Fate leads to a meeting with Harry Rutledge, an enigmatic hotel owner and inventor with wealth, power, and a dangerous hidden life. When their flirtation compromises her own reputation, Poppy shocks everyone by accepting his proposal—only to find that her new husband offers his passion, but not his trust. Harry was willing to do anything to win Poppy—except open his heart. He has held the world at arm’s length…but the beguiling Poppy demands to be his wife in every way that matters. As desire grows between them, an enemy lurks in the shadows. If Harry wants to keep Poppy by his side, he must forge a true union of body and soul . . .Married By Morning (Book 4)For two years, Catherine Marks has been a paid companion to the Hathaway sisters—a pleasant position, with one caveat. Her charges’ older brother, Leo Hathaway, is thoroughly exasperating. Cat cannot believe that their constant arguing could mask a mutual attraction. But when one quarrel ends in a sudden kiss, Cat is shocked at her response—and even more so when Leo proposes a liaison. Leo must marry and produce an heir within a year to save his family home. Catherine’s respectable demeanor hides a secret that would utterly destroy her. But to Leo, Cat is intriguing and tempting. The danger Cat tried to outrun is about to separate them forever—unless two wary lovers can find a way to banish the shadows and give in to their desires . . .Love in the Afternoon (Book 5)Beatrix Hathaway has always been more comfortable outdoors than in the ballroom. The free-spirited Beatrix has never been swept away or seriously courted…and she has resigned herself to never finding love. Captain Christopher Phelan is a handsome, daring soldier who plans to marry Beatrix’s friend, the vivacious flirt Prudence Mercer, when he returns from fighting abroad. But, as he explains in his letters to Pru, life on the battlefield has darkened his soul—and it’s becoming clear that Christopher won’t come back as the same man. When Beatrix learns of Pru’s disappointment, she decides to help by concocting Pru’s letters to Christopher for her. The correspondence between Beatrix and Christopher develops into something fulfilling and deep—and when Christopher comes home, he’s determined to claim the woman he loves. What began as innocent deception has resulted in the agony of unfulfilled love—and a passion that can’t be denied . . .

    Maceo has overlooked the vow of “forsaking all others”, so it’s hard for him to stay faithful. Maceo is extremely sexy, and women are always throwing their goodies at him. He loves his beautiful wife Chrissy, but he keeps a hot thot on standby. He has a weakness for fine, freaky women. Their marriage seems to be perfect from the outside looking in. However, everything that glitters ain’t gold. Big trouble is brewing and Maceo is creeping out the bed to meet up with different mistresses. It’s just sex to him and nothing more; but, what happens when one of his side chicks fall in love? She’s willing to do whatever it takes to make Maceo her man. Chrissy has overlooked her husband’s cheating over the years; but, after learning of a particular mistress, Maceo might have crossed a line she can’t forgive. Maceo is scandalous, but he’s not the only one hiding secrets. Chrissy’s past ain’t pretty, and both of their secrets will be exposed. ​When life changing secrets are revealed…..can Maceo and Chrissy forgive each other? Or will the cheating, lies, and secrets be too much to save this troubled marriage?

    As a Houston prosecutor he sent sixteen men to death row, and watched seven of them die. But now, in the aftermath of his wife's death, the grief-stricken father packs up his four-year-old daughter, Annie, and returns to his hometown in search of healing. But peace is not what he finds there.Natchez, Mississippi, is the jewel of the antebellum South, a city of old money and older sins, where passion, power, and racial tensions seethe beneath its elegant façade. After twenty years away, Penn is stunned to find his own family trapped in a web of intrigue and danger. Determined to save his father from a ruthless blackmailer, Penn stumbles over a link to the town's darkest secret: the thirty-year-old unsolved murder of a black Korean War veteran. But what drives him to act is the revelation that this haunting mystery is inextricably bound up in his own past.24 HoursRead by Dick Hill (Ruth Bloomquist, Russell Byers)24 Hours begins with the perfect family. On the perfect day. About to become trapped in the perfect crime. Will Jennings is a successful young doctor in Jackson, Mississippi, with his whole life ahead of him. He has a thriving practice, a beautiful wife, and a young daughter he loves beyond measure. But Will and his family are being watched by a con man and psychopath. A man who has crafted the unbeatable crime. A man who has never been caught, and whose victims have never talked to the police. A man whose life's work strikes at the heart of every family's nightmare: the unstoppable kidnapping. But this man has never met Will and Karen Jennings.Dead SleepRead by Susie Breck (Dick Hill)Jordan Glass, a photojournalist on a well-earned vacation, wanders into a Hong Kong art museum and is puzzled to find fellow patrons eying her with curiosity. Minutes later, she stumbles upon a gallery containing a one-artist exhibition called "The Sleeping Women," a mysterious series of paintings that has caused a sensation in the world of modern art. Collectors have come to believe that the canvases depict female nudes not in sleep but in death, and they command millions at auction. When Jordan approaches the last work in the series, she freezes. The face in the painting seems to be her own. This unsettling event hurls her back into a nightmare she has fought desperately to put behind her - for, in fact, the face in the painting belongs not to Jordan but to her twin sister, murdered one year ago. At the urging of the FBI, Jordan becomes both hunter and hunted in a duel with the anonymous artist, a gifted murderer who knows the secret history of Jordan's family, and truths that even she has never had the courage to face.

