-Explore love, life, and the challenges of a bygone era.- Ridgeway, California: A fictional, mixed race settlement founded by abolitionists in 1853, after the madness of the California gold rush died down. Located near present-day Oakland, California, the town is home to a little less than 500 citizens. In Ridgeway, everybody knows everybody else- which can be a good thing- or a bad thing. The Roses of Ridgeway: The feisty, determined female citizens of the settlement. They are intelligent, loving, and know their own minds- but they are far from perfect. The Roses are: Lilly Warren, Prudence Emerson, and Valerie Ridgeway. Please Note: The Roses of Ridgeway series books are SWEET in nature. There is no offensive content that would limit these books solely to mature adult readers. Expect some brief foul language, and light violence, and affectionate moments. However, sexual relations take place behind closed doors and are not portrayed on the page. Therefore, these books are appropriate for readers of all ages, from young, to mature, to young at heart. From Heartbreak to New Beginnings In 1879, near the small northern California town of Ridgeway, Lilly Warren is a young woman who has recently lost her father. There is little time for mourning, though, as the responsibility of running the twenty-six acre farm now belongs to her. To make matters even more complex, her father has deeded the house and the land to her in his will with an interesting condition: that she share the land with a person she's never met, or forfeit ownership. Leaving the Sea Behind for a New Love Ricardo Benigno is a Spanish captain of the Anna Juanita, a shipping vessel bringing spices and oils to the shores of California. Seeking out the farm of his old friend Leonard Warren, he discovers that the older man has passed away. To his surprise, Ricardo has also been willed joint ownership of Warren land, as long as he shares it with Lilly, Warren's only child. Will There be Romance, or Rebellion? The attraction between them is instant, and they both agree that marriage is the only acceptable way they can share the land. But can two people from such different worlds learn to love each other, or will Lilly's heart be broken if she dares to kiss the captain? Roses of Ridgeway Series Chronology This is book #1 in the Roses of Ridgeway historical romance series by Kianna Alexander. Below is the series chronology: Book 1: Kissing the Captain- Lilly and Ricardo's story Book 2: The Preacher's Paramour- Prudence and Derrick's story Book 3: Loving the Lawman- Valerie and Noah's story (coming soon)

    She has the guts and willpower to protect her home from the hated Yankee aggressors, but when that traitor to the South appears at her door, she’s torn between wanting to shoot him and to be held in his arms again. Can she forgive him for their past indiscretion or does she turn him in to be executed, a traitor to both sides? In the summer of 1862, her family’s plantation becomes the personal battle ground between them as deceit, betrayal and passion ignite the flames of love and hate that burn brighter than the roar of the guns and rivers of blood surrounding them.

    But when the groom is murdered on the way to his wedding, the bride’s brother tasks his two best detectives—Gareth, a knight, and Gwen, the daughter of the court bard—with bringing the killer to justice. And once blame for the murder falls on Gareth himself, Gwen must continue her search for the truth alone, finding unlikely allies in foreign lands, and ultimately uncovering a conspiracy that will shake the political foundations of Wales.

    When his intended wife Clarice ran off with his cousin, he was left to pick up the pieces of his shattered heart. Now years later, after fighting a long war and finally earning a new start to life, all he wants is a little farm and his solitude. But when the one woman he never expected, or wanted, to ever see again suddenly shows up battered and carrying a small child in her arms, Jeoffrey has no choice but to take her into his home. But as soon as Clarice is healed, Jeoffrey is determined to be rid of them both. Forever. Faced with a forced marriage to an abusive man, Clarice flees to save her and her son’s lives. When she finally arrives at a new village, desperate for help, Jeoffrey is the last man she ever thought to find there. Injuries have left her helpless and reliant upon Jeoffrey’s goodwill. If only he did not despise her. Clarice never expected to see Jeoffrey again and, though her heart never forgot him, he wishes to forget her. All Jeoffrey wants is his freedom. All Clarice wants is a second chance. Will Clarice’s sudden arrival unravel all of Jeoffrey’s carefully laid plans for a life of solitude? Or will she turn out to be his only salvation? Celtic Romance rated 18+ due to some adult content

    And the worst heartbreakers.Philomena Sweet, Victorian London's finest safecracker, knows it better than most. The worst rogue of them all, dashing jewel thief Spencer Crane, smashed hers long ago. And now he's back, fleeing danger from their past. Danger he won't survive without her help.She'd love to refuse. She'd kill to stab him with her parasol. But she can't leave him for dead.Spencer Crane would sooner steal costume jewelry than ask talented, wickedly bright Meena Sweet for help. He's well aware she'd rather dice him into small pieces. He might even deserve it. But revenge stalks them both. He needs her artistry. She needs his skills.Neither needs the desire that sparks to life between them.While they dodge criminals, carriages, and the occasional flying cabbage, who will protect these two notorious thieves from each other?—Meet The Restitution League—Thieves, rogues, and well-armed adventuresses, the crew of the Restitution League fights injustice while wrestling with love and desire—and the occasional throwing knife—one romance at a time.And there's tea.

