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Caught in the Middle by Jennifer Hayden


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Driving in the Dark


Jack Harding - 2021
    There’s something in his bag. Something silver and glistening, sparkling with hopes and dreams of a bright and beautiful future. The only thing standing between him and his soon to be fiancée Emma is his arduous, mind-numbing drive home. But something isn’t right. His phone, his hearing, the music, the traffic; everything just seems off and out of sync, and Riley can’t quite put his finger on it.All he has to do is keep his eyes on the road…All he has to do is take it slow…In this brooding and deeply moving short story by Jack Harding, buckle up and settle down for a journey that will stir your senses and pull on your heart strings, keeping you guessing right until the end of the road.

A Strange Twist of Fate


Debra Erfert - 2017
    Hampered by agonizing loneliness, her obsessive-compulsive mother, and her over-controlling father, she defies convention, and the law, to investigate on her own. When she runs up against Lee Adams, a handsome police detective who’s determined to save Anna from herself, she has to step up her rogue search for the killer, before time and dwindling leads run out.

Shatter the Silence


Carol J. Post - 2020
    She is using those experiences to help other women and children find solace. Right now, her abused women’s shelter is bursting at the seams. When she learns she’s heir to a huge two-story house outside of town, she thanks God for unexpected blessings, until a grandson shows up with another will, threatening to contest hers. For the past several months, Jason Sloan has kept his nose to the grindstone, watching his mother’s cancer treatments dwindle away his savings. When he learns the inheritance he counted on has been left to Tia and her shelter, he’s torn. With his mother and him having been forced to flee an abusive situation themselves, Tia’s cause hits too close to home. All disagreements take a back seat, though, when he and Tia find themselves working together to fight an unseen foe. But which one of them is the target?

Mirror, Mirror


Deborah Hawkins - 2017
    The State Bar of California accuses him of coaching witness Marty Lewis to lie seven years earlier while he was working as a prosecutor in order to convict small-time con man, Dillon Reese, of the attempted murder of police officer Christopher Rafferty, a former Navy SEAL. Jeff loses his million-dollar lifestyle, but sets up his own law office, determined to clear his name, by proving Reese is the shooter. Jeff discovers that Chris was wearing defective body armor made by Armor Up Corporation on the night he was shot. Jeff persuades Chris and his wife Beth to bring a negligence suit against Armor Up and the San Diego Police Department for millions in damages. Jeff forms a deep friendship with Chris, but that friendship is challenged with Jeff falls in love with Beth. On the eve of proving that he never coached Lewis to lie, Jeff is arrested for a double murder. If he uses his alibi, Chris and Beth will be destroyed.

The Horror Collection: Gold Edition


Kevin J. Kennedy - 2018
     Featuring stories by Amy Cross, Mike Duke, Matthew Brockmeyer, Lex H. Jones, J.C. Michael and Kevin J. Kennedy.

Identity Crisis


Eliza Watson - 2018
    She learns they were placed in the Federal Witness Security Program when she was five years old. Her father was involved in an art forgery ring and testified against the mob. Brought up not to trust anyone, Olivia has a difficult time relying on U.S. Marshal Ethan Ryder to protect her, and to keep her secret. She fears her father may have continued his life of crime through her art gallery. She has little choice but to depend on Ethan when she realizes someone is now after her. Olivia’s search for the truth leads her and Ethan across the country to a family and a past she doesn’t remember. At the age of ten, Ethan witnessed a brutal murder. He vowed that when he grew up, he’d protect people in danger. Protecting Olivia is difficult when she won’t trust him. He soon realizes his desire to protect her goes beyond doing his job, but if his judgment becomes clouded by emotions, her safety could be jeopardized. Can Ethan and Olivia learn to trust each other when they uncover secrets that will change their lives forever? *This book was originally published under the name Eliza Daly.