    Hilarity does not ensue when an ancient soul-sucker shows up to drain the local nerd population of vitality and life energy.If you've ever wondered who would win in a knock-down, drag out fistfight between Jimmy Black and Greg Knightwood, here's your chance to find out!This Black Knight Short Story is about 6,000 words, or roughly 20 pages long.

    Not quite what he expected, and not for the faint of heart.Founded in 2012, The Center for Fiction's Crime Fiction Academy is the first ongoing program exclusively dedicated to crime writing in all its forms. Hone your skills with bestselling crime fiction authors Alison Gaylin and Jason Starr. Attend master classes with crime fiction greats like Mary Higgins Clark, Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Linda Fairstein, Nelson DeMille, Michael Connelly, Lisa Unger, and many more. Students receive a Writers’ Studio membership with access to our extensive circulating collection, and have the opportunity to read their work to an audience filled with editors, agents, and publishing professionals at our seasonal Crime Fiction Slam. Not in New York? Check centerforfiction.org for information about our online classes.

    Will Malcolm Fletcher prove himself to be the remorseless, audacious killer the FBI have marked him as, or is he something far more complicated?

    A crowded fairground. A simple sequence of numbers that appear over and over again... and a horrible feeling that something is very, very wrong.Nina Vogel is haunted by a recurring nightmarish vision - but what does it mean?In this powerful short story by Jack Harding, step into this nerve-racking, fast-paced fever dream that blurs the lines between the real and the unreal.

    Springtime is about renewal, second chances and getting a new lease on life - which is what these stories are all about! Be swept away by love! Falling for the Earl - by Arietta Richmond. A grieving Earl with a lost heir, a lonely woman, unsure of her place in life, an accidental meeting amongst the spring flowers, a secret in the woods, a love that transforms everything. Shopping for a Gentleman - by Isabella Thorne. An accidental meeting while shopping brings widow, Mrs Mildred Stelter and Mr Leighton together. They discover that they have very different views on life. Can disagreement lead to love, and a new view of the world? A Duke for the Dowager - by Catherine Windsor. Widow Lady Elizabeth has finished mourning. Still young, she hopes to love again. Her friend’s suggestion seems good until she sees the obnoxious Duke mentioned. Can she find another love? And what of the handsome Earl she met on the road? The New Governess of Chiswick - By Grace Austen. Letitia takes a role as a governess, when her family is impoverished. The Earl is cold at first, but Letitia comes to love his daughter, and him. Dark secrets from the past threaten them. Can love win out? The Earl’s True Love - by Katherine Keats. Lord Worthington faces the scandal of divorce, blames himself, remembers the girl he once loved. Joanna, a village girl is scorned as a spinster, because only one man ever held her heart, and he left. Can they find love? The Unforgettable Duchess by Charlotte Darcy. Lady Daphne Kenswick gave her heart to Lord Stephen Graves but they are torn apart by an obsessed Duke, a manipulative family, and duty to country. Will fate give them a second chance to find true love? The Earl’s Healing Heart – by Eleanor St Clair. Sarah Lyons is a widow. Many men only want her for her money. But Lord Davenport seems different. Can she bring herself to love again, or will her suspicious mind ruin any chance of finding a lasting love? The Duke’s Obsession - by Regina Darcy. Lady Desdemona’s husband died leaving her penniless. She flees to her brother-in-law, the Duke of Danberry who once courted her and still cares for her. When a debt goes unpaid the Marquis de Chambray threatens her son - can the Duke prevent the disaster? And what of love? The Reclusive Duke’s Second Chance - by Lydia Pembroke. A Duke deeply hurt in the past, and suspicious of all women, a woman who needs to marry money, to save her family, a house party, a spiteful meddler. Is love possible, or will they be forced apart? A Daughter for the Duke - by Kelly Anne Bruce. Widow Hannah Winters has only her daughter, Miriam. Things improve when they meet Lord Dearly but he has a title and nothing else to offer them. When duty takes him away, their friendship seems over. Will the unexpected allow love to flourish? Claiming the Duke’s Heart - by Sophia Wilson. A bereaved Duke, a motherless baby, a grieving young woman. A position caring for the child exposes Emily to the Duke, and attraction stirs – but will the secrets of the past force them apart? Or can love win? The Earl’s Treachery - by Sophia Ansley. A charming Lord, a merchant’s daughter who struggles to be ladylike, an unpleasant Earl, a conspiracy to defraud.