    . .When Aurora Hyatt loses her journal in Hyde Park, her ruin is a foregone conclusion. After all, if anyone discovers her writings, they'll find scandalous fantasies involving the newest rake in Town alongside entirely-too-candid thoughts about her typical dreary suitors. Aurora will either be forced into a loveless marriage with the first nodcock to make an offer, or she'll be assigned a permanent position on the shelf. Oh, dear good Lord. What catastrophe will God smote down upon her next?If Niles Thornton, Baron Quinton, desires to maintain any semblance of his current lifestyle, he must fulfill the requirements his grandfather has set for him. First and foremost: he must marry and begin filling his nursery within the year. When he is nearly barreled over by a racing curricle and a journal flies out to land at his feet, his troubles are over. Inside the journals pages, Quin discovers a scandal waiting to happen. Surely a young lady who would write such brazen things in a journal (and then dare to lose it) must recognize the necessity of a hasty marriage, even if the gentleman making the offer is rather less-than-honorable.In a drunken haze, Quin kisses Aurora on a crowded ballroom floor, necessitating their immediate marriage. Quin's troubles are only beginning, however, as Aurora's writings are soon the focus of both gossip rags and drawing room conversation. When word arrives of an even greater scandal following in his wife's wake, will he prove himself a drunken abuser like his father, or will he become the loving husband of Aurora's fantasies?

    Damien Cole. Ignoring the whispered warnings and rumours that he's a man to fear, she takes her position at his eerie estate, where she quickly discovers that nothing is at it seems, least of all her handsome and brooding employer. As Darcie struggles with her fierce attraction to Damien, she must also deal with the blood, the disappearances ... and the murders.With her options dwindling and time running out, Darcie must rely on her instincts as she confronts the man she falling in love with. Is he an innocent and misunderstood man ... or a remorseless killer who prowls the East End streets?Note: All books in the Dark Gothic series can be read as stand-alone novels.

    Kidnapped in the midst of a British officer's ball, Rachel is carried to the Glen Lyon's lair. Determined to defy the Scottish rebel, Rachel is unprepared for what happens when the Glen Lyon is unmasked. Gavin Carstares, Earl of Glenlyon is a strong, but haunted man instead of the villain she believed him to be, he's the hero she's always dreamed of. His mission-- to save the women and children of Scotland from the slaughter waged by Rachel's own fiancé. Gavin never imagined he would lose his heart to the general's daughter, then have to return her to the man he hates most in the world. As the heather hills caught fire with their passion, they forge a love worth defying a king's army.

    Now he's on the run, hunted by one of her murderers and tormented by the need for vengeance. Becky Finnegan will do anything to escape her drunken father's fists, including slave away at their mine. Her only hope is to strike gold and make a new life for herself somewhere far, far away from Deadwood. But then Jake arrives and does the unthinkable...forces her to feel, to hope...and to love. Jake would give his life to protect Becky, but all he can offer her is a broken heart, a criminal's life, and a past haunted by failure. How can he save her when he's already lost himself? Will he destroy everything, or can the beautiful rebel redeem Jake's lost soul?

    And I have attempted it twice. But I am not a man that can stand by that particular vow.” She prayed for death. Stolen from her home, sold for her innocence, all Ara Detton wanted was death. One man stood in her way, Caine Farlington. Ara is forced to survive, forced to rebuild her life. A life that is orderly, busy—with a destiny that is her own. All would be perfect, if not for having to hide her love for the man that once saved her. The man that forced her to live, to survive, to flourish. He refuses to let her go. In search of his missing betrothed, Caine Farlington, the Earl of Newdale, quite by accident, saves Ara from the worst possible fate. Six years later, Ara is an indispensable part of his life—even if he has to curb his need to touch her at every turn. The one you love is not always the one you think you need. Neither one of them is prepared to let the other go. But to remain together, both must find redemption and learn to forgive secrets of the past. Note: The Lords of Action books are each stand-alone stories, and can be read individually in any order. These historical romances are set in the Regency and Victorian eras, and do not shy away from naughty language, scenes with steamy heat, and moments that might possibly make you squirm.

