A Secret Wish One night in San Francisco, three women make a birthday. Liz is turning thirty. A successful nurse, she has a good career, but no man to share her life. All her friends are married, and she's alone, still trying to outrun a tragedy from her past. Then she meets a handsome stranger. Angela, a member of a large, loving Italian family, is facing thirty-five with no baby in the nursery. Eight years of infertility treatments have put a strain on her marriage. Will she have to choose between her husband and having a child? When she is mugged by an unexpected assailant her life takes a new turn. Carole, a corporate wife, is staring down forty candles. Having grown up poor, she worked hard to get ahead, but when her kids bail on her birthday, and she discovers her husband with another woman, she realizes that she may have nothing at all. She goes back to where it all began, the mother she left behind, and the man whose heart she once broke. Three women, three birthdays and one unforgettable night that will change their lives forever. Just A Wish Away Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy, takes us back to the beach in an emotional love story between two best friends who have been separated for a very long time. Alexa Parker and Braden Elliott fell in love when they were twelve years old. On a summer day, while searching for sea glass on the beaches of Washington State, they discovered an unusually shaped bottle. The ever-imaginative Alexa declared it a genie's bottle. Popping the cork, they were surprised by a rogue wave that sprayed them with a fine, cool mist. Closing their eyes, they each made a wish … Before their love had a chance to grow, life, family and tragedy separated the two best friends. Now fifteen years later, Alexa returns to Sand Harbor after her aunt is injured in a mysterious break-in at her antique store. Braden is also back, but he's not the innocent boy Alexa remembers. His military service has left him with physical and emotional scars. Can the sweet love of youth be recaptured by two now cynical souls? Can solving the mystery of the past bring them to a new future? Or will it take a wish, maybe two … When Wishes Collide In a moment of desperation two strangers make a wish, only to discover that sometimes a wish can take you down an unexpected path … straight toward a life-changing love. Adrianna Cavello’s life changed in an instant when a break-in at her restaurant took the life of her boyfriend and left her too traumatized to return to work. Months later, with everything she’s ever wanted on the line, Adrianna makes a wish by tossing a coin into a fountain known for making miracles. Wyatt Randall is also in need of a miracle. Two years earlier, his ex-wife kidnapped their daughter, and Wyatt is desperate to find his little girl. A new lead raises his hopes, but quickly fizzles out. When his coin clashes with another, he sees what little hope he has flying away. Adrianna and Wyatt soon learn that they have more in common than two coins that collided. In fighting for the lives they lost, they must learn how to trust each other and how to love again. Only then will they discover that meeting each other might not be what they wished for, but exactly what they need.

    When not searching for his girls, he excelled at his role as second-in-command of the CCU. He loved his team, loved them like family. And when it became necessary to risk his own life to protect one of those teammate he gladly does it, nearly dying in the process.His first day back on the job he's nearly knocked to the ground by a pretty little whirlwind. The younger woman makes him feel again and brings out all his protective instincts. Shame she'd never be interested in a man like Dan, one who had nothing to give. He gave it all to his search.Allison Brewster liked the look of the man who helped her to her feet. Yes, he was at least fifteen years older than she was, but he had a kind face. Strong hands. A spark of real intelligence in his eyes. She found him so intriguing...But Dan had a complicated situation, just as complicated as the recent divorcee's. Should they really get involved with one another?RECKONINGSomeone had hacked the PAVAD's secure maintenance system, trapping his daughter and a pregnant woman in the elevators, and that infuriated Edward Dennis, creator of the PAVAD division.Ed's fury faded away when he learned the culprit was 11 yr. old Teddy Glendower, son of the new forensics supervisor, Dr. marianna Glendower.Ed recognized the act for what it was--a boy stuck in the middle of six other brothers and needing attention. Since his daughter's recent marriage, Ed had the time to mentor the young boy. Provided his mother was agreeable...Ed Dennis terrified Marianna, with his cold brown eyes and commanding presence. And now Teddy's fate was in the man's hands, something Marianna, the survivor of domestic abuse, couldn't help but panic over.If Teddy didn't cooperate would Marianna lose her position? The position she'd worked hard for? Men who held that kind of power over people couldn't be trusted...Ed was determined to show the beautiful mother of seven boys that he could be trusted. Determined to show her he would never hurt her...But someone was trying to do just that. Hurt Marianna and her team, and her safety now rested in Ed's hands. And he could make one vow, and he'd die to keep it if necessary.No one would hurt Marianna or her children ever again...@84,443 words

