She is left alone to wonder why she and she alone. Survivor's guilt has nothing on the young Major as she is forced to deal with the scars, both physical and mental, left from her ordeal overseas. Before the accident, she couldn't think of doing anything else in her life. In fact, she even had sacrificed love for service, but now she questions the very ideals she once believed in. Was it worth it? Sent Stateside to recover, she finds herself at the Marine Corps base in California where her new job is to inform families of a loved one's death. One of the "informs" will change her life forever. Claire Monroe is your average military wife, with a loving husband and a little girl. She is used to the time apart from her husband. In fact, it was one of the reasons she married him. Then, one day, her life is turned upside down when she gets a visit from the Marine Corps. She finds herself losing a husband but awakening a long-gone side of herself she never thought she would see again. Is she being disrespectful to the memory of her recently dead husband or is she finally being true to who she really is? Can these two women come to terms with the past and finally find happiness, or will their shared sense of honor keep them apart?

    But even after three decades, she has never been able to get past the devastating end of her relationship with the beautiful and brilliant Ruth Abramson. As Elizabeth approaches her 30th college reunion, she must face the woman who long ago acceded to the demands of her father, a famous Russian dissident, and married the young man who’d been chosen for her. It doesn’t make it any easier that Ruth, now divorced and living openly as a lesbian, is the class luncheon speaker.As the two women face one another and attempt to reconcile their past, Elizabeth finds she must wrestle with a number of issues she has avoided confronting. And she must carefully decide whether she is more distrustful of Ruth or of herself. Is she headed for another fall with this woman? Or does she want to get close again, so she can be the one to walk away?When it comes to reuniting with the love of your life, it’s not always easy to know the difference between getting back together and just getting back.Length: approx. 73,000 wordsThemes: 1970s · chosen family · family · Jewish · lesbian · marriage equality · older lesbian · publishing · reunion · Russian Jews · second-chance romance · women's college

    But Winter Manor is not entirely at rest. The echoes of its past reach forward into the present, and Ros’s life is perceptibly shaped by the lives—and loves—of the people who inhabited those rooms and corridors in the centuries before her.Then Anna arrives. The architect—with her designer clothes, hot car, and air of supreme professionalism—is at first an unwelcome, if necessary, intrusion. But as Ros learns Anna’s truths, she finds solace from her past losses in their developing intimacy. And when their love is threatened, Ros must decide whether her own ghosts will forever define her, or if she can embrace her life for what it is—past, present, and future.

    With nothing to lose, Natalie heads for the hills, or, in this case, the mountains. Turns out the cottage comes with a big family secret—Natalie is from a long line of witches. She quickly discovers that living in a new town isn't easy, especially when lightning strikes whenever she loses her temper!  When an orphaned eleven-year-old stands accused of murder, Natalie’s social worker instincts compel her to solve the case and clear the child, even if it means digging into painful secrets the town considers long buried. Secrets that paint a target on her back. Between her crazy family, magic lessons, investigating a murder, and the sexy witch detective hell-bent on keeping her in line, Natalie’s not sure which one will be the death of her first--her newfound abilities or the killer.

    Reece Corbett grew up on the mean streets of New York City; abused, used, and in trouble with the law. A mysterious man named Frank stepped in, pulled Reece from despair and saved her life. The obstinant, angry street thug eventually earned respect and makes a name for herself, not to mention a "reputation" despite the demons that still haunt her. When Frank dies suddenly, he leaves her his business, a Gentleman's Club called "The Lounge," which may be the only thing she takes pride in. That, and protecting her "girls," especially one freaky little dancer with a heart of gold named Cori the unspoken friend, ally and confidante of one Reece Corbett. Faith Ashford grew up wealthy with all the creature comforts that wealth provides. Country Clubs, a house in the Hampton's, and debutante balls with white gloves, taffeta and gardenias. There was one difference though, Faith wasn't like the other spoiled rich girls, she had no desire to follow those rather shallow footsteps, instead, she wished to follow her own dreams wherever they may lead her and those dreams lead the aspiring actress into a tenement in New York's Alphabet City, working the night shift in a rather seedy Lower East Side bar whose denizens, a sea of oddities, freaks, and frat boys that call themselves customers. Then one night an exotic dancer with electric blue hair wonders into Faith's bar. Cori of the myriad piercings and tattoos has no idea, but she would become the blonde's ultimate salvation in her moment of desperation, just as Frank was for Reece. Faith needed a break, she needed a change, and bartending at The Lounge would at least afford her something new, more new than she could possibly imagine in fact, a tall drink of water by the name of Reece Corbett who in turn had been looking for "this woman" all her life.