    A lass bent on vengeance. Together they are unstoppable. Maggie Ramsay has never forgotten Randall Baines, the English lord who tormented her beloved sister when they were children. After her sister is injured in a senseless accident, she decides to make Baines pay for what he did…only she gets more than she bargained for. Her brother’s mysterious friend joins her as soon as she leaves her clan alone, insisting on keeping her safe, and when they reach Baines’s castle, she learns the lord is now an earl and his cruelty to women and lassies has only escalated. The discovery fills her with a fire that will not be banked. Will MacLerie is a notorious outlaw known as the Wild Falconer, hunted for a past he cannot acknowledge for fear of death. His life is devoted to honing his skills as a warrior and anonymously helping those in need, but when he meets Maggie Ramsay, he begins to yearn for something more. A life in which the two of them can travel together freely and fight for the causes they both believe in. When Will and Maggie discover the depths of Baines’s wickedness, they unite forces to stop the man, come what may. But can they bring down an English earl? Or will they become outlaws for good, forced to live and love in the shadows?

     Amy is a shy, timid soul, browbeaten by her domineering father until she’s terrified to do or say anything without his approval. When he dies suddenly, his will leaves large dowries for his six daughters, but only if they marry in the proper order, the eldest first. Amy must now find herself a husband, and soon, so her younger sisters can marry in their turn. There are several possible suitors, but will any of them come up to scratch? And how will Amy choose without her father to guide her? Belle is the plain one of the six Allamont sisters, happy with her books. With Amy betrothed, now Belle must find a husband. Reluctant to parade herself at balls and card parties, she intends to accept the offer of her cousin, James, a pragmatic but loveless choice on both sides. But fate and poetry and the gentle tendrils of friendship combine to overturn her careful plans. Connie’s older sisters have managed to find husbands, but now it’s her turn and she’s not sure she wants to marry at all. Having only just escaped her late father’s restrictive regime, she’s reluctant to surrender her freedom to another man just yet. If only she could find one who would fall so adoringly in love that he would do anything for her. Books 1-3 of the 6-book series The Daughters of Allamont Hall. Each book is a complete story with a HEA, but read them all to find out all the secrets of Allamont Hall!

     A Holt Medallion nominee for Best First Book First published by Kensington Publishing Corp. THE WEDDING DUEL It was meant to be a duel like any other—defend a lady's reputation, teach a scamp a lesson in honor, and win the day. But from the first moment Keene Davies raises the cursed pistol things go awry. The shot goes astray, he wounds his best friend, and his displeased father threatens to disinherit him—unless he marries a scandalous little hoyden named Sophie. Unbeknownst to Keene, Sophie Farthing has grown into a lovely young woman, albeit one still inclined to fall into scrapes. Her high spirits and tendency to ride hell bent for leather lead her into more than one disaster, but she's bound to make the most of this unexpected marriage to Keene. She's determined to teach her husband that honor begins with the heart, not the handle of a pistol, and that passion should go hand in glove with love...

    . . Elizabeth is a survivor. Her existence has balanced on the edge of a knife for much of her life--a knife held by her cruel stepfather. Betrayed, kidnapped and left for dead, she awakens on a ship bound for the Indies, in the bed of a stranger claiming to be her husband. As she recovers from her ordeal, the gift of the seer emerges; the ability to see and speak with the dead. A descendant of druids, Elizabeth knows she must hide her strange gifts as her new husband could claim she's insane and commit her to a madhouse. Can Elizabeth trust this Dark Hero conjured from the Gothic romances she once devoured? Donovan survived betrayal, imprisonment and torture. Deception and subterfuge are the weapons used to keep people at a distance. He maintains separate identities--the terrifying Count Rochembeau, a reclusive nobleman rumored to disfigured, and the amiable Mr. O’Rourke, the count's servant. Donovan’s penchant for deception may be his undoing when his bride awakens after her rescue and doesn't know him. As he struggles to rekindle their love, he fears he may be locked in a prison of a different kind; a loveless marriage to a woman who fears him and cannot abide his touch. The Reluctant Heroes Series: Bold Men, Independent Women; finding true love was never in their plans! Book One: Dark Hero, A Gothic Romance Book Two: Bright Scoundrel Book Three: Gallant Rogue

    As the daughter of a famous archaeologist, she’s been everywhere and seen everything—except London. When the Talbot-Martin team travels there for her father’s investiture, Linley finally gets her wish. But when the time comes to trade her jodhpurs and work boots for silk gowns and kid gloves, she may be in over her head.Even though she can out-ride, out-shoot, and outsmart any girl in London society, Linley is destined to be the failure of the season. No one she meets cares about ancient pottery or lost Buddhist texts, and fundraising efforts for future expeditions keep coming up short. If the Talbot-Martin team doesn’t find money soon, they will be out of a job, and Linley will lose everything she holds dear.Patrick Wolford, Marquess of Kyre (pronounced 'Keer'), is a man who knows his place. Well-connected and respected, he is everything everyone expects him to be, but beneath his façade, he is as neglected and crumbling as the family estate. Now the strain of keeping up appearances is taking its toll. The smart thing would be to marry the heiress nipping at his heels and be done with it, but when he meets Linley Talbot-Martin, who dares to shake up his seemingly proper world, he must choose between the life he’s always known and one he never dared to dream of.