Now a news photographer in Miami, Alicia covers local stories by day and chases storms at night. In a flash of lightning, she sees what appears to be a murder, but when she gets to the scene, there is no body, only a military tag belonging to Liliana Valdez, a woman who has been missing for two months. While the police use the tag to jump-start their stalled investigation, Alicia sets off on her own to find the missing woman. Her search takes her into the heart of Miami's Cuban-American community, where she meets the attractive but brooding Michael Cordero, who has his own demons to vanquish. Soon Alicia and Michael are not just trying to save Liliana's life but also their own, as someone will do anything to protect a dark secret…

    The grand Victorian on the beach of Summerbury, Maine was the object of her childhood fantasy and her standard of romance—and it was finally happening. Her dream summer is ruined, however, when she arrives in Summerbury to find that Hollywood superstar Spencer Ellis has muscled his way into the house instead. His offer that they share Sand Dollar Point is not only infuriating—it’s insulting. He’s a celebrity—and one she’s determined to hate. Spencer’s summer in Maine was supposed to help him get his head screwed on straight. One look at Tasha, however, made that impossible. She’s beautiful. She’s angry. She doesn’t care who he is. She doesn’t care about his fame. In fact, she doesn’t even like him. She’s irresistible. He’s only got the summer. She’s only got her heart. They’ve only got each other.

    It is then that he discovers a family secret. My Own Voice (volume I of Still Life with Memories):Ten years ago, when she was seventeen, Anita started an affair with Lenny, in spite of knowing that he was a married man. Now married to him and carrying his child, she finds herself condemned to compete with Natasha’s shadow, the memory of her brilliance back in her prime, before she succumbed to early-onset Alzheimer’s. Despite Anita’s lack of education, her rough slang, and what happened to her in the past, Lenny tries to transform her. He wants her to become Natasha. Faced with his compelling wish, and the way he writes her as a character in his book, how can Anita find a voice of her own? And when his estranged son, Ben, comes back and lives in the same small apartment, can she keep the balance between the two men, whose desire for her is marred by guilt and blame?The White Piano (volume II of Still Life with Memories):Coming back to his childhood home after years of absence, Ben is unprepared for the secret, which is now revealed to him: his mother, Natasha, who used to be a brilliant pianist, is losing herself to early-onset Alzheimer’s, which turns the way her mind works into a riddle. His father has remarried, and his new wife, Anita, looks remarkably similar to Natasha—only much younger. In this state of being isolated, being apart from love, how will Ben react when it is so tempting to resort to blame and guilt? “In our family, forgiveness is something you pray for, something you yearn to receive—but so seldom do you give it to others.” Behind his father's back, Ben and Anita find themselves increasingly drawn to each other. They take turns using an old tape recorder to express their most intimate thoughts, not realizing at first that their voices are being captured by him. These tapes, with his eloquent speech and her slang, reveal the story from two opposite viewpoints. What emerges in this family is a struggle, a desperate, daring struggle to find a path out of conflicts, out of isolation, from guilt to forgiveness.What’s in a name:The title Apart From Love comes from a phrase used in the story:After a while I whispered, like, “Just say something to me. Anything.” And I thought, Any other word apart from Love, ‘cause that word is diluted, and no one knows what it really means, anyway.Anita to Lenny, in Apart From LoveWhy, why can’t you say nothing? Say any word—but that one, ‘cause you don’t really mean it. Nobody does. Say anything, apart from Love.Anita to Ben, in The EntertainerFor my own sake I should have been much more careful. Now—even in her absence—I find myself in her hands, which feels strange to me. I am surrounded—and at the same time, isolated. I am alone. I am apart from Love.Ben, in Nothing Surrendered

    It's addictive romance reading that gets more satisfying as you journey further into these characters experience. Book one of the LOVE in the USA series features Daisy Blanchard and Belmont (Jack) Lord. Don't be surprised by the hot and fast start, Daisy and Belmont have a lot to learn about love, and here is where their education begins. It was one intense week in late October. I probably should've slowed our pace but I wasn't thinking clearly. I had just learned my boyfriend and best friend were engaged via a Facebook post, which left me heartbroken and wrestling with ghosts from my past.But Belmont Lord was so convincing and uninhibited, unlike me. He also had demons of his own. We threw caution to the wind. Could fate had picked a more perfect time and place for two people to meet?Yes, it was one steamy and surprising week, but was it long enough to make us last forever?Find Her, Keep Her: A Martha's Vineyard Love Story is the first sexy, sensual and addictive contemporary romance in the LOVE in the USA series by author, Z.L. Arkadie.This manuscript has been updated as of 6/18/2017. Sex scenes are still frequent but they are no longer written in graphic detail. Also, some of the details that were hard to swallow have been made palatable. Although, do realize that I had chosen to write two imperfect human beings. In later books, as they choose to make their relationship work, they also choose to resolve their personal issues. After all that is the theme of the LOVE in the USA series--true love, real love is another catalyst in life which helps evolve two people for the better. So I write love stories more than romance, and from book one through twelve of this series, you will be able to read the difference. Visit zlarkadiebooks.com to learn more about the author.