Her Christmas Wedding Fake Fiancé: O'Brien Family Romance


Jennifer Youngblood - 2019
     Sofia Reed has worked hard to build her cleaning business and is making great strides. When, Colin O’Brien, a prominent CEO of a mega successful company, accuses her maids of being negligent, Sofia makes a personal visit to the man, hoping to resolve the issue. Bad goes to worse, and Sofia finds herself in an all-out brawl with the strikingly handsome but strait-laced wonder boy she has dubbed Ice Man. An unfortunate mishap sends things spiraling out of control. Then, Colin makes Sofia an offer she can’t refuse … Enjoy all the books in the O’Brien Family Romance Series. Here’s the order: The Impossible Groom (Chas O’Brien) The Twelfth Hour Patriot (McKenna O’Brien) The Stormy Warrior (Caden O’Brien & Tess Eisenhart) Her Christmas Wedding Fake Fiancé (Colin O’Brien)

Out of the Mist


Lauren Giordano - 2017
    . .     Beaten and left for dead, Juliet awakens with no memory of how she ended up alone on an isolated road. After another attempt on her life, she's forced to rely on a man who's made it clear he doesn't trust her.   Hunting a ruthless drug deler, injured DEA agent Matt Barnes has seen just about everything in a decade battling the worst humanity has to offer. But he's never seen anything like Julie-- a beautiful blonde who reminds him more of sorority Barbie than a ruthless drug kingpin. But looks can be deceiving. He's got the bullet hole to prove it.    In a case going nowhere, Julie and her memory are all he has. To erase the worst mistake of his career, his team will use her to lure the most dangerous drug lord he's ever battled. But will the woman he's fallen in love with ever forgive him for making her the bait?

Wasted Vows


Colleen Charles - 2017
    Love's a useless emotion that sucks away a man's time and energy. I'm a behemoth in the boardroom, and I don't allow women to interfere with my successful career by weakening me with their emotional drama. I haven't let a woman get close enough to hurt me since college. They just aren't worth the heartache.Until Luna. My charming little klutz.I knew from the moment I saw her that she was different. From her accidentally dropping her hand-written diary in my office to getting her skirt caught in my desk drawer, she's slayed me with her vulnerability. She's scarred and broken, running from history that haunts her. But she only thinks her wings have been clipped. Her past hasn't destroyed her, and life hasn't ended because of him. But I can save her; I know I can. Her shattered heart can be mended. Just like a jigsaw puzzle I can solve, I'll put the pieces back together.But she has secrets that threaten to overwhelm us both. Something from her past that she can't or won't reveal. I should stay away. There's a protectiveness in me that only she can evoke. She wants to run every time she's scared. At first, I'll let her. Until the day that I can't. Until the day that I don't.For the first time in my life, a woman's killer curves and tender soul make me feel like a flesh and blood man and not a corporate robot, willingly working myself into an early grave. I've seen my future in the depths of her eyes, and now I have it within my grasp.And whether she's ready or not, I'm going to take it.

The Hitman's Mistake


Sally Brandle - 2018
    But can she find him in time?The last person Grant Morley expects to discover on his annual supply run to a Montana mountain hermit is alluring Miranda Whitley, nearly dead from a bullet wound in her side. An accidental witness or the cold-blooded accomplice to would-be assassins?Miranda must convince Grant of her innocence, evade the killers intent on preventing her testimony, and fight her unwanted attraction for the agent…an attraction which seems to be mutual. Fortunately, love thrives in Emma Springs. If you love sizzling chemistry, Montana’s mountain landscape, and fast-paced action, then you’ll love Sally Brandle’s galloping thriller, The Hitman’s Mistake.

Avalanche


Cambria Hebert - 2018
     Through a bullet hole in a wall, I watch a man bleed to death. Those responsible think their crime died with the victim, until I identify them. What’s a girl to do when she’s being hunted by murderers witness protection can’t even stop? Run. My only refuge is a place I vowed to never go again. When it’s do or die, an eight-year-old heartache suddenly seems trivial. Besides, he won’t be there anyway. But he is. Turns out my old pain feels brand new the second his eyes meet mine. I can’t leave. I can’t stay. This snowy town that’s supposed to be my shelter suddenly exposes me more than before. With no one else to lean on, Liam becomes my lifeline. Now we’re both running for our lives, trying not to get swept away.

Then Came Love


Mona Ingram - 2012
    Jackson Galloway is an undercover cop. A member of the RCMP Green Team, he’s in the interior of British Columbia to find a marijuana grow-op and take it down. Jackson gives Amanda a lift to Loon Lake Resort and is intrigued by the gentle woman. The chemistry between the two is immediate and powerful, but Amanda is determined to stick to her marriage vows...besides, she’s afraid of her husband. Jackson is just as determined...to see Amanda again when the drug bust is over. But will the growing love between Amanda and Jackson survive the pressures of finding the grow-op? Join Amanda and Jackson in a journey of discovery, where the ultimate destination is love.

