What could be a better destination for the holidays than a peaceful inn tucked in the picturesque mountains of Vermont? But when a blizzard hits, three couples will be forced to deal not only with the weather but also with the reality of their relationships. Mary Michaels, competent innkeeper is very good at her job. And at hiding her growing attraction for the inn’s handyman, Joe Puletti. Friend of her late husband, Joe is a great catch, but with a five-year old son and complications from her past, Mary is not. Lila Benson needs to reinvent her life. What the quiet, second grade teacher doesn’t need is to run into a face from her past—Dan Hamilton, football star that she helped tutor in high school. And fell hopelessly in love with. Celia and Richard Davis have brought their children Kevin and Jenna for a family vacation. It will be their last since the divorce will be final soon. However, Kevin and Jenna have hopes that a little time together is all their parents need to heal their family. Can these relationships be saved? Anything’s possible at Christmas. Especially with the help of three children, a man with a white beard, the inn’s mysterious manager, and a reindeer.

    Though it hasn't been open to guests in years, the pair endeavor to reopen in time for the holidays. Problem is, they discover the charming old place is really a money pit full of more issues than they can handle on their own.On top of dealing with renovations, Margaret is surprised by an unexpected visit from her ex-mother-in-law. Having never gotten along, Elaine has a lot of nerve to request Margaret step in and do something about her ex-husband giving his mother the slip. Not only that, but the neighbors who own the Morning Dew Cottage next door are nothing but nasty and rude, which is a mystery to the sisters. As Margaret and Liz get to know their other neighbors, they uncover hidden secrets within the Seahorse's walls.Dave and Margaret are still going strong, but will his brash mother and big family feud over the holidays prove to be the straw that breaks Margaret's back?In Book 2 of the Cape May Series, follow Margaret and Liz's journey of reopening The Seahorse Inn while the magic of the holidays-and the B&B itself-bring together family and friends for a special Christmas to remember.This is Book 2 in the Cape May series. It is recommended to start at Book 1, The Cape May Garden.

    Faithful woman. A lonely child. And a God who answers! Five years ago, on Christmas Eve, Collin Watson lost his two-year-old son when his ex-wife, who was a junkie, took the boy and disappeared. He despairs of ever finding his son but never stops praying for the boy to be safe wherever he is. This year he is praying for a Christmas miracle. Mabel Green is an Elementary School teacher and she doesn’t know why she is drawn to the seven year old boy who just joined her class at the beginning of the year. She is single and longs to find a man who will love her deeply, and she prays that this Christmas she won’t be alone. Taylor Brown has known a lot of pain in his short life and his only respite comes from his teacher, who cares about him, ensuring that he eats at least one good meal a day. He longs to find a good family who will take him in so he can have a wonderful Christmas this year. Three yearning hearts brought together by the magic and love of Christmas.

    Until she discovers the dangerous secret he kept from her. One that threatens to ruin their marriage and the stability of a happy home for their two little girls.When his siblings suggest a way to gain back Shannon's love and trust, they embark on a seven-day journey to do so. Can Flynn win back her love before it's too late?Along with their focus on Flynn, the family is also helping plan Cymbeline's wedding to Viktor. Will Emerson Pass's favorite tomboy embrace a traditional wedding with all the trimmings? Her sisters are determined to make sure she does.Join the Barnes family for this bonus novella in the bestselling Emerson Pass Historicals. Christmas joy abounds as the family does what they do best, stick together no matter what happens. Don't miss this surprise holiday gift from USA Today Bestselling author Tess Thompson.

    

     After five years of hard work, Elliott Maitland has succeeded to make profitable the ranch he bought on a whim from a gambler who had no interest in working with cattle. A frosty winter day finds Elliott in town, hoping to conclude his business before the blizzard starts in earnest. Sam, the owner of the mercantile, asks him to give shelter to the new schoolteacher, who just arrived in town and has nowhere to stay. Celestine Tillman is in desperate need of a job and a place to live. Being hired as a teacher in Wyoming is a blessing. Discovering that no one is waiting for her at the train depot and no room is available in town so close to Christmas is distressing. Going home with this rancher could be dangerous, but what choice does she have? This adventure packed fictional story is set in Laramie, Wyoming at the end of the nineteen century and presents a true picture of the western town with all the good and the bad, the modern and the old west mixed together. An enduring town moving forward and changing with the times.