    She would rather go through life with minimal interaction than learn to open up and trust others; keeping her emotional scars in the front of her mind so she won’t get hurt. When a visit back to her hometown doesn’t bring the answers or closure she’s yearned for, she wonders if she’ll ever be made whole again.While in town Sarah meets Kate, a professor at the local community college. The instant connection she feels with Kate confuses and scares her, but it also gives her a glimpse of a life she wished she could have. Will Sarah finally find it within herself to conquer her fears and pursue the life she’s always wanted but thought she could never have?Content warning: This novel deals with alcoholism and references a suicide, an abortion and a rape. They all occur off-page and are only mentioned as backstory with no graphic detail.

    When an apparently happenstance meeting introduces Jude to reporter Liz Gardener, the dark ex-agent is both intrigued and aroused by the young woman. A sniper shot intended for Jude strikes Liz, and the two women are thrown together in a race to discover who is intent on killing her. As their lives become more and more intertwined, Jude finds herself unexpectedly falling for the reporter, and Liz discovers that the agent-turned drug-dealer is both more and less than she seems.In eloquent language, author Sharon Bowers paints a dazzling portrait of a woman driven to the darkest extremes of the human condition-and the journey she makes to cross to the other side.

    When a serial killer who leaves his victims oddly posed starts terrorizing the city, Detective Rafe Douglas leads the team tasked to find this sadistic killer. Still recovering from severe injuries sustained in the line of duty, Rafe’s tenuous hold on what is real is further tested by someone who wants in on the case and won’t take no for an answer.Private Investigator Ashley Scott experiences the world through unveiled eyes. She alone can see that Hell’s inhabitants are breaking free from their confines and are bringing their evil to Earth. She believes the killer isn’t human and knows she has to convince Rafe there are more things happening in the Windy City than anyone could possibly realize. Only together can they solve the secrets revealed in the killer’s brutal slayings.

    So when the Court decides to hear a case about gay marriage, Justice Victoria Willoughby must navigate the press, sway at least one of her conservative colleagues, and confront her own fraught feelings about coming out. ­­Just when she decides she’s up to the challenge,­­ she learns that the very brilliant, very out Genevieve Fornier will be lead counsel on the case.Genevieve isn’t sure which is causing her more sleepless nights: the prospect of losing the case, or the thought of who will be sitting on the bench when she argues it."With flashbacks to the main characters’ time at Harvard Law, we plainly see what kind of choices and sacrifices that generation was forced to make, to achieve what they wanted to achieve.......The author is to be commended for portraying this historical backdrop without judgment but with full emotional intensity. Blythe Rippon leads the reader right into that maelstrom of history, which mangled so many gay lives.......This backstory enhances the importance of the main storyline and shows why the decision for marriage equality was a landmark case. And it is fitting that the story at the end points at the next frontier, the fight for transgender rights." --Lambda Literary

    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.