    It's a gift some will do anything to silence and a mother will do anything to protect.Lara Godfrey desperately wants to have a child--a living legacy from her late husband. Placing her life in the hands of a doctor she believes she can trust, Lara doesn't relize a web of deception is being woven around her. An unseen voyeur, with dreams of immortality, plans to use the child for a test--an unbelievable experiment that could have genetic consequences not only for Lara's baby, but for the entire human race. In the face of danger, Lara must make impossible choices. That's why she flees the clinic before the baby's birth. It's why she changes her name and hides. She knows she must protect this gifted child who can see through lies and identify truth. Yet how can an innocent truth-telling boy survive in a world that wants to destroy truth at any cost?

    No Perfect Fate: When Cleo Anderson parks her Play-Mor in a small fish camp on the banks of the Suwannee River, her arrival draws the curious attention of eleven-year-old, Katie. Beautiful, yet shy, Cleo seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until Katie draws her into reluctant relationships with her godfather, Fletcher, and the plain-spoken elderly camp owner. Despite her reserve, Cleo soon becomes attached to the close-knit community of campers. Even as Cleo begins to overcome her reserve, she struggles with an inner voice and a past that haunts her and won't let go. No Perfect Secret: Betrayed thrice over by her husband, Anna believes her imploded life will right itself if only she buys a dog. Investigator Frank Caburn has other ideas. He already owns a dog. Man to the bone and manufacturing testosterone like Frito Lay does chips, all he wants is to fall in love and be done with it. Anna Nesmith is the one. But how to tell her without tripping over a layer of secrets is beyond him. Frank is saddled with his elderly bosses; both of whom who plan to keep their jobs until the Rapture or the sun burns out--whichever comes last. Adding to his woe is a cross-dressing dominatrix with OCD, a purple haired hacker on parole, and Anna's back-stabbing mother-in-law. Falling in love has never been more difficult. No Perfect Destiny: Leah Spencer lives in the present until a past she has outrun imperils her future. An investigation into missing funds at work threatens all she holds dear. Detective Leo Garvey has her in his sights as the number one suspect and more. Leah knows she must be careful, that nothing good could come from Leo's attraction. Leo doesn't see it her way. If he proves her guilty, he loses. If innocent, he wins. Yet, convincing Leah the past can only be escaped by embracing something better seems to fall on deaf ears. While Leo works to uncover the truth, Leah determines it will never surface.

    With ruthless killers in pursuit, she’s forced to rely on homeland security agent Corbin Ross’s protection—even as his investigation suggests Beth is complicit in embezzlement. Can their uneasy alliance develop into something deeper—and keep them alive?

    In the U.S. Navy, carrier flight operations only occur under the watchful eye of EOD Techs ready to respond to ordnance accidents. U.S. Marines assault enemy beachheads only after EOD Techs clear the littoral seas and landing zones of mines. The U.S. Secret Service even relies on military bomb squads to protect the President and visiting foreign dignitaries. Perhaps the best testimony of their value is that when the Navy needs to place a limpet mine under an enemy ship it tasks the Navy SEALs, but to respond to such an attack - the Navy summons EOD.Proximity highlights the exciting work of one EOD detachment as they become enmeshed in the efforts of a terrorist coalition operating both in Europe and the United States. Lieutenant "Jazz" Jascinski and the men of Detachment Four become the key to helping the FBI apprehend these terrorists - until their unique skills place them under suspicion. To protect themselves, the Techs must race to find the culprits before they become the next victims...