    And he wants her.Successful, handsome and too damn charming for his own good—he's perfect.The only problem? Letting him in could destroy everything she knows and loves.Samantha Burke loves her quiet close-knit community of Cedar Springs, just the way it is thank you very much.The addition of an upscale new resort as well as its arrogant owner, Trent Harrison, and the change they're both sure to bring to town, is certainly not welcome. As far as Sam's concerned, Trent can turn right around and go back to where he came from.That is, until one very hot—and completely unexpected—kiss changes everything. Now Trent is pushing his way into her town, and her life and it's getting harder and harder for Sam to deny the heat between them. Change is inevitable, but can either of them drop their guard long enough to accept it when there's so much on the line? Including the chance for love?

    Uninterested in his white knight act, she’d rather take her chances without the ruggedly handsome, cold-blooded operative who boasts an alpha complex and too many guns.Colby Winters, former Navy SEAL and an elite member of The Titan Group, has a single objective on his black ops mission: recover a document important to national security. It was supposed to be an easy in-and-out operation. But now, by any means necessary becomes a survival mantra when he faces off with a stunning woman he can’t leave behind.When Titan’s safe houses are compromised, Colby stashes Mia at his home, exposing his secret—he’s the adoptive father of an orphaned baby girl. Too soon, danger arrives and Mia lands in the hands of a sadistic cartel king with a taste for torture. As hours bleed into fear-drenched days, Colby races across the globe and through a firestorm of bullets to save the woman he can’t live without.

    So far, she’s 0 for 0. Though her MA in History is just a wall decoration at her family’s diner where she’s working while her dad recovers from surgery, she enjoys her visual encounters with the sexiest man alive—even though he would sooner pat her on the head than take her to bed. Military born and bred, Battalion Supply Sergeant Benjamin Wyne thrives on order and control in his fulltime career in the PA National Guard, and in his personal life. But when he’s forced to ask his childhood sweetheart’s younger sister to pose as his girlfriend to thwart unwanted advances from his boss’ wife, his world turns chaotic. Lea is sweet and hot and tastes so damn good he’s addicted. When the attraction takes on a new level at his sister’s wedding, his carefully guarded heart begins to thaw. But he’s seen many relationships go south. If he takes a chance and gives up control, will Lea be like her sister and leave him for a career in the big city? Yet, if he doesn’t, will the best damn thing to ever enter his life become history?

    She's about to be promoted to her dream job of General Manager, the role she's been striving for her entire career. There's only one thing standing in her way. The will of her childhood friend, Christian Ford's grandfather. She hasn't even seen Christian in over ten years, but a recent run-in with his grandfather during a rare visit home, resulted in a new condition to the will. Christian will only inherit the ranch he's been running and the real estate development business that he has expanded, if he marries Molly and stays married for at least six months.

    She's good at it, too. In her acupuncture practice, she fixes the community of Darling Bay, and in her personal life, she's rescued her sister too many times to count. Her love life, though... Grace doesn't think she needs help, especially not from a man whose very nickname is unhealthy.Tox Ellis is the hazmat expert at the Darling Bay Fire Department, and he knows about harmful substances. He knows what gases to keep apart to prevent explosions. Why, then, can't he seem to stay away from Grace, the woman who seems to think he needs fixing?Is Darling Bay ready for the chemical reaction Grace and Tox generate whenever they're in the same place at the same time? And who will be standing by to put out the flames?The Firefighters of Darling Bay seriesBook 1: Fire at TwilightBook 2: Fire at DawnBook 3: Everyday Hero (A Darling Bay Short Story)

    At her greatest moment of need, a protective and sexy Porter Masters comes to her rescue. Ella takes a holiday week at the coast to discover herself and finds her attraction to Porter potent and undeniable. Uncertain of their future together, Ella struggles to open her heart to trust again. Porter Masters takes care of his own: his single mother, his company, and now he’s compelled to protect the beauty that walked into his world. Never one for relationships in his past, Porter discovers that he was waiting all along for Ella. As their time together comes to an end, will Porter fight for the woman who stole his heart? Porter will find a way to keep her, despite the obstacles.