    Titles in this growing series for middle school and high school students analyze novels and plays that are included in most schools' English Lit. curricula. Literature Made Easy books are more than plot summaries. They analyze characters, explain themes, and point out details that make each author's writing style unique. Each book also features "Mind Maps"--diagrams that summarize the work's most important details and serve as stimuli to help students focus their ideas for exams and term papers.

    All four books are included in this series, including:The Cain Conspiracy:Shot in the head and recovering from brain surgery, Delta Force soldier Thomas Nelson wakes up in a military hospital unable to remember who he is. Faced with going through recovery alone, with no family that he's aware of, he is recruited by a top secret government agency. Project Specter is tasked with eliminating targets they deem to be a threat to the United States. Their goal is to turn Nelson into a super assassin named Matthew Cain. Cain's first mission is supposed to be a piece of cake. Just take out an escaped fugitive in Honduras who's on the run for the rape and murder of a little girl in New York. There's only one problem...somebody beat him to it. Everything is not what it seems as Cain gets mixed up with an international arms dealer and an ex government agent who's gone rogue and supposed to be dead. The Cain Deception:In this follow-up to The Cain Conspiracy, Matthew Cain finds himself on the wrong side of a hit man. After he is sent on an assassination mission in Russia, The Specter Project learns of a man seeking revenge for Cain’s actions. After Cain hears of the man’s intentions, he sets out on a frenetic search to find the killer before he makes good on his plans to kill both Cain and his girlfriend. Along the way, Cain finds more questions than answers about the mysterious assassin, who seems to be a ghost. As Cain dives deeper into his quest, he starts to wonder about his role within the super secret agency and whether there are those above him who know more than what they appear.The Cain Directive:Cain, still reeling from the attack on his girlfriend, gets even more suspicious of Project Specter when they send him to Russia to find Dmitri Kurylenko, a man he has already secretly killed. After another attempt on his life, he soon learns of the agency's involvement in keeping his memory from him and sets to meet with a man who seems to know everything. Unfortunately for Cain, Specter showed up first and framed Cain for murder. Now, on the run, he must protect those close to him, while also trying to prove his innocence. In his quest to take down Project Specter, Cain turns to the only man he can trust for help, Eric Raines, a man Specter wants almost as badly as Cain, and a man as equally bent on taking down Specter as he is.The Cain Redemption:Cain finally relents to getting his head and seizures fixed, but his recovery time is cut short from eight weeks to one week when he learns his fellow agent, and friend, Eric Raines has gone missing. Will the rushed recovery period have dire consequences for the super assassin? Despite the concerns of those closest to him, Cain ignores the personal dangers to his health in his quest to find his friend and the last remaining remnants of the previous Specter regime, who are still on the run. His adventures take him to France, Germany, and back to Honduras, where it all started for him. Will his mission end where it all began?

    Between taking care of the family farm and working at the diner to make ends meet, she has a lot on her plate. She has neither the time nor the interest to pursue a relationship. When a stranger shows up in town and happens to be around just at the moment she needs help the most, will she break her own rules and let him into her life?If only tragedy didn’t find a way to sneak into her life at every chance…After studying for six years in Chicago, Roger Lockett has returned to Texas to be a doctor. He and his father have never seen eye to eye about his future and what he should dedicate himself to. When his father makes him an offer that could put their differences to rest and bring him to a tiny town in need of a doctor, Roger jumps at the chance. What he never expected was to cross paths with the most beautiful and strong-willed woman he has ever met...Will he manage to break down the walls surrounding her wary heart though?As Roger and Eve grow closer together, disasters and difficulties seem to pile up for Eve and her family. With Christmas preparations in full swing, she struggles to hold everything together. Then an accident hits close to home and suddenly Eve isn’t sure there will be any Christmas this year… Will Roger and Eve brave these challenges together? Will they open their hearts to love and a Christmas miracle?"A Western Christmas Miracle" is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