    The eldest of five siblings, she longs for the time, long ago, when they were a happy family. Now Ellen?s beloved father is dead, and she returns to her childhood home to make peace?with the people who still live there, with the losses and changes that time has wrought, and with the future God has set before her. When Joy Came to Stay Maggie Stovall is one of the golden people. She has it all together...at least on the surface. Ben Stovall is a godly husband and successful attorney. He has no idea of the darkness about to overtake his life. Amanda Joy is a child of society?abused, broken, thrown away. But her trust in God is still alive. When Joy Came to Stay is the heart-wrenching story of one woman?s descent into the shadows of depression, her husband?s search for understanding, and a precious child?s unwavering faith. On Every Side

    Mark Bishop is a man who accepts that responsibility, and carries it well. And at a time when tensions are escalating in the Pacific Rim, the navy is glad to have him.Mark wants someone to come home to after sea patrols. The woman he has in mind is young, pretty, and very smart. She's a civilian, but she understands life in the navy. And he has a strong sense that life with her would never be boring. But she may be too deep in her work to see the potential in a relationship with him.Gina Gray would love to be married. She has always envisioned her life that way. But a breakup she didn't see coming has her focusing all her attention on what she does best--ocean science research. She's on the cusp of a breakthrough, and she needs Mark Bishop's perspective and help. Because what she's told the navy she's figured out is only the beginning. If she's right, submarine warfare is about to enter a new and dangerous chapter...

     With a salute to characters like Russell Blake’s thrilling Jet and Lee Child's tough-as-nails Jack Reacher, THE MODEEN FACTOR, book one in the series, introduces Josephine Dakota Modeen MG, the kick-ass heroine we’d all like to have on our side. Following a distinguished military career - having successfully passed the gruelling entry programme to be the first woman accepted into Australia’s elite SASR and earning the Medal for Gallantry in action - Modeen is left wondering what’s next. And for someone with her unique skills, the options are limited. When unexpectedly contacted by her old CO Ben Logan VC MG, now a team leader with Australia’s national security agency, she knows it's not a social call. What she doesn’t know is how it will change her life…. In book two, THE MODEEN TRANSFORMATION, Modeen’s team is in pursuit of ruthless kidnappers and their high-profile hostages, abducted during the 2014 international G20 Summit in Brisbane, Queensland. Always a step behind but remaining hopeful of finding the captives alive, the team tracks the wily kidnappers from the state’s south to its far north. And along the way they make a shocking discovery … of how close to home the threat lies. In book three, MODEEN: BLACK OPS, Modeen is faced with a dilemma – should she follow her orders or her instincts? Her team disperses under deep cover to unravel the web of secrets surrounding their latest mission, which takes them from country Victoria to Australia’s national capital, and across the ocean to Kabul in Afghanistan. And the stakes couldn’t be higher....

    After all, she spends her working days comforting sick and dying patients. But when the annual Civil War reenactment in her hometown of Mount Moriah, North Carolina produces a real casualty, the Grim Reaper suddenly gets a little too close for comfort. Will courage, curiosity, and Lindsay's irreverent brand of religion be enough to catch the killer before she becomes the next victim?A DEATH IN DUCKWith the new year approaching, hospital chaplain Lindsay Harding heads for a much-needed break in the peaceful resort town of Duck on North Carolina's Outer Banks. Her plan to attend the wedding of her friend Anna runs aground when a boatload of trouble washes ashore, and as the old year ticks down, the body count goes up. Thrust into the path of an increasingly desperate killer, Lindsay must uncover a sinister secret before she winds up swimming with the fishes.THE BURNT ISLAND BURIAL GROUNDA cryptic confession sets the stage for another intricately-plotted Mount Moriah mystery. All signs point to murder, but no one can find any trace of a body. Hospital chaplain Lindsay Harding is sure not all is as it seems, but she'll need true grit and quick wit to follow a trail back through history to Burnt Island, a remote patch of North Carolina swampland. Lindsay's task is complicated by the shifting landscape of her personal life. After pre-wedding jitters jeopardize a relationship that seemed destined to be her best shot at happily-ever-after, Lindsay falls under the spell of a charming stranger. Whether she gets another chance at love will depend on following her heart...and on whether she can keep that heart beating long enough to unlock the mystery of Burnt Island.