Steele My Heart


Tatum West - 2018
    But Abingdon needs me. And Kendall Vincent might just get me to stay for good.Gil:I was tired of working the police beat in Northern Cali. Exhausted--my whole body was yearning for a place I hadn't been in years, my old home. When my mama died, I knew I had to come back, and my new job as police chief sealed the deal.I got away from heartbreak. From being so tired. From the constant, never-ending world of crime I'd come to know.In Abingdon, I can relax, see all my old friends from Jackson Academy. Maybe I can even change this place and make it better for all the kids like me. The ones who were different, who needed a place a little bigger and broader than a small mountain town could provide.I always promised myself I wouldn't come back.But Kendall Vincent--he might get me to stay for good. When I'm in his arms, I feel complete, whole again, like a man reborn to the world.Everything seems perfect, right up until the moment that it's not.When two gay kids get hurt bad by a gang of thugs, I realize that Abingdon needs me far more than I thought.And I'm here to protect the town--and the man--that I'm growing to love.Kendall:I've survived everything this world has tossed my way--ignorant parents, falling for men who want to play straight, and running a food truck in a town that likes its men butch and its hot dogs bland as all hell.I even got through chemo and three bone marrow transplants when I was a kid.But nothing prepared me for meeting Gilman Steele.Six feet of pure muscle with eyes that shine like gold and a smile I'd like to see every morning for the rest of my life.I know I'm crazy, but I swear to God almighty that I fell in love with that man of Steele from the first second I laid eyes on him.There's a secret I know that could change my relationship with Gil, a lie I've been hiding for over a year.It could threaten Gil's life here, everything he's worked for. But justice is justice, and I believe in the Abingdon that Gil wants to create.When the drama gets worse than I ever imagined, I realize that Gil's not the only one in danger.I'm toppling off a bridge and getting sucked down into the murky water of Holston Lake when I know for sure--this isn't the day I meet my maker.I didn't survive everything I've been through just to die at the hands of an evil man with a secret far darker than my own.I'll make my way back to Gil. He's mine, now and forever.This town might not be ready for us, but I am. And I plan to let the world know it.Steele My Heart is the first book in the Bridge to Abingdon series. Each book focuses on one amazing couple, and each can be read as a total standalone. There's lots of steam, a heaping dose of mystery, a dash of insta-love, and a happy ending that's guaranteed to make your heart melt. There are a few chilling scenes and some ignorant jerks who meet justice in every sense of the word. Gil Steele and Kendall Vincent are the future of Abingdon, and the men who set up the story for the rest of our lovers. Enjoy!

Saving Cade


Victorine E. Lieske - 2018
    Afraid the police will be after her, the last thing she needs is a wanted man in her car. But when Cade McMillan saves her life and gets hurt, she can’t just leave him by the side of the road, bleeding. And waiting for the cops is out of the question. Cade McMillan just wants to clear his name, but in order to do that he has to find the man who murdered his girlfriend and set him up. He doesn’t need to get tangled up in a relationship, and definitely doesn’t need to fall in love. But he can’t help feeling drawn to the sassy woman who saved him from getting picked up by the police. As Cade realizes someone is trying to kill him, he must decide if staying with Meg is worth the danger he’s putting her in. Saving Cade is a sweet romantic suspense.

Carbon-14: The Shroud of Turin


R.A. Williams - 2020
    Only one test says otherwise—the carbon date performed in 1988. A serial killer with a fetish for fire targets the faithful of Tucson, Arizona. Homicide detective, Pete Johnston, works to catch the killer before more clergy are killed, before more churches are burned. His daughter, Amari, is a criminal justice major at the University of Arizona. When the Shroud is carbon dated at her university, the results reveal that the relic is a medieval forgery. Amari investigates this ancient cold case file for a class project and makes a shocking discovery that could alter the fate of Christianity. She teams up with Dr. Kevin Brenner, a brilliant young experimental physicist, and together they gather evidence so they can plead their case to the Vatican—unless the killer can stop them first. Her father desperately tries to protect her and catch the killer before she becomes his next victim. If Ted Dekker and Christy Barritt collaborated on a mystery/suspense novel, it would read like this. .