    For hundreds of years, the danger of collision has been ignored as mere crackpot theories, until now, and now it's too late. Collision is a short story commissioned by Vanquish Motion Pictures for development in film and television, and is the first in a series of character-rich, mystery-driven science fiction grounded in science fact.

    Chesterton (famous for Father Brown) — and a handpicked selection of modern stories by contemporary masters, including Nora Charles, Marcia Talley, Elaine Viets, and many more! Included in this volume: A SENIOR DISCOUNT ON DEATH, by Nora Charles MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, by Art Taylor THE STOLEN VENUS, by Darrell Schweitzer REAR VIEW MURDER, by Carla Coupe THUBWAY THAM’S INTHULT, by Johnston McCulley THE IDES OF MARCH, by E.W. Hornung PINPRICK, by Skadi meic Beorh THE RED HERRING, by William Hope Hodgson DRAGON BONES, by Jacqueline Seewald THE GOLDEN SLIPPER, by Anna Katherine Green KALI, by Eric Taylor DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION, by Marcia Talley THE BLUE CROSS, by G.K. Chesterton THE WORST NOEL, by Barb Goffman MR. CLACKWORTHY’S POT OF GOLD, by Christopher B. Booth THE MONKEY GOD, by Seabury Quinn WEDDING KNIFE, by Elaine Viets THE MAD DETECTIVE, by John D. Swain THE ADVENTURE OF THE DIAMOND NECKLACE, by G. F. Forrest SECURITY BLANKET, by Toni L.P. Kelner A CROOK WITHOUT HONOR, by Johnston McCulley THE DAUGHTER OF HUANG CHOW, by Sax Rohmer ANCHORS AWAY, by C. Ellett Logan WAYS OF DARKNESS, by E.S. Pladwell THUBWAY THAM’S INTHANE MOMENT, by Johnston McCulley

    ~ Wicked Bride Games Fifty million dollars for three weeks of your life in the hands of a total stranger. Would you do it? When Naomi Lee finds herself out of a job and out of the money she needs to pay her father’s medical bills, she receives an anonymous letter, containing an offer she can’t refuse. Max Marino, a wealthy businessman, wants her and he’ll pay any price. Three weeks of her time, no-holds-barred, in exchange for fifty million dollars. With no other means to pay her bills, Naomi has no choice but to accept. However, Naomi isn’t the only one who signs the contract. And Max isn’t alone in his deal. Three brothers … Nine girls … All competing for the ultimate prize … marriage. Let the games begin. ~ Dirty Wife Games A scorned wife on the run, and a stalker who follows her every move… Match made in heaven? After being forced to marry a tyrant, Hyun Song flees his home in a desperate attempt to save what’s left of her dignity … and her life. Now on her own, she tries her best to move on with her simple life. But she quickly realizes she can’t escape her past … and that she’s not alone … He watches her through her window. Sends her indecent notes. Stalks her everywhere she goes. He wants her badly, and when she finally lets him in … It’s time for the wife to play a dirty game. WARNING: This duet contains disturbing content some readers may find offensive. Includes scenes involving multiple men & women being dirty together. Every boundary is crossed. Read at your own risk. The Indecent Games Duet are two Dark Mafia Psychological Suspense standalone novels .