    Ends in MAJOR cliffhanger. Not for the faint of heart. :) Beautiful heiress Dalilah Gallagher, a former child art prodigy, has lost her way. Harsh criticism in her formative years has left her floundering and without the artistic voice that once centered her life. Now, at the age of 20, she has spent the last nine years trying to reclaim what she lost. Her struggles lead her to the nude-modeling world in New York City, where she hopes she will find her passion for art again. What she finds is surprising: Her artistic voice isn't gone, merely misplaced.Luke Roberts has a different problem. Raised by a solid, working-class fisherman in Maine, Luke is a gifted artist struggling to get a foothold in the busy New York City art scene. His gifts attract the attention of a wealthy benefactor, Blake Nottingham, who finds himself fascinated with Dalilah. Nottingham commissions Luke to provide him with a piece of art: A painting of Dalilah. As the two young artists fall in love, Dalilah finds her artistic voice once more, so she'll do anything to help Luke find the prominence he deserves. This leads to a dangerous game of deceit that puts Dalilah in Nottingham's clutches when she tries to manipulate him into helping Luke. Nottingham isn't easily manipulated, though, and things go seriously awry for Dalilah. What happens when the manipulated becomes the manipulator? Will Dalilah's lies cause her to lose the one person that means everything her? This is a full-length, 65,000 word novel. Approximately 200 pages.

    It isn't until Jackson walks through their door that she realizes something may be missing in the recipe of her life. For the past year, Jackson has been dealing with the fallout of his wife's abandonment. He's had to learn how to be a single father to their eight-year-old daughter, and will do anything to fill the void her mother left. It isn't until he commissions Millie for his daughter's birthday party that he realizes he's forgotten that he's not only a father, but a man. They both think they're content in their lives, but sometimes the right amount of spice can turn an okay dish into a magnificent one. A Pinch of Salt may be all that's needed to bring Millie and Jackson the flavor they've been missing.

    But when navigating military red tape begins to present more challenges than the enemy it makes Jon question his future. So does Alison Cressly, the woman who doesn’t do one-night stands or SEALs but who broke both rules with Jon the eve of his deployment to Afghanistan. He can’t get her out of his head — not while away and not now that he’s back. When Ali’s life is threatened and military rules won’t allow him to intervene, Jon decides it’s time to take back control. The question is what would a SEAL do as a civilian? Jon’s got skills, drive and an idea, as well as a few teammates willing to cover his six. And he’s got the hope of more with Ali. A team of sexy SEALs, a terrorist threat, and an attraction that can’t be denied... it all comes together in this launch of the Hot SEALs romantic suspense series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author Cat Johnson.

     To Louisa Tanner, Jack Doyle is perfect—heart surgeon, loving single father, and best friend a girl could have—so it's no surprise when he's tapped as the next Mister Perfect for the reality dating series Marrying Mister Perfect. But watching her secret crush romancing gorgeous women on national television? That flat out sucks—even if he will never see her as more than a pal. Jack is skeptical of reality shows as a path to love, but drastic measures are needed to shake him and Lou out of their rut. His friend deserves better than being his live-in nanny and will never chase her dreams if she is busy taking care of him and his kids, so he vows to take the show seriously and find a new wife. But the more stunning women he woos on command, the more he begins to realize the only woman he wants just might be the one he left back home. How can he seduce his best friend without jeopardizing their friendship? Especially when the cameras are always rolling...

    With the exception of a Ring Pop proposal and a pool-side kiss in college, not much has changed between them in 25 years. Now that they’re all grown up, the two friends find themselves headed down two different paths: Tessa looking for her dream job and Christian looking for his dream girl.Luckily for Christian, Tessa knows just the girl who’ll mend his heart after a bad breakup. But when things between Christian and his new girl Savannah start to get serious, Tessa isn’t feeling the pride and happiness she expected… In fact, there’s something weird in her heart that she can’t quite name.With no plans for romance or marriage, Tessa isn’t prepared to confront her true feelings for Christian. After all they’ve been through together, can she risk her heart, his happiness, and their friendship by telling him the truth? OR does she run away from the romance that began in the third grade?Friendship and romance combine with messy results, but A Previous Engagement celebrates the humor of real-life love in a story that resonates as honest from beginning to end.