia, using Australian English and lingo.

    . . Ivy It’s funny how one little pill can change your entire life. Or, more accurately, the forgetting of one tiny pill. Just when everything was going right . . . fate threw a major ‘f*ck you’ my way in the form of a bun in the oven. So what did I do? Ran. Ran from the two men I adored, because they didn’t want kids. There was no place for them in their world. They’d told me that a dozen times. I had no intention of ever coming back—but desperation makes a woman do crazy things. So now, here I stand, begging for a job and eating crow by the bucket load. It doesn’t help that they look better than ever. Ripped muscles pressing against their suits with that utterly alpha look in their eyes. The look that promises to fulfill your every desire. And my body hasn’t forgotten for a second the way they made me scream in pleasure night after night. But I’ve got no plans to repeat the past. My life is different now, I’m different now. It's just business this time . . . right? Logan/Tyler She’s back. The one woman we’ve ever loved. The same woman who abandoned us a year ago with not so much as a god-damn post it note . . . She says she wants a job. No, not wants—demands—it. Who the hell does she think she is? Barking orders like we’re the ones who screwed her over. And how dare she? How dare she show up with all her attitude and hot little body, teasing us like she didn’t smash our hearts into oblivion? Just the sound of her voice makes us harder than steel, but we’re not giving in, dammit. She’s been keeping secrets . . . and we want answers. And we’re going to get them out of her, one good spanking at a time. This naughty girl needs to be punished. And before we give her the pleasure we know she can’t resist, she’ll have to beg for forgiveness . . . on her hands and knees . . . naked. The Billionaires Surprise Baby is a standalone, lip-biting, MFM Billionaire Menage Romance from your new favorite author Harper West. If bad boy billionaire alphas are your cup of tea . . . sit down and take a sip of this toe-curling romance! Guaranteed HEA & No Cheating.

    Unfortunately, relationships can make and break human beings too. Why are relationships such a circus for most of us? What is this primal urge within us that demands a bond – physical, mental, or emotional – with another? And how do we keep this bond from turning into bondage? These are the fundamental questions that Relationships: Bond or Bondage looks at as Sadhguru shares with us the keys to forming lasting and joyful relationships, whether they are with husband or wife, family and friends, at work, or with the very existence itself.Sadhguru is a yogi and profound mystic of our times. An absolute clarity of perception places him in a unique space in not only matters spiritual but in business, environmental and international affairs, and opens a new door on all that he touches.

     Back in the Sixties while Motown hits filled the airwaves, naïve Jill Novak acknowledged her knack for choosing losers when boring Husband Number One vanished, leaving her to support their two-year-old. The perpetual daydreamer soon morphs from small town Jill to sophisticated big city Cherie, but a new name does not a better future bring. In 1969 Houston, Cherie encounters a rogue’s gallery of characters unlike those from her small Texas hometown; a drop-dead gorgeous transsexual, a snarling wannabe Mafia hit-man, a hairy cop who incorporates fondling girls into his job, and a ditzo neighbor whose desire for friendship borders on stalking. But it is two distinctly different men—a middle-age gregarious gambler and a twenty-something gruff intellectual—who jump on board her turbulent thirty-year roller coaster ride and journey with her into the 21st Century and womanhood. A tough and tender Texas-sized romance with a mild metaphysical slant, The Jewel Box highlights moments from the mystical, laid-back Age of Aquarius through the materialistic, high-speed Internet era. Music and references to the times/political climate convey the nations rocky terrain (and subsequent growth) parallel with that of the main character. This is a story of an engaging and open-hearted woman with no plan, making her way through life by fits and starts, and ultimately succeeding by turning out to be stronger than she thought.

    Jeff Allstein is a mechanic who has too much to lose if his private life becomes public. The heat of their attraction boils over on a stormy summer night, but satisfying that need only makes them both crave more.Their searing connection makes it hard for Ryan to understand the road blocks Jeff continually puts down. Ryan will have to buckle up if he s going to find love at the end of his custom ride.Warning: This title contains the following: explicit male/male sex, graphic language."

    Ever since he could remember, the idea of having children was of paramount importance in his life. There was one little problem to his plan of matrimony and offspring, he was terrified of commitment, and...he wasn't sure he was truly interested in being intimate with a woman. As Ronnie debated thoughts of adoption, surrogacy and unplanned pregnancy, two things happened in his life; he met an incredible woman, Carrie Archer, and his best friend Heath Sherwood seduced him when he was drunk at a wild party. The morning-after filled Ronnie with regrets. Ironically, not regretting being sexual with his best friend Heath, but the fear that he was going to want that man in his life, permanently. The big 'C'- Commitment. Heath had no hesitation to give Ronnie his heart. He told Ronnie he was in love with him since they met, and Heath also knew it was the physical part of their connection that Ronnie craved as much as he craved fatherhood. As Carrie begins to win Ronnie's attention with her kindness and warmth, Ronnie still keeps her at arm's length. If he chose Carrie to be his partner it would dissolve his inner fears of everything that came with an alternative lifestyle. Ronnie hated conflict. All he wanted was for life to be easy, to be happy, to have a baby, and that included enjoying the devotion of his best friend. Was that too much for any man to ask? Unfortunately it was. And jealousy and doubt began to rear its ugly head.