    All she has is her best friend Amber and Amber's family that have taken her in as one of their own. Though she still feels that there's something missing. So in the search for family and a sense of belonging, Simone journeys to the wild landscape of Alaska to meet her mother's estranged Native Tribe, hoping that they will accept her half-breed heritage. Never finding much interest in men, preferring to bury her nose in a book or her studies, Simone's experiences can be summed up to one brief chaste kiss in high school. So imagine her surprise when she is confronted with an intense attraction to her two gorgeous Alaskan tour guides. And just as surprisingly, the attraction seems mutual. But how can she choose between the two best friends? Unbeknownst to Simone, the men have a dark and forbidden secret...Jackson Cole and Xander Drake share their women. With a lack of female companions in the Alaskan wild, they found that they preferred sharing rather than fighting over the women they wanted. And they want the 29 year old virgin unlike any other woman they had ever met. Her exotic looks and curvy body hidden behind horn-rimmed glasses, chastity and a shy demeanor have them dying to posses her. The question is, will that same innocence that brought them to their knees, send her running in the other direction when they reveal their darkest desires? Or if they are lucky enough to get a taste of her, can they willingly let her go when her journey is over?

    He's desperate to make amends for the mistakes he's made and convince Sierra their love deserves a second chance, but will she risk everything for another chance with the man who broke her heart? Fearless #2 - Lexi Brooks overcame adversity to build a successful real estate business that allows her to live life on her terms. She envisions travel, fun, and excitement, not marriage, kids, and commitment. But will Trey's sexy bodyguard, Josh, throw a wrench into her plans? Ruthless #3 - Marisa Turner has wanted her brother's best friend, Luc, forever. But she also wants a baby and it seems Luc isn't up to the challenge. She has to choose between the man she loves and the family she hopes to have. Fortunately, there's another man waiting in the wings to make her baby fantasy a reality. Reckless #4 - As a publicist, Avery Collins knows that mixing business with pleasure is a recipe for disaster so she has one rule. Her bedroom is off limits to clients, no matter how enticing and persistent they may be. Ty McCall is country music’s newest rising star, but he needs the best team in the business to help him make it to the top. That team includes Avery, who gave him the most unforgettable night of his life only to disappear the next morning. Note to Readers: The entire Nashville Nights and Nashville Nights Next Generation series is now available!

    But all that changes when her handsome UPS guy delivers a box of vintage teacups from the estate of her namesake and beloved Aunt Lucille. Happy memories of tea parties they shared when Lucy was young flood her mind. And with them, the forgotten stories her aunt loved to tell over tea and Scottish shortbread. Colorful tales of fascinating characters woven together with the undeniable power of love. Some were true, most weren't, but it was her aunt's extraordinary gift of storytelling that first ignited Lucy's passion to write. Though still grieving the recent loss of her aunt, Lucy unwraps the fragile cups and saucers, and with them, a flood of memories and story ideas. The Teacup Novellas - The Collection includes all five stand-alone stories plus the on-going saga of Lucy's own budding romance with that UPS guy who keeps knocking at the door of her heart.The Collection includes:Book One - Tea with EmmaBook Two - Strike the MatchBook Three - Home to Walnut RidgeBook Four - At Legend's EndBook Five - A Christmas Peril

    Zee, a minister's daughter, wants to be a movie star. Doyle, the son of a wealthy lawyer, expects to follow in his father’s footsteps and practice law. But World War I explodes and changes everyone forever. When Doyle ends up on the battlefields of France, though he performs ably, he comes home disillusioned. Rejecting his parents' pleas to return to school, he finds himself in Los Angeles on the bottom rung of society. Unknown to him, Zee Miller is also in L. A., having run away from her father and the religion of her youth. But a stunning string of events, resulting in a charge of murder, will see their lives intersecting again in a way that may shatter them both. "Bell is one of the best writers out there...he creates characters readers care about...tells a story worth telling." -- In the Library Review "Glimpses of Paradise has it all. War. Romance. Suspense. History...It's an extremely satisfying read from one of fiction's masters." -- C. J. Darlington, Infuze Magazine

    But how can she show she's competent when the hospital won't let her attempt even simple tasks? Determined to prove herself, Riley volunteers at a controversial urban free clinic despite her fears about the maverick doctor in charge.Dr. Jack Travis defends his clinic like he's commander of the Alamo. He'll fight the community's efforts to shut its doors, even if he must use Riley Hale's influential family name to make it happen.As Riley strives to regain her skills, Jack finds that she shares his compassion--and stirs his lonely heart. Riley senses that beneath Jack's rough exterior is a man she can believe in. But when clinic protests escalate and questions surface about his past, Jack goes into battle mode and Riley wonders if it's dangerous to trust him with her heart.