    She spends her days creating fantastical realms full of magic, elves, and other mythical creatures. It’s not unusual for her characters to find true love. But Carter has lost faith in finding her Happily Ever After. Aside from her doubts about finding real-life love, Carter’s greatest nemesis is the chaos on her desk and in her computer files. Her best friend, Ali, thinks she has the solution: hire Brooklyn Brady to “organize” Carter’s life. Carter is skeptical. Brooklyn’s picture and her online profile pique Carter’s curiosity, and she agrees to meet Brooklyn in New York.A coffee meeting followed by a marathon dinner pave the way for a working relationship between Carter and Brooklyn. Brooklyn Brady quickly captures more than Carter’s interest. Leaving old wounds in the past and taking a chance with someone new isn’t in Carter’s plans. Brooklyn’s unassuming nature, her intelligence, humility, and her honesty test the limits of Carter’s resolve. The question for Carter is whether she can allow Brooklyn to clear more than the chaos from her desk. Can Brooklyn resolve the turmoil in Carter’s heart? Will Crossing Into Brooklyn finally help Carter find her Happily Ever After?

    Harley attributes her success to her unwavering resolve to maintain professional boundaries with her clients. Of course, her cool demeanor and charming smile don’t hurt. But when Harley meets her newest client, she not only loses her cool, she wavers.Tessa Pearson is one of Boston’s most acclaimed wedding photographers. And although she has a talent for capturing love on film, she has no desire to be in a relationship. She’s happily committed to her bachelorette lifestyle. Tessa’s best friend, however, has other plans for her.The last thing Tessa wants is to work with a dating coach. Harley is Tessa’s worst nightmare: prying, overly confident, and guarded. Yet somehow she’s become the star of Tessa’s fantasies.The last thing Harley wants is to waste her efforts on someone who doesn’t want to date. Tessa is jaded, stubborn, and uncooperative. So why can’t Harley stop thinking about her?All Harley has to do is her job. All Tessa has to do is play along. But the more time they spend together, the more blurry the lines between work and play become.

    hard to resist ... * * * * *The Bad Boys Next Door series ... All in ONE Volume!TEMPTEDI lived my life with no regrets ... Until she showed up ...It started with her old man. That stubborn bastard set me up. He knew what he was doing, and I fell for his daughter before I even heard her voice.What was he thinking, trying to set her up with a prick like me? She's too good for me. I should've walked away, but every time she told me no, it only made me want to chase her more. I shouldn't have brought her into my life. I'm trouble, that's all I am, and I brought that to her doorstep. But I can't let her go now, even if she hates me for it. She tempted me; now she's mine.* * * * *INKEDLittle Miss Goody-Two-Shoes just moved in next door.She's a good girl, the kind I want to ruin. The problem is, she knows I'm bad news. I've always been trouble. That's why she keeps pushing me away, even with her curvy body pressed against mine and those soft moans spilling from her lips. Now that she's my neighbour, it's only a matter of time before I'll have her in my arms and clinging to me the way I need her to. I may not deserve her, but I want her more than I've ever wanted anything. She's not getting away from the bad boy next door.* * * * *MR. CEOI'm used to dominating the boardroom and getting what I want. But I've never wanted anyone like her.Even though I have the world at my beck and call, it no longer excites me. Nothing does. Until she comes along. My Rose. Her deep blue eyes. Her tempting curves. They call to me, consuming my thoughts like nothing has in years. I should walk away, but the soft sighs spilling from her plump lips are addictive. I've never felt such desire. I've never wanted like this. I shouldn't fall this deep and I know it. There's a reason I keep everyone away, and I need to remember that. But now that I have her in my grasp, I can't let her go.

    Eleanor has always been the good girl, the perfect student, girlfriend, and business owner. There's no reason on earth that they should belong together. Yet somehow, Eleanor ends up offering Mac a job. And that should be that. Until money starts to go missing...One is perfect: rich, well educated, her life mapped out. One is flawed: broke, street smart, her life in shreds. But together they could build a dream. As long as they can accept that opposites attract.The Opposite of You is a standalone lesbian romance novel from the author of the Oakview Lesbian Romance series and the Monday's Child series.