    This boxed set includes nine ALL-NEW tales from New York Times Bestselling Author Sandra Edwards, USAT Bestselling Author Regina Duke, and featuring Bestselling Author Colleen Ladd.About Our Books:CHRISTMAS PAST by Sandra EdwardsThe holidays are turned upside down at the posh resort Serenity Pines when Liz Stephens receives a letter--more than forty years late in this newest installment in the Joseph's Point Romance series.CHRISTMAS PRESENT by Sandra EdwardsThe holiday chaos continues at Serenity Pines after Lily decides to stay in Seattle over the winter break from college, and inadvertently learns the secret her grandmother is hiding.CHRISTMAS FUTURE by Sandra EdwardsAs the holidays come to a close, the dust settles while the ladies of Serenity Pines receive a special gift--and just in time for Christmas. Join NYT & USAT Bestselling Author Sandra Edwards as she revisits Joseph's Point in this trilogy about love, loss, and second chances.THE CHRISTMAS APP by Regina DukeCan a Christmas app help Camryn Talbott step out of her sister's shadow and find what her heart really yearns for--true love!THE CHRISTMAS BEAU by Regina DukeWhen Holly falls for Tanner at the Christmas Circuit, he's surrounded by glamorous females, leaving Holly to wonder if she can compete. Will she end up with her Christmas Beau?THE CHRISTMAS SWEETS by Regina DukeTatum Price allows herself to splurge during the holidays, but Braydon Farmer's prize-winning sweets contain more than chocolate...and maybe more than Tatum bargained for. Is the secret ingredient true love?THE CHRISTMAS LIGHT by Regina DukeHanna Gordon's life is a mess and there is no room in her heart for Christmas spirit. Then she meets Trevor Gatlin and things are looking up, until her hopes are dashed. Can a Christmas tree heal her heart? Find out in this lovely offering by USA Today Bestselling Author Regina Duke.THE CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL by Colleen LaddPullman Siding's annual carnival turns truly magical when Carey Langley meets skijorer Hunter Cameron. But Pullman is Carey's home, while Hunter's always chasing the next race. It'll take a little extra magic to ensure a truly special Christmas.THE CHRISTMAS CHAMPIONJamie Drake is used to taking care of herself. But when her car breaks down in the snow and her new job turns out to be a dud, she finds herself with a champion, whether she wants one or not.CHRISTMAS MAGIC by Sandra EdwardsA down-hearted woman gets a magical candy bar from a sidewalk Santa that transports her into an alternate reality in this enchanting tale from NYT & USAT Bestselling Author Sandra Edwards.

    She’s found a wonderful man to share her life with and is looking forward to a promising future together. But one month before her wedding, she runs into the man she once loved who she hasn’t seen in ten years. Soon, her entire life is turned upside down. James Gallagher fled to California ten years ago to start over after the love of his life, Mallory, refused to marry him. But when his dad passes away and his mother becomes ill, he returns home to help run the family business. Seeing Mallory again brings a flood of memories back, and he begins to wonder what his life would have been like if he hadn’t left.Will the wedding go on or will fate play a hand in Mallory's happily ever after?

    We're just two women who know what it is to need one." Jane has problems, and this December, keeping her assassin best friend from actually killing somebody isn't the biggest one. Her songwriting muse keeps trying to rise from the dead, they have a new sidekick they can't seem to dislodge from the back seat, and it's that time of year when the ghosts of Christmas shake their chains and make an unbearable season even worse. Peace on Earth isn't what they're good at - but it's coming for them anyhow. Which isn't anything a couple of assassins want for Christmas. (Previously published as Lesbian Assassins, which was a nod to how the story got started, and a terrible description of its contents. Heavily revised to become the tale of holiday redemption Carly & Jane apparently always intended to become!)

    If you love small town western romances you'll love these stories of hope and second chances. COLORADO COWBOY CHRISTMAS Cynthia Welch has made a name for herself as one of Chicago’s top divorce attorneys at the expense of her personal life. Burnt out, she heads to Peaktop Guest Ranch for a couple of months of solitude over the holidays. AJ Coulter, a cowboy from Wyoming, has been a loner and a drifter ever since his divorce and his teenage daughters leaving for college. He finds a temporary job at Peaktop Ranch as the head wrangler. When their paths cross, Cynthia begins to question her life in Chicago, and AJ struggles to find a way to keep her in Colorado. Can the spirit of Christmas bring these two people from very different worlds together and help them find their way to true love? COLORADO GOLDEN SUNRISE Forty-three year old, Kelly Charm, feels her life slipping away in Prairie, Nebraska. A single mom, she longs for a better life for herself and her teenage son, Ethan. Having scoured online job ads for months, she finally finds an ad for a hardware store manager in picturesque Peakview, Colorado and decides to take a chance. Forty-six year old, Jake Midnight, is Peakview County’s most beloved EMT. He’s the best at what he does—professionally, that is. After a failed marriage, which ended over twenty years ago, he’s put his personal life on hold. He’s content to live alone. That is if you don’t count his three horses, two dogs, five cats, and two pigmy goats. When the unfamiliar high altitude of the Colorado Rockies causes Ethan to have an asthma attack, Jake is quick to jump to the conclusion that Kelly is an irresponsible parent. Kelly is furious at the arrogance of this man who know nothing about her or her son. Sparks fly, but there’s no denying the underlying attraction that sizzles between them. The warmth of the holiday season has been known to melt hearts, even one’s which have been closed for years. A PEAKVIEW CHRISTMAS Only five days until Christmas, and FAITH OWENS has had enough. Not willing to spend one more holiday with her abusive, alcoholic husband, she loads her two young daughters, Gracie and Hope, in her car and leaves her life in Scorpion, New Mexico behind. Newly divorced, ZANE WILDER, faces his first Christmas without his son, Ace. He can’t wait for the holiday to be over. To escape sitting home sulking, he travels from Montana to Colorado to spend the week training his young horse, Storm Cloud. When their paths collide at Hearts Haven Bed and Breakfast near scenic Peakview, Colorado, they find more than a place to rest. Two lonely, cautious hearts are brought together by the magic of Christmas, with a little help from Violet Crandall or maybe Santa himself. Will their budding romance continue when the holiday ends? Can two broken families find the missing pieces that lead to happiness? This Christmas, come home to Peakview, Colorado where everyone has a chance at love.