    I figured it would be best to start at the beginning, and I’m very glad that I did. Great read!! Now, on to the next.”~ Kindle CustomerThe only woman Duchess Aurelia (Bree) Makenna ever loved died a slow and lingering death. And now, it’s her turn. Without her beloved wife, Timur, life holds no joy, no love, and no future.But sometimes, fate has other ideas.An orphan, a healer, and a diverse cast of Animal Spirit Guides join forces in this epic fantasy where love, grit, and determination not only heal a wounded heart but also lay a foundation for a battle against a black evil lurking within the Seven Realms of Ar’rothi.Bree—a warrior who, in times of need, serves her king on the battlefields of Anacafria.Katie—The Spirit Child, a nine-year-old orphan with a frightening power she must learn to yield with a warrior’s skills and the spiritual understanding of a saint.Becca and Nashotah—lesbian lovers, healers, and warriors who straddle two cultures while struggling to help the duchess and Katie trust each other’s strengths and understand their weaknesses.Perfect for animal lovers and fans of fantasy authors such as Anne McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey, The Spirit Child blends the lyrical and mystical with pulse-pounding action. ISBN: 1479319554

    She lives by them. Her rules have been her guide for thirty-one years. That is, until she meets Morgan Lane. When Hannah's best-friend and business partner asks her to appear on his friend, Morgan's radio show, Hannah balks. When Morgan approaches Hannah, Hannah finds herself unable to refuse. As time passes, Hannah and Morgan’s friendship begins to thrive, along with it, Hannah’s attraction to her friend. Everything in Hannah’s life becomes uncertain. Are her self-imposed rules and schedules the means to the end she desires, or have they become the roadblock standing in her way? What does Hannah desire? Does she know? As she makes discoveries about Morgan, Hannah begins the arduous process of uncovering herself. It's a journey she never expected to take. It's an exploration she desperately craves. Discovering Morgan is the first erotic-romance in the Journey of Exploration series of short stories by best-selling author JA Armstrong.

    After a full weekend of celebrating her birthday, she goes to work thinking it will be just another typical workday. That thought comes to a crashing halt when she flips the “Closed” sign to “Open” and finds an elderly mustachioed man standing at the door.Gordon LeVitt, Attorney at Law drops a bombshell that will flip Cassie’s life upside down. The man that she believed to be her father for the last thirty-three years is not really her father, and her recently deceased biological father Collin Masterson has named her as an heir in his Last Will and Testament. The catch: Her presence is required at the reading.Cassie heads to Masterson, West Virginia and has a blow-out that sends her car careening off the side of the road. With her heart racing in her chest, she is relieved when the most gorgeous creature she’s ever seen stops to help and then Cassie does something she has never done in her life—make mad passionate love with a complete stranger named Eelyn M. Carmichael who has agreed to drop Cassie off for her appointment.After Mr. LeVitt’s introductions, Cassie gets an even bigger shock when Eelyn comes strolling into the room and takes a seat next to Lenora, her father’s widow. Feeling sick to her stomach and thinking her world is crashing down, Cassie does the only thing she can—she runs with no intention of looking back. The one thing Cassie forgets is that things are seldom what they seem and Eelyn M. Carmichael has already made up her mind that Cassie Reynolds is not going to be the one who got away because some things that happen in the now, can and do last forever.

    That solution, however, is more of a problem. Too footloose for responsibility and distrustful of Kathryn’s selfless moral code, Aiden is a resistant heir. Her only interests are freedom and adventure. Despite their differences, Kathryn and Aiden discover common ground and a growing attraction as they set out on their mission to defeat the ruthless rogue ruler of Belstaff. The true test lies ahead, when they find they must free their hearts to finally liberate their queendoms.

    She puts up with verbal abuse, but when Chantel gets physical, she knows it's time to leave. Gathering her courage, she escapes to a women's shelter. With her new kitten at her side, she hopes to make a fresh start.Sydney is shocked to see Lora walk into the shelter. As her former professor, she knows how smart and capable Lora is. She vows to help the younger woman in any way she can. When she begins to mentor Lora, they connect over feminist issues and trashy movies - and Sydney finds herself falling for Lora's sad eyes and broken smile.Will Lora break free of her abusive ex and forge a new path with Sydney? Or will she go back to the woman who's already shattered her once?45,000 words