    For seven years, she has raised her daughter without a father.Scott Lamar never meant to abandon his daughter and pregnant girlfriend, but life happened, and college provided a means of escape. All that changed when he found faith in God, and now he wants to make up for his past mistakes. Is it ever too late to do the right thing?Mistletoe and Mochas by Lynnette BonnerChelsea Tan looks up from the mocha she's making to see Cannon Jones. She nearly drops the cup. He hasn't contacted her once in the past several weeks. She'd gotten his message loud and clear. But now he wants to spend time with her? Well, he'll just see how gullible she is this time! Cannon hopes Chelsea will understand the reasons he hasn't been in contact. But she's as frosty as the Seattle air the week before Christmas. He'd better put on all his charm. Maybe with the help of a few mochas and some mistletoe all will not be lost.Cephalopod Cupid by Kathleen FreemanLacey McDowell has the best job in the world. She's a Marine biologist at the Seattle Aquarium. Her favorite "exhibit," an octopus escape artist named Gabriel, should make the coming Christmas merry enough. But with her friend marrying her ex-boyfriend, it may be time for a change. The N.O.A.A. research vessel in port is looking for a marine biologist. But how can Lacey leave Gabriel? And what about the boy who loves her favorite cephalopod, or his father, a handsome executive who's moving to Seattle?Christmas Bells are Ringing by Lesley Ann McDanielHaving recently relocated to Seattle, Shelby longs for someone special in her life. When a handsome green-eyed stranger walks into the coffee shop where she works, her interest is piqued. Later, she finds a bag containing five beautiful hand-painted Christmas bells on the cream and sugar table. No one comes back to claim it, so she decides to do a little detective work. Does she dare hope that it will lead her to the stranger with the magnetic green eyes?Seattle Rayne by Sylvia StewartLoneliness has hovered over Rayne DeMarco's life. Frequent infusions of coffee have neither enlivened her flagging business as a freelance writer nor her social life. Seattle's gray winter skies seem to mirror her life. Then a mama cat with three rambunctious kittens finds a home in her above-the-garage apartment, and a handsome Montana cowboy, Matt Hayes, walks back into her life. Add a puppy who needs a little love and you have a Seattle romance that is as sure to warm your heart as the hot coffee Seattleites crave.All I Want for Christmas by Janalyn VoigtWhen Corey broke Hailey's heart, her best friend Matt picked up the pieces. If Matt wasn't a cubicle worker moonlighting as a Seattle street musician, this would be easy. But never mind that he stirs her emotions, Hailey can't afford a drag on her ambitions. She needs to climb the career ladder to keep her childhood home. Matt isn't about to tell Hailey that the 'fiddle' he carries is a Stradivarius or that he owns a tuxedo, not after his fiancé ditched him for a man with more money.

    After all, he was not the heir or the spare, but a lowly third son. Miss Diana Grambling is painfully aware her blood isn’t blue enough for an earl to consider her as a match. When the childhood friends stumble across a smuggling ring operating along their coast, they are in need a Christmastide miracle. If they can survive, will they be strong enough to follow their hearts?Warning: Contains a hero battling his gentlemanly impulses, a heroine who falls for her brothers’ best friend, and a wicked night in front of a fire that changes everything.Previously published in the Once Upon a Christmas Wedding anthology